The EU renewable energy directive sets a target of increasing the share of renewable energy used in EU to 20% by 2020. The Norwegian goal for the share of renewable energy in 2020 is 67.5%. The most important policy instrument for reaching this national target is the introduction of t he common market for green certificates between Norway and Sweden. This new market mechanism is promoting new, renewable power projects until 2020, and is expected to generate 26.4 TWh from 2020. The market mechanism is neutral regarding renewable technologies, and the two countries share the same level of ambition regardin g production increases of the common market. In the green certificate market the power producers receiv e electricity certificates from the authorities, and these can be sold to electricity suppliers and certain electricity users. The electricity customers cover the costs of the system, as the costs of purchasing certificates are added to the electricity bill. The price of electricity certificates is determined by supply and demand. A new energy system model covering Norway and Sweden is developed to analyze the impact of the green certificate market. The model co vers five Norwegian and four Swedish regions, with exchange of electricity between adjacent regions and neighboring countries. Various sc enarios are analyzed, focusing especially on various risk factors (e.g. grid expansion, delays of new power plants, transmission grid limitations, coordination issues between grid and power projects, licensing issues, etc), as well as the impact of variations in energy demand, energy prices and certificate prices. The analyses indicate the choice of power plant technology being installed depending on the scenario assumptions, as well as the timing and the geographical location of the various plants.


Objective: This study was performed over a three- month period to establish the pattern of autologous blood transfusion with specific focus on age, sex, type of surgery, duration of hospital stay and religious beliefs.
Design: Hospital based prospective study. Setting: The study was conducted at the Kenyatta National Hospital orthopaedic and general surgery wards. It involved in-patients who were admitted for elective surgeries.
Subjects: Sixty two patients were selected over a three-month period between October and December 2006 both months inclusive. Outcome mesures: The inclusion criteria involved all male and female patients aged between 16-65 years. The pre-operative haemogram level ranged between 11-18 gm% both inclusive. Exclusion criteria involved emergency surgeries, ages outside 16-65 years, haemogram level outside 11-18gm%, and chronic medical illnesses. The sample size referred to the number of patients recruited during the study period and met the study criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using the appropriate statistical methods. Results: Male: female ratio was 6:1. Age group was dominated by middle age group of 35-49 years. Religious distribution was Christians: non-christians in the ratio of 10:1. Surgeries performed were orthopaedics (78%) and non-orthopaedic cases( 22%). Duration of hospital stay ranged between 5-21 days.
Conclusion: Autologous blood transfusion is a common and safe mode of blood transfusion in surgery. It is more commonly practiced in orthopaedic surgery and needs to be encouraged among other surgical disciplines.


Secure group communication for large wireless sensor networks sparkles the research on efficient key distribution and key management mechanism. By a self-healing key distribution scheme, even if during a certain session, some broadcast messages are lost due to network faults, the users are capable of recovering the lost session keys on their own without requesting additional information exchange with the group manager. However, some self-healing key distribution schemes are unable to prevent collusion attacks effectively. In this paper, a general self-healing session key distribution approach is devised to thwart collusion attacks. Furthermore, an effective collusion resilient key distribution scheme is proposed for the secure group communication in wireless sensor networks.


The nonlinear optical properties of a plasma due to the relativistic electron motion in an intense laser field are of fundamental importance for current research and the generation of brilliant laser-driven sources of particles and photons1-15. Yet, one of the most interesting regimes, where the frequency of the laser becomes resonant with the plasma, has remained experimentally hard to access. We overcome this limitation by utilizing ultrathin carbon nanotube foam16 (CNF) targets allowing the strong relativistic nonlinearities at near- critical density (NCD) to be exploited for the first time. We report on the experimental realization of relativistic plasma optics to spatio-temporally compress the laser pulse within a few micrometers of propagation, while maintaining about half its energy. We also apply the enhanced laser pulses to substantially improve the properties of an ion bunch accelerated from a secondary target. Our results provide first insights into the rich physics of NCD plasmas and the opportunities waiting to be harvested for applications.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the experiences of physicians in the application of euthanatics.

DESIGN
Descriptive.

METHOD
The report 'Toepassing en bereiding van euthanatica' [Use and Preparation of Euthanatics] prepared by the national pharmacists' association contains a questionnaire for physicians regarding the condition of the patient, the method followed and time till death. The report was sent on request 723 times. From August 1998 until May 2000, 227 questionnaires were returned by general practitioners. These questionnaires were analysed.

RESULTS
In 73.1% of the cases the euthanatic substance was given intravenously, in 26.4% orally. Time until death varied from 0 to 30 min when applied intravenously and 8 minutes to 7 hours when applied orally. On 51 questionnaires problems were registered which may occur when euthanatics are applied: difficult intravenous injection, too large volume of solute for the thiopental, deposit in the syringe, too little time between the intravenous administration and decease, unpleasant taste of euthanatic drink, too large volume of euthanatic drink, and too much time between the oral intake of the drink and decease.


Non-stoichiometric almost single-phase AB55 materials were prepared using the melt-spinning technique. Characteristic of these materials is the anisotropically deformed crystal lattices (decreased a-axis and increased c-axis), resulting from the excess of B-elements incorporated in the hP6-CaCu5 structure. These materials show (i) an excellent long-term stability during electrochemical cycling in alkaline solution, indicating that the oxidation resistivity strongly depends on the extent of the crystal lattice deformation and (ii) a relatively poor electrocatalytic activity 'vhich can be attributed to the absence of highly catalytic second-phase alloys. Annealing of the as-prepared samples induces the deformed crystal lattice to relax by secreting the excess of B-elements. As a consequence, double-phase materials are formed, consisting of hydride-forming compounds with compositions close to the AB5 stoichiometry and second-phase alloys. These double-phase materials combine a relatively poor long-term cycling stability with a high electro catalytic activity.


Stochastic gradient descent (SGD), which updates the model parameters by adding a local gradient times a learning rate at each step, is widely used in model training of machine learning algorithms such as neural networks. It is observed that the models trained by SGD are sensitive to learning rates and good learning rates are problem specific. To avoid manually searching of learning rates, which is tedious and inefficient, we propose an algorithm to automatically learn learning rates using actor-critic methods from reinforcement learning (RL). In particular, we train a policy network called actor to decide the learning rate at each step during training, and a value network called critic to give feedback about quality of the decision (e.g., the goodness of the learning rate outputted by the actor) that the actor made. Experiments show that our method leads to good convergence of SGD and can prevent overfitting to a certain extent, resulting in better performance than human-designed competitors.


Background : Amputation of either the upper or lower extremities in man presents a special public health challenge due to the problems associated with patients'  rehabilitation. Objective : To determine the epidemiology and pattern of limb amputations in a private medical setting in Owerri, Imo State. Methodology : This was a 5-year retrospective epidemiological study of a total of 251patients who had amputations between 2006 and 2010. Results : Out of 251 patients studied, 166 (66.14%) were males while 85 (38.86%) were females. Lower limb amputations (LLA) occurred more frequently (189) than upper limb amputations (ULA) (62) in the ratio of 3:1. The age group with the  highest rate of amputation (LLA) in both sexes was 41-60 years (64%). Trauma was the most common reason for upper limb amputations (75.8%), while peripheral  vascular disease was the most frequent indication for lower limb amputation  (49.8%). The occupational group with the highest rate of amputation was the commercial motor cyclists (33.9%), followed by commercial drivers (21.5%). The pattern of amputation showed that digits/toes amputations were the most frequent procedures (35.1%) followed by below knee/below elbow amputations (27.2%). Conclusion : Amputations were more in the males of the productive age range, and most of them were in the lower limbs. Trauma was the most frequent indication for limb amputations. This has a far-reaching effect on family and state economy. Keywords : Diabetes mellitus, trauma, peripheral, vascular disease


2400 km of special radiation resistant optical fibres were procured by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), for the installation of more than 55 km of optical fibre cables in the accelerator complex underground during the Long Shutdown 1 (LS1). In the frame of this large-scale industrial production, a thorough quality assurance plan (QAP) was put in place and followed at each step of the process. In-depth qualification of optical fibres preceded the 17-month procurement process. All supplied batches were tested for their resistance to radiation, leading to more than 65 quality control irradiation tests. During the cable assembly process and the installations works, a full traceability down to the optical fibre level was ensured. The actions put in place in the frame of the QAP led to successful installation works and to full respect of the LS1 planning.


The requirement of biotin in the culture medium has been established for HeLa cells, human fibroblasts, baby hamster kidney cells (BHK) as well as polyoma-transformed BHK cells. Growth, viability, biotin content and the activities of biotin-dependent enzymes were used as criteria. Cells in culture appear to bind and internalized avidin as well as the avidin-biotin complex. Avidin seems to mimic a natural ligand that could be the biotin-binding protein of serum. Additions of serum fatty acids, aspartate or asparagine to the culture medium do not supplant the biotin requirement. Nuclear fractions of cells contain significant biotin without the ability to fix carbon dioxide. A biotin-containing protein has been isolated from rat liver nuclei. The incorporation of amino acids into cellular protein is decreased in biotin-deficient HeLa cells. The proportion of active ribosomes is also decreased in these cells. Supplementation of the medium of deficient cells with biotin results in stimulation of protein synthesis. It is suggested that biotin might subserve a function in cells in addition to its role as the prosthetic group of biotin-enzymes.


