Thirty new metal complexes were synthesized from the reaction of Cu(II) acetate and
Ni(II) nitrate with Schiff bases derived from the condensation of amino acids (Lphenylalanine,
L-valine and glycine) and different heterocyclic aldehydes and
ketones. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and conductance,
magnetic, IR and electronic spectroscopic measurements. The data obtained
indicated that the amino acid derived Schiff bases behaved as uninegatively charged
bidentate ligands and coordinated with the Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions through their
azomethine nitrogen and the deprotonated carboxylate oxygen yielding stable metal
complexes as evidenced in their IR spectra. In most of the Cu(II) complexes, only
one amino acid derived Schiff base coordinated to the metal centre, while the third
and fourth position were occupied by a bidentate -OO- acetate anion. Whereas in two
other Cu(II) complexes ([Cu(ph3t)2].H2O (Cu(II) complex of 2-[(3-methylthiophene-
2-ylmethylene)-amino]-3-phenyl-propionic acid) and [Cu(glypy)2].5H2O (Cu(II)
complex of [1-(1H-Pyrrol-2-yl)-ethylideneamino]-acetic acid)) and all the Ni(II)
complexes, two bidentate -ON- amino acid derived Schiff bases were bonded to the
metal centre. Magnetic and spectral evidence supported a four-coordinate geometry
for all complexes synthesized. The thermal analysis studies proved the presence of
water molecules and methanol outside the inner coordination sphere of some of the
complexes synthesized. In turn, the cytotoxic activities of the metal complexes were
evaluated against two bladder cancer cell lines which are EJ-28 (invasive human
bladder cancer cell line) and RT-112 (minimally-invasive human bladder cancer cell
line) and ten of the Ni(II) complexes showed remarkable cytotoxicity against EJ-28
cells while six of the Cu(II) complexes were found to be cytotoxic against RT-112
cells. In conclusion, it appeared that the complexes derived from glycine and 2-
acetylpyrrole as their ligands had the best cytotoxic activity in both cancer cell lines.


Financial reporting is a powerful practice that shapes social and economic processes. This paper argues that there are fundamental reasons against current attempts to establish a single set of global financial reporting standards, moreover tailored to the needs of stock market-based capitalism.Evidence shows that there exists more than one way of doing business. Social market economy, for instance, is one of the founding principles of the European Union. Standardizing financial reporting onto a single economic model could therefore harm alternative forms of capitalism. It is at time of great uncertainty and change that the advantages of variety can be appreciated. Consistent with this view, this paper claims that the optimal design of financial reporting regulation should depend on the specific institutional characteristics of the economic and political systems.


entered a programme that has objectives, structure and learning methods that required them to be self-directed in learning and to use a problem solving format as the major educational technique. Some aspects of this programme have previously been described in this Journal (Campbell et al., 1972). The objectives of the programme emphasise the need to educate physicians who will be effective in contributing to the provision of care and to the solution ?f the various health problems, and who will be adaptable to changing needs in health. The aims are that the graduates of McMaster's MD programme will have acquired or developed the knowledge, abilities, and attitudes necessary to qualify f?r further education in any medical career. The general goals have been stated as follows: * To identify and define health problems, and search for information to resolve


Objective: The effects of intraoperative blood salvage (IBS) on time to tumor recurrence, disease-free survival and overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing liver transplantation were assessed to evaluate the safety of IBS. Background: IBS is highly effective to reduce the use of allogeneic blood transfusion. However, the safety of IBS during liver transplantation for patients with HCC is questioned due to fear of disseminating malignant cells. Methods: Comprehensive searches through June 2021 were performed in 8 databases. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Robins-I tool. Meta-analysis with the generic inverse variance method was performed to calculate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for disease-free survival, HCC recurrence and overall survival. Results: Nine studies were included (n=1997, IBS n=1200, no-IBS n=797). Use of IBS during liver transplantation was not associated with impaired disease-free survival [HR=0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.66–1.24, P=0.53, IBS n=394, no-IBS n=329], not associated with increased HCC recurrence (HR=0.83, 95% CI=0.57–1.23, P=0.36, IBS n=537, no-IBS n=382) and not associated with impaired overall survival (HR=1.04, 95% CI=0.79–1.37, P=0.76, IBS n=495, no-IBS n=356). Conclusions: Based on available observational data, use of IBS during liver transplantation in patients with HCC does not result in impaired disease-free survival, increased HCC recurrence or impaired overall survival. Therefore, use of IBS during liver transplantation for HCC patients is a safe procedure.


Under what conditions do private forest governance standards influence state policy and behavior to become more oriented toward sustainability? We argue that governance schemes targeting firms may indirectly shape state behavior, even when designed to bypass state regulation. Through an examination of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in Russia and Brazil, we find that the FSC has influenced domestic rhetoric, laws, and enforcement practices. FSC has had a more disruptive and consequential impact on Russia's domestic forest governance; in Brazil, earlier transnational environmental campaigns had already begun to shift domestic institutions toward sustainability. Based on interview data and textual analysis of FSC and government documents, we identify the mechanisms of indirect FSC influence on states—professionalization, civil society mobilization, firm lobbying, and international market pressure, and argue that they are likely to be activated under conditions of poor and decentralized governance, overlapping and competing regulations and high foreign market demand for exports.


The GIS methods used to identify optimum locations for mobile pyrolysis units in the North Central (NC) region of the U.S. are presented in this paper. Optimum locations were based on feedstock availability. The feedstocks used in the study were corn stover and bioenergy sorghum. For corn stover, 10 year (1999-2008) average corn grain production values were determined for each county in the NC region. Feedstock harvest rates were limited to 25% of the available corn stover leaving 75% for erosion control and soil improvement. LaSalle County, Illinois, was used as a pilot study for the corn stover analysis. For bioenergy sorghum, it was assumed that the production rate was 15 Mg/ha and that bioenergy sorghum would be planted in place of grain sorghum. It was assumed that 100% of the bioenergy sorghum would be harvested for pyrolysis feedstock. ArcGIS and ModelBuilder were used for this feedstock assessment study. A square grid was placed over a map of fields planted with corn and sorghum in 2008. The size of the harvest grid was 6,200 x 6,200 m for the corn stover and 20,000 x 20,000 m for the bioenergy sorghum. The sizes of the harvest grids were based on, 1) the mobile pyrolysis unit requires feedstock at a rate of 80,000 lbs/day, and 2) the mobile pyrolysis unit would remain in place for 6 months. It was also assumed that the mobile pyrolysis unit would be located in the center of the grid and that the average feedstock hauling distance from the field to the mobile unit would be one half the grid size. Therefore hauling distances were 3,100 m for corn stover and 10,000 m for bioenergy sorghum. These short feedstock hauling distances demonstrate a primary advantage of mobile pyrolysis units over a central bioenergy plant. The top 100 locations for corn stover feedstock availability were determined with 57 sites in Illinois, 29 in Nebraska, and 14 in Iowa. The top 50 locations for bioenergy sorghum feedstock availability were also determined with 35 sites in Nebraska and 15 in South Dakota.


This report summarizes key strategic priorities for the UNT Libraries in the FY 2014-2017 period, and will inform planning activities during this time. This document should be read in close conjunction with other associated strategic planning documents of the UNT Libraries, including the following: 2014 Strategic Plan Alignment Map of UNT Libraries and Academic Affairs, UNT Libraries Strategic Plan 2011-2015, and UNT Press Strategic Plan 2014-2019. This document lays out the primary directions that the UNT Libraries will undertake during the coming four years. It builds on previous work and accomplishments during the 2011-2014 period, and serves as a transitional planning guide for moving beyond the 2011-2015 strategic plan. The most important priority for the next three years will be the first one listed: improving library resources. Without adequate resources, it is unlikely that progress will be made on the other priorities.


This paper gives a simple but nontrivial set of local transformation rules for control-NOT (CNOT)-based combinatorial circuits. It is shown that this rule set is complete, namely, for any two equivalent circuits, S/sub 1/ and S/sub 2/, there is a sequence of transformations, each of them in the rule set, which changes S/sub 1/ to S/sub 2/. Our motivation is to use this rule set for developing a design theory for quantum circuits whose Boolean logic parts should be implemented by CNOT-based circuits. As a preliminary example, we give a design procedure based on the transformation rules which reduces the cost of CNOT-based circuits.


Interactive and interactional metadiscourse are linguistic features used to maintain the coherence in essays. It involved a one-way interaction between the writer and reader, thus a challenge for Second Language (L2) learners to write effectively and comprehensively. A study is done on how the L2 learners produced the metadiscourse features and the usage is compared. A corpus of 200 evaluative essays by UiTM undergraduate students from computer science and business administration courses is analysed based on Hyland's (2005) framework. The purpose is to find out the amount and types of metadiscourse used and whether students from different course groups make any differences in their choices. The analysis revealed that students in both courses produced more interactive than interactional metadiscourse. The most prominent feature is Self-mention and the least is Attitude Markers. The same prominent feature for both courses is Transition Markers. The business administration course shows the least feature in Evidentials, whereas Frame Markers in computer science. These are evidence as to the importance of metadiscourse in students' academic writings and awareness is shown in its usage. This could lead to a proposition for a metadiscourse writing comparison between secondary schools and universities to gain fascinating outcomes.

