China's booming investment in and trade with many African countries since the early 2000s marks the beginning of a new wave of industrial escalation on a global scale and at the same time a revived campaign for a new world information and communication order. The launch of CCTV-Africa in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2012 was a significant milestone in the 'China media going global' project initiated by the Chinese government in 2009.

This research is aimed at conducting a reception analysis of the African audiences of CCTV-Africa from the perspective of critical political and economic media studies. The focus of this research is not limited to the audience reception of the media content produced by CCTV-Africa but also focuses on the wider context of China-Africa political and economic interactions within the global structure of capitalism. The thesis will explore how the Chinese media is paving its way in the African news market and the process of manufacturing ideological consent among its target audience of the elite classthrough the medium of CCTV-Africa news programmes by analyzing how African students in China perceive the ideology of Sinicism delivered by CCTV-Africa.

Therefore, this thesis has two main aims: first, to provide a definition of ideological Sinicization through a comprehensive illustration of China's political-economic reality as a semi-peripheral country and its political and economic interaction with the peripheral countries in Africa, deploying the revised theoretical frame of structural imperialism developed by Johan Galtung. The second goal is to look into the mechanism of the process by which CCTV-Africa news programmes represent ideological Sinicization. The
term Sinicization is deployed in this research to summarize the ideological homogenization of the China-African elite class through the establishment of 'harmony of interests'.

One the one hand, as a semi-peripheral country conditioned by the contemporary global system of economy, China attempts to boost its economic interaction with peripheral countries from Africa in order to complete its domestic economic transition from semiperiphery to core. On the other hand, countries from Africa see the economic cooperation with China as an alternative opportunity to transfer their peripheral statues
to semi-periphery by developing their labour-intensive industries. Therefore, there exists a consensus amongst transnational elite class underpinned by the "harmony of interest" to pursue economic growth.

Such consensus is reinforced by the news of CCTV in Africa which is the state-controlled international media of Chinese government. Target audiences of CCTV in Africa, as the
opinion leaders of their local societies, are more or less influenced by either the reality of China-Africa cooperation or the ideological agenda of CCTV in Africa to support such
consensus. And the findings of this research achieved through content analysis and individual interviews show that the majority of the African audiences of CCTV-Africa do agree with the ideological agenda of the news channel to promote the economic development in local societies.

The audience reception research of the thesis is situated within an analysis of the political and economic context, which conditions the agenda and production of the media. The extensive review of the literature of international communication studies, imperialism studies and ideology studies, contributes to establishing a theoretical framework for the empirical research. Together with the data collected from field research, it is intended that this analysis should contribute to the understanding of the development of China-Africa communication and media studies and also to the enrichment of the research topics in this field.


One-shot imitation is to learn a new task from a single demonstration, yet it is a challenging problem to adopt it for complex tasks with the high domain diversity inherent in a non-stationary environment. To tackle the problem, we explore the compositionality of complex tasks, and present a novel skill-based imitation learning framework enabling one-shot imitation and zero-shot adaptation; from a single demonstration for a complex unseen task, a semantic skill sequence is inferred and then each skill in the sequence is converted into an action sequence optimized for environmental hidden dynamics that can vary over time. Specifically, we leverage a vision-language model to learn a semantic skill set from offline video datasets, where each skill is represented on the vision-language embedding space, and adapt meta-learning with dynamics inference to enable zero-shot skill adaptation. We evaluate our framework with various one-shot imitation scenarios for extended multi-stage Meta-world tasks, showing its superiority in learning complex tasks, generalizing to dynamics changes, and extending to different demonstration conditions and modalities, compared to other baselines.


A fundamental problem for waveform-agile radar systems is that the true environment is unknown, and trans-mission policies which perform well for a particular tracking instance may be sub-optimal for another. Additionally, there is a limited time window for each target track, and the radar must learn an effective strategy from a sequence of measurements in a timely manner. This paper studies a Bayesian meta-learning model for radar waveform selection which seeks to learn an inductive bias to quickly optimize tracking performance across a class of radar scenes. We cast the waveform selection problem in the framework of sequential Bayesian inference, and introduce a contextual bandit variant of the recently proposed meta-Thompson Sampling algorithm, which learns an inductive bias in the form of a prior distribution. Each track is treated as an instance of a contextual bandit learning problem, coming from a task distribution. We show that the meta-learning process results in an appreciably faster learning, resulting in significantly fewer lost tracks than a conventional learning approach equipped with an uninformative prior.


Supplier sourcing strategies are a crucial factor driving supply chain success. In this paper, we investigate the implications of uncertain supplier reliability on a firm's sourcing decisions in an environment with stochastic demand. In particular, we characterize specific conditions under which a firm should choose a single versus multiple supplier sourcing strategy. In an environment with both uncertain demand and supply, we characterize the total order quantity, the number of suppliers selected for order placement, and the allocation of the total order quantity among these selected suppliers. For deeper managerial insight, we also examine the sensitivity of the optimal sourcing decisions to interactions between uncertainties in product demand and supply reliability. We show that sourcing from a single supplier is an optimal strategy for environments characterized by high levels of demand uncertainty or high salvage values. A numerical analysis based on data obtained from an office products retailer further reinforces our analytical results. In addition, we also find that when minimal order quantities are imposed, there are situations where it is not optimal to place an order with the lowest cost supplier.


Conservation status assessment of bird species is essential to prioritize conservation and monitoring efforts; however, this is not always possible to achieve due to lack of field data or scientific knowledge. In this context citizen science platforms can act as a data source to prioritize the conservation and research resources within a region or a given taxonomic group. Merging the available information on bird distribution areas from BirdLife International and field observations from eBird, the main citizen science birding app, we create a concern index, using the poorly known buttonquails (Turnicidae) as a case study. This concern index is based on two parameters: scarcity and uncertainty, which ultimately are based on two components, respectively. For every species, we defined scarcity as a combination of its frequency of occurrence (proportion of positive eBird checklists) and its relative range size, while uncertainty is a combination of the eBird effort (density of eBird checklists) and the range accuracy (proportion of positive eBird checklists within the BirdLife distribution area). We found a high correlation (Spearman r = 0.74) between our concern index and the IUCN threat categories for all buttonquail species. Then we apply this concern index to all buttonquail subspecies obtaining a ranked list for these non-assessed taxa, with some island endemic subspecies ranking very high together with the most endangered buttonquail species. Our approach is a very simple method to rank species within a given bird group and prioritize monitoring and conservation efforts. Moreover, it is also suitable for other taxonomic levels as subspecies or even for ecological units as populations, which normally lack a formal conservation status assessment.


The time-dependent transmitted and reflected waveforms for an impulsive plane wave incident normally on an anisotropic lossy plasma half-space are computed by the use of an inverse Fourier transform. The amplitudes of the parallel and crosspolarized components of electric field are noticeably damped, while the period of oscillatory response is practically independent of collision frequency.


A patient with familial Mediterranean fever and amyloidosis who received a cadaver renal transplant 6 1/2 years ago was studied to determine the relation of the serum precursor of secondary amyloid (SAA) to the clinical course and to the deposition of amyloid in the transplant. Amyloid fibrils extracted from the patient's kidneys contained protein AA as a major constituent, which identified the amyloid as secondary. Protein AA antiserum was used in an indirect immunofluorescent technique to stain amyloid deposits in sections of the original kidney. A renal biopsy at 2 years showed no amyloid, but a renal biopsy at 4 years showed amyloid. Serum levels of SAA from 3 years before transplant to 6 years after transplant were elevated throughout most of the course.


Speeding is a serious threat to traffic safety. Similar to other nations, speeding is the leading causes for road traffic crashes and fatalities in Malaysia. The present study was designed to explore the factors associated with speeding among road users to ensure better strategies can be formulated in encouraging drivers to comply with the speed limit. A cross-sectional survey using questionnaire was conducted among 1194 road users. Logistic regression was performed to analyse the association of speeding behaviour with ten independent variables. Seven factors were significantly associated with speeding behaviour. Belief yielded the highest odds ratio (OR) 3.6 and followed by the experience of being summoned by an enforcement officer for speeding (OR: 2.3). In contrast, perception of being caught for speeding was negatively associated with speeding (OR: 0.94) followed by gender (OR: 0.60) and race (OR: 0.52). Type of vehicle and attitude were also significantly associated with speeding, OR were 0.28 and 0.14 respectively. The study revealed that enforcement activities and belief on speeding play a very important role in reducing speeding behaviour. This study highlights the need to identify the main factors at the community level for instance enforcement activities in order to design effective intervention programme.


Abstract The wide spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB), constitutes a major public health threat worldwide, owing to the limited therapeutic options. This review will describe and uncover the Tunisian experience in the challenge against carbapenem resistance. Indeed, we illuminate on the dissemination of CR-GNB in different hospitals, animals, and other natural environments in this country. We resumed the different carbapenemase variants detected from various bacterial species and mapped their regional distribution, basing on Tunisian published data during a period extended from 2006, the date of its first description in Tunisia, to February 2019. We also resumed the different mobile genetic elements implicated in their dissemination. This review shows that the majority of the research reports focused in the north and the coastal cities in spite of the fact that KPC and IMP carbapenemases were uncommonly detected in our country. However, VIM, NDM-1, and OXA-48 enzymes were usually reported with the predominance of OXA-48 among Enterobacteriaceae. Furthermore, OXA-23, OXA-51, and OXA-58 carbapenemases constituted the main mechanism conferring carbapenem resistance among Acinetobacter baumannii in Tunisia. Collaborative efforts and raising awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance are required in order to minimize the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria.


