Neil Arnott became a Fellow of the Royal Society on 25 January 1838. At a time when many members were non-scientists his nominees included both engineers, such as Wheatstone, and medical men like Sir James Clark, Physician in Ordinary to the Queen and later prominent in the scandal of the unfortunate Lady Flora Hastings. During this century Arnott's achievements have been unjustifiably neglected. He was a notable medical practitioner, a public health reformer, a practical innovator, an educator and general man of affairs whose standing justifies our re-appraisal. The intention of this paper therefore is to reconstruct and analyse Arnott's contribution to nineteenth century society. The account of his life in the Dictionary of National Biography is largely based on two lectures given by Professor Alexander Bain to the Philosophical Society of Aberdeen. Much of the domestic and personal background needs no repetition but the elapse of a century warrants a re-assessment of his career from the perspectives of our own time.


Author(s): Li, Ben | Advisor(s): Stenstrom, Michael K | Abstract: Sedimentation is one of the most important processes that determine the performance of the activated sludge process, and secondary settling tanks (SSTs) have been investigated with the mathematical models for design and operation optimization. However, the practical application of SST models still remains a challenge due to several difficulties, such as the lack of efficient (high accuracy and low computation cost) solution techniques and reliable model calibration strategies. To facilitate the practical application of SST models, this dissertation focuses on the one-dimensional (1-D) modeling of SSTs, including the numerical analysis to introduce and select efficient solution techniques, sensitivity and practical identifiability analysis to reliably calibrate the 1-D SST models, and evaluation of the implications of SST modeling on the design and control of waste water treatment plants.To improve the understanding of 1-D modeling of SSTs, this dissertation provides a comprehensive literature review of the batch settling methodology and the flux theory, which played a significant role in the early stage of SST investigation. The literature review also contains an explicit introduction of the established 1-D SST models, including the relevant physical laws, various settling behaviors, the constitutive functions, available solution techniques and calibration strategies.As the only available method for analytical solution development of ideal continuous settling model, the method of characteristics has been successfully implemented to investigate the dynamics of SST for various solids loading conditions. This dissertation also introduced the Yee-Roe-Davis method, which able to capture solution discontinuities based on gradient, thus providing numerical solutions with second-order accuracy. By using the method of characteristics as a reference, the convergence analysis of Methods Simplified-Godunov, Godunov and Yee-Roe-Davis shows that all are reliable, since they are able to provide arbitrarily close approximations to the reference solutions as discretization is refined. For a given discretization level, the Yee-Roe-Davis method is most efficient in reducing error, and provides the most accurate approximations. However, this advantage of high accuracy of the Yee-Roe-Davis method is at the cost of larger computation time and coding complexity. To facilitate model calibration, the important parameters for 1-D SST model calibration were identified under non-ideal flow and settling conditions using global sensitivity analysis (GSA). This dissertation also demonstrated that reliable reduction of 1-D SST models can be achieved based on GSA results; for example under the bulking condition, the hindered-compression-dispersion model can be reduced to the hindered-dispersion model without impacting model accuracy. The model uncertainty analysis efficiently evaluates model reduction reliability. In terms of developing batch settling methodology for reliable model calibration, this dissertation found that the hindered settling parameters are more influential in situations where only batch settling data are available, while the sensitivity to compression parameters can be greatly increased if concentration profile observations are included. The practical identifiability analysis further showed that parameter estimates obtained from data sets that only include batch settling data or the concentration profiles cannot generally predict concentration profiles and batch settling curve observations, respectively. Because of the application of local sensitivity functions, the parameter identifiability analysis can be sensitive to the initial parameter value selection. Estimates obtained by identifiable parameter subsets estimation are conditional on the values of fixed parameters. From the view of optimizing the process design and control, this dissertation demonstrated that the bioreactor and SST should be designed as a whole, and a safety constraint can be introduced in the design process to greatly improve the system's efficiency and reliability. A comprehensive selection of the designed alternatives should consider three aspects: economic plausibility, contaminant removal efficiency, and system robustness. Least-cost points can usually be attained, but their locations will vary depending on the weighting of the relative cost factor.


Incidence of tuberculosis infection has considerably increased during the past 20 years due to the HIV pandemic and continues to be one of the most prevalent and deadly infections worldwide. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis lacks specific clinical manifestation and can mimic many diseases. It can invade neighbouring tissue and form a big cyst with manifesting clinical symptoms. We describe a rare case of 31-year-old immunocompetent man affected by a retroperitoneal abscess secondary to tubercular infection. Exploratory laparotomy and histopathological examinations of tissue were required for achieving diagnosis of tuberculosis. No pulmonary or spinal involvement was identified. The patient was successfully treated with standard four-drug antitubercular therapy.


Aim
Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an integral membrane protein whose main action is to degrade angiotensin II. Plasma ACE2 activity is increased in various cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to determine the relationship between plasma ACE2 activity and human atrial fibrillation (AF), and in particular its relationship to left atrial (LA) structural remodelling.

Methods and results
One hundred and three participants from a tertiary arrhythmia centre, including 58 with paroxysmal AF (PAF), 20 with persistent AF (PersAF), and 25 controls, underwent clinical evaluation, echocardiographic analysis, and measurement of plasma ACE2 activity. A subgroup of 20 participants underwent invasive LA electroanatomic mapping. Plasma ACE2 activity levels were increased in AF [control 13.3 (9.5-22.3) pmol/min/mL; PAF 16.9 (9.7-27.3) pmol/min/mL; PersAF 22.8 (13.7-33.4) pmol/min/mL, P = 0.006]. Elevated plasma ACE2 was associated with older age, male gender, hypertension and vascular disease, elevated left ventricular (LV) mass, impaired LV diastolic function and advanced atrial disease (P < 0.05 for all). Independent predictors of elevated plasma ACE2 activity were AF (P = 0.04) and vascular disease (P < 0.01). There was a significant relationship between elevated ACE2 activity and low mean LA bipolar voltage (adjusted R2 = 0.22, P = 0.03), a high proportion of complex fractionated electrograms (R2 = 0.32, P = 0.009) and a long LA activation time (R2 = 0.20, P = 0.04).

Conclusion
Plasma ACE2 activity is elevated in human AF. Both AF and vascular disease predict elevated plasma ACE2 activity, and elevated plasma ACE2 is significantly associated with more advanced LA structural remodelling.


With the wide application of intelligent sensors and the Internet of things in the intelligent workshop, a large number of real-time production data are collected. Accurate analysis of the collected data can help producers to make effective decisions. Compared with the traditional data processing methods, artificial intelligence, the main method of big data analysis, has been applied in the manufacturing industry increasingly. However, it is different for Artificial Intelligence models to process real-time data from intelligent workshop production. Thus, this paper proposes a real-time big data processing method based on long short term memory (LSTM) for the workshop production process. This method takes the historical production data extracted by the Internet of things workshop as the original data set, preprocesses the data, and uses the LSTM model to train and predict the real-time data of the workshop. Finally, the experimental results are compared with K-NearestNeighbor (KNN), Decision Tree (DT) and traditional neural network model. The results show that the prediction accuracy of the LSTM model is 126.9%, 21.1%, and 14.7% higher than that of the traditional neural network, KNN, and DT respectively.


A multipath reversed nested Miller compensation (MRNMC) scheme with voltage buffer (MRNMCVB) is presented in this paper. By using an efficient voltage buffer, a low-voltage, low-power, three-stage RNMC amplifier topology suitable for large capacitive load applications is constructed with a noninverting intermediate stage. Moreover, the internal feedback loop introduced by the buffer prevents the reduction in high-frequency gain and extends the bandwidth of the amplifier significantly. Furthermore, a multipath feedforward stage is added to generate a left-half-plane (LHP) zero, which improves the stability of the amplifier and reduces the size of compensation capacitors simultaneously. An optimized MRNMCVB amplifier has been implemented in a 0.35-mum CMOS process. The amplifier driving a 500-pF load capacitor achieves 1.76-MHz unity-gain frequency (UGF), 59deg phase margin, and 0.88-V/mus average slew rate, while dissipating only 45-muW power at a 1.5-V supply. The total capacitor value is just 2.92-pF.


