ABSTRACT In the Swedish Caledonides, the continent-ocean boundary is represented by the basal thrust of the Iapetus-derived Köli Nappe Complex (KNC) which overlies the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC) derived from the outer rifted margin of Baltica and the continent-ocean transition (COT). Current maps and literature subdivide the Seve teconostratigraphy in northern Sweden (Sarek-Padjelanta region) into three mega-lenses, the lowest of which (Vaimok lens) is composed of quartz-feldspathic gneisses and subordinate marble, all hosting eclogites. It is overlain by the Sarek lens composed of a COT dyke complex and, along its western margin, a narrow belt of phyllites, schists, quartzite, marbles and greenschists. Overlying this belt is Tsäkkok lens of the same composition as the Vaimok lens. The situation with an intermediate-pressure and often excellently preserved sheeted-dyke complex intercalated between two lenses of complexly deformed high-pressure rocks invited to intricate models of accretion, including out-of-sequence stacking of slices of the continental margin during early Ordovician subduction. Based on a detailed study of a select area and examination of the evolution of previous concepts, this study reinterprets the narrow belt along the western margin of the Sarek Lens as typical of the lower KNC. The favoured explanation of the presence of intermediate-pressure Köli rocks below high-pressure Seve rocks is recumbent folding and/or mega-sheath folding of the Seve-Köli nappe sequence during Scandian (Siluro-Devonian) accretion, by analogy with the situation in places in the central Swedish Caledonides. Previous models of early out-of-sequence stacking during subduction of the continental margin need reconsideration.


Unsupervised image segmentation aims to match low-level visual features with semantic-level representations without outer supervision. In this paper, we address the critical properties from the view of feature alignments and feature uniformity for UISS models. We also make a comparison between UISS and image-wise representation learning. Based on the analysis, we argue that the existing MI-based methods in UISS suffer from representation collapse. By this, we proposed a robust network called Semantic Attention Network(SAN), in which a new module Semantic Attention(SEAT) is proposed to generate pixel-wise and semantic features dynamically. Experimental results on multiple semantic segmentation benchmarks show that our unsupervised segmentation framework specializes in catching semantic representations, which outperforms all the unpretrained and even several pretrained methods.


Scrape-loading has been used to analyse the biochemical function of purified p21ras protein. We have shown that scrape-loading oncogenic p21ras into quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells causes morphological transformation of 90% of the cell population within 15 h. Since large numbers of cells can be loaded with p21ras, early induced biochemical changes can be analysed. In this way we have shown that oncogenic p21ras causes rapid activation of protein kinase C five minutes after introduction of protein, but that ras protein fails to stimulate measurable inositol phosphate formation. It appears, therefore, that the stimulation of protein kinase C activity is due to a ras induced increase in diacylglycerol from a source other than inositol phospholipids. Efficient stimulation of DNA synthesis by oncogenic p21ras only occurs in the presence of insulin. This stimulation of DNA synthesis by ras is absolutely dependent on functional protein kinase C activity.


The overwhelming importance of distinctive cardiovascular disease profile in women has stimulated enormous efforts to disclose its cause. In this review, we discuss vascular endothelium as a potential phenotypic marker for the genetic difference. As it is a potentially modifiable factor for cardiovascular disease, every effort should be made to detect it, either directly or indirectly, at the earliest in females who are at risk, so that the future cardiovascular events might be prevented.


In many mammals, enterocytes are responsible for the synthesis of L-citrulline and L-arginine from L-glutamine and L-proline. However, there is limited research in the horse to determine de novo synthesis of L-citrulline or L-arginine by the enterocyte, which is the initial step in establishing dietary requirements and comprehending arginine nutrition in horses. We utilized jejunal enterocytes from 20 horses (neonate n = 2, mature n = 16, and geriatric n = 2) to study glutamine and proline metabolism. As a positive control, enterocytes were isolated from 0, 60, and 180-day old pigs (n = 8/age group). Equine or porcine enterocytes were incubated at 37oC for 30 min in oxygenated (95% O2/5% CO2) Krebs bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.4) containing 5 mM D-glucose and either 2 mM L-[U-14C]glutamine or 2 mM L-[U-14C]proline plus 2 mM L-glutamine. Collected 14CO2 was determined by a liquid scintillation counter, whereas amino acids in cells plus medium were analyzed by HPLC. Both equine and porcine enterocytes oxidized glutamine to CO2 but had a limited ability to oxidize proline to CO2, confirming the biochemical viability of the cells in vitro. Enterocytes from neonatal and geriatric horses had lower rates (nmol/106 cells/30 min) of CO2 production (1.10 ± 0.52 and 1.31 ± 0.65, respectively) from glutamine than those (40.9 ± 5.40) from mature horses. Porcine enterocytes synthesized L-citrulline and L-arginine from glutamine and proline (e.g., 4.86 ± 0.26 nmol L-citrulline/mg protein/30 min and 0.85 ± 0.04 nmol L-arginine/mg protein/30 min from glutamine in enterocytes of 60-day-old pigs). In contrast, equine enterocytes did not synthesize L-citrulline and L-arginine from L-glutamine or L-proline. Because L-arginine is an essential substrate for the synthesis of protein, nitric oxide, and creatine, our novel findings on the lack of intestinal synthesis of L-arginine in horses have important implications for their nutrition, metabolism, and health.


In this article a conceptual model of use innovativeness is proposed. Use innovativeness is positioned within the broader innate innovativeness construct. Use innovativeness is conceptualized as a consumer's receptivity/attraction to and creativity with using products in new ways. Thus, use innovativeness focuses on the origination and production of new product uses rather than the adoption of new products. Relationships between innovativeness, use innovativeness, and use behaviors are explicated. In addition, issues in construct measurement and validation are also highlighted. Finally, a research agenda that flows from the proposed model is suggested. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Research shows that misconceptions about human blood circulation and gas exchange persist across grade levels. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to investigate the prevalence and persistence of blood circulation misconceptions among prospective elementary teachers and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of learning activities for discovering what students know and can explain about blood circulation and lung function. The context was an undergraduate introduction to biology course taught by two professors across three semesters at a state university. Independent reviewers identified five categories of erroneous ideas about blood circulation. Many categories still presented problems to students at the end of the course: 70% of prospective elementary teachers did not understand the dual blood circulation pathway, 33% were confused about blood vessels, 55% had wrong ideas about gas exchange, 19% had trouble with gas transport and utilization, and 20% did not understand lung function. Results show that an interview about a drawing as a final exam was significantly better at revealing different errors and a higher frequency of erroneous ideas compared with an essay exam. There is an urgent need for instructional tools to help undergraduate students realize the discrepancies between their own ideas about blood circulation and those of the scientific community.


A new method is presented, allowing for the generation of 3D terrain and texture from coherent noise. The method is significantly faster than prevailing fractal brownian motion approaches, while producing results of equivalent quality. The algorithm is derived through a systematic approach that generalizes to an arbitrary number of spatial dimensions and gradient smoothness. The results are compared, in terms of performance and quality, to fundamental and efficient gradient noise methods widely used in the domain of fast terrain generation: Perlin noise and OpenSimplex noise. Finally, to objectively quantify the degree of realism of the results, a fractal analysis of the generated landscapes is performed and compared to real terrain data.


Variable-length block-coding schemes are investigated for discrete memoryless channels with ideal feedback under cost constraints. Upper and lower bounds are found for the minimum achievable probability of decoding error Pe,min as a function of constraints R, P, and tau on the transmission rate, average cost, and average block length, respectively. For given R and P, the lower and upper bounds to the exponent -( ln Pe,min )/tau are asymptotically equal as tau rarr infin. The resulting reliability function,limtaurarrinfin(-In Pe,min)/tau as a function of R and V, is concave in the pair (R,P) and generalizes the linear reliability function of Burnashev to include cost constraints. The results are generalized to a class of discrete-time memoryless channels with arbitrary alphabets, including additive Gaussian noise channels with amplitude and power constraints.


It is easy to imagine that on this early morning in 1395, Antonius, realizing the magnitude of his actions, had little time to fabricate a defense or construct a plan. In late fourteenth-century Reggio Emilia, flight was often the most desirable path open to those suspected of perpetrating felonies. Subsequent witnesses in this murder investigation speculated that Antonius fled the territory of the Villa de Vetto before the first light of day less to evade the law than to avoid the wrath of Caterina's relatives. Propelled by the need to escape retribution, Antonius, like almost half the defendants cited by the criminal court of Reggio Emilia, fled rather than appear before the criminal judge.


