This article, proposes a reconfigurable quantum photonic convolutional layer (QPCL) based on the reconfigurable photonic gates. The QPCL is used in the classical photonic CNN, where, an array of reconfigurable photonic gates (RPG) are arranged in a systematic way. The designed reconfigurable photonic gate serves as a unit cell for quantum photonic operations such as beam splitting, rotation, displacement, squeezing, and cubic- phase shifting. The designed RPG provides the features namely broadband operation, low insertion loss and compact layout. The entangled states are created based on the normalized pixel value of the input image. The configuration of reconfigurable photonic gate is accomplished using electro-optic P-i-N carrier injection mechanism. As compared to Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) based realization, the proposed silicon reconfigurable photonic gate provides scalable operation and compact footprint. The reconfigurable photonic gate is modeled using 2D finite element beam propagation method (FEBPM). Finally, a compact numerical model is developed which performs Gaussian based continuous-variable (CV) quantum photonic operations and are verified with Xanadu's strawberryfields quantum photonic simulator and PennyLane deep learning framework. The optimized accuracy (loss) is obtained with the utilization of QPCL layer and the values are 0.7627 (0.9595), this optimum result is obtained using a single QPCL layer with an epoch number of 30. Finally, a comparative analysis is made between quantum CNN and classical photonic CNN, where the quantum CNN resulted in 6.553% high accuracy and 6.988% low loss compared to the classical photonic CNN.


In the context of intermarriage, mixedness can take different forms. Most often, it refers to a mix of class, religion, nationality, ethnicity or race in a couple. In this article, I go beyond a separate analysis of categories, analyzing the interrelation of these factors. The article discusses how and under which circumstances mixed children become visible in Switzerland and Morocco using a comparative and intersectional approach to mixedness. Based on 23 biographical narrative interviews, I analyze three situations of stigmatization: racialization, language practices and othering due to religious affiliation. Stigmatization processes due to mixedness, it is argued, are a relational phenomenon depending not only on markers such as 'race', ethnicity and religion but also on their interplay with gender, class, language and biographical experiences. The results suggest that mixed individuals have found creative ways to navigate their visibility: they normalize their binational origin, look for alternative spaces of belonging, emphasize their 'Swiss-ness' or 'Moroccan-ness', use languages to influence their social positioning or acquire knowledge about their binational origin in order to confront stigmatizations. The study reveals further that processes of othering due to mixedness are not only an issue in 'Western' societies that look back on a long history of immigration and have pronounced migration discourses. Even in Morocco, a country where immigration has so far been a marginal phenomenon, the importance of social hierarchies for the positioning of people of binational origin is evident.


A group of six iodine absorption cells has been tested in the cavity of an iodine-stabilized He-Ne laser for the investigation of the power-shift coefficient of the laser. It was found that the experimental method used for the power variation may significantly affect the laser frequency and the power-shift coefficient. The experimentally determined power-shift coefficient of the laser can be different for the different iodine absorption cells while other conditions are not changed. A weak correlation between the power-shift coefficient and the iodine-cell polarization extinction ratio is observed. Careful selection of iodine absorption cells and proper adjustment of the laser power are important to meet the specification of the power-shift coefficient given by the Comite International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM) for a reproducible 127I2-stabilized He-Ne laser.


To enhance productivity, alleviate environmental and management constraints and enhance farmers' income in the rice, new approaches that are labour-saving, more productive and sustainable need to be developed. Experiment was formulated to know the impact/influence of different rice establishment methods and different levels of nitrogen application on soil and crop productivity of rice. Results revealed that, among different rice establishment systems, machine transplanting recorded significantly higher yields followed by SRI method. Lowest yields were recorded in dry seed broadcasting method. With increasing nitrogen levels, yields were increased in all the systems and further enhancement of rice yields were observed with potassium nitrate foliar spray along with chemical fertilizers. Soil enzyme activity particularly urease and dehydrogenase was significantly high under normal planting and SRI method of planting, respectively and lowest enzyme activities were recorded in broadcasting of dry seed. Soil organic carbon content also followed the same trend as like enzyme activity. With regard to soil nutrient status, significant differences were not observed in phosphorus and potassium, however available nitrogen status was increased with increasing fertilizer levels and among different methods, drum seeding recorded highest status (286 kg ha-1).


This work is concerned with the numerical modelling of VLF emissions triggered in the equatorial region of the Earth's magnetosphere, using a well established 1D Vlasov Hybrid Simulation (VHS) code. Although this code reproduces observed ground based emissions well there is some uncertainty regarding the magnitude of simulation parameters such as saturation wave amplitude, cold plasma density, linear growth rate and simulation bandwidth. Concentrating on emissions triggered by pulses of VLF radio waves from the transmitter at Siple Station, Antarctica (L=4.2), these parameters, as well as triggering pulse length and amplitude, are systematically varied. This parametric study leads to an understanding of the physics of the triggering process and also of how the properties of these emissions, particularly their frequency time profile, depend upon these parameters. The main results are that weak power input tends to generate fallers, intermediate power input gives stable risers and strong growth rates give fallers, hooks or oscillating tones. The main factor determining the frequency sweep rate - of either sign - turns out to be the cold plasma density, lower densities giving larger sweep rates.


PROLOGUE We know what we are, but know not what we may be. Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5 Education in Mozambique is amongst the lowest in Africa with one recent report ranking it 52nd out of 54 countries. Continuing professional development (CPD) for existing teachers is one way to improve teacher efficacy but funding remains inadequate. Partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and schools to develop and support CPD could be an additional solution to facilitate improved quality of teaching but the Mozambican context presents significant challenges for such partnerships. This research had intended to establish and evaluate a transformative partnership to co-create CPD programmes that would have had the potential for greater sustainability than transactional partnerships that are influenced by power imbalances. It was planned as a Participatory Action Research (PAR) involving volunteers from two HEIs and from private and public schools in the Maputo district. However, rapid attrition from the HEIs undermined the intended partnerships and the research then shifted to an investigation of the challenges in developing sustainable educational partnerships. Qualitative data for this PAR was collected during and after planned collaborative sessions with contributions from the original participants in those sessions and from a wider selection of Mozambican educators. The key themes emerging from the data were: (i) the politicisation of education; (ii) teacher agency (action); (iii) opportunities for advancement or change through partnerships; (iv) equity and power differentials in a hierarchy. The data was initially viewed through the lens of Mezirow's transformative learning theories. However, the focus on relationships did not fully explain the challenges of these attempted partnerships. A grounded theory approach was taken and illustrated through the use of the Elizabethan Chain of Being, a conservative socio-political hierarchical theory popularised by Shakespeare in his tragedies and history plays. This theory supports the correlation between the prominent themes that emerged from the study; that being the relationship between the fixed hierarchy in the educational system (including the politicising of education and equity and power differentials) and the level of teacher agency within that hierarchy and how that relationship influences the potential for change through partnerships. It highlights the need to understand and address the impact of the entrenched hierarchical power structures in the Mozambican education system and the impact it has on opportunities for advancement or change, and equity and power differentials. The research suggests that typical models of educational partnerships in Mozambique need to be re-imagined if they are to be sustainable and transformative. They need to be developed over time to establish the trust that is necessary to overcome political concerns and thus allow for an environment conducive to co-creating opportunities for CPD. The research concludes by questioning perceptions of partnerships in the Mozambican context (and by implication the wider context of Sub-Saharan Africa) and cautions the researcher attempting PAR in a hierarchical context in particular to be mindful of their own context and the assumptions that they bring to the research. It concludes with identifying opportunities for further studies regarding context-specific understandings of partnerships in education and possible ways of implementing transformative partnerships within those contexts.


The phytohormone cytokinin is implicated in a range of growth, developmental and defense processes. A growing body of evidence supports a crosstalk between cytokinin and nutrient signaling pathways, such as nitrate availability. Cytokinin signaling regulates sulfur-responsive gene expression but the underlying molecular mechanisms and their impact on sulfur containing metabolites have not been systematically explored. Using a combination of genetic and pharmacological tools, we investigated the interplay between cytokinin signaling and sulfur homeostasis. Exogenous cytokinin triggered sulfur starvation-like gene expression accompanied by decrease of sulfate and glutathione content. This process was uncoupled from the activity of the major transcriptional regulator of sulfate starvation signaling SULFUR LIMITATION 1 and an important glutathione degrading enzyme, GAMMA-GLUTAMYL CYCLOTRANSFERASE 2;1, expression of which was robustly upregulated by cytokinin. Conversely, glutathione accumulation was observed in mutants lacking a cytokinin receptor arabidopsis HISTIDINE KINASE 3 and in cytokinin-deficient plants. Cytokinin-deficient plants displayed improved root growth upon exposure to glutathione-depleting chemicals which was attributed to a higher capacity to maintain glutathione levels. These results shed new light on the interplay between cytokinin signaling and sulfur homeostasis. They position cytokinin as an important modulator of sulfur uptake, assimilation and remobilization in plant defense against xenobiotics and root growth.