Quality Assurance (QA) in higher education is a central issue affecting universities throughout the world. Currently, universities world-wide can be seen as focusing attention on the implementation of QA systems in order to ensure that they enhance academic quality and standards. Thai private universities (TPUs) as part of this trend have been required by government regulations to adopt QA programmes to improve their teaching, research and community services, so that they can produce graduates who satisfy the needs of stakeholders. In the implementation of QA programmes, it is crucial for TPUs to have highly competent and motivated staff to provide high quality performance. Accordingly, university staff need to develop the appropriate skills, knowledge and abilities to ensure the highest possible quality and standards in all activities. Thus, TPUs need comprehensive and appropriate human resource development (HRD) practices to facilitate organisational development and individual career development to ensure the effectiveness of individuals, groups and organisations.
This research is a pioneering study in the field of QA in TPUs, as it is the first to investigate the implementation of QA programmes with a focus on HRD practices in support of QA. The study was conducted to generate new knowledge and theory in the field of QA and to examine the importance of the HRD practices implemented for promoting QA systems. To provide a theoretical framework for the research, an understanding of the extant research in the field of QA and the relevant HRD was sought by reviewing previous studies which have been published in English. This literature has highlighted some common themes, as well as substantial differences between Thai and Western approaches, to provide an understanding of 'how' QA programmes are implemented in TPUs and 'what' HRD practices may be used to promote QA systems in the Thai cultural context. Therefore, the study provides in-depth information about the relationship between QA implementation and the relevant HRD practices, based on previous studies as indicated in the literature.
Three TPUs were selected for detailed examination in the study. Data gathering comprised a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches and two main research instruments were formulated for data collection. Firstly, a mailed questionnaire survey was administered to provide data from academic administrators who were involved in QA implementation. A response rate of 58.8 per cent (n = 158) was achieved. Secondly, a semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted and a total of 20 administrative staff from the three selected TPUs were interviewed. In the light of the respondents' responsibilities the researcher assumed that they had been involved in the policies and the processes of QA implementation and HRD practices in their institution and thus this gave significant credibility to their responses.
The data indicated a fairly direct relationship between the external factors and policy frameworks, and the institutional responses; it also indicated that these factors and frameworks influenced QA implementation and HRD practices in TPUs. TPUs have responded to the need for change in higher education which involves the development of QA in the following ways: QA policy development and implementation, introduction of QA performance mechanisms, improving governance and management, staff empowerment and leadership. The implementation of QA systems in TPUs requires the integration of HRD practices with institutional strategic policy and administrators' responsibilities to promote successful change and achieve quality performance. To promote the effectiveness of QA initiatives attention needs to be given to systematic staff development planning, involving broad institutional support, academic administrators' commitment, and staff empowerment. The 'best practices' for HRD should focus on developing administrative skills for administrators, professional career development for academic staff and the provision of sufficient resources to support these activities. To ensure long-term improvement of QA practices in higher education, HRD strategies such as institution-based staff development, systematic performance evaluation, a knowledge-sharing approach, and a collegial collaborative approach should be developed. Importantly, these approaches must be articulated and married with institutional activities and routines of individuals and groups within TPUs.
The findings of this study will be of use to educational administrators and academic staff in promoting substantial QA improvement. Furthermore, this study explored the content of QA implementation and HRD practices and allows comparisons to be made between the theory and practice in these areas providing some useful guidelines for other Thai higher education institutions. Finally, the study provides confirmation that for QA and relevant HRD to be implemented successfully in TPUs, it is essential that they 'fit with' Thai cultural norms and values.


Online shopping is buying of products or services over the Internet. When it applies to the subset of website based ad placements it is commonly referred to as Web advertising and/or Web Marketing. The Internet has brought many unique benefits to marketing including low costs in distributing information and media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing, both in terms of instant response and in eliciting response, are unique qualities of the medium. Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. A motivated person is ready to act. How the motivated person actually acts is influenced by his or her perception of the situation. Perception depends not only upon the physical stimuli, but also on the stimuli's relation to the surroundings field and on the condition within the individual. People's behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself. Perception is understood as the act of seeing what is there to be seen which is influenced by the individual, the object and the situation. Perception is the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets the information inputs to create a meaningful picture of the world. In simple terms, perception is why the same universe is viewed differently by different people. The present study was undertaken with an aim of understanding the awareness and comparing the perception towards online shopping for 100 residents of Ludhiana (Punjab, India) and the customers were selected through quota sampling. The outcome of this process is discussed in this paper.


Software is created for and with a wide range of stakeholders, from customers to management, from value-added providers to customer service personnel. These stakeholders work with teams of software engineers to develop and evolve software systems that support their activities. All of these people and their interactions are central to software development. Thus, it is crucial to investigate the dynamic and frequently changing Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering (CHASE), both before and after deployment, in order to understand current software practices, processes, and tools. In turn, this enables us to design tools and support mechanisms that improve software creation, software maintenance, and customer communication.Researchers and practitioners have long recognized the need to investigate these aspects, however, their articles are scattered across conferences and communities. This workshop will provide a unified forum for discussing high quality research studies, models, methods, and tools for human and cooperative aspects of software engineering. This will be the 8th in a series of workshops, which continue to be a meeting place for the academic, industrial, and practitioner communities interested in this area, and will give opportunities to present and discuss works-in-progress.


The diverse studies carried out with geophysical and geodetic data in the last decades greatly improved the knowledge of the Alps-Apennines system. However, most of these studies were limited to portions of the system or to the shallow structures, and for these reasons reconstruction of the tectonic setting for a larger area and for the deeper layers is still open to different approaches and interpretations; in particular, very little is known about the deeper conjunction between the two chains. In the recent past, many studies have made use of tomographic techniques to investigate the area under study. This paper is the natural extension and completion of the previously published works. Its aim is to propose a more detailed Vp and newer Vp/Vs tomographic images of the Alps-Apennines system and of the Ivrea body by profiting from the increased availability of good S phase pickings and by making use of improved inversion techniques. Some of the main tools developed in the tomographic techniques to evaluate the reliability of the obtained tomo images are used to outline the actual resolution power of the method-data coupling. The inversion results suggest that the Ivrea body may be characterized by a significant anomaly in the Vp/Vs ratio. The conjunction between Alps and Apennines remains partly unresolved due to the complexity of the interacting plates at greater depth.


The advancement of an organization can obviously be estimated by employees' performance.  The aim of this document is to study the relationship of organizational structure (OS) with job performance (JP) of teachers at university level. The OS is classified as: "work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization, and formalization". It was a descriptive research and the correlation technique was used. The population comprised of 22 general government universities of Punjab. Sample was selected through simple random sampling technique which comprised of 720 teachers from 12 universities. Data was gathered through two questionnaires in which one was related to classification of OS and other was job performance scale. The data was analysed through quantitative methods. The results of the study revealed that the sampled universities have organic structure. The OS of publicly owned universities was more organic than privately owned universities. The outcomes showed that a positive, weak association exists between OS and teachers' JP.


Gait recognition (GR) is a growing biometric modality used for person identification from a distance through visual cameras. GR provides a secure and reliable alternative to fingerprint and face recognition, as it is harder to distinguish between false and authentic signals. Furthermore, its resistance to spoofing makes GR suitable for all types of environments. With the rise of deep learning, steadily improving strides have been made in GR technology with promising results in various contexts. As video surveillance becomes more prevalent, new obstacles arise, such as ensuring uniform performance evaluation across different protocols, reliable recognition despite shifting lighting conditions, fluctuations in gait patterns, and protecting privacy.This survey aims to give an overview of GR and analyze the environmental elements and complications that could affect it in comparison to other biometric recognition systems. The primary goal is to examine the existing deep learning (DL) techniques employed for human GR that may generate new research opportunities.


We present the first simulations of the self-assembly kinetics of the gyroid cubic mesophase using a Boltzmann transport method. No macroscopic parameters are included in the model and three-dimensional hydrodynamics is emergent from the microscopic conservation laws. The self-assembly arises from local inter-particle interactions in an initially homogeneous, phase-segregating binary fluid with dispersed amphiphile. The mixture evolves in discrete time according to the dynamics of a set of coupled Boltzmann-BGK equations on a lattice. We observe a transient microemulsion phase during self-assembly, the structure function peaks and direct-space imaging unequivocally identifying the gyroid at later times. For larger lattices, highly ordered subdomains are separated by grain boundaries. Relaxation towards the ordered equilibrium structure is very slow compared to the diffusive and microemulsion-assembling transients, the structure function oscillating in time due to a combination of Marangoni effects and long-time-scale defect dynamics.


The transmission of data over Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) poses significant constraints on the energy and bandwidth of the communication system. We consider the problem of decision fusion in a distributed detection system in a classical parallel fusion structure by incorporating the fading channel layer that is omnipresent in wireless sensor networks. We use channel coding and transmit diversity schemes, Equal Gain Combining (EGC) and Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC). We employ a multi-carrier modulation scheme over the wireless communication channel. This paper proposes the use of Hamming, Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) Coding, or Viterbi coding. Interleaving is also suggested in this paper using chaotic Baker map randomization for the reduction of the Bit Error Rate (BER). Moreover, the chaotic interleaving adds a degree of security to the transmitted data. Simulation results show that the application of coding and interleaving achieves a performance improvement in the wireless sensor network.


A 75-year-old male presented with difficult defecation and increasing urinary frequency over a few months. He had a significant history of previous partial gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma 20 years prior. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis showed extensive lymphadenopathy, a gastric mass and rectal as well as bladder wall thickening with bilateral ureterohydronephrosis. Normal looking serosal surfaces of the bladder and bowel were seen on laparoscopy and a defunctioning ileostomy was created. Gastroscopy revealed a malignant mass while cystoscopy and sigmoidscopy found extensive tumour growth lining the mucosal surfaces. Biopsies from all sites were compatible with intestinal type adenocarcinoma of gastric origin with few signet ring cells. Metabolic response to palliative chemotherapy was good and the patient's symptoms have improved on follow-up four months post ileostomy. We discuss the immunohistochemical profile of the tumour and review the literature.


Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are of growing use in aircrafts owing to their high specific strength and stiffness. Micro-mechanism of damages and microscopic chemical properties of the CFRPs is a key to understand the mechanical properties and durability of these materials. Especially the initiation and propagation along fiber/polymer interfaces is of great importance. However, most experimental observations have been carried out for surfaces (cross sections) of CFRP specimens typically using electron microscopes, where the crack propagation along the fibers, i.e. along the thickness direction of a specimen, cannot be observed. Recent reports pioneered non-destructive and three-dimensional (3D) observation using X-ray computed tomography (X-CT), but their special resolutions are limited down to ca. few or sub μm. Here we have succeeded in non-destructive and 3D observation of cracks initiation and propagation with a resolution of less than 50 nm under an applied stress with a new x-ray transmission microscope (XRM) using synchrotron radiation. Optimization of apparatus and experimental techniques of mechanical testing is the key for in situ X-CT observation, which is especially a challenging task in the case of X-CT with a high resolution less than μm. We have developed techniques of nano-mechanical testing for in situ X-CT observation by indentation with a diamond edge to initiate and propagate cracks, or tensile testing. Using the nano-mechanical testing for in situ XCT, we have succeeded in non-destructive and 3D observation of the initiation and propagation of cracks with a resolution down to 50 nm under an applied stress.


: Mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MC) typically do not respond to current conventional therapy. We have previously demonstrated amplification of HER2 in 6 of 33 (18.2%) mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MC) and presented anecdotal evidence of response with HER2 targeted treatment in a small series of women with recurrent HER2 amplified (HER2+) MC. Here, we explore HER2 amplification and KRAS mutation status in an independent cohort of 189 MCs and 199 mucinous borderline ovarian tumours (MBOT) and their association to clinicopathologic features. HER2 status was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC), FISH and CISH and interpreted per ASCO/CAP guidelines, with intratumoral heterogeneity assessment on full sections, where available. KRAS mutation testing was performed with Sanger sequencing. Stage and grade were associated with recurrence on both univariate and multivariate analysis (p< 0.001). Assessment of HER2 status revealed overexpression/amplification of HER2 in 29/154 (18.8%) MC and 11/176 (6.2%) MBOT. There was excellent agreement between IHC, FISH and CISH assessment of HER2 status (perfect concordance of HER2 0 or 1+ IHC with non-amplified status, and 3+ IHC with amplified status). KRAS mutations were seen in 31/71 (43.6%) MC and 26/33 (78.8%) MBOT, and were near mutually exclusive of HER2 amplification. In the 189 MC cases a total of 54 recurrences and 59 deaths (53 of progressive disease) were observed. Within MC either HER2 amplification/overexpression or KRAS mutation was associated with decreased likelihood of disease recurrence (p=0.019) or death (p=0.0041) when compared to cases with neither feature. Intra-tumoral heterogeneity was noted in 26% of HER2 overexpressing cases. These data support the stratification of MC for the testing of new treatments, with HER2 targeted therapy as a viable option for HER2+ advanced or recurrent disease. Further research is required to delineate the molecular and clinical features of the ~34% of MC cases with neither HER2 amplification nor KRAS mutations. mucinous BOT cases, ii) determine the rate of concordance between IHC, FISH and CISH results and whether standard ASCO/CAP HER2 breast criteria are appropriate in the determination of HER2 status in MC/MBOT, iii) investigate whether or not tumor heterogeneity (intratumoral) of HER2 expression is common in this tumor (as has been observed in gastric carcinoma), iv) examine the frequency of KRAS mutations across HER2 amplified and non-amplified MC/MBOT v) determine the prognostic significance of HER2 and KRAS status in mucinous ovarian tumours, and vi) test for associations of clinical parameters with outcome in mucinous tumours and whether any of these may also be associated with HER2 status.


Abstract This article investigates the relationship between levels of party institutionalization and individual-level partisan mobilization. Levels of party institutionalization have been linked to macro-level outcomes such as party system stability, but little is known about the micro-level underpinnings of such patterns. This article investigates one set of mechanisms through which party institutionalization might affect electoral outcomes. Specifically, we ask how routinization and value infusion – two central dimensions of party institutionalization – shape partisans' political mobilization. We investigate these relationships by matching data on individual-level behaviour (taken from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) 2014 wave) with data on party attributes commonly associated with levels of institutionalization (taken from the Democratic Accountability and Linkages Project – DALP). We find that while value infusion encourages relatively greater participation from non-member supporters, party routinization depresses non-member participation but may mobilize otherwise inactive members. These findings suggest that to understand the effects of party institutionalization on a macro-level phenomenon such as electoral volatility, it may be necessary to study how parties institutionalize, rather than just asking how much they institutionalize.


Neutral endopeptidase (NEP/CD10) is a cell surface zinc metalloprotease cleaving peptide bounds on the amino terminus of hydrophobic amino acids and inactivating multiple physiologically active peptides. Loss or decrease in NEP/CD10 expression have been reported in many types of malignancies, but the role of NEP/CD10 in pancreatic carcinoma has not yet been identified. Using real‐time RT‐PCR, flow cytometry as well as immunohistochemistry, NEP/CD10 expression was quantified in both pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and in tumor specimens obtained from patients with primary pancreatic carcinomas. Three out of 8 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines exhibit heterogeneous NEP/CD10 expression levels: PATU‐8988T expressed the highest NEP/CD10 levels, whereas HUP‐T4 and HUP‐T3 cells showed a moderate to low NEP/CD10 expression. NEP/CD10 immunoreactivity was found in 6 of 24 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, but also in 3 of 6 tissues of patients with chronic pancreatitis. NEP/CD10 expression in pancreatic tumor lesions and cell lines was not associated with tumor grading and staging. Treatment of PATU‐8988T cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitors sodium butyrate and valproic acid induced an increase of NEP/CD10 expression. This was accompanied by a reduced cell proliferation rate of PATU‐8988T cells, which was increased by the addition of the enzyme activity inhibitors phosphoramidon and thiorphan. Thus, NEP/CD10 is differentially expressed in pancreatic tumors and might be involved in the proliferative activity of pancreatic cancer cells. However, further studies are needed to provide more detailed information of the role of NEP/CD10 under physiological and pathophysiological conditions of the pancreas. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Background: Healthcare anywhere in the world is a dynamic environment. It requires effective and fast thinking workers who will keep the patient central amid all the change and diversity. Registered nurses are pivotal to this workforce as one of the only constants – they are present 24 hours a day. Emerging registered nurses need to be equipped with leadership skills, knowledge and behaviours to ensure patient safety and effective nursing care is provided. These facets need to be developed in undergraduate nursing students to help them to manage themselves, their environment and their patients/clients as they prepare to transition into the workplace. Active Learning is a concept frequently used in the practice development world. The integration of critical thinking with creative use of multiple intelligences embodies Active Learning in action (Dewing, 2008, p 273). Use of this style of learning in undergraduate education is not well documented in literature. Aim: This paper looks briefly at the introduction of Active Learning in an undergraduate curriculum, but focuses on the author's reflection and key learning surrounding its implementation and its impact on teachers/facilitators. It then makes recommendations from the reflection and learning to enhance the use of Active Learning in undergraduate settings. Concluding questions : • How can Active Learning be integrated meaningfully into undergraduate education? • How can an educator facilitate Active Learning effectively in classrooms? • Is practice development a requirement to implement Active Learning?


This article is intended to give an overview of an alternative treatment plan for mandibular posterior replacements and descriptions of techniques. Practitioners who possess a basic knowledge of fixed prosthodontics and corrective orthodontic capabilities could successfully treat such a case.


The objectives of this project has been to map the work environment of earth moving machinery operators and suggest improvements. Interviews with operators and contractors; assessments of personal injury risks and costs to the companies and suggestions for improvements based on literature, statistics and interviews have been carried out The results show that the work environment is strenuous. Overexertion injuries and falling are the most common injuries. The cost of injuries is estimated at approximately 1/3 of the company profit. Risk reducing measures are suggested and discussed. It is concluded that the operators have a strenuous work environment and that the injuries are expensive, but possible to reduce.


With the need for ever increasing sums of money to fuel the ongoing campaign for majority control, both Republicans and Democrats have made large donations to the party and its candidates mandatory for members seeking advancement within party and congressional committee hierarchies. Eric S. Heberlig and Bruce A. Larson analyze this development and discuss its implications for American government and democracy. They address the consequences of selecting congressional leaders on the basis of their fundraising skills rather than their legislative capacity and the extent to which the battle for majority control leads Congress to prioritize short-term electoral gains over long-term governing and problem-solving.


The basal eukaryotic transcription machinery for protein coding genes is highly conserved from unicellular yeast to higher eukaryotes. Whereas TATA-containing promoters in human cells usually contain a single transcription start site (TSS) located ∼30 bp downstream of the TATA element, transcription in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae typically initiates at multiple sites within a window ranging from 30 to 70 bp or 40 to 200 bp downstream of a TATA element, respectively. By exchanging highly purified factors between reconstituted S. pombe and S. cerevisiae transcription systems, we confirmed previous observations that the dual exchange of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) and transcription factor IIB (TFIIB) confer the distinct initiation patterns between these yeast species. Surprisingly, however, further genetic and biochemical assays of TFIIB chimeras revealed that TFIIB and the proposed B-finger/reader domain do not play a role in determining the distinct initiation patterns between S. pombe and S. cerevisiae, but rather, these patterns are solely due to differences in RNAPII. These results are discussed within the context of a proposed model for the mechanistic coupling of the efficiency of early phosphodiester bond formation during productive TSS utilization and intrinsic elongation proficiency.


In article the problem of estimation of efficiency of methodical work in preschool educational institutions in the conditions of introduction of Federal requirements to structure of the basic general educational program of preschool educational institution is disclosed. The author defines distinctive features of the methodical work developed in modern conditions of development of educational practice. Approaches to selection and the description of criteria of estimation of available system of methodical work, indicators of estimation, measuring instruments are offered. The expert card of estimation of efficiency of methodical work is presented.


Purpose
When simulating fluid-structure interaction (FSI), it is often essential that the no-slip condition is accurately enforced at the wetted boundary of the structure. This paper aims to evaluate the relative strengths and limitations of the penalty and Lagrange multiplier methods, within the context of modelling FSI, through a comparative analysis.