Abstract The chemical studies of roots and aerial parts of Taraxacum portentosum Kirschner & Štěpánek, a member of the section Palustria (H. Lindb.) Dahlst. (Asteraceae), led to the isolation of one new eudesmanolide and 13 known compounds, including five sesquiterpenoids: taraxinic acid, 11β,13-dihydrotaraxinic acid, taraxinic acid β-glucopyranosyl ester and its 11β,13-dihydroderivative, ixerin D, one apocarotenoid ‒ loliolide and seven phenolics: scopoletin, 3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-propanone, methyl p-hydroxyphenylacetate, 5-methoxy-eugenyl-4-O-β-glucopyranoside, syringin, dihydroconiferin, and dihydrosyringin. Their structures were established by 1H NMR. The new compound was characterized as 3-oxo-4βH-11,13-eudesmen-12,6-olide-8-O-β-glucopyranoside based on spectroscopic data (1 D and 2 D NMR) and HRESI mass spectrometry. Graphical Abstract


New York, July 25, 1898. To the Editor: —I note that in your items for your issue of the 16th inst. Dr. Koch is represented as speaking of "tropical malaria" as if the cause and effect were the same. That is to say, if my view is correct, malaria is a "bad air" or other bad influence that begets a certain disease, namely, malarial fever. I would like to ask you to turn to Dr. Koch's own writing in the Deutsche Med. Woch. , June 16, and tell your readers if he has fallen into the error of lumping cause and effect, or whether the lapsus has occurred in the course of transcribing his valuable observations into the English. By giving your readers a little light on this subject, you will, no doubt, confer a favor on others beside Yours faithfully,


Panax Notoginseng Saponins (PNS) may be beneficial to human health due to their bioactive function. The application of PNS in functional foods was limited due to the bitter taste and low oral bioavailability. PNS were encapsulated by polymerized whey protein (PWP) nanoparticles. The physicochemical, digestive, and sensory properties of the nanoparticles were investigated. Results showed that the nanoparticles had a particle size of 55 nm, the zeta potential of −28 mV, and high PNS encapsulation efficiency (92.94%) when the mass ratio of PNS to PWP was 1:30. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results revealed that PNS were successfully encapsulated by PWP. The mainly intermolecular forces between PNS and PWP were hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Results of simulated gastrointestinal digestion indicated that the PNS-PWP (1:30) nanoparticles had smaller average particle size (36 nm) after treatment with gastric fluids and increased particle size (75 nm) after treatment with intestinal fluids. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) micrographs reflected that the nanoparticles had irregular spherical structures. The encapsulated PNS exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) decreased bitterness compared to the non-encapsulated PNS confirmed by the electronic tongue. The results indicated that encapsulation of PNS with PWP could facilitate their application in functional foods.


This study examines the relationships among racial identity, perfectionism and life satisfaction in a sample of 122 African American women.  The current study found that the pre-encounter status of racial identity was associated with lower life satisfaction. Self-oriented perfectionism was positively associated with life satisfaction while socially prescribed perfectionism was negatively associated with life satisfaction. Implications for assessment and interventions with African American female college students are discussed.


The effect of clustering during natural aging of three different Al-Mg-Si alloys with equal Mg/Si-ratios, but different Mg+Si contents have been studied through hardness measurements and transmission electron mi- croscopy (TEM). Hardness measurements were performed both during natural aging (NA) and after various NA times followed by subsequent artificial aging for all alloys, while TEM-investigations were performed on selected samples. The results from the experiments were compared and the existence of three different clustering processes were discovered. The first process was established to be Si-Si clustering causing a slight hardness increase during natural aging and a strong hardness increase after subsequent artificial aging. The second process was found to be Mg-Mg clustering causing a significant hardness increase during natural aging, and a clear decrease in hardness after subsequent artificial aging. The third process was found to be Mg-Si clustering and simultaneous transformation of mono-clusters into co-clusters. This combined process causes a hardness increase both during natural aging and after subse- quent artificial aging. The hardness increase is caused by a refinement of alloy microstructure including a higher number of smaller " needles. This precipitate type was observed for all alloys and conditions. The negative effect of Mg-Mg clusters on precipitation hardness is suggested to be related to the repulsion of Si from these clusters. This hinders the co-clustering of Mg and Si in the areas surrounding these clusters.


The one year mortality of patients with severe congestive heart failure ranges between 30 and 70%. The effect was investigated of a stepped care program, including weekly monitoring and frequent adjustment of medical treatment, on the prognosis of 18 consecutive outpatients with severe congestive heart failure (NYHA class III and IV, 60 +/- 3.5 years). The diagnosis of congestive heart failure was proven by an invasively measured cardiac index below 2.5 l/min/m2 or by a left ventricular ejection fraction below 30%. Plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline values and plasma renin activity were substantially increased in all patients compared with 20 normals. 11 of the heart failure patients had coronary heart disease, 10 with a large left ventricular aneurysm, 6 patients had congestive cardiomyopathy and one patient had valvular heart disease with aortic insufficiency. In 9 patients ventricular tachycardias were registered, four had recurrent syncopes, and in 7 other patients atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias were found. Medical treatment in all patients included pre- and afterload reduction by vasodilators. 11 patients received digoxin and 8 antiarrhythmic drugs. After a mean follow-up of 25 +/- 3.3 months, the one-year mortality was 7% and the two year mortality 15%. The favorable prognosis in patients in this special care program shows the favorable effects of individualized therapy, of frequent patient monitoring and the influence of strict compliance on survival and symptoms in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.


This article pursues three goals: to describe the obstacles that in Mexico faces the complete exigibility of the right to health, to present the main problems arising in what, generally speaking, could be referred to as "relations between law and health", and finally to offer some proposals in order to reach a working relation between the aforementioned disciplines.


The purpose of this study is to know differences between steady and unsteady drag coefficients of a sphere. Though we often have to estimate unsteady drag-forces acting on a moving obstacle, we are obliged to use the well-known steady drag coefficient for the first estimation because of lack of information about effects of unsteadiness on the drag coefficient. The usual way to take account of unsteadiness is an added mass. However, its application is restricted within the simple shape of an obstacle. We propose a way based on the equation of motion to obtain the unsteady drag coefficient. To confirm validity of the way, we measured and analyzed the motion of the falling sphere in water by using a high-speed camera and a motion capture method. The drag coefficients as a function of time were obtained by substituting measured values of velocity and acceleration into the equation of motion. The drag coefficient was 0.52 when the sphere attains the terminal velocity, being quite large at the beginning of motion. Comparing with the values obtained by the other previous studies, our result is reasonable.


In this study, laboratory-scale experiments were conducted applying a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) activated sludge process to a wastewater stream from a pharmaceutical factory. Nitrogen removal can be achieved via partial nitrification and denitrification and the efficiency was above 99% at 23 degrees C+/-1. The experimental results indicated that the nitrite oxidizers were more sensitive than ammonia oxidizers to the free ammonia in the wastewater. The average accumulation rate of nitrite was much higher than that of nitrate. During nitrogen removal via the nitrite pathway, the end of nitrification and denitrification can be exactly decided by monitoring the variation of pH. Consequently, on-line control for nitrogen removal from the pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater can be achieved and the cost of operation can be reduced.


Diffuse scattering – the coherently scattered intensity that is not localised on the reciprocal lattice – contains a wealth of information about the local order (order on the nanoscale) in crystalline materials. Since molecules and atoms will respond most strongly to their local chemical environments, it is a valuable tool in understanding how structure leads to properties. However, at present its collection and analysis are relatively specialised. Monte Carlo (MC) computer simulation of a model structure has become a powerful and well-accepted technique for aiding the interpretation and analysis of diffuse scattering patterns. Its great strength is its flexibility – as long as an MC energy can be defined, a model can be developed and tested. At one extreme a very simplified model may be useful in demonstrating particular qualitative effects, while at the other a quantitative and very detailed description of disordered structures can be obtained. Examples discussed include new results concerning p-chloro-N-(p-chloro-benzylidene)aniline, a molecule showing various degrees of molecular flexibility.


Hashing is one of the cryptographic methods to provide security. It maps very big sets of keys to smaller sets of hash value. Hash algorithms convert any length of input to permanent length of output for fast accessing and to ensure integrity of data. Information authentication is provided by hash functions. Objective of this paper is to implement hash algorithms MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, RIPEMD-160 in .Net platform and simulate the performances on the basis of speed, throughput and memory. The text files are taken for the tests to find the changes on these parameters when output length changes. The purpose is to get the performances are to take the best algorithm for information hiding.


Metabolism is an essential chemical process and pathway involving multiple reactions. Oxidative or functionalisation reactions dominate phase 1 metabolism and is predominately controlled by the Cytochrome P450s (P450s). Phase 2 reactions are frequently referred to as the detoxification, or elimination, phase. Several families of enzymes are involved, and the largest of these are the Uridine diphosphate 5'-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). The purpose of this project was to initiate the development of an equine in vitro toolbox, concentrating on the UGTs. This required identification of UGTs in the equine genome. The first step used syntenic analysis which enabled us to utilise relative gene order conservation between species to determine whether the predicted gene encoded a member of the UGT superfamily. Further analysis of sequence relationships provided confidence that the genes under investigation were UGTs, but also allowed us to determine which UGT orthologue we were investigating. PCRs were performed to isolate the genes, and subsequent sequencing enabled the UGTs to be investigated for key features, including signal peptides, signature sequences, transmembrane domains, and dilysine repeats, which are characteristic of this family of membrane-bound proteins.
We isolated and characterised five putative equine UGTs. Subsequent analyses indicated these to be orthologous to human UGT1A6, UGT2A3, UGT2B17, and two UGTs orthologous to UGT3A2. Three equine UGT genes were cloned into a vector for the development of functional recombinant proteins. UGT1A6, UGT2A3 and UGT3A2 expression constructs were transfected into Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells and stable cell lines generated for analysis. Four drugs were assayed to determine the functionality of the recombinant enzymes and individual substrate specificities. Whilst these studies were inconclusive, further work is required to establish function and substrate profile in order to take the first steps towards creating an in vitro toolbox for equine drug metabolism.
Expression of UGT1A6 and UGT3A2 was measured in four tissue samples from 12 horses. For both genes, expression levels in the liver were greatest whilst the brain showed negligible expression. Expression levels of both genes in the kidney and lung were similar and lower than levels detected in the liver.


