The rate of perinatal encephalopathy and the nature of its outcomes in relation to the syndrome of the acute period of the disease were studied in 102 children. Also examined were the cytochemical parameters of blood leukocytes, alkaline phosphatase of neutrophils, acid phosphatase of lymphocytes, succinate and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase of lymphocytes in prematurely born infants on the 8th-15th and the 30th-45th days of life. It has been ascertained that in addition to the comatose and convulsive syndromes the prognosis of the disease is the least favourable in the syndrome of total inhibition of the CNS in the acute period. Furthermore, the findings of the conducted study open the possibility of preliminary individual prognosis of the disease on the basis of the cytochemical picture at the end of the acute period.


In this paper the authors discuss a path planning problem for an autonomous robot-trailer system, while also including some consideration for the physical dimension of the trailer. The trailer equipped with sensing equipments is used to perform a surveillance mission among a collection of waypoint neighborhoods. The concept of a neighborhood is used to model the physical size of the actual sensors on the trailer. The problem is modeled as a Dubins Traveling Salesman Problem with Neighborhoods (DTSPN), where the neighborhoods are represented by disks. The authors firstly design a new algorithm for the Traveling Salesman Problem with Neighborhoods (TSPN), then extend this algorithm to find the shortest path for the DTSPN. The numerical study shows that the proposed algorithm can perform very well for both disjoint and overlapped disks cases.


Collaborative filtering (CF) is one of the most popular and important recommendation methodologies in the heart of numerous recommender systems today. Although widely adopted, existing CF-based methods, ranging from matrix factorization to the emerging graph-based methods, suffer inferior performance especially when the data for training are very limited. In this paper, we first pinpoint the root causes of such deficiency and observe two main disadvantages that stem from the inherent designs of existing CF-based methods, i.e., 1) inflexible modeling of users and items and 2) insufficient modeling of high-order correlations among the subjects. Under such circumstances, we propose a dual channel hypergraph collaborative filtering (DHCF) framework to tackle the above issues. First, a dual channel learning strategy, which holistically leverages the divide-and-conquer strategy, is introduced to learn the representation of users and items so that these two types of data can be elegantly interconnected while still maintaining their specific properties. Second, the hypergraph structure is employed for modeling users and items with explicit hybrid high-order correlations. The jump hypergraph convolution (JHConv) method is proposed to support the explicit and efficient embedding propagation of high-order correlations. Comprehensive experiments on two public benchmarks and two new real-world datasets demonstrate that DHCF can achieve significant and consistent improvements against other state-of-the-art methods.


Galactic very high energy (VHE, > 100 GeV) gamma ray sources in the inner Galaxy H.E.S.S. survey tend to cluster within 1 degree in latitude around the Galactic plane. HESS J1507-622 instead is unique, since it is located at latitude of ~3.5 degrees. HESS J1507-622 is slightly extended over the PSF of the instrument and hence its Galactic origin is clear. The search for counterparts in other wavelength regimes (radio, infrared and X-rays) failed to show any plausible counterparts; and given its position off the Galactic plane and hence the absorption almost one order of magnitude lower, it is very surprising to not see any counterparts especially at X-rays wavelengths (by ROSAT, XMM Newton and Chandra). Its latitude implies that it is either rather close, within about 1 kpc, or is located well off the Galactic plane. And also the models reflect the uniqueness of this object: a leptonic PWN scenario would place this source due to its quite small extension to multi-kpc distance whereas a hadronic scenario would preferentially locate this object at distances of < 1 kpc where the density of target material is higher.


. We present a Melan-type theorem applying to cyclically loaded media in which plastic flow and diffusion of guest atoms are coupled, such as electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. The presented theorem ensures that elastic shakedown occurs ( i.e. that the plastic strain stabilizes to a time-independent limit), independently of the initial state. Building on that theorem, a general two-step procedure is presented for designing any given structure against elastic shakedown. As an illustration, that procedure is applied to the model problem of a spherical electrode particle under time-harmonic lithiation.


ABSTRACT This study's aim was to operationalise and test a model of functional stupidity, a form of unreflective compliance, and explore its appropriateness for understanding how social workers comply with and motivate performing morally or professionally problematic tasks. A sample of 120 social workers from six municipalities in Sweden self-completed a questionnaire containing 20 Likert-type items denoting 10 'stupidity rationales' within three reflective modes of compliance, and a measure of work satisfaction. Most functional stupidity items performed well, with social workers endorsing several rationales for being unreflective at work. Associations among items supported most elements of the model. Both being older and having more work experience were associated with endorsing the fun rationale, while being older was also associated with endorsing rationales within the despair mode. Endorsing cynical mode rationales was associated with lower work satisfaction, while endorsing the fun rationale was associated with higher work satisfaction. This is the first study to operationalise and empirically test the concept of functional stupidity using a quantitative approach. The results indicate that the model has value for understanding how social workers' reflexivity about professional hardships can facilitate periods of unreflective performance that, for good and bad, helps them through the working day.


Abstract : This thesis explains why Chile maintains military budgets in excess of its threat levels. Historically, Chile required a well-funded and capable military due to tense regional relations. However, resolution of border conflicts, equipment acquisitions, and superior economic performance reduced Chile's threats during the 1990s. Nonetheless, analysts attributed the continued high military budgets to an authoritarian hangover following General Pinochet's reign (1973-1989). Pinochet's 1998 arrest and trial diminished the power of the military, calling into question past explanations. The judiciary purged the state of junta-era commanders, younger more flexible leadership came into power, and the political parties agreed on constitutional reform. Yet, after sweeping constitutional reforms, budgets remained high. This thesis argues that the Chilean Government maintained defense budgets to further the "normalization" of civilian-military relations in the wake of Pinochet's arrest and trial. The new military leadership admitted past human rights abuses and pledged subordination to the civilian government. The civilian leadership, in return, undertook no measures to reduce defense spending during the process of constitutional reform. Currently, Chile dedicates a higher percentage of its GDP to military expenditures than any other Latin American state. With relations stable, both the civilian elite and the military agreed to reorient the military's mission towards peacekeeping. Peacekeeping reinforces civilian-military relations while benefiting each party individually. The civilian elite receive international prestige, which furthers their foreign policy goals, while the military's mission and budgets are justified. The stable equilibrium guarantees Chile will remain a regional leader in peacekeeping for the future.


The present work focuses on the application of Taguchi technique to investigate the effect of temperature and inclination angle on the performance of the single slope solar stills inclined at 15 O , 30 O and 45 O . An indoor simulation model was developed using constant temperature water bath to maintain water temperatures at steady state for the purpose of experiment. The condensing covers inclined at 15 O , 30 O and 45 O were fabricated of commonly used glass sheet to form top inclined cover and GRP sheets to make the side walls of the cover. Orthogonal arrays of taguchi, the Signal–to-Noise (S/N) ratio, the analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression analysis have been employed to analyze the effect of the factors on the response. Linear regression equation has been developed with an objective to establish a correlation between the selected parameters and the Productivity. The predicted values have been compared with experimental data and are found to be in good agreement. Temperature is found to be the most significant factor contributing towards the productivity.


Homeostatic plasticity is a property of biological neural circuits that stabilizes their neuronal firing rates in face of input changes or environmental variations. Synaptic scaling is a particular homeostatic mechanism that acts at the level of the single neuron over long time scales, by changing the gain of all its afferent synapses to maintain the neuron's mean firing within proper operating bounds. In this paper we present ultra low leakage analog circuits that allow the integration of compact integrated filters in multi-neuron chips, able to achieve time constants of the order of hundreds of seconds, and describe automatic gain control circuits that when interfaced to neuromorphic neuron and synapse circuits implement faithful models of biologically realistic synaptic scaling mechanisms. We present simulation results of the low leakage circuits and describe the control circuits that have been designed for a neuromorphic multi-neuron chip, fabricated using a standard 180nm CMOS process.


Touch is essential when living with dementia for communication and remaining connected with the world, and it is also unavoidable when performing body care Thus, it is impossible to think of living and caring for people with dementia in the absence of touch Drawing from my ethnographic fieldwork conducted with therapy animals and people living with dementia in Scottish care facilities, in this article I argue that the public health measures taken against the spread of COVID-19 infections need to be reimagined by taking into consideration the role of touch Furthermore, I try to draw attention to the lessons that we should learn about touch and the role of intimate bodily entanglements in dementia care from the high COVID-19 death tolls amongst British care home residents


AIMS
Although use of antithrombotic agents is recommended after ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), long-term outcome of secondary prevention between stroke subtypes has not yet been explored.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We used data from the Korean Stroke Registry (KSR), a nationwide, multicentre, prospective registry for acute stroke patients. Patients with acute ischaemic stroke or TIA within 7 days of onset were consecutively enrolled between January 2002 and September 2010. A total of 46 108 patients with ischaemic stroke and TIA were included in this study. Among the major stroke subtypes, stroke due to small vessel occlusion (SVO) showed the lowest mortality, whereas cardioembolic stroke (CE) was associated with the fatal prognosis during the follow-up [for SVO: hazard ratio (HR) 0.66, 95% CI 0.62-0.71; for CE: HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.30-1.53; large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) group as a reference]. Regarding secondary prevention, antiplatelet polytherapy was better than monotherapy in the patients with LAA-related stroke in prognosis [HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.98]. Anticoagulant therapy was associated with better outcome than antiplatelet monotherapy in CE-related stroke [HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.59-0.74]. In SVO-related stroke group, antiplatelet polytherapy failed to show benefits over monotherapy. Additionally, the risk of death was higher with anticoagulant therapy in the patients with SVO-related stroke [HR 1.44, CI 95% 1.06-1.97].

CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that stroke subtype affects prognosis and also determines the effectiveness of secondary prevention.


Why warning patterns are so diverse is an enduring evolutionary puzzle. Because predators associate particular patterns with unpleasant experiences, an individual's predation risk should decrease as the local density of its warning pattern increases, promoting pattern monomorphism. Distasteful Heliconius butterflies are known for their diversity of warning patterns. Here, we explore whether interlocus sexual conflict can contribute to their diversification. Male Heliconius use warning patterns as mating cues, but mated females may suffer costs if this leads to harassment, favoring novel patterns. Using simulations, we show that drift alone is unlikely to cause pattern diversification, but that sexual conflict can assist such process. We also find that genetic architecture influences the evolution of male preferences, which track changes in warning pattern due to sexual selection. When male attraction imposes costs on females, this affects the speed at which novel pattern alleles increase. In two experiments, females laid fewer eggs with males present. However, although males in one experiment showed less interest in females with manipulated patterns, we found no evidence that female coloration mitigates sex-specific costs. Overall, male attraction to conspecific warning patterns may impose an unrecognized cost on Heliconius females, but further work is required to determine this experimentally.


Many robotic systems are subject to nonholonomic as well as holonomic constraints. Rolling contact between two rigid bodies is a typical example of such a system. In the study, a unified state space formulation of robotic systems subject to both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints is presented. The position-level holonomic constraints are first replaced by a set of velocity-level constraint equations that asymptotically converge to the original holonomic constraints. Having represented both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints in a common form, a state space representation of the constrained systems is then developed. A numerical algorithm for implementing the state space representation is also described. The proposed formulation eliminates the need to solve holonomic constraints either analytically or numerically, and ensures that holonomic constraints are always satisfied, particularly in computer simulations. The formulation makes it possible to treat systems with holonomic constraints, with nonholonomic constraints, or with both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints in a unified framework. Two examples are presented to illustrate the application of the unified formulation.


Comparison of trace element signatures of country rocks as a function of distance from the contact with two pegmatites, Tin Mountain and Etta, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, suggests that some elements such as K, Li, Rb, Cs, As, Sb, Zn and Pb, have migrated to distances of 4 to 40 meters during contact metamorphism. The relative degree of migration varies depending on the element. On the other hand, there is virtually no migration of rare earth elements (REE), Al, Sc, Cr, Hf, U, and Th. Biotite and muscovite are effective trace element traps for Li, Rb and Cs. Biotite has a greater affinity for Rb, Cs and Li than muscovite.


In the theoretical part, I presented Slovenian youth writer Ela Peroci (1922-2001), illustrator Ancka Gosnik Godec (1927-), and the picture book Muca Copatarica (1957). I analyzed the literary theory of Marjana Kobe to the fairy tale and her analysis of short modern fairy tale Muca Copatarica in the form of the picture book. I presented the definition of the fairy tale, the emergence of the fairy tale in Slovenia, and the significance and the influence of reading fairy tales on a preschool child.
In the empirical part, I first presented an individual test, which was performed before exercising the project Muca Copatarica with every child individually. I began with the project on the 1st of September 2017. Then, the professional workers prepared a puppet show Muca Copatarica with marionettes for all the children in the kindergarten. The children became acquainted with life and work of the youth writer Ela Peroci and the illustrator Ancka Gosnik Godec through the project. They became acquainted with the picture book in detail and listened to it in a foreign language (English). We went to the library together with the children, became acquainted with the works of Ela Peroci, and borrowed some of them. We prepared a book nook of the author and the children illustrated her portrait by means of the technique: the charcoal art of drawing. They also illustrated the portrait of Ancka Gosnik Godec, also with the technique: the charcoal art of drawing. We closely examined a domestic animal – the cat and searched for the similarities and differences between the domestic cat and the literary figure Muca Copatarica. We built the home of the cat in the woods. Children also became acquainted with the profession of the dressmaker and they tried to operate the sewing machine. We also prepared an exhibition of children's products in various art techniques within the topic Muca Copatarica in the kindergarten Anton Medved Kamnik. For the conclusion of the project, we prepared a drama play together with the children and performed it in the playground of the kindergarten. After the end of the show, we performed workshops, where children sew something within the topic of Muca Copatarica. In addition, we had some cookies and some tea.
The project lasted from the 1st of September 2017 to the 6th of October 2017. After the project had been finished I repeated the individual test and thus got the insight into the child's gained knowledge.
Picture book Muca Copatarica (1957) celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the first edition this year. The first edition was edited in 1957. Until 2017 the picture book has been reprinted 15 times.


To reduce the computational complexity of algebraic code-excited linear prediction (ACELP) coders, an efficient codebook search mechanism based on a simplified correlation matrix (SCM) of the vocal impulse response is proposed. In the proposed approach, the statistical characteristics of the vocal impulse response are identified such that only a small proportion of the total number of correlation coefficients in the correlation matrix need be calculated before the ACELP search procedure is carried out. Furthermore, the proposed joint scheme, by combining the SCM method and a pulse position prediction scheme, not only decreases the arithmetic complexity in the pre-computing autocorrelation matrix but also reduces the number of pulse position combinations. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method provides an effective reduction in the computational load of the ACELP codebook search procedure with no discernible degradation of the speech quality.


To support diversified quality of service demands and dynamic resource requirements of users in 5G driven VANETs, network resources need flexible and scalable resource allocation strategies. Current heterogeneous vehicular networks are designed and deployed with a connection-centric mindset with fixed resource allocation to a cell regardless of traffic conditions, static coverage, and capacity. In this paper, we propose a hybrid-fuzzy logic guided genetic algorithm (H-FLGA) approach for the software defined networking controller, to solve a multi-objective resource optimization problem for 5G driven VANETs. Realizing the service oriented view, the proposed approach formulates five different scenarios of network resource optimization in 5G VANETs. Furthermore, the proposed fuzzy inference system is used to optimize weights of multi-objectives, depending on the type of service requirements of customers. The proposed approach shows the minimized value of multi-objective cost function when compared with the GA. The simulation results show the minimized value of end-to-end delay as compared to other schemes. The proposed approach will help the network service providers to implement a customer-centric network infrastructure, depending on dynamic customer needs of users.


In two papers: Dhaene et al. (2002). Insurance: Mathematics and Economics 31, pp.3-33 and pp. 133-161, the approximation for sums of random variables (rv's) was derived for the case where the distribution of the components is lognormal and known, but the stochastic dependence structure is unknown or too cumbersome to work with. In finance and actuarial science a lot of attention is paid to a regime switching model. In this paper we give the approximation for sums under a mixture of normals and consider approximate evaluation of provision under switching regime.


Free media may reduce incidents of socio-political instability. Different types of sociopolitical instability have been shown to have a negative effect on investment and economic growth. This study examines the effect of free media on various indicators of socio-political instability. Using a panel of 98 countries over 1994-2005, this study shows that media free from government control and interference may decrease different forms of socio-political instability because it puts internal and external pressure on self-interested governments to act in the best interests of citizens—rather than their own. The empirical results suggest that a freer media is associated with lower levels of socio-political instability as measured by ethnic tensions, external and internal conflicts, crime and disorder, military participation in government and religious tensions. The estimates are robust to several sensitivity tests.


The roles of bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cell-to-cell signaling are progressively being unraveled. These membranous spheres released by many living cells carry various macromolecules, some of which influence host-pathogen interactions. Bacterial EVs contain RNA, which may serve in communicating with their infected hosts. Staphylococcus aureus, an opportunistic human and animal pathogen, produces EVs whose RNA content is still poorly characterized. Here, we investigated in depth the RNA content of S. aureus EVs. A high-throughput RNA sequencing approach identified RNAs in EVs produced by the clinical S. aureus strain HG003 under different environmental conditions: early- and late-stationary growth phases, and presence or absence of a sublethal vancomycin concentration. On average, sequences corresponding to 78.0% of the annotated transcripts in HG003 genome were identified in HG003 EVs. However, only ~5% of them were highly covered by reads (≥90% coverage) indicating that a large fraction of EV RNAs, notably mRNAs and sRNAs, were fragmented in EVs. According to growth conditions, from 86 to 273 highly covered RNAs were identified into the EVs. They corresponded to 286 unique RNAs, including 220 mRNAs. They coded for numerous virulence-associated factors (hld encoded by the multifunctional sRNA RNAIII, agrBCD, psmβ1, sbi, spa, and isaB), ribosomal proteins, transcriptional regulators, and metabolic enzymes. Twenty-eight sRNAs were also detected, including bona fide RsaC. The presence of 22 RNAs within HG003 EVs was confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) experiments. Several of these 286 RNAs were shown to belong to the same transcriptional units in S. aureus. Both nature and abundance of the EV RNAs were dramatically affected depending on the growth phase and the presence of vancomycin, whereas much less variations were found in the pool of cellular RNAs of the parent cells. Moreover, the RNA abundance pattern differed between EVs and EV-producing cells according to the growth conditions. Altogether, our findings show that the environment shapes the RNA cargo of the S. aureus EVs. Although the composition of EVs is impacted by the physiological state of the producing cells, our findings suggest a selective packaging of RNAs into EVs, as proposed for EV protein cargo. Our study shedds light to the possible roles of potentially functional RNAs in S. aureus EVs, notably in host-pathogen interactions.


