This paper addresses the joint transmit and receive optimization and linear processing for multiuser multiple-input, multiple output (MIMO) downlink. Each user may receive multiple data streams. Our design is to maximize the sum throughput under power constraint is equivalent to minimizing the product of mean square error matrix determinants(PDetMSE).Other one is to minimize the total transmit power with sum rate requirement. A scalar version of mean square error is considered to solve the problem. The problem is product of mean square error does not provide efficient solution. Once the optimal structure of the transmit-receive processing is known, the design problem simplifies and can be formulated within the powerful framework of convex optimization theory, in which a great number of interesting design criteria can be easily accommodated and efficiently solved even though closed-form expressions may not exist. we devise iterative algorithm where each iteration contains the optimization of uplink power, uplink receive filter, downlink receive filter. For these problem a new power allocation schemes are derived, which can be devised as Differential evolution(DE) involving mean square error. Simulations show that proposed algorithm are proved to be convergent and outperform existing linear methods.


Introduction: Evidence suggests that the application of Kinesio tape (KT) on patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) is inconclusive. Dynamic tape (DT) is a relatively new treatment technique, which is increasingly being used as an adjunctive method to treat musculoskeletal problems. To the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the application of DT in individuals with CNLBP. Thus, there is a need to compare the immediate and short-term effects of DT versus KT and no tape among patients with CNLBP on pain, endurance, disability, mobility, and kinesiophobia.
Methodology: Forty-five patients with CNLBP were randomly divided into three groups: the DT group (n = 15), the KT group (n = 15), and the control group (n = 15). No tape was applied to the control group. The allocation and assessment procedures were blinded. The outcome measures were assessed before the tape application (baseline), 15 min after the tape application (immediate effect), and on the third day post tape application (short-term effect). The primary outcomes of pain, endurance, and disability were measured through the visual analog scale (VAS), Biering–Sorensen test, and Oswestry disability index (ODI), respectively. Secondary outcome measures of mobility and kinesiophobia were measured using the modified Schober test and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, respectively.
Result: The demographic and baseline characteristics between groups were compared by the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for parametric variables and the Chi-square test for nonparametric variables. A mixed-methods ANOVA (3 ´ 3) was used to analyze the main effect (group effect and time effect) and time ´ group interaction. No significant immediate and short-term differences were found between DT and KT in pain, disability, mobility, and kinesiophobia. Improved back extensor endurance was observed for the DT group compared to the KT (p = 0.023) and control (p = 0.006) groups.
Conclusion: This randomized controlled trial showed that the DT does not have a significant additional effect on pain, disability, mobility, and kinesiophobia among individuals with CNLBP compared to KT. However, participants experienced significant improvement in back muscular endurance after the application of DT. This finding suggests that DT controls the processes that lead to back muscle fatigue. Therefore, more studies are required to examine the therapeutic benefits of DT in treating patients with CNLBP.


The effect of feeding egusi melon oil as a supplement to a cholesterol-based diet on serum lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity of rats was evaluated. The rats were divided into two groups designated: control and test respectively. Rats in the test group were fed 5% cholesterol diet supplemented with 5% egusi melon oil while the control rats received 5% cholesterol diet without egusi melon oil. After 6 weeks of diet feeding, the enzyme activity was decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the egusi melon oil-fed rats compared with the control. The test group also showed relative significant decreases in the serum levels cholesteryl ester and lysolecithin (p < 0.05) and increase levels of lecithin (p < 0.05). Significant decreases (p < 0.05) were also observed in serum total and free cholesterol in the egusi melon oil treated group compared to the control group. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to hypercholesterolemia.

 Key words: Egusi melon oil, cholesterol diet, cholesteryl ester, LCAT, supplementation.


Most of the developing nations are still struggling for efficient use of their resources. In order to overcome physical and administrative constraints of the development, it is necessary to transfer the power from the central government to local authorities. Distribution of power from improves the management of resources and community participation which is considered key to sustainable development. Advocates of decentralization argue that decentralized government is source to improve community participation in rural development. Decentralized government is considered more responsive towards local needs and development of poor peoples. There are many obstacles to expand the citizen participation in rural areas. There are many approaches for participatory development but all have to face the same challenges. Current paper highlights the literature about Decentralization and participatory rural development. Concept and modalities of Decentralization, dimensions of participation, types of rural participation and obstacles to participation are also the part of this paper.


Background:Proton pump inhibitors are usually safe, although serious adverse effects can occur. We report the first case of rhabdomyolysis associated with single-dose intravenous esomeprozole administration. Methods:A 45-year-old Korean male visited our emergency room because of persistent lower chest discomfort that started 10 hours before. He had been diagnosed with diabetes and coronary heart disease, but discontinued oral hypoglycemic agents 1 month earlier. He continued to take medications for coronary heart disease. There was no abnormality on an electrocardiogram or in cardiac enzymes. Initial laboratory findings did not show abnormalities for muscle enzymes. Esomeprozole 40 mg was administrated intravenously for the control of his ambiguous chest discomfort. Then, 12 hours later, he complained of abrupt severe right buttock pain. An area of tender muscle swelling 8 cm in diameter was seen on his right buttock area. Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were elevated to 40,538 and 1326 U/L, respectively. A bone scan using 20 mCi of 99mTc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate was compatible with rhabdomyolysis. Results:His muscular symptoms, signs, and laboratory findings improved markedly with conservative management, including hydration and urine alkalinization. He is being followed in the outpatient department with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusion:We should keep in mind that single-dose intravenous administration of esomeprazole can induce rhabdomyolysis.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Extended release opioid formulations were formulated as a means of hopefully reducing abuse and dependence. Still the vast majority of opioid prescriptions written remain immediate-release. We therefore sought to investigate the influence of industry payments to physicians on extended release opioid prescriptions. METHODS: We utilized the 2014 and 2015 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Open Payments database to identify industry-related payments to physicians for opioids. These payments were linked to physician prescriptions through claims from the corresponding Medicare Part D Opioid Prescriber Summary File database. We categorized 21 unique opioids into either extended or immediate release. RESULTS: We identified 14 companies marketing 10 extended release formulations. The top paying company was Purdue Pharma who spent over $13 million in payments to physicians. Purdue also markets more opioids than any other company (12 products) as well as the opioid with the largest contribution to payments (Oxycontin at $5.3 million). The median payment for extended release formulations was more than twice as high as for immediate release ($100 vs $37, p < 0.001). Among those receiving payments, there was a statistically significant correlation between increasing payments and opioid prescriptions. This was true for both immediate release (rho = 0.18, p < 0.001) and extended release (rho = 0.25, p < 0.001) [Figure]. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be an effort to increase physician payments for Extended-Release Opioids. This is likely because these drugs are less prone to abuse and potentially helpful in addiction treatment. Figure. No caption available. Source of Funding: Bruce L. Jacobs is supported in part by the American Urological Association Data Grant and the University of Pittsburgh Physicians Foundation. The views expressed in this abstract do not reflect the views of the Federal government or Ben Davies.


Abstract. Extracting land cover information from satellite imagery is of great importance for the task of automated monitoring in various remote sensing applications. Deep convolutional neural networks make this task more feasible, but they are limited by the small dataset of annotated images. In this paper, we present a fully convolutional networks architecture, FPN-VGG, that combines Feature Pyramid Networks and VGG. In order to accomplish the task of land cover classification, we create a land cover dataset of pixel-wise annotated images, and employ a transfer learning step and the variant dice loss function to promote the performance of FPN-VGG. The results indicate that FPN-VGG shows more competence for land cover classification comparing with other state-of-the-art fully convolutional networks. The transfer learning and dice loss function are beneficial to improve the performance of on the small and unbalanced dataset. Our best model on the dataset gets an overall accuracy of 82.9%, an average F1 score of 66.0% and an average IoU of 52.7%.


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) require more complex sensor selection strategies than other distributed networks to perform optimal state estimation. In addition to constraints associated with distributed state estimation, wireless sensor networks have limitations on bandwidth, energy consumption, and transmission range. This paper introduces and empirically evaluates a dynamic sensor selection strategy. A discrete-time Kalman filter is used for state estimation. At each time step, a subset of sensors is selected to gather data on the following time step because of power and bandwidth constraints that prohibit using all of the sensors. A standard criterion for selecting this subset of sensors is to maximize the information to be gained by minimizing a function of the next-step error covariance matrix. We propose a relaxation of this non-convex combinatorial optimization problem and demonstrate its applicability to large-scale sensor networks. The proposed dynamic sensor selection strategy is compared empirically to other dynamic and static sensor selection strategies with respect to state estimation performance of a convection-dispersion field arising from the problem of surface-based monitoring of CO2 sequestration sites.