This research was conducted to determine the increase in activity and achievement of class VIII.H students of Mataram 2 Public Middle School in writing creative poetry with the application of media images. This Classroom Action Research uses two cycles with each cycle implementation covering (a) planning action (planning), (b) implementing action (acting), (c) observing (observing), (d) reflecting (reflecting). While the research procedure includes the steps: (1) preparation, (2) initial study/survey, (3) implementation of the cycle, and (4) preparation of reports. The results of data analysis showed that the activities and achievements of class VIII.H SMP Negeri 2 Mataram in writing creative poetry increased. Researchers took action in three cycles, in cycle I it was seen that the percentage of student test scores reached 78%. This shows that students have not fully achieved learning mastery. Whereas in cycle II the percentage of student tests has increased to 94%. This shows that there is an increase in the percentage of student learning completeness. This increase was partly due to an increase in students' motivation and creativity in learning. This indicates an increase in learning outcomes in creative poetry writing material in Indonesian lessons. Although basically the use of media images in learning is not the only method that can be used in Indonesian subjects, this method can help students understand the material for writing creative poetry. However, this also needs to be supported by the willingness of students to study poetry more actively so that it can be applied in everyday life. Based on the results obtained by students in cycle II, this research was declared successful in achieving the research objectives to be achieved.


The In2S3 thin film is prepared using sulfurate method under a vacuum in a sealed tube of amorphous indium thin film. The later film is pre-deposited on glass with thermal evaporation. We have studied the effect of the temperature and the annealing time on the structural and morphological properties In2S3 thin films. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows a good crystallinity found until the annealing temperature reach 280°C for an annealing duration of 30 mn. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the thin films of In2S3 layer, synthesized at different temperature for the annealing time at 15mn, revealed more homogenous layer until 320°C. Optical analyses by absorption spectroscopy show that the energy band gap is a function of the annealing condition. This band gap decreases from 3 eV to 2.6 eV when the annealing temperature is varied from 200°C to 400°C. The obtained In2S3 thin films have a transmittance higher than 65%.


This paper presents a new approach for model-order reduction of linear time varying system based on expanding the time-varying system in the right half plane of the s-domain. The proposed algorithm is developed through introducing Krylov subspace-based reduction to time-varying transfer functions. The proposed algorithm does not require solution of large system of equations to construct a basis for the time-varying moments. Instead, it computes such a basis through time-domain integration of the corresponding linear time-varying differential algebraic equations. Numerical experiments show that expanding in the right-half plane compresses the transient phase of the response of these equations by several orders of magnitude.


There is an increased focus in comparative politics and international relations on how choices of national governments are dependent on choices made by governments in other countries. We argue that while the relationship between policy choices across countries is often labeled as either diffusion or competition, in many cases the theoretical mechanisms underpinning these labels are unclear. In this paper we build a model of social learning with a specific application to corporate tax competition across countries. This model yields predictions that are differentiable from existing models of tax competition. Specifically, we argue that social learning is most likely to take place in the wake of tax policy cuts by left governments. We test this model using an existing data set of corporate tax rate changes and an author-created data set of changes in tax legislation, covering twenty OECD countries from 1980-1998. Leaning Right and Learning from the Left: Diffusion of Corporate Tax Policy in the OECD


Marine and nonmarine diatoms occur throughout a South Pole ice core spanning the past 2000 yr. Similar diatoms occur in East and West Antarctica at Siple and Taylor domes. Because there are no local diatom sources at these locations, diatoms must have been carried by winds from coastal or extra-Antarctic sites. Our data demonstrate widespread historical eolian transport of diatoms to the Antarctic ice sheets, supporting the view that Sirius Group sediments were contaminated by late Neogene diatoms long after they were deposited. If so, there is no reason to postulate a Pliocene deglaciation event in East Antarctica.


Risk factors of children with arterial ischemic stroke were retrospectively evaluated. The children were grouped according to values on developing diagnostic tools: 13 in the old era (1987-1994) and 18 in the new era (1995-2004). The old era battery included 5 tests: protein C, protein S, antithrombin, lupus anticoagulants, and anticardiolipin antibodies. The new era battery added 5 more tests: homocystine level, factor VIII level, mutations for factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A, and lipoprotein (a) level. At least 1 risk factor was found in 5 of 13 children (38.5%) in the old era and in 8 of 18 (44.4%) in the new era. The extended battery for prothrombotic disorders revealed 7 risk factors in 4 children (22.2%) in the new era, whereas the limited battery identified a single risk factor in 1 child (7.7%) in the old era. For the correct etiologic identification, prothrombotic risk factors should be extensively evaluated in patients with arterial ischemic stroke.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of microfinance on women-owned microenterprises' (WMEs) performance in Indonesia. It especially observes how financial, human and social capital influences performance of enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a survey conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, covering more than 100 WMEs. The ordered probit technique is applied to estimate the performance vis-a-vis financial, social and human capital relationships.

Findings

This study finds a negative relationship between performance and financial capital, and positive relationships between performance-human capital and performance-social capital. However, with respect to human capital, the level of education has a marginally significant relationship with performance.

Practical implications

Microcredit for the purposes of enhancing business performance might not necessarily be a good idea, if it is unable to generate higher returns. As a business develops, the volume of microcredit should be reduced, and replaced by owners' own savings and retained profits. Regarding the non-financial factors, it might be useful for policy makers to contemplate providing incentives for spouse involvement in microenterprises run by women, and to consider them in designing credit policies. Group meetings activities should be extended to facilitate members to engage in business-related conversations and to develop social relationships. The ability of loan officers and group leaders to facilitate such conversations appears important.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study provides the first in-depth understanding of the role of microfinance programmes in the case of performance of WMEs in Indonesia, one of the world's most populous economies.


A chlorine scrubber fabricated from fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) was installed in 1977. Major repairs began in 1981 and continued at four-year intervals. After exploring several replacement materials, a FRP/ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene dual laminate scrubber was selected. This was installed in 1987 and remained in continuous service until the plant shut down in 2001. Examination shortly after plant closing showed the liner to be in excellent condition.


Based on our experiences, we layout some specific considerations for the implementation of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) at the school, district, and state level. Similar to the framework itself, we approach systematic implementation from a position of thoughtful design and rapid iteration. The overall purpose of the paper is to provide foundational understanding and further transparency around the implementation of UDL.


The main aims of this book are to review what is known about the causes and prevention of adult antisocial behaviour. The book aims to specify what we know, what we do not know, and what we need to know, recommending priority research that would address key questions and fill key gaps in knowledge. The main aim of this introductory chapter is to set the scene for the more detailed chapters that follow by outlining some of the key topics, issues and questions arising in the early prevention of adult antisocial behaviour. This chapter defines the territory by briefly reviewing epidemiology, development, risk and protective factors, and prevention programmes. Four types of prevention can be distinguished (Tonry and Farrington, 1995). Criminal justice prevention refers to traditional deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation strategies operated by law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. Situational prevention refers to interventions designed to reduce the opportunities for antisocial behaviour and to increase the risk and difficulty of committing antisocial acts. Community prevention refers to interventions designed to change the social conditions and social institutions (e.g. community norms and organisations) that influence antisocial behaviour in communities. Developmental prevention refers to interventions designed to inhibit the development of antisocial behaviour in individuals, by targeting risk and protective factors that influence human development (see Farrington, 2000a). This book concentrates on early developmental prevention programmes, including those implemented in pregnancy and infancy, parenting programmes, preschool programmes, individual skills training, and school programmes.


The incidence of unexpected total fertilization failure in a conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle ranges
 from 5% to 20%. One strategy to avoid cycle cancellation is the re-injection of unfertilized oocytes by the so-called
 "rescue" intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This paper aims to report the validity of performing a rescue
 ICSI after a total fertilization failure in IVF. On May 2017 a 39-year-old woman presented to our Center. After
 standard controlled ovarian stimulation, four oocytes were retrieved and inseminated by conventional IVF. No
 oocytes were fertilized 18 hours after insemination. After 3 hours a rescue ICSI was performed and after 18 hours
 three oocytes had extruded the second polar body and showed two pronuclei. Twenty-four hours later three embryos
 were developed and transferred to the uterus. A single, uneventful, full-term pregnancy resulted in the delivery of
 a healthy girl.
In conclusion, hereby we described a healthy childbirth after the transfer of embryos derived from 1-day-old oocytes
 of a 39-year-old woman. Although the success of the rescue ICSI is still a matter of debate, this case is a further
 successful pregnancy that proves the validity of the procedure as worth an attempt to give the best chance to the
 couple in that cycle, without necessarily modify the routine procedures of the laboratory.


AIM
The aim of this descriptive study is to determine the relationship between competencies and attitudes of nurses in medical errors.

BACKGROUND
The level of competence of nurses directly affects the patient's safety, health status, morbidity and mortality rates, and satisfaction with nursing care. Nurses are expected to demonstrate a high level of competence in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities and thus to minimize the incidence of medical errors.

METHODS
This study was carried out with nurses (n = 243) working in a university hospital in Turkey between May and July 2019. Personal information form, the Nurse Competence Scale and the Medical Errors Attitude Scale were used in the collection of data.

RESULTS
A relationship was found between the competence of nurses and their attitudes in medical errors. It appeared that the work role subscale had the highest mean score (48.76 ± 6.83) according to the mean score for the nurse competence scale subscales. The mean scores of the diagnostic functions and ensuring quality subscales of the scale were found to be low. While the mean scores of the medical errors attitude scale of the nurses were close to each other, the highest mean score was found in the subscale of approach to medical errors (3.94 ± 0.35).

CONCLUSION
It was determined that the nurses had a moderate level of competence and that their attitudes towards medical errors were positive.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
It is necessary that the competence of nurses should be increased. Increasing their competence will also increase their awareness on medical error attitudes.