Abstract
 Mytilus edulis (Blue Mussel) is an ecologically important species in the Gulf of Maine. However, many introduced species that have a direct negative impact on the Blue Mussel have entered this system, some as predators (e.g., Carcinus maenas [Green Crab]) and others as aggressive epibionts (e.g., Didemnum vexillum [Carpet Sea Squirt]). Didemnum vexillum has been increasing in abundance throughout the Gulf for the past 10 years and form large mat-like growths on mussel beds, covering individual mussels completely. The first part of our study used a predator-exclusion experiment to determine the impact of predators on the plantigrade stage of the Blue Mussel life cycle. During this stage, no epibiosis occurs due to a protective periostracum layer on the mussel shell. The second part of our study used laboratory trials to assess how overgrowth by D.vexillum impacts predator choice, handling time, and consumption of mussels. There were a significantly greater number of Blue Mussel plantigrades on exclusion panels than on the exposed-cage control panels. Green Crab and Nucella lapillus (Dog Whelk) predators were present on our non-exclusion panels. In laboratory trials, Green Crab handling time of Blue Mussels was not significantly different between mussels that were clean and mussels that were overgrown, but crab behavior and overall consumption showed a greater selection for clean mussels. This selection indicates an associational predator-resistance effect of D.vexillumt epibiont on Blue Mussels. The results of our study, while focused on one specific predator species, suggest that while young Blue Mussels with no epibionts are preyed upon heavily, D.vexillum likely deters predators from older mussels. Because D.vexillum form large mat-like colonies that can cover a large area, their presence may have a significant impact on community structure in the Gulf of Maine.


Using a series of anecdotes and illustrations, the author posits that freedom of conscience, broadly defined, can only be protected, if at all, by assertive individual and group action. Such action must be not just against government interference but also against non-governmental or private activities as well as intimidation. Professor Belsky urges individual balancing of the freedom of conscience and other legal, governmental and societal interests. This balancing is a form of "constitutionalism," and when necessary must be followed up by enforcement through personal action.


Seed priming with plant extracts and chemicals has been used as an important growth enhancement tool in crop plants; however, the mechanisms of their action are not fully explored. In this research, an attempt was made to understand the mechanism of various seed priming treatments in greenhouse-grown wheat. The seed priming treatments used were hydropriming, on-farm priming, moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaf extract (MLE) priming, and CaCl2 priming. Results showed that all the seed priming treatments were effective in improving germination and seedling growth attributes of wheat over the control. However, MLE followed by CaCl2 emerged as the most effective tools. The main mechanisms in this regard were the induction of an antioxidative system together with increased chlorophyll contents, ascorbic acid, and soluble phenolics contents. The results strongly support the view that seed priming with MLE is economical and can be effectively used to improve wheat growth under greenhouse conditions.


Trajectory planning at high velocities and at the handling limits is a challenging task. In order to cope with the requirements of a race scenario, we propose a far-sighted two step, multi-layered graph-based trajectory planner, capable to run with speeds up to 212 km/h. The planner is designed to generate an action set of multiple drivable trajectories, allowing an adjacent behavior planner to pick the most appropriate action for the global state in the scene. This method serves objectives such as race line tracking, following, stopping, overtaking and a velocity profile which enables a handling of the vehicle at the limit of friction. Thereby, it provides a high update rate, a far planning horizon and solutions to non-convex scenarios. The capabilities of the proposed method are demonstrated in simulation and on a real race vehicle.


Ausanee Wanchai, MSN, RN, is a nursing instructor at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Buddhachinaraj, in Phitsanuloke, Thailand, and a doctoral student in the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri in Columbia; and Jane M. Armer, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a professor and Bob R. Stewart, EdD, is emeritus of education and adjunct clinical professor, both in the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri. (First submission December 2009. Revision submitted January 2010. Accepted for publication January 31, 2010.)


While intentions are at the center of communication theories such as Relevance Theory, and also of theories of action in general, the interaction between communicative and non-communicative intentions has not been much investigated within the relevance-theoretic framework. This paper discusses Bratman's (1987) Theory of Planning, which recognizes the critical role of intentions in governing our actions, driving our practical reasoning, and enabling us to coordinate with other individuals. I will argue that this theory can shed new light on how a communicator's non-communicative intentions can shape her utterances and affect her audience's intentions, how the audience's intentions may influence the comprehension process, and how audiences may cope with attempts at persuasion by considering the communicator's non-communicative intentions.


Dielectric elastomers (DEs) is one of the promising artificial muscle for soft robots and flexible devices. As one of the key issues for practical applications, the control of DE actuators remains challenging due to the large actuation, electromechanical coupling, and viscoelastic dissipation. Feedforward control and proportional integral derivative (PID) feedback control are recently studied for the control of DE actuators. The control performance is still limited due to the complex dynamic behavior of DE actuators with both nonlinearities and modeling uncertainties. This paper proposes a model-based feedback control for DE actuator, considering nonlinearity of large deformation, electromechanical coupling, and the modeling uncertainties. A nonlinear motion model is proposed and verified by parameter identification experiments. Based on the nonlinear model, we demonstrate a robust control strategy including nonlinear model compensation and robust feedback to decrease the tracking error. The experimental results verify that the control strategy possesses excellent validity to the DE actuator with improved performance compared to the previous strategy of feedforward and PID feedback control. The system design and control strategy of this paper may guide the future design and application of DE actuators, soft robots, and flexible devices.


This study used field data and a suite of geospatial models to identify areas where subsurface oil is likely to still be present on the shorelines of Prince William Sound (PWS) and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, as well as the factors related to continued presence of such oil. The goal was to identify factors and accompanying models that could serve as screening tools to prioritize shorelines for different remediation methods. The models were based on data collected at 314 shoreline segments surveyed between 2001 and 2007. These field data allowed us to identify a number of geomorphologic and hydrologic factors that have contributed to the persistence of subsurface oil within PWS and GOA two decades after the spill. Because synoptic data layers for describing each of these factors at all locations were not available, the models developed used existing data sets as surrogates to represent these factors, such as distance to a stream mouth or shoreline convexity. While the linkages between the data used and the physical phenomena that drive persistence are not clearly understood in all cases, the performance of these models was remarkably good. The models simultaneously evaluate all identified variables to predict the presence of different types of subsurface oiling in a rigorous, unbiased manner. The refined model results suggest there are a limited but significant number of as-yet unsurveyed locations in the study area that are likely to contain subsurface oil. Furthermore, the model results may be used to quantitatively prioritize shoreline for investigation with known uncertainty.


Major ethical and scientific debates surround the potential of stem cells to radically alter therapies in health care. This article provides some basic background on the origins and functions of stem cells.


Ewing's Sarcoma (ES) is a malignant tumor, which arises primarily in children. Most commonly found in the long bones and pelvis, it rarely is found in the bones of the face. This is a report of ES of the mandible in a nine-year-old Caucasian female. Treatment for this malignancy included an incisional biopsy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy protocol to the involved area in accordance with St. Christopher's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The patient is currently disease-free and has been for approximately five years.


Abstract An experimental study of the phenomenon of buoyancy driven natural ventilation through single-sided horizontal openings was performed in a full-scale laboratory test rig. The measurements were made for opening ratios L/D ranging from 0.027 to 4.455, where L and D are the length of the opening and the diameter of the opening, respectively. The basic nature of airflow through single-sided openings, including airflow rate, air velocity, temperature difference between the rooms and the dimensions of the horizontal openings, were measured. A bi-directional airflow rate was measured using the constant injection tracer gas technique. Smoke visualizations showed that the airflow patterns are highly transient and unstable, and that the airflow rate oscillates with time. Correlations between the Froude (Archimedes) number Fr (Ar) and the L/D ratio are presented. In some cases the measured airflow rates fit quite well with the Epstein's formula but in other cases the measured data show clear deviations from the Epstein's formula. Thus, revised formulas for natural ventilation are proposed.


Regarding the fast growing importance of tourism for the gross domestic product and generation of jobs, it is necessary to make professional language preparation of future workers in the tourism industry more efficient. This does not only concern terminology and its relation to general language or creation of new terms reflecting changes in our life-style, changes in demand but this also concerns other language levels, such as socalled functional language and ESP grammar. The tourism industry is developing hand in hand with our changing demands for spending our leisure, speed and comfort during travelling, etc. All this is reflected in the fast development of professional language as a communication tool among all players.


This study was carried out to investigate the incidences of main, accessory and axillary bud necrosis in different node position and cane vigour in 'Campbell Early' grapevines. Main bud necrosis of 'Campbell Early' grapevines occurred from 30 days after full bloom, increased sharply during 50~60 days after full bloom, and increased slowly from 60 to 120 days. Although rate of accessory bud necrosis was lower than main bud necrosis, main and accessory bud had same necroses pattern. Main bud necrosis occurred earlier and higher in the basal buds (1st to 3rd buds) than the more distal buds on a shoot. But as plant grew, main bud necrosis increased in the buds of middle position in shoot (4th to 9th buds) at 50~60 days after full bloom. At rest stage, the mean incidence of main bud necrosis was 28.6% in weak canes (shoot diameter below 8.0 ㎜), 58.0~77.6% in moderate canes (8.1~11.0 ㎜) and 96.8% in very vigorous canes (above 11.1 ㎜). Incidences of main bud necrosis in different longitudinal bud sizes were 22.4% in 4.1~5.0 ㎜, 49.2% to 53.8% in below 4.0 ㎜ and 60% in above 5.1 ㎜ respectively. As vine age shoot is produced strongly, thus main bud necrosis in the vines showed a tendency of continuous increase with their growth.