The prothrombin time is the coagulation time of citrated plasma in the presence of calcium and a tissue extract, thromboplastin, added in excess. The prothrombin time was historically the first method of evaluation and control of oral anticoagulation. Over the years, the different thromboplastins have changed, diversified, so affecting the result of the prothrombin ration established from the prothrombin time and a reference curve. In 1985, the International Committee on Thrombosis and Haemostasis requested that all the losts of thromboplastin have their international sensitivity index (ISI) indicated. This allowed uniformity of the results by the introduction of the INR (International Normalized Ratio) calculated by the formula: INR = (PTR)ISI, the PTR or prothrombin time ratio corresponding to the patients' prothrombin time divided by that of reference control plasma. It is, in fact, impossible to interpret the results of a prothrombin ration without knowing their expression in INR. The consequences of the absence of uniformity in the control of anticoagulant therapy are important and serious. The uncertainty concerning the degree of anticoagulation inherent in the use of a single prothrombin ratio may be the source of bleeding or thromboembolic complications. Curiously, the system based on the INR is neither generalised, nearly 10 years after its recommendation, nor adopted by the majority of practitioners. However, the stakes are high because the principal complication of oral anticoagulants remains bleeding, including the dramatic strokes. Moreover, the global mortality due to haemorrhagic complications is about 0.1 to 0.5% for treatments of short duration and much higher in prolonged therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Ruminant urine nitrogen (N) concentration and volume are important parameters influencing the size and N loading rate of urine patches deposited to soil. Such parameters can influence N cycling and emissions of the greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O) from grazed grassland, yet, there is limited information on the effect of these parameters within typical ranges reported for sheep. We used an automated, high-frequency gas monitoring system to investigate N2O emissions from varying urine N application rates and patch sizes under field conditions. Using artificial sheep urine, we manipulated urine N concentration to provide two urine N application rates (4 and 16 g N/L; equivalent to 200 and 800 kg N/ha). We investigated the effect of urine patch size with equal N application rates (4 × 125 cm2 vs 500 cm2, at 200 and 800 kg N/ha) and the effect of patch size with unequal N application rates, but the same total amount of N applied (62.5 mL over 125 cm2 at 800 kg N/ha and 250 mL over 500 cm2 at 200 kg N/ha). Cumulative emissions of N2O generally increased with N loading rate, whether applied as one large urine patch or four smaller ones. Cumulative N2O emissions increased when the N was applied in four smaller urine patches compared with one large patch; this difference was significant at 800 kg N/ha, but not at 200 kg N/ha. When the total amount of N applied was held constant (1 g of N), the amount of N2O released was similar when urine was applied as a high N concentration small patch (800 kg N/ha) compared with a low N concentration large patch (200 kg N/ha). Urine N2O emission factors in this study were, on average, 10 times lower than the IPCC default of 1% for sheep excreta. This research clearly demonstrates that the chemical and physical nature of the urine patch influences N2O emissions, yet further research is required to gather more data on typical sheep urine volumes (individual and daily), urination frequency, urine N concentrations and the typical volumes of soil influenced by urine deposition, to provide more accurate estimates of emissions from sheep grazed pastures.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of prior exposure to single-dose nevirapine (sdNVP) on mother-to-child transmission and genotypic resistance in HIV-infected women.

DESIGN
Prospective study of 120 women exposed to the HIVNET 012 sdNVP regimen in two successive pregnancies and 240 antiretroviral (ARV)-naïve, multiparous women who received sdNVP for the first time.

RESULTS
One hundred and eight of 120 and 193 of 240 women returned for a postpartum visit by 6 weeks. HIV-1 was detected in 11.1% (95% confidence interval = 5.9-18.6) of the infants of women previously exposed to sdNVP and 4.2% (95% confidence interval = 1.3-7.0) of those exposed for the first time (P = 0.028). Rates of maternal HIV-1 genotypic resistance at 6 weeks postdelivery were 37.5% and 46.4%, respectively (P = 0.119). Sensitive mutation-specific real-time PCR testing found three of 12 previously exposed women who transmitted HIV-1 to their infants had either K103N or Y181C at baseline compared with one of eight ARV-naïve, transmitting women who had Y181C. None of 40 randomly selected nontransmitting women from either group had detectable NVP resistance mutations prior to sdNVP exposure.

CONCLUSION
This study shows that effectiveness of sdNVP may be compromised by prior exposure to sdNVP, although the increase in transmission rate after prior exposure could not be explained by the detection of NVP resistance mutations prior to re-exposure as measured both by standard genotyping and highly sensitive allele-specific PCR assays. Furthermore, transmission rates of women with prior exposure were not higher than those reported elsewhere.


The phase formation during thermal annealing of Fe/Al multilayer thin films prepared by electron-beam evaporation, with an overall atomic concentration ratio of Fe:Al = 1:1, has been studied by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), x-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), and conversion-electron Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). At the annealing temperature of 473 K some degree of atomic mixing between Fe and Al layers is revealed only by CEMS. At 573 K a large degree of atomic mixing is indicated also by RBS, leading to the nucleation and growth of the B2 FeAl intermetallic phase, as detected by means of XRD and CEMS. At 673 K all Fe atoms have reacted and the multilayer film is transformed into a defective B2 phase. Annealing at higher temperature increases the structural order of the B2 phase. We suggest that the observed phase formation occurs in three stages: (1) formation of a thin intermixed layer between Fe and Al in the as-deposited sample; (2) Al migration into the initial intermixed layer; (3) B2 phase growth at the interface between the intermixed layer and the Fe layer.


Isolation and utilization of peat soil mycorrhizae have been started, yet for local peat soils of Riau has not been widely studied. The odjective of this study were to determine the types of mycorrhizae on oil palm plant stands on peat land in several districts in Riau. Peat soil sampling in several Bengkalis districts (Bantan Middle Village, District Bantan), Kampar (Village Rimbo Panjang, District Tambang), Pelalawan (Sungai Ara Village, District Sungai Ara) and Siak (Temusai Village, District Bunga Raya). The research was conducted in the laboratory with soil sampling in accordance with the purposes of research and analysis in the laboratory according to the method of each parameter. This study had found that 2 genus Acaulospora spores and Glomus. The genus consists of Acaulospora, Acaulospora tuberculata, Acaulospora foveata and Glomus genus consists of Glomus diaphanum, Glomus etunicatum and Glomus sp.1. but the types of spores are more dominant in the 4th District is the kind of spores Glomus sp.1. Keywords : isolation, identification, peatsoil, mycorrhizae, palm oil


Fires pose a potential risk to public health from exposure to products of combustion. The default initial public health advice is often for people to shelter indoors and minimise exposure. Controlled burn strategies are used when active fire-fighting is impossible or to minimise environmental impacts, but operational guidance recognises that the protection of people should take precedence. Prolonged fires extend the duration of potential public exposure. Effective incident management requires a multi-agency operational response that is informed by public health risk assessments. This paper sets out a universal approach, focused on assessing and minimising acute risks to health. Using England as an illustration, it discusses the differing roles of responders, the necessity of active exposure assessment and health surveillance, and criteria for decision-making and risk mitigation. When environmental monitoring is undertaken, health-based screening levels can aid risk assessment and day-to-day incident management; their operational application deserves further evaluation and development.


Making an accurate hiring decision is extremely important for most employers. The cost associated with making a poor hiring decision from a productivity, customer service, and liability prospective have been widely studied and has been estimated to be three times the annual salary of the individual involved. Also, in recent years numerous studies have reported that applicants for employment have grown increasingly willing to misrepresent their credentials in the application process. This growing phenomenon has further complicated the hiring decision for employers attempting to hire the right individual for a position. The purpose of this paper is to examine the problems created by this increased willingness of job applicants to misrepresent their credentials, and to present policy and practice suggestions that employers can utilize in order to reduce their legal liability and the cost associated with making poor hiring decisions. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MAKING A POOR HIRING DECISION


The natural enemies of the more important arthropod, nematode and mollusc pests of strawberry in northern and central Europe and their use as biocontrol agents are reviewed. Most pests of strawberry are polyphagous and they and their natural enemies occur on other host plants (especially Rosaceae) as well as on other crops. Strawberry cultivation methods, including protected cultivation and other methods of extending the fruiting season, soil sterilization, polythene mulching and pesticide spray programmes have profound influences on the pest and natural enemy complex, though such effects have not been quantified adequately. All the pests of strawberry reviewed have natural enemies, though some pests (e.g. capsid bugs) have few. A few natural enemy groups are known to act as important natural limiting factors in pest population development in commercial strawberry crops. Two examples are naturallyoccurring phytoseiid predatory mites which regulate pest mite populations, and predatory carabid beetles which regulate root weevil populations. Apart from the introduction of predatory phytoseiid mites to control two-spotted spider mite, biocontrol is not widely used in commercial practice. Other biocontrol approaches are known to be efficacious, but are too costly in comparison with conventional insecticides for commercial adoption (e.g. nematodes for slug control). Several biocontrol approaches have been researched and have potential for further development and exploitation and there is considerable opportunity to develop new approaches. Research effort should concentrate on those for common pests, which are controlled currently by frequent sprays of broad-spectrum insecticides, e.g. aphids, blossom weevil, capsids and vine weevil. As strawberry is often grown as an annual or short-term perennial crop, exploiting natural populations of natural enemies is difficult. More effort needs to be devoted to the development of microbial and nematode biocontrol agents, which can be used as biopesticides. Protected cultivation of strawberry provides more favourable conditions for exploitation of biocontrol including introduction of insect predators and parasites.


Code mixing is the change of one language to another within the same utterance or sentence. It can be found in oral or written text. This research studied about code mixing in written text, namely in banners at University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). Furthermore, this research focused on the forms of code mixing in banners at UMM and the reasons of banner designers in using code mixing in their banners. The researcher is interested in studying code mixing in banners because the use of Indonesian-English code mixing in banners can influence the readers' interest and their English development.

This research used descriptive qualitative research design to collect and analyze the data. It was used because the purpose of this research was to get the data about the forms of code mixing in banners at UMM and the reasons of those banner designers in using code mixing. Besides, the result of this research was described in the form of sentences and did not use statistical data. The objects of this research were banners at UMM and the banner designers. The researcher conducted the research from March to May 2013. During that time, the researcher found 12 banners with Indonesian-English code mixing inside and 9 banner designers. Meanwhile, the researcher used documents and interview. The documents that were analyzed were banners at UMM and interview was applied to the banner designers.