This research paper addresses the issues of integration of technology enhanced learning (TEL) into an educational organization. Good practice experience cannot be directly transferred to new organisations due to different contextual conditions. The TEL integration depends significantly upon a very rapid development of services and information communication technologies (ICT). Some organizations have managed to go step by step with the developments and have become leaders in TEL provision, however others, though having successful examples, have not succeeded in reaching the service level they want. While many positive examples exist in research literature, it is rare that institutions have complete strategies or solutions for integrating TEL that meet their specific pre-conditions and satisfy quality assurance parameters at the same time. The research reported here aims at the development of a theoretical framework for quality assurance of TEL integration into educational organizations. During the research, the development of the TEL concept has been discussed, success indicators for TEL integration in an educational organization have been described, the quality parameters of TEL integration into an educational organization have been identified and the model for TEL integration into an organization has been developed.


This study examined the Cointegrated Analysis of spatial price formation of cowpea markets in Southwestern Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the statistical properties of the price series and determined the direction of causality rural and urban markets prices and examined the degree and speed of price transmission between rural and urban cowpea markets. Time series data of retail rural and urban market price of cowpea from 2004 to 2013 were obtained from Agricultural Development Programmes of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States of Nigeria. The degree of price transmission was analyzed within the framework of Vector Error Correction Model. Stationarity of the series were tested by Augmented Dickey Fuller unit root test method while co-integration among the price series were tested by Johansen test method. In addition, Granger causality test was employed to establish the direction of causality among the price series. The ADF tests revealed that the price series were stationary at first difference. Johansen co-integration results showed that even though one co-integrating equation exists between linear combinations of cowpea price series, some stable long run equilibrium relationships exist among the price series which could be given some error correction representations. Results based on pairwise granger causality revealed that Rural Price of Maize in Oyo State have strong exogeneity over other rural and urban markets. The speed of adjustment of 51%, 87% and 60% from the short run to the long run equilibrium is relatively high as compared to a perfect adjustment of 100% threshold. This showed that there is a strong integration among the cowpea markets in Southwest Nigeria.


This book chapter draws on archival work, and posits a morphological link between 19th-century debates on photography and colour and some issues in post-conceptual art. I suggest that in the nineteenth century A.H. Wall and others developed an account of colouring on photographs that confirmed the photograph as a work of art on the condition that it became invisible. The essay traces the residues of this conception in the accounts of Gerhard Richter, John Baldassari and others.
A Spanish edition appeared in 2007


Lean premixed combustion is at present one of the most promising methods to reduce emissions and to maintain high efficiency in combustion systems. As the emission legislation becomes more stringent, modelling of turbulent premixed combustion has become an important tool for designing efficient and environmentally friendlier combustion systems. However, in order to predict these emissions reliable predictive models are required. One of the methods used for predicting pollutants is the conditional moment closure (CMC), which is suitable to predict pollutants with slow time scales. Despite the fact that CMC has been successfully applied to various non-premixed combustion systems, its application to premixed flames is not fully tested and validated. The main difficulty is associated with the modelling of the conditional scalar dissipation rate (CSDR) of the conditioning scalar, the progress variable. In premixed CMC, this term is an important quantity and represents the rate of mixing at small scales of relevance for combustion. The numerical accuracy of the CMC method depends on the accuracy of the CSDR model. In this study, two different models for CSDR, an algebraic model and an inverse problem model, are validated using two different DNS data sets. The algebraic model along with standard k-e turbulence modelling is used in the computations of stoichiometric and very lean pilot stabilized Bunsen flames using the RANS-CMC method. A first order closure is used for the conditional mean reaction rate. The computed nonreacting and reacting scalars are in reasonable agreement with the experiments and are consistent with earlier computations using flamlets and transported PDF methods for the stoichiometric flames, and transported PDF methods for the very lean flames. Sensitivity to chemical kinetics mechanism is also assessed.


Research has been conducted about change power and efficiency on turbine. Manufacture of turbine singer aims to determine the magnitude of the reviews on power output and efficiency due to the rotation of the turbine runner. Turbine runner done with variation 90 rpm, 70 rpm, 50 rpm, 30 rpm and 10 rpm. Of the various rounds of runner that shows the maximum power change occurred on lap 50 rpm, 70 rpm and 90 rpm. Maximum power lead to speed with discharge runners 70 rpm flow 0.0078 m3 / s at 4,572 watts. Power generated minumum on debit 0.0078 m3 / s occurred on speed runner 90 rpm of 3,674 watts. Maximum turbine efficiency occurs debit on flow 0.0078 m3/s and 70 rpm with a value of 28.342%, and then declined in round 50 rpm amounted to 24.477% and the lowest in round 90 rpm amounted to 23.189%. From the calculation of the efficiency obtained maximum value is obtained at a speed of 70 rpm with a flow runner debit 0.0078 m3 / s.


Aqueous rechargeable batteries are attractive owing to their higher operational safety, high ionic conductivity, scalable and easy manufacturing. These aqueous batteries form an economic option for large-scale (grid) power storage. In the aqueous battery sector, Mn-based compounds are highly attractive with their non-toxic nature, low-cost, rich mineral chemistry and robust operational safety. Several Mn-based systems like LiMn_2O_4 spinel and LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O_2 have seen successful commercialization. Pursuing Mn-based materials, we have shown layer structured Na_2Mn_3O_7 as a versatile cathode material for non-aqueous systems like Li-, Na- and K-ion batteries. In the current work, we have exploited Na_2Mn_3O_7 as a cathode material for aqueous Zn-ion battery for the first time. This Na-Mn-O ternary system was prepared using two-step emulsion-based synthesis. The phase-pure Na_2Mn_3O_7 was formed in a triclinic structure with a space group of P-1. It exhibited versatile electrochemical insertion of different ions like Li-, Na- and K-ions involving phase transition. Na_2Mn_3O_7 exhibited reversible Zn-ion intercalation delivering capacity of 245 mA h g^−1 with a nominal voltage of 1.5 V. Upon discharge, it triggered phase transformation to an unknown phase. Layered Na_2Mn_3O_7 oxide was found to act as an efficient cathode for Zn-ion batteries with good cycling stability.


Post-seismic vegetation recovery is critical to local ecosystem recovery and slope stability, especially in the Wenchuan earthquake area where tens of thousands of landslides were triggered. This study executed a decadal monitoring of post-seismic landslide activities all over the region by investigating landslide vegetation recovery rate (VRR) with Landsat images and a (nearly) complete landslide inventory. Thirty thousand landslides that were larger than nine pixels were chosen for VRR analysis, to reduce the influence of mixed pixels and support detailed investigation within landslides. The study indicates that about 60% of landslide vegetation gets close to the pre-earthquake level in ten years and is expected to recover to the pre-earthquake level within 20 years. The vegetation recovery is significantly influenced by topographic factors, especially elevation and slope, while it is barely related to the distance to epicenter, fault ruptures, and rivers. This study checked and improved the knowledge of vegetation recovery and landslide stability in the area, based on a detailed investigation.


Producing good quality products is the common objective in industries. However, Achieving this objective can be very difficult in batch process, especially when quality measurements are not available on-line or they have long time delays. This paper proposes a simple and straight nonlinear dynamic modeling with multi-model structure for batch process online monitoring using minimum window principal component analysis (MWPCA). MWPCA replaces single linear MPCA with multiple local linear sub-models for batch process modeling. It does not estimate any deviations of the ongoing batch from the average trajectories. Since the proposed method eliminates prediction error, the accuracy of process performance monitoring increases. MWPCA modeling procedures, principle and its application are discussed in detail. The presented methodology is successfully applied to PVC batch process.


"I've often read books about people who grew up in the country, and have been amazed to find that they all seemed to have been great philosophers. They saw, and felt, a great deal more than I had time to see or think or feel. They seem to have responded poetically to clouds floating in a blue sky, and rhapsodized on the music of summer rain. I often wonder if they had to go two miles in musical summer rain to milk, and to carry the full pail carefully home without getting rain mixed with it, and then walk three miles through stiff clinging mud, to school. I know that often in the heat of noonday, leaning on a hoe, looking across valleys at the mountains, so blue, so close, my only conscious thought was, 'How can I ever get away from here?'" Thus begins Belinda Jelliffe's semi-autobiographical novel For Dear Life, first published in 1936. The republication of this novel reintroduces readers to a strong southern writer, an interesting female voice, and a compelling story. This realistic portrayal of life among the rural poor of the early twentieth century shows the struggle of a tough-minded woman who fought her entire life to overcome the obstacles that confronted women and the working poor. Presented here with two previously unpublished short stories, For Dear Life, edited by Virginia Pruitt and Howard Faulkner, will appeal to those interested in women's studies, social history, and American studies, as well as to anyone who enjoys quality fiction.


The Social Market Economy has been seen as a third path between capitalism and socialism shaped by the principle of solidarity. The rhetoric of the third way can be mere mediation as indecisiveness or the consequence of a third conception of the economic order. Solidarism and personalism as the base of the economic system are opposed to individualism and collectivism. Different conceptions of the human person form the basis of different economic systems. Personalism is also a critique of the belief in systems. It claims that the economic order must be based on (multiple) principles, not on the idea of a closed system. A weakness of the Social Market Economy is its belief in personal and corporatist decision-making aiming at consensus between central interest groups. It does not give sufficient consideration to the role of the capital market as the market for corporate control. Paternalism and corporatism of the dominant interest groups are failed developments originating from underrating the control by impersonal competition.