While it has been known for years that head-tracking can significantly improve binaural rendering, it has not been widely used in consumer applications. The goal of the proposed techniques is to leverage head tracking, while making it more usable for mobile applications, where the sound image shall not have an absolute position in space. Relative head tracking keeps the sound image in front, while reducing the effect of head movements to only small fluctuations. Relative head tracking can be implemented with only a gyrometer; there is no need for absolute direction. An even more economical technique with the goal to improve binaural rendering is pseudo head tracking. It generates small head movements using a random process without resorting to a gyroscope. The results of a subjective test indicate that both relative and pseudo head tracking can contribute to spaciousness and front/back differentiation.


The advances in online technology has revolutionised online communication. As a result of new emerging web technologies virtual interactions have taken a much more interactive structure. These improvements in technology provide richer communication experiences for the users. Online communities, with the aid of new web 2.0 technology, provide the ideal environment for knowledge sharing. It is the interaction and communication between users of such communities that triggers information and knowledge sharing. Knowledge and information sharing sets the foundation for knowledge creation and co-creation. Meanwhile knowledge is known to be one of the greatest assets of any company or organisation. A significant amount of research has been dedicated to knowledge management. Nevertheless little research has been done to explore knowledge creation and co-creation, particularly in an online community setting.This research is investigating the idea of knowledge co-creation within an online community environment. Knowing that knowledge itself is a subjective entity, which cannot be objectively measured or quantified, the research takes an interpretive approach to finding out how this knowledge is co-created by the users of online communities.One of the main significant factors of this study is that it has used a unique and novel research method to tackle what appears to be a difficult subject. The research uses an interpretive case study method, however without any data collection. The investigation will be exclusively interpretive and philosophically evaluated based on the relevant literature and a set of principles introduced by Klein and Myers (1999). These principles were introduced as a guideline for conducting and evaluating interpretive studies in information systems. Using Klein and Myers? principles has the advantage of being based on a well-established contemporary literature in information systems (IS) research methodology. The principles have not been used in an exclusively exploratory and interpretive research before. This itself is a major methodological contribution for future researchers to utilise as a practical example.The study develops a conceptual framework around knowledge co-creation, online communities and the technology. This framework is based on a proposed RECI model offered for knowledge creation in online communities. It also investigates the role of technology in the co-creation process. Finally it proposes a set of characteristics and guidelines that facilitate knowledge co-creation in online communities. These characteristics and guidelines would help design and implement future knowledge co-creating online communities, for example, e-learning and knowledge management systems. Furthermore the research lays the foundations for introducing the knowledge co-creation theory within online communities by proposing the initial hypothesis. Subject to appropriate future research and testing, the hypothesis can be developed into a practical theory.


This paper analyzes the relationship between financial development and economic growth in Latin America with a Granger causality test and impulse response functions in a panel vector autoregression (VAR) model. With annual observations from a sample of 18 countries from 1962 to 2005, it is shown that while economic growth causes financial development, financial development does not cause economic growth. This finding is robust to different model specifications and different financial indicators. Interestingly, when the sample is divided according to different income levels and institutional quality, there is two-way causality between financial development and economic growth only for the middle income group and for countries with stronger rule of law and creditor rights. The impulse response functions show that a shock to financial development has a positive impact on economic growth only for these subsamples, but the net effect of financial development on growth is relatively small.


Although there is much on which Gert and I disagree, we are united in taking seriously as a constraint on theories of color ontology (as many have not) the significant variation in the way visual systems respond to one and the same color stimulus under different circumstances. Furthermore, we agree that much of this variation is blameless in the sense that (at least in many cases) no one variant should be theoretically distinguished from all the others as being uniquely veridical. That said, we disagree about the scope of application of such considerations about perceptual variation with respect to color, and about what conclusions should be drawn from them. With respect to scope, I urge in RR that instances of perceptual variation arise in what appears to be a structurally identical form in intrapersonal cases (a single visual system responds differently to a single object in different perceptual conditions), interpersonal cases (the visual systems of different


Preface. Foreword. 1. Introduction. 2. Chirality and Enantiomers. 2.1. Chirality. 2.2. Enantiomers and Racemic Compounds. 2.3. Absolute Configurations and System Descriptors. 2.4. Physical Properties of Enantiomers and Racemics. 2.5. Principles of Resolution and Preparation of Enantiomers. 2.6. Summary. 3. Some Examples of Chiral Organometallic Complexes and Asymmetric Catalysis. 3.1. Chirality at Metal Half-sandwich Compounds. 3.2. Chiral-at-metal Complexes in Organic Synthesis. 3.3. Asymmetric Catalysis by Chiral Complexes. 3.4. Summary. 4. Chiral Recognition in Organometallic and Coordination Compounds. 4.1. Octahedral Metal Complexes with Helical Chirality. 4.2. Chiral Recognition Using the Chiral Anion Strategy. 4.3. Brief Introduction to DNA Discrimination by Octahedral Polypyridyl Metal Complexes. 4.4. Summary. 5. Chirality in Supramolecular Coordination Compounds. 5.1. Self-assembly of Chiral Polynuclear Complexes from Achiral Building Units. 5.2. Chirality Transfer in Polynuclear Complexes: Enantioselective Synthesis. 5.3. Summary. 6. Chiral Enantiopure Molecular Materials. 6.1. General considerations. 6.2. Conductors. 6.3. Metallomesogens. 6.4. Porous Metalorganic Coordination Networks (MOCN). 6.5. Molecular Magnets. 6.6. Chiral Surfaces. 6.7. Summary. Index.


In Korea, photochemical air pollution has drawn public attention as one of the major environmental issues since 1990s. To abate ozone and air pollution, new legislation was enacted and regulation was reinforced in conjunction with basic researches. As a result, the air quality has been much improved in terms of primary pollutant such as CO and the occurrence of extremely high ozone concentration. In Seoul, on the other hand, concentrations of ozone and exeedance hours of its national standard have increased since 2005, which is intimately coupled with variations. It indicates the need for further research at long-term bases to improve our understanding on complex processes determining ozone concentrations. In this paper, the characteristics of ozone variation was analyzed with 13-year measurement data obtained in Seoul. In addition, the previous studies and their main results were summarized that have been performed in association with photochemical air pollution in Korea over the last three decades.


The use of direct RF sampling has been explored as a means of designing multifrequency RF front ends. Such front ends will be useful to multifrequency RF applications such as global navigation satellite system receivers that use global positioning system (GPS) L1, L2, and L5 signals and Galileo signals. The design of a practical multifrequency direct RF sampling front end is dependent on having an analog-to-digital converter whose input bandwidth accommodates the highest carrier frequency and whose maximum sampling frequency is more than twice the cumulative bandwidth about the multiple carrier signals. The principle of direct RF sampling is used to alias all frequency bands of interest onto portions of the Nyquist bandwidth that do not overlap. This paper presents a new algorithm that finds the minimum sampling frequency that avoids overlap. This design approach requires a multifrequency bandpass filter for the frequency bands of interest. A prototype front end has been designed, built, and tested. It receives a GPS coarse/acquisition code at the L1 frequency and GPS antispoofing precision code at both L1 and L2. Dual-frequency signals with received carrier-to-noise ratios in excess of 52 dB-Hz have been acquired and tracked using this system.


The Reception of Darwin's Theory of Evolution in Denmark 1860-1880In Denmark the reception of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has never been completely investigated. In this article, reinvestigating the reception among Danish natural scientists 1860-80, one step in that direction has been taken. Focus has been placed on Darwinism as a scientific theory whereas Darwinism as a philosophy of life, most commonly known in Herbert Spencer's phrase »the survival of the fittest« fuelling Social-Darwinism, has not been included.The point of departure has been a historical analysis of seven important Danish natural scientists: J.J. Steenstrup (1813-97), J.T. Reinhardt (1816-82), C.F. Lutken (1827-1901), E. Warming (1841-1924), J.C. Schiodte (1815-1885), F. Meinert (1833-1912), J.E.V. Boas (1855-1935), and finally Darwin's Danish translator J.P. Jacobsen (1847-1885). With this final exception, they were all centrally placed in the 19th century world of natural history as University professors and teachers at the Danish »Den Kongelige Veterinaer- og Landbohojskole« (The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University) and »Polyteknisk Laereanstalt« (The Technical Highschool of Denmark). Moreover, most of them were closely connected to the natural history museums, societies and journals of their time. In other words, their position towards the theory of evolution was highly influential and can be traced through their scientific writings, their teaching and their popular lectures.Danish research on the Darwin reception among natural scientists, made by P. Helveg Jespersen and Mike Robson in the 1980s, claim that the pattern of reception can be characterised as a clash between scientific approaches. That is a confrontation between an old, traditional, romantic and idealistic approach versus a new, empirical and materialistic one which eventually in the name of progress and secularization became victorious.Contrary to this, based on the present investigation of these eight individual scientists in their context, I believe that the reception of the theory of evolution in Denmark should rather be characterised as a relatively peaceful incorporation of a new scientific theory. To me there were no major clashes, neither among the scientists themselves nor between the scientists and society as such. Scientifically one could relate to the theory in a variety of ways. For instance being against it did not automatically imply that one could not teach it as Steenstrup did, or write a serious summary of one hundred pages in a popular journal as Lutken did. On the other hand, having scientifically accepted the theory did not always imply that it became part of one's teaching. Sometimes, as with Boas, it was left out from the schoolbooks for the youngest pupils. To those scientists who related Christianity to Darwin's theory the response was equally complex. To both the Christian Warming and the Atheist Jacobsen, God, for various reasons, was seen as the primus motor of Creation whereas the more humble Reinhardt left the question open for the individual to decide. None of the scientists were so governed by their romantic scientific approach that they were unable to make a critical assessment of the theory of evolution. In their critique, they were primarily concerned about the theory's lack of empirical support. This focus on the importance of empirical data suggests an element of continuity in scientific approach rather than confrontation.The scientists' presentation of the theory of evolution to students at several levels and to a relatively broad section of the Copenhagen bourgeoisie indicate that, in the beginning of the period, the theory in itself was not regarded as controversial. However, this was the case if the theory was used in the service of other more radical interests. By the end of the period the scientists distanced themselves sharply from such practice. Moreover, their audience had become predominantly students or professional colleagues. These two aspects indicate a growing professionalism in the natural sciences. Thus in retrospect, the period prior to the 1880s was more harmonious and this may have had a positive influence on the early reception of the theory of evolution in Denmark 1860-80.