Design/methodology/approach
In the immersed boundary method, the no-slip condition is typically imposed by augmenting the governing equations of the fluid with an artificial body force. The relative accuracy and computational time of the penalty and Lagrange multiplier formulations of this body force are evaluated by using each to solve three test problems, namely, flow through a channel, the harmonic motion of a cylinder through a stationary fluid and the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a cylinder.

Findings
The Lagrange multiplier formulation provided an accurate solution, especially when enforcing the no-slip condition, and was robust as it did not require "tuning" of problem specific parameters. However, these benefits came at a higher computational cost relative to the penalty formulation. The penalty formulation achieved similar levels of accuracy to the Lagrange multiplier formulation, but only if the appropriate penalty factor was selected, which was difficult to determine a priori.

Originality/value
Both the Lagrange multiplier and penalty formulations of the immersed boundary method are prominent in the literature. A systematic quantitative comparison of these two methods is presented within the same computational environment. A novel application of the Lagrange multiplier method to the modelling of VIV is also provided.


Bacterial keratitis is a sight‐threatening corneal disease that is most commonly associated with the extended wear of soft contact lenses. Over the past decade, we have investigated the pathogenesis of infectious keratitis involving the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our research has focused on understanding the respective roles of bacteria and host in the establishment of this infection. Here, we provide a current perspective on P. aeruginosa keratitis, reviewing some of the research developments that have helped shape our views on the mechanisms by which pathogen and host response cause corneal disease. P. aeruginosa may provide a model for the pathogenesis of bacterial keratitis and help further elucidate the complex array of host factors that normally protect the cornea from infectious agents.


In I893 and I897 field-parties from the American Museum were sent out by Professor Osborn to collect in the Pleistocene at this locality, a bone-bed near the Niobrara River, not far from Hay Springs. A large collection of horse and camel remains was obtained, and a few specimens of other animals. The horses have been carefully studied by Mr. Gidley, the camels by Dr. Wortman; the remainder of the fauna has been revised and partially studied by the writer, but no results have hitherto been published. A list of the fauna may be of some interest to compare with that found in the Sheridan or Equus Beds at other localities. The appended lists, when based on materials in the Cope Collection, are from determinations by Professor Cope, revised in a few cases by the writer.


To understand the genetic diversity and differentiation of Vietnamese melon (Cucumis melo L.), we collected 64 landraces from the central and southern parts of the country and assessed molecular polymorphism using simple sequence repeat and random amplified polymorphic DNA markers. The Vietnamese melon was divided into seven cultivar groups, namely "Dua le", "Dua vang", "Dua bo", "Dua gang-andromonoecious", "Dua gang-monoecious", "Dua thom", "Montok", and the weedy-type melon "Dua dai". Among these, Dua le, Dua vang, Dua bo, and Dua gang-andromonoecious are cultivated on plains and they formed cluster II along with the reference accessions of Conomon and Makuwa. Based on genetic distance, Dua le and Dua vang were regarded as Makuwa and Dua bo and Dua gang-andromonoecious as Conomon. In contrast, Dua thom and Montok are cultivated in highlands, and they formed cluster III along with landraces from the southern and eastern foot of the Himalayas. Dua gang-monoecious which is commonly cultivated in the southern parts of Vietnam, exhibited the greatest genetic diversity, as explained by its possible origin through the hybridization between Dua gang-andromonoecious and Montok. Genetic differences in melon landraces between plains and highlands and hybridization between these two geographical groups have contributed to the enhancement of genetic diversity in Vietnamese melon.


The Six4/AREC3 gene was originally isolated as a regulatory factor which bound to the positive regulatory region of the Na, K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit. It is a murine homologue of the Drosophila sine oculis (so) gene, which is essential for the development of the entire insect visual system. In this study, we attempted to determine the localization of the Six4/AREC3 gene product in the developing mouse retina in order to examine its role in retinal cell differentiation. Immunohistochemistry with anti-SIX4/AREC3 and anti-Na, K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit antisera was performed on developing mouse retinas, and immunoblotting analysis with anti-SIX4/AREC3 was also performed. The localization of Six4-like immunoreactivity (Six4-LI) showed a temporally regulated pattern: During embryonic development, Six4-LI was found in the nuclei of cells located at the inner neuroblastic layer of the retina as early as on ED12, nearly corresponding to the onset of retinal cell differentiation. In the PD1 retina, Six4-LI was observed in the nuclei of the ganglion cells, and increased its intensity until PD4, and thereafter kept its intensity until PD7 when Six4-LI was often found in the cytoplasm. On PD4, the presumptive amacrine cells found in the inner portion of the inner nuclear layer appeared to be immunostained in their nuclei. On PD7, the presumptive bipolar cells located in the outer portion were immunostained in the nuclei. After that, Six4-LI gradually decreased, and in the mature retina no detectable Six4-LI was observed in the nuclei. This pattern of Six4-LI localization during retinal development seemed to correlate with retinal cell differentiation, but did not correlate with the distribution pattern of Na, K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit protein-like immunoreactivity. These results suggest that the Six4 gene may play a role in the differentiation of neural retinal cells during mouse retinal development, rather than regulating the expression of the Na, K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit gene.


As part of a research project to examine the effects of thin capping, test fields were established at 30 and 100 m depth in the outer Grenlandfjord in September 2009. One field was treated with crushed limestone, one field was treated with clay dredged from a nearby location and two fields were treated with a mixture of dredged clay and activated carbon (AC). Biogeochemical fluxes, release of chlororganic compounds to the overlying water and uptake in two sediment-living organisms were investigated in box-core samples transferred from test fields and reference locations to the mesocosm laboratory at Solbergstrand in October 2009 and November 2010. Oxygen and nitrogen nutrient fluxes were not significantly affected by capping. Anomalous fluxes of phosphate and silicate were observed in the first investigation and primarily in sediments treated with the limestone material. In all boxes transferred in 2009 and in boxes from clay and AC treatments transferred in 2010, bioaccumulation and leakage of dioxins (PCDD/F-TEQ) was 67% 91% lower than at the uncapped reference fields. At the two fields treated with limestone gravel and dredged clay without activated carbon, however, cap efficiencies had decreased to less than 46%. It was concluded that for the cap thicknesses of <5 cm applied in the Grenland field experiment, ACamendment was required to obtain satisfactory cap performance. 4 keywords, Norwegian 4 keywords, English 1. Tiltak 1. Remediation 2. Dioksiner 2. Dioxins 3. Biotilgjengelighet 3. Bioavailability 4. Felteksperiment 4. Field experiment Morten Thorne Schaanning Kristoffer Naes Kristoffer Naes Project Manager Research Director Reseach Director ISBN 978-82-577-6020-5 Field experiment on thin-layer capping in Ormefjorden and Eidangerfjorden, Telemark Functional response and bioavailability of dioxins 20092011


In order to investigate the possible reversibility of renal osteodystrophy, eleven necrograft recipients were investigated six years after transplantation, when treatment with prednisone had been withdrawn for 1.5 years. Serum ionised calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatases, PTH, skeletal radiography, Technetium polyphosphate (Tc-PP) bone scintigraphy and radial bone mineral content (BMC) were studied. Normal blood biochemistry, radiography and Tc-PP scintigraphy were found in nine (82%) of the patients, in contrast to the considerably higher frequency of abnormalities ordinarily found in haemodialysis patients. However, the radial BMC was significantly reduced (mean 13.5%) and identical with the BMC value in haemodialysis patients. We conclude that some regression of renal osteodystrophy may take place after a successful kidney transplantation, but that decreased mineralisation of the appendicular skeleton persists. Whether this latter finding is due to long-term steroid treatment or is an indicator of an irreversible component in renal osteodystrophy cannot be stated.


The NmrA repressor protein of Aspergillus nidulans was overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Gel-exclusion chromatography showed that NmrA was monomeric in solution under the buffer conditions used. The protein was crystallized in three forms, belonging to trigonal, monoclinic and hexagonal space groups. Two of these crystal forms (A and B) diffract to high resolution and thus appear suitable for structure determination. Crystal form A belongs to space group P3((1))21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 76.8, c = 104.9 A. Crystal form B belongs to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 148.8, b = 64.3, c = 110.2 A, beta = 121.8 degrees.


Building on the early European experiments with animated shadow figures, American dalang Larry Reed – narrator and puppet manipulator – has enlarged Balinese shadow puppetry to cinema-sized dimensions and combined it with live actors and dancers. In conjunction with Balinese puppet masters, Reed has created several pieces which explore the interaction between puppets and human shadow figures as well as performers in front of the screen. Moreover, Reed's productions are bilingual and bi-cultural, mixing Balinese and American humour and mythology so that the hybrid creations find favour with audiences in both locations. As his technique increasingly becomes refined in the process, each new production expands more subtly on the theme of melding shadow with flesh and the blurring of illusion and reality.


Abstract Crystal growth in firn and shallow ice is studied by examining crystal size and ,c-axis orientation fabrics in two ice cores drilled at sites Dome Summit South and DE08, near the summit of Law Dome, East Antarctica. The snow-accumulation rates at the core sites are particularly high (640 and 1160 kg m−2 a−1, respectively) compared to other Antarctic sites. Crystal-growth rates above the firn/ice transition depth (at 70-80 m) are found to be in agreement with the generally used growth-rate-temperature relation (Stephenson, 1967; Gow, 1969), sometimes referred to as "normal grain growth". In the shallow ice layers below this depth and down to about 300 m, the observed crystal-growth rates are enhanced compared to normal grain growth. Also in this shallow ice, crystal ,c-axis orientation measurements show development of anisotropic fabrics indicative of ice flow at strains well above 1%. In earlier work, Jacka and Li (1994) described the development in clean ice of steady-state ice-crystal size (inversely proportional to the stress and largely independent of temperature) during the onset of flow-related crystal anisotropy, i.e. dynamic recrystallisation. It is concluded here that as a consequence of the high accumulation rates, relatively high deformation rates are generated in the shallow ice. The deformation rates are sufficiently high that "dynamic recrystallisation" takes over from "normal crystal growth" as the dominant crystal-growth mechanism. This leads to a rapid increase in crystal size from the slow-growing small firn crystals towards the larger size appropriate to the stress.