This study examined the effects of age on the use of featural and geometric cues for reorientation – the first step of navigation. This study used a three-dimensional Virtual Reality (VR) spatial reorientation task as well as traditional assessment tests to examine cognitive skills and computer usage. Participants received training to find a target location in a rectangular room (geometry) with distinctive objects situated at each corner (features) and were subsequently presented with tests selectively manipulating these cues. Results suggest age may affect adults' ability to incidentally encode geometry, as well as their ability to use distal featural information. Performance on the assessment tests was not related to the use of geometric or featural cues in the VR task, although familiarity with computers may facilitate cue use. These results are important as they suggest geometry, the foundation of our spatial representation, may be selectively affected by age.


In this study, a ceramic-coated nanofibrous scaffold has been fabricated to biomimic the microstructure of natural extracellular matrix and the stiffening inorganic compartment of bone. Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) nanofibers were electrospun and exposed to oxygen plasma to induce hydrophilicity and promote ceramic adsorption. Hardystonite (HS), which possesses superior osteoinduction potential over hydroxyapatite, was coated on plasma-treated PLLA nanofibers by drenching the nanofibers in HS suspension. Pure and composite PLLA-based scaffolds were characterized in terms of physical and biological properties. In vitro cultivation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) on the scaffolds displayed that the composite scaffold is able to further support cell attachment and proliferation. In case of osteogenic differentiation of AMSCs, HS coating significantly increased the synthesis and activity of alkaline phosphate over 21 days period. In addition, the composite scaffold showed improved mineralization. The expression level of osteonectin and osteocalcin genes was significantly enhanced by HS coating of nanofibers. The biological improvement of PLLA nanofibrous matrix in the presence of HS nanoparticles could either be attributed to the release and stimulatory effect of constituent ions of HS or to the modification of chemico-physical properties of the resultant ceramic by silicon and zinc present in HS.


This study aims to describe and compare the distribution of bioactive compounds, the fatty acids profiles, and the TEAC hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activities in different fruit fractions (pulp, peel, and kernel) of two mango cultivars (Tommy Atkins and Keitt). All fractions are sources of health-promoting bioactive compounds. Regardless of cultivars, pulp had the highest content of phytosterols (~150 mg/100 g dw), peels ranked first for pentaciclic triterpenes (from 14.2 to 17.7 mg/100 g dw), tocopherols, carotenoids, and chlorophylls, and kernels for phenolic compounds (from 421.6 to 1464.8 mg/100 g dw), flavonoids, condensed tannins, as well as hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activities. Differences between the two cultivars were evidenced for ascorbic acid, which showed the highest levels in the peels and kernels of Keitt and Tommy Atkins fruits, respectively. Similarly, the concentration of dehydroascorbic acid was higher in the pulp of Tommy Atkins than Keitt. The highest percentage of saturated fatty acids was observed in pulp (~42%) and kernels (~50%), monounsaturated fatty acids in kernels (up to 41%), and polyunsaturated fatty acids in peels (up to 52%). Our results add information to the current knowledge on nutraceuticals' distribution in different fractions of mango fruit, supporting its consumption as a healthy fruit and suggesting the great potential value of peels and kernels as sources of novel ingredients. Indeed, mango by-products generated during agronomic-to-industrial processing not only causes a significant environmental impact, but economic losses too. In this scenario, boosting research on conventional recovery methods offers eco-friendly solutions. However, green, novel biorefinery technologies may offer eco-friendly and profitable solutions, allowing the recovery of several more profitable by-products, sustaining their continuous growth since many bioactive compounds can be recovered from mango by-products that are potentially useful in the design of innovative nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical formulations.


Abstract Background Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the important parasitic diarrheal agent Cryptosporidium spp. Cryptosporidiosis occurs in all classes of animals and man with a rapidly expanding host range and increased importance since the occurrence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in man. Objectives To review the global picture of cryptosporidiosis in man and animals with emphasis on prevalence and risk factors. Methods Current relevant literature on cryptosporidiosis was reviewed. Results Cryptosporidiosis is widely distributed and the risk factors vary from one region to another with hygiene and immune status as important risk factors. Conclusions Cryptosporidium spp. associated mortality has not only been reported in immune-compromised patients, but also in immune-competent patients. Yet in many countries not much attention is paid to the control and prevention of this infection in animals and man. The neglect of this disease despite the serious threat it poses to animals, their husbandry, and humans, has led the World Health Organization to list it among globally neglected diseases. To control and prevent this infection more effort needs to be directed at controlling the risk factors of the infection in man and animals.


Background The effect of glucose interference on creatinine measurement by Jaffe kinetic method differs between serum and urine specimens. We investigated the effects of creatinine concentration and specimen dilution on glucose interference with urine creatinine measurement. Methods Leftover serum and urine specimens were collected and stored at -20°C until study. Serum specimens were mixed to make 5 glucose concentrations ranging from <5.6 to 27.8 mmol/L, each group consisting of 5 levels of creatinine concentration ranging from <45 to 354 μmol/L. Urine specimens were divided into 5 groups of creatinine concentration ranging from <1,769 to >7956 μmol/L, each sample was spiked with glucose powder to produce 5 aliquots with glucose concentrations ranging from 0 to 666 mmol/L. Urine samples were automatically diluted 1:20 before analysis. Percent interference of creatinine measurement by Jaffe kinetic method was calculated using enzymatic method as the reference. Results A total of 148 serum samples and 335 urine samples were analyzed. In serum, glucose interference with Jaffe creatinine measurement was found if creatinine concentrations were 177 μmol/L or less, corresponding to 3,540 μmol/L or less in urine specimens prior to 1:20 dilution. The degree of interference was greater when glucose concentration was higher or creatinine concentration was lower. Conclusions When creatinine concentration and specimen dilution were considered, the effects of glucose interference on Jaffe creatinine measurement were similar in serum and urine specimens, and was found when creatinine concentrations in serum or diluted urine were 177 μmol/L or less.


In this study we introduce a new method to solve the Dynamics Facility Layout Problems (DFLPs). To represent each layout, we use the slicing tree method integrated with our proposed heuristic to obtain promising initial solutions. Then, we consider the case of adding new departments into the current layout with stochastic flows. We use simulation to model the complexity of stochastic nature of the problem. To improve the quality of the initial solution a genetic algorithm is joined with the simulation module. Finally, to demonstrate the performance of our method, we solve several cases existing in the literature to show the efficiency of our algorithm.


Summary form only given. The Interreg IV project "Smart Resource-Aware Multi-Sensor Network (SRSnet)"1 is coordinated, managed and disseminated by Lakeside Labs GmbH. The project is planned for three years and focuses on the design of a smart resource-aware multi-sensor network capable of autonomously detecting and localizing various events such as screams animal noise, tracks of persons and more complex human behaviours. The project's research areas include (i) collaborative audio and video analysis, (ii) complex event detection and (iii) network reconfiguration. The SRSnet will be demonstrated in a biologically sensitive environmental, namely in the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern.


Abstract Two methods were used to convey the spatial association between a classified forested landscape, the distribution of a hurricane impact, and the subsequent recovery of the habitat from the storm. The first method used a constant hue matrix with varying intensity to visually represent combinations of impact and recovery magnitudes. The second combined two colors of constant hue to represent the impact and recovery succession. Maps produced using either method generally simulated known impact and recovery spatial distributions. In the constant hue representation with varying intensity, the combination of impact and recovery could not be uniquely represented in all cases and the relationship was confused between the map and legend color. In the two color representation, however, a definite link existed between the map and legend color and the impact and recovery magnitudes. A drawback to this approach over the constant hue approach was that a separate map had to be used to represent each forest type and its associated impact and recovery covariation. The two color combination, however, provided improved contrast and uniquely defined the link between map and legend colors, and ultimately, a unique impact and recovery combination. In addition, the two color combination produced the highest conveyance of spatial information related to the covariation of forest type, impact, and recovery.


Evaluation of competency is a lot like competency itself: easy to talk about and difficult to pin down. There are no hard and fast guidelines, but evaluation will be an easier, if not easy, task if attention is given to (1) ensuring alignment with goals of the institution and patient care situation; (2) developing properly a valid and reliable form; (3) training of evaluators; and (4) choosing a reasonable timetable for re-evaluation.


OBJECTIVE
This research tested the hypothesis that social drinkers challenged to expect intense impairment from alcohol will display reduced behavioral impairment under the drug and that the influence of this expectancy challenge diminishes as a function of prior drinking experience.

METHOD
Male social drinkers (N = 66) were assigned to one of three equal-sized groups (A, AC, and NT). All subjects were trained on a psychomotor task. They then completed a rating scale which showed that they expected alcohol to mildly impair their task performance. After training, Group A received a moderate dose of alcohol (0.56 g/kg) and performed the task. Group AC received the same dose and, prior to performing the task, their expectancies were challenged by new contradictory information indicating that alcohol would cause intense impairment. Group NT served as a no-treatment control and received no alcohol and no information to challenge their expectancies prior to performing the task.

RESULTS
Alcohol impaired performance and, consistent with the hypothesis, Group AC displayed less impairment compared to Group A. In addition, the influence of challenging expectancies diminished in the AC group as a function of the duration of drinking experience, with the more experienced drinkers being less affected by the expectancy challenge and displaying more impairment.

CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrates that alcohol-related expectancies concerning impairment may mediate the behavioral effect of alcohol and indicates that individual differences in the duration of drinking experience may influence the case of challenging or manipulating these expectancies.


The technology for pumping out and partial utilization of associated gas in oil fields by the vacuum method, using a unit for pumping gas from the annulus of the well and pumping it into the product collection system (KOGS), have been implemented at wells at the Zarechnoye field of Geotech JSC in the Republic of Tatarstan. These wells are operated by sucker rod units. The use of the KOGS unit allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of the production system under consideration Experimental studies have shown that a decrease in annular pressure causes a significant increase in the dynamic level and an improvement in the conditions of oil inflow to the well. The operation of sucker rod units in such conditions provides an increase in the delivery and filling coefficients of the pump and, accordingly, an increase in oil production.


Whiskers have recently received an increasing interest as touch sensors capable of providing rich information about the close environment of an agent. Many different animal species – especially rodents – heavily rely on them for tasks as varied as short-range navigation and object exploration. For roboticists, whiskers are not only interesting because of the unique physical process on which they are based (which is e.g. independent of illumination – a non trivial problem that vision-based modalities have to deal with), but also because of the potential overlap with other sensory modalities. Although there is a considerable body of literature about whiskers, some questions remain unanswered. For example: is there any appropriate morphological arrangement of the whiskers for a given task, since this arrangement is highly preserved within many animal species? What are the advantages of using flexible touch sensors rather than rigid ones? In this paper, we present a software that we have developed for the simulation and investigation of agents using whisker sensors. As an illustration of possible applications with this tool, we then present some results about the implications of the material properties of the whiskers on morphology, behavior and evolution.


The graphic narrative 99 Days couples the American detective noir genre with a backstory that deals with the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This article explores two strategies of representation used in this comic: the blurring of genres and the use of an animal metaphor. The comic uses visual and verbal transition points, a fusion of iconographies, and thematic links between the genocide in Rwanda and the violent conflicts in Los Angeles to connect these two disparate geographical locations and genres. In doing so, there is a constant appropriation of the Rwandan genocide into an American context. Furthermore, the comic uses the animal metaphor of the hyena to deal with moral questions around genocide survival. These strategies might seem to distance the Rwandan genocide, but this article argues that it is exactly through the inclusion of the detective format and the animal figure that the audience can productively engage with the genocide narrative.


Part I Happiness and the Meaningful Life 1 Happiness and Meaningfulness: Some Key Differences 3 Thaddeus Metz 2 Happiness, Temporality, Meaning 21 John Cottingham 3 Tragic Joyfulness 37 Pedro Alexis Tabensky 4 Shape and the Meaningfulness of Life 54 Laurence James 5 Immortal Happiness 68 Muireann Quigley and John Harris 6 'I am well, apart from the fact that I have cancer': Explaining Well-being within Illness 82 Havi Carel 7 Suffering in Happy Lives 100 Mike W. Martin


Aquaporins are water facilitating proteins embedded in the cellular membranes. Such channels have been identified in almost every living organism – including humans. They are vital molecules and their malfunction can lead to several severe disorders. An increased understanding of their structure, function and regulation is of utmost importance for developing current and future drugs. The first problem to overcome is to acquire the proteins in sufficient amounts to enable characterization. To achieve this, proteins are often produced in a host organism. One of the most successful hosts for recombinant overproduction is the yeast Pichia pastoris. Using this yeast we could obtain exceptional yield of aquaporin 1, whereas some others were below the threshold needed for successful subsequent characterization. In this process, we have established methods allowing fast and accurate determination of the initial production yield. Furthermore, we optimized the yield for low producing targets, enabling studies of proteins previously out of reach, exemplified with human aquaporin 4. Characterization has been performed on aquaporins obtained in sufficient quantities, and the functionality of aquaporin 1, 5 and 10 has been assessed. Furthermore, a glycosylation was found to stabilize the aquaporin 10 tetramer although only a minority of the monomers where modified. Moreover, we used protein crystallography to determine the three dimensional structure of a hAQP5 mutant, providing insight into regulation of the protein by trafficking. Taken together, these results provide insight into factors directing high production of eukaryotic membrane proteins. The subsequent characterization, including functional and structural determination, reveals new knowledge about aquaporin activity and regulation. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS This thesis is based on the following papers listed in reverse chronological order. They are appended at the end of the thesis and will be referred to in the text by their roman numerals. Paper I. Nyblom, M., Öberg, F., Lindkvist-Petersson, K., Hallgren, K., Findlay, H., Wikström, J., Karlsson, A., Hansson, Ö., Booth, P. J., Bill, R. M., Neutze, R. and Hedfalk, K. (2007) Exceptional overproduction of a functional human membrane protein. Protein Expr Purif, 56, 110-20. Paper II. Hedfalk, K., Pettersson, N., Öberg, F., Hohmann, S. and Gordon, E. (2008) Production, characterization and crystallization of the Plasmodium falciparum aquaporin. Protein Expr Purif, 59, 69-78. Paper III. Öberg, F., Ekvall, M., Nyblom, M., Backmark, A., Neutze, R. and Hedfalk, K. (2009) Insight into factors directing high production of eukaryotic membrane proteins; production of 13 human AQPs in Pichia pastoris. Mol Membr Biol, 1-13. Paper IV. Öberg, F., Sjöhamn, J., Conner, M.T., Bill, R.M., Hedfalk, K. (2011) Improving recombinant eukaryotic membrane protein yields in Pichia pastoris: the importance of codon optimisation and clone selection. Submitted Paper V. Öberg, F., Sjöhamn, J., Fischer, G., Moberg, A., Pedersen, A., Neutze, R., Hedfalk, K. (2011) Glycosylation increases the thermostability of human aquaporin 10. Submitted Paper VI. Öberg, F., Sjöhamn, J., Hedfalk, K., Neutze, R., Törnroth-Horsefield, S. (2011) Crystal structure of the S156E-mutant of human aquaporin 5. Manuscript.


[ ], particulate matter less than 2.5 um in a diameter, can penetrate deeply into the lungs. Exposure to has been associated with increased hospital visits for respiratory aliments as well as increase mortality. is a byproduct of combustion processes and as such has a complex composition including a variety of metallic elements, inorganic and organic compounds as well as biogenic materials (microorganisms, proteins, etc). In this study, the average concentrations of fine particulates have been measured simultaneously in Asan and Seoul, Korea, by using particulate matter portable sampler from September 2001 to August 2002. Sample collection filters were analyzed by ICP-OES to determine the concentrations of metallic elements (As, Ni, Fe, Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Si). Annual mean concentrations in Asan and Seoul were 37.70 and , respectively. The highest concentrations of were found in spring season in both cities and the concentrations of measured metallic elements except As in Asan were higher than those in Seoul, suggesting that yellow dust in spring could affect concentrations in Asan rather than Seoul. The correlation coefficients of Pb and Zn were 0.343 for Asan and 0.813 for Seoul during non-yellow dust condition, suggesting that Pb and Zn were influenced with the same sources. The correlation coefficients between Si and Fe in the fine particulate mode were 0.999 (Asan) and 0.998 (Seoul) during yellow dust condition. It was suggested that these two elements were impacted by soil-related transport from China during the yellow dust storm condition.


EIOTIC segregation of a specified chromosome is said to be random M when the spindle pole attained and the particular non-homologous chromosomes with which the specified chromosome assorts both appear to be a matter of pure chance. Such randomness of segregation is easily understood, for it is generally a simple consequence of bivalent formation and structure. Since the coorientation of homologues in a bivalent is fixed only with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spindle, not the poles, and because the particular orientation attained by one bivalent is ordinarily independent of the orientation of any second bivalent, disjunction and the subsequent second meiotic division must result in random segregation. Such is the case in most animals and plants, for they have only bivalents a t meiosis. But some organisms possess more than two sex chromosomes (reviews in SCHRADER 1928; WHITE 1940), and in these exceptional forms a nonrandom segregation of the sex chromosomes regularly occurs. Elucidation of the mechanism involved in such atypical cases promises to be of considerable aid in the construction of a general theory of chromosome mechanics. It is the purpose of the present paper to give a cytological account of the mechanism of non-random segregation of the three sex chromosomes in the male of Drosophila miranda Dobzhansky. Before entering upon a description of the meiotic events in Drosophila miranda males, it may be helpful to point out that not less than four principal and perhaps wholly discrete types of segregative behavior of compound sex chromosomes may be recognized when descriptions of cases are reviewed. First, there are those forms with a multivalent that gives a determinate orientation of its constituents (as in some male mantids, HUGHES-SCHRADER 1943; in male Humulus, KIHARA and HIRAYOSHI 1932; etc.). Second, tehre are those forms in which no physical connections appear to be formed between the segregating members. Here there is a distance conjugation, an approximation, or "touch-and-go" behavior on the part of alternative sets of sex chromosomes (as in some male heteropterous bugs, PAYNE 1909; in male Frullania, LORBEER 1934; etc.). Third, the compound sex chromosomes may all be of the same type and, in spite of the absence of a partner or partners of opposite kind, all segregate to the same pole (for example, in X1X2 00 males of spiders, PAINTER 1914; in the bug Syromastes, WILSON 1909; etc.). Fourth,


This paper presents a comparative study of the living conditions, practices and meanings of tourist travel for young millennial women in Mexico City's metropolitan area within the framework of youth tourism in order to identify how travel contributes to the social construction of their identity. Through comparative, mixed and gendered research, a methodological convergence strategy was applied in which quantitative research was carried out through surveys and qualitative research through interviews, aimed at two groups of young female students in different educational institutions, with different economic situations, and located in a central area vs. the outskirts of Mexico City. The results reveal similarities in both groups' travel practices, but there are differences with respect to the meanings they grant them and, therefore, the role that travel has in constructing their identities.