This study was designed to examine whether atopy is associated with acute otitis media (AOM). Material and methods: The study was performed with the help of a questionnaire handed out to the parents of 262 children, all residents of Brno, who attended our department for adenoidectomy. The questionnaire was designed to establish any history of atopy and / or AOM in each child, as well as any family history of atopy. The information was compared to the existing data in our database of medical records. The children with one or more AOM events were used as the study group and the children with no AOM infections as a control group. The incidence of atopy in each of these two groups was then statistically analysed. The history of atopy in the family was also compared in each of these two groups. Results: No significant difference was found in the incidence of atopy when children with AOM and children without AOM episodes were compared. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the family history of atopy, when children with AOM and children without AOM episodes were compared. Conclusion: Our data have shown no connection between AOM episodes and atopy incidence in children or their families, thus atopy or family history of atopy do not seem to play any role in the incidence of AOM.


Note: Please be advised that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians are in the process of independently developing technical reports on this issue that will provide more in-depth educational and clinical information for their respective members on the death of a child in the emergency department. When completed, these reports will be published separately by each organization to supplement this joint policy statement.


This article recommends four short precepts as key contributors to smart Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS) project management: 1) Adopt a project management mindset; 2) Develop SMART (Specific Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, and Time-related) project objectives; 3) Establish a single point of command; and, 4) Find the right project manager.


Background Stroke rehabilitation may be improved with a better understanding of the contribution of ipsilateral motor pathways to the paretic limb and alterations in transcallosal inhibition. Few studies have evaluated these factors during dynamic, bilateral lower limb movements, and it is unclear whether they relate to functional outcomes. Objective Determine if lower limb ipsilateral excitability and transcallosal inhibition after stroke depend on target limb, task, or number of limbs involved, and whether these factors are related to clinical measures. Methods In 29 individuals with stroke, ipsilateral and contralateral responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation were measured in the paretic and nonparetic tibialis anterior during dynamic (unilateral or bilateral ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion) and isometric (unilateral dorsiflexion) conditions. Relative ipsilateral excitability and transcallosal inhibition were assessed. Fugl-Meyer, ankle movement accuracy, and walking characteristics were assessed. Results Relative ipsilateral excitability was greater during dynamic than isometric conditions in the paretic limb (P ≤ .02) and greater in the paretic than the nonparetic limb during dynamic conditions (P ≤ .004). Transcallosal inhibition was greater in the ipsilesional than contralesional hemisphere (P = .002) and during dynamic than isometric conditions (P = .03). Greater ipsilesional transcallosal inhibition was correlated with better ankle movement accuracy (R2 = 0.18, P = .04). Greater contralateral excitability to the nonparetic limb was correlated with improved walking symmetry (R2 = 0.19, P = .03). Conclusions Ipsilateral pathways have increased excitability to the paretic limb, particularly during dynamic tasks. Transcallosal inhibition is greater in the ipsilesional than contralesional hemisphere and during dynamic than isometric tasks. Ipsilateral pathways and transcallosal inhibition may influence walking asymmetry and ankle movement accuracy.


Adsorption of 1-Ethyl-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one (P1) on mild steel surface in 1 M HCl solution and its corrosion inhibition properties has been studied by a series of techniques, such as polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), weight loss and quantum chemical calculation methods. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements showed that 1,5-benzodiazepine derivative inhibitor is mixed type. The degree of surface coverage was determined by using weight loss measurements and it was found that adsorption process of studied inhibitor on mild steel surface obey Langmuir adsorption isotherm.


Major and trace element compositions and isotopic ratios of Sr and Nd were determined for bulk rocks and their constituent clinopyroxenes from the Horoman peridotite complex, Japan. Al 2 O 3 , CaO, and heavy rare earth elements (HREE) contents of peridotites generally decrease from plagioclase lherzolite through spinel lherzolite to spinel harzburgite, indicating simple melt extraction from a single source. However, the extremely large variations in isotopic ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.7019 to 0.7066, e Nd = + 110 to -10) and trace element compositions ([Ce/Yb] N = 0.006 to 4.0) cannot be explained by a simple melt extraction mechanism. The samples can be divided into two groups: one suite has depleted isotopic and light REE (LREE) characteristics (DP), while the other suite shows enriched isotopic and LREE signatures (EP). Sm-Nd isotope systematics of whole-rock DP samples yield an isochron age of 833 ± 78 Ma with an initial 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratio of 0.5119 ± 2, which is identical to the isotopic composition of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) source mantle at that time. The relationship between MgO and Yb abundances of whole rocks shows that melt extraction was initiated at pressures near the garnet and spinel Iherzolite transition. Peridotites that formed at different depths presently occur in close proximity to each other, sometimes within tens of meters. The chemical and isotopic signatures of the EP samples can be explained by mixing between mantle residue and an isotopically and more incompatible element enriched fluid derived from a subducted slab. These observations suggest that the small-scale compositional layering observed in the complex may have formed in a wedge mantle by water-enhanced thinning and folding of metasomatized peridotites which had previously developed large-scale simple stratification as a result of melt extraction beneath a mid-ocean ridge.


Biomass burning is known to be one of the main sectors emitting greenhouse gases as well as air pollutants. Unfortunately, the inventory of biomass burning sector has not been established well. We estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollution (AP) integrated emissions from biomass burning sector in Seoul during year 2010. The data of GHG and AP emissions from biomass burning, classified into open burning, residential fireplace and wood stove, meat cooking, fires, and cremation, were obtained from Statistics Korea and Seoul City. Estimation methodologies and emission factors were gathered from reports and published literatures. Estimated GHG and AP integrated emissions during year 2010 were 3,867 tonCO 2eq , and 2,320 tonAP, respectively. Major sources of GHG were forest fires (1,533 tonCO 2eq ) and waste open burning (1,466 tonCO 2eq ), while those of AP were meat cooking (1,240 tonAP) and fire incidence (907 tonAP). Total emissions by administrative district in Seoul, representing similar patterns in both GHG and AP, indicated that Seocho-gu and Gangseo-gu were the largest emitters whereas Jung-gu was the smallest emitter, ranged in 2~165 tonCO 2eq and 0.1~8.31 tonAP. GHG emissions per ㎢ showed different results from total emissions in that Gwanak-gu, Jungnang-gu, Gangdong-gu and Seodaemun-gu were the largest emitters, while Seocho-gu and Gangseo-gu were near-averaged emission districts, ranged in 0.2~21 tonCO 2eq /㎢. However, AP emissions per ㎢ revealed relatively minor differences among districts, ranged in 2.3~6.1 tonAP/㎢.


This paper provides channel models for wireless body area network (WBAN) in UWB frequency band, and also presents performance evaluation using the derived channel models. The channel model is given by a statistical model in which parameters are derived from actually measured channel transfer function in a hospital room environment. These models enable us to evaluate performance of UWB-based WBAN. In this paper, bit error ratio (BER) and packet error ratio (PER) are shown for UWB-based WBAN which employs a signalling scheme among OOK, BPPM, BPSK, and DPSK. The results show that both OOK and BPPM which generally uses a non-coherent receiver provide severe performance when the target PER is set to 10–2 under the packet size of 128 bytes. The other signalling schemes achieve the required performance from the viewpoint of such error ratio.


A novel microdevice for electrical impedance spectroscopy is presented to differentiate between normal and cancerous cells at the single cell level with a high sensitivity. The device utilizes a microfluidic tunnel structure, whose height is smaller than the cell diameters, to squeeze the target cells. Thus, the tight contact between the cells and electrodes allows the device to measure the intrinsic electrical properties of the cells with a higher sensitivity than through noncontact methods. Three-dimensional interdigitated electrodes (3-D IDE) are also employed to confine most of the electric field into the cell membrane, which contains the meaningful electrical properties. Consequently, the variance of the measured values could be reduced because the position of target cells is almost the same in every cell assay. The device well distinguishes normal human breast cells (MCF-10A) from early-stage human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) by means of electrical impedances at 500 kHz; the average differences of the real part and phase angle between the target cells are 44.4 and 1.41 , respectively. The proposed device also shows a high repeatability for the deionized (DI) water test conducted before and after each cell assay; the variances of the real part and phase angle of electrical impedance at 500 kHz are as small as 9.07 and 0.27 , respectively.


We present a design of a nanoscale inertial measurement unit or a data archive using a graphene-nanoflake (GNF) sandwiched between crossed graphene-nanoribbon (GNR) junctions. When an external force applied is below the retracting force, the inertial force exerted on the movable GNF can telescope it. Then, the self-restoring force increases as the attractive van der Waals force between the GNF and the GNRs, which enables the GNF to automatically and fully retract back into the sandwich position immediately after the externally applied force is released. When the external force exceeds the retracting force, the GNF escapes from the crossed GNR junctions, which enables the device to be used as non-volatile memory. The heterostructure of GNR/h-BN/GNR can be considered as an advanced structure in the proposed scheme.