Keywords: Evaluative writings, Interactional metadiscourse, Interactive metadiscourse, L2 learners, undergraduates


This paper assesses the quality of the facilities and resources for the training of engineers in some countries in Africa. The facilities are classified into internal and external. The internal facilities and resources are those within the training institutions while the external ones are those in the industry for use by the engineering students during the industrial attachment and after graduation for professional development training that is usually organized by professional body in each country. The internal facilities include classroom and laboratory spaces, teaching and research equipment, information communication technologies, library and periodicals while the external facilities includes office equipment and design software as well as projects to work on. In the training institutions and industry, highly skilled and experienced academics and practicing engineers are needed for proper transfer of skill to the prospective engineering graduates but to a large extent they are lacking. The basic infrastructure (energy and water) is in a poor state especially in the laboratories for the basic sciences as well as in the laboratories and workshops for engineering and technology; the situation is similar in the industry.Each country sets minimum standards (human and non-human resources) comparable to International Standards for engineering education but in general the minimum standards are hardly met quantitatively and qualitatively in most African Universities. The inadequacies in teaching, laboratory and workshop facilities as well as manpower for capacity building contribute to the diminution of the quality of engineering graduates in Africa. In order to improve the quality of facilities, the skills and abilities of the engineering personnel in the training institutions and industry, there is need for adequate funding. Partnership between universities and industry needs to be strengthened with the universities providing the platform for the creation of knowledge and the development of human resources while the industry provides platform for the commercialization of the research outputs. r'WORLD ENGINEERING EDUCATION flASH WEEK LISBON 2011 WEE20ll, September 27-30,2011, Lisbon, Portugal. Editors: Jorge Bernardino and Jose Carlos Quadrado.


This paper describes the European technology programme on high heat flux components for the Next Step fusion reactor with main emphasis on carbon armoured mock-ups. The R&D included the development of high thermal conductivity 3D CFC composites, the manufacturing of monoblock and flat tile components, the development of suitable non-destructive methods and the investigation of the critical heat flux limits.


Early in August I received from the druggists Gale & Blocki, a 1 per cent. solution of holocain for testing its anesthetizing virtues. I first tried it on a few normal eyes and on eyes with foreign bodies in the cornea, with the following results: The instillation always caused more or less smarting and burning, which however lasted but about half a minute; it also produced considerable redness of the conjunctiva (palpebral and ocular), which persisted during the whole period of anesthesia. Within one and one-half to two minutes complete anesthesia of the cornea was noted; after six minutes the sensibility of the cornea began to return, but a second instillation prolonged the anesthesia for another five minutes; and if then another drop was instilled the anesthesia could again be continued. It would seem then that the anesthetic effect of holocain can be kept up indefinitely by repeating the instillation


Nasal swabs and lung samples from pigs experimentally infected with H1N1 swine influenza virus (SIV) were examined for the presence of SIV by the indirect fluorescent antibody assay, immunohistochemistry, cell culture virus isolation, egg inoculation, and 2 human enzyme immunoassays (membrane enzyme immu-noassay, microwell enzyme immunoassay). Egg inoculation was considered to be the gold standard for assay evaluation. The 2 human enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and egg inoculation agreed 100% for the prechallenge nasal swabs. Agreement on SIV identification in nasal swabs with egg inoculation following challenge was considered to be good to excellent for membrane EIA (kappa = 0.85) and microwell EIA (kappa = 0.86). Agreement on SIV identification in lung tissue with egg inoculation following challenge was good to excellent for membrane EIA (kappa = 0.75), fair for microwell EIA, fluorescent antibody, and cell culture virus isolation (kappa = 0.48, 0.64, 0.62, respectively), and poor for immunohistochemistry (kappa = 0.36). No assay was 100% accurate, including the "gold standard," egg inoculation. In light of this information, it is important to consider clinical signs of disease and a thorough herd history in conjunction with diagnostic results to make a diagnosis of SIV infection.


Fungi and yeast have been characterized as important components in the bioremediation of organic contaminants in soil and water including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); however, research into their ability to metabolize these compounds in extreme environments has been limited. In this work forty-three fungi and yeasts were isolated from a PAH-contaminated sludge waste lagoon in Poland. The lagoon was part of a monitored natural attenuation (MNA) study where natural reduction of PAHs and associated toxicity over time in non-disturbed areas of the sludge lagoon indicated MNA activity. The microorganisms were initially isolated on minimal medium containing naphthalene as the sole carbon and energy source. Fungal isolates were then maintained on MEA and identified based on microscopic examination and BIOLOG{reg_sign}. The analysis identified several of the fungal isolates as belonging to the genera Penicillium, Paecilomyces, Aspergillus, and Eupenicillium. Yeasts included Candida parapsilosis and C. fluvialitis. Further microbial characterization revealed that several isolates were capable of rowing on acidified media of pH 4, 3, and 2.5. Over twenty percent of the fungi demonstrated growth as low as pH 2.5. Of the 43 isolates examined, 24 isolates exhibited growth at 5 C. Nine of the fungal isolates exhibiting growth at 5 C were thenmore » examined for metabolic activity using a respirometer testing metabolic activity at pH 3. Microcosm studies confirmed the growth of the fungi on PAH contaminated sediment as the sole carbon and energy source with elevated metabolic rates indicating evidence of MNA. Our findings suggest that many of the Poland fungal isolates may be of value in the bioremediation processes in acidic waste sites in northern climates typical of Northern Europe.« less


We used ultrasound to investigate the anatomy and stability of the hip during the phase of joint stabilisation after closed reduction of unilateral late CDH in 15 infants aged from two to 15 months. Conservative treatment by splintage in abduction led to complete stability in all hips in from three to 13 weeks. Immediately after reduction, interposed soft tissue caused lateralisation of the femoral head, but this progressively disappeared, and the initially smaller femoral head on the dislocated side regained normal size. Ultrasonic evaluation of the hip in late CDH is a valuable and safe tool; it reduces the need for radiographic examination and improves treatment by visualising the actual pathology. The more frequent use of ultrasound can reduce the need for open reduction in the age group that we studied.


This paper discusses the development, deployment and operation of the optical waveguide (OW) solar thermal power system for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) applications at the NASA ISRU analog test site on Mauna Kea, HI. In this solar thermal system, solar radiation is collected by the concentrator array which transfers the concentrated solar radiation to the OW transmission line made of low loss optical fibers. The OW transmission line directs the solar radiation to the place of utilization of the solar energy. In this paper applications of solar energy to sintering of native soil for surface stabilization and thermo-chemical processing of native soil for oxygen production are discussed.


Although there is mounting evidence that selective social learning begins in infancy, the psychological mechanisms underlying this ability are currently a controversial issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether theory of mind abilities and statistical learning skills are related to infants' selective social learning. Seventy-seven 18-month-olds were first exposed to a reliable or an unreliable speaker and then completed a word learning task, two theory of mind tasks, and a statistical learning task. If domain-general abilities are linked to selective social learning, then infants who demonstrate superior performance on the statistical learning task should perform better on the selective learning task, that is, should be less likely to learn words from an unreliable speaker. Alternatively, if domain-specific abilities are involved, then superior performance on theory of mind tasks should be related to selective learning performance. Findings revealed that, as expected, infants were more likely to learn a novel word from a reliable speaker. Importantly, infants who passed a theory of mind task assessing knowledge attribution were significantly less likely to learn a novel word from an unreliable speaker compared to infants who failed this task. No such effect was observed for the other tasks. These results suggest that infants who possess superior social-cognitive abilities are more apt to reject an unreliable speaker as informant. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/zuuCniHYzqo.


Nerve growth factor can stimulate incorporation of 2'-deoxy-GTP into the non-exchangeable nucleotide sites in tubulin and cytoskeletal microtubules of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells and embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons [J. M. Angelastro and D. L. Purich (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 25685-25689]. We replaced and hydrolyzed exchangeable-site GTP and GDP in adult bovine brain tubulin by incubation with the non-hydrolyzable nucleotide analogue 5'-guanylyl-methylenediphosphonate and alkaline phosphatase, thereby allowing us to analyze the non-exchangeable guanine nucleotides for GTP and dGTP. HPLC analysis reveals no evidence of dGTP in adult tubulin, suggesting further that the appearance of dGTP in tubulin and microtubules may be a characteristic of recently dividing neurons in response to nerve growth factor.


(1) Objective: This systematic review summarizes current knowledges about maternal and neonatal outcomes following COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding. (2) Study design: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) were searched up to 27 October 2021. The primary outcome was to estimate how many pregnant and lactating women were reported to be vaccinated and had available maternal and neonatal outcomes. (3) Results: Forty-five studies sourcing data of 74,908 pregnant women and 5098 lactating women who received COVID-19 vaccination were considered as eligible. No major side-effects were reported, especially during the second and third trimester of pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Conversely, available studies revealed that infants received specific SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after maternal vaccination. (4) Conclusions: Vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus should be recommended for pregnant women, after the pros and cons have been adequately explained. In particular, given the still limited evidence and considering that fever during the first months of gestation increases the possibility of congenital anomalies, they should be carefully counseled. The same considerations apply to breastfeeding women, also considering the immune responses that mRNA vaccines can generate in their human milk.