An important dimension of judicial decisions little studied by social scientists is the scope of a court's opinion. Traditional political science studies of judging emphasize the political valence of judicial opinions but do not address the scope with which commands or proclamations are issued. The valence of an opinion is, however, theoretically orthogonal to the scope of an opinion. Differences in the manner in which opinions are written may reflect deep differences in the ways that individual judges understand the causes of human behavior and their own ability to predict behavior and influence it through court action. These deep differences involve what psychologists broadly refer to as variations in "cognitive style," a psychological construct that has been operationalized in a variety of ways to refer to individuals' consistent ways of perceiving stimuli, processing information, and thinking about problems. We discuss the importance of cognitive style for understanding judicial behavior.


In a highly competitive environment a product's commercial success depends increasingly more upon the ability to satisfy consumers' preferences that are highly diversified. Since a consumer product typically comprises a host of technological attributes, its market value incorporates all of the individual values of technological attributes. If the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for individual technological characteristics of a product is known, one can conjecture the overall WTP or the imputed market price for the product. The market price listed by the producer has to be equal to or lower than this WTP for the commercial survival of the product. In this paper we propose a methodology for estimating the value of individual product characteristics and thus the overall WTP of the product with DEA. Our methodology is based on a model derived from the consumer demand theory on the one hand, and the recent theoretical developments on the flexible DEA frontiers on the other hand. The paper also presents a real case study for the mobile phone market, which is characterized by its high speed of innovation. The suggested model and its empirical applications has implications for the extension of DEA methodology to the estimation of market value of a complex multi-attribute product and/or of a value of quality attribute that is not explicitly marketable in isolation. We also expect that the framework will shed some light on the successful way of product differentiation when the cost information for individual characteristics is available.


Beyond Heterochrony: The Evolution of Development. Edited by Miriam Zelditch. Wiley-Liss, New York. 2001. 371 pages. Cloth $99.95.

The odyssey of heterochrony is exceedingly curious (Gould 1977: p. 221).

Almost a quarter of a century ago a paper was published in this journal on the relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny. The paper, by Alberch et al. (1979), in many ways synthesized all that had gone before in the subject, for well over a century, and provided a practical model upon which most future studies could be based. In addition to drawing together and refining the many disparate threads of ideas related to the interrelationship between ontogeny and phylogeny, it swept away most of the accumulated tangle of nomenclatural cobwebs. Moreover, Alberch et al. (1979) produced a model that by comparison with what had gone before (and unfortunately compared with what exists today) was one of elegant simplicity. Drawing upon the inspiration provided by Gould's (1977) landmark book Ontogeny and Phylogeny, the Alberch et al. model synthesized the relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny into three basic factors derived from the effect on the descendant phenotype of changing time to the developmental process when compared with its ancestor. These changes were to the rate and timing of growth, both onset and offset. Significantly they placed all these changes under the banner of heterochrony. The effect of this model was to inspire researchers to demonstrate the widespread effect of heterochrony in evolution (see, for example, McKinney 1988; McKinney and McNamara 1991; McNamara 1995; Minugh-Purvis and McNamara 2002).

Despite appearing in print just two years after the publication of Gould's (1977) book (and although Gould was one of the coauthors), the Alberch et al. model differed significantly from Gould's (1977) in its vision of what constituted heterochrony, much …


AIM
The study aimed to analyze publications in the field of "pediatric tuberculosis" and associate them with regional Tuberculosis (TB) profile.

METHODS
A schematic analysis of scientific production in the field of pediatric tuberculosis between 1990 and 2010 using ISI web of science was carried out. Terms used for searches were each as a combination of "Mycobacterium Tuberculosis", or "Tuberculos*" and "Child", or "Infant", or "New born", or "Neonatal", or "Adolescent", or "Pediatric". Features including year of publication, citation per year, country of origin, funding state, contributing university, language, leading journals and authors, and highly cited articles, main journal publishing these articles were taken into account.

RESULTS
The search retrieved 3417 articles (of 4559 total) with an almost gradual annually progressive pattern from 20 (in 1990) to 302 (in 2009) which have been cited totally 48459 times and 14.18 times per article. The greatest contribution originated from United States of America (25.11%) followed by South Africa (12.17%), and England (11.18%). Interestingly, 82.4% of all South African articles were from Stellenbosch University and Cape Town University on contrary.

CONCLUSIONS
International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease ranked as the first with regard to the number of articles and Lancet with regard to the number of highly cited articles. Developing countries excluding South Africa despite their high prevalence scarcely contribute to the field and USA is the leading country in the field.


Due to the presence of plastids, eukaryotic photosynthetic cells represent the most highly compartmentalized eukaryotic cells. This high degree of compartmentation requires the transport of solutes across intracellular membrane systems by specific membrane transporters. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on functionally characterized intracellular plant membrane transporters and we link transporter functions to Arabidopsis gene identifiers and to the transporter classification system. In addition, we outline challenges in further elucidating the plant membrane permeome and we provide an outline of novel approaches for the functional characterization of membrane transporters.


Superconducting qubits are Josephson junction-based circuits that exhibit macroscopic quantum behavior and can be manipulated as artificial atoms. Benefiting from the well-developed technology of microfabrication and microwave engineering, superconducting qubits have great advantages in design flexibility, controllability, and scalability. Over the past decade, there has been rapid progress in the field, which greatly improved our understanding of qubit decoherence and circuit optimization. The single-qubit coherence time has been steadily raised to the order of 10 to 100 μs, allowing for the demonstration of high-fidelity gate operations and measurement-based feedback control. Here we review recent progress in the coherence and readout of superconducting qubits.


A number of fluorinated versatile building blocks (synthons) were developed for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated and gem-difluoromethylenated biologically interesting compounds. Extensive studies have demonstrated that fluorine atoms have profound stereoelectronic effects on neighboring groups, leading to special performance of the fluorine-containing compounds in reactions. It was found that, in comparison with their nonfluorinated counterparts, a C―O bond adjacent to a CF 2 group was more stabilized which made it hard to be substituted in a S N 2 way; double bond next to fluorinated groups was too electron deficient to participate in ring-closing-metathesis (RCM) reactions, and the carbocation that was strongly destabilized by neighboring CF 2 group reacted immediately with nucleophilic molecules to produce unexpected product and so on. Thus improved methodologies were developed to achieve the desired transformations. The conformational analysis of difluorothiouridine suggested that the gem-difluoro atoms governed the overall conformation of the sugar ring and nucleobase. The biological evaluation of the synthetic difluoromethylenated azasugars towards eight glycosidases showed that the CF 2 group decreased the pK a of azasugars which enhanced their binding affinity and selectivity to glycosidases. 1 Introduction 2 Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Building Blocks and their Application for the Preparation of Biologically Interesting Molecules 2.1 Improved FSO 2 CF 2 CO 2 Me/CuI Method for the Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Retinoid 2.2 Preparation of α-Trifluoromethyl-α,β-Unsaturated Esters for the Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Nucleosides and Prolines 2.3 Development of Trifluoropropenyl-Containing Synthons for the Preparation of Trifluoromethylated Analogues of Amino Acids, Sugars, and Macrolactones 3 Preparation of Difluoromethylenated Building Blocks and their Application for the Synthesis of Difluoromethylenated Nucleosides, α,β-Uunsaturated-β-lactones and Azasugars 3.1 Novel Route to Difluorohomoallyl Alcohol and its Wide Utility in the Synthesis of Difluoromethylenated Nucleosides 3.2 Construction of Difluoromethylenated Synthons via Silicon-Induced Reformatskii―Claisen Rearrangement and their Application for the Preparation of Difluoromethylenated Nucleosides 3.3 Synthesis of Azanucleosides Bearing Exocyclic CF 2 H Group Using a Wittig-Type Olefination Approach 3.4 Conformational Analysis of D -2'-Deoxy-2',2'-difluoro-4'-dihydro-4'-thiouridine 3.5 Synthesis of Difluoromethylenated Six-Membered α,β-Unsaturated-β-lactones and other Related Compounds 3.6 Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Difluoromethylenated Azasugars 4 Conclusion.


The data on examination and treatment of 39 children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) were assessed; all patients received ALL BFM-90-M treatment. The fraction of children with T-ALL among ALL patients in Belarus was 12.2% (pre-T-ALL--15, cortical T-ALL--46 and mature T-ALL--23%). Also, a subtype of T-ALL with atypical expression of markers was identified (13%). Overall 7-year survival in T-ALL patients was 47(20%). The worst prognosis was recorded in the T-ALL subgroup with atypical expression of markers (p < 0.001 as compared with the other subgroups). As for outcome--from best to worst, T-ALL subtypes ranged as follows: cortical T-ALL, mature T-ALL, pre-T-ALL and T-ALL with atypical expression of markers.


The authors emphasize the need in coordination when conducting expert examinations in investigation of accidents with a great number of victims. Coordination is of special importance for combined application of molecular-genetic technologies and standard forensic medical investigations. The experience in experts cooperation in investigation of terroristic bombing in Moscow underground on February 6, 2004, according to algorithm of combined use of conventional forensic medical methods and innovating techniques of molecular-genetic identification for personal identification of dead bodies in accidents with a great number of victims is demonstrated.


Small angle neutron scattering experiments were carried out on D2 O on the critical isochore. Apparatus was used which enabled the control of temperature to ±0.01 K and pressure to 10 mbar. The corrected scattering data were used to extract values for the correlation length of the critical density fluctuations, , and the thermodynamic limit of the structure factor, S (0). Both quantities are found to show divergent power-law behaviour with reduced temperature, and have exponents = 0.62±0.03 and = 1.14±0.05, respectively. These results confirm that D2 O belongs to the three-dimensional Ising universality class. A value of 0 = 1.30±0.23 A was calculated for the characteristic correlation length of D2 O, a result that compares favourably with that inferred from thermodynamic data and calculated theoretically.