From the analysis, it was found there were two forms of code mixing in banners at UMM; they were code mixing by insertion of word and code mixing by insertion of phrase. Besides, there were five reasons from banner designers in using code mixing in their banners, three of them were related to the experts' theory; quoting somebody else, expressing group identity, because of real lexical need, and two of them were not related to the experts' theory; to attract other people, and to let other people know about their terms.


In the first full, one-volume biography of Alexander Hamilton in more than two decades, award-winning historian Willard Sterne Randall takes a fresh look at one of the most brilliant, conflicted, and elusive of our nation's founders. Orphaned at thirteen and apprenticed in a counting house, the precocious Hamilton learned principles of business that helped him, as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, to create the American banking system and invent the modern corporation. But first the staunch, intrepid Hamilton served in the American Revolution, primarily as aide-de-camp to General Washington, acting as Washington's spymaster. Forging a successful legal career, Hamilton coauthored The Federalist Papers and plunged into politics. Irresistibly attractive to women, he was a man of many gifts, but he could be arrogant and was at times a poor judge of character. In this meticulously researched, illuminating, and lively account, Willard Sterne Randall mines the latest scholarship to provide a new perspective on Alexander Hamilton, his illegitimate birth, little-known military activities, political and diplomatic intrigues, and sometimes scandalous private life. From his less than auspicious start in 1755 on the Caribbean island of Nevis to his untimely death in a duel with his old enemy Aaron Burr in 1804, Alexander Hamilton, despite his short and tragic life, left a huge legacy.


The South Fork of Long Island, New York, is underlain by unconsolidated Pleistocene and Cretaceous sediments resting on crystalline bedrock. A two-layered aquifer system contains fresh ground water with saline ground water in the deeper strata. The average horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the upper aquifer is 49 m/day and of the lower aquifer is 25 m/day. The average annual precipitation of 1.14 m is the only natural source of fresh water. After consumptive losses the precipitation provides about 1.85 × 10 8 m 3 /yr to recharge the water table. Discharge of fresh ground water occurs primarily as undersea outflow to the ocean at the perimeter of the area. The safe yield of the area is estimated to be 9.15 × 10 4 m 3 /day.


Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common cancer in female genital tract in developed countries. Although the majority of ECs are diagnosed in early stages, with a 5-year overall survival of around 80%, an early detection of these tumors is crucial to increase survival of patients given that advanced tumors are associated with poorer outcome. Furthermore, the correct assessment of pre-clinical diagnosis is also decisive to guide the surgical management and treatment of the patient. Results: Genetic analysis of uterine aspirates identifies the mutational profile of endometrial cancers and represents the intra-tumor heterogeneity found in the analysis of multiple tumor regions from hysterectomy. Conclusions: The current study reveals the potential of the genetic analysis of uterine aspirates as a pre-operative tool to diagnosis, even in biopsies with insufficient material, with a sensitivity of 93.7% and a specificity of 91.7%. Additionally, genetic analysis of uterine aspirates allows to capture the intra-tumor heterogeneity identified in ECs. Citation Format: Alba Mota, Eva Colas, Pablo Garcia-Sanz, Irene Campoy, Alejandro Rojo-Sebastian, Luis Chiva, Sonsoles Alonso, Sonia Gatius, Antonio Gil-Moreno, Xavier Gonzalez-Tallada, Berta Diaz-Feijoo, Patrycja Ziober Malinwska, Marcin Bobinski, Jaume Reventos, Xavier Matias-Guiu, Gema Moreno-Bueno. Genomic analysis of uterine aspirates improves diagnosis and captures the intratumor heterogeneity in endometrial cancer. [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 162.


spe-cializes in thermo-fluids and engineering. technical research include applications of high voltage plasma discharges to liquids and wastewaters; plasma decomposition of carbon dioxide; foul-ing prevention and mitigation for heat exchangers; oxidation of organic matter in water; and inactivation of bacteria using high voltage plasmas. Abstract— A surprise 40-min Pre-requisite Exam was administered in the first week of a Thermodynamics II course to assess pre-requisite knowledge of Thermodynamics I curriculum, and achievement of associated learning outcomes. This exam placed particular interest on students' understanding of concepts related to transient analysis. Students' performance on this Pre-requisite Exam would not negatively impact their grades in Thermodynamics II, and if at all counted, could be used toward extra credit. The Pre-requisite Exam was mostly motivated by reported/perceived positive enhancements in sections of Thermodynamics I, and interest in identifying and demonstrating additional robust yet pragmatic methods of assessing the extent to these enhancements. From the instructors' perspectives, correlations might potentially be able to be made between Pre-requisite Exam performance and previous Thermodynamics I experiences, addressing questions such as, "what might be the effect of the time between a student successfully completing the pre-requisite course, and performance in the post-requisite Thermodynamics II course?"; "can the impact of any particular student experiences or teaching and learning strategies implemented in the pre-requisite course be identified as positively affecting performance and achievement in the post-requisite Thermodynamics II course?" The Pre-requisite Exam administered in the beginning of a Thermodynamics II course provides a data point in addressing such questions. The primary motivation of this study was to provide further assessment of positive results that were obtained in implementing collaborative projects with simulation components as high impact practices into a Thermodynamics I course. The results of the present study have indicated that the implementation of such a collaborative project into sections of Thermodynamics I did not directly result in better performance on the specific prerequisite exam problem. Further, it was observed that the amount of time that had passed since a student had completed the Thermodynamics I course, did not impact performance on this exam problem. The method of administering Pre-requisite Exams is demonstrated and suggested as a method which can be strategically utilized to uncover, describe, and assess the impact (or lack thereof) of specific perceived enhancements in the curriculum.


Summary
1Nutrition influences most aspects of animal ecology: juvenile growth rates and adult mass gain, body condition, probability of pregnancy, over-winter survival, timing of parturition, and neonatal birth mass and survival. We provide an overview among ungulates of the extent of these influences resulting from interactions among bioenergetics, foraging, and nutritional demands.
2 Body condition of an animal is the integrator of nutritional intake and demands, affecting both survival and reproduction. The deposition and mobilization of body fat and body protein vary with physiological requirements and environmental conditions as species use dietary income and body stores to integrate the profits of summer and the demands of winter. Results from our simulation model and uncertainty analysis of the influence of body mass and changes in body composition of Rangifer over winter indicate that percent body fat rather than body mass in early winter is most important in determining whether animals die, live without reproducing, or live and reproduce. Animal responses are also sensitive to rates of change in body protein. Depending on timing of calving and maternal reserves, seasonal habitats vary in their nutritional value for the production of offspring.
3For free-ranging animals, life is a balance among numerous ecological factors, including nutritional requirements, nutritional resources to meet those demands, and intra- and inter-specific interactions. Predation effects on population demography may mask nutritional limitations of habitat. We suggest that over the long term of life histories, ungulates use seasonal strategies that minimize the maximum detriment, and that the basis for most strategies is nutritional.


This workshop aims at bringing together researchers and practitioners interested in the engineering of interactive systems which embed AI technologies (as for instance, recommender systems engines). The objective is to identify (from experience reported by participants) methods, techniques, and tools to support the inclusion of such AI technologies in interactive systems. A specific focus will be on the guarantee that user-relevant properties such as usability and user experience are accounted for. Another focus will be on the identification and definition of architectures supporting those integrations.


Dr William Brownrigg (1712-1800) of Ormathwaite Hall near Keswick in Cumberland, was the first scientist to undertake a systematic investigation of the poisonous gases in coal mines. As a result of his work he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1742 and awarded the Copley Medal in 1766. However, he never gained the reputation which seemed to be merited by the importance of his research, and contemporaries believed this to have been as a result of his refusal to leave his native Cumberland and live in London. Sir James Lowther of Whitehaven, his first patron, commented in 1750 that 'if he was in London he would probably get into better business', while his friend and biographer Joshua Dixon wrote of his having been 'repeatedly solicited' to move to the capital. Brownrigg himself commented that 'my situation here, at so great a distance from the capital. . . lies me under great disadvantages in communicating them [i.e. his experiments] to the public'. New evidence concerning Brownrigg has recently become available, from which it is clear that his preference for Cumberland was determined both by his scientific interests and also by his many other concerns. As a result it is now possible to attempt some re-assessment of his career, which may help to explain why he did not receive the acclaim he was thought to have deserved.


This is a contribution to the survey on psychiatric disorders of puerperality. We are particularly interested in the clinical signs and the ethiopathogenical facts of psychiatric disorders of the post-partum which appear-in our point of view-to be the main point on which we could probably act to reduce the effect of the disease. It is a retrospective survey going from January, 1st 1992 to December, 31st 1996. Here are included all the female patients whose age is more than 15, hospitalised during survey period and who presented a mental pathology linked with puerperality in accordance with diagnosis criterions of World Health Organization. In 1 627 hospitalisations, there were 658 women among whom 52 presented puerperality psychical disorders, that's meaning 7.9% of the female patients hospitalised in psychiatry, with an average age of 24.5 years. Concerning the classification of the diseases, the acute delirious psychosis and the depressive disorders are more important with respectively 56% and 19% of the sample. 92% of the women gave birth by the vaginal normal way and 61.5% presented disorders in the first week following their delivery. The married women are 94%. Concerning their occupations, 98% are house keepers. 52% are primiparas and 48% are multiparas. Psychical disorders of puerperality are frequent in Dakar. Acute psychosis and mood disorders are the main clinical aspects. The management of the future mother to her new roles by health education and prenatal check-ups in health centers by skilled and appropriate personnal is necessary.