Keith M. Prufer and James E. Brady, eds. Stone Houses and Earth Lords: Maya Religion in the Cave Context. Boulder: University of Colorado Press, 2005. 392 pp. Only 15 years ago Maya cave studies was in its infancy. With the publication of Stone Houses and Earth Lords: Maya Religion in the Cave Context the discipline comes-of-age and makes a solid contribution to the archaeological study of ancient religion. The edited volume contains 19 chapters sorted into three broad categories: 1) Sacred Landscapes and Artificial Caves; 2) Reconstructing Ritual and Cosmology, and; 3) Interpretations of Human Skeletal Materials in Caves. While the placement of some chapters in the first versus second section seems arbitrary, this does not underscore that most make solid contributions. Given the number of chapters, I will not comment on each. Instead I hope to convey a sense of the diversity of topics broached. Twenty years ago the decipherment of the Maya hieroglyph for pyramid-witz or mountain-confirmed what some scholars had expected. Elite rulers deliberately replicated the sacred landscape in elaborate stone-mountain temples, a labor-intensive practice with profound social consequences. Far less attention has been placed on the artificial caves excavated under these stone-mountains. Several authors focus on these long neglected features. Pugh examines artificial caves, as well as natural caves and cenotes (sink holes), at Post-Classic sites and finds rulers employed a standard "architectural grammar." Caves and cenotes-artificial or not-were located the northwest quadrant of ceremonial groups, seemingly providing an important grounding point for surface architecture. The construction of artificial caves is not limited to Post-Classic period as demonstrated by research at the Late Classic site of Muklebal Tzul, Belize, where an artificial tunnel under a small private plaza led to a functioning spring (Prufer and Kindon). As noted by these authors, the incorporation of caves under pyramids indicates that they too were potent aspects of the sacred geography and worthy of elite appropriation. Further it demonstrates the significance the ancient Maya placed on the conceptual pairing of cave with mountain. Yet not all temple complexes have caves, constructed or natural. In reading this section I found myself wondering why only certain sites should have such features. A possible answer is provided elsewhere. Brady et al. recorded stalactite breakage patterns in Balam Na Cave, Guatemala, a place that underwent extensive modification as evident in the percentage of broken stalactites. Interestingly the majority of stalactites were removed from the cave, harvested to be used elsewhere. While we do not know how material removed from this cave was used, Peterson et al. provide important evidence of speleothem reuse at surface sites in the Sibun Valley, Belize, lntriguingly they find that most speleothems were associated with construction debris from elite shrines and monumental architecture perhaps replicating mountain/cave association in constructed landscapes. I was left wondering whether the incorporation of speleothems in elite architecture was a viable alternative to constructing artificial caves. Elite appropriation of caves is a common thread woven throughout much of the book. One of the things I found interesting was the various ways such appropriation was given material form. A plaster covered sache, or raised road, leads from an elite architectural group to a nearby cave, physically and symbolically linking one to the other (Halperin). Iconography on portable artifacts and stone sculptures link elite scribes with caves, while pictographs and written glyphic messages inside actual caves suggest scribes made cave pilgrimages for ceremonies that reaffirmed their sacred status (Stone). In a fascinating chapter, Brady and Colas argue that association of elite ruler and cave was so complete that caves too became the target of indigenous warfare. …


In this paper the successful integration of alternating aperture phase-shift lithography methodology into a 0.12 /spl mu/m random-logic CMOS process flow is discussed. This methodology enabled the fabrication of a digital signal processor (DSP) operating at 100 MHz with a 1.0 V supply voltage with a measured stand-by current of less than 100 /spl mu/A and a dynamic power dissipation of 0.23 mW/MHz. The phase-shifted DSP chip clocks above 170 MHz at 1.5 V, a threefold improvement over the 0.24 /spl mu/m device, demonstrating an improvement approximately proportional to 1/L/sup 2/. A commercially available software tool was used to generate the phase-shift mask patterns to reach this milestone DSP performance. Two million transistors in this DSP integrated circuit with critical dimensions (CD) of 0.24 /spl mu/m are phase shifted down to gate lengths below 0.12 /spl mu/m. The CMOS process flow is optimized to achieve a low power-delay product and transistor implants are designed for conventionally designed circuits to be operational at low voltages. The technology features symmetric NMOS/PMOS threshold-voltage, nitrogen incorporated gate oxides, and a novel WSi/WSiN-polycide gate electrode stack to prevent Boron lateral diffusion.


This book is addressed to the listener whose enjoyment of music is filled with questions and whose curiosity makes him eager to grasp the sense of music, despite a lack of theoretical training. Unlike the usual listener's guide, which begins with a discussion of the elementary materials of music, this book starts with the elementary experiences of listening.


We propose a new set point tracking controller for plants subject to simultaneous input amplitude and rate constraints. Short settling times are achieved by allowing the controller to saturate. The tracking controller can be deduced from a controller stabilizing the origin with an associated domain of attraction. Additionally, no assumptions concerning the rate of the reference signal are necessary.


An experiment was conducted on the bio-efficacy of certain herbicides for controlling water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and its impact of herbicides on fish mortality. Three herbicides (Fernoxone @ 1.50 kg ha-1, Glycel or Round up @ 2.50 kg ha-1 and Gramoxone @ 1.50 kg ha-1) were tried, all are foliage applied herbicides. Three different fishes were tested such as common carp, mrigal and rohu. Among the herbicides applied, round up caused maximum reduction of plant height of 0.50, 1.00 and 1.00 cm; 2.75, 6.98 and 10.00g of biomass were obtained at 50 DAS on small, medium and large statures of E. crassipes. The cent percent chlorophyll content was recorded compared to control treatment at 28 DAS, whereas it cent percent mortality of E. crassipes at 35 DAS on small, medium and large statures of the weed. Similarly the same herbicides caused the least mortality percent of fishes 23.30, 16.60 and 20.00 on common carp, mrigal and rohu at 32 DAS, respectively compared to other herbicide treatments.


We examine the cross section for the production of charged hadrons in 3-jet events produced from e/sup /plus/e/sup /minus// annihilation at 29 GeV center of mass energy. The data was taken at the Pep-4Time Projection Chamber between 1983-1984. In particular we are interested in the production of hadrons by the particle which mediates the strong interaction, the gluon. We find that the number of protons produced by the fragmentation of the gluon is at variance with the LUND model of fragmentation. 85 refs., 72 figs., 29 tabs.


This paper describes the general idea of a calibration method for a current steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in continuous time multi-bit /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulators. Based on the application of the so called linear regression algorithm (LRA), this method improves the linearity of the DAC's characteristics. Simulations under MATLAB on a fifth order continuous time 4bit /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulator for signal frequencies up to 2MHz demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented algorithm compared to the data weighted averaging (DWA) method. The algorithm's independence from the oversampling ratio makes it very attractive for modulators with low oversampling ratios.


Cyanide has been widely used in several industrial applications such as electroplating photography, metal processing, agriculture, food and the production of organic chemicals, plastics, paints and insecticides. The strong affinity of cyanide for metals such as gold and silver makes it suitable for selective leaching of these metals from ores. Cyanide is highly toxic; hence, there is a need to regulate and limit the amount of cyanide that may be discharged into the environment. Technologies focusing on the use of physical, chemical and biological methods have been developed to reduce the concentration of cyanide and cyanide compounds in wastewaters to permissible limits. This chapter reviews the current and emerging technologies for treatment of cyanide from wastewaters generated in gold mining processes.


An intraluminal adenoid cystic carcinoma (cylindroma) in the patient reported herein involved just the membranous portion of the distal region of the trachea and extended caudally to include the carina and the membranous portions of both main-stem bronchi--a total linear involvement of 6 cm. The tumor occluded 90% of the airway in its greatest extension. Conservative resection of this extensive tumor was successfully performed by membranous tracheal reconstruction with a pedicled autogenous pericardial patch graft.


OBJECTIVE
Multiple meningiomas are uncommon brain tumors occurring concurrently in several intracranial locations in the same patient. In the present study, we determined the clonality, methylation status of deoxyribonucleic acid, and relationship of genetic alterations in eight meningiomas from one female patient.

METHODS
Six molecular genetic techniques, including two methylation-based clonality assays and one transcription-based clonality assay, methylation analysis of CpG islands by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, loss of heterozygosity, microsatellite instability, and mutational analysis of the NF2 gene on chromosome 22, were used in comparative investigations on clonality and genetic alterations.

RESULTS
The presence of clonal tumor cells was demonstrated by 1) loss of the same copy of chromosome 22 in all eight tumors; 2) transcription of the human AR gene from the same allele in six of eight tumors; 3) a common unmethylated allele at the AR locus in all eight tumors; and 4) the identical single-basepair insertion mutation in exon 9 of the NF2 gene in six of eight tumors. In addition, loss of a copy of the X chromosome in one tumor nodule and microsatellite instability in another nodule were observed.

CONCLUSION
Taken together, this case of multiple meningiomas was most likely monoclonal in origin. Loss of chromosome 22 was an early event during the development of multiple meningiomas and was followed by mutations at the NF2 locus. Later events, including loss of the X chromosome, variation of AR gene expression, or microsatellite instability, may also have played a role in the development of multiple meningiomas in this patient.


This paper presents a material selection methodology for selecting material for nanowire transistors using multiple attribute decision making (MADM) approach. Different possible materials investigated in this study are InAs, InSb, InP, GaAs, GaN, Si, Ge and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The properties like band gap, band gap offset, thermodynamic stability, tunneling effective mass and crystal structures are taken into consideration and MADM approach is applied to select the best material. It is observed that silicon (Si) is the best material for minimizing direct tunneling in nanowire transistors out of all possible candidates. The outcome of this study is compared with the experimental findings. The match between the proposed work and experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed study.


In confronting a proliferation of unpredictable post-cold war threats, UN peacekeeping attempts to maintain order by normalizing the international arena. Normality is identified with democracy; non-democratic regimes are considered as potential menaces. Pro-democracy peacekeeping is an instance of an international regime that aims at taming chaos through disciplinary and regulatory mechanisms directed at reforming the institutions of potentially disorderly states and at steering their behaviour through multiple mechanisms of surveillance and reward/punishment. However, international normalization encounters resistance. The article analyses the UN methods in Haiti and Croatia and recommends prudence in applying standardized instruments in diverse local situations.