This paper summarizes the results and learnings from the Autonomous Inflow Control Device (AICD) deployment and installation in multiple heavy oil fields in south Oman, allowing for swift utilization in other fields with similar characteristics. Those AICDs were mainly deployed and tested in those oil fields comprehensively, in horizontal producers, and the results were supported by rigorous lab tests was conducted to understand their behavior. This paper is a continuation of the work in reference [1].
 In recent decades, horizontal drilling for producing wells became a widely known and used technology, this is due to the fact they improve the overall recovery, efficiency of production, drainage of the reservoir, as well as delay unwanted fluids (e.g. gas & water). However, this solution was not perfect, as due to highly fractured and heterogeneous reservoirs, premature water and gas production can and will take place, causing remaining oil to be bypassed, and hence, reducing the reservoir's recovery and eventually the profitability [2]. In south Sultanate of Oman, many fields have been developed with the use of the horizontal well technology, but together with its advantages, the geological nature of the formations and the physical properties of the produced fluids, have introduced important challenges regarding production optimization.
 One of the assets in question comprises of naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs drained through long horizontal open-hole completions. It has been developed with water flood and GOGD system. The main production optimization challenge faced for that asset is the fracture-dominated inflow, which leads to either high water or gas production. On the other hand, another asset where the trial took place comprises of shallow sandstone reservoirs of heavy oil, with strong bottom aquifers and high level of reservoir heterogeneities; fractures, faults and high permeability streaks are characteristic of these reservoirs. A horizontal well usually has a much higher capacity–as compared to a vertical well–for producing fluids at the same drawdown, hence, when talking on critical rates that do not disturb the oil-water-contact, horizontal wells will definitely have a higher critical rate than those of vertical wells, but even so, the capacity of moving fluids are bigger, causing faster movement of bottom water towards the horizontal well regardless [3].
 Another field of the trial fields had produced heavy oil, with viscosities in the range of 600 cP to 1000 cP. The permeability is variable and in the range of 100mD to 10D. This makes the mobility ratio very favorable to water production. Some wells have started production with less than 10 % WC, but a sudden increase of WC has been observed up to above 90 %. Most of the wells have been completed with inflatable packers (EZIPs), creating 2 to 3 segments at the horizontal reservoir section. The AICD technology is suitable for being applied in this case of very low oil mobility and segments at the sand-face. The last trial field comprises of multi-stacked reservoirs, isolated by shale barriers, with production potential of oil from two main layers. The oil is light, ~ 42 API and 0.9 cp viscosity. Around 13 wells are closed-in due to various reasons including high water cut and low productivity. This field is producing since 1998 from 9 stacked reservoir zones-commingled, which provides a challenge to production allocation. Performing Production Logging Tests–PLTs-have not helped to improve the allocation issues. Water shut off is challenging when it comes to the point of deciding the zone required to be closed. Mechanical water shut off is an option to choke back the non-allocated water zones and allow more oil production. Although this field does not include horizontal wells, the total perforated length of the proposed well and the hydraulic natural isolation between the producing zones makes the application of the technology attractive for this field.
 An interventionless/wireless technology, which promotes uniform production along the entire length of a horizontal well, delaying the production of unwanted fluids (water or gas) from high productivity zones along the well path and promoting increased oil production from other compartments of the formation, would definitively represent a key aspect of the production optimization for these Petroleum Development Oman fields.


Pr MOIFO Boniface Service de Radiologie Hôpital Gynéco-Obstétrique et Pédiatrique de Yaoundé BP: 4362 Yaoundé Cameroun Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Tel: 00 237 677805999 ABSTRACT Primary cancer of the male urethra is rare and of unknown etiology. The average age of onset is 60 years. It is mostly located on the bulbo-membranous urethra. We report a case of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the membranous urethra, discovered when exploring an urethroscrotal fistula with chronic urinary retention. An urethrocystogram was suggestive of filling defect in the membranous urethra associated to urethro-scrotal fistula. Doppler ultrasound of the urethra confirmed the presence of an endo-urethral mass. Histology of the urethral partial resection concluded of squamous cell carcinoma of the membranous urethra. In the light of this case, we discuss the clinical features and difficulties in early diagnosis of these cancers in lowincome countries.


This study investigates the impact of protectionism in a host country on the completion likelihood of an announced cross-border acquisition and the time required to complete the acquisition. Adopting a legitimacy perspective, I identify and test boundary conditions at the firm and national levels to study the relationship between protectionism and cross-border acquisition completion and duration. I hypothesise that in host countries with a high level of protectionism, as reflected by the level of non-tariff barriers, cross-border acquisitions are less likely to be completed and the time taken to close the acquisition deal increases. I also propose that the relationships between protectionism and acquisition outcomes are moderated by critical target firm characteristics and the host country's economic condition. Specifically, these moderators include target firm size, target firm performance, the degree to which the target industry is sensitive to national security concerns, and the host country's GDP growth. I test these hypotheses using a sample of 675 cross-border acquisition attempts by firms in the manufacturing and services industries (excluding financial services) into the U.S. and Canada between 1995 and 2015. The results of the statistical analysis support the prediction that the higher the degree of protectionism, the lower likelihood of acquisition completion and the longer the duration is between acquisition announcement and completion. Findings also support the predicted moderating effects of the target firm size, performance and national security concern. However, the hypothesised moderating effect of the host country's GDP growth was not supported by the results. This finding suggests that host country protectionism impacts cross-border acquisition attempts, irrespective of the host country's economic development. These findings have significant implications for legitimacy-based explanations of cross-border acquisitions. In particular, the results of this study indicate that when protectionism is high, the host country is more likely to raise concerns around the legitimacy of foreign firms. In turn, these firms face adverse host country scrutiny which can result in a failed acquisition attempt, or an extended and therefore, costlier acquisition deal. The framework and findings of this study contribute to an institution-based view and, in particular, to a legitimacy-based perspective in the research on the internationalisation of firms.


A fully integrated dual-channel multiband RF receiver is designed and implemented for next-generation global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) in a 0.18-μm CMOS process. Its two reconfigurable signal channels can simultaneously process any two types of 2-, 4-, or 20-MHz bandwidth signals mainly located around the RF bands of 1.2 and 1.57 GHz for GPS, Galileo, and BD-2 (aka Compass) systems, while achieving better performance (die area, noise figure, gain dynamic range) than other state-of-the-art GNSS receivers. A digital automatic gain control loop consisting of a variable gain amplifier and nonuniform 4-bit ADC is utilized to improve the receiver's robustness and performance in the presence of interferences. While drawing 25-mA current per channel from a 1.8-V supply, this RF receiver achieves a total noise figure of 2.5 dB/2.7 dB at 1.2/1.57 GHz, an image rejection of 28 dB, a maximum voltage gain of 110 dB, a gain dynamic range of 73 dB, and an input-referred 1-dB compression point of -58 dBm, with an active die area of 2.4 mm2 for single channel.


We wanted to investigate whether asthmatic subjects change their ventilatory pattern consistently when forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) has declined by at least 20% during bronchial histamine challenge, in order to assess whether respiratory pattern analysis can be used to monitor bronchial obstruction continuously. Histamine challenge was performed twice within a four week period, in eight asthmatic teenagers. Respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) was used for respiratory pattern evaluation, whilst the patients breathed on a mouthpiece attached to a pneumo-tachometer (PTM) whilst wearing a noseclip (first histamine challenge), and during natural breathing (second HiCh). End-tidal carbon dioxide tension (PETCO2) was measured on both occasions. During the second histamine challenge, four of the eight patients responded with a 72% (mean) increase in minute ventilation (VE), an 80% increase in mean inspiratory flow (VI), and a 20% decrease in PETCO2. VE and VI were unchanged, or tended to decrease, among the other four patients (ventilatory nonresponders). Neither provocative dose producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PD20) to histamine nor the magnitude of the fall in FEV1 differed between ventilatory responders and nonresponders. The ventilatory response to inhaled histamine was abolished when breathing through a PTM. Histamine induced bronchospasm is not uniformly reflected in the breathing pattern. Hyperventilation during histamine challenge might be the consequence of vagal airway receptor activation. Respiratory pattern analysis is not a feasible way to monitor bronchial obstruction during histamine challenge.