The steady incompressible viscous flow in the wide gap between spheres rotating rapidly about a common axis at slightly different rates (small Rossby number) has a long and celebrated history. The problem is relevant to the dynamics of geophysical and planetary core flows, for which, in the case of electrically conducting fluids, the possible operation of a dynamo is of considerable interest. A comprehensive asymptotic study, in the small Ekman number limit $E\ll 1$ , was undertaken by Stewartson (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 26, 1966, pp. 131–144). The mainstream flow, exterior to the $E^{1/2}$ Ekman layers on the inner/outer boundaries and the shear layer on the inner sphere tangent cylinder $\mathscr{C}$ , is geostrophic. Stewartson identified a complicated nested layer structure on $\mathscr{C}$ , which comprises relatively thick quasigeostrophic $E^{2/7}$ - (inside $\mathscr{C}$ ) and $E^{1/4}$ - (outside $\mathscr{C}$ ) layers. They embed a thinner ageostrophic $E^{1/3}$ shear layer (on $\mathscr{C}$ ), which merges with the inner sphere Ekman layer to form the $E^{2/5}$ -equatorial Ekman layer of axial length $E^{1/5}$ . Under appropriate scaling, this $E^{2/5}$ -layer problem may be formulated, correct to leading order, independent of $E$ . Then the Ekman boundary layer and ageostrophic shear layer become features of the far-field (as identified by the large value of the scaled axial coordinate $z$ ) solution. We present a numerical solution of the previously unsolved equatorial Ekman layer problem using a non-local integral boundary condition at finite $z$ to account for the far-field behaviour. Adopting $z^{-1}$ as a small parameter we extend Stewartson's similarity solution for the ageostrophic shear layer to higher orders. This far-field solution agrees well with that obtained from our numerical model.


Dense embedding-based retrieval is now the industry standard for semantic search and ranking problems, like obtaining relevant web documents for a given query. Such techniques use a two-stage process: (a) contrastive learning to train a dual encoder to embed both the query and documents and (b) approximate nearest neighbor search (ANNS) for finding similar documents for a given query. These two stages are disjoint; the learned embeddings might be ill-suited for the ANNS method and vice-versa, leading to suboptimal performance. In this work, we propose End-to-end Hierarchical Indexing -- EHI -- that jointly learns both the embeddings and the ANNS structure to optimize retrieval performance. EHI uses a standard dual encoder model for embedding queries and documents while learning an inverted file index (IVF) style tree structure for efficient ANNS. To ensure stable and efficient learning of discrete tree-based ANNS structure, EHI introduces the notion of dense path embedding that captures the position of a query/document in the tree. We demonstrate the effectiveness of EHI on several benchmarks, including de-facto industry standard MS MARCO (Dev set and TREC DL19) datasets. For example, with the same compute budget, EHI outperforms state-of-the-art (SOTA) in by 0.6% (MRR@10) on MS MARCO dev set and by 4.2% (nDCG@10) on TREC DL19 benchmarks.


The first realization of a designed, rather than natural, biochemical filter process is reported and analyzed as a promising network component for increasing the complexity of biomolecular logic systems. Key challenge in biochemical logic research has been achieving scalability for complex network designs. Various logic gates have been realized, but a "toolbox" of analog elements for interconnectivity and signal processing has remained elusive. Filters are important as network elements that allow control of noise in signal transmission and conversion. We report a versatile biochemical filtering mechanism designed to have sigmoidal response in combination with signal-conversion process. Horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of chromogenic electron donor by H(2)O(2) was altered by adding ascorbate, allowing to selectively suppress the output signal, modifying the response from convex to sigmoidal. A kinetic model was developed for evaluation of the quality of filtering. The results offer improved capabilities for design of scalable biomolecular information processing systems.


Sorghum is an important cereal crop widely grown for food, feed, fodder/forage, and fuel in the semi-arid tropics of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. Though impressive gains have been made in increasing sorghum productivity levels, biotic and abiotic challenges such as grain molds, shoot fly and terminal drought stress continue to haunt sorghum growers globally. Global warming and climate change could affect grain and stover yields in crops, more so in tropical Africa and Asia threatening food supplies and nutritional security. Climate change potentially modifies the length of the growing period across regions, but this can be mitigated by the re-targeting and re-deployment of improved germplasm. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and partners are working on sorghum genetic enhancement to increase grain yield; tolerance to drought and heat, grain mold and shoot fly resistance, and grain micronutrient density (Fe and Zn) to face the newer challenges in sorghum production. On a whole, the negative impacts of climate change can be largely mitigated through greater adoption of improved crop, soil and water management innovations by farmers and better targeted crop improvement programs more explicitly focused on adaptation to climate change.


The Florida leafwing, Anaea troglodyta floridalis F. Johnson and Comstock (Nymphalidae), occurs locally within the pine rocklands of southern Florida and the lower Florida Keys (Minno & Emmel 1993; Smith et. al 1994). Hennessey and Habeck (1991) and Worth et al. (1996) described many aspects of A. t. floridalis natural history. Salvato and Hennessey (2003) and Salvato and Salvato (2010) also discussed A. t. floridalis ecology and provided a review of known parasites and predators for the species. On 11 December 2010 MHS and HLS observed a female biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) attached to the cuticle of a late instar A. t. floridalis larva in the Long Pine Key region of the Everglades National Park (Miami-Dade County, Florida). The midge was collected at approximately 0930 h, shortly after the initial observation. The larva, which was first encountered on 27 November 2010, remained in the field for additional monitoring. The midge was preserved in 100% ethanol and sent to WLG who cleared it in phenol-alcohol, dissected and mounted it onto a microscope slide in Canada balsam and identified it as Forcipomyia (Microhelea) eriophora (Williston). Forcipomyia (M.) eriophora is an ectoparasite known to occur in Maryland and Florida, the West Indies and Mexico, Central America south to Bahia, Brazil (Wirth 1972; Wilkening et al. 1985; Hribar & Grogan 2005; Borkent & Spinelli 2000, 2007; Borkent & Grogan 2009; Grogan et al. 2010). This observation represents the first known report of F. (M.) eriophora parasitism on A. t. floridalis. Larvae of Manduca sexta jamaicensis Butler (Sphingidae) (Wirth 1972), Corula geometroides Walker (Geometridae) (Wirth 1956), and more recently Papilio demoleus L. (Papilionidae) (WLG, pers. obs.) have also been previously identified as hosts of F. (M.) eriophora. The slide-mounted F. (M.) eriophora will be deposited in the South Florida Collection Management Center at Everglades National Park. On 17 December 2010 the host A. t. floridalis larva was encountered moribund possibly as a result of unseasonably cold temperatures within the Everglades over the preceding days. Therefore it could not be determined if F. (M.) eriophora parasitism influenced A. t. floridalis larval development. Salvato et al. (2008) reported that an early instar A. t. floridalis died following parasitism from F. (M.) fuliginosa (Meigen), perhaps the result of the midge vectoring microbes during feeding (Wirth 1972). Conversely, MHS and HLS (unpublished data) have reared late instar A. t. floridalis larvae (n = 2) to the adult stage following instances of F. (M.) fuliginosa parasitism. Similar instances of sub-lethal Forcipomyia ectoparasitism on lepidopteran larvae have been noted by Sevastopulo (1973) and Young (1983). The distribution of F. (M.) eriophora in Florida and other southeastern states, as well as the role of this ectoparasitic biting midge on the natural history of A. t. floridalis and other Lepidoptera requires further examination.


Robert J. Barro's article, "Inflation and Growth," presents the results of regressions of per capita output growth on inflation across countries and over time. He finds that there is a statistically significant negative slope coefficient estimate in these regressions; the estimate usually lies between 0.02 and 0.04. As far as I can tell, Barro wants to interpret these results as follows. Suppose a central bank can choose between two different monetary policies. The first monetary policy induces an average inflation rate of 5 percent per year, whereas the second monetary policy induces an average inflation rate of 15 percent per year. Barro argues that his regressions imply that growth will be on average 0.3 percent higher per year in the first monetary policy regime. Of course, the problem with this interpretation is obvious: Growth and inflation are both endogenous variables. Given this endogeneity, can we really view this negative coefficient as being an opportunity for the monetary authorities to influence growth rates? My discussion has three parts. In the first part I set up and calibrate a simple macroeconomic model. In the model, monetary policy has no effect on growth. Yet, because of endogeneity bias, regressions of growth on inflation produce coefficient estimates on the order of 0.024. This indicates that the quantitative magnitude of Barro's estimates are entirely consistent with classical models of money in which monetary policy has no effect on long-run growth. In the second part of my discussion, I assess Barro's attempts to eliminate this endogeneity bias with instrumental variables. I conclude that these attempts are not very convincing. I summarize my conclusions in the third part. A CALIBRATED CLASSICAL MODEL


Objective– The histological features of cortical tubers in patients with tuberous sclerosis (TS) were studied by the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Material and methods– The subjects were 4 children, mean age of 10 years, with clear evidence of tubers on MRI and SPECT. Four age‐matched control children served as control subjects. Spectra were acquired over the tuber using short TE. Results– The myoinositol/creatine ratios in the tubers of TS patients were significantly increased compared with those of the control subjects (P<0.02). The NAA/creatine ratios in the tubers of patients were significantly decreased (P<0.02). Conclusions– The decrease of NAA/creatine ratios in the tubers of patients was considered to reflect a reduction of cranial neurons. The increase of myoinositol/creatine ratios in the tubers was thought to reflect an increase of glial cells. Proton MRS might play a role in estimation of histological changes in the neurological diseases.