To summarise, the British legacy on Shari'a comprised: (1) Sharia in Anglo-Muhammadan precedent; (2) Sharia as a part of "native law"; and (3) Shari'a as an element of Malay sovereignty. So far as private law was concerned, it was restricted to family law, wakaf and (in some places only) mosque attendance and payment of zakat. It was also circumscribed by custom in all places. Between 1945 and 1957, at the approach to independence a considerable rationalisation of this legacy was achieved in the following ways. First, in the Federation, which came into being in 1957, each of the component states retained all rights over religious matters in each individual state. This was and remains specified in the Federal Constitution. Second, beginning in 1952 each state produced its own "Administration of Islamic (or Muslim) Law Enactment". 4 While the individual Enactments vary in some details, and some are rather more elaborate than others, they all deal with three elements. These are: (1) An explanation of substantive rules of Shari'a (family law); (2) The structure and jurisdiction of Shari'a courts; and (3) The official determination of Islamic principle. The position now, therefore, is that Islam has: (1) A constitutional reference; and (2) A legislative and judicial form. It has become incorporated into the institutions of the state of Malaysia. From the point of view of this article the most important provision of the legislation is that dealing with what I have called the "official determination of principle". By this I mean to refer to the "Majlis Ugama Islam ..." or "Council of Religion" (the exact title varies from state to state) which each state has. The function of the Majlis is to aid and advise the Ruler on matters of Islam and Malay custom. The exact composition of the Majlis varies from state to state but the single most important duty is to issue fatawa, usually through the medium of a "Shariah Committee" or Fatawa Committee (terms and compositions vary) of the Majlis. A fatwa, once formally published in the State Gazette is binding on all Muslims in the state. Fatawa may be issued only by properly appointed persons through the medium of the appropriate committee(s). This, in short, is the constitutional and legislative structure. I shall now turn to the fatawa themselves.


Qian and Wiederhold (1991) presented an algorithm for the incremental recomputation of relational algebra expressions that was claimed to preserve a certain minimality condition. This condition guarantees that the incremental change sets do not contain any unnecessary tuples; so, redundant computations are not performed. We show that, in fact, their algorithm violates this condition. We present an improved algorithm that does preserve this notion of minimality.


Juvenile Dermatomyositis is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. it is a rare, autoimmune disorder in childhood, with unknown etiology. The diagnostic criteria consist of musculoskeletal and cutaneous manifestations, raised muscle enzymes, electromyographic abnormalities and myositis revealed by muscle biopsy. Mri is also an important diagnostic tool in pediatric patients. The treatment basis is corticotherapy. imunosupressant drugs such as methotrexate and cyclosporine may also be used. Prognosis is good in most patients. The case describes a four year-old child, who was recurrently admitted in hospital with constitutional and musculoskeletal symptoms and signs. The appearance of a typical skin rash on both hands and elbows allowed the diagnostic of probable Juvenile Dermatomyositis. KEY-WORDS: DerMAtOMyOsitis, ChilD


A novel organic non-linear optical material 4-chloro -N- methyl 4-stilbazolium tosylate, a new derivative of the stilbazolium tosylate family has been synthesized and good optical quality single crystals of size 10 mm x 6 mm x 2 mm were grown by slow evaporation technique. The grown crystals were subjected to different instrumentation methods for characterization. The diffraction planes were identified and indexed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal system and lattice parameters were found from single crystal X-ray diffraction. Fourier transform infrared was recorded to confirm the functional groups. In order to study the optical quality of the grown crystal, the UV-VIS spectrum was recorded in the solution state and cut off wavelength was determined. Vickers Microhardness test was carried out and Meyer's index 'n' was calculated. Being nonlinear optical material, second harmonic efficiency was determined in comparison with urea.


As proved from both experimental tests and field applications, diversion agents can effectively plug the previously artificial fractures or natural fractures to create reorientation fractures, which can improve diversion efficiency and stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). However, the temporary plugging mechanism and its influencing factors were still unclear.
 In light of this, a fracture temporary plugging evaluation system was proposed by this study, which holds large fracture scale, and high pressure-bearing capability. Hence, this setup can meet the requirements of plugging tests. Moreover, in order to enhance the experimental accuracy, the 3D printing technique was introduced, which can reproduce the real surface morphology of acid-etched fracture. Based on the newly designed setup, some experiments were performed to study the plugging rules of fibers and the combination of fibers and particulates. Furthermore, the inner plugging mechanisms of the different cases were also analyzed.
 Experimental results show that the pure fibers and the combination of fibers and particulates both can achieve favorable plugging effect. In addition, the plugging processes of pure fibers can be summaried as follows: 1) The carrier fluid with fibers flow into the fracture model and a small amount of fibers remain in the fracture. 2) Fibers begin to adhere to the fracture surface with a small fracture width. 3) The previously attached fibers capture the subsequently injected fibers to bridge plugging. 4) The bridging plugging extend to the entrance and eventually form a tight plugging zone. Furthermore, when the diameter of particulates is less than the half of fracture width, the plugging mechanism is similar as that of pure fibers. When the diameter of particulates is larger than the half of fracture width, the plugging mechanism is completely different from that of pure fibers. The big particulates will firstly be bridging and plugging at the location with a small fracture width.
 This study reveals the temporary plugging mechanism of diversion agents within acid-etched fracture, which provides an insight of optimizing temporary plugging fracturing design.


Five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against antigens of Mycobacterium leprae were tested for their ability to bind to components of tissue sections prepared from biopsies taken from patients with various forms of leprosy. Immunoperoxidase was the most successful marker system used, although immunofluorescence and alkaline phosphatase were also successful in certain cases. Positivity was high with all five antibodies successfully staining those sections containing a bacterial index of 3+ or more; sections with 0 bacterial counts also had areas staining positively with two of the MAbs. The positive staining in the tissues was confined to areas infiltrated by inflammatory cells; however it was not identifiable as being associated with individual bacteria. These findings suggest that immunostaining with specific monoclonal antibodies can help to identify leprosy in diagnostic samples in which acid-fast bacilli are not identifiable by standard histochemical means. Immunohistochemical techniques are likely to be valuable in studies of the distribution of M. leprae antigens and their association with individual tissue elements.


Cloud computing is an emerging technology that is still uncertain to many security problems. Ensuring the security of stored data in cloud servers is one of the most challenging issues in such environments. RSA provide secure transmission over transmission channel. Main advantage of RSA is prime factorization. With the ever increasing number of connected devices and the over abundance of data generated by these devices, data privacy has become a critical concern in the Internet of Things. One promising privacy-preservation approach is Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE), a public key encryption scheme that enables fine-grained access control, scalable key management and flexible data distribution. The main aim of this exertion is to discuss the security strength of RSA and Attribute based encryption (ABE).


In the heart, the delayed rectifier K current, IK, composed of the rapid (IKr) and slow (IKs) components contributes prominently to normal cardiac repolarization. In lipotoxicity, chronic elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines may remodel IK, elevating the risk for ventricular arrythmias and sudden cardiac death. We investigated whether and how the pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 altered IK in the heart, using electrophysiology to evaluate changes in IK in adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes. We found that palmitic acid (a potent inducer of lipotoxicity), induced a rapid (~24 h) and significant increase in IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells. PA-diet fed guinea pigs displayed a severely prolonged QT interval when compared to low-fat diet fed controls. Exposure to isoproterenol induced torsade de pointes, and ventricular fibrillation in lipotoxic guinea pigs. Pre-exposure to IL-6 with the soluble IL-6 receptor produced a profound depression of IKr and IKs densities, prolonged action potential duration, and impaired mitochondrial ATP production. Only with the inhibition of IKr did a proarrhythmic phenotype of IKs depression emerge, manifested as a further prolongation of action potential duration and QT interval. Our data offer unique mechanistic insights with implications for pathological QT interval in patients and vulnerability to fatal arrhythmias.


In most major cities and urban areas, residents form homogeneous neighborhoods along ethnic or socioeconomic lines. This phenomenon is widely known as residential segregation and has been studied extensively. Fifty years ago, Schelling proposed a landmark model that explains residential segregation in an elegant agent-based way. A recent stream of papers analyzed Schelling's model using game-theoretic approaches. However, all these works considered models with a given number of discrete types modeling different ethnic groups.

We focus on segregation caused by non-categorical attributes, such as household income or position in a political left-right spectrum. For this, we consider agent types that can be represented as real numbers. This opens up a great variety of reasonable models and, as a proof of concept, we focus on several natural candidates. In particular, we consider agents that evaluate their location by the average type-difference or the maximum type-difference to their neighbors, or by having a certain tolerance range for type-values of neighboring agents.We study the existence and computation of equilibria and provide bounds on the Price of Anarchy and Stability. Also, we present simulation results that compare our models and shed light on the obtained equilibria for our variants.


Accurate quantification of disseminated tumor cells in hematological samples is of fundamental importance in clinical oncology. However, even highly standardized protocols allow only a rough estimation of the total analyzed cell number, as sample processing may have adverse effects on the number of cells available for analysis. The fluorescence-based microscopic scanning system (MetaCyte) detects, counts, captures, and relocates immunolabeled tumor cells in hematopoietic samples. We report on a cell-counting approach that has been implemented into the scanning system to precisely quantify the number of cells per slide. The cell-counting function, which was designed to determine the number of all nucleated (DAPI-stained) cells on the slide, allows an accurate counting of the tumor cells and the total number of cells analyzed in the given microscopic sample. The reliability of the cell-counting approach was demonstrated by the analysis of DAPI-stained images with 18-1,363 nucleated cells. A good correlation (r(2) = 0.965) between the manually and automatically gained results was observed. The counting accuracy could even be optimized after implementing a correction factor. To prove or disprove an interslide variation, routine bone marrow cytospin preparations from neuroblastoma patients were immunostained for GD2/FITC and counterstained with DAPI. Automatic cell counting of cytospin preparations from the same patients showed significant differences in the total cell number (up to 67% cell loss during preparation, with a maximum interslide difference of 4.7 x 10(5) mononuclear cells). We conclude that determination of the tumor cell content in hematopoietic samples is only reliable when it is performed together with accurate cell counting.