The delta 13 C-delta 18 O- 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variations around carbonate-hosted deposits can in theory help characterize ore-stage gangue minerals and discriminate between single fluid or two-fluid mixing models during mineralization. This paper reports on the combined use of delta 13 C-delta 18 O- 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data in dolostone within the Gays River deposit and up to 30 km around it. The deposit, at the southern margin of the Maritimes basin, is hosted in carbonate banks of the Gays River Formation, a unit of the Visean Lower Windsor Group in Nova Scotia. A previous delta 13 C-delta 18 O study restricted to the Gays River deposit (and independant from an 87 Sr/ 86 Sr investigation) had previously led to the conclusion that a single brine was responsible for mineralization.The present isotopic investigation was governed by the paragenetic succession which includes presulfide dolomite, synsulfide calcites--both uniform and zoned under cathodoluminescence, and postsulfide calcite uniform under cathodoluminescence. Results for presulfide dolomite (avg delta 13 C = +3ppm, delta 18 O (sub V-PDB) = -6ppm, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.7080) plot near the normal marine isotopic ratios, whereas postsulfide calcite shows slightly more radiogenic 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (avg = 0.7090). At the deposit isotopic results for calcite associated with the high-grade sulfide zone cluster around a delta 18 O (sub V-PDB) of -- 17.0 per mil and an 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of 0.7120, and clearly characterize the mineralizing system. Regional C, O, and Sr isotope data are similar to those at the deposit and indicate therefore a regional flushing of the Gays River Formation by fluids of the mineralizing system.The overall isotopic variation through time from pre- to syn- then postsulfide conditions in the delta 18 O -- 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, delta 13 C-delta 18 O and delta 13 C- 87 Sr/ 86 Sr diagrams is interpreted to be similar for pre- and postsulfide conditions, marked by a warm, slightly radiogenic parent brine. This chemical system was disturbed by a much more radiogenic and high-temperature fluid during mineralization. Although most of the mineralizing trend can be explained either by a single-brine model or a mixing brine model, the mixing model allows for a much simpler evolution if the suite of conditions--on a regional basis--is considered through time."Show me your delta 18 O- 87 Sr/ 86 Sr profile, and I will tell you what you drink!" (adapted old spanish proverb).


Background Diabetes is a chronic disease commonly managed by family physicians, with the most prevalent complication being cardiovascular disease (CVD). Clinical practice guidelines have been developed to support clinicians in the care of diabetic patients. We conducted a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a printed educational toolkit aimed at improving CVD management in diabetes in primary care, and found no effect, and indeed, the possibility of some harm. We conducted a qualitative evaluation to study the strategy for guideline implementation employed in this trial, and to understand its effects. This paper focuses solely on the qualitative findings, as the RCT's quantitative results have already been reported elsewhere. Methods and Findings All family practices in the province of Ontario had been randomized to receive the educational toolkit by mail, in either the summer of 2009 (intervention arm) or the spring of 2010 (control arm).A subset of 80 family physicians (representing approximately 10% of the practices randomized and approached, with records on 1,592 randomly selected patients with diabetes at high risk for CVD) then took part in a chart audit and reflective feedback exercise related to their own practice in comparison to the guideline recommendations. They were asked to complete two forms (one pre- and one post-audit) in order to understand their awareness of the guidelines pre-trial, their expectations regarding their individual performance pre-audit, and their reflections on their audit results. In addition, individual interviews with thirteen other family physicians were conducted. Textual data from interview transcripts and written commentary from the pre- and post-audit forms underwent qualitative descriptive analysis to identify common themes and patterns. Analysis revealed four main themes: impressions of the toolkit, awareness was not the issue, 'it's not me it's my patients', and chart audit as a more effective intervention than the toolkit. Participants saw neither the toolkit content nor its dissemination strategy to be effective, indicating they perceived themselves to be aware of the guidelines pre-trial. However, their accounts also indicated that they may be struggling to prioritize CVD management in the midst of competing demands for their attention. Upon receiving their chart audit results, many participants expressed surprise that they had not performed better. They reported that the audit results would be an important motivator for behaviour change. Conclusions The qualitative findings outlined in this paper offer important insights into why the intervention was not effective. They also demonstrate that physicians have unperceived needs relative to CVD management and that the chart audit served to identify shortcomings in their practice of which they had been hitherto unaware. The findings also indicate that new methods of intervention development and implementation should be explored. This is important given the high prevalence of diabetes worldwide; appropriate CVD management is critical to addressing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.


The number of twin pregnancies is still increasing. This should not be assessed only as therapeutic success but also as complex obstetrical challenges. The main difficulties encountered are dystocic presentations, dystocic labours, and cord prolapses. Specific multiple pregnancy dystocias as chin-to-chin interlocking twins and conjoined twins are very rare. Twin delivery is substantially worse when compared with singleton delivery, with increased morbidity and mortality principally involving the second twin. Labour induction is possible, and should be indicated between the 38th and 39th weeks of gestation. Caesarean section should be done easily, especially in case of prematurity or in case of breech presentation for the first twin. Excepting these cases and the usual caesarean section indications, there is no demonstrated superiority of the caesarean section delivery compared to the vaginal delivery. When needed, internal version and/or breech extraction should be done with intact membranes. Active management of the third stage is necessary, due to uterine surdistension easily leading to uterine atonia.


Combinations of sodium bicarbonate, colloidal kaolin, magnesium trisilicate, and bismuth subcarbonate with penicillin produce a higher penicillin titer in the urine than the various antacids and buffers recommended for oral penicillin therapy.


We studied the self-diffusion of colloidal ellipsoids in a monolayer near a flat wall by video microscopy. The image processing algorithm can track the positions and orientations of ellipsoids with subpixel resolution. The translational and rotational diffusions were measured in both the laboratory frame and the body frame along the long and short axes. The long-time and short-time diffusion coefficients of translational and rotational motions were measured as functions of the particle concentration. We observed the nondiffusive crossover region in the intermediate time regime due to the caging of neighboring particles. Both the beginning and the ending times of the intermediate regime exhibit power-law dependence on concentration. The long-time and short-time diffusion anisotropies change nonmonotonically with concentration and reach minima in the semidilute regime because the motions along long axes are caged at lower concentrations than the motions along short axes. The time derivatives of mean-square displacements change linearly with the inverse of time in the intermediate time regimes at various particle densities. This indicates that their relaxation functions decay as 1/t which provides new challenges in theory. The effects of coupling between rotational and translational Brownian motions were demonstrated and the two time scales corresponding to anisotropic particle shape and anisotropic neighboring environment were measured.


Abstract Objectives: To assess long-term adherence and persistence to febuxostat (FBX) and factors that might contribute to non-adherence and non-persistence to FBX in male patients with gout during a 3-year period. Methods: Adherence to FBX was assessed by the clinic nurses through pill counts at the scheduled visits and non-adherence was defined as less than 80% of the prescribed dose taken. Non-persistence was defined as discontinuation of FBX longer than 60 days. Results: A total of 220 patients were recruited. The percentage of adherence and persistence was 71.8% and 80.9% at 1 year, 65.5% and 68.2% at 2 years and 58.2% and 56.4% at 3 years, respectively. The logistic regression analysis identified high income status, current smoking, absence of hypertension and previous history of non-persistence with urate-lowering therapy (ULT) as the independent factors associated with non-adherence, and the unmarried, absence of hypertension and previous history of non-persistence with ULT as the independent factors associated with non-persistence. Conclusion: Variable risk factors that are correlated with poor adherence or persistence and easily assessed can be used to identify patients at a particular risk of poor adherence or persistence.


OBJECTIVE
To longitudinally analyze the unit costs and technical efficiency of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) voluntary counseling and testing in China.

METHODS
Unit costs were calculated by the province and period using longitudinal data from 7 provinces covered by Global Fund China AIDS Program Round 3, and then technical efficiency and Malmquist indices were measured with an approach to data envelopment analysis.

RESULTS
The unit costs for HIV voluntary counseling and testing changed dramatically over a 3(+)-year period, decreasing from 165.97 Yuan (mean) to 53.41 Yuan, with an accumulative unit cost of 67.19 Yuan, and its technical efficiency was averaging between 0.44 and 0.63.

CONCLUSION
The time series of unit costs for HIV voluntary counseling and testing formed a U-shape curve with an inflection point before which unit costs dramatically dropped and another inflection point beyond which unit costs went up. These findings can inform program managers of the changing unit costs when extending or expanding HIV prevention efforts.


Oxaliplatinum is derivate of platinum, which has been used for colorectal cancer since 1997 in France for first-line therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer. Following the data from the MOSAIC trial (1), oxaliplatinum-based adjuvant therapy was established. Development of the oxaliplatinum-based protocols lead to the development of FOLFOX4 (2) and FOLFOX6 (3) and subsequent FOLFOX7 protocols (4).


Abstract This article presents the results of testing the sound pressure level and sound power level of the experimental 3PW-KPF1-24-40-2-776 high-pressure gear pump. Acoustic tests were conducted in an reverberation chamber. The results of the acoustic power tests indicate good acoustic parameters of the tested high-pressure unit.


Background: Imprint smear is simple and rapid technique for tissue diagnosis. Imprint is a touch preparation in which tissue is touched on the slide and it leaves behind its imprint in the form of cells on glass slide; studies are made after proper staining. Aims & Objective: (1) To evaluate utility of imprint smears as diagnostic modality; (2) To study the merits and pitfalls of imprint smears techniques in the diagnosis; (3) To correlate the findings of imprint smears with histopathological findings. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study of 100 surgical specimens submitted in Department of Pathology, MGM Medical College, Indore. Smears obtained were stained with Papanicolaou Stain & studied. Results: Out of total 35 benign lesions, 32(91.4%) were diagnosed correctly and 03(8.6) was false negative. Out of total 65 malignant lesions 58 (89.2%) were diagnosed correctly, 07 (10.8%) were false negative. Conclusion: Imprint smear is rapid technique for diagnosis & can be utilized for adjuvant to histological diagnosis.


Fewer people have rowed across the Atlantic than have climbed Everest. Adam Rackley is among them. For 70 days he and his rowing partner ate, slept and rowed in a boat seven metres long and two metres wide, in one of the world's most extreme environments. This is his story of adventure, endurance and self-discovery. They were following in the wake of pioneers. In 1896 a pair of Norwegian fisherman crossed the 2,500 miles in a wooden fishing dory - and their record stood for 114 years. John Fairfax, a smuggler, gambler and shark hunter, was the first to complete the feat single-handedly in 1969. Others have followed; some have not survived the attempt. This is their story, too.