I am grateful to David McPherson for his kind words about my paper, and pleased that my observations are in general agreement with his. I am not sure that I fully comprehend the thrust of McPherson's first exception. Apparently he assumes that I adhere rigidly to the position that the acoustic reflex simply does not appear in the otherwise normal ears of a certain percentage of young children. I certainly raised that possibility in discussing the fact that a significant portion of our 2 to 5-year-old age group with normal audiometric findings failed to show the acoustic reflex. On page 318,I alluded to a hypothesis of "maturation of the reflex arc, up to perhaps early adulthood." But in the very next sentence I raised the alternative explanation that, "one cannot exclude the possibility that the high incidence of no response in the 2 to 5 age group merely reflects


In this paper, NdFeB is used to design a new type of magnetic force actuator (MFA) with simple structure and high reliability. The permanent magnets are fixed on the static iron-core to generate a magnetic field, while the movable part locates within the magnetic field. It can drive the arc extinguishing unit powered by the Lorentz force, and this can be applied to the operation of the long-stroke high voltage circuit breaker (HVCB). At the open and closed position, the PMs generate holding force for the moving iron-core to keep the static state. Then, the finite element method(FEM) and prototype test are adopted to study the properties of PM and characteristics of the actuator. The simulation concludes that the material type and structure size of PM, end cap material and processing deviation of the actuator will impact the static characteristic of the actuator. The results of the test on prototype show that MFA using NdFeB can achieve the high power output, which is conductive for electronic control as well as the displacement tracking. Due to its stable performance, NdFeB is reliable in the running of the magnetic force actuator. DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v10i6.1410 Full Text: PDF


Despite scientific discoveries in the field of gene and cell therapy, some diseases still have no effective treatment. Advances in genetic engineering methods have enabled the development of effective gene therapy methods for various diseases based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Today, many AAV-based gene therapy medications are being investigated in preclinical and clinical trials, and new ones are appearing on the market. In this article, we present a review of AAV discovery, properties, different serotypes, and tropism, and a following detailed explanation of their uses in gene therapy for disease of different organs and systems.


The role of power electronics as an enabling technology for various automotive applications is illustrated with examples. Automotive electrical power systems that address the demands of increased electrical power, improved fuel economy and reduced emissions are discussed. Considerations related to high-efficiency automotive electrical power systems such as the selection of the types of electrical machines and power converters, selection of system voltages, battery voltage equalization, load management, energy management, regenerative braking, centralized and distributed power system architectures, DC and AC power distribution systems and multiplexing are also discussed.


This paper presents the design of an autonomous humanoid robot designed to optimize and enrich customer service in showrooms, e.g., electronic equipment, mobile network operators, and generally in stores with various articles. The proposed humanoid robot design is distinguished by two key components: a sensor-equipped mobile platform with drives and a body featuring a head outfitted with a touch tablet and an RGBD camera. The control system enables autonomous navigation in both known and uncharted environments, with a special focus on diverse, crowded, and cluttered spaces. To enhance its adaptability, this robot is not only fitted with LIDAR sensors but also cliff and ultrasonic sensors. While the interactive ability with humans is an expected functionality, this paper brings forth certain distinct innovations in humanoid robot design for customer service. One of these unique aspects includes the robot's ability to physically alter its configuration, such as rotating its head and adjusting the height of its torso to maintain line-of-sight with the customer. This capability signifies a novel degree of spatial responsiveness that exceeds static interaction. Moreover, the proposed robot is equipped with a user-friendly gesture recognition system, uniquely designed to detect and recognize simple human hand gestures. This attribute paves the way for understanding simple commands such as requests for assistance. Upon recognizing a request, the robot tailors its services by following the person around the showroom, effectively assisting and answering customer queries or displaying requisite information on its screen. This active assistance model, specifically tailored for human interaction, showcases the robot's unique capability to respond proactively and dynamically to human inputs.


BACKGROUND
Most studies estimate hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease prevalence from convenience samples. Consequently, screening policies may not include those at the highest risk for a new diagnosis.

METHODS
Clalit Health Services members aged 25-74 as of 31 December 2009 were included in the study. Rates of testing and new diagnoses of HCV were calculated, and potential risk groups were examined.

RESULTS
Of the 2 029 501 included members, those aged 45-54 and immigrants had lower rates of testing (12.5% and 15.6%, respectively), higher rates of testing positive (0.8% and 1.1%, respectively), as well as the highest rates of testing positive among tested (6.1% and 6.9%, respectively).

DISCUSSION
In this population-level study, groups more likely to test positive for HCV also had lower rates of testing. Policy makers and clinicians worldwide should consider creating screening policies using on population-based data to maximize the ability to detect and treat incident cases.


Mucormycosis, an emerging fungal infection in solid organ transplant patients, is mostly located in rhino‐orbito‐cerebral, pulmonary, and cutaneous areas, or disseminated with poor prognosis. A 4‐year‐old girl with chronic intestinal pseudo‐obstruction syndrome underwent a modified multivisceral transplantation, including half of the stomach, the duodeno‐pancreas, the small bowel, and the right colon. On postoperative day 5, a digestive perforation was suspected. Surgical exploration found a small necrotic area on the native stomach, which was externally drained. The next day, massive gastric bleeding occurred. During the emergency laparotomy, 2 hemorrhagic ulcers were found and resected from the transplanted stomach. Pathology and fungal culture showed mucormycosis caused by Lichtheimia (formerly Absidia) ramosa in both the transplanted and native stomach. High‐dose intravenous liposomal amphotericin B was immediately started. No other site of fungal infection was found. The child recovered, and 3 years after transplantation, is alive and well, off parenteral nutrition. The originality of this case is the very early presentation after transplantation, the unusual site, and the complete recovery after rapid medico‐surgical management. The origin of the fungus and treatment are discussed.


The article reveals the understanding of property in institutionalism and in classical political economy with an emphasis on the Marxist direction of the latter. It is shown that in the works of modern authors belonging to the Post-Soviet School of Critical Marxism – one of the main directions of modern theory of classical political economy in Russia – the specific, concrete historical content of property relations is firstly investigated. This content in the framework of this direction, inheriting the tradition of the "Tsagolovskaya" school of political economy, is connected through the system of production relations of a particular society. It is shown that both private and public forms of property have different socio-economic contents in historically different socio-economic systems – pre-bourgeois, bourgeois, post-capitalist. The author proposes political and economic systematization of patterns of property that are characteristic of the modern stage of economic development, which in the article is defined as late capitalism. These forms include not only different types of private and public property, but also transitional forms that contradictory combine private-capitalist and associated forms of appropriation. It is specially emphasized that public property is not reducible to state property and includes a special type of relationship – "ownership by everybody of everything", which is characteristic of the sphere of co-creation. It is shown that in certain types of economy, state ownership can hide relations not only of public, but also of private-capitalist appropriation, as well as non-economic coercion. The contradictions of the transformation of property relations under the conditions of late capitalism and the most relevant practical problems associated with this are revealed.The article includes a polemic dialogue of the author with representatives of the institutional direction and the works of George B. Kleiner.


Community justice initiatives are now common in Canada, both for young offenders and in adult criminal cases; there are only a few examples of alternative methods for dealing with justice issues in the area of mandated child welfare services. The initiative outlined in this paper represents one of the most comprehensive family justice initiatives in First Nations Child and Family Services in Canada.

Meenoostahtan Minisiwin: First Nations Family Justice offers a new way of addressing conflict in child and family matters, outside of the regular Child and Family Services (CFS) and court systems. It incorporates the traditional peacemaking role that has existed for centuries in Northern Manitoba Cree communities, alongside contemporary family mediation. The program brings together family, extended family, community members, Elders, social workers and community service providers in the resolution of child protection concerns through the use of properly trained Okweskimowewak (family mediators). The Okweskimowewak's role involves assisting participants to articulate their personal 'truth' (dabwe) and to hear and respect the dabwe of others; to create a safe and nurturing context by addressing inherent power imbalances; to explore the root causes of family conflict in order to address the long term best interests of children; and to facilitate innovative and collaborative planning outcomes for families.

The program was developed by the Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba, a mandated First Nations Child and Family Services agency, although it receives its services mandate from the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Exectuive. It is jointly funded by the Aboriginal Justice Strategy of Justice Canada and the Manitoba Department of Family Services and Housing. Overall direction for the program is provided by the First Nations Family Justice Committee, a sub-committee of the MKO Exectuive Director of Awasis Agency, and representative chiefs of the MKO region. The program currently employs a Program Coordinator, two full time regional Okweskimowewak, two full time community-based Okweskimowewak and an administrative assistant.