The protection of pedestrians from injuries by accidental collision is a primary focus of the automotive industry and of government legislation [1]. In this area, scientists and developers are faced with a multitude of requirements. Complex scenes are to be analyzed. The wide spectrum of where pedestrians and cyclists appear on the road, weather, and light conditions are just examples. Data fusion of raw or preprocessed signals for several sensors (cameras, radar, lidar, ultrasonic) need to be considered as well. Accordingly, algorithms are very complex. When moving from prototypic environments to embedded systems, additional constraints must be considered. Limited system resources drive the need to simplify and optimize for technical and economic reasons. With all these constraints, how can the safety functions be safe-guarded? This submission considers scene-based methods for the development of vehicle functions from prototype to series production focusing on functional safety. Starting points are modeled use cases which can be evaluated by simulation and variation of internal parameters as well as external influences, like velocity, course, likelihoods, measurement errors and latencies. Based on these methods, the approach of scene based specifications is discussed. Scene based test catalogs are also considered. These test catalogs can consist of synthetic (simulated) test cases and recorded sequences. The effect of changes during a development project can be more reliably evaluated with stable and reproducible test cases. The article presents typical sample usage scenarios and discusses the results achieved so far.


Purpose. The purpose of the study is to analyze the features of vertical distribution of phosphates and dissolved organic phosphorus (Porg) in the Black Sea at the present period. Methods and Results. The data obtained by the scientists of Marine Hydrophysical Institute in the Black Sea within the economic zone of Russia in 2016–2019 were used. At more than 200 deep-sea stations, a cassette of 12 bathometers (the Seabird-Electronics STD-instrument) was applied for taking hydrochemical samples at certain isopycnic surfaces, usually at σt = 16.30; 16.25; 16.20; 16.20; 16.15; 16.10; 16.05; 16.00; 15.95; 15.90; 15.80; 15.50, 14.0 kg/m3. At the coastal shallow-water stations, samples were taken at the 10 m intervals. Such a scheme permitted to carry out vertical sampling in the upper mixed layer and in the suboxic zone (including its upper boundary) with possible minimum of phosphates, to determine the depth of hydrogen sulfide formation and the location of the phosphates concentration maximum in the upper part of the anaerobic zone. Conclusions. From the surface to isopycn σt = 14.4 kg/m3, the content of phosphates and Porg does not exceed 0.1 µM; below this isopycnic surface, the phosphates concentration begins to increase, whereas of Porg remains at the same level. At all the profiles of the phosphates vertical distribution, the phosphates concentration minimum was recorded near the isopycnic surface σt = 15.8 kg/m3, and its maximum – near the isopycnic surface σt = 16.2 kg/m3. The minimum content of phosphates varied within 0–1.5 µM; in 2016–2017 the phosphates concentration maximum did not exceed 8 µM; in 2018, in many cases, it was higher than 12 µM, and once, near the Kerch Strait, it exceeded 17 µM. Increase in the magnitude of the maximum phosphates concentration (in the previous studies in 1988– 2013, it did not exceed 8 µM) is assumed to be related to installation of the supports for constructing the Kerch Bridge.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Aberrant expression of small, non-coding RNAs called miRNAs in tumor tissues result in anomalous levels of genes and proteins which trigger metastasis and chemoresistance, and aggravate stemness among the cancer cells. We investigated one such miRNA, miR-205 identified through various softwares (TARGETSCAN, miRDB and DIANACOT) and validated experimentally as a potential target for treatment of advanced stage pancreatic cancer. Most of the current attempts to deliver such potent biologically complex molecules fail clinically owing to the challenges of structural and functional stability involved in their formulation and in vivo delivery. In this study, we constructed a multifunctional, self-assembling, copolymer with carboxyl pendant groups (mPEG-PCC) which exhibited efficient conjugation with gemcitabine (12.1% w/w) and simultaneously formed stable complexes with miR-205 at N/P 16/1. Both the therapeutic molecules which are otherwise known for plasma degradation demonstrated long-term stability in plasma when delivered through our system. Nanomedicines prepared using this polymer by film hydration method showed a size of ∼72.9 nm and sustained gemcitabine release of ∼40% in 10 days which was not affected by the co-presence of miRNA in the formulation. In gemcitabine resistant MIA PaCa-2R pancreatic cancer cells, the formulations showed a transfection efficiency of more than 90% (by flow cytometry), reversal of chemo-resistance (cell viability assay) and decrease in invasive and migratory ability of the cancer cells (Matrigel® invasion assays). In vivo evaluation in xenograft model developed using MIA PaCa-2R cells indicated significantly diminished tumor growth in miR-205/gemcitabine nanomedicines treated group.

Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.

Citation Format: Deepak Chitkara, Anupama Mittal, Stephen W. Behrman, Ram I. Mahato. Multi-functional, miR-205 complexed, gemcitabine conjugated nanomedicines for effective treatment of chemo-resistant pancreatic adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4488. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4488


Surgery among patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) and venous disease has emerged as a viable strategy to achieve curative treatment. By definition, these patients are at increased risk of a positive resection margin, however, controversy exists with regards to necessity of radical surgery and optimum pathways with no consensus on definitive treatment. A surgery first approach is possible though outcomes vary but patients can have an efficient pathway to surgery, particularly if biliary drainage is avoided which limits overall complications. Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is emerging as a widely used strategy to improve oncological outcomes, including resection margin status. However, some patients progress on NAT whilst others suffer major complications whilst elderly patients are unlikely to be offered effective NAT limiting the widespread applicability of this therapy. In this article an overview of the entire pathway is presented along with assimilation of current best evidence to determine optimal routes to surgery for BRPC with venous involvement.


This paper deals with the concept of a control architecture for robot cells that enables plug'n'produce according to plug'n'play in the office world. To achieve this, a software module called "interconnector module" takes as input descriptions of devices and processes. These descriptions are then automatically evaluated in order to offer the user commands to use the functionality of the robot cell in its current setup. The evaluation consists of several steps that are processed in different sub-modules of the interconnector module. In this paper the concept of this interconnector module is introduced.


Indigenous Latinx youth living in the United States are culturally diverse individuals whose experiences are often unrecognized. These diasporic youth identify, learn, and develop cultural strengths amid their upbringing outside their Native communities by engaging in integrated communal endeavors informed by Indigenous values. In this article, we present research on how interconnected aspects of diasporic Indigenous practices contribute to the social and emotional development of youth in middle childhood and adolescence. We focus on Indigenous familial and communal experiences that contribute to developmental processes. We provide nuanced perspectives to studying social and emotional learning (SEL) outside the traditional school setting by expanding to communal contexts. We examine comunalidad (communality) and intergenerational practices to consider how transformative SEL can be more inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and living. Our focus is the cultural strengths these communities bring to the SEL competencies of relationships and social awareness, which are applicable to the development of all children.


In this paper we present a scalable and high performance near-duplicate image search method. The proposed algorithm follows the common paradigm of computing local features around repeatable scale invariant interest points. Unlike existing methods, much shorter hashes are used (40 bits). By leveraging on the shortness of the hashes, a novel high performance search algorithm is introduced which analyzes the reliability of each bit of a hash and performs content adaptive hash lookups by adaptively adjusting the "range" of each hash bit based on reliability. Matched features are post-processed to determine the final match results. We experimentally show that the algorithm can detect cropped, resized, print-scanned and re-encoded images and pieces from images among thousands of images. The proposed algorithm can search for a 200x200 piece of image in a database of 2,250 images with size 2400x4000 in 0.020 seconds on 2.5GHz Intel Core 2.


This paper started from the observation that in the Indonesian context, many of regulative policies are partially or totally not implemented. To understand the reality of policy implementation, the paper started with investigating the paradigmatic foundation of existing policy implementation research literature. It highlighted paradigmatic problems of positivism that led to the low explanation power of implementation research. The paper turned its attention to a new potential paradigm: critical realism. It emphasized the important distinction between basic research and applied research with retroduction and retrodiction as its major inference method respectively. It also concluded that the relatively large distance of theory-reality in the context of developing countries makes the theorem of contingent duality of discovery and application not hold. Empirical case study research, based on critical realism, was then carried out mainly using a qualitative approach on the implementation of industrial technology policy as promulgated in the Law No 3/2014. Following the retrodictive approach of critical realism, the research then utilized a conceptual framework from the existing literature. The research found that in the implementation attempts of the Law No 3/2014, there were indeed a number of problems. Particularly, commitments of high-rank policy makers and necessary capacities are lacking.


This paper presents the development of a newly developed nonlinear vehicle model is used in the validation process of the vehicle model. The parameters chosen in a newly developed vehicle model is developed based on CARSIM vehicle model by using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm version II (NSGA-II) optimization method. The ride comfort and handling performances have been one of the main objective to fulfil the expectation of customers in the vehicle development. Full nonlinear vehicle model which consists of ride, handling and Magic tyre subsystems has been derived and developed in MATLAB/Simulink. Then, optimum values of the full nonlinear vehicle parameters are investigated by using NSGA-II. The two objective functions are established based on RMS error between simulation and benchmark system. A stiffer suspension provides good stability and handling during manoeuvres while softer suspension gives better ride quality. The final results indicated that the newly developed nonlinear vehicle model is behaving accurately with input ride and manoeuvre. The outputs trend are successfully replicated.