Foreign bodies that result from traumatic injury may be the cause of many clinical symptoms. Chronic otitis externa is one of the many clinical symptoms following a traumatic perforation of a foreign body from the oral cavity penetrating the deep tissue of the neck and ultimately lodging in the external ear canal. We discuss two such uncommon cases.


The major problem confronting Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the mining industry is the remediation method. Active treatment used large amount of chemicals and normally require high cost to operate. Treatment causes other environmental problems such as the production of sludge. While long duration mechanism took from passive treatment is a disadvantage for industry. Although passive treatment is less costly compared to active treatment, it usually takes months or years to treat the AMD from mining and only applied at abandoned mining site. In addition, passive treatment requires greater space during the treatment processes. Insufficient land use and unsuitable topography nowadays makes passive treatment hard to apply. Due to that reason, batch tests have been conducted to study on the diffusion of alkaline in different length and concentration of modified ceramic membrane. The optimal surface area and alkaline concentration were identified in order to develop semi-passive treatment experiment. Column experiment had been conducted to study on the efficiency of semi-passive treatment for neutralization of AMD. Results shows that chemical diffusion increased with increased of alkaline concentration and different surface area also influenced rate of diffusion. A total alkalinity for 20g is highest compared to 5g at 40250 mg/l and 23750 mg/l, respectively. Larger surface area makes alkaline particles easily spread. Therefore, ceramic membrane with 8cm gives the largest surface area compared to 2cm ceramic membrane. Results from sampling and analysis of treated effluent on a daily basis over 4 months period show the efficiencies of column experiment for increasing pH and alkalinity, removing of SO2 4- and selected heavy metals from effluent. As the time duration of semi-passive depends on the alkaline concentration in the column, thus it suffers limitations once the alkaline material is fully utilized. Column experiments showed a high percentage of heavy metals removal, with removal values of Cadmium, Ferum, Manganese and Zinc at 22.73%, 93.24%, 88.88% and 98.50%, respectively. Extensive research should be conducted thoroughly to obtain the optimum performance and characterization of semi-passive treatment for AMD by using different media as absorbents, such as polyurethane or activated carbon.


CN06-01 Incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer are higher in African-American women than any other ethnic group in the United States and the disparity may be widening. The obesity epidemic in the United States has disproportionately affected African-American women, with obesity being nearly twice as prevalent in African-Americans as Whites. The causes of these increasing rates of obesity are not well understood, although it is hypothesized to be caused by dietary changes and decreased physical activity in the general population over time. An appreciable body of evidence suggests that leisure-time physical activity reduces the incidence of colon cancer. There is much less evidence on whether physical activity protects against colorectal adenomas, which are thought to be precursors to most colon cancers, although the evidence has been inconsistent. No findings have been reported on the relation of physical activity to the incidence of colorectal polyps in African-American women. We report here on the effect of obesity and physical activity on the incidence of colorectal polyps in the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), a large follow-up study of black women in the U.S. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):CN06-01.


The Latemar reef buildup of the central Dolomites (northern Italy) provides a rare opportunity to examine an in-place Middle Triassic (Upper Anisian to Lower Ladinian) platform margin that is not strongly deformed or dolomitized. The margin lies between the flat lying platform interior and steeply dipping foreslope clinoforms. Across this transition, the depositional profile relates directly to a consistent lateral facies pattern: (1) restricted-biota grainstone of the platform interior, (2) 'Tubiphytes'-rich boundstone and (3) diverse-biota grainstone that grades into (4) foreslope breccia beds. The boundstone and diverse-biota grainstone facies comprise the platform margin.

The boundstone facies consists of a framework of small (< 10 cm) skeletal remains (< 10% by volume) with associated biotic crusts, internal sediments and syndepositional cements. Crusts and cements constitute most of the rock volume and created the boundstone fabric. Biotic crusts exhibit gravity-defying geometries and range from a light grey, 'structure grumeleuse' rind to dark grey, micritic laminae. Both cements and biotic crusts occur as redeposited talus in the foreslope talus deposits, indicating a syndepositional origin.

The diverse-biota grainstone facies primarily consists of skeletal-peloidal grainstone with a diverse open marine biotic assemblage, in contrast to the restricted biota grainstones of the platform interior that have a low diversity, restricted marine biota. Metre scale hexacoral boundstone and centimetre-scale sponge boundstone and microbial boundstone occur as isolated patches (tens to hundreds of metres apart) within the diverse-biota grainstone facies.

The depositional profile, facies zonation and biotic constituents all indicate that the Latemar buildup had a shallow water reef margin, in contrast to previous interpretations that these were upper slope reefs. The syndepositional biotic crusts and inorganic cementation played key roles in stabilizing the boundstone fabric to form a wave-resistant reef fabric.


Electrical contact resistance can be reduced using an array of compliant and conductive nanowires which make a large area of intimate contact with an opposing surface. In this paper, analyses of electrical contact resistance, fabrication methods, and experimental results of contact resistance for compliant nickel nanowires are presented. To analyze, predict, and measure the contact resistance, models of surface contact between an array of conductive nanowires and a spherical tip probe are presented. Then, an estimate of real area of contact from the measured contact resistance is discussed. The fabrication methods elaborate on electroforming nickel fibers using commercially available nano-porous filters. Finally, experimental results of contact resistance between a spherical tip probe and arrays of nickel nanowires as well as the contact resistance between a flat tip probe and arrays of nickel nanowires are presented. From these experimental results, we show resistance reduction by a factor of more than 20 at a load of 10 mN or less, compared to contact with a flat sheet, and a reduction by a factor of 3 using a spherical probe.


Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and idiopathic ulcerative colitis are both mucosal diseases that bear a significant risk of developing colorectal cancer. As a consequence, their surgical treatment is currently widely performed by restorative proctocolectomy with pelvic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Herein we report a new case of cancer after IPAA that developed in a 33-year-old woman with FAP. Pouch-anal cancer was diagnosed 8 years after restorative proctocolectomy, including anorectal mucosectomy, for FAP with manifest cancer in the sigmoid colon. This case observation reemphasizes that the risk of cancer for FAP patients persists as long as any rectal mucosa remains after IPAA surgery.


Severe mitral regurgitation requiring surgery is the most common life-threatening complication of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and is due to progressive myxomatous change in the valve. We identified all residents of New South Wales, Australia, who had mitral valve surgery for myxomatous valve disease during 1982 and, using these data and the adult population statistics from 1982, estimated the cumulative risk of valve surgery in patients with MVP. In 1982, 50 of the 5.36 million New South Wales residents required surgery for this complication of MVP. Of the 50, 36 were men and 14 were women, which was significantly different from the population sex distribution (p less than 0.02) for mean age +/- SD of 60 +/- 11 years (range, 26-78 years). Using our previously determined 4% prevalence of adult MVP in New South Wales, we estimated the number of male and female patients with MVP at risk for each 5-year age interval and calculated age-specific event rates. The results show that the cumulative risk is minimal below the age of 50 years but then rises steeply, particularly in men. The risks in men aged 50, 60, and 70 years (with 95% confidence intervals) were 1:202 (130-448), 1:53 (37-82), and 1:28 (22-41), respectively. In women, the risk was less than half that in men (p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A 7-year-old girl developed an osteolytic soft tissue mass extending into the right orbital floor and maxillary sinus which was confirmed to be Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Partial lower motor 7th nerve palsy had developed, likely due-to a combination of local swelling from the tumour and the steroids.


Abstract Research on multilingual speakers is often compared to monolingual baselines which are commonly treated as if they were homogeneous across speakers. Despite recent research showing that this homogeneity does not hold, these practices reproduce native-speakerism and monolingualism. Heritage language research, which established itself in the past two decades, is no exemption. Focusing on three predefined linguistic groups, namely Turkish speakers which are framed as monolingual in Turkey as well as two heritage bilingually framed groups in Germany and the USA, we ask: (1) Do heritage speakers of Turkish produce more discourse and fluency markers (FMs) than monolingual speakers? (2) Are the groups homogeneous, or is there wide variation between speakers across groups? We focus on the variation between and within groups using Bayesian Linear Regression with a multilevel model for speakers and heritage groups. Our findings confirm that the use of discourse and FMs is largely defined through individual variation, and not through the belonging to a certain speaker group. By focusing on variation across groups rather than between groups, our study design supports the growing body of literature that questions common heritage language research practices of today and shows alternative paths to understanding heritage grammars.