This study was to develop and validate the circular tandem walk test (CTWT) by deriving an optimal cutoff score to indicate the fall risk in 89 active community-dwelling older individuals. The participants aged 65 years and older were assessed for their demographic data, fear of fall variables, and history of falls in the past 6 months. Subsequently, participants were randomized for the sequence of tests between the tandem walk test and the CTWT. The outcomes of CTWT showed the highest significant correlation with all the fall variables (ranging from .631 to .827, p < .001). Moreover, the time to perform the CTWT ≥ 14.6 s and ≥ two error scores had excellent and acceptable diagnostic accuracy to determine the risk of falls in the older individuals, respectively. The CTWT can be used as alternative screening tests for assessing the fall risk in active older adults in community settings.


The D-stability (i.e., the stability in the sense that all the poles of a system are lying inside the disk D(/spl alpha/,r)) problem for discrete multiparameter singularly perturbed systems is considered in this brief. A two-stage method is first developed to analyze the stability relationship between the discrete multiparameter singularly perturbed systems and their corresponding reduced systems. An upper bound of the singular perturbation parameters is then derived such that the D-stability of the reduced systems implies that of the original systems, provided that the singular perturbation parameters are small enough to be within this bound. This fact enables us to investigate D-stability of the original systems by establishing that of their corresponding reduced systems.


The tropical bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Woloszynska) Seenaya et Subba Raju is causing increasing concern because of its potential toxicity and invasive behavior at mid‐latitudes. This species has recently been identified in several temperate areas and was first reported in France in 1994, but the mechanisms underlying this acclimation process remain to be elucidated. We performed a range of laboratory experiments in an attempt to identify the physiological characteristics that could account for this behavior. We investigated the three following hypotheses: 1) clones of C. raciborskii adapted to temperate climate have been selected as it advanced north, 2) C. raciborskii has high physiological tolerance that allows it to prosper in a wide range of conditions, and 3) changes inclimate (global warming) have favored the development of C. raciborskii in mid‐latitudes. Ten strains of C. raciborskii from Australia n=1), Brazil (2), France (2), Germany (1), Hungary (1), Mexico (1), and Senegal (2) were cultured at different temperatures and light intensities. The in vitro growth parameters (μ and Topt) were the same for the tropical and temperate strains. All 10 strains displayed positive net growth in a wide range of temperatures (from 20 to 35°C) and light intensities (from 30 to 400 μmol photons·m−2·s−1), with maximum growth rates at around 30°C and 80 μmol photons·m−2·s−1. This suggests that the colonization of mid‐latitudes by C. raciborskii may result from a combination of its ability to tolerate a rather wide range of climatic conditions and the global warming phenomenon, which provides this species with better environmental conditions for its growth.


Establishing the mechanism by which S100B effects ERK and its downstream proteins will provide valuable insight into the role of S100B in the progression of melanoma and potentially aid in developing new pharmacological drugs. The protein S100B is an effective prognostic marker for human malignant melanoma. Increased levels of serum S100B are predictive of disease stage, increased recurrence, and low overall survival. It has previously been found that S100B directly interacts with the tumor suppressor protein p53, down-regulating its protein levels, thereby allowing damaged cells to proliferate and mutations to propagate. S100B has also been implicated in several other signaling pathways, including the MAPK pathway. The initial hypothesis tested was that S100B inhibits the phosphorylation of ERK targets in a calcium-dependent manner. The S100B binding motif has been found to overlap with the ERK binding motif, suggesting that S100B binds the targets and physically prevents ERK from interacting with and subsequently phosphorylating them. ERK kinase assays revealed that the addition of S100B in the presence of calcium decreased ERK phosphorylation of RSK, but more dramatically Elk-1. Additionally, RSK was detected in S100B pull-downs in the presence of calcium; however, it was not detected in the presence of the calcium chelator EDTA. Over-expression of normal human S100B, but not a mutant S100B incapable of binding calcium, results in decreased phosphorylated RSK at Thr573, yet increased phosphorylated ERK, interestingly. Since a rise in serum S100B levels is indicative of tumor progression, it was also of interest to see if the addition of extracellular S100B alone is sufficient to elicit the same signaling response. Preliminary data shows an increase in phosphorylated ERK after the addition of low concentrations of extracellular S100B, as well as effects on ERK targets. We demonstrate that the calcium-binding protein S100B affects the MAPK pathway by simultaneously increasing phosphorylated ERK and decreasing phosphorylated RSK and Elk-1, together which could have a significant impact on cancer progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4125.


Traditional planning and scheduling techniques have played an important role in system analysis over the last three decades. They provide construction planners with mathematical models to simulate the construction process as an aid in planning and control of complex projects. Although these techniques have been widely used by the construction industry, they possess many limitations.
Researchers and practitioners in the construction industry have followed two directions to overcome most of the limitations of current planning techniques. The first direction has been concentrated on the utilization of state-of-the-art Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D computer modeling technology. The objective of their work is to interactively generate and visually simulate the construction process on graphics display. The second direction has been influenced by the potential capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to accomplish "Automated Planning". This group has utilized knowledge-based and expert systems to automatically generate construction plans.
The research proposed here presents a geometric-based reasoning system called KNOW-PLAN. The system integrates CAD and 3D computer modeling technology with AI technology to automatically generate and simulate construction plans. The system, therefore, can be classified as a third alternative in approaching the planning problem.
The research seeks to utilize geometric data to provide a dynamic sequencing for project planning. The research utilizes object location and object interaction with other objects as the primary source of reasoning for the project plan. The interaction of objects is based on a classification of objects with relation to connection types among them, the zones in which the objects are located, and relationships between the classes with which the objects are associated.
To accomplish the objectives of the research, an overall model called the KNOW-PLAN model has been formulated. This model is formulated to demonstrate theoretically the feasibility of implementing such a model in real-life. The implementation effort has been concentrated on the development of the crucial components of the KNOW-PLAN model using advanced computer applications. The implementation at this level is referred to as the KNOW-PLAN prototype system.


The efficiency of conventional stratification methods for seed germination of walnut (Juglans regia L.), which uses long moist-chilling periods, is low. This experiment was conducted during winter to spring 2014 to optimize the seed germination of walnut 'Chandler' via changing growing media and removing seed mechanical dormancy. Fourteen treatments were tested. None of the seeds germinated without any treatment on shell or while they stored in manure. Germination percent of cracked seeds (CS) and cracked with toothpicks inserted seeds (CTS) without any stratification period reached up to 66.1% and 83.7% with mean germination time (MGT) of 0.73 and 0.98 day, respectively. Considering a 45-day cold storage period improved germination percentage of CS and CTS up to 88.3% and 94.1% with MGT of 1.02 and 1.12, respectively. Seedling growth parameters significantly increased after the cold storage period. Based on the results, mechanical dormancy was suggested as the main limiting factor for walnut seed germination. Therefore, rate and percentage of seed germination and seedling growth of walnut can be improved if the removal of mechanical dormancy is also considered in seed stratification.


The unbundling of the faculty role occurs when e-learning course tasks normally performed by a single faculty member—such as course design, development, delivery, grading, interaction with students, course improvement, and advisement—are segmented or unbundled so that they can be performed by other personnel or with technologies. Using a qualitative methods approach, this study examines the unbundling and restructuring of the faculty professional role in large enrollment e-learning courses. This study was conducted at three community colleges in a large, urban community college district, and presents three models of e-learning course production that affect the unbundling of the faculty role: craft, collegial, and virtual assembly line. This research also examines how e-learning faculty members seek to rebundle tasks associated with their professional role and identity, and the tasks they perceive as meeting student needs and demand. This study contributes to professional and economic theories concerning faculty members in the e-learning context, and advances theories associated with academic labor, managed professionals, Academic Capitalism, and the globalization of the community college.


Patients with diabetes mellitus have a higher prevalenceof atherosclerotic heart disease and a higher incidence of myocardialinfarction than the general population. Diabetic patients alsohave several hematologic, metabolic abnormalitiesnot present in their nondiabetic counterparts that may predisposethem to formation of morphologicallycomplex plaques. Percutaneous coronary angiography (CAG) was performedin 120 consecutive patients with suggestive of ischaemic chest pain. The populationconsisted of 45 (37.50%) diabetic and 75 (62.50%) nondiabetic patients. We observed positive angiographic lesion among both groups comparing site & number of vessel(s) involvement also average percentage of stenosis. The presence of coronary risk factors was not significantlydifferent between the two populations. Total positive angiographic lesion was 79 (65.83%) in both groups. Among the Diabetes mellitus patients positive CAG finding 37 (82.22%).The recognized lesions were single vessel disease (SVD) 10 (27.02),double vessel disease (DVD) 15 (40.54%), triple vessel disease (TVD) 12 (32.43%), diffuse lesions 4 (10.80%) and average vessel stenosis 83.63%.On the other hand, total positive angiographic lesion was 42 (56%) in nondiabetic group; among them single vessel disease (SVD) 14 (33.33%), double vessel disease (DVD) 17(40.47%),triple vessel disease (TVD) 11 (26.19%), no diffuse lesions was found and average vessel stenosis was 78.03%. The results of the angiographic finding suggest that diabetic patients have a higher incidenceof coronary heart disease (CHD), DVD, TVD, diffuse lesion & marked stenosis of coronary vessel than nondiabetic patient. This increased frequency of complex lesion morphology is more difficult to treat by definitive intervention like percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PCI) & coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Medicine Today 2014 Vol.26(2): 95-99


This paper presents an analysis of software architecture as social artifact, that is, something that software developers talk about and use in their work. This analysis is historical in nature, relying on interviews with software developers with experience spanning four decades and the software engineering literature. We found that 1) only large teams have architecture; 2) architecture is more easily found in discourse than in source; and 3) architecture does not happen at a fixed time in the software lifecycle. These observations taken together suggest that software is a boundary object that developers use to explain the system to each other, thereby making it possible to work together.