The objective of this study was to determine total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), total phenolics, free sulfhydryl (SH) groups and lipid hydroperoxides (LH) contents of herbs Allium vineale L. (Liliaceae) and Chaerophyllum macropodum Boiss (Apiaceae) used for production of traditional Van herby cheese. Herbs of A. vineale and C. macropodum showed both oxidant and antioxidant properties in varying levels. TOS value of C. macropodum appears higher than that of A. vineale , while antioxidant capacities of both herbs were comparable. The lowest TAC value was found in brined C. macropodum (2.13 mmol Trolox equiv./g extract). TOS, OSI and LH contents of dried samples of C. macropodum were higher than the values of dried samples of A. vineale while these parameters were similar in brined samples of both herbs. The lowest SH value was determined in dried samples of C. macropodum (0.05 mmol/g extract) and, the highest was in brined samples of A. vineale (0.09 mmol/g extract). On the other hand, total phenolics values of dried samples were higher than those of brined samples. The TOS and OSI values of herbs determined in the present study can increase the TOS value during failure of antioxidant defense system in humans. Keywords: Oxidant, Antioxidant, Allium vineale, Chaerophyllum macropodum


Graphene is an ideal platform to study many-body effects due to its semimetallic character and the possibility to dope it over a wide range. Here we study the width of graphene's occupied $\ensuremath{\pi}$ band as a function of doping using angle-resolved photoemission. Upon increasing electron doping, we observe the expected shift of the band to higher binding energies. However, this shift is not rigid and the bottom of the band moves less than the Dirac point. We show that the observed shift cannot be accounted for by single-particle effects and local self-energies alone, but that nonlocal many-body effects, in particular exchange interactions, must be taken into account.


The work deals with fractal response study of root of mine supports profile from carbon steel micro-alloyed with vanadium (0.12 %), niobium (0.04%) and nitrogen (0.012 %) designated for mine supports. The profile was evaluated both after hot rolling and after subsequent straightening that showed different impact energy values, even when the feature of fracture surfaces did not differ significantly. It was reason for fractal response study which proofed important differences between both treated materials. For solution Mandelbrot-Richardson concept was used. Surface roughness parameters (Rs) and fractal dimensions (D) for root demonstrated higher values after hot rolling. In this case microstructure evaluation also showed lower acicular ferrite portion supporting balance between strengthening, toughness and elimination of harmful segregation banding.


The problems encountered in trying to quantize the various cosmological models, are brought forward by means of a concrete example. The Automorphism groups are revealed as the key element through which G.C.T.'s can be used for a general treatment of these problems. At the classical level, the time dependent automorphisms lead to significant simplifications of the line element for the generic spatially homogeneous geometry, without loss of generality. At the quantum level, the ''frozen'' automorphisms entail an important reduction of the configuration space --spanned by the 6 components of the scale factor matrix-- on which the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, is to be based. In this spirit the canonical quantization of the most general minisuperspace actions --i.e. with all six scale factor as well as the lapse function and the shift vector present-- describing the vacuum type II, I geometries, is considered. The reduction to the corresponding physical degrees of freedom is achieved through the usage of the linear constraints as well as the quantum version of the entire set of all classical integrals of motion.


The detailed study of officer experience has received relatively little attention within the policing literature despite it being integral to nearly every facet of their role. Drawing on survey data (N = 691 officers), the current study examines how the unique work experiences of officers (i.e., shifts, crime areas, duty assignments, in-service trainings) are related to their perceptions of confidence (i.e., self-efficacy) in the ability to perform different job-related tasks. Results revealed that more tenured officers, having worked a greater number of shifts, and those who completed increased in-service trainings had significantly higher confidence in performing both law enforcement and order-maintenance/service-oriented duties. Several other officer characteristics were also found to have varying levels of significance in relation to their confidence. Overall, the findings support the inclusion of more nuanced measures of officer experience, as well as the potential applicability of self-efficacy theory within policing research moving forward.


Investigations of open-framework zinc phosphates have demonstrated that the formation of the complex 3D architectures may involve a process wherein one-dimensional ladders or chains, and possibly zero-dimensional monomerscomprising four-membered rings transform to the higher dimensional structures. The one-dimensional ladder and the 4-membered rings appear to be important building units of these structures. At one stage of the building-up process, spontaneous self-assembly of a low-dimensional structure such as the ladder could occur, followed by the crystallization of a three-dimensional structure. Accordingly, many of the higher dimensional structures retain structural features of the OD or 1D structure. It is significant that a four-membered ring zinc phosphate has been found recently to spontaneously yield a linear chain phosphate at room temperature, on addition of piperazine, the chain transforming to a sodalite-type 3D structure under mild conditions. The occurrence of a hierarchy of structures from zero- to three-dimensions is found in open-framework metal oxalates as well. Interestingly, the three-dimensional sodalite structure is generated readily by the assembly of metal squarates, possessing the 4-membered ring motif. It is noteworthy that open-framework structures are also formed by oxyanions such as sulphate and selenite.


Weak gravitational lensing of distant galaxies by foreground structures has proven to be a powerful tool to study the mass distribution in the universe. The advent of panoramic cameras on 4m class telescope has led to a first generation of surveys that already compete with large redshift surveys in terms of the accuracy with which cosmological parameters can be determined. The next surveys, which already have started taking data, will provide another major step forward. At the current level, systematics appear under control, and it is expected that weak lensing will develop into a key tool in the era of precision cosmology, provided we improve our knowledge of the non-linear matter power spectrum and the source redshift distribution. In this review we will briefly describe the principles of weak lensing and discuss the results of recent cosmic shear surveys. We show how the combination of weak lensing and cosmic microwave background measurements can provide tight constraints on cosmological parameters. We also demonstrate the usefulness of weak lensing in studies of the relation between the galaxy distribution and the underlying dark matter distribution (``galaxy biasing''), which can provide important constraints on models of galaxy formation. Finally, we discuss new and upcoming large cosmic shear surveys.


The study examines the impact of censorship on Viennese operetta theatres and theatre plays. The Niederösterreichisches Landesarchiv in St Pölten preserves about 15.000 censorship files from the late 1850s until the 1920s, documenting the act of censorship for various theatrical genres. After presenting the institutions and practices of censorship in the Habsburg Empire, three case studies demonstrate how censorship decisions were made according to the expected audience in different theatres and the political climate. Majestät Mimi (Felix Dörmann, Roda-Roda / Bruno Granichstaedten, 1911), Der Vogelhändler (Moritz West, Ludwig Held / Carl Zeller, 1891) and Der Obersteiger (West, Held / Zeller, 1894) have been chosen for their topival relevance. Although music was never part of the actual censorship act, it probably still played a role in the decisions made about the operettas.


Revenue, expenses and liabilities are an important concept in current accounting practices. These concepts are applied in accounting standards where this standard serves as a guideline for a company or organization in preparing and presenting income, expenses, assets and liabilities in accordance with the standards set by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The accounting standards issued by this international body refer to conventional accounting standards. In Malaysia, the State Islamic Religious Council (MAIN) as the trustee for Zakat, Waqf and Baitulmal uses standards issued by the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board, Private Entity Reporting Standards (PERS) and best practice guidelines by the National Audit Department (Malaysia) (JANM). These two documents are used as references in the preparation of financial reporting for MAIN. However, there are problems in terms of implementing these concepts for Zakat, Waqf and Baitulmal with current accounting standards. This is because current accounting practices are different from the concepts of revenue, expenses and liabilities adopted by Zakat, Waqf and Baitulmal according to Islamic law. This study aims to analyze the concept of revenue, expenses and liabilities in Zakat, Waqf and Baitulmal accounting from Shariah perspective. The design of this study is qualitative. The method of content analysis was used to analyze data from sources such as classical Fiqh books. The findings show that there is a difference between the concept of revenue, expenses and liabilities in Zakat, Waqf and Baitulmal accounting in the Islamic context. The study is expected to help the parties involved to develop accounting standards for zakat, waqf and baitulmal which are compliant with Shariah.


We studied the species of amphibians from Serranía de Las Quinchas, in the mid Magdalena Valley region of Colombia, comparing the data from a recent fieldwork with museum records and literature. We present a list of 50 species of amphibians (Anura and Caudata). In our survey, we recorded 36 species, of which 6 represented new records. One of the most interesting record is that of the genus Oedipina, since this is the first time the genus is recorded for the Cordillera Oriental. The number of species is what would be expected in a humid tropical forest of the mid-Magdalena river valley, given the co-occurrence of amphibian faunas distributed in the sub-Andean, Caribbean, and Chocó biogeographic regions.


The Khwe San people of the West Caprivi are amongst the richest traditional ecological knowledge holders yet also amongst the most food insecure groups in Namibia. Once living as nomadic hunter-gatherers in vast areas in the landscape, today they had to adapt to sedentary lifestyles on only a small piece of land in the Bwabwata National Park. Although the Khwe are among the few tribes who were allowed to remain on National Park land in Namibia, they have to comply with imposed park regulations with limited access to natural resources or benefits gained from tourism sector. In addition, their practice of traditional knowledge is slowly vanishing. Today due to very few livelihood options, and difficulties to modern life-style adaptions most of the Khwe San people live in extreme poverty and a big portion of the population is seriously malnourished due to lack of access to healthy, nourishing or traditional food. A number of institutional development effort have been undertaken in the last decades by government (predominantly community garden projects) but most of them have died off due to lack of project management training, poor planning and also serious internal conflicts inside the community. This first phase of my PhD study aims to assess past and present programs and initiatives addressing food security from the Khwe perspectives. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions has been carried out in April 2015 to explore a) livelihood changes that have taken place, b) the current state-of-the art vis-à-vis food security, and c) future visions and opportunities. Complementary interviews were carried out with other stakeholders (e.g. park managers and NGO employees). The findings of this research will not only help give voice to the Khwe and their perspectives and visions but may foster different, holistic approaches for finding solutions for food-security crisis in Khwe San communities.


Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects of thymoquinone (TQ) have been shown. The effects of TQ on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced inflammation and pathological changes in rats' lung were investigated in this study. Four groups of rats included (1) control (saline treated); (2) LPS (treated with 1 mg/kg/day i.p. for two weeks); and (3 and 4) 5 or 10 mg/kg TQ i.p. 30 min prior to LPS administration. Total and differential WBC counts in the blood and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF), TGF-β1, INF-γ, PGE2, and IL-4 levels in the BALF and pathological changes of the lung were evaluated. Total WBC count and eosinophil, neutrophil, and monocyte percentage were increased, but the lymphocyte percentage was reduced in the blood and BALF. The BALF levels of PGE2, TGF-β1, and INF-γ were also increased, but IL-4 level was reduced due to LPS administration. LPS also induced pathological insults in the lung of rats (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001 for all changes in LPS-exposed animals). Treatment with TQ showed a significant improvement in all changes induced by LPS (P < 0.05 to P < 0.05). TQ showed a protective effect on LPS-induced lung inflammation and pathological changes in rats which suggested a therapeutic potential for TQ on lung injury.


'Responsibility' is a concept of central importance in ethics. In ethics, responsibility has traditionally been applied only to a human or a group of humans. However, the recent development of ICT has revealed a limitation of this old conception of responsibility. In this paper, we will see what conditions are traditionally required for responsibility attribution, and how these conditions are faced with difficulties by technological developments today, especially those that produce autonomous agents like AIs or robots. Then, we will consider how the concept of responsibility has to change in a society where autonomous machines and humans coexist.


Variations in intradialytic blood pressure (BP) are a common and predictable occurrence in ESRD patients. These are caused by a decrease in blood volume provoked by ultrafiltration, lack of normal compensatory responses to fluid removal, underlying cardiac disease, and electrolyte changes that may adversely affect cardiovascular function. Intradialytic hypotension is the most frequent complication of the hemodialysis (HD) procedure and is fundamentally a consequence of an ultrafiltration rate that surpasses mechanisms activated to avert a decline in BP. Intradialytic hypertension is a less well-understood problem that has been recently associated with increased mortality. Fundamental patient characteristics and components of the HD procedure are involved in the pathophysiology of intradialytic hypotension and intradialytic hypertension. Correction of patient factors, modulation of HD prescription, and management of pharmacologic agents are the strategies to deal with adverse intradialytic BP changes.


Young people often do not know about the many areas of horticulture as a profession. Generally, youngsters ages 5 to 18 often have difficulty raising an animal to show at agricultural fairs due to costs, space, and deed restrictions. Pasco County Extension has developed a program for young people allowing them to participate in the fair and obtain an opportunity to learn about raising plants, marketing, and other aspects of the horticultural industry. These students learn about different types of plants (including perennials, woody landscape material, foliage, etc.), growth characteristics, sales techniques, and showmanship. Through education, they learn how to keep track of their costs, identify plant problems, and hone pruning techniques. Students even learn marketing skills, culminating in sales at the end of the fair. Workshops, mandatory educational meetings, 4-H project books, and mentoring with professionals and Master Gardeners are used in the program. Each year between 40 and 50 4-H or FFA students select and raise plants, then show and sell them at the annual county fair.


YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films were deposited onto (100) SrTiO3 substrates using 1064, 532, 355, 248, and 193 nm laser ablation. Transport measurements show lower normal‐state resistivities and higher critical currents in films deposited by the shorter wavelength lasers. The surface morphology of the films was rough with large particulates when the 1064 nm laser was used whereas much smoother surfaces with fewer and smaller particulates were obtained with the UV lasers. It is suggested that the better film quality obtained when the UV lasers are used is due to a small absorption depth of the UV photons in the ceramic target and to higher absorption by the ablated fragments. This leads to smaller ablated species and further fragmentation in the hotter plume and, therefore, to smoother and denser films.


The formation of the arginine deiminase pathway enzymes in Streptococcus faecalis ATCC 11700 was investigated. The addition of arginine to growing cells resulted in the coinduction of arginine diminase (EC 188.8.131.52), ornithine carbamoyltransferase (EC 18.104.22.168), and carbamate kinase (EC 18.104.22.168). Growth on glucose-arginine or on glucose-fumarate-arginine produced a decrease in the specific activity of the arginine fermentation system. Aeration had a weak repressing effect on the arginine deiminase pathway enzymes in cells growing on arginine as the only added substrate. By contrast, depending on the growth phase, a marked repression of the pathway by oxygen was observed in cells growing on glucose-arginine. We hypothesize that, in S. faecalis, the ATP pool is an important signal in the regulation of the arginine deiminase pathway. Mutants unable to utilize arginine as an energy source, isolated from the wild type, exhibited four distinct phenotypes. In group I the three enzymes of the arginine deiminase pathway were present and probably affected in the arginine uptake system. Group II mutants had no detectable arginine deiminase, whereas group III mutants had low levels of ornithine carbamoyltransferase. Group IV mutants were defective for all three enzymes of the pathway.


Abstract. Over the last decade precomputed tsunami propagation model databases have been used extensively for both tsunami forecasting and hazard and risk assessment. However, the effect of uncertainty in the earthquake source parameters on the results of the simulated scenarios of tsunami propagation has not always been examined in great detail. Here we have undertaken a systematic study of the uncertainty in the maximum wave height of a tsunami (hmax) as a function of the uncertainty in the rupture parameters of the earthquake that generates it (specifically the strike, dip, rake, depth and magnitude). We have shown that even for the simple case of a tsunami propagating over flat bathymetry, the coefficient of variation (CoV) and skewness of the distribution of hmax was a complex function of the choice of rupture parameter, distance and azimuth. The relationships between these parameters and CoV became even more complex as the bathymetry used became more realistic. This has major potential implications for both how warning centres operate in the future and how the uncertainty in parameters describing the source should be incorporated into future probabilistic tsunami hazard assessments.


The effect of pH on polynuclear molybdenum species (isopolymolybdates) synthesis was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. As the pH decreased from 6.0 to 1.0, the main isopolymolybdates changed from MoO42− to Mo7O246− to Mo8O246− to Mo36O1168−. They began to aggregate and their solubility decreased with decreasing pH. The FeMo catalysts comprised particle- and plate-like structures, which were Fe2(MoO4)3 and MoO3, respectively. When a low pH value was used in the catalyst preparation, there was severe aggregation of the particles which have a high Mo/Fe mole ratio and Mo enrichment on the surface layer, which decreased the activity and selectivity of the FeMo catalyst.


This article builds on recent scholarship that explores the nature of secretariat influence in global governance. By combining data from interviews with WTO delegates and secretariat staff with document analysis, this study examines how the WTO secretariat is shaping trade-environment politics by using its bureaucratic authority to influence overlap management in the WTO. This study argues that secretariat influence is present, but varies in form across cases. It shows up in the forms noted by previous scholars in their examinations of UNEP secretariats (i.e. negotiation-facilitation, capacity building, and knowledge-brokering), but also in previously un-discussed forms of influence such as marketing convention norms, and litigation facilitation. It further argues that secretariat influence matters in that the WTO secretariat plays an important role in shaping the way trade-environment issues evolve within the WTO, shaping its own identity as a hybrid administrative-judicial organ, as well as in enhancing WTO legitimacy with the broader public.


Multi-kernel learning has become a popular method to allow classification models greater flexibility in representing the relationships between data points. This approach has evolved into localized multi-kernel learning, which creates classification models that have the ability to adapt to a multi-scale feature-space. The advantages of such an approach are often hampered by additional parameters and hyper-parameters involved in creating this model, not to mention the greater likelihood of over-training. Additionally, existing methods to create a localized multi-kernel classifier rely on partitioning the feature-space, followed by applying a multi-kernel to the partitioned data points. We introduce a Bayesian approach to the localized multi-kernel machine. The new model is shown to provide greater classification abilities by learning the local scales of the feature-space without the need to partition the data. Also, the Bayesian formulation helps the model to be resistant to over-training. We demonstrate the models effectiveness on two landmine detection datasets, each from a different sensor type.


Debates over what the proper role and place of religion within a pluralist and diverse society of free and equal citizens are on-going. While much of the literature grapples over the question of how liberal theories should deal with religion, there is relatively little debate about the prospects and limits of secular republicanism. The key exception to this rule is the work of Cécile Laborde, in which she advocates two strategies for dealing with religion: justificatory secularism and disaggregating the concept of religion. In this paper, I critically analyse both these strategies, flagging up potentially contentious issues and shedding light on the potential for a critical republican secularism.


This paper examines the ex-post performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that obtained small business credit scoring (SBCS) loans by using a unique Japanese firm-bank matched dataset. The ex-post probability of default after the SBCS loan was provided significantly increased for SMEs that obtained an SBCS loan from a transactional lender. Also, the lending attitude of relationship lenders during the recent global financial crisis was more severe if a transactional lender had extended an SBCS loan to a firm. These findings suggest that SBCS loans by a transactional lender are detrimental to a relationship lender's incentive to monitor SMEs and maintain relationships. JEL classifications: G21, G32