A series of crosslinked polyurethane-block-poly(trifluoropropylmethyl)siloxane elastomers were prepared via two steps. First, poly(trifluoropropylmethyl)siloxane polyurethane (FSPU) prepolymers were synthesized with α,ω-bis(3-aminopropyldiethoxylsilane) poly(trifluoropropylmethyl)siloxane (APFS) and toluenediisocyanate (TDI) and then capped with butanediol to generate the macromolecular FSPU diol extender. Second, polyurethane prepolymers synthesized from poly(tetramethylene oxide) and TDI were reacted with FSPU diol extenders with different ratios. The copolymers formed films through moisture curing and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis, TGA, mechanical testing etc. It is found that the equivalent ratio of reactants gives rise to a high molecular weight of copolymers and that low molecular weight APFS in the copolymers can form a certain number of silicon–oxygen crosslinks resulting from silicon alkoxy to produce higher tensile strength elastomers. The material thus has higher thermal stability and a more stable surface performance. The copolymers are then good candidates for biomedical applications.© 2013 Society of Chemical Industry


OBJECTIVE
To determine the outcome of renal transplantation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and end-stage renal failure and to compare disease activity after transplantation with disease activity before transplantation.

DESIGN
Retrospective case finding using data for an 8-year period from the central registry for renal replacement therapy in The Netherlands.

SETTING
Tertiary care hospitals with facilities for renal transplantation in the Netherlands.

PATIENTS
Twenty-eight patients who fulfilled at least four of the American Rheumatology Association's criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus and who received a renal transplant.

MEASUREMENTS
Actuarial survival rates for grafts and patients after transplantation, maximal nonrenal scores on the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, and time-adjusted disease exacerbation rates in all patients before and after transplantation.

RESULTS
The actuarial graft survival rate at 1 year and 5 years was 68% (95% CI, 47% to 82%) and 54% (CI, 25% to 77%), respectively, whereas the actuarial patient survival rate was 87% (CI, 69% to 96%) at 1 and 5 years. High disease activity was not found to affect graft survival adversely before the start of renal replacement therapy or during dialysis. After transplantation, disease activity per patient and the overall incidence of disease exacerbations decreased. One case of recurrent lupus nephritis was seen.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and end-stage renal failure are excellent candidates for renal transplantation; disease activity after transplantation is sporadic and low, and the recurrence of lupus nephritis is rare.


This study determined whether the tolerance of yellow lupin to waterlogging, observed in experiments in controlled environments, occurs under field conditions. Of particular interest is the impact of waterlogging on the distribution of roots because lupin is exposed to terminal drought in the south of Western Australia, which in itself can have a profound effect on yield. A field experiment was undertaken in the central grain-growing region of Western Australia near Beverley using hydraulically isolated plots to impose and remove waterlogging in a duplex soil. The responses of root and shoot growth of narrow-leafed and yellow lupin to waterlogging in the field were similar to those observed in the controlled environment experiments. In the field experiment, waterlogging had no effect on seed yield of yellow lupin but reduced it by 61% in narrow-leafed lupin. Waterlogging more than halved the dry weight of narrow-leafed lupin but reduced it by only 19% in yellow lupin. In yellow lupin, yield was 3.4 t/ha with waterlogging and 3.8 t/ha without waterlogging, compared with 1.4 t/ha with waterlogging and 3.5 t/ha without waterlogging in narrow-leafed lupin. Waterlogging had no effect on the harvest index of yellow lupin (0.26) but reduced it from 0.36 to 0.31 in narrow-leafed lupin. The larger effect of waterlogging on the yield of narrow-leafed lupin was mainly attributable to fewer pods. Net root growth ceased during waterlogging in both species. After waterlogging, roots of yellow lupin grew at a similar rate to the controls, whereas roots of narrow-leafed lupin grew at a much slower rate than the controls. Waterlogging halved the root density of yellow lupin at 25 cm depth and almost eliminated the roots of narrow-leafed lupin at this depth. After waterlogging, root production in the surface 10 cm increased to about 0.5 cm/cm 3 in yellow lupin but to 0.2 cm/cm 3 in narrow-leafed lupin. At depth (>20 cm), roots of waterlogged yellow lupin continued to grow while those of waterlogged narrow-leafed lupin grew little, if at all. Yellow lupin tolerated waterlogging in the field better than narrow-leafed lupin because it re-established its root system at depth after waterlogging was removed and it produced more fertile pods.


For interactive multimedia and multimedia streams, receiver playout buffers are required to smooth network delay variations. Instead of using a constant playout speed, newer receiver buffer algorithms control the playout speed, which can give a lower end-to-end delay and fewer packets that are lost because of late arrivals. This paper presents a statistically optimal algorithm to control playout speed. The most significant difference to other published playout speed adjusting algorithms is the thorough mathematical approach that this work is based on. A stringent notation and stringent mathematical models of the media receiver system have been developed, which are generic and independent of the networks and protocols used. This has enabled us to deduce the statistically optimal controller for the playout speed, which is also independent of the networks and protocols used. Three deviations from perfect playout have been identified: (i) buffering delay (ii) a playout rate different from the sender rate and (iii) a change of playout rate. Our approach is statistically optimal by minimising the three deviations, based on their relative importance. The importance will vary for different user and application requirements, and is thus freely tunable by means of three weight factors. The optimal control algorithm is easy to implement and has demonstrated very good results when evaluated by perceptual evaluation of speech quality, an objective technique for measuring voice quality, and degradation mean opinion score, a subjective listening test, for both simulated and real network measurement traces.


Accurate control of particle size at relatively narrow polydispersity remains a key challenge in the production of synthetic polymer particles at scale. A cross-flow membrane emulsification (XME) technique was used here in the preparation of poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres at a 1–10 l h−1 scale, to demonstrate its application for such a manufacturing challenge. XME technology has previously been shown to provide good control over emulsion droplet sizes with careful choice of the operating conditions. We demonstrate here that, for an appropriate formulation, equivalent control can be gained for a precursor emulsion in a batch suspension polymerization process. We report here the influence of key parameters on the emulsification process; we also demonstrate the close correlation in size between the precursor emulsion and the final polymer particles. Two types of polymer particle were produced in this work: a solid microsphere and an oil-filled matrix microcapsule. This article is part of the themed issue 'Soft interfacial materials: from fundamentals to formulation'.


In an attempt to find novel plant growth regulators, a series of unsaturated cyclic α-hydroxyphosphonates were synthesized by the addition reactions of 4-aryl-5,5-dimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphinane 2-oxides with 5-aryl-2E,4E-pentadienaldehydes. The cis and trans isomers of the products were isolated. The structures of all products were confirmed by elemental analyses and by NMR and IR spectroscopy or MS. The results of preliminary bioassay indicate that the title compounds possess potential inhibitory activity on the elongation of wheat coleoptile. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 14:266–268, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10039


In this paper, we establish a multiple existence result of T- periodic solutions for the semilinear parabolic boundary value problem with sublinear growth nonlinearities. We adapt sub-supersolution scheme and topological argument based on variational structure of functionals.


Learning from structured data is challenging in terms of learning concepts, patterns or relations hidden within the structured data. The state-of-the-art methods include logic based approaches and graph based approaches. Propositionalization approaches, which is a sub class of logic and graph based methods, construct feature vectors either by a logic or graph based approach, allowing an attribute value learner to build the predictive model. Logic based methods use extensive biases during the construction of the hypothesis language, and search. In contrast, graph based methods use constraints such as the connectedness of the discovered sub-graphs. Almost all the graph based approaches require the NP-complete graph isomorphism test. Also, the existing graph based methods do not use the additional relevant background knowledge effectively. This thesis contains a study of the experiments we have carried out in order to investigate whether it is possible to increase the predictive performance of a learner by eliminating one or more of the limitations coupled with the state-of-the-art methods for learning from structured data. Our approach in this regard is a graph propositionalization method that is described in the three papers included in this thesis. The first paper introduces a method called finger printing, which discovers substructures (sub-graphs) from the structured data. These substructures are the set of features that is used in the attribute value learner to build the predictive model. The second paper expands the concept of graph propositionalization introduced in the first paper in such a way that it could avoid the problem of graph isomorphism as well as handle the problem of not being able to discover disconnected sub-graphs. The third paper extends the approach further and expands the general graph representation in order to include relevant background knowledge into graphs and thereby achieve enhanced classification accuracy for graph based learning. Results obtained from our experiments reveal that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. It also is shown that the predictive performance of a graph based learner is significantly improved by incorporating the additional relevant background knowledge effectively in the graphs. Submitted to Stockholm University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Licentiate of Philosophy


PurposeThis study examines the impact of social media information sharing and usage on consumer beliefs particularly in the credibility of the information provided by e-commerce vendors, and consumer trust formation.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on trust through social media usage and surface credibility, the authors have proposed a research model to investigate consumers satisfaction on food and beverage (F&B) products. Empirical support for the research model was provided by using structural equation modelling using survey data drawn from Malaysian consumers with an account with Facebook.FindingsResults indicate that consumer participation in social media communities support higher levels of consumer trust and ratings of the surface credibility of information provided by an F&B vendor, and surface credibility also helped to develop consumer trust. Trust in the vendor also exerted a positive influence on consumer satisfaction with F&B product offerings. Results suggest that F&B that provide credible and transparent information regarding their branded products, enjoy increased levels of consumer trust, leading to higher levels of consumer satisfaction with their F&B consumption experience.Originality/valueThe result of this research contributes to social commerce branch of literature and has practical implications for practitioners in the F&B industry as a means to survival strategies to embrace critical and challenging period during an endemic, particularly. As such, this study analyses the relationship between social media usage, surface credibility, trust and satisfaction for developing consumer trust while managing enterprise social media.