Age-related cataract is one of the most important causes of visual impairment, and cataract surgery is one of  the commonest surgeries performed worldwide. Femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) is a  new and promising technology in the arena of cataract operations. Femtosecond lasers (FSL) are used in  cataract surgery for performing anterior capsulotomy, fragmentation of the lens, corneal incisions and limbal relaxing incisions. Results in most cases have been quite promising. FSL-created capsulotomies are more accurate in size, centration and circularity, and are reproducible. Positioning of the intraocular lens is also  better. FSL systems also reduce the ultrasonic energy utilization for all grades of cataract. Better corneal  incisions and limbal relaxing incisions (for astigmatism correction) may be added benefits. Femtosecond laser  assisted cataract surgery may prove to be one of most important developments in the modern era of cataract surgery. However, FLACS has been around for a relatively short time. More longterm data may better prove  its efficacy in the years to come. KEY WORDS : Cataract; Femtosecond laser; Capsulotomy; Corneal incisions; Lens fragmentation;  Phacoemulsification


This paper presents the devices for elderly people to take care themselves or by Healthcare Internet of Things (HIoT) in the elderly center. The devices are called Healthcare on Demand (HoD), which are designed by some sensors/components of HIoT. HoD will measure, record and analysis all healthcare data from HIoT before/after the actions automatically. The elderly people can choose self-care program to take care of themselves. The HoD will increase efficient of those services for elderly center, the HoD also reduces manpower cost for taking care elderly people. The paper also provides high-tech policy for Long-Term Care 2.0 (LTC 2.0).


Most commonly-used molecular phylogenetic methods assume that the sequences evolved on a single bifurcating tree and that the evolutionary processes operating at the variable sites are Markovian. Typically, it is also assumed that these evolutionary processes were stationary, reversible and homogenous across the edges of the tree and that the multiple substitutions at variable sites occurred so infrequently that the historical signal (i.e., the signal in DNA that is due to the order and time of divergence event) in phylogenetic data has been retained, allowing for accurate phylogenetic estimates to be obtained from the data. Here, we present two metrics, λ and δCFS, to quantify the strength of the historical and compositional signals in phylogenetic data. λ quantifies loss of historical signal, with λ = 0.0 indicating evidence of a strong historical signal and λ = 1.0 indicating evidence of a fully eroded historical signal. δCFS quantifies compositional distance from full symmetry of a divergence matrix generated by comparing two sequences, with δCFS = 0.0 indicating no evidence of evolution under dissimilar conditions and δCFS > 0.0 indicating increasing evidence of lineages diverging under different conditions. The metrics are implemented in methods intended for use after multiple sequence alignment and before model selection and phylogenetic analysis. Results generated using these methods allow users of phylogenetic tools to select phylogenetic data more wisely than it previously was possible. The merits of these metrics and methods are illustrated using simulated data and multi-gene alignments obtained from 144 insect genomes.


A novel green approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using erythromycin as a reducing/capping agent is presented. Erythromycin-derived silver nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Monodispersed silver nanoparticles showed excellent and promising catalytic activity for reduction of 3 differently charged dyes (eosin B, methylene blue, and rose bengal) in the presence of NaBH4. The study revealed that 100% reduction of these dyes can be achieved efficiently in just 150--250 s. They were easily recovered from the reaction medium and were reused 5 times, showing enhanced catalytic potential each time. Glass-supported Ag(0) NPs (0.15 mg) were removed by washing sequentially and reused 5 times for catalytic reduction of these dyes at 10 m M. All dyes were successfully reduced by erythromycin-derived silver nanoparticles up to 7%. Based upon these results, it was concluded that erythromycin-derived silver nanoparticles are a novel, rapid, and highly economical alternative for environmental protection against pollution caused by dyes and can be extended for the control of other reducible contaminants.


One of the most complex problems for Central Asia is scarcity of fresh water and related transboundary water-sharing. The current situation is the result of countries` economic policy, lack of regional engagement on water use, global climate change, population growth and increased consumption of water resources, what has already influenced on reducing water availability. Feature of Central Asian drainage system is extremely uneven distribution of water resources not only throughout the region, but also throughout each country, what does not let republics take full advantage of water resources in its ensuring of the national interests. The major water sources of the region located on the territory of two countries as Kyrgyz Republic and Republic of Tajikistan, what causes difficulties in relations of these countries with Republic of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan. Furthermore, situation is compounded by different approaches of Central Asian countries to water use. Since the early 1990s, water issues became a factor of regional security. The potential of conflict in current mechanisms for water distribution is notably high, that is why water issues one of the priorities on the list of Central Asian problems and requires constant monitoring. Despite many discussion and attempts to resolve regional water problem, the sides have not come to an agreement. Involvement of other countries and international organizations in development of water problem solution has not been successful. With the election of a new President of Republic of Uzbekistan, there have been a warming of relations in the region and trend towards joint policy-making with respect to Central Asian development. That could have a positive impact on the situation with hydro-energy resources.


Russia contains almost one-quarter of the world's forests, exceeding the combined forest area of Brazil and Canada. There are significant obstacles to the development of a sustainable forestry sector in Russia including aging infrastructure, low processing capacity, poor transportation networks, poor financial and judicial institutional quality, and widespread corruption. In 2007, the Russian government announced an ad valorem export tax on unprocessed timber, or roundwood. By investigating the export tax in relation to Russia's timber trade with China, this paper explores the motivations and challenges behind Russia's desire to support a more robust domestic forest products sector.


The problem of self-consistently coupling kinetic runaway-electron physics to the macroscopic evolution of the plasma is addressed by dividing the electron population into a bulk and a tail. A probabilistic closure is adopted to determine the coupling between the bulk and the tail populations, preserving them both as genuine, non-negative distribution functions. Macroscopic one-fluid equations and the kinetic equation for the runaway-electron population are then derived, now displaying sink and source terms due to transfer of electrons between the bulk and the tail.


The detection of a desired weak GPS signal in the presence of other strong GPS signals is often problematic because the strong signal is not adequately attenuated by the receiver processing. The situation becomes worse in the case where multiple strong signals compete with the desired weak signal. This is a further complexity of the near-far problem, since the presence of strong signals that are not sufficiently orthogonal to the weak signal hinders detection of the weak signal due to cross-correlation of the receiver matched filter and the strong signals. The consistent Doppler offset during the integration period can result in an aliasing problem. It has been shown that even for a long integration period the cross-correlation from strong interference can remain problematic, and depends on the relative Doppler offsets between the strong and weak signals. In the case of critical Doppler offsets, defined as integer multiples of cycle offsets per integration period, longer integration does not by itself reduce the cross-correlation interference. This is because the weak desired and strong interfering signals have almost constant Doppler offsets over the observation period. In this work we investigate cross-correlation behavior when the Doppler offset between the desired and interfering signal is large and non-linear, in the integration period. Due to this non-linearity, the receiver experiences different relative carrier phases for each observation interval, so the previously reported persistence of cross-correlation interference does not occur. The main contribution of this paper is to show that, on the order of minutes, signals with non-linear and large relative Doppler offsets are uncorrelated. Thus, for a receiver that preserves and tracks the phase of one signal during an integration period, the other unwanted signals for which the phases haven't been tracked are attenuated by the normal factor expected of un-correlated signals. The simulation results confirm that the residual part of the phase after a complete cycle changes in each observation interval and allows the correlation gain to be cancelled out for a longer coherent period of integration. Hence, the effect of interfering signals upon tracking the desired signal is no greater than a noise signal of the same level. The major application of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals to track small space debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The LEO debris moves at approximately double the speed of the GPS satellite, and with much greater angular rate from the receiver. Hence the illumination and reflected signal are expected to differ in both phase and phase rate (Doppler Offset). In this case very long coherent integration with phase preservation can detect the target signal in spite of the presence of much stronger direct arrival GNSS signals.


Introduction: γ-amino butyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT) is a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme that catalyses the degradation of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA). γ-amino butyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT) inhibitors are used to treat epilepsy. Objective: The aim of this study was to search anthraquinone scaffolds as novel GABA-AT inhibitors using virtual screening based approach. Materials and Methods: AutoDock Tools® 1.4.6 and MGL Tools® 1.5.4 software were used to find out binding score, inhibition constant and conformational poses of the ligands inside the active site. AutoDock uses interaction maps to generate ensemble of low energy conformations and AMBER force field to estimate the free energy of binding of a ligand to its target. Result and Discussion: Estimated binding energies of top scoring molecules (derivatives of the natural product anthraquinone) were found quite low (e-53M) as compared to that of vigabtrin (-5.5 Kcal/mol). Conclusion: These theoretical findings suggesting, the utility of virtual screening as a computational tool as well as significance of anthraquinone scaffolds as potential GABA-AT in-activators.