This book explores the relationship between highly skilled, scienti fi c migration and the transfer of knowledge within the European Union (EU). It addresses the e ff ects of these forms of mobility on the individuals concerned, in terms of their career progression and well-being, and on the selected countries – both sending and receiving – in terms of sustainable scienti fi c development and capacity. The book is grounded primarily in an empirical study of natural scientists, in the academic sector, moving between two sending countries (Poland and Bulgaria) and two receiving countries (the UK and Germany). It is based on fi eldwork undertaken during the A8 countries' accession to the EU, in the lead up to Bulgarian and Romanian EU membership; a timely point to consider the 'human face' (Smith and Favell, 2006) of a new wave of East–West mobility. The study involved a range of methods including literature review, legal and policy analysis and face-to-face interviews with key informants and mobile scientists in the four locations. 2 Although the research was based in four individual countries, the countries concerned were part of an enlarging supranational body: the EU. Regionalization and Europeanization are highlighted as further dynamics shaping the processes of migration, providing di ff erent lenses through which to view to understand the signi fi cance and e ff ects of mobility. This book consists of nine chapters. This introductory chapter reviews some of the academic literature and research on highly skilled migration and brain drain. This review, coupled with a pilot study focusing on scienti fi c mobility between Italy and the UK, 3 played an important role in shaping the research agenda for MOBEX2 project (Mobility and Excellence in the European Research Area: Promoting Growth in an Enlarged Europe). It concludes with an outline of key issues raised in the literature that appear to be salient to an understanding of the impact of highly skilled migration. The empirical fi ndings in relation to these issues and themes are then presented in subsequent chapters.


The comfortable relationship between the overwhelmingly white, southern Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead and a major hub of nightlife in the region unraveled in the early 2000s as the entire nightclub cluster was delegitimized, discursively constructed as dangerous and out of control, and ultimately razed to make space for luxury shopping. This paper sets out to query what social and cultural relations account for this massive and unpredicted reconfiguration of urban space in the epicenter of wealth, whiteness, and power in Atlanta. By mobilizing the concept of the socio-spatial dialectic (Soja 1980, Annals of the Association of American Geographers 70: 207–225), we draw on Pulido's (2000, Annals of the Association of American Geographers 90: 12–40) work on the construction and perpetuation of white privilege to argue that the racialized production of space is a relevant framework for understanding the processes at work in Buckhead. We argue that race was an unstated but deeply important social relation shaping the process by which this particular space was remade. In so doing, we seek to advance the literature on whiteness by demonstrating the ways in which it articulates with the political economy of cities in the present conjuncture.


The "Distal Active Concept" (DAC) therapy used during the mixed dentition period shows a mandibular growth of 7.6 mm whereas the same treatment applied on the permanent dentition only shows a mandibular growth of 3.9 mm. This difference is highly significant. The DAC therapy is prescribed to a group of 30 nine years old patients with a mixed dentition for six months. The DAC therapy is prescribed to a group of 34 twelve years old patients with a permanent dentition for 24 months. As the mandibular answer to treatment seems to be more effective at the age of 9 than later, during the prepubertal period, the DAC therapy appears to be of interest and an alternative to activator treatments. Our results show the efficiency of a first stage treatment, for all the patients showing a significant class II malocclusion.


This paper describes ongoing work in analyzing sensor data logged in the homes of seniors. A visualization of motion sensor data in the form of a density map which uses different colors to show levels of activity was introduced previously. For evaluating changes in activity level and periodicity of life style, we introduce a dissimilarity measurement of density maps based on co-occurrence matrices. The dissimilarity between two density maps is captured using texture features for automatically determining changes in activity patterns. A case study is included to illustrate how the density map can be used to track activity patterns over time.


Image processing is getting more and more important because of the widespread use of digital imaging devices, such as digital cameras or digital videos. While image processing is a very practical discipline, it is perceived as being rather theoretical. It is actually a subject that involves a rigorous, mathematical treatment. Hence, what is important in image processing education is that instructors make students not only understand such mathematical formulas but also become to be able to use them. To this end, computer laboratories accompanied by lectures are very effective for image processing education. In order to make the best use of them, computer systems which will be used by students play a very important role. IP-Lab is a system in Java that was developed by the second and the third authors of the present paper in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) to offer an environment where the students could implement the algorithms literally as they are seen in the course.


The recent paper by Giubilini and Minerva suggesting the ethical permissibility of infanticide of normal newborns, calling it "postbirth abortion," represents a dangerous deterioration of generally accepted ethical norms. Their proposal represents a clear example of the so-called slippery slope and we caution against abandoning the age-old traditions of the medical profession assigning intrinsic value to human life from birth. This article discusses the proposed concept, makes comparisons with earlier similar trends of thought, and highlights the dangers of the proposal.


An extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus for making AC magnetic measurements for the characterization of high- superconductors is described. There is no requirement for a temperature controller or vacuum system. The same apparatus can also be used to demonstrate hysteresis loss in a high- sample.


Introduction:  Emergency department as one of the most important wards of the hospital confronts with lots of referring patients. Timely service presentation in this ward depends on efficient and effective functions of its personnel. Thus, this study was aimed to evaluate the effect of education on the knowledge and practice of emergency department's nurses in the patients' triage field.  Methods:  In this cross-sectional study, the knowledge and practice of 50 nurses was evaluated before and after of 9 hours educational workshop regarding patients' triage based on the emergency severity index (ESI). Persons who had at least six months work experience in the emergency department and did not participate in any triage workshop during the six years before starting the project were entered to the study. Data gathering was performed through preparing three questionnaires separately included demographic information as well as assessment of knowledge and practice. Evaluated demographic characteristics were age, gender, marital status, work history, academic degree, type of employment, work shift, and average of work shift weekly. To assess the knowledge and practice, two separate questionnaires were used that their reliability and validity were confirmed before. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16 and appropriate analytic tests. P 0.05). While it was seen between the work history of nursing (p=0.038), working in emergency department (p=0.001), as well as type of employment (p=0.019) and average scores of practice within six weeks after education. No significant relation was seen between academic degree, marital status, and gender of participants and average scores of knowledge and practice during six weeks after finishing the educational workshop.  Conclusion:  It seems that education has a positive effect on increasing the knowledge and practice of emergency department's nurses regarding the triage of patients by ESI. Therefore, expanding the theoretical and practical courses of education is essential to improve the knowledge and quality of service presentation.


This study zooms in on the specialization of visual processing that underlies grapheme and word form processing, and presents an electrophysiological experiment performed with 8th graders in a public state elementary school. The methodology of Event Related Brain Potential (EEG-ERP) was used to collect and analyze the N170 component, a neurophysiological signature sensitive to grapheme and word form processing. The test results indicated that, in this group, higher performance in grapheme recognition was not associated to a reduced difference between ERP wave amplitudes in response to word and false font stimuli, but instead to a clear left lateralization of print sensitive N170 responses. Differently from most ERP studies that uses the grand-averaging of all participants' ERP responses, the current analysis also investigated individual performance of participants. In this modality, the varying levels of intensity and lateralization of the neurophysiological response indicate that a large portion of the participants remain in the process of obtaining reading fluency long after having started to learn how to read. The qualitative correlation between performance and the degree of lateralization is, thus, a novel and promising measurement involving the N170 component as a descriptive and predictive tool in the monitoring of reading acquisition stages.


Background Pulmonary metastasis of benign uterine leiomyoma and uterine endometriosis has been reported; however, pulmonary benign metastasizing uterine adenomyoma has not been reported. Herein, we report the first case of pulmonary benign metastasizing uterine adenomyoma. It is very important to differentiate from pulmonary primary synovial sarcoma; histopathology and immunohistochemistry are very helpful, molecular pathology can be used if necessary. Case Presentation A female patient was admitted to the hospital because of pulmonary nodules. Lung computed tomography (CT) showed a nodular high density shadow in the upper lobe of the right lung, with a clear boundary and a diameter of approximately 1.2 cm. A contrast CT scan showed obvious enhancement, and no obvious lobulation or burr was found. Video-assisted thoracoscopic resection of the tumor was performed. The upper lobe nodules were completely removed. Postoperative pathological report confirmed the lesion as metastatic benign adenomyoma of the right upper lung. Conclusion The lung is the most common organ for malignant tumor metastasis, and a few benign tumors can also develop pulmonary metastasis. Pulmonary benign metastasizing adenomyoma is extremely rare, and the prognosis is very good after surgical resection. When pulmonary CT shows a solid high-density shadow, we should consider the possibility of a metastatic benign tumor.


Using 125IudR labeled K562 cells as target cells, peripheral blood of 56 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was studied for natural killer cell (NK cell) activity. The results show that the NK cell activity is in normal range of 53.97 +/- 4.42% and 50.85 +/- 3.55% in stages I and II of HCC but in stage III, the NK cell activity is markedly depressed, only 31.63 +/- 5.55%. The NK cell activity is much lower in HCC patients with metastasis than without metastasis (33.67 +/- 5.37% versus 50.22 +/- 2.79%). So is it in patients with high concentration than with low concentration of AFP except patients with advanced lesion and low concentration of AFP. After effective treatment, the NK cell activity increased in 10 of 11 patients treated with radical and palliative resection and in 6 of 9 after immunotherapy with BCG, mixed bacterial vaccine or interferon.


Liver function tests were performed in 165 hospitalized patients suffering from P. falciparum malaria with complications. Serum bilirubin was found increased in 33 patients, and 22 of them had unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. Serum alanine aminotransferase was increased in 5 patients, but only to mild to moderate levels. Serum alkaline phosphatase was increased in 11 patients, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in 3 patients. Serum total protein and albumin were significantly decreased but these were considered more as indicator of acute phase response. Liver cell necrosis was observed in one patient, and oedema and mononuclear cell infiltration in two patients. Though hepatomegaly and mild elevation of enzymes can be observed in a significant proportion of patients, involvement of liver leading to acute hepatitis or liver cell necrosis is a relatively uncommon complication in P. falciparum malaria.