We conducted a long-term cycling test of a commercial 18650-type lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh at room temperature and investigated the degradation mechanism of the battery's LiNi0.82Co0.15Al0.03O2 positive electrode. Spherical-aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-STEM) revealed the presence of a thick degraded surface layer on the surface of the positive active material after the cycling test, and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) revealed that the degraded surface layer continuously evolved from a LiNiO2 layered structure to a NiO structure, in the direction from the bulk toward the surface. Hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HX-PES) indicated that the majority of low-valence Ni existed on the surface of the positive active material, which was charged after the cycling test, and that the degraded surface layer was inactive against charge reaction. The results suggest that the degraded surface layer was responsible for battery degradation during the cycling test. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that Li2CO3 increased on the surface of the positive electrode after the cycling test. The phenomena would contribute to the formation of the degraded surface layer on the surface of the positive active material.


Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction (ORR) has become the focus of considerable attention due of its slow kinetics and the need for better electrocatalysts for fuel cell cathodes in the recent years. In recent publications some results have been reported on the electrocatalytic activity of carbon supported polypyrrole (Ppy), polyaniline (Pani) and poly(3methylthiophene) (P3MT), modified with cobalt or nickel salts. For these conductive polymer samples, the oxygen reduction occurred at high negative overpotential, since the polymer needs to be in reduced state before catalytic activity can be observed. In most of the cases the addition of cobalt or nickel in the composite, results in an improvement in electrocatalytic activity and a shift to electropositive values for the ORR potentials. In this work the hybrid materials based on polypyrrole and cobalt-nickel oxide were studied as oxygen reduction catalysts. Polypyrrole was electropolimerized on carbon black and stainless steel supported materials and modified with nickel and nickelcobalt oxide nanoparticles. TEM and SEM images show porous materials with a particle size 30 to 200 nm and EDAX test confirmed the presence of NiO and CoNiO nanoparticles into composite materials.


Gastro – intestinal duplications are usually detected in children before 2 years of age due symptoms/complications associated with the condition or during surgery in the child for some unrelated condition. In adults colonic duplication is of rare occurrence and often diagnosed during surgery. However, it may be diagnosed pre operatively due to symptoms of obstruction, volvulus or rarely due to perforation. We present an adult having tubular duplication of ascending colon, that presented with perforation. The duplication had a blind end and did not have distal communication. In addition, it had its own blood supply. The management of the case is discussed. Aetiogenesis of the anomaly is enumerated and literature reviewed.
For ascending colon duplication similar meaning word accessory ascending colon has also been used in the manuscript.


Collaborative working projects require information to be shared between participants. That information can take many forms and is usually stored digitally making it possible to be processed by computers. The introduction of peer-to-peer computing made it possible to share whole files between individuals which was typified by Napster allowing music files (e.g. MP3) for personal use to be transferred between two Internet users. This provided an opportunity for collaborative working projects to use peer-to-peer as a means of supporting this sharing of information. The use of XML opens up the prospect of processing data structures as well as whole files in a peer-to-peer environment. Tools have emerged and are now being refined to allow information to be passed between peers in XML format. This paper looks at one of these tools, JXTA from the SUN Corporation and applies it specifically to collaborative working. Through the experience gained by the development of a prototype the extent that JXTA and XML meets the challenges thrown up by collaborative working will be examined


Phytochrome from oats (Avena sativa L. cv. Sol II), partially purified on brushite, was immobilized on Sepharose beads to which antiphytochrome immunoglobulin had been covalently linked. The immobilized phytochrome was first brought to the Pr form with unpolarized far-red light. The change in linear dichroism at 660 nm induced by plane polarized red light, and its reversal by plane polarized far-red light were then studied using a dual-wavelength spectrophotometer equipped with polarizing filters. The far-red light was most effective in reversing red-induced dichroism when the angle between the planes of polarization of red and far-red light was approximately 23.degree.. From this it was computed that the long-wavelength transition moment of phytochrome rotates about 29.degree. (or 180-29.degree.) with respect to the protein during conversion from Pr to Pfr. The reverse experiment, using unpolarized red light followed first by polarized far-red light and then polarized red light, with dichroism monitored at 730 nm, also gives most effective reversal for an angle of about 23.degree. between polarization planes, but this corresponds to a transition moment rotation of about 36.degree. (or 180.degree.-36.degree.). The present method is more straightforward but less accurate and confirms an earlier conclusion that the rotation angle is close to 32.degree. (or 180.degree.-32.degree.) in contrast to the "in vivo" value of 90.degree. found by several workers. (Less)


Vertical transmission from mother to baby is an important route of transmission for hepatitis B virus infection. Neonates who contract hepatitis B will have an almost 90 % risk of developing chronic HBsAg carriage and chronic liver disease. Neonatal immunization interrupts this vertical transmission. The objective was to determine the sero-prevalence of HBsAg among pregnant women and to identify potential risk factors associated with the infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2002 to March 2003 in a total of 493 pregnant women attending Mother and Child Health clinics of Jimma university specialized hospital and its Training Health Centers. Serum was collected from each woman and tested for the presence of HBsAg using Bioline Strip which is a qualitative solid phase two site sandwich immunoassay (Pacific Biotech Thailand). A pre-structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and to find out possible risk factors. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 3.7% ranging from 1.4% to 6.4%. It was highest in Jimma and lowest in Shebe town. The socio-demographic status of the study population shows that high proportion of HBsAg positivity was among the illiterate (61%) those whose income < 500 Birr/month (88.9%) and among the Oromo ethnic subgroup (83%). Pregnant women who experience abortion had a higher prevalence of HBsAg (7.3%). The odds of having HBsAg was more than twice with those with history of abortion than with other risk factors. When pregnant women of Jimma town were separately analyzed dental procedure cesarean section and tattooing are associated with HBsAg positivity unlike other towns. The prevalence of HBsAg carrier state in the study area was significant enough to start routine antenatal screening for HBsAg. Except for abortion known risk factors included in the study were not associated with Hepatitis B virus infection. The main route of HBV transmission in Jimma and its neighboring towns could be either through sexual contact or from mother to child. Further studies are required to confirm these modes of transmission. (authors)


INTRODUCTION The occurrence of a hypercoagulable state in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is supported by studies conducted with routine coagulation tests, including plasma D-dimer and fibrinogen, and platelet count.

 AIM In this study we performed an extensive characterization of the hemostatic alterations by both global and specific assays in a cohort of 78 patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The aims were to: 1) clarify mechanisms underlying the coagulopathy, and 2) identify predictive factors of disease severity and thrombotic events (i.e. deep vein thrombosis [DVT], pulmonary embolism [PE] or arterial thromboembolism [ATE]).

 METHODS COVID-19 patients admitted to the Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII in Bergamo, Italy, from March 23 to May 30, 2020, were enrolled prospectively, providing informed consent. As a global assay, thromboelastometry (ROTEM) was performed in whole blood by EXTEM, INTEM, and FIBTEM tests. Specific assays included plasma levels of intrinsic and extrinsic pathway coagulation factors, von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen and activity, anticoagulant proteins (i.e. protein C [PC], free-protein S [PS], and antithrombin [AT]), fibrinolytic proteins (i.e. tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA], and inhibitor [PAI-1]), and hypercoagulation biomarkers (i.e. prothrombin fragment 1+2 [F1+2], and D-dimer). In addition, biomarkers of immunoinflammation (i.e. neutrophil extracellular traps [NETs], CRP and procalcitonin) were measured. Occurrence of thrombotic events and death were monitored during follow up.

 RESULTS 78 patients (56M/22F), median age 62.7 years (25-87), were analyzed. According to disease severity, 45 were ICU, and 33 non-ICU patients. Sixty-three of them were on thromboprophylaxis. Global hemostasis analysis by ROTEM showed a prothrombotic profile in patients compared to controls, with a significantly shorter clot formation time (CFT), and increased maximum clot firmness (MCF), which were significantly greater in the ICU vs non-ICU patients. The occurrence of an 'in vivo' hypercoagulable state was confirmed by increased plasma levels of F1+2 and D-dimer, with the highest values of D-dimer in the ICU subjects. Hypercoagulability, rather than factors' consumption, was also shown by the findings of significantly higher plasma procoagulant factors V, VIII, IX and fibrinogen in ICU compared to non-ICU patients (p<0.001). Endothelium activation was shown by extremely elevated vWF antigen and activity levels in all patients (highest values in ICU subjects). Moreover, the concentrations of fibrinolytic proteins, t-PA, and its inhibitor PAI-1, were elevated (p<0.01) in patients compared to normal controls, without difference between ICU and non-ICU subjects. Finally, the inflammatory parameters' analysis in the ICU group demonstrated significantly increased plasma levels of NETs, CRP, and procalcitonin, compared to non-ICU patients. Of note, NETs levels significantly (p<0.02) correlated with vWF, D-dimer and t-PA, while CRP and procalcitonin inversely correlated with anticoagulant PC.
 After a median time of 8.8 days, 19 (24%) patients experienced thrombosis (3 DVT, 8 PE, 8 ATE). Thirteen (17%) patients from total population died after a median time of 33 days of hospitalization. Baseline D-dimer and t-PA levels were significantly higher in patients developing VTE, while baseline FVIII, vWF and D-dimer levels were greater in subjects who died during follow-up. By Cox analysis, high D-dimer and younger age were significantly associated with mortality.

 CONCLUSIONS Our study provides for the first time an extensive overview of the hypercoagulable state induced by SARSCoV-2 infection, demonstrating alterations in all of the different hemostatic compartments analyzed. The viral infection-induced hemostatic abnormalities are exacerbated by the severity of the disease and strongly correlate with the proinflammatory status, demonstrating the link between coagulation and inflammation. This link is further supported by the clear correlation found between NETosis and markers of endothelial and blood clotting activation. Finally, these data add evidence to the role of D-dimer as a significant predictor of intra-hospital mortality.