Since its inception in 1999, the program has received referrals involving more than seven hundred families, including well over 1900 children and 1500 volunteer participants. Services have been provided in seventeen First Nation communities in Northern Manitoba as well as in Thompson, Winnipeg, The Pas, and Gillam.

The Meenoostahtan Minisiwin program responds to all aspects of mandated child welfare, as well as other situations where the best interests of children are in jeopardy. These have included mediating care placement arrangements; child-parent conflicts; family-agency or family-agency-system conflicts; assisting in the development of service plans in neglect and abuse cases; advocating on behalf of families attempting to access services; family violence; larger community-wide conflicts; and working to address systemic problems which impact the lives of First Nations children and families. We believe that by establishing processes which focus on restoring balance and harmony within families and communities, we are working towards an overall increase in the health and wellness of community members.

And you who would understand justice,
How shall you, unless you
Look upon all deeds In the fullness of light?
Only then shall you know that the erect
And the fallen are but one
man standing in
The twilight between the
Night of his pigmy-self
And the day of his god-self.
K. Gibran


The revised World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), which came into force on April 6, 2014, provides a limited number of WTO Members with a framework for ensuring that the tenders scheduled under the Appendix to WTO GPA are conducted in a competitive, non-discriminatory, and transparent manner satisfying the conditions on integrity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze empirically whether the WTO GPA is effective in promoting non-discriminant, open, transparent, competitive and efficient government procurement. To study this question, we make use of the micro-level data set released recently by the European Union (EU) covering more than 3 million tenders conducted in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and Macedonia during the years 2006-2015.
We have four major results. First, the likelihood that the contract is awarded to a foreign firm is significantly higher when the contract is covered by the WTO GPA. Second, number of bidders are significantly higher in WTO GPA covered procurements. Third, we find that corruption risk is lower in WTO GPA covered tenders. We use two measures to assess corruption risk: procurements that receive only one bid, and the connection strength of a winning firm in the network of suppliers. We find that single bid procurement is significantly lower in tenders covered by the WTO GPA. Additionally, we conclude that the WTO GPA provides the opportunity for less connected firms to win contracts. Finally, we find that the WTO GPA does not have a significant effect of procurement costs.


1. Excitatory junction potentials (e.j.p.s) were recorded from smooth muscle cells of the saphenous arteries of young rabbits. 2. The amplitudes of e.j.p.s recorded from different preparations, in response to a single maximal stimulus, were small and variable (5‐‐14 mV). They decayed exponentially with a time constant of about 200 msec. 3. At frequencies greater than 1 Hz the shape of those e.j.p.s which exceeded 12‐‐15 mV in amplitude was changed. The early part of the e.j.p.s became faster in time course. 4. Trains of up to five stimuli, at frequencies greater than 4 Hz, caused summation of e.j.p.s; 'active responses' were superimposed on this depolarization. Peak amplitude of the response to repetitive stimulation was 50 mV. 5. In normal solution, contraction appeared to be associated with a change in the configuration of e.j.p.s. 6. No action potentials resembling those recorded from most visceral smooth muscles were observed in normal solutions although these could be evoked in the presence of TEA (2.5‐‐10 mM). 7. The method of Abe & Tomita (1968) was used to determine the values of the length constant (lambda) and time constant (tau) of the smooth muscle of intact arteries. The value of lambda (0.6 mm) was about half that found for circular strips cut from larger arteries. 8. The time constant of decay of single e.j.p.s of less than 12 mV in amplitude was indistinguishable from the membrane time constant. 9. Noradrenaline caused contraction of the artery in the absence of a change in membrane potential. 10. It is tentatively suggested that there may be two different populations of receptors in this smooth muscle membrane.


We propose a chapter mark addition method for surgery video application that adopts cubic higher-order local auto-correlation (CHLAC) feature. In our method normal motions, which frequently occur in front of video cameras, are learnt statistically with CHLAC in combination with the subspace method. An anomalous motion is detected as a motion that exists far from the learnt subspace for the motions frequently-observed, and a chapter mark is placed just before the position the anomalous motion is recorded on the video. We conducted preliminary experiments using surgery video data to confirm effectiveness of the method we propose. The results show that the proposed method can detect the motions not frequently-observed in a surgery operation.


For the first time, it is demonstrated that the robust organic semiconductor g-C3N4 can be integrated into a nature-inspired water splitting system, analogous to PSII and PSI in natural photosynthesis. Two parallel systems have been developed for overall water splitting under visible light involving graphitic carbon nitride with two different metal oxides, BiVO4 and WO3. Consequently, both hydrogen and oxygen can be evolved in an ideal ratio of 2:1, and evolution rates in both systems have been found to be dependent on pH, redox mediator concentration, and mass ratio between the two photocatalysts, leading to a stable and reproducible H2 and O2 evolution rate at 36 and 18 μmol h(-1) g(-1) from water over 14 h. Our findings demonstrate g-C3N4 can serve as a multifunctional robust photocatalyst, which could also be used in other systems such as PEC cells or coupled solar cell systems.


"Electron-only" detection techniques such as the coplanar-grid method are effective in overcoming some of the charge transport problems of CdZnTe and, consequently, have led to large-volume gamma-ray detectors with good energy resolution while operating at room temperature. A requirement for the success of these techniques is uniformity in electron generation and transport. Once large inhomogeneities in these properties caused by grain boundaries and other large-scale crystal defects are eliminated through simple material screening techniques, small variations remain and limit the gamma-ray energy resolution. In this paper we present the results from our characterization and analysis of these nonuniformities in commercially available CdZnTe, and we establish the relationship between the nonuniformities and the ultimate coplanar-grid gamma-ray detector performance through experimental measurements.


The patterns of development of FVC, FEV and %FEV are examined in 217 male and 195 female youths of Aymara ancestry residing in La Paz, Bolivia (altitude 3600 m). The data provide some evidence of an acceleration in the development of lung function relative to stature in Aymara children, beginning during early adolescence, and also indicate that there is a strong relationship between lung function and chest dimensions in Aymara children. Similar patterns have been observed among Quechua youth. However, despite the general similarity between Quechua and Aymara youths in the development of lung function, there are potentially important differences between them. In particular, the magnitude of the acceleration of lung volumes relative to stature among Aymara children appears to be considerably less than is exhibited by highland Quechua children. In addition, shorter Quechua boys have FVC values similar to those of shorter Aymara boys, despite having significantly larger chests, while taller Quechua boys have considerably larger FVC values than taller Aymara boys, without a corresponding increase in chest size relative to stature. Thus, although lung volumes and chest dimensions are closely related in both groups, the development of lung function to chest size of Quechua boys appears to be somewhat different from that of Aymara boys and, in particular, to be amplified during adolescence in response to factors other than simply an increase in chest size.


The chromanone scaffold is a privileged structure in heterocyclic chemistry and drug discovery. A highly efficient copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugated reduction of chromones is developed to give chiral chromanones with good yields (80-99%) and excellent ee values (94->99% ee). Particularly noteworthy is that chiral thiochromanones are also constructed using this method in 74-87% yields with 96-97% ee. The established asymmetric synthesis paves the way for their further pharmaceutical studies.


Normal tension glaucoma is a clinical condition, as- sociated with a pathologically excavated optic disc and characteristic glaucomatous visual field loss that represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for ophthalmologists. Apart from intraocular pressure, the clinical course of the disease shares similarities with that of primary open angle glaucoma. Therefore, some authors have questioned whether normal tension glaucoma is artificially distinct from primary open angle glaucoma by intraocular pressure, or represents a subset of disease in which patients show different patterns of optic disc damage and quantity and quality of visual field loss, possibly as a result of different mechanisms of damage. The literature appears to support the hypothesis that nor- mal tension glaucoma and primary open angle glaucoma represent a continuum of open angle glaucomas, in which increased intraocular pressure is the predominant causative risk factor in primary open angle glaucoma, and factors in addition to intraocular pressure are important in normal tension glaucoma. This review will be published in 2 parts. Part 1 discusses the risk factors related to normal tension glaucoma. Part 2 will discuss a specific entity in normal tension glaucoma — disc hemorrhage. A Brief Report provides some approaches to the management of normal tension glaucoma.


Introduction: Central line-associated bloodstream infections are the second most frequent infection in intensive care units. It represents an adverse event of significant magnitude, thus threatening the patient safety. The aim of this study was to analyze the historical trend of central line-associated bloodstream infections in patients in intensive care units, the rate of infection, central venous catheter utilization ratio, type of pathogen and their antimicrobial resistance pattern. Methodology: This ecological study was performed at 42 intensive care units from a state capital of the Midwest region of Brazil. Central lineassociated bloodstream infections notifications were collected from two databases, the Municipal Coordination for Patient Safety and Infection Control at Healthcare Services, from 2012-2016, and the FormSUS (National Health System Data Processing Company), from 2014-2016. Results: The incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections was high and stationary in the period (incidence rate of 2.3 to 3.2 per 1,000 catheter days, central venous catheter utilization ratio average 56,9%). The most frequent microorganisms were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Resistance to 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins and carbapenems were detected among Gram-negative bacteria, and resistance to oxacillin among Gram-positive bacteria. Conclusions: Central line-associated bloodstream infections incidence rates were high, however the historical trend remained stationary in adult intensive care units. Infections were mostly caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, K. pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including multi-drug resistant organisms. These findings point to the need of educational strategies addressing the adherence to established preventive measures and to the rational use of antimicrobials.