This study was inspired by an interest in understanding how African hospitality managers view human capital development (HCD) or training risk, which, as an emerging field, is worthy of investigation. Human capital risks may result from management actions or inactions and may cause financial or reputational damage, loss of talent and dynamic capabilities. Examples of HCD inactions may be failure to transfer training, lack of agreement between line managers and HCD practitioners' priorities, or lack of insight into the organisation's strategic direction. A sample of 32 managers in 12 hospitality organisations in Namibia and South Africa was interviewed to explore their perceptions of HCD risk. It was found that little knowledge exists about HCD risks. Similar risks were found to be prevalent in the hospitality industries in the two countries, which were high employee turnover, low levels of employee and management commitment, which resulted in poor performance. Theoretically, this article contributes to the body of knowledge on HCD in the unique African context. Its practical contribution is that it creates awareness about HCD risk and the benefits of managing it.


The world has been struck due to the dangerous human threat called Corona Virus Disease 2019. This research work proposes a methodology to encounter the future infection rate, curing rate, and decease rate. This uses the artificial intelligence algorithm to design and develop the proposed confirmed, cured, deceased (COCUDE) model. A machine learning model has been developed with several iterations to design the proposed COCUDE model. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and Correlated Akaike Information criterion (AICc) metrics are analyzed to check the stationary and quality for the proposed COCUDE model. The prediction results are evaluated by the performance error metrics such as mean square error (MSE) and root mean square error (RMSE), in which the errors are lower for the proposed model. Thus, the prediction results indicate the proposed COCUDE model might accurately predict future COVID-19 infection rates. It might support the corresponding authorities to take the precautious action on the required necessities for the medical and clinical infrastructures and equipment.


Each year, 1.1 billion people suffer from disease, dehydration, and malnutrition fueled by waterborne pathogens. Although point-of-use water filters are a viable solution, effectiveness requires consistent use. As collaborators in international development projects, social workers are poised to address service barriers through their focus on multilevel practice and a relentless emphasis on culturally competent practice. This article describes an illustrative case of a water remediation project in rural Guatemala where social work researchers collaborated with engineers to understand how users appraised the project. We present a content analysis of interviews conducted in 20 households in the Boca Costa and Highland regions of rural Guatemala that received bio-sand water filters, which revealed a diverse group of filter users, with varying motivations and constancy patterns. Our study demonstrates how talking to people is essential to understanding their use of technology and how other objective measures—such as the wetness of the sand—can be helpful in interpreting results. It also shows that within the developing context, people vary in their need for additional supports as they adopt new health-promoting activities.


An angle-dependent surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) study has been performed at room temperature on a GaAs/GaAlAs-based vertical-cavity-surface-emitting-laser (VCSEL) structure emitting at a wavelength near 850 nm. For comparison purposes, we have also measured the angle-dependent reflectance (R). The surface photovoltage spectra exhibit both the fundamental conduction to heavy-hole (1C–1H) excitonic transition and cavity mode plus additional interference features related to the properties of the mirror stacks, whereas in the R spectra only the cavity mode and interference features are clearly visible. The energy position of the excitonic feature is not dependent on the angle of incidence, in contrast to that of the cavity mode, whose angular dependence can be fitted with a simple model. This study demonstrates the considerable potential of angle-dependent SPS for the contactless and nondestructive characterization of VCSEL structures at room temperature.


Aerosols may be defined as an ensemble of solid and / or liquid particles suspended in a gas with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to a few micrometers. Aerosols released in the course of industrial processes may represent a threat for workers and the environment. Possible emission of micrometric / submicrometric particles such as CNT (carbon nanotube) powders at production sites or heavy metals at exhaust stacks of foundries and incinerators are two telling examples. The above considerations emphasize the need to develop an instrument allowing in-situ and real-time elemental identification and mass concentration determination of airborne particles. A LIBS-based system may be the appropriate tool to deal with such delicate issue. LIBS consists in focusing a powerful laser pulse on a material (solid, liquid, gas, aerosol, nanoparticle flow) whose elemental composition is to be determined. The strong heating of the sample at the focusing spot leads to the ignition of a hot and luminous transient ionized gas called plasma. Plasma light contains the signature of all the chemical elements the interrogated material is made of. This signature is read by sending the emitted light through a spectrometer equipped with a detector. The LIBS signal presents itself as an optical emission spectroscopy spectrum displaying lines corresponding to the detected elements. LIBS displays advantages of great interest for industrial applications. Detection of all the elements is possible at various pressure conditions. In addition, samples do not need preliminary preparation making LIBS eligible for on-line monitoring. It is a multielemental analysis technique with simultaneous detection of all the elements contained in the sample. Being all optical, it is not intrusive requiring only optical access to the sample and thus allowing in-situ measurements. LIBS is potentially fast and suitable for real-time monitoring, its speed depending on the number of laser shots required to obtain reliable results. Remote or stand-off analyses are even possible, if need be. The aforementioned features do make LIBS a promising analytical chemistry method intended to be operated at industrial sites. Current elemental analysis techniques require time consuming procedures involving several steps. Skilled personnel are sent to the sites where samples are to be picked up. Back to the laboratory, these are prepared prior to the analysis itself. The LIBS systems developed at INERIS are intended to be operated on-site, in automatic mode, without manual intervention except for maintenance. Experiments carried out at INERIS have demonstrated the potentialities of the LIBS technique for in-situ and real time quantitative detection of heavy metals in particulate form. A transportable LIBS system was first calibrated in laboratory using aerosol generators. Particle size distribution of the generated aerosol was obtained from an APS (Aerosol Particle Sizer) whereas the mass concentration of the targeted elements was inferred from TEOM (Tappered Element Oscillating Microbalance) measurements. The LIBS analyzer was then put to the test in a French research and development center specialized in metal casting (CTIF). Mass concentrations of copper particles released through an evacuation duct when melting copper bars in an induction furnace were monitored in real time. Other experiments aiming at detecting possible particle emission when handling CNT powders were performed in a high safety cell at ARKEMA research center. A LIBS system was implemented along with TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) samplers. TEM sampling allowed differed analysis of morphologies, sizes and elemental composition of the emitted particles. Real time particle elemental composition monitoring was assured by LIBS. Though the obtained results are qualitative, LIBS spectra crosschecked with TEM observations of the collected particles demonstrated LIBS potentialities to identify carbone nanotubes intertwined in bundles. A spectral signature based on simultaneous detection of carbon, iron and aluminum (the latter two being catalyst and catalyst support respectively) was found to act as a fingerprint allowing CNT bundle identification.


Transtemporal approaches to the skull base are being used with increasing frequency. When the external auditory canal is transected in the course of these operations, the risk of cerebrospinal fluid fistula is created. When hearing is to be sacrificed, we use a modification of the technique developed by Rambo for closure of the external auditory canal. This technique permits a cosmetically acceptable reliable watertight closure. When hearing is to be salvaged, we use a "conchal flap technique," which prevents circumferential scarring and stenosis and permits a watertight suture closure.


Drawing from email interviews of 15 individuals who had been Association for Humanist Sociology (AHS) members during the first five years of its existence, supplementary interviews and research, this keynote address presents three themes in three performative acts. The first is a long forgotten story of AHS's founding. The second act chronicles issues that occupied AHSer's during its early years, and the final theme draws from the past to project to the future. Following in the footsteps of Dwight Conquergood, the author crafted the data into a performance that was delivered at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the association. The author played most roles, with audience members participating at various points to create a social drama blurring the distinction between audience and performer. This work challenges the reader to question the role of the objective researcher, the nature of memory and history, and the ways history can help us shape a future.


The contents of total, free, and bound vitamin B2 (B2) in bovine milk and their distribution in four separate milk fractions, including milk during the early lactation stage, were estimated. The total B2 content in whole mature milk was 179 +/- 25 micrograms/100 g (n = 16), and its distribution in the cream, whey, skim milk membrane, and casein fractions was 6, 67, 9, and 18%, respectively. The amount of flavins bound to protein in the total B2 was 13.6% in whole milk and rich in membrane fraction. The total B2 content (micrograms/100 g of milk) was higher in colostrum at 1-3 days (287 +/- 120) than in colostrum at 4-7 days (173 +/- 27), in transitional milk (182 +/- 33), and in mature milk (179 +/- 44). The bound flavin content decreased slightly as lactation progressed (20-30 micrograms/100 g), but the ratio of bound/total B2 did not vary (12-15%). Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) contained 414 +/- 65 micrograms of B2/g of protein, most of it being bound to protein (92%). Market milks contained as much total B2 as raw whole milk, but the amount of bound form was only 2%. Guanidine HC1, urea, sodium dodecyl sulfate, pH at 3.0-3.5, delipidation, and boiling released most of the B2 bound to protein, suggesting that bound flavins bind to milk proteins by a hydrophobic linkage.


A pelagic juvenile (43.0mm standard length) of the morid Gadella jordani (Böhlke and Mead, 1951) was collected from Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. It has a characteristically elongated body, long dorsal and anal fin bases with 73 rays in each fin, the anus located more anteriorly than the origin of the second dorsal fin, a ventral light organ, and no chin barbel. We describe the morphology of this specimen and also present a color photograph of it in life. This is the first report of any early life stage in this species.


The urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its cellular receptor (uPAR) are involved in the proteolytic cascade required for tumor cell dissemination and metastasis, and are highly expressed in many human tumors. We have recently reported that uPA, independently of its enzymatic activity, is able to increase the expression of its own receptor in uPAR‐transfected kidney cells at a posttranscriptional level. In fact, uPA, upon binding uPAR, modulates the activity and/or the level of a mRNA‐stabilizing factor that binds the coding region of uPAR‐mRNA. We now investigate the relevance of uPA‐mediated posttranscriptional regulation of uPAR expression in non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), in which the up‐regulation of uPAR expression is a prognostic marker. We show that uPA is able to increase uPAR expression, both at protein and mRNA levels, in primary cell cultures obtained from tumor and adjacent normal lung tissues of patients affected by NSCLC, thus suggesting that the enzyme can exert its effect in lung cells. We investigated the relationship among the levels of uPA, uPAR and uPAR‐mRNA binding protein(s) in NSCLC. Lung tissue analysis of 35 NSCLC patients shows an increase of both uPA and uPAR in tumor tissues, as compared to adjacent normal tissues, in 27 patients (77%); 19 of these 27 patients also show a parallel increase of the level and/or binding activity of a cellular protein capable of binding the coding region of uPAR‐mRNA. Therefore, in tumor tissues, a strong correlation is observed among these 3 parameters, uPA, uPAR and the level and/or the activity of a uPAR‐mRNA binding protein. We then suggest that uPA regulates uPAR expression in NSCLC at a posttranscriptional level by increasing uPAR‐stability through a cellular factor that binds the coding region of uPAR‐mRNA. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Biological properties of 142 Proteus strains isolated from patients were studied. Sensitivity of Proteus to II antibiotics was tested. The isolates were resistant to most of the antibiotics. The highest number of the isolates was sensitive to ampicillin (77.1 minus or plus 7.16) and especially to carbenicillin (82.6 plus or minus 6.16). This provided the use of carbenicillin for the treatment of experimental septicemia in albino mice and wound processes in rabbits with Proteus complications. The high therapeutic effect of the antibiotic was shown in experiments with 210 albino mice and 44 rabbits. The therapeutic effect of carbenicillin increased when it was used in combination with prodigiozan and especially in combination with prodigiozan and lysozyme.


Objectives: To evaluate the histopathological findings of 128 persistent apical radiolucent lesions of endodontic origin obtained during apical resective surgery.

Materials and methods: The case group was composed of 128 biopsies obtained through apical surgery were examined establishing the diagnosis as either periapical granuloma, radicular cyst, or abscess. The radiographic size of the lesion (area in cm2) before surgery and after two years of follow-up was measured. A statistical study was performed using analysis of variance. The hypothesis tests were conducted at the 0.05 level of significance.

Results: The study comprised 128 patients, 79 women (61.71%), and 49 men (38.28%) with a mean age of 43.54 years. The histopatological analysis of the 128 apical lesions, it was found that 74.21% were from the maxilla, especially from the anterior teeth and premolars, and 25.78% from the mandible, inclusive of 72.6% granulomas, 23% periapical cysts, and 5% periapical abscesses. Apical lesions were associated with overfilled canals.

Conclusions: The outcomes of the present study demonstrated a high number of apical granulomas among periapical cysts. They confirmed that periapical granulomas are the most common apical lesions of endodontic origin related to persistent apical pathosis.

Clinical relevance: Apical lesions are frequently diagnosed apical pathologies of endodontic origin in human teeth. The condition is described as apical periodontitis. The common etiologic factor is the presence and colonization of microorganisms within the root canal system.


The Atlantic Forest in the state of Espirito Santo, as in other regions, is a fragmented biome and information on its mammals, especially the small-sized species, is scarce. This study helps fill the gap between the states of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia in relation to the geographical distribution of mammals. Herein we describe a survey of volant and non-volant mammal fauna in Duas Bocas Biological Reserve, carried out between January 1987 and December 1988. Live traps were used in order to capture non-volant small mammals. Medium- and large-sized mammals were recorded by direct and indirect observations. Bats were caught in day roost with hand nets and at night by standard mist nets.  Seven orders, 18 families, and thirty-five non-volant species were recorded. Trinomys paratus (37.3%) and Didelphis aurita (24%) were the most captured species. Among bats, two families and twelve species were recorded, with Carollia perspicillata and Artibeus lituratus being the most frequent, comprising 50% of the community surveyed.


Urban analyses demand simplifications that balance modelling level of detail and scope broadness. Thus, classification by archetypes is a promising methodological approach. Such an approach is common for energy studies but rarely applied for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) purposes. When archetypes are used in urban LCA, they generally result from previous studies for classification and characterization according to parameters that directly affect the operational energy performance of buildings. This paper tackles two research questions: i) Is it appropriate to aggregate building stocks based on operational energy (OE) variables when life cycle impacts are investigated? ii) When integrated LCA (OE + embodied impacts) is pursued, would variables describing both interests simultaneously result in better representation than using operational energy-based clustering to predict embodied impacts and vice versa? Thus, we aim to confirm that, combining variables that govern OE and embodied impacts offers a better result than using OE to predict materials groupings, even if some adherence is lost relatively to single-objective clustering. Clustering experiments were carried out for the campus of the University of Campinas, Brazil. After unsupervised k-medoid (PAM) grouping, the data were submitted to a supervised learning (neural networks) classification method. Generated confusion matrices demonstrate how adherent the clustering is when considering one interest to predict the other in three situations. Results indicate that an operational energy-driven archetype fails to represent buildings from the embodied impacts viewpoint, and that merging operational energy and embodied impact variables would better support integrated life cycle impact predictions.


Several physical and chemical treatments were employed to modify Taro (Colocasia esculenta) starch. The effects of pH and heating temperature on their swelling powers and solubilities were studied. At 95 °C, heat-moisture treated, oxidized and acetylated starches were more soluble, while cross-linked starch was less soluble as compared to raw starch. Heat-moisture treated and chemically modified starches had lower swelling power (at 95 °C) than that of isolated starch. Swelling power and solubility were found to be a function of pH and it was observed that all these modified starches had greater swelling capacity and solubility at pH 2.0 and 10.0.


Background Cigarette smoking has been proven to be a risk factor in the development of many diseases. However, it remains controversial with respect to the relationship of smoking with COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of smoking in COVID-19. Methods A total of 622 patients with COVID-19 in China were enrolled in the study. Corresponding clinical and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Meanwhile, Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression analysis were employed to analyze the association of smoking with survival in patients with COVID-19. Results Smoking was statistically significant comparing non-survivors and survivors of patients with COVID-19 (P = 0.007). Males had higher proportion of smoking than females (91.9% vs. 8.1%, P < 0.001). Compared with the non-smoker, there was significant statistical difference in the incidence of cerebrovascular disease in smoking patients with COVID-19 (9.7% vs. 3.4%, P = 0.017). White blood cell count (6.3 vs. 5.4; P = 0.037), hemoglobin level (139.0 vs. 127.0; P < 0.001), and creatinine level (77.3 vs. 61.0; P < 0.001) were significantly increased in COVID-19 patients who smoked. Moreover, smoking patients showed a worse survival compared with non-smoking patients (Log Rank P = 0.045). After adjustment for age, gender and underlying diseases, patients with smoking still had higher risk of mortality than that of non-smoking patients (hazard ratio[HR] 1.897, 95% confidence interval [CI]1.058–3.402, P = 0.032). Conclusion Smoking was thought to be a risk factor in predicting the prognosis of COVID-19 and smoking patients might have a higher risk of mortality than that of the non-smoking patients.


p-Nitrophenol (PNP), a major nitroaromatic xenobiotic is released into the environment as a result of its widespread use and as a breakdown product of organophosphate (OP) agricultural pesticides such as parathion and methyl parathion. It is highly toxic to soil microflora and other non-target organisms. Of several Microbial Biotechnology Research Laboratory (MBRL) strains isolated from limestone deposits in Ukhrul, Manipur, India, two strains, (HS4-2 and HS6-1) were found to be promising PNP biodegraders, degrading up to 30 mg/L PNP in neutral basal salts medium (BSM, pH 7.0). Higher strength alkaline BSM (5X BSM, pH 8.0) was found to be more favorable for PNP degradation by these strains. Under these more optimal conditions, HS4-2 and HS6-1 could degrade up to 270 and 350 mg/L PNP respectively, remarkably high concentrations as PNP is quite toxic even at low concentrations. Only a few bacterial strains degrading such high concentrations of PNP have been reported. As these strains seem promising, they were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The phenotypic characteristics of these strains were typical of actinomycetes. 16S recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequence analyses indicated strain HS6-1 to have the highest level of sequence similarity with  Rhodococcus triatomae IMMIB RIV-085(T)/AJ854055 (98.28%) and HS4-2 with Brevibacterium casei  NCDO2048 (T)/X76564 (99.37%). Strain HS6-1 may possibly be a novel species of Rhodococcus . Further studies on optimization, kinetics and pathways of biodegradation can improve the biodegrading capacities of these actinomycete strains. Keywords: Nitroaromatics, p-nitrophenol, limestone deposits, Hundung, Brevibacterium, Rhodococcus


Abstract:Transgenic poetry, in which a verbal text is coded as DNA and placed within a life form, has both extended and called into question some of the most basic generic conventions of poetry. This essay uses theories of parasitic language to examine transgenic poetry's emphasis on noise and loss, focusing on two prominent texts engaged with human reshaping of the environment: Eduardo Kac's Genesis and Christian Bök's ongoing The Xenotext Experiment.