 Disclosures
 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


This paper aims at explaining the concept of scaffolding within ZPD, providing in-depth analysis, and illustrating how scaffolding, as a tool of assistance, can be used in the teaching of writing. Scaffolding, as a concept, has been originated from Vygotsky's theoretical notion- the zone of proximal development (ZPD). As it is known, ZPD has been originally constructed to account for the gap between the actual level and the potential level of development of the individual learners. Briefly, the first part of the paper showed how the notions of ZPD, internalization and the concepts of activated learning and collaborative writing within ZPD were briefly presented in the literature review. Likewise, the second part of discussed important concepts in the literature such as scaffolding, principles of scaffolding, scaffolded writing, scaffolding learning. In the third part of this paper, different studies of scaffolding and the teaching of writing in the EFL contexts were briefly discussed and critically presented. The last part of the study briefly presented and discussed the findings of a short one-month case study of my five-year-old son.


This article studies control-variate estimation where the control mean itself is estimated. Control-variate estimation in simulation experiments can significantly increase sampling efficiency and has traditionally been restricted to cases where the control has a known mean. In a previous paper the current authors generalized the idea of control variate estimation to the case where the control mean is only approximated. The result is a biased but possibly useful estimator. For that case, a mean square error optimal estimator was provided and its properties were discussed. This article generalizes classical control variate estimation to the case of Control Variates using Estimated Means (CVEMs). CVEMs replace the control mean with an estimated value for the control mean obtained from a prior simulation experiment. Although the resulting control-variate estimator is unbiased, it does introduce additional sampling error and so its properties are not the same as those of the standard control-variate estimator. A CVEM estimator is developed that minimizes the overall estimator variance. Both biased control variates and CVEMs can be used to improve the efficiency of stochastic simulation experiments. Their main appeal is that the restriction of having to know (deterministically) the exact value of the control mean is eliminated; thus, the space of possible controls is greatly increased.


This paper reports on a sequential mixed-methods (quan a QUAL) study that explored rural Appalachian teachers' perspectives and pedagogical decisions about Global Citizenship Education (GCE). In phase one, a questionnaire was completed by social studies teachers (n=19) from remote and distant rural high schools located in Central Appalachia across two states. Closed-ended items were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Open-ended items were coded to elicit themes that helped to answer the research questions. In phase two, two participants from the original sample were interviewed to uncover their experiences navigating GCE in their unique community contexts. Findings suggest social studies teachers in rural Appalachia, while not using the exact terminology of global citizenship, support multiple types of global citizenship aims. They tend to perceive their communities as homogenous, isolated, and conservative, which presented both challenges to and stimuli for teaching global curricula. Participants tend to perceive much of their global curricula as contrarian in their communities and, therefore, relied on professional tact and community-based knowledge as rural natives to inform their pedagogical decisions.


Pocket computers provide the physician's (expert's) advice at home and by that may increase the number of self-adapting diabetics and alleviate documentation and evaluation of therapy data. By a more complex quantitative approach metabolic control may be improved beyond the range which is attained by optimal intensified education, as clinical trials showed. By their reproducible measures a learning process seems to be induced in the patients. Risks like hyperinsulinisation may be overcome by watch dog functions and suitable algorithms. In addition to these patient-oriented functions the automatic data acquisition may be used for secondary PC-assisted data interpretation and more complex advice at the physicians office. For compliance reasons the system concept has to be user-friendly considering size, easy handling and compensating for the loss of a written log book by adequate display.


l-Cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase (CSD, EC 188.8.131.52), the rate-limiting enzyme in taurine synthesis pathway, catalyzes l-cysteine sulfinic acid to form hypotaurine. Identification of the novel CSD that could improve the biosynthetic efficiency of taurine is important. An unexplored decarboxylase gene named undec1A was identified in a previous work through sequence-based screening of uncultured soil microorganisms. Random mutagenesis through sequential error-prone polymerase chain reaction was used in Undec1A. A mutant Undec1A-1180, which was obtained from mutagenesis library, had 5.62-fold higher specific activity than Undec1A at 35 °C and pH=7.0. Molecular docking results indicated that amino acid residues Ala235, Val237, Asp239, Ile267, Ala268, and Lys298 in the Undec1A-1180 protein helped recognize and catalyze the substrate molecules of l-cysteine sulfinic acid. These results could serve as a basis for elucidating the characteristics of the Undec1A-1180. Directed evolution technology is a convenient way to improve the biotechnological applications of metagenome-derived genes.


Background: Mortality among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH [HIV]) diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining cancers has greatly decreased with the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Recent investigations exploring the impact of insurance coverage have concluded that PLWH with public insurance have greater mortality than their privately insured counterparts. One avenue to augment medical coverage is the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, first authorized by Congress in 1990 to provide primary care and support services to PLWH. This study sets out to elucidate whether insurance coverage and Ryan White assistance affect treatment parameters and survival rates in PLWH diagnosed with Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL).
 Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of PLWH diagnosed with KS or NHL between 2004 and 2018. Baseline characteristics including demographics, insurance coverage, Ryan White assistance, CD4+ T-cell counts, HIV viral load, HAART treatment, performance status, and disease stage were collected. Participants were classified as having private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or no insurance. Treatment regimens were assessed as "optimal" or "suboptimal" using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for AIDS-related KS and lymphomas as benchmark. Hazard ratios (HR) for survival were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.
 Results: Among 191 participants with AIDS-defining cancers, 107 had KS, and 96 had aggressive NHL. 18% had private insurance, 14% had Medicare, 46% had Medicaid, and 23% had no health insurance; 44% received Ryan White assistance. Participants with Medicare and those without Ryan White assistance were older. Those with Ryan White assistance also had better performance status (defined as having an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 0 to 2). There were no significant differences in CD4+ T-cell counts, HIV viral loads, HAART adherence, treatment delays, regimen selection, and response rates across the insurance and Ryan White groups. The median treatment delay for all participants was 20 days. In general, participants with Medicare had lower overall survival than privately insured participants (HR 2.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-7.87, p = 0.027). Participants without Ryan White assistance also had lower overall survival (HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.49-5.35, p = 0.002) and progression-free survival (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.47-4.44, p < 0.001) than those with assistance. Other factors that influenced overall survival were age (adjusted HR 1.04 per year of age; 95% CI 1.01-1.06; p = 0.007), Hispanic ethnicity (adjusted HR 0.46 compared to Whites; 95% CI 0.24-0.91; p = 0.025), and poor performance status (adjusted HR 6.14; 95% CI 3.39-11.12; p < 0.00001).
 Conclusions: Our study is among the first to examine the impact of insurance coverage on outcomes in AIDS-defining malignancies. We find that PLWH with Medicare and those not receiving Ryan White assistance have lower survival. These differences may be ascribed in part to discrepancies in age, performance status, and prevalence of AIDS- and non-AIDS-related comorbidities. Reassuringly, our analysis suggests Ryan White assistance, despite its coverage limitations, is not associated with increases in treatment delays or suboptimal regimens. Nevertheless, the importance of dedicated care for this population at a multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS and comprehensive cancer center should not be undervalued. Future research should focus on whether the observed differences can be more broadly replicated in the United States.
 Figure

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The exploratory study reported here examined needs and challenges faced by "financial caregivers" for aging parents. Focus group interviews revealed how caregivers (N=22) assisted their parent(s) and financial information needed. Findings indicated most caregivers needed information about later life financial products and processes, and some needed basic financial literacy skills. Caregiver challenges included concerns about adequacy of parents' resources, difficulty communicating about finances, finding/organizing parents' records, accessing parents' accounts, and selecting/financing long-term care. The author concludes caregivers need and could benefit from financial education. She recommends segmenting the caregiver population and targeting subgroups with appropriate methods and messages.


Researchers have proposed but not tested that early-stage adopters of ERP systems tend to be higher-performing firms that adopt as a means of gaining or maintaining a competitive advantage. In contrast, they have proposed that late-stage adopters are underperforming firms that experience institutional pressures and make adoption decisions partly in response to those pressures and to try to improve performance and catch-up to industry leaders. In this study, we examine the relationship between firm performance and ERP adoption. We found that late-stage adopters tend to have lower financial performance relative to the overall market in the years leading up to adoption decisions as compared to early-stage adopters that tended to outperform the market in years leading up to adoption decisions. This finding demonstrates the relationship between firm performance and ERP adoption. We also found that, postadoption, the relative performance of late-stage adopters tends to improve more than early-stage adopters. This finding suggests that following the actions of industry leaders and adopting ERP systems can have economic benefits for underperforming firms.


Ingested nanomaterials are exposed to many metabolites that are produced, modified, or regulated by members of the enteric microbiota. The adsorption of these metabolites potentially affects the identity, fate, and biodistribution of nanomaterials passing the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we explore these interactions using in silico methods, focusing on a concise overview of 170 unique enteric microbial metabolites which we compiled from the literature. First, we construct quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models to predict their adsorption affinity to 13 metal nanomaterials, 5 carbon nanotubes, and 1 fullerene. The models could be applied to predict log k values for 60 metabolites and were particularly applicable to 'phenolic, benzoyl and phenyl derivatives', 'tryptophan precursors and metabolites', 'short-chain fatty acids', and 'choline metabolites'. The correlations of these predictions to biological surface adsorption index descriptors indicated that hydrophobicity-driven interactions contribute most to the overall adsorption affinity, while hydrogen-bond interactions and polarity/polarizability-driven interactions differentiate the affinity to metal and carbon nanomaterials. Next, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain direct molecular information for a selection of vitamins that could not be assessed quantitatively using QSAR models. This showed how large and flexible metabolites can gain stability on the nanomaterial surface via conformational changes. Additionally, unconstrained MD simulations provided excellent support for the main interaction types identified by QSAR analysis. Combined, these results enable assessing the adsorption affinity for many enteric microbial metabolites quantitatively and support the qualitative assessment of an even larger set of complex and biologically relevant microbial metabolites to carbon and metal nanomaterials.