This study uses high-resolution data on the organization of stone tool and pottery production to write a precolonial and early colonial history of the Mandan towns at the confluence of the Heart and Missouri rivers. The dissertation begins by making a case for the crucial role archaeological methods and archaeological data can play in writing seamless "trans-Columbian" histories of Native communities spanning the advent of Europeans in North America. It then traces patterns of economic change in the Heart River region, especially the changing economic connections among contemporaneous communities. These patterns are woven together with ethnographic and historical data, as well as a new assessment of subsistence and settlement change, to support the dissertation's central claim that sociohistorical processes that began in the Heart region in the 1400s played a crucial role in structuring the regional political economy European fur traders encountered in the 1700s and 1800s. Craft production data for the study derive from technological analyses of artifact assemblages from four Heart River communities the Mandans occupied between the late 1400s and the late 1700s. These data reveal the existence of both community- and household-level craft specialization, which in turn point to a web of economic connections among the Heart River towns. This evidence for specialized production is paralleled by evidence for subsistence intensification, an increase in local population density, an expansion of long-distance trade, and an increase in warfare. It was precisely under these conditions that Native groups in many parts of North America established inter-community political alliances known as confederacies. This study argues that the Mandans were no exception, and moreover that the Heart River confederacy of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was a keystone of the regional political economy. This study fosters a more balanced view of colonial interaction by showing how Native history helped set the conditions for colonial engagement. In illustrating the value of archaeological research for writing trans-Columbian histories, it also helps forge theoretical and disciplinary links between archaeology and history. This dissertation is also the first modern synthesis of Heart River archaeology and the first multi-craft study carried out in the Plains.


The alienation of affection tort, which allows a plaintiff to sue a third party for interfering with the plaintiff's marriage, has been disparaged by many as a relic of women's former status as their husband's property. Despite its archaic roots, the tort as it operates today is in many ways quite modern and addresses some of the problems, expectations, and obstacles of modern American marriage. Furthermore, it fits in with developments in tort law toward more actions for nontangible, nonfinancial damages. Given the tort's history, one might assume that it benefits men, but women also benefit from and use this tort, as demonstrated in a case study of North Carolina, a jurisdiction where the tort is frequently pursued. In its current form, the alienation tort can be reconciled with feminist theory and with women's interests, and should not be abolished without reconsideration. "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder."Book of Common Prayer 1789


The outcome for patients with the most common primary brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), remains poor. Several immunotherapeutic approaches are actively being pursued including antibodies and cell-based therapies. While the blood-brain barrier protects brain tumor cells from therapeutic antibodies, immune cells have the ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier and migrate into GBM tumors to exert their therapeutic function. Results of Phase I clinical studies with vaccines to induce GBM-specific T cells are encouraging and Phase II clinical trials are in progress. Nonvaccine-based cell therapy for GBM has been actively explored over the last four decades. Here we will review past clinical experience with adoptive cell therapies for GBM and summarize current strategies on how to improve these approaches.


This paper proposes a compact eAI framework for the integration of various types of applications deployed on different platforms on the Internet. The applications are connected and invoked to achieve a business goal by the coordination of the workflow system in the framework. For the construction of the framework, 5 sub-modules are elicited and the functions and roles of each module are defined The elicited 5 sub-modules include business process modeling tool, eAI platform, business processes transform module, UDDI connection module, and workflow system. In fhe framework, intra and inter organizational applications can be integrated together across firewalls. A full-fledged eAI solution can be constructed by gradually adding supplementary functions within this framework.


A cost-effective, compact, and portable optical system using multi-angle illumination for retrieval of the amplitude and phase of a sample is implemented in this paper. The system consists of a matrix of LED followed by a mask, a USAF resolution chart, and a detector in a column. The sample information is collected by the detector directly without any objective lens. The sample information is encoded by the mask at a sensor plane during the reconstruction process. To retrieve the sample information from captured raw images corresponding to each LED illumination, the backward propagation model is applied. Three types of masks are used: a phase mask having pixel values from 0 to 2π, an amplitude mask, and a combination of a phase and an amplitude mask with random distribution. The applications of such type of technique are most common in biomedical engineering for infection diagnostic purposes. In the future, the commercial demand of such lensless microscope would be high due to its simplicity and fast image processing capacity.


Contemporary architecture often asks for complex do uble curved surfaces while the engineering of such structures often becomes a challenge. This pap er illustrates the tasks that emerged and the methods developed during the engineering process of the new railway station "Stuttgart 21". One of the main challenges in generating a structural fini te element model out of the architectural design was the definition of the middle surface for the co n rete structure and the need to obtain a meshed system with continuously varying shell thicknesses. Such tasks were solved using RhinoScript for the preprocessing phase and an open modular finite element program as Sofistik in the processing and postprocessing phase.


BACKGROUND
A randomized controlled trial was conducted of a whole-service cohort of children referred to the Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Service of Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust between January 1999 and April 2000. The 730 children involved, aged up to 16 years, were diagnosed with primary speech and/or language impairment in the absence of any learning, physical or sensory difficulty.

AIMS
The study considered outcomes of treatment versus no treatment.

METHODS & PROCEDURES
Treatment involved clinic-based interventions, provided according to local departmental criteria and care pathways, averaging 5.5 h (range 0-24 h) of contact during the 6-month period immediately following initial assessment. Assessments occurred within 8 weeks of referral and intervention began immediately thereafter.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS
Treatment was significantly more effective than no treatment, over 6 months, both overall (p < 0.001) and for each of the three diagnostic categories (comprehension, expression and speech, each p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
An average of 6 h of speech and language therapy in a 6-month period can produce significant improvement in performance, and it has been shown to be more effective than no treatment over the same 6-month period for children with primary speech and/or language impairment.


A nonequilibrium migration model is proposed and applied to genetic data from humans. The model assumes symmetric migration among all possible pairs of demes and that the number of demes is large. With these assumptions it is straightforward to allow for changes in demography, and here a single abrupt change is considered. Under the model this change is identical to a change in the ancestral effective population size and might be caused by changes in deme size, in the number of demes, or in the migration rate. Expressions for the expected numbers of sites segregating at particular frequencies in a multideme sample are derived. A maximum-likelihood analysis of independent polymorphic restriction sites in humans reveals a decrease in effective size. This is consistent with a change in the rates of migration among human subpopulations from ancient low levels to present high ones.


The weight of the prostate proper was determined in an autopsy series comprising 205 cases. The dissection technique of Tisell & Salander made it possible to delimit the prostate proper from non-prostatic tissue. The mean weight of the "normal" prostate in adult men was about 11 grams (range 7--16). This weight as well as the water content did no change with age. Individuals who died after protracted disease had lower prostatic weight. The presence of periurethral adenomas was associated with a higher weight of the prostate proper.


Ten years ago Harcourt, Brace and Company published America's Strategy in World Politics. It was written by Nicholas John Spykman, Professor of International Relations at Yale University from 1928 until his death in 1943, and first director of the Institute of International Studies at Yale. Critics recognized that the book was important, but agreed on little else. One reviewer hailed it as "brilliant, incisive, provocative, well-reasoned, well-written, and altogether admirable as an analysis of American foreign policy from a point of view all too long neglected in the United States." On the other hand, a second reviewer bitterly asked, "What were those eminent scholars at Yale thinking about when they let such an idea loose [that the United States might need German and Japanese power after the war]? … Such guessing and surmising is not objective political science, it is not anything but the expression of mental discomfort that the learned gentleman feels in a world that, despite his own cold-blooded cult of political realism, does not appear to be moving in the direction suggested by his own wishful thinking." And there was more, much more, both pro and con. Despite a laudatory, front-page review, complete with picture, in the New York Times Book Review, Professor Spykman probably, if the score were totaled, did no better than break even.


A novel 2 Degree-of-Freedom (DOF) micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror with sidewall electrodes is presented. The paper analyzes the effects of the serpentine torsion bar width, and bottom electrodes and sidewall electrodes on the performance of the mirror. A new fabrication process based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer and a high aspect-ratio shadow mask is presented. In comparison to the previous fabrication process and the Optical iMEMS process, the presented process is novel, simple and easy to be realized. Static and dynamic experiments indicate MEMS mirror with sidewall electrodes can realize the large scanning angle under low drive voltage. This mirror is well-suited for application where large linear angular scan at a low driving voltage is required.


Radioactive synoviorthesis with 198Au, 90Y, 186Re, and 32P would seem to be the treatment of choice for recurrent hemarthroses in hemophilia. The clinical results, obtained by different centers, show a definite diminution of hemarthroses in 88% of cases. The advantages of radioactive synoviorthesis compared with surgical synovectomy are: better results, the requirement of substantially reduced antihemophilic factor, the possibility of performing the procedure on multiple cases concurrently on an ambulatory basis, no interference with articular range of movement, and the low cost of the procedure. In cases of failure, the procedure can be repeated after 6 months, and on as many as 3 occasions. Studies performed on the chromosomal changes that could be attributed to the radioactive material show the disappearance of these alterations a few years after treatment. No physical changes have been found that could be attributed to cytogenic alteration (hematologic or other) in any reported patients.