The concept of the adaptive landscape has been invaluable to evolutionary biologists for visualizing the dynamics of selection and adaptation, and is increasingly being used to study morpho‐functional data. Here, we construct adaptive landscapes to explore functional trade‐offs associated with variation in humerus morphology among turtles adapted to three different locomotor environments: marine, semiaquatic, and terrestrial. Humerus shape from 40 species of cryptodire turtles was quantified using a pseudolandmark approach. Hypothetical shapes were extracted in a grid across morphospace and four functional traits (strength, stride length, mechanical advantage, and hydrodynamics) measured on those shapes. Quantitative trait modeling was used to construct adaptive landscapes that optimize the functional traits for each of the three locomotor ecologies. Our data show that turtles living in different environments have statistically different humeral shapes. The optimum adaptive landscape for each ecology is defined by a different combination of performance trade‐offs, with turtle species clustering around their respective adaptive peak. Further, species adhere to pareto fronts between marine–semiaquatic and semiaquatic–terrestrial optima, but not between marine–terrestrial. Our study demonstrates the utility of adaptive landscapes in informing the link between form, function, and ecological adaptation, and establishes a framework for reconstructing turtle ecological evolution using isolated humeri from the fossil record.


Game-based learning has dominantly embedded itself into a tool of education in the 21st century. In developing educational games, many researchers have proposed frameworks to defi ne elements of an educational game. This paper presents a survey of the different frameworks for educational games and analyzes these frameworks against several criteria for effective video games, well-designed games and key elements of educational games. The authors will also look at the frameworks support towards learning theories. In addition, the analysis continues in the context of software engineering practices to develop effective educational games.


The paper introduces a general framework of Web-MIS based on J2EE, gives a way to develop system using Servlet as a controller, JSP as view, EJB as a model, and puts forward a MVC framework.


The government officials of developing countries such as Cambodia that has not made its own map have been dispatched to Korea every year to learn advanced geospatial information of the Republic of Korea. This fact means that the international demands in geospatial information education have been increasing. The purpose of this study was to propose the improvement plan of educational policy to more systematically share experience and transmit technologies of Korean geospatial information for developing countries. It derived implications through analyzing the current status of geospatial education in Korea and overseas for developing countries. In addition, the survey of satisfaction level for the trainees who had finished the training course of the NGII (National Geographic Information) in cooperation with KOICA (KOrea International Cooperation Agency) was performed to elicit major issues in geospatial education for developing countries. Based on this analysis, this study suggested three strategies such as improvements of the education curriculum, the construction of education infrastructure facilities and the development of education service platform. It was judged that the results of the study could be contributed in not only enhancing the status of Korea as donor country of OECD members but also supporting expansion of overseas markets of Korean geospatial information industry.


Signalgrass is largely planted as cultivated pasture in Brazil, but no management targets have been identified. The objective of this study was to evaluate daily herbage accumulation rate (HAR) in Signalgrass pastures grazed at two intensity x two frequency treatments using steers. Target intensities corresponded to 5 and 10 cm post-graze sward height and frequencies were determined by pre-graze sward light interception (LI = 95 or 100%) by the canopy. The trial was carried out from January 2007 to April 2008 on an Entisol. Less frequently grazed pastures had higher HAR during the entire period (29 and 36 kg/ha for 95 and 100%-LI, respectively). There was no intensity effect on HAR, except in the 2007 summer season (January to March) when pastures grazed to 10 cm had a higher HAR (59 kg/ha) than those grazed to 5 cm (45 kg/ha). Total leaf yield increased when regrowth was longer (7930 vs . 8729 kg/ha for 95 and 100%-LI, respectively), but stem and dead material yield increased as well (4877 vs . 7155 kg/ha for 95 and 100%-LI, respectively). The advantages of extending the rest period due to increased HAR was counterbalanced by the great influence of stem and dead material, decreasing pasture leafiness and likely forage nutritive value on the grazed stratum.


Augmented reality, which brings a new perspective into information technologies, can be defined in the simplest form as augmenting the real world with information from the virtual world. Augmented reality is one of the innovative technologies that will provide significant benefits to construction project applications in the future. In this study, an augmented reality system is developed for improving construction project activities. This system shows the workers, equipment operators, engineers and managers how to perform the tasks of the specific job, step by step, with relevant supplemental information. Using smart glass in the system, the users will be able to reach the training and building methods about the relevant project activities. By this way, construction failures and spending money and time to learn the correct methodology for the execution of the activity will be avoided. The system is tested using the brick wall production phases. It has been proposed that the system can improve the quality of construction activities and thus, provide significant contributions to the construction industry.


Mucilage is receiving increasing attention because of its putative effects on plant growth, but so far no method is available to measure its spatial distribution in the rhizosphere. We tested whether the C-H signal related to mucilage fatty acids is detectable by infrared spectroscopy and if this method can be used to determine the spatial distribution of mucilage in the rhizosphere. Maize plants were grown in rhizoboxes filled with soil free of organic matter. Infrared measurements were carried out along transects perpendicular as well as axially to the root channels. The perpendicular profiles of gradients of the C-H proportions showed a decrease of C-H with increasing distance: 0.8 mm apart from the root center the C-H signals achieved a level near zero. The measured concentrations of mucilage were comparable with results obtained in previous studies, which encourages the use of infrared spectroscopy to quantitatively image mucilage in the rhizosphere.


Spartacus, our 2005 AAAI Mobile Robot Challenge entry, integrated planning and scheduling, sound source localization, tracking and separation, message reading, speech recognition and generation, and autonomous navigation capabilities onboard a custom-made interactive robot. Integration of such a high number of capabilities revealed interesting new issues such as coordinating audio/visual/graphical capabilities, monitoring the impacts of the capabilities in usage by the robot, and inferring the robot's intentions and goals. Our 2006 entry will be used to address these issues, to add new capabilities to the robot and to improve our software and computational architectures, with the objective of increasing, evaluating and improving our understanding of human-robot interaction and integration with an autonomous mobile platform.


Twenty-five consecutive elderly patients with hypothermia were studied. Data were gathered regarding their home conditions, the circumstances in which they had been found, and their recent medical history. Clinical and laboratory examinations were performed to establish accurate diagnoses of underlying illnesses present at the time of arrival in hospital. Patients were followed up until the completion of the study. Evidence of an underlying cause was found in all cases. Twenty-two patients had evidence of definite or probable infection at the time of admission. Drugs may have contributed in seven cases. There were multiple significant causes for hypothermia in nine cases. Only 12 patients survived the index admission, and six of these had previous or subsequent admissions with hypothermia.


Report on a histological study of ten gallbladders, of which five were from normal subjects and five from patients with cholelithiasis. In normal controls a higher number of nerve cells was found in the neck (23.45 +/- 10.14 per mm2) and a lesser one in the body (7.70 +/- 8.45 per mm2) and fundus (5.60 +/- 3.66 per mm2). In the lithiasic gallbladder wall the higher number of the nerve cells was present in the neck (5.83 +/- 4.92 per mm2), and a lowest one in the body (2.63 +/- 1.56 per mm2) and fundus (1.03 +/- 0.71 per mm2).


Before dissolving a company, arbitrators should make sure that the company itself is a party to the arbitration proceedings. In a recent case the Paris Court of Appeal judged that the failure to summon a company whose dissolution is requested renders the award null and void. While this solution may not come as a surprise, the fact that this requirement is based on international public policy is a novelty. This case highlights the need to clarify arbitrators' powers in the context of companies' corporate lives.


The degradation pattern of metalaxyl, mancozeb and its metabolite ethylenethiourea (ETU) residues indicated a close correspondence to first order exponential degradation kinetics in soils. Degradation of fungicides in soils was predominantly biological as well as chemical in nature. Slower degradation ofmetalaxyl was noticed in the soils and their half-life values were higher than mancozeb and ETU as evident by wide range of half-life values from 41.24 to 165.11 days. In case of metalaxyl, Hiriyur soil was found to be superior in degrading the metalaxyl. Lower persistence of mancozeb and ETU was observed in soils resulting in rapid rate of degradation at smaller half-life values as compared to metalaxyl indicating the faster degradation of mancozeb and ETU. In mancozeb applied soils, the ETU formation was increased up to 30 days of incubation and thereafter it declined. Amongsoils, degradation of either mancozeb or ETU is not influenced by soil types. However, mancozeb persistence was higher in Hiriyur soils than Chettalli and Bangalore soils.


Transportation is regarded as one of the most important issues currently being researched; this issue needs the search for approaches or processes that might lessen many contemporary traffic concerns. Congestion, pollution, and accidents have escalated lately, negatively impacting urban environments, economic development, and citizens' lifestyles. The rise of illnesses and epidemics throughout the world, such as COVID-19, has created an urgent need to find the best way to save people's lives. The vehicle routing problem (VRP) is a well-known moniker for improving transportation systems and is regarded as one of the ancient and contemporary difficulties in route planning applications. One of the main tasks of VRP is serving many customers by determining the optimal route from an initial point to a destination on a real-time road map. The best route is not necessarily the shortest-distance route, but, in emergency cases, it is the route that takes the least fitness cost (time) and the fastest way to arrive. This paper aims to provide an adaptive genetic algorithm (GA) to determine the optimal time route, taking into account the factors that influence the vehicle arrival time and cause delays. In addition, the Network Analyst tool in ArcGIS is used to determine the optimal route using real-time map based on the user's preferences and suggest the best one. Experimental results indicate that the performance of GA is mainly determined by an efficient representation, evaluation of fitness function, and other factors such as population size and selection method.