Background acute illnesses, like COVID-19, can act as a catabolic stimulus on muscles. So far, no study has evaluated muscle mass and quality through limb ultrasound in post-COVID-19 patients. Methods cross sectional observational study, including patients seen one month after hospital discharge for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. The patients underwent a multidimensional evaluation. Moreover, we performed dominant medial gastrocnemius ultrasound (US) to characterize their muscle mass and quality. Results two hundred fifty-nine individuals (median age 67, 59.8% males) were included in the study. COVID-19 survivors with reduced muscle strength had a lower muscle US thickness (1.6 versus 1.73 cm, p =0.02) and a higher muscle stiffness (87 versus 76.3, p = 0.004) compared to patients with normal muscle strength. Also, patients with reduced Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores had a lower muscle US thickness (1.3 versus 1.71 cm, p = 0.01) and a higher muscle stiffness (104.9 versus 81.07, p = 0.04) compared to individuals with normal SPPB scores. The finding of increased muscle stiffness was also confirmed in patients with a pathological value (≥ 4) at the sarcopenia screening tool SARC-F (103.0 versus 79.55, p < 0.001). Muscle stiffness emerged as a significant predictor of probable sarcopenia (adjusted OR 1.02, 95% C.I. 1.002 – 1.04, p = 0.03). The optimal ultrasound cut-offs for probable sarcopenia were 1.51 cm for muscle thickness (p= 0.017) and 73.95 for muscle stiffness (p = 0.004). Discussion we described muscle ultrasound characteristics in post COVID-19 patients. Muscle ultrasound could be an innovative tool to assess muscle mass and quality in this population. Our preliminary findings need to be confirmed by future studies comparing muscle ultrasound with already validated techniques for measuring muscle mass and quality.


Mechanical complications of TAVI may be catastrophic, and conversion to open surgery in this context has been associated with an extremely poor prognosis, with a mortality close to 50%. We report our recent experience on 9 patients requiring cardiac surgery during TAVI. Patients and methods: 9 patients undergoing various transcatheter procedures at a high volume centre required cardiac surgery for valve misplacement (2), valve embolization (2), annular rupture (3), acute coronary occlusion (1) and aortic dissection (1). Four patients were initially treated by a hybrid team including a cardiac surgeon performing transcatheter procedures (3 TAVI in NAVR and one transseptal Mitral VIV), while five were performed by an interventional cardiology team (all TAVI).

 The complications and the surgical procedures performed are reported in the table. Four patients underwent immediate conversion in the hybrid room, 3 underwent delayed conversion and two were managed conservatively. Eight patients survived and were discharged from the hospital. The only patient dying was a TAVI patient having aortic valve embolization. A second transcatheter valve was deployed too ventricular. The patient had cardiac arrest needing CRP and the surgical team was called to start ECMO assistance several minutes after the initial complication. Comment: Our small series suggests that prompt conversion to open surgery, especially if performed immediately by surgeons that were initially involved in the transcatheter procedure, might offer excellent results. We believe that hybrid teams may offer a significant benefit, especially in low–risk patients and during complex or off–label procedures.


Several edge detection algorithms were compared. The nearest neighbor algorithm (NNA) was shown to be superior to the other methods. The NNA was then used to evaluate the effects of nine common digital filters. It was shown that high pass filters improve relative constrast at the expense of edge definition. Furthermore, low pass filters only improve edge detection in the limit of low signal to noise ratios. Finally, all filters tested significantly distorted area relationships and perimeter contours.


Since the foundation of the Irish State, and particularly since the writing of de Valera's 1937 constitution, the desire for the separation of Church and State has been a central concern for many of the country's more prominent intellectuals. (1) Chief among these was Sean O'Faolain. In his address at the May 1991 memorial service held for O'Faolain, Conor Cruise O'Brien, himself a notable critic of what he called "The Catholic State", (2) offered a nuanced picture: Sean was often referred to as anti-clerical, but that is a misleading description. Sean was incapable of humping together so disparate a body as the Irish clergy, whether for the purposes of condemnation or commendation. What Sean was against was what Burke was against: abuse of power, whether by Right or Left, Catholics or Protestants, laity or clergy. In Sean's day, the senior Irish clergy commanded a great deal of authority, even in what are thought of elsewhere as purely secular affairs and they sometimes abused that authority (1991: 95). In this paper I wish to examine how O'Faolain contested the abuse of power of the Church while doing so with a view to stressing, in line with the subtle intellectual politics not of Burke but of Edward Said, the important role to be played by the individual intellectual in bringing about change, and the potential value of the utilization of a renewed language of humanism. By revisiting O'Faolain, and by invoking his presence in dialogue with Said's humanistic idiom, we can reappraise the worth of his ground-breaking challenge to Church authority and consider it particularly in relation to ongoing tension in Ireland around Church and State relations and the consequent fallout with regards to individual and gender rights. To illustrate the character of O'Faolain's interventions, a close reading, in the manner advocated by Said, will be undertaken of his article "The Priest in Politics" which was published in 1947 in The Bell, that key magazine often attributed with offering the first important challenge to the terms of national self-definition which had become hegemonic in the decades following independence. (3) Following the above quotation, O'Brien went on to claim that it was in fact his own cousin, Owen Sheehy Skeffington, who had been the most aggressive in critiquing the abuses of clerical power before then recalling how O'Faolain himself had ended his memorial address at Skeffington's funeral declaring: "you won, Owen, you won" (1991: 96). The words had been articulated in 1970 in relation to the broad mood of liberalisation which had marked the 60s and the perception that the "Catholic State" had, in effect, fallen to the secular tide of modernisation, part of which involved the increasing acknowledgement of a humanist charter of rights and liberties not modelled to the exclusive prerogative of the Catholic Church. In the light of the recent controversy in Ireland following the death from septicaemia of Ms Savita Halappanavar, and the subsequent claim from her husband that, according to The Irish Times, she had repeatedly asked for a termination of her pregnancy over a three-day period but was refused as there was still a foetal heartbeat, while also being told "this is a Catholic country", the celebratory words of O'Faolain do perhaps appear somewhat premature (Holland and Cullen 2012). Indeed, O'Brien himself had been notably less sanguine than O'Faolain, remarking that following the results of the two referenda held in the 1980s, the words of victory would have to be spoken without the same confidence, while still concluding that "Yet basically, Sean was right" (1991: 96). If the degree to which Ireland has moved away from a Catholic identity remains as issue of debate, it is unquestionably true that the change has been considerable since the mid-century period, and it is equally important that, particularly in view of the contemporary controversy, attention be placed once more on the seminal role played in promoting change by individual intellectuals who, in the parlance of humanism and the language of human rights, 'speak truth to power'. …


Highly efficient and practically continuous (with an off-duty factor less than 50) operation of an LiF:F2- colour-centre laser was observed when it was pumped by radiation from neodymium lasers with an average output power 0.2 —1.5 W. The use of an Nd3+ : YLiF4 pump laser emitting at a shorter (1047 nm) wavelength made it possible to reduce the peak value of the threshold pump power to 10 W. Tunable operation of the LiF : F2- laser was achieved in the spectral range 1.07–1.27 μm and the efficiency at the maximum of the tuning curve reached 32%.


Blight caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes is one of the most devastating diseases of pea that causes yield losses of over 50% in some years and may cause total failure to the crop under epidemic conditions. During this study, a sensitive disease assessment and statistical tool was developed for Mycosphaerella blight on peas, the latent period was used to discriminate between different treatments. The time until appearance of the first pycnidia (latent period length) was recorded. Seedling that did not display any production of pycnidia structure during the 20 days period of observation was recorded as right censored observations. Using non parametric and semi parametric survival analysis, different hypothesis dealing with factors that might influence the latent period was tested. Survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards were performed for data analysis. During these investigations, latent period was regressed against leaf wetness duration, pea cultivar, inoculum concentration, plant age and isolate aggressiveness. Both the Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier tests had shown the importance of leaf wetness duration, inoculum concentration and isolate aggressiveness on the survival times, thus, the median latent period length was respectively 15 and 16 for tn0203 and md0202. The median for the 3 leaf wetness was 14, 16 and 17 respectively for 06, 48 and 72 h LWD. Both the cultivar and plant age had no significant risk for the pycnidia structure appearance. Likewise, using the semi parametric Cox proportional hazard regression, the 2 covariates namely higher leaf wetness, higher inoculum dose with an aggressive isolate were all associated significantly with survival time. Hence, the hazard ratio was respectively 1.205 and 1.423 for LWD and inoculum concentration respectively.

 Key words: Cox regression, survival analysis, Mycosphaerella blight, Pisum sativum.