Regulation scholars have long searched for the best tools to use to achieve public policy goals, generating an extensive body of research on what has become known as instrument choice. By contrast, analysis of options for structuring how officials make regulatory decisions – process choice – remains in relative infancy. Notwithstanding the emphasis legal scholars and political economists have placed on administrative procedures, surprisingly little research has investigated why regulators choose among different process options or what value they and the public receive from different choices. In their book, Regulation by Litigation, Andrew Morriss, Bruce Yandle, and Andrew Dorchak make a significant contribution by empirically and normatively examining regulators' choices between notice-and-comment rulemaking, negotiated rulemaking, and what they call 'regulation by litigation.' This review considers three central questions about regulation by litigation. First, how if at all does regulation by litigation differ from other uses of litigation to achieve policy goals? Second, why do regulators choose litigation over other process options? Third, is regulation by litigation as bad as Morriss, Yandle, and Dorchak say it is? By addressing these conceptual, empirical, and normative questions, this review not only reveals the specific strengths and limitations of the book, Regulation by Litigation, but it also highlights more general opportunities and challenges for future research on process choice.


This study examines how five financial reporting and disclosure quality proxies are related to emerging markets (EM) firms' cross-listing choices and their access to the global capital market. Our five financial reporting and disclosure quality proxies are transparency of the annual report, global vs. local auditor, global vs. local GAAP, translation of the annual report into English, and voluntary dissemination of information through websites. We first ask whether this set of proxies reflects a single (or two) underlying financial reporting quality constructs using a principal components factor analysis. We find that the proxies are sufficiently distinct to escape parsimonious description as a single construct. This result suggests that EM firms pick and choose from among alternatives to enhance their financial reporting and disclosure quality, rather than moving from low quality to high quality on all dimensions simultaneously. We next document the relations among our reporting and disclosure proxies and EM firms' decisions to be listed or traded in U.S. and U.K. capital markets, after controlling for factors we expected to be associated with firms' cross-listing decisions. Evidence in prior research leaves open the question of the endogeneity of cross-listing and financial reporting and disclosure quality. We find evidence of a strong association between each of our five proxies and EM firms' participation in U.S. and U.K. capital markets, but the variation in the five proxies (plus the controls) explains only about 40% of the variation in firms' cross-listing patterns. This result is important because it suggests that EM firms view being listed or traded in the U.S. or the U.K. as a substitute rather than a complement to enhanced financial reporting and disclosure quality. Finally, we find the reporting and disclosure proxies are not significantly correlated with the amount of debt and equity capital raised in global markets, after controlling for the effects of cross-listing in the U.S. and the U.K. and other control variables. In contrast, firms' cross-listing choices are strongly correlated with amount of capital raised. From this evidence we conclude that, consistent with the bonding hypothesis, EM firms' presence in U.S. and U.K. capital markets is a more important factor in their ability to raise capital than are their financial reporting and disclosure quality choices.


A metasomatic origin seems established for large parts of the granite phacoliths in the northwest Adirondack Mountains, New York. This conclusion is based upon the discovery and detailed mapping of a blurred but widespread stratigraphic sequence in the phacoliths. Highly complicated patterns of relict beds are defined by alternations of granitic gneiss, amphibolite, oligoclase-quartz gneiss, and a predominant alaskitic granite. Regional reconstructions indicate these relict beds comprise a major basal formation, probably of arkosic and calcareous quartzites, in the exposed Grenville metasedimentary rocks. The existing amphibolite interlayers formed early in the metasomatic epoch, probably replacing the more calcareous quartzite beds. This mafic metasomatism was overlapped and followed by pervasive granitization of the arkosic and highly quartzose members. Pink alaskitic granite is the final metasomacic product. It tends to replace all pre-existing rock types, especially in the cores of the antiforms. This mafic and granitic metasomatism occurred during the evolution of the major folds in the metasedimentary sequence. As the folds evolved, rising domes in the quartzite probed upward into successively higher horizons in the overlying marbles. At least three quartzite antiforms (California, Clark Pond, and South Edwards phacoliths) punctured the overlying marble, invading the basal layers of the Adirondack paragneiss. The crests of the evolving folds in the basal quartzite, capped by carbonate-rich marble, acted as traps for aqueous and carbonated, alkali-bearing fluids, and perhaps some associated anatectic granitic magma generated in the deeper, hotter basement to the Grenville.


When Austria regained its sovereignty in 1955, one common narrative had it that the country reemerged after almost four decades of heteronomy: after 1918, France, Britain and the United States would not allow it to join the German Empire; then, Austria was annexed by this very empire; and finally, it was occupied by Allied forces. Did this self-perception bring about a form of anticolonial identification among Austrians or even a sentiment of solidarity with the so-called Third World that was in the process of actual decolonization? This question touches upon complex intellectual transfers between the Global South and the Global North after wwii .


Lack of durable response to cytotoxic chemotherapy is a major contributor to the dismal outcomes seen in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Extensive tumor desmoplasia and poor vascular supply are two predominant characteristics that hinder the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs into PDAC tumors and mediate resistance to therapy. Previously, we have shown that STAT3 is a key biomarker of therapeutic resistance to gemcitabine treatment in PDAC, which can be overcome by combined inhibition of the Src kinase and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathways. Although it is well established that concurrent EGFR and Src inhibition exert these anti-eoplastic properties through inhibiting mitogenic pathways in tumor cells directly, the influence of this combined therapy on stromal constituents in PDAC tumors remains unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate in both orthotopic tumor xenografts and Ptf1acre/+;LSL-KrasG12D/+;Tgfbr2flox/flox (PKT) mouse models that concurrent EGFR and Src inhibition abrogates STAT3 activation, resulting in stromal remodeling through the depletion of tumor collagen content, increasing microvessel density, and preventing tissue fibrosis in vivo. Furthermore, these stromal changes resulting from combined pathway inhibition produce a direct increase in intratumoral gemcitabine levels as determined by MALDI-IMS and improve overall survival in PKT mice treated with combined EGFR and Src inhibition with gemcitabine. As a phase 1 clinical trial utilizing concurrent EGFR and Src inhibition in combination with gemcitabine has recently concluded, these data provide translational insight into the novel mechanism of action of this regimen and expand our understanding into the phenomenon of stromal-mediated therapeutic resistance. Citation Format: Austin R. Dosch, Xizi Dai, Michelle L. Reyzer, Deukwoo Kwon, Richard Caprioli, Nipun B. Merchant, Nagaraj S. Nagathihalli. Combined Src and EGFR inhibition targets STAT3 to induce stromal remodeling and increase drug delivery to improve survival in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2019 Sept 6-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(24 Suppl):Abstract nr A11.


BACKGROUND
To identify factors that enable gynecologic oncology fellows to achieve goals set by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG).

METHOD
Survey questions identified demographics, mentorship status, productivity, career plans, and opinions in a fourth fellowship year.

RESULTS
Reasons cited for choosing specific programs were academic reputation, faculty, geographic location, and research opportunities. Two thirds identified a clinical or basic science mentor. There was an association between having a research mentor and expectation for completing one's thesis (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION
Achieving goals set by ABOG may be related to the presence of a research mentor.


Chronic constipation with or without fecal soiling remains an important cause of childhood morbidity. A number of articles have appeared in the past year to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology, treatment, and long-term outcome of functional constipation and to give us a new treatment approach for intractable constipation in children. Hirschsprung's disease has been localized to chromosome 10. In addition, the number of children with preoperative enterocolitis of Hirschsprung's disease has decreased, most likely due to the availability of anorectal manometry and better staining methods of the rectal biopsies, which has resulted in earlier diagnosis. The mean age at diagnosis decreased to 2.6 months. Neuronal intestinal dysplasia does not appear to be a unique clinicopathologic entity.


The results of experimental studies of the fluorescence response of polylactide foams saturated with rhodamine 6G and composites used for their preparation in the region of transition from spontaneous fluorescence to stochastic laser generation are presented. A small increase in the threshold of stochastic laser generation in foamed composites compared to the expected one is interpreted as a result of the contribution of the waveguide mode of fluorescence propagation in the polymer matrix.


Knösel und Tiroke (1989) reported recently experiences derived from the control of FMD outbreaks in 1987/88 in Lower Saxony (FRG). On the basis of the described facts and in connection with the observations of the other outbreaks during the last 20 years in the FRG several conclusions were drawn: (1) The compulsory annual vaccination was not able to prevent these outbreaks. (2) Hence follows that very probable introductions of FMD from foreign countries cannot be prevented, especially since such infections were due to infected swill fed to pigs, and those strains were normally not related to the vaccine strains used. (3) Considering all circumstances of the recent outbreaks, it seems unrealistic to believe the primary infection was not due to the escape of virus from the neighboring vaccine plant. (4) The annual vaccination campaigns since 1970 against FMD were useless because most of the primary outbreaks of FMD since then can be traced to the production or the application of vaccines. (5) The legislative control measures are not sufficient to prevent secondary outbreaks. It was recommended to extend the quarantine areas as well as the radius of ring vaccination and to prolong the period of quarantine. (6) The regulation of tremendous losses of trade is obscure because camouflage of the origin of infections blocks the application of the principle of ultimate responsibility. Facit: Eradication of the disease and strict prevention of its introduction into Europe should be the principal strategy of FMD control for the future instead of imperfect protecting one species of the susceptible animal population.