Neuroferritinopathy is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the ferritin light chain gene (FTL1). The cardinal features are progressive movement disturbance, hypoferritinemia, and iron deposition in the brain. To date, five mutations have been described in Caucasian and Japanese families, but the genotype–phenotype correlations remain to be established. We identified a novel FTL1 mutation (exon 4, c.641/642, 4‐nucletotide duplication) in a Japanese family and compared the clinical traits with those previously reported. All mutations but one are insertions in exon 4, resulting in frameshifts. Clinical features are similar among patients with the same mutations. Middle‐age onset chorea is common in patients with insertions in the 5′ portion of exon 4 including our cases, whereas patients with insertions in the 3′ portion of exon 4 develop early‐onset tremor, suggesting genotype–phenotype correlations. In this family, male predominance and normal serum ferritin levels are characteristic. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society


The Authors suggest a new conceived line of metal cervical dilators, testing them on a group, made up of 69 patients, who will undergo Voluntary Pregnancy Interruption (VPI). Comparing the results with those obtained within a further test-group, made up of 69 women who have undergone a cervical dilation, performed by traditional Hegar dilators, it has been noticed that the new dilators are less traumatic on the cervical canal of the uterus; they can be used more easily and a wider employment is foreseen.


Error vector magnitude (EVM) and noise power ratio (NPR) measurements are well-known approaches to quantify the inband performance of communication systems and their respective components. In contrast to NPR, EVM is an important design specification and is widely adopted by modern communication standards such as 802.11 (WLAN). However, EVM requires full demodulation, whereas NPR excels with simplicity requiring only power measurements in different frequency bands. Consequently, NPR measurements avoid bias due to insufficient synchronization and can be readily adapted to different standards and bandwidths. We argue that NPR-inspired measurements can replace EVM in many practically relevant cases. We show how to set up the signal generation and analysis for power-ratio-based estimation of EVM in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems impaired by additive noise, power amplifier nonlinearity, phase noise, and in-phase–quadrature (IQ) imbalance. Our method samples frequency-dependent inband errors via a single measurement and can either include or exclude the effect of IQ mismatch using asymmetric or symmetric stopband locations, respectively. We present measurement results using an 802.11ac PA at different backoffs, corroborating the practicability and accuracy of our method. Using the same measurement chain, the mean absolute deviation from the EVM is less than 0.35 dB.


Globalisation is a challenge for Muslim world as it can be opportunities. The term globalisation mostly refers to the opening up the market to transnational corporations (TNCs) which is in line with liberalisation of the economy. Ironically those who call for "opening up of borders" or "capital liberalisation" are actually the one who are so strict in the immigration policies and practices. Protecting their own labour market, while encouraging their own TNCs to optimise their presence in the developing countries is a blatant contradiction. The calamitous effects of neoliberal globalisation are striking crucial aspects of life, such as economic justice, environmental condition, and educational system. Therefore, critical response to globalisation is imperative. In many ways, the readiness to discuss critically on globalisation is very much to be welcomed. This paper points to the need to discuss beyond the preoccupation of economic needs. It proposes to create and project another kind of globalisation which points to a humanised global integration. The real opportunity is when we are able to see the problems of humankind as a whole. Muslim must be at the forefront in forging human solidarity and cooperation so as to attain a humanised global order.


The capabilities of CT to distinguish between soft tissue structures of varying densities, bone and air, coupled with the added advantage of utilizing intravascular contrast, particularly suits this method of examination to the study of head and neck disorders. With improved equipment permitting thinner sections and shorter exposure times, applications in head and neck diagnosis are increased. CT is used in the evaluation of salivary gland enlargements, staging of known tumors, the evaluation of a variety of neck swellings and in the assessment of laryngeal and facial trauma. In some cases, CT alone may be the only imaging procedure necessary, while in other situations, CT may comprise an important portion of comprehensive imaging evaluation.


The specific heat corresponding to the tetragonal-to-cubic transition in Ca0.04Sr0.96TiO3 perovskite has been measured by conduction calorimetry. The order parameter of the transition has been obtained by means of neutron diffraction at low temperatures. Comparison of calorimetric data with the evolution of the order parameter indicates that this transition seems to follow a mean field Landau potential as in SrTiO3. The linear behaviour of the excess of entropy versus temperature suggests that a 2–4 Landau potential is sufficient to describe the transition.


An attempt was made to experimentally reproduce an unusual respiratory disease of pigs fed a dusty mixture of finely ground peas, wheat, and barley. Groups of vitamin-A-deficient piglets from this herd were either given dry feed and daily exposure to dust from the feed or were given wet feed. Vitamin-A-fortified pigs of another stock were also given the dry feed and dust exposure. The upper and lower respiratory tracts, renal pelves, and interlobular ducts of salivary glands were studied histologically. The distinguishing features of lungs were starch particles from feed (up to 31.2 μm in diameter) in all lungs (but more in lungs of pigs given dry feed), free alveolar macrophages, giant cell formations, and mild degenerative processes of respiratory epithelium. The epithelium of most renal pelves was marked by mucinous degeneration.


Modeling of the topside ionosphere requires a knowledge of the electron and ion temperatures (T e and T i as a function of height. Data in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model are sometimes conflicting, and extend only up to 3000 km. An exact, analytic solution is found for the variation of T e along a magnetic field line, making full allowance for changes in the cross section and inclination of the tube of force. The downward heat flux is assumed to decrease smoothly with height, becoming zero at the top of the field line. Changes in the Coulomb cross section increase plasmaspheric temperatures by 6-8%. For a given field line, the temperature profile is defined by two parameters, taken as the temperature T o and gradient G o at a reference height of 400 km. Results are fitted to satellite data, for mean day and night conditions, at intervals of 5° in latitude and heights from 400 to 8000 km. Diurnal changes are reproduced using sunrise and sunset transitions that are matched to observed values. Seasonal changes in T e are generally less than experimental errors. A solar activity variation of 30-40% is required, at low heights, to match the change in neutral temperature. Exospheric temperatures must also increase by 10-20%, near solar maximum. A first-order correction is derived for high-latitude heating during periods of magnetic activity. Values of T i are calculated from the T e profile and the neutral temperature T n , giving results that agree well with mean observations. The use of physically acceptable temperature profiles, fitted to the often conflicting satellite data, should give more consistent results for most purposes.


. PMF (a camel urine or PM 701 fraction), is a traditional treatment for many human diseases. Demands for developing clinical treatments against dangerous viruses are increasing. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PMF as a novel pharmaceutical drug in vitro in inducing antiviral and/or virostatic activity against MERS-CoV and influenza A (H1N1) viruses. Infectivity assay was determined by end point dilution titration, infective dose was calculated and PMF virucidal activity was evaluated as a reduction factor. Quantitative virucidal suspension test was performed using TGEV virus, as a model for MERS-CoV, and H1N1 virus. The results indicated that PMF concentration of 20.34% inactivated 99.5% of the TGEV virus after 60 min, and 99.9% after 240 min. The results also indicated that the same PMF concentration inactivated H1N1 virus on Madin Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK/63) by 98.90% and 99.99% after 60 and 240 min, respectively. We speculate that copper and zinc elements in PMF might vitally contribute to the antiviral and virostatic activity. In conclusion, PMF was proven to induce antiviral in vitro activity against both viruses, hence, is recommended to use as a therapeutic antiviral agent in the future.


Abstract : The Kolmogorov Arnold and Moser (KAM) theorem states that a lightly perturbed Hamiltonian system will have solutions which lie on a torus. Earlier work by the second author has shown that most Earth satellite orbits perturbed by the geopotential lie on KAM tori. The problem then arises as to how to convert the current satellite tracking orbits to KAM tori. A KAM torus is characterized by three frequencies and three phase angles. The frequencies are essentially the rates of change of the mean anomaly, the longitude of the ascending node, and the argument of perigee. In this paper we explore the determination of these three rates from the fitting of SGP4 two line element sets (TLEs), and then constructing KAM tori with the specified frequencies. The success of this process, and an idea of the residual errors, can then be obtained by comparing the SGP4 predictions with the KAM torus predictions. Second order polynomials are fit to data from TLEs over 18 months using a least squares technique. The first order coefficients are used as the torus basis frequencies while the second order terms are used to account for perturbations to the satellite's orbit such as air drag. Four cases are attempted using the Hubble Space Telescope and three rocket bodies as test subjects. A KAM torus with the desired basis frequencies is constructed and used to predict satellite position. For the final test case, this shows an oscillatory error with an amplitude of less than 80 km over a period of almost two years. The authors speculate that this is caused by periodic lunar and solar perturbations, masked in the SGP4 fits by frequent updates.


The present study investigated aphasic subjects' ability to comprehend and store serially presented discourse. Sixteen mild aphasic subjects, eight age-matched normals, and eight younger normals listened to four serially presented radio news stories and a single radio news story. Half of the aphasic subjects performed as well as age-matched normals in a single-news-story comprehension task. However, they demonstrated a drastic deterioration in performance when asked to listen to a series of four news stories. Age-matched normals, and aphasic subjects, to a lesser extent, showed an impairment in the comprehension and storage of the news story heard last in a series of four news stories. These results were discussed in terms of the comprehension and storage resources of working memory.