A new CMOS transistor and capacitor test structure (Spider's SPIDER), which closely simulates actual IC interconnections, shows that the conductor lines (antennas) connected to the source, drain, and substrate affect the MOS gate damage magnitude significantly. This suggests that to have effective control over plasma charge damage in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, the antenna must be connected to the MOS transistor gate, and the interactions of the antennas connected to the source, drain, and substrate with the gate antenna must be considered. Depending on the relative direction, distance, and size of the antennas connected to the gate, source, drain, and substrate, the magnitude of the charge damage effects can be enhanced or exacerbated. Furthermore, to predict and automatically warn about the potential charge damage in the IC layout design phase, a new charge antenna DRC (design rule check) software has been developed to perform systematic layout checking for the interactions of the ULSI interconnection lines, which become antennas connected to all four terminals of MOS transistors.


Previous studies have suggested that listeners can identify words spoken by a target talker amidst competing talkers if they are distinguished by their spatial location or vocal characteristics. This "direct" identification of individual words is distinct from an "indirect" identification based on an association with other words (call-signs) that uniquely label the target. The present study assessed listeners' ability to use differences in presentation level between a target and overlapping maskers to identify target words. A new sentence was spoken every 800 ms by an unpredictable talker from an unpredictable location. Listeners reported color and number words in a target sentence distinguished by a unique call-sign. When masker levels were fixed, target words could be identified directly based on their relative level. Speech-reception thresholds (SRTs) were low (-12.9 dB) and were raised by 5 dB when direct identification was disrupted by randomizing masker levels. Thus, direct identification is possible using relative level. The underlying psychometric functions were monotonic even when relative level was a reliable cue. In a further experiment, indirect identification was prevented by removing the unique call-sign cue. SRTs did not change provided that other cues were available to identify target words directly. Thus, direct identification is possible without indirect identification.


We investigate the interior hyperbolic region of axisymmetric and stationary black holes surrounded by a matter distribution. First, we treat the corresponding initial value problem of the hyperbolic Einstein equations numerically in terms of a single-domain fully pseudo-spectral scheme. Thereafter, a rigorous mathematical approach is given, in which soliton methods are utilized to derive an explicit relation between the event horizon and an inner Cauchy horizon. This horizon arises as the boundary of the future domain of dependence of the event horizon. Our numerical studies provide strong evidence for the validity of the universal relation A+A− = (8πJ)2 where A+ and A− are the areas of event and inner Cauchy horizon respectively, and J denotes the angular momentum. With our analytical considerations we are able to prove this relation rigorously.


Protein antigens of Penicillium marneffei prepared during the yeast and mould phases of in vitro growth were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and immunoblot assay. More than 20 yeast phase proteins were detected by Coomassie staining; among these, at least 10 reacted with IgG in the pooled sera of 28 AIDS patients with penicilliosis. Four immunogenic proteins of 200, 88, 54 and 50 kDa were produced in large quantity during the deceleration and early stationary phases of growth. When these proteins were reacted with individual sera derived from 33 AIDS patients with penicilliosis, reactivities to the 200, 88, 54 and 50 kDa protein were detected in 72.7, 93.9, 60.6 and 57.6%, respectively. The bands of 88, 54 and 50 kDa gave strong reactions with about a half of serum samples. In one serum derived from an AIDS patient, reactivities to the 54 and 50 kDa proteins could be strongly detected two months before the definite diagnosis by fungal culture. Protein components from the mould form were of lower yield and gave weaker signal in immunoblot analysis. These results indicate that at least two yeast-phase immunoreactive proteins (54 and 50 kDa) are relatively specific to the P. marneffei infection, thereby suggesting its potential for clinical application to the diagnosis of this emerging disease.


The platelet factor 4 prepared from the platelet sediment of the albino rats blood plasma and having a molecular weight 6600 +/- 500 Dalton, revealed a strong antiheparine activity and depressed the nonenzymatic fibrinolytic activity of the blood plasma.


Graphene and its derivatives have been demonstrated to be good surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. However, the literature offers some contrasting views on the SERS effect of graphene-based materials. Thus, understanding the mechanism of the SERS enhancement of graphene is essential for exploring its application as a SERS substrate. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) and chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) films with different morphologies and structures were prepared and applied as SERS substrates to detect Raman dye molecules. The observed enhancement factors can be as large as 10~103. The mechanism of SERS enhancement is discussed. It is shown that the SERS effect was independent of the adsorption of dye molecules and the surface morphologies of graphene-based films. Raman shifts are observed and are almost the same on different graphene-based films, indicating the existence of charge transfer between dye molecules and substrates. The Raman enhancement factors and sensitivities of dye molecules on different films are consistently within the IG/ID ratios of graphene-based substrates, indicating that the dramatically enhanced Raman spectra on graphene-based films are strongly dependent on the average size of sp2 carbon domain.


Many kinds of audio insulators are used to better the sound quality of stereophonic equipments, but their effects seem not always better in improvement of sound quality. In this study, to clarify how the insulator affects on stereophonic equipments, first we consider how works the insulator to the loaded equipment from view point of mechanical vibration induced on stereophonic equipments related with a AC power transformer, CD drive mechanism and radiated sound from loudspeakers etc. Next, we evaluate experimentally its effects on noise suppression of stereophonic equipments and finally we carried out a listening test of represented sound. Consequently, the insulator is effective to reduce inevitable vibration and electrical noise on stereophonic equipments and to improve the sound quality and summing localization under standard stereophonic representation.


This thesis aims to provide a deeper understanding of tourist behaviour in the context of a Long-Stay Holiday (LSH). Accordingly, variables of interest include tourist motivation, long-stay tourists, and relaxation, together with responses of mature-aged travellers in this situation. In this thesis, a mature-aged traveller is over 45 years and a long-stay is treated as being from 10 to 90 days. The site for data collection is Phuket, Thailand, one of the world's most popular destinations for relaxation holidays, especially long-stay holidays. The research problem has been stated as:
How do mature-aged international tourists behave during a Long-Stay Holiday?
This research is important for several reasons. The growth in ageing societies worldwide demonstrates a greater opportunity for tourism industries to attract mature-aged individuals to travel more and stay longer (Chen & Shoemaker, 2014; Wong & Musa, 2014). The population aged over 60 years is expected to continue growing quickly and will make up over 20% of the population worldwide within another two decades (UN, 2015). Indeed, tourism industries are particularly interested in the senior tourist market as seniors and retirees often have more resources, such as time and money, for travel ( Jang & Wu, 2006; Sangpikul, 2008) and tend to stay longer (Alegre & Pou, 2006) than other age segments. Consequently, tourist destinations are keenly interested in long-stay tourism and a number of Asian countries have introduced specific Long Stay Projects to attract and retain long-stay tourists, especially mature-aged tourists. Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines have all introduced such projects.


In our era, while the life span is expanding, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), pose a great threat upon the quality of life. Currently, one of the urgent goals of neuroscientists is to detect AD in its early stages. Since recent treatments and prevention techniques aim at early and presymptomatic stages, studies carried out to present possible biomarkers are of importance. Therefore, in this study, the objective is to check the suitability of the method to the find a distinctive agent for distinguishing AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients from controls via fMRI data analysis. In order to achieve that, functional connectivity networks are obtained from an optimized auditory oddball task fMRI data via a group ICA approach using temporal concatenation of the subject data. In this analysis, the initial component number is chosen as thirty and eight different network groups are determined from the spatial classification of the components. Spectral and functional network connectivity analyses are carried out on these networks. In group comparisons, significant differences are found for small number of voxels in spatial maps. Functional connectivity network maps in MCI cases displayed a higher connectivity in precuneus region when compared to AD patients.


We consider a system with a suitable boundary condition, where is a bounded domain, is a uniformly elliptic operator of the second order whose coefficients are suitably regular for , is fixed, and a function satisfies Our inverse problems are determinations of g using overdetermining data or , where and . Our main result is the Lipschitz stability in these inverse problems. We also consider the determination of , in the case of with given R satisfying on . Finally, we discuss an upper estimation of our overdetermining data by means of f.


In this paper, we report the synthesis of cube shaped nanoparticles of CoWO4 (∼30 nm) by molten salts and their bifunctional electro-catalytic activities in water redox reactions for oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions (OER and ORR). Bifunctional performances of CoWO4 nano-cubes are explored for water electrolysis in an alkaline medium (1.0 M KOH) vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under various atmospheres (N2, air and O2). Low overpotential (η10 = 0.45 V) of CoWO4 nano-cubes is accomplished at the current density of 10 mA cm−2. Tafel polarization curves (potential vs. log current density) reveal relatively lower slope values for OER (∼82 mV dec−1) and ORR (∼68 mV dec−1) compared to previous reports. Stability test of electrode materials has been performed using chrono-amperometry (CA) at fixed potential for 500 seconds. Kinetics and mobility of electrons have also been studied during the water redox reactions. Stable nature and enhanced bifunctional electro-catalytic performances of earth abundant CoWO4 electrodes could be used as the replacement of expensive electroactive noble electrode materials (Pt, Ir, Ru etc.) for water electrolysis (OER and ORR) in near future.


Urban sprawl creates serious traffic congestion. Alternative land use patterns may be the best solution. New Urbanists claim that, by placing frequently-visited sites within walking distance of homes and creating a pleasant walking environment, people are more willing to choose non-motorized transportation mode to do such activities. Part I of this study investigated the ability of travel demand models to estimate the impacts of alternative land use patterns. Part II conducted an economic viability analysis for a mixed land use neighborhood and collected land use preferences at meetings of neighborhood associations. The objective in Part III was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing mixed land use neighborhood, based upon public acceptance, actual impacts on travel behavior and observed trip making patterns. Surveys were conducted and analyzed for this report. A brief summary of the principal findings of this study will be posted on a website – either JTRP or INDOT. The findings will include brief numerical examples of the analyses that led to the report's conclusions. Figures and photos will be used to illustrate the alternatives and performance measures that support the project's findings.