This paper investigates the design of switched-capacitor filters for reconfigurable frequency synthesizer dedicated to FMCW radar. Simulations mixing electronics level and systems level demonstrates that it is possible to generate a chirp waveform with performances close to the one obtained with an ideal continuous-time filter. This chirp waveform is simulated in a simplified FMCW radar model to evaluate effects of the imperfection on the radar. The motivation of this work is the design of reconfigurable and digitally controlled FMCW source based on free-running VCO.


The essential oil from the leaves of Lepechinia bullata (Lamiaceae) from the Venezuelan Andes was obtained by hydrodistillation and its composition was determined by GC and CG-MS. The major constituents were β-phellandrene (14.9 %), premnaspirodiene (14.8 %), borneol (13.3 %), farnesene (8.1 %) and bornylacetate (5.5 %). The present study is the first that reports the presence of 33 constituents and their percentage composition (94.7 %) in the essential oil from leaves of L. bullata.


One of the key performance indicators of quality management system of an organization is customer satisfaction. The process of monitoring customer satisfaction is therefore an important part of the measuring processes of the quality management system. This paper deals with new ways how to analyse and monitor customer satisfaction using the analysis of data containing how the customers use the organisation services and customer leaving rates. The article used cluster analysis in this process for segmentation of customers with the aim to increase the accuracy of the results and on these results based decisions. The aplication example was created as a part of bachelor thesis.


After a comprehensive review of reliability bounds for consecutive- k-out-of- n: F systems with statistically independent components having the same failure probability q (i.i.d. components), we introduce new classes of lower and upper bounds. Our approach is different from previous ones, and relies on alternating summation as well as on the monotony of some particular sequences of real numbers. The starting point is represented by the original formula given by de Moivre; and, by considering partial sums approximating it, new lower and upper bounds on the reliability of a consecutive- k-out-of- n: F system have been established. Simulation results show that all the lower and upper bounds considered here present very similar behaviors, as all of them are exponentially closing in on the exact reliability of a consecutive- k-out-of- n: F system. Additionally, the accuracy of the different bounds depends not only on the particular values of k and n, but also on the particular range of q (some of the new bounds being the most accurate ones over certain ranges).


Future power distribution grids will comprise a large number of components, each potentially able to carry out operations autonomously. Clearly, in order to ensure safe operation of the grid, individual operations must be coordinated among the different components. Since operation safety is a global property, modelling component coordination typically involves reasoning about systems at a global level. In this paper, we propose a language for specifying grid operation control protocols from a global point of view. We show how such global specifications can be used to automatically generate local controllers of individual components, and that the distributed implementation yielded by such controllers operationally corresponds to the global specification. We showcase our development by modelling a fault management scenario in power grids.


Materials of archaeological exploration of monuments without land characteristics in the territory of Dnipropetrovsk region in 2017 are reported. The work is conditioned by the necessity to establish the safety of archaeological objects that have already been registered by the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Center for the Protection of the Historical and Cultural Values and which have recently been revealed. The settlement near the village Vilne of Novomoskovsk was explored in 2005. It occupies the natural cape of the right bank of the Samara river. It is located 1 km to the NE from the village outskirts. The area of the settlement is limited to two sources of drinking water. In the central part of the cape there are four pits. Stratigraphy is established, the thickness of the cultural layer is 0,8–0,9 m. The area of the monument is 50 x 20 m. The artifacts are represented by fragments dishes of clay: walls, bottoms and top part of vessels. The dishes are ornamented with rollers, drawn lines, embossed lines. The numerous bones found belong to large and small cattle and a horse. There are pieces of slag. All matherials refer to the Boguslav-Belozersk culture of the Late Bronze Age. In the Sinelnikovo District, a settlement near the village Zaporozhets near Sinelnikovo was investigated. It was discovered by the work of the DniproHES expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the late 1920s. Territorially occupies part of the cape of the left bank of the river Dnepr from the village. Not digging. As a result of the survey of the monument in the 1970s, A. V. Bodiansky and L. P. Krylova collected numerous artifacts that reflect the destruction of the cultural layer. The pits laid in 2017 by the Dnipropetrovsk National University on the area of the settlement testify to its further destruction as a result of the natural factor (flooding of the Dnieper river) and active anthropogenic activity of the last decades. The cultural layer with thickness up to 0.4 m is poorly saturated with finds. Archaeological materials include single fragments of ceramics with a glossy Saltov-type surface and animals bones. The carried out researches testify to the preservation of only the peripheral part of the object, which chronologically and culturally represents the Late Slavonian period in the history of the ancient population of Nadporozhye.


Reduction of livestock losses from predators is a complex problem that requires the integration of lethal and nonlethal management tools. During 2005 and 2006, we tested shock collars for conditioning wild wolves (Canis lupus) in Wisconsin, USA, to avoid bait sites over an 80-day period. Treatment wolves (n = 10) visited shock zones less and spent less time at shock zones compared to control wolves (n = 4) during 40-day shock periods and 40-day post-shock periods. Treatment wolves remained away from shock zones for a greater number of days compared to control wolves. A smaller proportion of treatment pack members visited shock zones during shock and post-shock periods compared to control packs. Shock collars conditioned treatment wolves to avoid bait sites for >40 days and reduced visitation by other pack members. We also demonstrated the application of shock collars at the scale of livestock farms. Shock collars could serve as a useful nonlethal tool for managing livestock depredations, particularly in chronic problem areas and with endangered populations. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.


Seventy-four healthy mixed-breed dogs were studied collecting behavioural data by means of 'focal animal sampling' and 'all occurrences' methods; the ethogram utilised consisted of more than 100 behavioural patterns. All dogs were taken outside the shelter for a walk to analyse their reaction to a novel environment. In addition, three faecal samples were collected from each dog on three consecutive days during daily routine, to measure the levels of cortisol metabolites (CM) to evaluate adrenocortical activity. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified five primary factors: 'subordination/aggressiveness', 'intraspecific dominance-activity', 'anxiety-sociability towards dogs', 'playfulness' and 'sociability towards humans'. Dogs that showed a confident-independent temperament in a familiar context (within the shelter), showed fear in novel situations (outside the shelter). Despite the absence of a proper control we hypothesise that the stress levels were low both behaviourally and physiologically: neither stereotypies nor inactivity and lack of interest in the surrounding environment was observed, and the median CM concentration was moderately low. Lower concentrations of faecal CM were recorded in dogs with a temperament 'sociable to human beings' which were also associated with a longer stay in the shelter.


This study found distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in bovine milk and ash samples collected from 9 different major districts namely Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Trippur, Madurai, Chennai, Dindigul and Tiruchirappalli, which were highly populated and industrialized districts of South India (Tamil Nadu). The total toxic equivalency (TEQ) for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in the bovine milk samples were ranged from 0.028 to 7.331-pg TEQ/g fat. Some of the districts showed higher PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs concentration in milk and ash samples. Further, BM14 (7.331 pg-TEQ/g fat) and BM21 (6.406 pg-TEQ/g fat) sampling sites showed exceed level of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs than WHO regulation limits (6 pg-TEQ/g fat). Similarly, Total dioxins and DL-PCBs concentration in the ash sample were between 0.003-1. ng TEQ/g. Samples from AS3 (1.2 ng-TEQ/g) and AS11 (1.06 ng-TEQ/g) showed higher total dioxins and DL-PCBs level among other sampling sites. This study provides an overview of dioxins and dioxin-related compounds contamination in bovine milk and ash samples in south Tamil Nadu. Further, the CALUX assay method validation has simplified the monitoring of dioxin contamination in the environment.


DOI: 10.1111/bjd.18712 In the article by Tovar-Garza et al, there is an error in the second paragraph. The text: Patients who had received oral minipulse dexamethasone 4 mg on two consecutive days per week, narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB), and clobetasol cream 0 05% four times daily. . . should have been Patients who had received oral minipulse dexamethasone 4 mg on two consecutive days per week, narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB), and clobetasol cream 0 05% once a day. . . The publisher apologizes for the error.


ABSTRACT Besides metabolic pathways and regulatory networks, transport systems are also pivotal for cellular metabolism and hyperproduction of biochemicals using microbial cell factories. The identification and characterization of transporters are therefore of great significance for the understanding and engineering of transport reactions. Herein, a novel l-glutamate exporter, MscCG2, which exists extensively in Corynebacterium glutamicum strains but is distinct from the only known l-glutamate exporter, MscCG, was discovered in an industrial l-glutamate-producing C. glutamicum strain. MscCG2 was predicted to possess three transmembrane helices in the N-terminal region and located in the cytoplasmic membrane, which are typical structural characteristics of the mechanosensitive channel of small conductance. MscCG2 has a low amino acid sequence identity (23%) to MscCG and evolved separately from MscCG with four transmembrane helices. Despite the considerable differences between MscCG2 and MscCG in sequence and structure, gene deletion and complementation confirmed that MscCG2 also functioned as an l-glutamate exporter and an osmotic safety valve in C. glutamicum. Besides, transcriptional analysis showed that MscCG2 and MscCG genes were transcribed in similar patterns and not induced by l-glutamate-producing conditions. It was also demonstrated that MscCG2-mediated l-glutamate excretion was activated by biotin limitation or penicillin treatment and that constitutive l-glutamate excretion was triggered by a gain-of-function mutation of MscCG2 (A151V). Discovery of MscCG2 will enrich the understanding of bacterial amino acid transport and provide additional targets for exporter engineering. IMPORTANCE The exchange of matter, energy, and information with surroundings is fundamental for cellular metabolism. Therefore, studying transport systems that are essential for these processes is of great significance. Besides, transport systems of bacterial cells are usually related to product excretion as well as product reuptake, making transporter engineering a useful strategy for strain improvement. The significance of our research is in identifying and characterizing a novel l-glutamate exporter from the industrial workhorse Corynebacterium glutamicum, which will enrich the understanding of l-glutamate excretion and provide a new target for studying bacterial amino acid transport and engineering transport reactions.