Purpose: Management of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a costly challenge for practitioners of multidisciplinary pain management and for clinicians offering medical, surgical or behavioural therapy. We analyzed the outcome of FBSS treatment with the spinal cord stimulation (SCS).
Methods: A retrospective analysis involved 21 patients (10 men and 11 women, median age 50 years) suffering from FBSS. They were treated with the SCS over a 5–year period at the Department of Neurosurgery, University Clinical Centre Maribor. Their pain intensity, clinical alteration in pain relief, functional disability, employment status, analgesics consumption and complications were evaluated.
Result: The median follow–up after the SCS was 24 months. According to Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) measurement, pain intensity before the SCS was scored between 7 and 10, median value 8. After the SCS, the VAS scores ranged between 3 and 6, median value 4 (p<0.0001). A reduction in postoperative drug consumption was evident. All employed patients returned to work. Results of functional disability measured according to Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) ranged from 18% to 78% with the mean value of 39% (moderate disability).
Conclusion: The SCS is a treatment of choice for patients with FBSS–associated chronic leg pain, where the pain persists in spite of the optimized conventional pain treatment. It improves the quality of life, reduces drug consumption and enables patients to return to work.


Today's student body is radically more heterogeneous, and has different expectations, to previous generations. Universities must adapt to ensure inclusive provision; many have attempted to enable effective transition through tutoring systems. However, the most effective approach to tutoring continues to be debated. This workshop tackles pertinent questions such as should the tutorial system be mandatory, or should students be allowed to opt out? Since the turn of the 21st century, higher education has undergone unprecedented change. Greater diversity in learner background and experience has resulted in a student body which is radically more heterogeneous than in previous generations. Today's learners enter higher education with very different expectations and assumptions about their experience compared with previous cohorts. Furthermore, increasing fees mean that students anticipate receiving the maximum return on their investment. Universities therefore need to adapt quickly to ensure inclusive provision, and to guard against disengagement through issues of alienation and/or poor decision-making. To assist students effectively, new strategies must be implemented that will enable effective transition, thus ensuring student engagement both academically, and within the wider university community. A strategy commonly employed by universities to facilitate this transition is the academic or personal tutor system and many institutions have recently revisited these systems in order to ensure they are as viable as possible. However, there continues to be much deliberation surrounding the role of the tutor and the most effective means of engaging students. A number of questions need to be addressed including 'should the emphasis be on academic or personal?', 'How can students be signposted without feeling they have been abandoned by the tutor?' ' Should the tutorial system be embedded in the curriculum or timetabled separately?' 'Must involvement in the system be mandatory or should students be allowed to opt out?' This workshop intends to tackle these and other pertinent questions through a series of anonymous scenarios.


With the increasing number of people surviving cancer, patients and doctors are becoming equally focused on the quality of life in survivorship as they are on fighting cancer. Consequently, cardio-oncology has emerged as a new clinical discipline with focus on both the stratification of patients at risk and therapies that pose a cardiovascular risk, eg molecularly targeted therapies including tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Therefore, nonclinical research should strive not only to detect preclinical drug-induced changes in cardiac structure or function, but also to understand the relevance of these cardiotoxic effects to humans. As is typical for new disciplines, there is an unmet need for early and predictive tools to identify both of these factors. Currently, preclinical assessment of cardiovascular toxicity consists of repeat-dose in vivo toxicity studies focused primarily on histopathological endpoints; additional measures, such as cardiac function and biomarkers of cardiac injury, are not routinely assessed in these studies. Furthermore, analysis of these studies suggests that using young and healthy, drug-naive animals do not adequately translate the TKI-induced cardiomyopathy phenotype; therefore, new nonclinical models are needed to address this gap. The developed model would ideally be used to assess the preclinical cardiotoxicity of proposed oncology therapies, but may also have utility in assessing cardioprotective therapies for use in cardio-oncology. This poster will propose a new model for studying cardio-oncology nonclinically that includes myocardial transcriptional signatures, strain echocardiography imaging, and pharmacologic (dobutamine) stress challenge. In general, rats with radiotelemetry were treated with vehicle or low dose doxorubicin (2 mg/kg/week IP) for 1 month. Cardiac structure and function at rest and during stress were assessed using strain echocardiography in concert with a weekly dobutamine infusion. Circulating blood biomarkers of cardiac toxicity (eg, NTproBNP, NTproANP, cTropin, and miR-208) were collected weekly and at necropsy. At the end of the study, samples of cardiac tissue were taken from the ventricular apex and were submitted for transcriptional profiling along with standard histopathology. These data as well as recent publications give high confidence in developing a rodent model predictive of drug-induced cardiomyopathy. Citation Format: Michelle Hemkens, Samantha Cardenas, Jessica Frey, Brad Hirakawa, Petra Koza-Taylor, Jianying Wang, Paul Butler. Development of a nonclinical model for the assessment of oncology therapy-induced cardiomyopathy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-203.


Mutations in the gene for the human renal-type vasopressin receptor (V2R) have recently been identified in patients with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). Both V2R and NDI have been independently mapped to Xq28. Using a combination of genetic and physical mapping, we have localized the murine V2r locus to within 100 kb of L1Cam on the mouse X chromosome in a region syntenic with human Xq28. Based on conserved gene order of mouse and human loci in this region, physical mapping using DNA derived from human lymphoblasts has established that the corresponding human loci V2R and L1CAM are linked within 210 kb. The efficiency and precision of genetic mapping of V2r and other loci in the mouse suggest that it might be easier to map additional human genes in the mouse first and infer the corresponding human location. More precise physical mapping in man could then be performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and/or yeast artificial chromosomes.


Background: Ganoderma amboinense is rich in fibers, minerals, and vitamins. This antler-shaped mushroom contains various antioxidant compounds called polyphenols and flavonoids. Antioxidants can counteract or deactivate free radicals in plants and animals by turning them into less reactive compounds. The methods of compound extraction are numerous and with different effects on the concentration of active compounds. Hence, selecting a correct extraction method becomes necessary.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this stuidy is to compare two extraction methods, namely, extraction by maceration and Soxhlet extraction, based on the total phenolic contents and the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extracts (96%) of G. amboinense.

Materials and Methods: The ethanol extract was obtained from maceration and Soxhlet extraction. The total phenolic content of 96% ethanol extract of G. amboinense was determined using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry with Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, while the antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method.

Results: Thin-layer chromatography produces ethanol extracts, from either maceration or Soxhlet extraction, that contain phenolic compounds. The total phenolic contents of the ethanol extracts from maceration and Soxhlet extraction are 26.72 ± 1.13 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g of extract and 23.27 ± 1.07 mg GAE/g of extract, respectively. The effective scavenging 50% values of gallic acid and ethanol extract are, respectively, 2.476 μg/ml and 197.6 μg/ml.

Conclusion: Maceration produces ethanol extract of G. amboinense with higher total phenolic content than Soxhlet extraction. The research findings indicate that the ethanol extract has in vitro antioxidant activity.


Meiotic drivers are selfish genetic elements that manipulate meiosis to increase their transmission to the next generation to the detriment of the rest of the genome. One example is the t haplotype in house mice, which is a naturally occurring meiotic driver with deleterious traits—poor fitness in polyandrous matings and homozygote inviability or infertility—that prevent its fixation. Recently, we discovered and validated a novel effect of t in a long-term field study on free-living wild house mice and with experiments: t-carriers are more likely to disperse. Here, we ask what known traits of the t haplotype can select for a difference in dispersal between t-carriers and wildtype mice. To that end, we built individual-based models with dispersal loci on the t and the homologous wildtype chromosomes. We also allow for density-dependent expression of these loci. The t haplotype consistently evolves to increase the dispersal propensity of its carriers, particularly at high densities. By examining variants of the model that modify different costs caused by t, we show that the increase in dispersal is driven by the deleterious traits of t, disadvantage in polyandrous matings and lethal homozygosity or male sterility. Finally, we show that an increase in driver-carrier dispersal can evolve across a range of values in driver strength and disadvantages.


This paper provides a model-based impact analysis of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the four main regional blocks in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It uses the Modular Agricultural GeNeral Equilibrium Tool (MAGNET), a multi-region computable general equilibrium model. To provide a comprehensive analysis, other key EU policies, such as trade or GHG policies, are modelled as well. A thoroughly prepared reference scenario is contrasted with a counterfactual scenario, where the CAP is removed and ambitious trade agreements with non-African EU trade partners are implemented. Results provide interesting insights into the identification and quantification of - mainly indirect - effects of the CAP in SSA. Acknowledgement :


The investigation of the cleaning effectiveness of air cleaners under realistic conditions is challenging. Mathematical models are needed to extract characteristic properties of the air cleaning system from experimental data. An incremental evaluation model based on a source term and a total first-order loss coefficient in each segment was developed to analyze indoor particle measurements. The application of the model is demonstrated using two scenarios, one in a well-mixed testing room and another in a fully equipped aircraft cabin at 750 hPa with a typical aircraft ventilation system. In the first scenario, a normalized version of the model is used to eliminate the source's influence. For the investigation in the aircraft cabin, the model served to extract temporal and spatial resolved source terms and first-order loss coefficients. The incremental evaluation model is applicable to enhance the certification of air cleaners. The application of the model is not only limited to particles; measurements of gaseous compounds like ozone, carbon dioxide, or volatile organic compounds can be evaluated analogously. The model's utility for the data analysis of experiments with complex flow conditions should be studied in further investigations.


We consider a transformed Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process model that can be a good candidate for modelling real-life processes characterized by a combination of time-reverting behaviour with heavy distribution tails. We begin with presenting the results of an exploratory statistical analysis of the log prices of a major Australian public company, demonstrating several key features typical of such time series. Motivated by these findings, we suggest a simple transformed Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process model and analyze its properties showing that the model is capable of replicating our empirical findings. We also discuss three different estimators for the drift coefficient in the underlying (unobservable) Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process which is the key descriptor of dependence in the process.