Because of their geometric complexity, high resolution 3D models, either designed in high-end modeling packages or acquired with range scanning devices, cannot be directly used in applications that require rendering at interactive framerates. One clever method to overcome this limitation is to perform an appearance preserving geometry simplification, by replacing the original model with a low resolution mesh equipped with high resolution normal maps. This process visually preserves small scale features from the initial geometry, while only requiring a reduced set of polygons. However, this conversion usually relies on some kind of global or piecewise parameterization, combined with the generation of a texture atlas, a process that is computationally expensive and requires precise user supervision. In this paper, we propose an alternative method in which the normal field of a high resolution model is adaptively sampled and encoded in an octree-based data structure, that we call appearance preserving octree-texture (APO). Our main contributions are: a normal-driven octree generation, a compact encoding and an efficient look-up algorithm. Our method is efficient, totally automatic, and avoids the expensive creation of a parameterization with its corresponding texture atlas.


This paper is concerned with numerical considerations of fluid effects on wave propagation. The focus is on effective elastic properties (i.e. velocities) in different kinds of dry and fluid-saturated fractured media. We apply the so-called rotated staggered finite-difference grid (RSG) technique. Using this modified grid it is possible to simulate the propagation of elastic waves in a 2D or 3D medium containing cracks, pores or free surfaces without explicit boundary conditions and without averaging elastic moduli. Therefore the RSG allows an efficient and precise numerical study of effective velocities in fractured structures. This is also true for structures where theoretically it is only possible to predict upper and lower bounds. We simulate the propagation of plane P- and S-waves through three kinds of randomly cracked 3D media. Each model realization differs in the porosity of the medium and is performed for dry and fluid-saturated pores. The synthetic results are compared with the predictions of the well known Gassmann equation and the Biot velocity relations. Although we have a very low porosity in our models, the numerical calculations showed that the Gassmann equation cannot be applied for isolated pores (thin penny-shaped cracks). For Fontainebleau sandstone we observe with our dynamic finite-difference approach the exact same elastic properties as with a static finite-element approach. For this case the Gassmann equation can be checked successfully. Additionally, we show that so-called open-cell Gaussian random field models are an useful tool to study wave propagation in fluid-saturated fractured media. For all synthetic models considered in this study the high-frequency limit of the Biot velocity relations is very close to the predictions of the Gassmann equation. However, using synthetic rock models saturated with artificial "heavy" water we can roughly estimate the corresponding tortuosity parameter.


The issue of fake news and its impact has become very prominent in recent years. Despite the fact that fake news is not a new phenomenon, technological advances have constructed a fertile environment for the fake news to be spread rapidly. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, offer ground for generation and distribution of fake news. Consequently, it is important to study the way social media operates, how fake news is produced and spread through social network sites and what is the role users play. In particular, this study examines the methods and tools Greek users implement in order to spot fake news on social media and counter its spread. Moreover, this research contributes to the theory of fake news by addressing the issue of users' interaction with news and users' collaboration in the information era. The data presented in this research was collected from the members of the Ellinika Hoaxes Facebook group, an online Greek community where users exchange knowledge and insights and they collaborate to spot fake news and counter


The luminescent and lasing properties of the neo-dymium ion at the 4F3/2—4I11/2 transition in c-cut vanadate crystals (Nd:YVO4, Nd:GdVO4, and Nd:Gd1-xYxVO4) are studied. Tuning of the laser radiation wavelength (Δλ = 5.4 nm) is demonstrated. Two-frequency laser schemes with the use of a Lyot filter, a Fabry—Perot etalon, and a Brewster prism as spectral selection elements are proposed and experimentally realised. Stable two-frequency lasing of a laser based on the c-cut Nd:GdVO4 crystal was obtained in the cw, Q-switched (nanosecond pulses), and active acousto-optic mode-locked (picosecond pulses) regimes.


Despite its highly subjectivised title, Laura – Otto Preminger's dazzling 1944 noir classic – is, according to this article, a film not so much about persons as things. And what spectacularly beautiful things Laura proffers: exquisite objets d'art, chic fashion, striking design. All of which points to a certain psychic condition that underpins Laura: namely, fetishism. Of course, the fetish nonpareil in the film is Laura herself; she is the not so 'obscure object of desire' for all and sundry, possessing everyone in the film, and, in turn, being treated by those possessed, as a possession herself. Though the nature of these sorts of possessory regimes differs dramatically, being contingent upon the psychic profile of the possessor: love interest Shelby Carpenter, police detective Mark McPherson and wealthy mentor, Waldo Lydecker. This article will explore Laura's competing possessory regimes, utilising psychoanalytic concepts such as hysteria, repetition compulsion and the death drive, as well as fetishism and sado-masochism to unpack this vivid filmic representation of the 'Law of Desire' as a desire for what is, here, law's objet petit a – feminine sexuality itself.


This essay investigates historical conditions of merging practices which connect academic research and cultural, artistic activities. In the first section, notions such as immaterial labour, cognitive capitalism, and accumulation cycle are introduced and these terms are set in relation to dialectics of space. The concept of Converging Space, proposed in the second section of the article, signifies an unstable space by the side of capitalism's incorporation of immaterial labour and institutionally ordered social relations. University and regional cultural policy in Western Sweden are two specific cases which further clarify the notion of converging spaces. In the third section, exile, conceived as a multi-layered semantic field, serves to designate mobility and mobilization across contemporary segregative urban landscapes and hence constantly exposed to the dialectics between material space, the institutionalized space and the flux of labour and commodities. The final and concluding part of the essay discusses the intersections between immaterial labour, exile as a semantic field outside accumulation cycles and local, transient organizational forms which open up a space for emerging practices.


the culture specimens. The results are summarised in the table. This study was not concerned with the relative merits of tissue culture vs. IDEIA for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis but only with overnight vs. two hour incubation of the IDEIA. Further studies, with larger number of patients are needed to confirm our findings, but the present study has shown no significant difference in either sensitivity or specificity from


The surface modification of the particles of precip itated calcium carbonate (PCC) with silica formed in situ by sol-gel method is presented by the first time. The new materials were characterized by infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry, s canning electron microscopy (SEM), and particles size distribution using the light diffrac tion scattering (LDS) technique, among other techniques. The FTIR spectra of the new modified PC C's, showed the presence of bands that were clearly assigned to vibrations of Si-O bonds, indic ating the presence of silica. SEM images were slightly different of those of the original calcium carbonate particles, showing the typical scalenohedral shape of the PCC crystals with a dens e a d thin film of silica at its surface. The amoun t of silica formed at the PCC surface, as determined by thermogravimetric analysis, was found to increase with the increase of the ammonia concentra tion of the reaction medium (between 5% and 30% for [NH3] of 0.05 and 0.5 M, respectively). LDS granulometr ic distributions of the new modified PCC's were close to the distribution of PCC, even t hat some variation in the average size of particles  was noted. Preliminary results of the inkjet printi ng on papers coated with the new modified PCC's as pigments using polyvinyl alcohol and starch as bind ers are presented.


Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste is the solid debris resulting from construction and demolition activities. Recycling of this solid waste may result in substantial economic and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, is some Balkan countries such as Macedonia C&D recycling awareness is not developed yet. In this country, C&D are often dumped without control. According to the Macedonian landfill operator "Drisla" the estimated amounts of C&D waste generated per year in the Skopje surroundings approach 150.000 tons, but nothing is known on their composition. On this basis, a know-how exchange programme (KEP) called SAMCODE was financed by the Central European Initiative (CEI) and specifically dedicated to the characterization of C&D waste in Macedonia. GAYA operators sampled C&D landfills in the surroundings of Skopje, verified the absence of radioactivity, and then crushed the C&D down to the grain size of two millimetres. Crushed C&D chips were sent to the Department of Physics and Earth Sciences of the University of Ferrara, where the materials were powdered and analysed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Moreover, to characterize elemental mobility leaching tests on the C&D powders were carried out according to the following protocol: 1g of C&D powder has been soaked with 10 ml of deionized water, for 24 h. Subsequently the solutions have been centrifuged, filtered (at 45 mm) and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). XRF analyses showed that – although variable - silica, calcium and aluminium are always the dominant components (SiO2 between 32 and 60 wt%, CaO between 7 and 30 wt%, Al2O3 between 7 and 16%) suggesting possible recycling in the ceramic/cement industrial processes. However, the real re-use of these materials in industrial processes is hampered by the lack of homogeneity, a feature required by the industries. The analysis of trace elements emphasized another critical aspect: Macedonian C&Ds often contain anomalously high concentrations of elements potentially hazardous, especially chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). Note that the high concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb do not necessarily recall the presence of contaminants, as these elements can be present in natural raw materials used in the country. Noteworthy, in Macedonia there are rocks included in the ophiolite sequences such as peridotites, serpentinites, pyroxenites and chromitites that can contain thousand(s) ppm of chromium and nickel, and also mining areas where there are sulphides of lead (galena) and zinc (sphalerite). If similar rocks are used as raw materials in the building activity, it is not strange to have C&D anomalously enriched in Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn. This hypothesis is confirmed by soil studies retrieved in the literature that highlighted that Macedonian soils can contain anomalous content of these elements. ICP-MS analyses of leachates show negligible concentrations of Ni, Pb and Zn, but significant concentrations of Cr. The results indicate that to foresee effective recycling Macedonian C&D have to be preliminarily screened to eliminate Cr-bearing components, crushed and sorted to obtain a better homogenization.