In an effort to reduce problem behavior, it is recommended that schools develop a continuum of positive behavior support (PBS) that focuses on prevention/early intervention as well as individualized student support systems for those students who display chronic problem behaviors. While there is a large database to support the use of PBS practices at the individual student level, the knowledge base supporting prevention/early intervention strategies is characterized as emerging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of PBS prevention/early intervention strategies on the rate of problem behavior displayed by elementary school students during recess. Specifically, this study examined the effects of directly teaching playground-related behaviors and the use of a group contingency to reinforce mastery in an elementary school. Results indicated that the intervention reduced the frequency of problem behavior across three recess periods. Results are discussed with respect to support of an emerging empirical database and implications for practice. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This article elaborates on an earlier article about a smoking cessation program conducted in Northern California Indian clinics. Whereas the previous article discussed Indian smoking rates in general, this article compares the smoking patterns of Indians who live in urban and rural settings. The differences between the two populations are described, and the implications of these differences for planning, policy, and education are discussed.


A frontostriatal hypothesis of schizophrenia is advanced which takes into account evidence from studies of neurochemical pathology, functional imaging, cognitive neuropsychology, and experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, in addition to factor analyses of the symptomatic heterogeneity of this disorder. This evidence is illuminated by the recent characterization of anatomically segregated, functionally distinct corticostriatal loops which provide possible substrates for understanding the significance of functional changes in striatal and cortical dopaminergic activity interacting with other forms of structural pathology in schizophrenia.


The rainout-removal of SO 2 and the acidification of precipitation from stratiform clouds are simulated using a one-dimensional, time-dependent model, parameterized microphysically in which dissolution and dissociation of gaseous SO 2 and H202, and oxidation reaction in aqueous phase are taken into account. The effects of dynamic factors, including updraft flow and turbulent transport, and the concentration of gaseous SO 2 and H202 being transported into the clouds on pH value of the precipitation, the conversion rate S(IV)--S(VI) and the wet deposition rate of SO 2 are discussed.


We sought 1) to determine which symptoms of hypoglycemia are reproducible, 2) to pharmacologically distinguish neurogenic (autonomic) from neuroglycopenic symptoms, and 3) to test the hypothesis that awareness of hypoglycemia is the result of perception of neurogenic rather than neuroglycopenic symptoms. Awareness of hypoglycemia and 19 symptoms were quantitated in 10 normal, young adults, each studied on four occasions in random sequence, during 1) clamped euglycemia (approximately 5 mM), 2) clamped hypoglycemia (approximately 2.5 mM), 3) clamped hypoglycemia with combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockade (phentolamine and propranolol), and 4) clamped hypoglycemia with pan-autonomic blockade (phentolamine, propranolol and atropine). Significant (ANOVA, P < 0.001) treatment effects on the awareness of hypoglycemia ("blood sugar low") were noted. No change occurred in the score for this during euglycemia, but the mean +/- SE increase was 2.1 +/- 0.4 during hypoglycemia. This increase was not reduced significantly by adrenergic blockade (1.6 +/- 0.5), but was reduced significantly and substantially (approximately 70%) by pan-autonomic blockade (0.6 +/- 0.3). Significant neurogenic symptoms included shaky/tremulous (P < 0.001), heart pounding (P < 0.001), and nervous/anxious (P = 0.002), all adrenergic; and sweaty (P < 0.001), hungry (P < 0.001), and tingling (P = 0.009), all cholinergic. Significant neuroglycopenic symptoms, those produced by hypoglycemia but not reduced by pan-autonomic blockade, included warm (P < 0.001), weak (P = 0.011), difficulty thinking/confused (P = 0.004), and tired/drowsy (P = 0.003). We conclude that muscarinic cholinergic mechanisms mediate an important and previously uncharacterized component of the neurogenic symptoms of hypoglycemia and awareness of hypoglycemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


In this paper, we present a novel method to extract face representation based on multi-resolution spatial pyramid. In our method, a face is subdivided into increasingly finer sub-regions (local regions) and represented at multiple levels of histogram representations. To cope with misaligned problem, patch-based local descriptor extraction has been also developed in a novel way. To preserve multiple levels of detail in local characteristics and also encode holistic spatial configuration, histograms from all levels of spatial pyramid are integrated by using dimensionality reduction and feature combination, leading to our spatial-pyramid face feature representation. We incorporate our proposed face features into general face recognition pipeline and achieve state-of-the-art results on challenging face recognition problems.


GLP-1 receptor agonists were studied as adjunct therapies in T1D. While short-acting GLP-1 agents are not approved for T1D due to concern of increased DKA risk, long-acting GLP-1 medications are commonly prescribed for T1D. Our study aims to evaluate glycemic and metabolic benefits of long-acting GLP-1 therapy in T1D and assess safety concerns.
 We conducted a retrospective chart review of T1D patients on a long-acting GLP-1 for at least six months. Parameters collected were A1c, 14-day CGM data at each visit, and metabolic data. Data from two years prior to starting GLP-1, and six or more months after starting GLP-1 were included.
 We identified 54 participants with T1D on a long-acting GLP-1 (Semaglutide, Dulaglutide, long acting Exenatide, Albiglutide) . Mean GLP-1 duration was 23.85 mo ± 15.46. We found a significant increase in time in range, and significant reductions in A1c, time in hyperglycemia, 14-day Blood Glucose SD, DKA hospitalization, and weight after starting a long-acting GLP-1. Time in hypoglycemia decreased non-significantly. Full data can be found in Table 1.As more data emerges on cardiovascular and renal benefits of long acting GLP-1 in type 2 Diabetes, there have been no reported outcomes in T1D. Our study is the first and the only one that demonstrates glycemic and metabolic benefits of this class in T1D, and safety of its use over 1.5-2 years. It represents real life experience. This data needs to be confirmed by prospective studies.

 D. Mohandas: None. C. Gao: None. J. Calma: None. M. Basina: None.


On European scale there is a lack of data concerning preferences from tourists for certain landscapes. The website www.myplacetobe.eu is the innovative tool to collect and monitor data about landscape preferences but without using costly inquiries. The visitor can choose between sixteen land use types and supplemented features in his/her search for a touristic destination in Europe and fill in how much he or she wants of a certain land use type. The application draws a personalized map of Europe which indicates where the European landscape corresponds closest to the user's stated preferences, using all kinds of digital topographical data. All preferences and maps are saved in a special database E-scape. The database already has almost 20.000 maps and is still growing. Forest is the most preferred land use type for European tourists.


In this chapter, we overview the potential of machine vision and related technologies in various application domains of critical importance for economic growth and prospect. Considered domains include healthcare, energy and environment, finance, and industrial innovation. Visibility technologies considered encompass augmented and virtual reality, 3D technologies, and media content authoring tools and technologies. We overview the main challenges facing the application domains and discuss the potential of machine vision technologies to address these challenges. In healthcare, rising cases for chronic diseases among patients and the urgent need for preventive healthcare is accelerating the deployment of telemedicine. Telemedicine as defined in the EU commission staff working paper on "Telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems and society" (COM-SEC, 2009) is the delivery of healthcare services at a distance using information and communication technologies. There are two main groups of telemedicine applications: (1) applications linking a patient with a health professional; and (2) applications linking two health professionals (such as tele-second opinion, teleradiology). Machine vision technologies, coupled with reliable networking infrastructure, are key for accelerating the penetration of telemedicine applications. Several examples will be drawn illustrating the use of machine vision technologies in telemedicine. Sustainable energy and environment are key pillars for a sustainable economy. Technology is playing an increasing vital role in energy and environment including water resources management. This would foster greater control of the demand and supply side of energy and water. On the demand side, technologies including machine vision, could help indeveloping advanced visual metering technologies. On the supply side, machine vision technologies could help in exploring alternative sources for the generation of energy and water supply. In the finance domain, financial crises and the failure of banking systems are major challenges facing the coming decade. Recovery is still far from reach entailing a major economic slowdown. Machine vision technologies offer the potential for greater risk visibility, prediction of downturns and stress test of the soundness of the financial system. Examples are drawn from 3D/AR/VR applications in finance. Innovation could be seen as the process of deploying breakthrough outcome of research in industry. The innovation process could be conceived as a feedback loop starting from channelling the outcome of basic research into industrial production. Marketing strategies and novel approaches for customer relationship management draw a feedback loop that continuously update the feed of breakthrough research in industrial production. In this respect, machine vision technologies are key along this feedback process, particularly in the visualisation of the potential market and the potential route to market. CYBER II technology (Hasenfratz et al, 2003 and 2004) is described in section 6 as a machine vision technology that has a potential use in the various application domains considered in this chapter. CYBER II technology is based on multi-camera image acquisition, from different view points, of real moving bodies. Section 6 describes CYBER II technology and its potential application in the considered domains. The chapter concludes with a comparative analysis of the penetration of machine vision in various application domains and reflects on the horizon of machine vision in boosting economic growth.


The Swedish health care system is based on equal access and affordability for the patient. However, the supply side of health care in Sweden is not always equal, as private, self-employed physicians earn considerably higher wages than physicians who are publicly employed. By analysing statistical data, evaluating differences between the private and public labour markets and considering recent health care reforms, it can be concluded the most probable cause for higher wages in the private sector compared to the public sector is the occurrence of patients paying out of pocket and a higher incentive for efficiency in the private sector.