Although neural NLP models are highly expressive and empirically successful, they also systematically fail in counterintuitive ways and are opaque in their decision-making process. This tutorial will provide a background on interpretation techniques, i.e., methods for explaining the predictions of NLP models. We will first situate example-specific interpretations in the context of other ways to understand models (e.g., probing, dataset analyses). Next, we will present a thorough study of example-specific interpretations, including saliency maps, input perturbations (e.g., LIME, input reduction), adversarial attacks, and influence functions. Alongside these descriptions, we will walk through source code that creates and visualizes interpretations for a diverse set of NLP tasks. Finally, we will discuss open problems in the field, e.g., evaluating, extending, and improving interpretation methods.


【Purpose : The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of three types of therapeutic exercises by applying them to lower back pain patients. Methods : This program was conducted for 30 patients 30 to 55 years old, who visited a rehabilitation center due to lower back pain. We separated participants into three groups with different therapeutic exercises: one with lumbar stabilization exercises, another with stretching exercises, and the other with both exercises. Each exercise was held once a day, 3 days a week, for 6 weeks. We analyzed the effect of these exercises by checking the change of lumbar muscle strength and pain relief. Lumbar muscle strength was measured by AS-Med and pain strength was estimated by VAS. Results : The result of the programs was established according to the following list: 1) Lumbar stabilization exercises and stretching exercises lead to higher lumbar muscle strength and pain relief (p】


Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) is the main pathogen responsible for causing haematopoietic necrosis disease in Carassius auratus gibelio. Although many nucleic acid-based diagnostic methods have been applied, no stable and sensitive immunological diagnostic approaches have been reported. In this study, to detect CyHV-2 in clinical samples using immunological methods, recombinant ORF72 protein (pORF72), encoded by the CyHV-2 ORF72 gene, was used as a capture antigen to identify blood and tissues infected with CyHV-2. First, ORF72 gene was amplified from the CyHV-2 genome and cloned into a PGEX-4t-3 expression vector to produce pORF72 in Escherichia coli. The purified pORF72 was used as an immunogen to prepare monoclonal antibodies. The Western blotting assays revealed that the monoclonal antibody could specifically identify the pORF72. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical protocol and a blood smear method were established to detect CyHV-2 in carps. The results indicate that the monoclonal antibody against pORF72 could be utilized as an effective detection tool for haematopoietic necrosis disease in Carassius auratus gibelio.


When Abraham Lincoln issued his final Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, he not only freed the slaves in the Confederate states but also invited freed slaves and free persons of colour to join the U.S. Army as part of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), the first systematic, large-scale effort by the U.S. government to arm African Americans to aid in the nation's defense. By the end of the war in 1865, nearly 180,000 black soldiers had fought for the Union. Lincoln's role in the arming of African Americans remains a central but unfortunately obscure part of one of the most compelling periods in American history. In Lincoln and the U.S. Colored Troops John David Smith offers a concise, enlightening exploration of the development of Lincoln's military emancipation project, its implementation, and the recruitment and deployment of black troops. Though scholars have written much on emancipation and the USCT, Smith's work frames the evolution of Lincoln's ideas on emancipation and arming blacks within congressional actions, explaining how, when, and why the president seemed to be so halting in his progression to military emancipation. After tracing Lincoln's evolution from opposing to supporting emancipation as a necessary war measure and to championing the recruitment of black troops for the Union Army, Smith details the creation, mobilization, and diverse military service of the USCT. He assesses the hardships under which the men of the USCT served, including the multiple forms of discrimination from so-called friends and foes alike, and examines the broad meaning of Lincoln's military emancipation project and its place in African American historical memory.


The mountains, that is where the greatest battles of the Tour de France are fought, where champions are made and where some of the toughest are defeated. It's where men like Christophe, Coppi, Bahamontes, Merckx, and Armstrong have shown their mettle. And it was where British cyclist Tommy Simpson died. This beautifully illustrated book looks at the scenic beauty of the mountain stages and at the men who have competed on them throughout the 100-year history of the Tour. This book replaces in our list a previously announced title on the same subject by Peter Leissl, which was cancelled (1-892495-48-1).


Background and Objectives Epidemiological investigations have shown positive correlations between increased diesel exhaust particles (DEP) in ambient air and adverse health outcomes. DEP are the major constituent of particulate atmospheric pollution and have been shown to induce proinflammatory responses both in the lung and systemically. Here, we report the effects of DEP exposure on the properties of human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs), including stemness, regeneration, and immunomodulation. Methods and Results Non-apoptotic concentrations of DEP (10 μg/ml) inhibited the migration and osteogenic differentiation capacity of WJ-MSCs. Gene expression profiling showed that DEP increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of pro-inflammatory and metabolic-process-related genes including cFos. Furthermore, WJ-MSCs cultured with DEP showed impaired suppression of T cell proliferation that was reversed by inhibition of ROS or knockdown of cFos. ERK inhibition assay revealed that DEP-induced ROS regulated cFos through activation of ERK but not NF-κB signaling. Overall, low concentrations of DEP (10 μg/ml) significantly suppressed the stemness and immunomodulatory properties of WJ-MSCs through ROS/ERK/cFos signaling pathways. Furthermore, WJ-MSCs cultured with DEP impaired the therapeutic effect of WJ-MSCs in experimental colitis mice, but was partly reversed by inhibition of ROS. Conclusions Taken together, these results indicate that exposure to DEP enhances the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune responses through a mechanism involving the ROS/ERK/cFos pathway in WJ-MSCs, and that DEP-induced ROS damage impairs the therapeutic effect of WJ-MSCs in colitis. Our results suggest that modulation of ROS/ERK/cFos signaling pathways in WJ-MSCs might be a novel therapeutic strategy for DEP-induced diseases.


The objective was to estimate correlations of gilt estrus, puberty, growth, composition, and structural conformation traits with first-litter reproductive measures. Four groups of gilts (n = 1,225; Genetic Improvement Services of NC, Newton Grove, NC) entered the NC Swine Evaluation Station (Clayton, NC) averaging 162 d of age and were observed daily for symptoms of estrus. Once symptoms of first estrus were observed in 70% of gilts, recording of symptoms of estrus in all gilts occurred every 12 h for 30 d, utilizing fence-line boar contact. Subjective estrous traits were maximum and total strength of standing reflex, as observed with and without the presence of a boar, and strength of vulva reddening and swelling. Objective estrous traits consisted of vulva redness, vulva width, length of estrus, and age at puberty. Growth and composition traits included BW at puberty, days to 114 kg, and 10th rib backfat and LM area at 114 kg and at puberty. Subjective structural conformation traits were muscle mass, rib width, front leg side view, rear leg side view, front legs front view, rear legs rear view, and locomotion. First-litter sow traits included if gilt farrowed (Stay), age at first farrowing (AFF), total number of piglets born (TNB), and weaning to conception interval (WCI). Variance components were estimated using an animal model with AIREMLF90 for linear traits and THRGIBBS1F90 for categorical traits. Heritability estimates for Stay, AFF, and TNB were 0.14, 0.22, and 0.02, respectively. Genetic correlations between length of estrus, the standing reflex traits, and age at puberty with Stay were 0.34, 0.34 to 0.74, and -0.27, respectively, and with AFF were -0.11, -0.04 to -0.41, and 0.76, respectively. Days to 114 kg had genetic associations with Stay, AFF, and TNB of 0.52, -0.25, and -0.08, respectively. Backfat at 114 kg had genetic correlations with Stay, AFF, and TNB of -0.29, 0.14, and 0.47, respectively. Vulva redness and TNB were negatively correlated phenotypically (r = -0.14) and genetically (r = -0.53). Associations between structural conformation traits with Stay, AFF, TNB, and WCI were generally low to moderate and favorable. Selection for longer length of estrus, stronger standing reflex, or younger age at puberty would increase the proportion of gilts that farrow and reduce age at first farrowing.


Finite element-artificial transmitting boundary method is employed here to treat the near-field scattering of a cylindrical wave from an irregular cylinder. A comparison is made between this method and the analytical one. To show the validity and usefulness of the present approach, several examples of the irregular object scattering are presented. It is proved that the method can not only produce clear physical pictures, but efficiently handle many complicated scattering problems


Chlamydia pneumoniae infection might play a role in the pathology of asthma, but its role in infantile asthma remains obscure. The presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae was serologically determined in wheezing infants who were then re-examined 1-year later to determine whether or not asthma is associated with this type of infection. Wheezing infants progressed to asthma more frequently after infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae than those who were not infected. These findings suggested that Chlamydia pneumoniae infection triggers asthma in wheezy infants.


To identify the superconducting gap structure in URu2Si2, we perform field-angle-dependent specific heat measurements for the two principal orientations in addition to field rotations, and a theoretical analysis based on microscopic calculations. The Sommerfeld coefficient gamma(H)'s in the mixed state exhibit a distinctly different field dependence. This comes from point nodes and the substantial Pauli paramagnetic effect of URu2Si2. These two features combined give rise to a consistent picture of superconducting properties, including a possible first order transition of Hc2 at low temperatures.