Seasonal population dynamics of Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) and Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) were studied in two canola (Brassica napus) fields with two different irrigation methods (flooding and sprinkler irrigations) from April to June 2010. Aphid and parasitoid (mummies) populations were sampled once a week. The highest aphid density was recorded on May 12th (792.5 ± 55.5) and on May 18th (1701.1 ± 195) in the sprinkler and flood irrigated fields, respectively. Parasitism rate recorded ranged from 0.4 to 19.5% and from 1.0 to 11.9% in sprinkler and flood irrigated fields, respectively. During the course of the study, there was no significant relationship between the weather values recorded and aphid populations observed in the field. However relationship with weather values was found in the case of D. rapae populations. Secondary parasitism was higher at the end of growing season and two hyperparasitoid species were dominant: Pachyneuron aphidis (Bouche) and Alloxysta fuscicornis (Ashmead). We discuss role of seasonal parasitism and irrigation systems for management of B. brassicae.


Study Design. Randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up. Objective. To assess the development of adjacent level degeneration (ALD) and index level facet arthropathy (FA) in patients treated with disc prosthesis compared with patients treated with rehabilitation. Summary of Background Data. There is controversy about the natural history of disc degeneration and the development of ALD and FA in patients who undergo disc prosthesis surgery. Methods. The study included 116 patients with a history of low back pain for at least 1 year, Oswestry Disability Index 30 points or more, and degenerative changes in 1 or 2 lower lumbar spine levels. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed before treatment and at the 2-year follow-up. ALD and index level FA were determined on the basis of the majority assessment of 3, independent, experienced radiologists. ALD was assessed by evaluating Modic changes, posterior high intensity zone in the disc, nucleus pulposus signal, disc height, disc contour, and FA. Data were analyzed with Fischer exact test and t test. Results. ALD developed with similar frequencies in patients who were (n = 59) and were not (n = 57) treated with surgery. In patients treated with surgery, index level FA appeared or increased in 20 patients (34%) and decreased in 1 patient. In patients treated with rehabilitation, 2 (4%) had new or increased FA at the index/degenerated disc level and 1 had decreased FA (P < 0.001). The development of ALD and FA was not related to clinical outcome. Conclusion. In this first study that compared the courses of degeneration after treatment with disc prosthesis surgery or rehabilitation, ALD was observed at similar frequencies at the 2-year follow-up. However, the surgery group had increased FA at the implant level.


Agronomic assay of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) genotypes under field conditions. With the objective to determine correlations between yield and principal components of variation of cantaloupe genotypes, in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, 12 genotypes were established, in a Complete Randomized Block design with four replications. An experimental plot of two rows five meters long sown at double hill. The genotypes studied were: hybrids: Primo, Pronto, Challenger, Cheyenne, Hi-Line, Cruiser, Durango, Apache, Laguna, Caravelle and Main Pack, and the variety Top Mark, as a control. The variables evaluated were: yield (11 variables: quantitative and qualitative); phenology (three variables); agroclimatic (five variables) and physiologicals (four variables); significant and negative correlations (p<0.05) were found between yield and earliness, mean fruit weight, number of fruits, and between fruit number and fruit lenght. The most correlated physiological variables were photosynthesis and water use efficiency. With the principal component analysis up to the component three 65 % of variance is explained. Component one showed a high value on yield, weight and size characteristics, and called as "Yield Quantitative Characteristics". In component two, "Earliness Component" showed the higher variations. Component three to six, explain similar proportions the other variables, being the sixth where was found the highest Photosynthesis. Multiple linear regression was significant (p<0.057), due to field conditions, can be considered adequate. Yield in t/ha is explained by a multiple linear equation (r2=0.99) of 10 variables.


Because of increasing attention of technological device applications of liquid crystals (LCs), determination of their electrical properties becomes important. In this work, experimental optimization for concentration and laser power effects on nematic LC's voltage-controlled negative resistance behavior has been studied co-usage of nickel (II) phthalocyanine (NiPc) and phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl ester (PCBM) polymer in nematic liquid crystal (E63). NiPc concentration has been arranged to be between percentages changing from 1 to 5 wt%, whereas a 1 wt% of PCBM has been used in E63 LC. The LC cells have been exposed to 632-nm laser illumination with power of 0–100 mW, and the influence of laser illumination on current–voltage (I–V) characteristics has also been examined. According to I–V measurements of the LC composites under laser illumination, an increase in current has been observed because of dispersal agents of NiPc and PCBM. The possible reason behind this result can be the increase of the impurity ion in E63 under laser illumination. Ionic charge carriers can move freely in the volume of the LC structure and hence conductivity increases. The value of the current increases for NiPc doped E63 in the dark, and it increases further to a higher value under photo-irradiation because of the ionic charges caused by photo-excited electrons from NiPc to LC medium. The higher increase in conductivity has been observed to more efficient free-charge carrier collection provided by 5 wt% NiPc and 1 wt% PCBM doped in LC hybrid medium under laser irradiation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The design of an electronic circuit or system-and, indeed, of many other artifacts and schemes-depends heavily upon the expertise, knowledge, and innate skill of the human designer. Unfortunately, many computer based tools fail to fully exploit such human qualities. Thus, while a massive amount of research has been carried out in the essentially technical aspects of circuit design, very little effort has been directed to the support of essentially human aspects of design, such as the development of insight through exploration. This paper describes a new concept, embodied for illustration in a tool called the Influence Explorer, which facilitates human visualization of the relations existing between the parameters and performances of a circuit, thereby enhancing the designer's acquisition of insight into those relations and, as a consequence, the quality of a final design. The new tool is not intended to replace existing computer-aided design tools, but rather to complement them by exploiting a human activity largely unsupported at present.


Seoul Korean is known to show a LH-LH phrasal tonal pattern in an Accentual Phrase (AP), unless an AP-initial consonant is tensed or aspirated (Jun 1993, 2000). Since an AP shows LHLH unless the phrase-initial segment is tensed or aspirated, a vowel-initial AP is expected to show LHLH. However, Jun & Cha (2011) report that an AP-initial /il/ is sometimes produced with a H tone. Their study finds that i) younger speakers aged less than the mid 40s are more likely to produce /il/ with a H tone; ii) out of three meanings of /il/, 'one (1)', 'day', and 'work', /il/ meaning 'one' is most frequently produced with a H tone; iii) the High toned /il/ seems to be a unique feature of Seoul Korean. Since Jun & Cha (2011) is the only previous study on the phenomenon, there is still much to be learned about its development. In particular, considering that many studies on linguistic changes have shown that a linguistic change is the most advanced among adolescents (e.g., Trudgill, 1974; Labov, 2001; and among others), it is hard to fully describe a developing sound change without investigating teenagers. Thus, I examine the High toned /il/ phenomenon by conducting a production experiment with 40 speakers of Seoul Korean and I provide further evidence that the phenomenon is spread to all meanings of /il/.


Case 1. Percutaneous intrahepatic cholangiogram showing intrahepatic stricture of the common hepatic duct. Note the presence of a stomach tube and opaque medium in a subphrenic abscess which was poorly drained. The operation performed was an end-to-side hepaticoduodenostomy. The patient made a good recovery and now, some 4 months after operation, is symptom-free. Her weight before operation was 4st. 51 b. She now weighs 6st. and there is no evidence of jaundice.


Atherosclerosis represents a major cause of death in the world. It is known that Lipofundin 20% induces atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits, but its effects on serum lipids behaviour and redox environment have not been addressed. In this study, New Zealand rabbits were treated with 2 mL/kg of Lipofundin for 8 days. Then, redox biomarkers and serum lipids were determined spectrophotometrically. On the other hand, the development of atherosclerotic lesions was confirmed by eosin/hematoxylin staining and electron microscopy. At the end of the experiment, total cholesterol, triglycerides, cholesterol-LDL, and cholesterol-HDL levels were significantly increased. Also, a high index of biomolecules damage, a disruption of both enzymatic and nonenzymatic defenses, and a reduction of nitric oxide were observed. Our data demonstrated that Lipofundin 20% induces hyperlipidemia, which promotes an oxidative stress state. Due to the importance of these phenomena as risk factors for atherogenesis, we suggest that Lipofundin induces atherosclerosis mainly through these mechanisms.


Several studies have shown that the success of interregional cooperation may be infl uenced by coordination, commitment, participation, variance of cooperation, structure, format of cooperation, and political will. Nevertheless, these factors do not stand alone since actor relations as a determining aspect is capable of driving those factors eff ectively. This article aims to examine the aspect of actor relations as a contributing factor that determines successful cooperation among regions. This is a qualitative research with the policy of inter-regional cooperation of the Banjarbakula Program, South Kalimantan Province from February 2017 to February 2018, set as its object of study. The result of this study states that the success of inter-regional cooperation is infl uenced by the relationship of actors in development factors as suggested by previous experts. The actors involved in the inter-regional cooperation examined in this case had become triggers of coordination, commitment, and participation toward success and failure, as well as the eff ectiveness of regional cooperation policy. Structural obstacles, ego-centric character, minimum budget availability, and non-visionary planning could be overcome as long as actor relations were properly managed.