The flight scheduling is a real-time optimization problem. Whenever the schedule is disrupted, it will
not only cause inconvenience to passenger, but also bring about a large amount of operational losses to airlines.
Especially in case an irregular flight happens, the event is unanticipated frequently. In order to obtain an optimal
policy in airline operations, this paper presents a model in which the total delay minutes of passengers are
considered as the optimization objective through reassigning fleets in response to the irregular flights and which takes
into account available resources and the estimated cost of airlines. Owing to the uncertainty of the problem and
insufficient data in the decision-making procedure, the traditional modeling tool (probability theory) is abandoned,
the uncertainty theory is applied to address the issues, and an uncertain programming model is developed
with the chance constraint. This paper also constructs a solution method to solve the model based on the classical
Hungarian algorithm under uncertain conditions. Numerical example illustrates that the model and its algorithm
are feasible to deal with the issue of irregular flight recovery.


Data retention is a major issue that significantly affects the reliability of nonvolatile memory. In this paper, data retention behaviors due to mobile ions are extensively characterized by using several test methods. The source of mobile ions during the sputtering of Ti/TiN layers for forming salicide inside array was identified by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis. Different test sequences clearly reveal the data retention caused by mobile ions. Salicide block material that includes silicon nitride effectively blocks the impact of mobile ions. Bitmapping patterns on an array indicate that the amount of charge loss spatially depends on its neighbor's high-V/sub th/ cells via the Coulomb's r-square field. The spatial effects of neighboring cells on the charge loss are then estimated. Beyond 1.98 /spl mu/m, the charge loss caused by mobile ions of a individual cell becomes unaffected by the V/sub th/ state of its neighboring cells. Plasma charging cells also attract mobile ions. A considerable charge gain, by as much as 0.8 V with a radial distribution on fresh wafer, was observed after a UV-bake test. The interaction between plasma charging effect and mobile ions movement during wafer processing explains this interesting feature.


A model is proposed to evaluate both the optimum temperature (leading to the maximum degradation of the device) and the degradation induced by high-temperature irradiation at a given dose rate on n-p-n bipolar-junction transistors. Using a genetic algorithm, the model parameters are extracted by fitting experimental curves. The model and experimental results, presented for two different devices, are in good agreement. The fitting procedure is discussed.


The relationship between law and science is a controversial topic in both international and domestic legal systems. This book, which collects the papers presented at the 1st Young Researchers workshop on Law & Science, focuses in particular on the role of scientific evidence in International and European law. In particular, it looks at the interface between law and science in the following areas: international trade, environmental law and climate change, intellectual property, biomedicine and the law of the sea. A special attention is devoted to the precautionary principle.


This study focuses on the singular courtly game of phañjikā described in the 12th-century Mānasollāsa attributed to King Someśvara III of the Western Cālukya Empire. It shows that phañjikā belongs to the family of cruciform race games, which also counts the famous games of caupaṛ and paccīsī among its members. Phañjikā, however, predates the earliest evidence for both of those games by several centuries, and should therefore be considered an early indication of the popularity that cruciform race games would come to enjoy in elite and royal households from at least the 15th century onward. The study also shows that phañjikā did not enjoy the same status at court as other board games, such as chess and backgammon, also described in the Mānasollāsa. It was primarily associated with the women at court, and only engaged in by the king for the pleasure of witnessing the passionate emotion that it stirred in them. Based on the low status of the game, and the prevalence of race games in all levels of society, the study argues that phañjikā was likely an elaborate courtly adaptation of a simpler folk game. This would explain its absence from the literature outside the Mānasollāsa, as well as its many correspondences with a wide range of cruciform, square, and single-track race games only documented in more recent sources. The study suggests that more scholarly attention should be paid to the regional literatures of India, as they developed in the first half of the 2nd millennium CE, for a more detailed understanding of the early history of medieval Indian race games to be arrived at.


The invention relates to a process for the desulfurization of gasolines comprising a stage for fractionation of said gasoline into a light fraction that comprises thiophenic compounds such as thiophene or methylthiophenes, and a heavy fraction that concentrates the heaviest aromatic sulfur-containing compounds. The heavy fraction is treated by hydrodesulfurization, while the light fraction is brought into contact with a solid adsorbent that makes it possible to eliminate at least partially said light thiophenic compounds, whereby said adsorbent solid is regenerated by a flow internal to the process.


In the popular consciousness of mankind, leadership has been one of the seminal phenomenon which has captured the concern of the citizens of the world. It is one of the most observed, practiced and thought provoking, yet the least understood. It exists in all societies both human and animals, even though in plants one cannot incisively identify this phenomenon.  Leadership  is seen as the capacity to influence,  inspire, rally ,direct, encourage, motivate , induce, mobilize  and activate others to pursue a common goal while maintaining commitment, momentum, confidence and courage. Therefore, leaders in any group refine, reflect , reconstruct acceptable and agreeable standards of development. But in Nigeria, it is obvious that  poor leadership is the major problem of development .  So, the major argument  of this paper is that for any meaningful development to take place in any nation , it requires a functional leadership. This implies that the quality of leadership in any nation determines the level of national development in that nation. Hence, what we require today are leaders with visions and missions who will move this country along the envisaged path of progress and embrace the challenges of modernization and globalization. Also, politicians who are pandering to ethnic interests should be rejected at the polling booth while hard work, good skills and intelligence should be rewarded strictly on merits, without regard to ethnicity and religion. This is an option that could lead the nation to a stable development and greatness. Furthermore, for leadership to take its due place in Nigeria, our conception of leadership must move from rhetoric to application of correct values.


We consider the problem of allocating demand arising from multiple products to multiple production facilities with finite capacity and load-dependent lead times. Production facilities can choose to manufacture items either to stock or to order. Products vary in their demand rates, holding and backordering costs, and service-level requirements. We develop models and solution procedures to determine the optimal allocation of demand to facilities and the optimal inventory level for products at each facility. We consider two types of demand allocation, one in which we allow the demand for a product to be split among multiple facilities and the other in which demand from each product must be entirely satisfied by a single facility. We also consider two forms of inventory warehousing, one in which inventory locations are factory based and one in which they are centralized. For each case, we offer a solution procedure to obtain optimal demand allocations and optimal inventory base-stock levels. For systems with multiple customer classes, we also determine optimal inventory rationing levels for each class for each product. We use the models to characterize analytically several properties of the optimal solution. In particular, we highlight eight principles that relate the effects of cost, congestion, inventory pooling, multiple sourcing, customer segmentation, inventory rationing, and process and demand variability.


Abstract Background. The Indonesian government has a target of 95% adolescents have knowledge about HIV-AIDS throughout Indonesia. East Kalimantan as one of the provinces in Indonesia showed that the level of adolescents knowledge Samarinda reached 25.5% in 2012. Aim. Study aim is to assess effectiveness of Aku Bangga Aku Tahu audiovisual Mmedia and group discussion to improve teenager's knowledge on HIV-AIDS. Method. The study design used was quasi experimental on the primary data consisted of 80 research subjects in SMAN 1 and SMAN 3 Samarinda. Data analysis are univariate and bivariate analysis by using the Wilcoxon and Mann Whitney. Result. The results showed that after the intervention to intervention and control groups experienced an increase in knowledge about HIV-AIDS. The increased of adolescents knowledge about HIV-AIDS in the intervention group amounted to 22,41% and increased of knowledge about HIV - AIDS adolescents in the control group was 21,6%. In addition, there is no statistically significant difference in the change in the value of knowledge of HIV-AIDS among the intervention group (film screening and discussion group) and control group (film screening).


Hypertension is the major risk factor for stroke. When patients present with an acute stroke of ischemic or hemorrhagic type, and have elevated blood pressure, there is a dilemma concerning blood pressure reduction. If the blood pressure remains elevated, this may worsen arterial blood vessel wall injury and increase cerebral edema; however if blood pressure is reduced, this may reduce cerebral perfusion pressure and worsen neurological deficit. A review of the existing literature on this controversial issue is presented.


BCL-2, BCL-XL, and MCL-1 are members of the prosurvival family of proteins that regulate the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These proteins are often amplified or overexpressed in multiple tumor types. Previously, we showed that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines with low BCL-XL expression (high MCL-1 / BCL-XL ratio) are MCL-1-dependent. TCGA data shows MCL1 amplification is one of the frequent genetic events in NSCLC adenocarcinoma (20%) and breast cancer (15%), while BCL2 is frequently amplified in activated B-cell like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (11%) and BCL2L1 in colorectal cancer (15%). We hypothesize that cancer cell lines with MCL1 amplification and/or high MCL-1 / BCL-XL ratio depend on MCL-1 for survival and are sensitive to inhibition of CDK9, a component of the transcriptional elongation complex that regulates MCL-1 expression. In this study, we demonstrate that NSCLC, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and ovarian cell lines with amplified MCL1 or low BCL-XL expression (high MCL-1 / BCL-XL expression ratio) are MCL-1-dependent, and are sensitive to dinaciclib, a CDK9 inhibitor. Cell lines with high BCL-XL expression could be re-sensitized to dinaciclib when co-treated with BCL2/BCL-XL inhibitor navitoclax (ABT-263) or BCL-XL-selective inhibitor A-1155463, suggesting BCL-XL as a resistance factor. Indeed, exogenous expression of BCL-XL rescues sensitive cell lines from dinaciclib. As reported in TCGA, ovarian, NSCLC and TNBC patients with MCL1 amplification also have high MCL-1 expression, and we hypothesized that these patients to be sensitive to CDK9 inhibitors. We developed a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay to detect MCL1 amplification which can potentially select patients that may benefit from dinaciclib treatment. We show that fifteen percent of NSCLC patients have high MCL1 amplification, similar to published data. In addition, we have identified other predictive biomarkers associated with sensitivity in TNBC cell lines from gene expression analysis. In conclusion, we have developed a translational strategy for identifying MCL-1-dependent cancers that may be sensitive to CDK9 inhibitors in the clinic. Disclosures: All authors are employees of AbbVie. The design, study conduct, and financial support for this research were provided by AbbVie. AbbVie participated in the interpretation of data, review, and approval of the publication Citation Format: Ziping Yang, Ricky Bellin, Paul Hessler, Xin Lu, Tamar Uziel, Lloyd T. Lam. Translational strategy for targeting MCL1 amplified tumors with CDK9 inhibitor. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 420.