Douglas Coupland takes his sparkling literary talent in a new direction with this crackling collection of takes on life and death in North America -- from his sweeping portrait of Grateful Dead culture to the deaths of Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe and the middle class.For years, Coupland's razor-sharp insights into what it means to be human in an age of technology have garnered the highest praise from fans and critics alike. At last, Coupland has assembled a wide variety of stories and personal "postcards" about pivotal people and places that have defined our modern lives. "Polaroids from the Dead" is a skillful combination of stories, fact and fiction -- keen outtakes on life in the late 20th century, exploring the recent past and a society obsessed with celebrity, crime and death. Princess Diana, Nicole Brown Simpson and Madonna are but some of the people scrutinized."What is admirable about this new book....is that he has chosen not to repeat the formula of his earlier commercial success....He bravely commits himself to material that is rich and deeply felt." "--New York Times"


Recent studies of leachate induced toxicity have mainly focused on crude leachates collected once from the landfill site, while little attention has been paid to the changes in toxicity resulting from the varying leachate concentration with respect to seasonal variation. The present study deals with the toxicological effects of municipal landfill leachate on Vicia faba. Leachate samples were collected in different seasons (summer, monsoon and winter) and toxicity study was performed via various parameters like germination inhibition, growth, chlorophyll content, lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidant enzymes. The results show that landfill leachate of all three seasons promoted the growth and chlorophyll content at lower doses for short exposure time but at the higher doses there was inhibition of growth as well as reduction in the chlorophyll content. There was a dose dependent elevation in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and inhibited antioxidant enzyme activities. The physiological responses varied as a function of leachate concentration which was further dependent on the season of leachate collection. Therefore, this study suggests that the leachate collected in all the three seasons is toxic and may pose a health effect to the general public directly or indirectly. It also suggests that the most important aspect for the treatment of landfill leachate is controlling its concentration which varies with respect to the seasons of leachate collection.


This study examines effects of political cynicism and efficacy on online political engagement of Sri Lankan undergraduates. A survey was conducted among 155 Sri Lankan undergraduates that support the views of the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF), an evidently anti-government student movement that claims to be dedicated to protecting free education in the country. Initial analysis showed that respondents were highly cynical (mean: 4.49 on a 1 to 5 scale). The study hypothesized that both political cynicism and efficacy exert a positive impact on online political engagement of respondents. The study also tested the effects of two moderators (extent of Facebook use, and the year of study). Results showed that political cynicism exerts a positive impact (standardized coefficient:.274, p:.000) on online political engagement, and this effect is positively moderated by the extent of Facebook use (standardized coefficient:.261, p:.000). Results also showed that internal political efficacy is not a significant predictor of the dependent variable.


From the 1930s and into the 1990s, public housing in Sweden was a key element in the Social Democrats' ambition to construct a housing system that would secure high-quality, affordable housing for all. The Liberal–Conservative national government of the early 1990s initiated important changes to housing policy in Sweden and allowed for local decision-making concerning tenure conversion, the conversion of public rental housing into market-based (cooperative) housing. Stockholm city decided early on to invite public housing residents to buy their dwellings, under the condition that at least half of the residents living in a particular property were in favour of buying. In this paper we ask two questions: in what way did the subsequent and substantial tenure conversions change the population mix of affected neighbourhoods? Second, have tenure conversions in inner city Stockholm contributed to increasing levels of segregation in the city of Stockholm? We hypothesise that inner city Stockholm has further gentrified and that non-converted public housing properties, predominantly found in the suburban parts of the city, experience residualisation (households have become poorer in relative terms). In short, we expect and also document increasing levels of socio-economic segregation as the result of this right-to-buy policy.


In this paper, a class of Cohen-Grossberg-type fuzzy neural networks with time-varying delays and impulses is investigated. By employing differential inequality and M-matrix theory, some sufficient conditions ensuring the existence and global exponential stability of the periodic oscillatory solution for Cohen-Grossberg-type fuzzy neural networks with time-varying delays and impulses are obtained. An examples is given to show the effectiveness of the obtained results.


Modern global aviation must rise up to the challenge of safely, securely and efficiently managing increasingly crowded skies under growing passenger, business and societal demands. The "e-enabled aircraft" plays a central role in overcoming this grand challenge. Aeronautical-specific and commercial wireless data links as well as Internet standards will tightly integrate this aircraft with off-board systems in space, air and ground for revolutionizing air traffic control, flight operations and passenger services. However, potential vulnerabilities of these new technologies present risks to performance, user acceptance and deployment cost of future airspace systems. In this paper, we focus on these vulnerabilities and their mitigation. We discuss security and privacy threats and challenges that emerge with wireless-enabled air traffic control and flight operations.


A new approach to test pattern generation which is particularly suitable for self-test is described. Required computation time is much less than for present day automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) programs. Fault simulation or fault modeling is not required. More patterns may be obtained than from standard ATPG programs. However, fault coverage is much higher—all irredundant multiple as well as single stuck faults are detected. The test patterns are easily generated algorithmically either by program or hardware.


Airborne hyperspectral surface and cloud bi-directional reflectivity observations in the Arctic using a commercial, digital camera A. Ehrlich, E. Bierwirth, M. Wendisch, A. Herber, and J.-F. Gayet Leipzig Institute for Meteorology (LIM), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Potsdam, Germany Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique (LAMP), Université Blaise Pascal, Aubière Cedex, France


Aims Adolescent girls with diabetes are at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes due to age, risk-taking behavior, poor glycemic control, and lack of knowledge. Our aims were to assess attitudes and behaviors related to reproductive health education (RHE) among diabetes healthcare providers and adolescent girls with diabetes, and to pilot a brief clinic-based RHE intervention. Methods We surveyed 29 providers and 50 adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes about RHE experiences, attitudes, and behaviors. We piloted the RHE intervention with 9 adolescent-parent dyads. Results 50% of providers were very uncomfortable discussing pregnancy or contraception. Most (72%) did not proactively initiate RHE; common barriers included insufficient time and subject knowledge. Fewer than 10% recommended long-acting reversible contraceptives. A minority (10%) of adolescents had discussed pregnancy or contraception with a provider. RHE sessions lasted a median of 16 (range 13–24) minutes, and there were promising trends for changes in adolescents' self-efficacy and intentions to use contraception and seek preconception counseling and in their knowledge of reproductive health. Conclusion Adolescent girls with diabetes rarely receive education on pregnancy and contraception due to provider discomfort, limited knowledge, and limited time. RHE using easily-accessible materials with an educator may help address this gap in care.


We present a semi-analytic method to study the electronic conductance of a lengthy armchair honeycomb nanoribbon in the presence of vacancies, defects, or impurities located at a small part of it. For this purpose, we employ the Green's function technique within the nearest neighbor tight-binding approach. We first convert the Hamiltonian of an ideal semi-infinite nanoribbon to the Hamiltonian of some independent polyacetylene-like chains. Then, we derive an exact formula for the self-energy of the perturbed part due to the existence of ideal parts. The method gives a fully analytical formalism for some cases such as an infinite ideal nanoribbon and the one including linear symmetric defects. We calculate the transmission coefficient for some different configurations of a nanoribbon with special width including a vacancy, edge geometrical defects, and two electrical impurities.


Abstract:This article is published as a tribute to the late Hungarian philosopher Agnes Heller, who died earlier this year. Heller was best known as a prolific writer and political activist whose academic work addressed a wide range of topics, including the status of reformist Marxism, modernism, postmodernism, democracy and aesthetics. The article comprises an introduction, outlining Heller's career as a political dissident and activist, academic philosopher and public intellectual, and an edited transcript of a discussion with Heller, conducted in 2010, focusing on her work on biopolitics. The discussion-interview reflects its historical moment both in the nature of the questions posed and in Heller's responses to them. Heller elaborates her thinking on this topic with particular reference to the following issues: the technical, moral and legal limits of biopolitics in relation to new biological technologies such as genetic engineering; the tension between conceptions of biopolitics as a type of identity politics and as a practice of governmentality and demography; Giorgio Agamben's theorising on biopolitics in Homo Sacer and Hannah Arendt's views on political representation and her distinction between the private and public spheres. Heller also addresses other themes that run through her oeuvre, such as the status and meanings of democracy, totalitarianism, minority rights, and the relationship between ecological science and politics. The conversational tone of the discussion provides a concise and accessible introduction to Heller's later work and conveys her sense of dynamic engagement with what continue to be urgent political and philosophical issues.


Each year Australia is prone to potential negative and devastating impacts of bushfires and other natural hazards, highlighting the importance of community engagement in disaster risk reduction. Volunteered geographic information (VGI) is an emerging technology that allows members of the public to voluntarily contribute geographic information, predominantly through sources such as social media, photo and video sharing platforms, and online map-making software. The potential role of VGI in disaster response has been documented in recent years, but VGI for community preparation has received less attention. This research explores the potential role for VGI to foster community engagement in bushfire preparation and to empower and build disaster resilience for Tasmanians. Through collaboration with the Tasmania Fire Service, a survey of 154 participants across 12 communities at bushfire risk in Tasmania has quantified trends in individual and community preparedness and VGI and social media use. This paper provides an evidence base for both the use of VGI technologies in bushfire preparation initiatives and directions for further research.


Urethane macromonomers (UMs) having different urethane chain lengths (X) were synthesized by the reaction of an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer with 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and isopropanol. The existence and the structural identification of the UMs were verified by FTIR, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. Various percentages of the respective UMs (0-40 wt % acrylate monomers) were then incorporated into methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl methacrylate (n-BMA) backbones via solution free-radical copolymerization. The resulting methyl methacrylate-g-urethane and n-butyl methacrylate-g-urethane copolymers were characterized by GPC, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, FTIR, TGA and DMA. Phase separation between the urethane segment and the acrylate segment in the graft copolymerization products was investigated by DMA and TEM. DMA results showed that in most graft copolymer products the two respective component parts of PMMA-g-urethane or n-PBMA-g-urethane were compatible as only one Tg was observed. Two glass transitions, at temperatures of 22 and 76 o C, corresponding to the n-PBMA and urethane moieties, were observed when the chain length of the UMs was increased from X=4 to X=32. Microphase separation was also evident in TEM measurement.