This paper analyses the DISKO survey data on 1,900 firms within the Danish private business sector in terms of an index which classifies the surveyed firms according to smaller and higher degrees of flexibility. The classification reveals a number of important differences between more or less flexible firms. The more flexible firms tend to combine technical and organisational innovation to a larger extent than the less flexible firms and consequently are more inclined to employ new work organisation principles based on the delegation of authority, intrafirm horisontal and vertical integration, and the development of human resources. Similarly, the more flexible firms exhibit a larger inclination to extend their extraorganisational cooperative relationships. Finally, there is a strong positive correlation between increasing degrees of flexibility and increasing firm size, measured in terms of full-time employees. This paper was originally prepared for the International Conference on Changing workplace strategies: achieving better outcomes for enterprises, workers and society, organised by OECD in cooperation with Human Resource Development Canada at Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, 2-3 December 1996. We acknowledge the assistance of Birgitta Jacobsen, who made the data available.


This article describes the genesis and development of the restauration project for panel paintings belonging to the principal altar piece of the temple of Coixtlahuaca, Oaxaca. Fulfilled by the Seminar-Workshop of Conservation of Easel Paintings (STRPC ) of Escuela Nacional de Conservacion,  Restauracion y Museografia (ENCRyM), Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH), this initiative has been focused on the study and treatment of 11 works of art from the Sixteenth Century, attributed to the renowned Sevillian painter Andres de Concha. The text reports mainly the purposes and activities of the project, which has been characterized by an integral approach, aiming to incorporate humanistic and scientific studies with conservation  and restoration interventions within a teach-learn environment. It also informs about the results accomplished by the ENCRyM  teachers and students together with a group of specialists of varied disciplines from INAH, and other Mexican academic institutions. It shows the benefits derived from interinstitutional and inter-disciplinary work as an essential factor for the project that attained the rescue, preservation and revitalization of one of the most exceptional mexican groups of paintings concerning historical, aesthetical and tech nological values.


Background Although physical therapy measures are commonly used for the conservative management of lateral epicondylitis, limited randomised prospective studies exist comparing the effects of different approaches. Objectives The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of local pulsed ultrasound (US) therapy with deep friction-manipulation as advocated by Cyriax in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Methods 36 lateral epicondylitis patients with a mean age of 50,42 ± 8,71 years and a mean disease duration of 3,14 ± 2,38 months were enrolled into the study. Patients were randomly allocated into two treatment groups: 1) Ultrasound application of 1.5 watt/cm2 for 5 min 2) Cyriax technique of deep friction massage and Mills? manipulation. Use of analgesics or epicondylitis bracing were not allowed and the treatment intervention lasted for a maximum period of 2 weeks. The same physiotherapist carried out the treatments and the observer was blinded to the treatment modality. Activity modification and gentle range of motion, stretching exercises were recommended to both groups. Outcome measures were pain intensity measured by VAS, pain produced by pressure on lateral epicondyle and on resisted wrist extension, grip strength and Verhaar?s scoring system for treatment results of lateral epicondylitis. Results At baseline, the groups were similar in terms of age, pain scores, and the duration of symptoms. After treatment, pain produced by pressure on the lateral epicondyle and on resisted wrist extension were found to be significantly decreased in both groups (p < 0.01). Reduction in pain intensity measured on VAS was significant in the Cyriax group but not in the US group (p < 0.05 and p > 0.05 respectively). The improvement in grip strength was significant in both groups, being 38,4% in the Cyriax group, and 19,3% in the US group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05). Percentage of patients that reached excellent or good results according to Verhaar?s criteria was 55% in the Cyriax and 33% in the US group. When the two treatment groups were compared, the decrease in pain, improvement in grip strength and Verhaar?s criteria seemed to be in favour of the Cyriax group but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion Our preliminary results support the efficacy of two different conservative approaches in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. Although Cyriax type physiotherapy consisting of deep friction massage and Mills? manipulation seemed to be a better treatment approach than US, the difference did not reach statistical significance. The study is still running for investigating the long term effects of both treatments with increasing number of cases at 12 months. Reference Verhaar JAN, Walenkamp GHIM, Mameren H, et al. Local corticosteroid injection versus Cyriax-type physiotherapy for tennis elbow. J Bone Joint Surg (Br) 1995;77-B:128–32


In this work, a general design procedure is suggested for the microstrip antennas using artificial neural networks and this is demonstrated using the rectangular patch geometry. In this design procedure, synthesis is defined as the forward side and then analysis as the reverse side of the problem. Worked examples are given using the most efficient materials.


The application of an IP-based control plane to optical networks has opened up new opportunities and challenges for network designers. Although much work has been done on standardization of protocols for IP networks, the applicability of these protocols to controlling optical networks and the overall reliability of optical networks needs further investigation. This article provides a detailed discussion of a number of subtle protocol design and implementation issues that were not addressed in early standardization efforts or published papers.


OBJECTIVE
International studies have the inverse relationship of women education and empowerment on fertility. Our aim is to study the association of women education, and empowerment with some of the fertility determinants in a community based survey.

METHODS
A cross sectional survey of the health status of the Omani community was designed. Face to face interviews with 2037 women, who were or had been married including demographic data, fertility patterns, family planning, 2 women empowerment indices (decision making and freedom of movement), and other modules reproductive health, were carried out during the year 2000.

RESULTS
About 31% of the sample was considered highly empowered in decision making and the mean number of decisions taken in the household was 4.46 for the overall sample. For freedom of movement, 29% of the sample was highly empowered with a mean number of 3.88 for the overall sample. The mean values of both indices varied significantly according to age, residence, level of education and work status. Higher freedom of movement score women were more likely to have less number of children in the first 20 years of marriage. Women of higher score of decision making index were more likely to have longer closed birth interval Those scored low in the decision making index were more likely to get a child at an earlier age.

CONCLUSION
There is inverse relationship between both education and empowerment and fertility. However, the 2 indices of women empowerment; decision making and freedom of movement were not always predicting the same fertility indicator, as women's empowerment is multidimensional in nature.


A theory of visibility on an intensity-modulated display is developed. From it is derived a mathematical formula for visibility on a PPI display, and this formula is confirmed by experimental investigations. It is shown that, under favorable conditions, received signals whose power is 15 db below noise level can be observed. Replacement of a linear detector in the receiver by a square-law detector will, under some conditions, produce a further improvement of 3 db. In the visibility formula all the system variables have been grouped into four parameters, and thus it has been possible to provide nomograms enabling the rapid calculation of the minimum visible signal under any set of conditions.


This thesis designs a network teaching and leaning Platform based on .NET framework and web technology. The Platform realizes easy communication and interaction between teachers and students under the network teaching and learning environment. In this environment, teachers and students work in collaboration, which helps to promote students' self-learning abilities and collaborative leaning abilities. Based on requirements analysis in network teaching, the system determines the basic functions of the network teaching and leaning platform. It builds part of software model of the system by using Software Engineering methods. It also designs a system interface, database and some functions of teaching, learning, assignment, examination, course answering and so on, and realizes the online examination system, as well as the Forum and Q & A subsystem.


Study Design. A retrospective cohort study. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between receipt and quantity of outpatient physical therapy (PT) during an episode of care and 30-day and 180-day hospital admissions for any condition and lumbar spine conditions. Summary of Background Data. Low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of hospitalization and the most common reason Medicare beneficiaries utilize outpatient PT. The association between PT and hospitalization among patients with LBP is unknown. Methods. A national sample of Medicare Fee-for-Service claims included 413,608 beneficiaries with an International Classification of Disease 9th revision (ICD-9) code of LBP and 1,415,037 episodes of care between June 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011. Episodes were classified as PT episodes or non-PT episodes. Relative risk of hospitalization from the episode start date was caldulated, adjusting for health status (Charlson comorbidity index), prior care utilization (number of prior hospitalizations and total number of episodes), an indicator of LBP severity (number of LBP ICD-9 codes), and demographics (sex, race/ethnicity, age). Results. The proportion of 30-day hospitalization for any condition was 3.42% for PT episodes of care and 6.54% for non-PT episodes. For 180-day hospitalization, proportions were 15.45% (PT) and 21.65% (non-PT). The adjusted relative risk reduction of PT (vs. non-PT) was 41% for 30 days [99% confidence interval (CI) 38–44] and 22% for 180 days (20–24). For admitting diagnoses of lumbar spine, reductions were 65% at 30 days and 32% at 180 days. More PT treatment days showed greater 30-day risk reductions. For any condition, compared with non-PT, reductions were 24% for 1 to 2 treatment days (lowest tertile), 45% for 3 to 7 days, and 65% for more than 8 days (highest tertile). Stronger effects were found for lumbar spine admissions. Associations between PT quantity and 180-day hospitalization were less consistent. Limitations of Medicare claims include the potential for inaccuracies, limited knowledge about disease severity, and which PT interventions were conducted. Conclusion. Receipt of PT during an episode had a 22% to 65% reduced relative risk of hospitalization, with greater short-term reductions for more PT treatment days. Level of Evidence: 3