Polymorphisms within microRNAs can lead to phenotypic variations in organisms. The purpose of this research was to investigate the potential impact of the pre-miR-1687 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the economic characteristics of weight and body size in chickens. The SNP was genotyped using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. A linear mixed model was utilized to analyse the associations between the SNP and chicken body size and growth traits. The SNP in the pre-miR-1687 gene was correlated with F2 chicken body weight (BW) at birth and at 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks of age. The SNP in the gga-miR-1687 gene was correlated with shank length, shank girth, pectoral angle (at 4 weeks), and pelvic breadth (at 8 weeks). Different BW genotypes were observed in the studied flocks. The changes in the secondary structure of pre-miR-1687 and in the free energy values were estimated using online M-fold software. The results serve as a helpful resource for subsequent research on the mechanisms and functions of miRNAs. In addition, the study provides a credible basis for the application of


For a long while, no logical connection was developed between the major International Relations (IR) theories and the study of foreign policy analysis (AFP). The relationship can be investigated in three ways: through the role actors and bureaucracies play in shaping foreign policy, the process of decision-making and the effect of international system on the conduct of foreign policy.


The authors developed a PEM fuel cell consisting of thin separators with the thickness of 0.8mm. The paper investigates the dependence of cell performance on hydrophobic characteristics of GDL, binding pressure, channel depth, temperature and water content in the working gases in a cell with thin separators. The result shows that the best performance was obtained at lower humidity condition with a GDL which has relatively lower hydrophobic characteristics. The cell temperature and humidity condition significantly affect on the flooding performance, and it was shown that the effects can be evaluated roughly by an simple analysis of water balance proposed in the paper.Copyright © 2007 by ASME


The healing of standardized bone defects grafted with either particulate ionomeric or hydroxyapatite bone substitutes was compared in the mandibular ramus of 30 Sprague-Dawley rats. The possible additional response achieved when combining these materials with a guided bone regeneration (GBR) technique was also evaluated. Three groups of 10 animals received either no implant material or ionomeric or hydroxyapatite bone substitute in defects in the right ramus. The left mandibular defects received the same treatment, except that the operation site was covered by a membrane (GBR technique). Half of the animals were sacrificed at 4 and 10 weeks following surgery, and the inflammatory response at the implant site and the amount of new bone formed in the defects were determined histomorphometrically. Defects implanted with ionomeric bone substitute exhibited more bone formation (4 weeks = 3.19 +/- 0.35 mm2, 10 weeks = 5.35 +/- 0.26 mm2) than both defects that received no treatment (4 weeks = 0.88 +/- 0.35 mm2, 10 weeks = 2.1 +/- 0.49 mm2), membrane alone (4 weeks = 1.21 +/- 0.05 mm2) or hydroxyapatite bone substitute (4 weeks = 1.41 +/- 0.46 mm2, 10 weeks = 3.34 +/- 0.41 mm2) at 4 weeks (P < or = .01) and at 10 weeks (P < or = .05). The use of a GBR technique did not increase the amount of bone formed, compared to the use of bone substitutes alone. Hydroxyapatite and ionomeric bone substitutes used alone were more effective in inducing repair of the defects than was GBR membrane alone. The use of hydroxyapatite was associated with a greater inflammatory reaction (P < or = .01) than was ionomer in this model.


This study has explored the elements of e-teaching portfolio for enhancing teaching expertise in higher education. This study is carried out through the literature review and expert's focus group interview. As the result of this study, seven elements of e-teaching portfolio for enhancing teaching expertise in higher education have been found. First, 'personal background' include curriculum vitae, course responsibility, and other educational activities. Second, 'teaching philosophy' include the principals on teaching and learning, statements of teaching philosophy. Third, 'learning environment' include the characteristics of students, the previous learning contents, and physical environment. Forth, 'course contents and methods' include teaching strategies and instructional materials, Fifth, 'instructional evaluation' includes the principals of evaluation and the examples of learning outcomes. Sixth, 'endeavor for improvement of instruction' include evidence of activity for teaching improvement and instruction feedback from peer and students. And e-teaching portfolio also includes research career and awards history element.


1.5 billion end-of-life tyres (ELT) were discarded globally each year and pyrolysis is considered the best solution to convert the ELT into valuable high energy-density products. Among all pyrolysis technologies, screw reactor is favourable. However, conventional screw reactor risks plugging issue due to its lacklustre heat transfer performance. An internally heated screw pyrolysis reactor (IHSPR) was developed by local renewable energy industry, which serves as the research subject for heat transfer performance study of this particular paper. Zeroload heating test (ZLHT) was first carried out to obtain the operational parameters of the reactor, followed by the one dimensional steady-state heat transfer analysis carried out using SolidWorks Flow Simulation 2016. Experiments with feed rate manipulations and pyrolysis products analyses were conducted last to conclude the study.


An anodically-bondable low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) wafer offers a versatile, clean and reliable wafer-level hermetic packaging for MEMS. This paper reports electrical connection in parallel with anodic bonding between MEMS on a Si wafer and vias in the LTCC wafer using porous Au bump. The Au bump is made of submicron Au particles, and so compliant as it easily absorbs large height difference. The LTCC wafer with the Au bumps and an SOI wafer with Au/Pt/Cr pads and diaphragms were anodically bonded. 100 % yield of both electrical connection and hermetic sealing was demonstrated. Heat cycle test confirmed the reliability of both electrical connection and hermeticity. In addition, the transfer of the porous Au bumps from a mother glass wafer to a target LTCC wafer was demonstrated. This method dispenses with the fabrication of the porous Au bumps by users, which includes non-standard processes.


Over the past several years, individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have become involved with the legal system at an increasing rate. State psychiatric hospitals and community mental health programs have seen a high number of referrals and admissions at a time when resources and staffing have been challenges. Individuals with SMI continue to be highly represented among those incarcerated in jails and prisons, often for minor charges. This article serves as an introduction to a special section of Psychological Services on innovations in assessment and treatment of legally involved patients in state hospitals and community mental health settings. Data are presented on the prevalence of legal involvement among individuals with serious mental illness, including the exponential growth in individuals evaluated and found incompetent to stand trial. A brief summary of the articles in the special section is presented, broken down by themes of assessment, treatment, and policy. We hope that the studies described in this issue will lead to further exploration of problems, barriers, and potential solutions for individuals with SMI who become involved with the legal system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).


In this article we explore the policy and legal build-up that led to the 2017 Executive Orders targeting Latino/a immigrant families and communities. We provide a historical backdrop for the merging of criminal and immigration laws that has contributed to the criminalization of the behaviors, bodies, and communities of Latino/a immigrants. We then look at the media narratives that burry immigrants' complex identities and reproduce daily the demonization of Latino/as as criminals. Together, these factors contribute to socially construct a "Brown Threat" which reproduces anxieties and fears about crime, terror, and threats to the nation, affecting the everyday lives of immigrants and non-immigrants alike, though in different ways. Based on an 18-month ethnography in a small Kansas town carried out before and after the signing of Executive Orders in 2017, we examine the spill-over effects of this environment on Guatemalan immigrant families as well as on non-immigrant Anglo-white residents in a rural community.


As a centre for research with particle accelerators and synchrotron light, DESY operates a Grid infrastructure in the context of the EU-project EGEE and the national Grid initiative D-GRID. All computing and storage resources are located in one Grid infrastructure which supports a number of Virtual Organizations of different disciplines, including non-HEP groups such as the Photon Science community. Resource distribution is based on fair share methods without dedicating hardware to user groups. Production quality of the infrastructure is guaranteed by embedding it into the DESY computer centre.


Abstract A second-order modeling technique for stratified turbulent flows with application to buoyancy driven mixed layers is presented. The models of pressure terms, dissipation and destruction of temperature variance are to a great extent based on invariant techniques. The unknown constants in these models were determined empirically. The turbulent transport model, based on solutions to the approximated rate equations for the third-order turbulent moments, incorporates buoyancy effects. The buoyancy contributions to the third moments were found to be crucial to modeling the dynamics of entrainment. The numerical results presented illustrate the capability of the model to realistically predict the structure of the entraining mixed layer including the vertical flux of turbulence energy and the downward heat flux at the mixed layer/inversion interface.


Herein we report the first record of Megalechis picta in the Brazilian Pantanal based in a single specimen captured in a tributary to the rio Miranda, municipality of Corumba, rio Paraguay basin, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Additional discussion about its co-occurrence with M. thoracata is also provided.


In southern humid Chaco forests dominated by Schinopsis balansae, woody plants are clumped and species composition varies spatially over short distances. We exam- ined how these spatial patterns are associated with local envi- ronmental heterogeneity for three size classes of woody indi- viduals: adults, saplings, and seedlings. Our study was based on the detailed description of two forest plots (3200 m2 in total) in which we mapped all individuals of woody species, and delimited patches with different microrelief, soil mois- ture, and ground cover of terrestrial bromeliads. Our results showed that woody-individual distribution is related to local environmental heterogeneity. For all size classes, density of woody individuals was highest on convex patches. These convex patches were dominated by both tree (Acacia praecox and Achatocarpus praecox) and shrub species (Celtis pallida, Capparis retusa and Grabowskia duplicata), while level patches were dominated only by tree species (Schinopsis balansae, Prosopis spp. and Geoffroea decorticans). Drier patches contained all the woody species present in the forest, while wetter patches contained only a subset of them. Within convex patches, trees are likely to occur in places with bromeliad colonies and shrubs in patches without bromeliads. The results suggest forest structure is controlled by environmental hetero- geneity associated with microrelief and soil moisture.