Previous studies have found a positive relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) and employee voice behavior. However, little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying this association. We examined self-efficacy as a mediator of the linkage between LMX and
 employee voice behavior by conducting a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 295 leader–follower dyads from a Chinese company. We performed structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results show that LMX was positively related to employee voice behavior, and self-efficacy
 partially mediated the link between LMX and employee voice behavior. This research offers insight into the mechanistic processes through which LMX affects employee voice behavior, and indicates that organizations should pay attention to establishing high-quality LMX relationships to facilitate
 employee selfefficacy as well as voice behavior.


5G physical random access channel (PRACH) uses several new preamble formats with less Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequences available for the network than with formats inherited from LTE. We thus recently proposed an enlarged 5G PRACH preamble construction by covering ZC sequences with cubic-phase Alltop sequences. This construction significantly increases the PRACH sequence set while maintaining a similar intra-cell detection performance from a guaranteed low-correlation zone, and with limited inter-cell interference. However, unlike ZC, the new sequences did not come with a low-complexity PRACH detection which then had to naively rely on an exhaustive search, significantly increasing the PRACH receiver complexity. In this paper, we revisit this extended PRACH sequence construction and modify it to enable a detection of the same complexity-order as current 5G PRACH sequence set, without impacting the detection performance and promised PRACH capacity. Moreover, we describe a symmetrical but slightly non-equivalent PRACH sequence construction that achieves a similar performance and enables the same low-detection capability. Interestingly, this latter construction can be reduced to show that only pure Alltop and ZC sequences may concurrently be used in the network.


Authentication is very important in the security and technology of electronic accounting system. It is the first protector and the portal of network system. The purpose of authentication is verifying the identity of two communication parts and prevents the illegal users steal the data of accounting system. In the secure network communications, the parts of communications only can achieve access to different users must certify their identification first. The one-time password technology is the important technological measure. This technique contains high safety, less computation and it also provides the function of mutual authentication. It can also resist the replay attack, imitate attack and analysis of violence. So it can strengthen the safety of electronic accounting system.


ABSTRACT
ObjectivesTo examine the trend of the healthcare cost of arthritis in a population-based cohort of older women and to estimate the mean adjusted incremental healthcare costs, and selected percentiles.
ApproachThis is a healthcare cost study based on individual-level data. Data included health survey and linked administrative data, from 2003 to 2009, from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The Medicare Australia datasets include the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (unit record data on claims for government-subsidized prescription medicines) and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (listing of health services subsidized by the Australian Government) datasets; they were the source for all healthcare utilization and cost data in this study. The main outcome measure was the incremental healthcare cost of arthritis (estimated from the Australian Government's cost perspective) expressed as dollars per person per year. All costs were expressed in 2012 Australian dollars. Regression models were used to estimate the adjusted incremental costs of arthritis. The mean adjusted incremental healthcare cost of arthritis was computed using GLMs with a logarithmic-link function and a gamma distribution for costs. The adjusted incremental costs at the 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles were computed using Quantile Regression. These percentiles were chosen because cost data are skewed to the right and it was expected that there would be smaller differences between the lower percentiles but bigger differences between upper adjacent percentiles.
ResultsData from 4287 women were included in the analysis. Adjusted incremental healthcare cost of arthritis did not increase significantly from 2003 to 2009. However, there were indications that costs at the lower percentiles decreased slightly over the study period while costs at higher (above 50th) percentiles increased. The estimated median cost was $480 (95% CI: $498 - $759) per person per year in 2009. However, ten percent of women had more than 300% higher cost than the "average person" with arthritis.
ConclusionHealthcare cost of arthritis represents a substantial burden. However, considering only overall cost does not provide a detailed picture of expenditure. Our results suggest that higher cost patients had different experiences in arthritis cost over time, compared to patients with lower costs, although overall cost has not increased over time. As healthcare spending is concentrated in the high-cost patients, characterising these patients and formulating initiatives that target them could have a considerable impact on improving care and lowering health expenditure due to arthritis.


Because of persistent organic pollution in aquatic environments, the widely used organochlorine pesticide endosulfan, which is a potential endocrine disruptor, is expected to pose a significant risk to aquatic organisms. In the present study, we explored the potential endocrine-disrupting risk of b-endosulfan by investigating its effect on the growth, reproduction, plasma vitellogenin, and organ histology of adult zebrafish. We found that, although b-endosulfan did not significantly affect the growth of zebrafish, it greatly decreased the hatching rate, even at a concentration as low as 10 ng/L. Interestingly, the decrease of the hatching rate was highly correlated with pathological alterations of the testes. Additionally, the values of the gonadosomatic index were significantly reduced in female zebrafish treated with 200 ng/L b-endosulfan, which was also closely associated with ovarian histological changes. More importantly, a significant increase in the level of vitellogenin was observed in all male fish treated with b-endosulfan. Based on these findings, we conclude that b-endosulfan severely affects the reproductive function of zebrafish and the synthesis of vitellogenin in the liver, and thus, b-endosulfan has a serious endocrine disruption function in zebrafish. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:xxx-xxx. # 2011 SETAC


Although a large volume of information on the radioiodine uptake by the thyroid of the adult is available, there is relatively little such information concerning the infant and child. For the most part, published data for the child or infant relate to the normal or hypothyroid person and pertain to the period between 24 and 96 hours following the administration of the radioiodine test dose. The present study concerns the thyroid uptake of radioiodine as a function of the status of the thyroid gland, the age of the patient, and the time after the administration of the test dose. It provides data on the effect of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on thyroidal accumulation of radioiodine in the euthyroid, the primary hypothyroid, and the pituitary hypothyroid child. In a recent paper by Martmer, Corrigan, Charbeneau, and Sosin,1the 24-hour radioiodine uptake in 65 premature infants was reported as being within


Since 1999 when Turkey was declared a candidate country for European Union membership, Turkish nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have found themselves at the heart of the EU pre-accession process. Not only is the development of a vibrant and strong civil society key part of the Europeanization process Turkey is expected to undertake, but NGOs also have an important role in facilitating broader socio-political changes through a range of EU-funded projects. These claims, however, are based on normative assumptions on how Turkish NGOs should behave, rather than on empirical evidence of how they experience and respond to the Europeanization project.

This book examines the (dis)connections between EU civil society policy and Turkish NGOs in detail. Through interviews with key actors from the NGO sector, and policymakers from the EU and Turkish government the book draws a picture of a complex and intricate relationship. Turkish NGOs do not passively accept the top-down agenda set by the EU civil society funding framework but often find creative ways to circumvent and resist the EU's objectives.


The estimation of regressions models with two-way error component disurbances, is considered for the case where both the random effects are non-spherically distributed. The usual approach that first transforms the effects into uncorrelated ones and then applies within and between transformations, cannot be conveniently applied. Here, it is proposed to revert this scheme by firstly applying the within and between transformations. This results in simple General Linear Model which can be partitioned into three smaller GLMs. Then, by exploiting the structure of the models and using the Generalized QR decomposition as a tool, a computationally efficient and numerically reliable method for estimating the regression parameters is derived. This estimation method is generalized to the case of a system of seemingly unrelated regressions.


The last few years have witnessed a concentration of interest in the effectiveness of pharmaceutical dosage forms. This interest has arisen from a growing awareness that the efficacy of an otherwise acceptable drug can be severely affected by insufficient attention to the manner of its presentation for administration by different manufacturers. This has found expression in the concept of bioavailability.Strictly, bioavailability is only assessable in terms of availability of the drug substance at the actual site of action. For various reasons, however, direct measurement of bioavailability is frequently not possible in human subjects. Its assessment, therefore, usually rests on the measurement of secondary parameters of which blood levels and urinary excretion data are the most common.The route of administration adopted for any drug depends on a combination of the clinical requirement, the physicochemical properties of the drug substance, and the extent to which these can be modified by formulation. Within the limitations imposed by such considerations, bioavailability depends principally on the skill of the formulator and his assessment of the physiological parameters that affect the absorption, transport, metabolism and excretion of the drug from the body. Once the product is formulated, standardisation of its production depends on the ability of the production pharmacist and his quality controller to specify and keep check on the parameters necessary to achieve uniformity from one batch to the next.Physiological factors, which affect blood levels and tissue availability of drug substances, are considered. These include plasma and tissue protein binding, cell binding, lipid deposition and metabolism, and assessment of the interplay between them. The physicochemical properties that affect their availability from oral dosage forms, aerosols and topical preparations are examined with particular reference to factors affecting rates of solution of substances with low water solubility. Crystallinity, polymorphism, particle size, wettability and ease of dissolution are examined from this point of view.