The first stage in any machine design process involves a substantial heuristic exercise to select the machine best suited to a set of specifications. The second stage obtains the dimensions of a selected machine and a design that satisfies specifications. The final stage usually involves optimization and the finite-element method. We present an object-oriented knowledge-based system for distribution transformer design with the first two stages fully automated. We describe the rationale for the system, the architectural design procedure, and the approach taken in constructing the system for practical applications.


The electromagnetic characteristics of the model for an electric line source radiating parallel to a lossless metamaterial covered infinitely long conductor circular cylinder is investigated. First, the electromagnetic model is presented and exact solution is derived. Second, the exact solution is employed in numerical calculations. The figures of the near field under different geometric and electromagnetic parameters are obtained; the characteristics of the far field properties are also studied through the directivity and normalized radiation resistance. Because of the negative refraction of the metamaterial, the distinct "focus", which could not be seen in the conventional material, could be obtained in the material layer from the near field pattern. The presented electromagnetic model is compared with the former approach and its validity is proven.


Background IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common glomerular diseases. However, the effect of uric acid on the prognosis of IgAN is still unclear, especially between males and females. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the role of hyperuricemia in IgAN patients and the differences in gender. Consequently, the study conducted a retrospective analysis of the prognosis of IgAN in patients from the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. Methods: A total of 1,022 patients with primary IgAN, diagnosed through renal biopsy were enrolled from the Department of Nephrology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. However, after applying the exclusion criteria, only 463 patients remained and were regularly followed up in the hospital. In addition, the relationship between Time Average Uric Acid (TA-UA) and prognosis of IgAN was analyzed. Results: The findings showed that TA-UA was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of IgAN in the 463 patients studied (OR=1.752,95%CI=1.348-2.277,p<0.001). Additionally, higher TA-UA values were associated with a faster progression of disease and worse prognosis (p < 0.05). Elevated TA-UA was also shown to be an independent risk factor for the progression of disease in female patients but not in their male counterparts (women: HR=1.998,95%CI=1.398-2.854,p<0.001,men: HR=1.405,95%CI=0.869-2.274, p=0.166). Conclusion: Increased TA-UA is an independent risk factor for the progression of IgAN, especially in women.


The structures of the interfaces of nine dimeric and nine tetrameric proteins have been analyzed and have been seen to follow general principles. These interfaces are combinations of four structural motifs, which resemble features of monomeric proteins. These are: (i) extended beta sheet; (ii) helix-helix packing; (iii) sheet-sheet packing; and (iv) loop interactions. Other common structural features in the interfaces studied are two-fold symmetry, charged hydrogen bonds and channel formation (found only in tetramers). Monomer-monomer interfaces are intermediate in hydrophobicity and charge between the interfaces between secondary structures of monomeric proteins and the exteriors of monomeric proteins. A typical interface has one of the first three of the structural motifs at its centre and loop interactions around the outside, where most of the charge resides.


organized into seven categories (roots, relationship, revelation, resilience, resistance, reclamation, and refl ections). Th ese categories cross time, place, and disciplines while maintaining their interdependent and grounded earthly balance, centered on Grandmother Turtle's back. Many of our sacred narratives begin with "Mewinzhaa, a long time ago . . ." In Ojibwe oral tradition, no individual knows all the stories or even their chronological order. Each story is a part of that web of collective indigenous scholarship that is Mino Bimaadiziiwin, the application of what is being learned to corporal and spiritual aspects of individual and tribal existence, or in the elegantly simple words of the elders, "living a good life." In their selection, organization, and presentation of contents, the editors of Centering Anishinaabeg Studies have maintained a quality of scholarliness that parallels that timehonored tribal pedagogy of storytelling by which the Anishinaabeg have endeavored to live good lives while seeking knowledge and understanding of the world since mewinzhaa, a long time ago.


Because of the role of mental fatigue in the development of elite soccer players, it has been a topic of interest for researchers in the last decades. First, we aim to shed light on the literature published about mental fatigue in soccer in the last 10 years. Second, based on the results obtained, we propose a new perspective on the role of cognitive effort in soccer. A systematic review (SR) was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO. A total of 18 articles met the inclusion criteria. The results showed an increase in the publications related to mental fatigue from 2014 onward. They were compared according to focus, sample, instruments and outcomes. Our proposal assumes that physical-physiological, technical-motor and tactical-cognitive demands entail a cognitive load that reduces the performance of players. Studies that prioritise controlling behavioural and physiological responses in cognitive tests are still needed.


Background Families act as 'safety nets' for vulnerable children. The phenomenal increase of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) has weakened the traditional system, paving way for Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to mediate using 'pooled resources' to provide care and support to OVC. Experience has shown that trained CBOs provide quality services to OVC in a sustainable manner, within the community standards. This intervention supported CBOs to provide OVC with integrated services from April 2011 to October 2012. Methods Eighty-five CBOs in southern Nigeria were selected using adapted organisational capacity assessment tool (OCAT) and National selection criteria. They were trained on the skills for delivery of integrated services to OVC, using the National Plan of Action for OVC and Standard Operational Procedures. The CBOs were supported to conduct needs assessment and enrolment of eligible OVC using the Orphans vulnerability index tool. The eligible vulnerable children received integrated services (education, health, nutrition, protection and psychosocial) through the CBOs and Caregivers. Results Of the 1785 OVC enrolled and served by the CBOs, 1000 (56%) were paternal, 446 (25%)-maternal and 339 (19%) double orphans. The mean age at enrolment was 10 with peak at 6 to 14years (84%). There was un-equal representation, with more females than males (55%:45%). A breakdown of the enrolees on education support, showed that 58.2% were enrolled for primary school education, 39.8% for secondary school and 2% in pre-primary education. Owing to stigma, linked with HIV status disclosures, the status of some OVC could not be ascertained. However, 10% of the 1785 OVC enrolled into the programme were HIV positive. Conclusion The CBOs have increased access of vulnerable children infected or directly affected by HIV to integrated support services. Investment in the CBOs capacity has promoted community ownership of the project and sustainability.


The Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) is a major regional wastewater agency serving Vancouver, Canada and surrounding municipalities. It was recently required to upgrade its largest treatment plant from primary treatment to secondary treatment. After initial screening of 17 processes, three were given detailed examination: the oxygen activated sludge process (OAS), the air activated sludge process (AAS), and the trickling filter/solids contact process (TF/SC). A comprehensive alternative analysis was completed consisting of process designs, plant layouts, and contractor-type construction cost estimates. Operations and maintenance costs were prepared from staffing plans, and estimates were made for energy and chemical use. Plants were surveyed and visited to address questions such as ease of operations and reliability. The TF/SC process was selected based upon its lower present value and O&M costs, ease of operation, robustness, and lower energy usage.


In many areas of environmental policy, there are clashing trends and conflicting views concerning the accessibility of information and its appropriate use. Some countries restrict access to environmental information if access compromises the protection of species, but this contrasts with environmentalist claims for transparency, the right to know, and the creation of the 'green public sphere'. Can access to (biodiversity) information ever be justifiably denied? The paradoxical trends in environmental policy can be explained in terms of the dual role of information: as much as it contributes to environmental causes, it simultaneously enables people to utilise or destroy the objects of preservation. While recognising the problematic nature of restricting transparency, epistemic asymmetries – the kind of case in which public authorities have access to such information to which the public is denied access – can sometimes be justified in terms of security.


UV Distributed Bragg reflectors were fabricated by a two-step thermal oxidation process over porous silicon multilayers (PS-ML), which were prepared by room-temperature electrochemical anodization of silicon wafers. The optical behavior of the PS-ML before and after oxidation was studied by reflectance measurements. It was observed an UV shift from 430 to 300 nm in the peak of the reflectance spectrum after oxidation of the PS-ML. This was attributed to the presence of silicon oxide over the surface of the silicon filaments. Such oxide also reduced the refractive index of each porous silicon monolayer. The bandgap of the PS-ML was calculated by the Kubelka-Munk approximation, which showed an increase in the bandgap from 3.11 to 4.36 eV after the thermal oxidation process. It was suggested that the observed optical response could opens the possibility of fabrication of UV optoelectronic devices based entirely in the silicon technology. [DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2971/jeos.2015.15016]


Consider the observation problem of bidimensional systems which requires the construction of an embedding in higher dimension. A multi-observers approach has been recently introduced by the authors to deal with a class of such singularly observable systems. This approach does not require any coordinates transformation. In this work we illustrate through an academic example the applicability of this approach.


Sweden is heading towards a greater internationalization which has lead to a debate about the duty of auditing and the role of the auditor. One of the reasons why the duty of auditing was introduced was to prevent economic crime. Therefore it is an interesting point of view to investigate how the role of the auditor helps to prevent economic crime.The fundamental purpose with this essay is to investigate how the role of the auditors is shown in preventing and controlling the economic crime. The goal with this essay is to find a conclusion about how it will affect the control of companies if the duty of auditing is taken away.This essay has been accomplished through a qualitative method. We have interviewed two auditors from different major auditing companies. The empiric and theoretical material have been collected, compared and analyzed.Our essay present that the auditor has an important role when it comes to preventing and controlling economic crime. There are also a few differences between the law and how the auditors are acting with different economic crimes. Our investigation also presents that the auditing and the annual report most likely will have a poorer quality and the economic crime will probably increase if the duty of auditing is taken away.