Purpose According to the 2014 joint report drafted by the Quality Assurance Agency and Higher Education Academy (QAA/HEA), universities have a key role to play in the development of sustainability literate graduates who can contribute to an environmentally responsible society. In this paper, the authors aim to assess language students' understanding of sustainable development (SD) issues. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 surveys two cohorts of final year language students about to enter the graduate job market, and Study 2 surveys first year language students before and after the inclusion of SD content in one of their modules. The questions to the students are provided along with qualitative and quantitative results. Findings Results suggest that only 48% of language graduates are currently aware that they will need to take account of the environmental impact of their work as professional practitioners, and 52% do not consider it appropriate to learn about SD during their degree. However, results also suggest that incorporating SD early on in the language curriculum could contribute positively to the development of sustainability literate graduates. Originality/value While many language departments are aware of the importance of integrating sustainability into their curricula, and while employers are increasingly demanding sustainability literate graduates, there is little evidence that language students leave university with a real understanding of sustainability issues. This paper presents evidence of the current situation as well as a novel way to integrate sustainability into the language curriculum in order to remedy the situation.


This brief review gives an overview of newer developments in 18F-chemistry with the focus on small 18F-labelled molecules as intermediates for modular build-up syntheses. The short half-life (<2 h) of the radionuclide requires efficient syntheses of these intermediates considering that multistep syntheses are often time consuming and characterized by a loss of yield in each reaction step. Recent examples of improved synthesis of 18F-labelled intermediates show new possibilities for no-carrier-added ring-fluorinated arenes, novel intermediates for tri[18F]fluoromethylation reactions, and 18F-fluorovinylation methods.


Pathogens on public shared objects among people have generated a lot of public health concerns. People are brought together and thus facilitate transmission of pathogens either directly or indirectly within the supermarkets. This study was aimed at isolating bacteria from items carriage from supermarkets and assesses the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates. A total of 253 swab samples were obtained from handles of trolleys and baskets used by customers from four major supermarkets in Akure. Each sample was immediately transferred into 5 ml of peptone water. The samples were processed using a standard microbiological method. Bacteria growths were identified based on cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics. Susceptibility test of the isolates was done on Mueller-Hinton agar. The study shows that out of the 353 isolates identified, 37.1% were S. aureus, 49.6% were S. epidermidis, 5.7% were Klebsiella sp and 7.6% were E. coli. Results showed that Ampiclox and Cotrimoxazole (S. aureus in Trolleys), Ampiclox, Zinnacef, Amoxacillin, Ciprofloxacin and Streptomycin (S. aureus in baskets), Rocephin (S. epidermidis in trolleys) and Amoxacillin (S. epidermidis in baskets) are ineffective. Regular disinfection of items carriage and educating people to improve hand washing habits are recommended as measures to decreasing transmission of pathogens and their infections.


Samarium(II) iodide has been employed to promote vinylogous pinacol coupling reaction of aldehyde onto alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones. The diastereoselectivity of 6-endo products was changed by addition of a proton source and/or HMPA and by the reaction temperature. The cyclization reactions described herein provide a general approach to the syntheses of 3,3-dimethylhydrindanes with a cis-relationship between the OH at C-4 and the proton at C-3a with good diastereoselectivity and under mild reaction conditions.


THE OREGON Basic Health Services Act mandates universal access to basic care, but includes rationing services to those individuals who are Medicaid recipients. If no new resources are added, the plan may make current Medicaid recipients worse off, but still reduce inequality between the poor and the rest of society. If resources are expanded and benefits given appropriate rankings, no one may be worse off; though inequality will be reduced, alternative reforms might reduce it even further. Whether the outcome seems fair then depends on how much priority to the well-being of the poor we believe justice requires; it also depends on political judgments about the feasibility of alternative strategies for achieving more egalitarian reforms. Oregon makes rationing public and explicit, as justice requires, but it is not clear how community values influence the ranking of services; ultimately, the rationing process is fair only if we may rely on the


We present results of an implementation of Study and Research Path (SRP) carried out into a preservice mathematics teacher-training course at University level. A co-disciplinary SRP from the generating question Q0: Why did the Movediza stone in Tandil fall? Requires developing both physical and mathematical models to build a possible answer to this question. Some conclusions concerning on the restrictions and relevance of introducing the SRP in pre-service teachers training courses related to modeling activity at university are presented.


Abstract Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Mikania micrantha led to the isolation of eight sesquiterpenoids and ten diterpenoids, including five cadinane sesquiterpenoids (1−5), three bisabolene sesquiterpenoids (6 − 8), nine ent-kaurane diterpenoids (9–17), and an abietane diterpenoid (18). Among them, 1 − 3 are new and feature a rare lactone or furan ring derived from C-6 isopropyl group side chain. Compound 18 was isolated from genus Mikania for the first time, and was also the first example of abietane-type diterpenoids from this plant. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD). All compounds were examined for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, and compound 18 exhibited pronounced inhibition on NO production (IC50 = 11.04 µM), being comparable to the positive control, quercetin (IC50 = 11.15 µM). Graphical Abstract


This paper is an attempt to analyze the relative success of spoken poetry in the last decades. Poetry slams have become venues that attract more and more young talented people, larger audiences and the interest of the media. This should make us reconsider the role of poetry in the present cultural and social environment. I will insist on the importance of form and conventions in generating social networks that helped transform a marginal genre into a phenomenon most appealing to the young people as well as a financial success story.


ABSTRACT In this article, we examine the adaptation of learning among scientists and healthcare professionals in conferences and symposia from face-to-face to fully virtual meetings accelerated in the last years. Advantages and limitations for both settings have been described in different research studies but the effectiveness of learning can be reflected similarly by applying five fundamental principles of learning, which are based on empirical research in cognitive psychology. From a practical context, we compared the individual learning outcomes from two satellite symposia conducted face-to-face in 2019 and virtually in 2021 at the European Congress of Urology, EAU. Although both conference formats were almost identical, the five principles of learning were applied in both symposia. There were also some differences due to adaptation to online conferences, and our findings suggest that the virtual conference was perceived as significantly more effective than the face-to-face conference on all five criteria, and digital learning is a valid alternative to face-to-face conferences. What still needs to be better understood and analysed is the informal learning that is taking place during conferences, but suggesting an active design of any digital event by combining "technical literacy· with "learning literacy" will enable us to better analyse and study the impact of learning using the five learning principles in the design of other events in the future.


Abstract A new method for measuring the directional spectrum, introduced in the preceding paper (Rikiishi, 1978), has been applied to actual wind waves in a large experimental tank 70 m × 8 m with the water 3 m deep, and in a wind-wave tunnel 850 cm × 60 cm with the water 35 cm deep. Measurements of the directional spectrum have shown that the mean wave direction of propagation agrees generally with the wind direction, that a bimodal distribution in the spectrum is not generally seen, and that the angular width of the directional spectrum is not correlated consistently with the wave frequency. These results conflict with the existence of Phillips resonant angle. Measurements of the phase velocity have shown that the phase velocity of the spectral-peak component wave is larger than that obtained from linear small-amplitude wave theory. that the measured phase velocity shows a roughly constant value among frequencies near the dominant frequency, and that the deviation of the constant value from the theoreti...


Nickel-based superalloys are successfully used as components of aircraft engines and power plants, both marine and land based. They present a high creep resistance and stability at high temperatures. Their mechanical properties depend on the volume fraction, the morphology, and the size distribution of γ phase. A review is made on previous attempts to model γ precipitation. All the proposed models failed to predict the nucleation and growth of the fine secondary γ precipitates in alloys during the ageing stage. In this project a new physical model is developed that predicts the volume fraction and the average radius of secondary γ precipitates during alloy ageing. The model uses the basic theory of nucleation and growth, and accesses thermodynamical information from MT-DATA. A binary approximation is made and Al is accepted as the controlling element of the diffusion-controlled growth. The values of the number of nucleation sites and of the interfacial energy are determined. The model is successfully tested against published experimental data. The sensitivity of the model on different alloy compositions, different ageing temperatures and different cooling rates is analysed.


Various explanations for the popularity of covered call option strategies have been explored in the literature. According to Shefrin and Statman [1993], framing and risk aversion can help justify its attractiveness to investors. Applying prospect theory and hedonic framing, these authors predict that in a world of frame dependence an investor that is sufficiently risk averse in the domain of gains will prefer a covered call position over a stock only position and that certain covered call designs will be preferred despite identical cash flows. To date, the relationship among framing, risk aversion, and covered call writing has not been empirically tested. We gather empirical evidence to complete this gap in the literature. We find highly significant empirical evidence for a pronounced framing effect with respect to different covered call designs with equal net cash flows as well as covered calls in general. We find only scarce empirical evidence for a relationship between risk aversion in the domain of gains and a preference for covered calls. In order to observe a positive relationship between risk aversion and covered call writing, investors with above average risk aversion seem to be required.