Due to the changing and dynamic environment of web services, Quality of Service (QoS) becomes a key factor to differentiate service providers. Since current web service standards and technologies suffer from the lack of QoS Management, having architectures capable of supporting QoS verification, selection, negotiation and monitoring is inevitable. Software agents have been recognized as a promising technology for managing web services. Using FIPA compliant Multi Agents we were able to propose a Multi Agents based web service QoS Management Architecture. We also introduced a QoS based web service clustering method which helps us to select the best service that suits user quality preferences.


The aim of our study was to understand how male partners of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome perceive sexuality. Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenology and the Roy Adaptation Model provided the overall framework for this research study. Eighteen participants were recruited through convenience and purposive sampling. Data collection was conducted between February and July of 2017 and included a focus group and twelve in-depth interviews. Two main themes were extracted: "facing a new sex life" and "resisting the loss of the couple's sexuality". Fibromyalgia syndrome compromises the couple's sex life. Enhancing intimacy, skin-to-skin contact (during acute FMS outbreaks), finding new positions, non-coital sex and use of sex toys can increase female desire and help coping.


Several recent works show impressive results in mapping language-based human commands and image scene observations to direct robot executable policies (e.g., pick and place poses). However, these approaches do not consider the uncertainty of the trained policy and simply always execute actions suggested by the current policy as the most probable ones. This makes them vulnerable to domain shift and inefficient in the number of required demonstrations. We extend previous works and present the PARTNR algorithm that can detect ambiguities in the trained policy by analyzing multiple modalities in the pick and place poses using topological analysis. PARTNR employs an adaptive, sensitivity-based, gating function that decides if additional user demonstrations are required. User demonstrations are aggregated to the dataset and used for subsequent training. In this way, the policy can adapt promptly to domain shift and it can minimize the number of required demonstrations for a well-trained policy. The adaptive threshold enables to achieve the user-acceptable level of ambiguity to execute the policy autonomously and in turn, increase the trustworthiness of our system. We demonstrate the performance of PARTNR in a table-top pick and place task.


We develop a characteristic-based model for the endogenous determination of technical coefficients in a linear economy. It is suitable to be interpreted in terms of a knowledge based view of technolog


Recent research by Taneja et al. suggested that digital infrastructures diminish the generational gap in news use by counteracting preference structures. We expand on this seminal work by arguing that an infrastructural perspective requires overcoming limitations of highly aggregated web tracking data used in prior research. We analyze the individual browsing histories of two representative samples of German Internet users collected in 2012 (N = 2970) and 2018 (N = 2045) and find robust evidence for a smaller generational gap in online news use than commonly assumed. While short news website visits mostly demonstrated infrastructural factors, longer news use episodes were shaped more by preferences. The infrastructural role of social media corresponded with reduced news avoidance and more varied news repertoires. Overall, the results suggest that research needs to reconsider commonly held premises regarding the uses of digital media in modern high-choice settings.


The paper analyses the potential for the recognition of human rights as a universal moral and legal regulator in the social and political sphere by Buddhism, Christianity (on the Orthodoxy example) and Islam. The analysis is focused on the dogmas and specific cultural norms of these religions which regulate the legal status of the individual. Among the Buddhism's notions allowing the latter to join the global consensus on human rights, there are the category of compassion, the Five precepts and the doctrine of Buddha-nature. The last one seems to be the most promising. The understanding of the human freedom typical for the Orthodox tradition differs from the one implied by the conception of human rights. But supporters of human rights within the Orthodoxy appeal to the roots of ideas of universal equality and human dignity in the Christian moral ideal. The human rights' protection, in their opinion, can be seen as a minimal manifestation of the Christian love. The Islam's participation in the world consensus on human rights could be based on additional interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah that adapts some of their statements to the modern social life's conditions. One of the crucial notions in this respect is maslakha (the general welfare principle) which fixes the basic goods of human life and secures their protection. The directions of the rapprochement of the three religious traditions with the conception human rights traced in the article can become the basis for a consensus that will make human rights genuinely universal, but the real achievement of such a consensus depends on the readiness of religious leaders and ordinary believers to correct and develop their social and political ideals.


Abstract. EvapoTranspiration (ET) is an important component of the water cycle,
especially in semi-arid lands. Its quantification is crucial for a
sustainable management of scarce water resources. A way to quantify ET is to
exploit the available surface temperature data from remote sensing as a
signature of the surface energy balance, including the latent heat flux.
Remotely sensed energy balance models enable to estimate stress levels and,
in turn, the water status of most continental surfaces. The evaporation and
transpiration components of ET are also just as important in agricultural
water management and ecosystem health monitoring. Single temperatures can be
used with dual source energy balance models but rely on specific assumptions
on raw levels of plant water stress to get both components out of a single
source of information. Additional information from remote sensing data are
thus required, either something specifically related to evaporation (such as
surface water content) or transpiration (such as PRI or fluorescence). This
works evaluates the SPARSE dual source energy balance model ability to
compute not only total ET, but also water stress and
transpiration/evaporation components. First, the theoretical limits of the ET
component retrieval are assessed through a simulation experiment using both
retrieval and prescribed modes of SPARSE with the sole surface temperature. A
similar work is performed with an additional constraint, the topsoil surface
soil moisture level, showing the significant improvement on the retrieval.
Then, a flux dataset acquired over rainfed wheat is used to check the
robustness of both stress levels and ET retrievals. In particular, retrieval
of the evaporation and transpiration components is assessed in both
conditions (forcing by the sole temperature or the combination of temperature
and soil moisture). In our example, there is no significant difference in the
performance of the total ET retrieval, since the evaporation rate retrieved
from the sole surface temperature is already fairly close to the one we can
reconstruct from observed surface soil moisture time series, but current work
is underway to test it over other plots.


In the immunosurveillance of the development and spread of tumors NK cells seem to have a major role. For this reason, the assessment of NK cell activity of patients with a malignant disease represents a significant immunological parameter. The results of our study indicate that for the group of 26 breast cancer patients basic NK cell activity is significantly below NK cell activity for healthy controls. In a previous set of experiments we found that a short term incubation of peripheral blood lymphocytes of these patients in medium, alone, gives a considerable augmentation of impaired basic NK activity, so we made an attempt to determine the influence of autologous serum on NK cell activity. Our data indicate that both healthy serum and autologous serum of breast cancer patients, in the early stage of disease, give a similar degree of inhibition of NK cell activity, after in vitro cultivation of PBL, when compared to PBL cultured in medium with FCS, and that only sera from breast cancer patients with advanced disease had a greater inhibiting effect. Incubation of PBL of healthy controls with autologous healthy sera showed a somewhat greater inhibitory effect on NK cell activity than sera from breast cancer patients in the early stage of disease. We consider that monitoring of NK cell activity after incubation with autologous serum may give not only a better assessment of NK cell activity of these patients in vivo, but also possibilities fro investigating factors which lead to serum-induced modulation of NK cell activity.


The high gravimetric energy density and environmental benefits place hydrogen as a promising alternative to the widely used fossil fuels, which is however impeded by the lack of safe, energy-saving and cost-effective H2 storage systems. The use of solid adsorbents as candidate materials offers a less energy-intensive way of storing hydrogen. The exceptional diversity and tunability of the chemical composition, topological structure, and surface chemistry together with large surface area position porous metal-organic frameworks as promising hydrogen storage material candidates. In this review, we first introduce several classes of important metal-organic frameworks for hydrogen storage, and then highlight the progress associated with the key challenges to be addressed, including the improvement of hydrogen-framework interaction required for enhancing room-temperature hydrogen storage capacities, and the optimization/balance of both gravimetric and volumetric storage/working capacities. In particular, the strategies used to tune and enhance hydrogen binding energies have been comprehensively reviewed. Future development prospects and related challenges of using porous metal-organic frameworks as hydrogen storage materials are also outlined. This feature review provides a wide perspective and insightful thoughts and suggestions for hydrogen storage using metal-organic frameworks, and promotes the further development of hydrogen storage materials to realize a hydrogen economy.


Traditionally, project management practices have not drawn any distinction between the characteristics of different projects. Recent research has found that innovative projects require different project management approaches if quality outcomes are to be achieved. Projects involving more innovation require more open management processes and contain a higher percentage of academic and/or professional staff. These characteristics often apply to educational projects in tertiary institutions. There is conflict inherent in managing change projects in educational environments between the classical 'project management' approach and the way that academics and teaching staff, who are independent professionals, traditionally work. This study derived from experience at RMIT, where a system wide online learning system (the Distributed Learning System, DLS) has been implemented since 1999. The implications for the project management approaches suitable for educational projects are discussed and a typology is suggested to categorise projects within an organisation and link them to key factors for successful project management.


We examined if ethnic majority members with different background characteristics (national identification, political orientation, gender, education, and age) differ in the perception that their ethnic group owns the country they live in, and whether this can explain their opinions about stricter immigration policies. Using nationally diverse samples of Anglo-Australian (N = 475), Dutch (N = 599), and British participants (N = 1005), we found that ownership beliefs were consistently positively associated with support for stricter immigration policies. Further, we showed that ownership beliefs were stronger among higher national identifiers, men, right-wing, lower educated (United Kingdom only), and older people (Australia only), and ownership partially accounted for these groups' stronger endorsement of stricter immigration policies. Our study underscores the relevance of ownership beliefs as a novel construct that can explain the relation between personal background characteristics and anti-immigration stance among ethnic majority populations in Western countries.