In this paper, we present a polymorphic processor paradigm incorporating both general-purpose and custom computing processing. The proposal incorporates an arbitrary number of programmable units, exposes the hardware to the programmers/designers, and allows them to modify and extend the processor functionality at will. To achieve the previously stated attributes, we present a new programming paradigm, a new instruction set architecture, a microcode-based microarchitecture, and a compiler methodology. The programming paradigm, in contrast with the conventional programming paradigms, allows general-purpose conventional code and hardware descriptions to coexist in a program: In our proposal, for a given instruction set architecture, a onetime instruction set extension of eight instructions, is sufficient to implement the reconfigurable functionality of the processor. We propose a microarchitecture based on reconfigurable hardware emulation to allow high-speed reconfiguration and execution. To prove the viability of the proposal, we experimented with the MPEG-2 encoder and decoder and a Xilinx Virtex II Pro FPGA. We have implemented three operations, SAD, DCT, and IDCT. The overall attainable application speedup for the MPEG-2 encoder and decoder is between 2.64-3.18 and between 1.56-1.94, respectively, representing between 93 percent and 98 percent of the theoretically obtainable speedups.


BACKGROUND
Spaceflight studies have demonstrated that adaptation to increased gravitational stress after prolonged microgravity includes sympathetic activation, water retention, and arterial pressure increase, i.e. is very similar to essential hypertension, which looks like an advanced stage of adaptation to a further increase in gravitational stress.

MATERIAL/METHODS
Theoretical analysis and literature review were performed to develop an hypothesis of essential hypertension as adaptation to increased gravitational stress associated with prolonged sitting.

RESULTS
Gravitation shifts blood downwards, and gravitational stress (GS) on the cardiovascular system in an upright position may be defined as the amount of work necessary to return the blood upwards and maintain adequate upper-body circulation calculated as the product of the gravitational potential (Ugr=g*h) and the mass of blood moved: GS =Ugr*Mshift. In a complex vascular network, this blood shift is actually a function of time, estimated in a first approximation as Mshift(t)=(Ugr*t)/Rd (Rd: the resistance to downward blood flow). Thus, gravitational stress is proportional to the time spent upright GS=Ugr*Mshift(t)=(Ugr2*t)/Rd=(g2*h2*t)/Rd. From this analysis, regular, prolonged sitting typical of modern life should cause a significant increase in gravitational stress on the cardiovascular system, requiring advanced antigravitational response with sympathetic hyperactivity, vasoconstriction, volume overload, and arterial hypertension. The hypertensive effect of prolonged sitting has been demonstrated in clinical studies.

CONCLUSIONS
Essential hypertension may be explained as adaptation to increased gravitational stress caused by regular, prolonged sitting. This gravitational hypothesis of essential hypertension, supported by clinical data, offers a way to its complete healing through elimination of the primary factor of prolonged sitting.


A decentralized payment system is not secure if transactions are transferred directly between clients. In such a situation it is not possible to prevent a client from redeeming some coins twice in separate transactions that means a double-spending attack. Bitcoin uses a simple method to preventing this attack i.e. all transactions are published in a unique log (blockchain). This approach requires a global consensus on the blockchain that because of significant latency for transaction confirmation is vulnerable against double-spending. The solution is to accelerate confirmations. In this paper, we try to introduce an alternative for PoW because of all its major and significant problems that lead to collapsing decentralization of the Bitcoin, while a full decentralized payment system is the main goal of Bitcoin idea. As the network is growing and becoming larger day-today , Bitcoin is approaching this risk. The method we introduce is based on a distributed voting process: RDV: Register, Deposit, Vote.


This paper proposes the important issues in signal segmentation. The signal is disturbed by multiplicative noise where the number of segments is unknown. A Bayesian approach is proposed to estimate the parameter. The parameter includes the number of segments, the location of the segment, and the amplitude. The posterior distribution for the parameter does not have a simple equation so that the Bayes estimator is not easily determined. Reversible Jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method is adopted to overcome the problem. The Reversible Jump MCMC method creates a Markov chain whose distribution is close to the posterior distribution. The performance of the algorithm is shown by simulation data. The result of this simulation shows that the algorithm works well. As an application, the algorithm is used to segment a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) signal. The advantage of this method is that the number of segments, the position of the segment change, and the amplitude are estimated simultaneously.


Tracing graduates offers empirical data about the graduates' employment and competencies. The study aimed to assess relevance of the program's curriculum and seeks to provide empirical data on the employment and competencies of the graduates of Eastern Visayas State University- Ormoc City Campus in 2005-2017 since this is the first time to conduct a tracer study. Using a descriptive survey, 241 graduates responded to a CHED standardized tracer study questionnaire. Frequency counts, percentage, mean, and ranking were used. Results revealed that the most of the graduates who responded were female, single professionals and working in the government with regular or permanent status. Most of the respondents are BS Mechanical and Civil Engineering and mostly Board Examination passers. Some of the respondents landed on their first job within the span of six months with gross monthly salary is within Php 5,000 to Php 15,000. Most of the respondents have stayed with their job for salaries and benefits and have claimed that their job is relevant to the program they took up in the university and they find their learned communication skills to be very useful at work. Graduates should be prepared with the skills and knowledge required to contribute to the success of the licensure examination leading to stable and secure employment.
Keywords: tracer study; college students; employment; competencies


The Australasian Consumer Fraud Task Force has conducted a range of fraud prevention and awareness raising activities since 2006. This report presents the results of the 2012 online consumer fraud survey. Foreword Each year, since 2007, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has collected information on consumer scams by conducting an online survey of Australians who have received scam invitations during the preceding 12 months. The research is conducted on behalf of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT), which is comprised of 22 government regulatory agencies and departments in Australia and New Zealand who work alongside private sector, community and non-government partners to prevent fraud of this nature. In order to understand the dynamics of consumer fraud victimisation, the ACFT has conducted a range of fraud prevention and awareness-raising activities over the last eight years. The annual survey seeks to obtain a snapshot of the public's exposure to consumer scams, to assess the range of ways in which scams can affect victims and their families, to determine how victims respond and to identify emerging typologies and issues that could be used to inform fraud prevention initiatives. Survey respondents are not representative of the whole Australian population, as the sample is made up of those individuals who choose to participate, although in 2012, over 1,500 people completed the survey with good levels of representation from all states and territories, and other demographic categories. This report presents the results of the survey conducted in conjunction with the 2012 campaign, Slam scams! Press 'delete', throw it out, shut the door or just hang up. The campaign theme was concerned with scam delivery methods that focused on raising awareness about the many ways in which scammers try to deliver scam invitations. A phone call, SMS, mobile application, house visit, letter, email, fax, blog, online chat or dating service—scammers will use any of these means to target victims. The primary message was simple—stop the contact at the point of delivery; if you don't engage with a scammer in the first place, you can avoid being scammed. As in previous years, a high proportion of respondents had received a scam invitation (95%), with almost a quarter responding to the scam in some way. Unfortunately, eight percent reported having lost money—approximately $8,000 per person or almost $850,000 in total. The most prevalent scam type involved fraudulent lotteries, while this year, the second-most prevalent scam concerned computer support scams, which are sometimes a means of extracting payments for non-existent services from victims or, on other occasions, a means of installing malicious software that can be used to extract personal information at a later time. In terms of delivery methods, although email continued to be the most common method by which scams were delivered, the use of landline and mobile telephones (including SMS) to target potential scam victims increased. This report also includes some additional information on online shopping scams—the subject of the consumer fraud awareness week in June 2013. The prevalence of scams targeting those who sell or buy high-value items online, such as motor vehicles, was high in 2012, indicating a need for enhanced awareness of the risks involved in this form of consumer activity.


Instable plasticity, which is normally a consequence of interactions between diffusing solute atoms and dislocations, is observed in AZ91D magnesium at room temperature. Experimental measurements of different heat treatment of AZ91D magnesium were taken to investigate different influence on PLC effect by the presence and structural state of second phase in this study. Tensile specimens were tested at room temperature at a crosshead speed of 0.6 mm/min. The results indicate that some number of large,coherent precipitates prevents serrated flow by way of trapping vacancies, but small precipitates content do not supress it.


Economic evaluations of animal health surveillance systems are critical components of the assessment of their long-term sustainability and the improvement of their cost-effectiveness. Social costs and benefits of health information release through the surveillance systems are fundamental determinants of the acceptability and efficacy of surveillance and are often neglected in the evaluation process. This study presents the evaluation of social costs and benefits of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) surveillance in Vietnam. Three field studies were conducted in the South and North of the country. Data on animal health information flow networks and social costs and benefits were collected using participatory approaches. Non-monetary costs and benefits were quantified using a newly developed tool based on stated choice method and participatory techniques. The study showed that private actors incur many transaction costs in reporting the information. However social costs mainly arise from price drops due to information release on market which has strong influences on the decision to disclose sanitary information. This applies at all levels including farmers and veterinary authorities. Private actors of the poultry sector valued information on occurring disease outbreaks, which is perceived as a social benefit. However avian influenza information is scarcely disclosed in private networks as stakeholders fear its potential impact on markets. (Resume d'auteur)


The vertebrate hindbrain is subdivided into segments, termed neuromeres, that are units of gene expression, cell differentiation and behavior. A key property of such segments is that cells show a restricted ability to mix across segment borders – termed lineage restriction. In order to address segmentation in the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (mhb) region, we have analyzed single cell behavior in the living embryo by acquiring time-lapse movies of the developing mhb region in a transgenic zebrafish line. We traced the movement of hundreds of nuclei, and by matching their position with the expression of a midbrain marker, we demonstrate that midbrain and hindbrain cells arise from two distinct cell populations. Single cell labeling and analysis of the distribution of their progeny shows that lineage restriction is probably established during late gastrulation stages. Our findings suggest that segmentation as an organizing principle in early brain development can be extended to the mhb region. We argue that lineage restriction serves to constrain the position of the mhb organizer cell population.