This research project will examine the concept of sovereignty in Vermont for the years 1750-1791. As with most conceptual studies, it is necessary to first examine the history of the concept. I begin with René Descartes (1596-1650), and his reconceptualization of Man in a natural state. It is my contention that his metaphysical and ontological findings in Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) were then adopted by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) in Leviathan (1651), and John Locke (1632-1704) in Two Treatises of Government (1689). Basing their philosophies on Descartes's "revised" depiction of Man in nature, both Hobbes and Locke envisioned a Man who naturally made both rational and passionate decisions, as communities transitioned, via the process of government formation, from the state of nature into the state of "civil society," as they termed it. Contemporaneous with this theoretical evolution was the inclusion of "the people'" in British governance through the rise of Parliament at the turn of the seventeenth century. Juxtaposed with real events, the philosophers' reconceptualization demonstrates an evolving concept of sovereignty in the British state. By the time of the American Revolution, the concept of popular sovereignty was born, and "the people" ascended in both political theory and political reality. Because the eighteenth-century concept of sovereignty was based heavily on the metaphor of the state of nature, I chose the inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants as a case study. These residents believed they resided in something close to a literal state of nature from 1760-1777, and that they had lived the theoretical philosophies of Hobbes, Locke, and other contemporary theorists. Once the theoretical description of a natural state is juxtaposed with the socio-political history of the Grants region, it is clear that inhabitants believed the Colony of New York, the appendage of the British state which claimed authority in the region, did not provide efficient governance for the residents. After the American Revolution broke out, Grants residents claimed it was their natural right to erect a state and systematically replace New York. Once Vermont's constitution went into effect in 1778, the concept of sovereignty was expressed in response to two simultaneous processes: the first, the geo-political stabilization of the state in the midst of both war and constant challenges to the state's existence; the second, the Vermont people transforming from a blend of "Yorkers" and "Yankees" into Vermonters. Both of these processes were complete by the mid-1780s as surrounding states and former Yorkers grew to accept the legitimacy of Vermont. By the late 1780s, as the United States Constitutional Convention was underway, Vermont was no longer considered a "pretended state," and was able to face the convention on its own terms, representing its own sovereign people.


Background BASHH guidelines recommend follow up after PID treatment. A previous clinic audit highlighted high DNA rates for such appointments. In October 2013 we introduced a telephone follow-up protocol for PID to reduce unattended appointments without compromising patient safety and satisfaction. Patients diagnosed with PID were referred to the Health Advisor (HA) at the first consultation to commence the Partner Notification (PN) process. HA's then conducted a telephone follow-up appointment 2 weeks later to ensure treatment compliance and review symptoms. Aim To audit the performance of the new PID telephone follow-up protocol and estimate number of appointments saved. Method A 3 months retrospective electronic case note and PN record review of female patients diagnosed with C5A attending between 1/7/14 and 30/9/14. Results 59 eligible case notes reviewed. Mean age = 25.8 years. 66% (39/59) patients received telephone follow-up. 71% (28/39) patients contacted on first attempt and all were happy to be telephoned. As per PID protocol 23% (14/59) patients with positive Chlamydia, gonorrhoea test or IUD in situ were advised to attend for doctor review. Of these 36% DNA'd their clinic follow up appointment. PN rates 0.8%. Discussion PID follow up performed by HA telephone consultation is acceptable to patients and HCP's. We saved 39 doctors appointments over 3 months and there was no impact on PN rates or patient safety. Since this audit we now include patients with Chlamydia and IUD's in the telephone follow-up protocol, and men with Epididymo- orchitis. We estimate we could save 280 follow-up appointments a year.


Inadequate general anesthesia results in intraoperative awareness with or without recall and the consequent postoperative morbidity. Bi Spectral Index (BIS) helps the anesthesiologist in assessing the conscious state of the patient and in modifying the dose of anesthetic drugs to maintain an adequate depth of anesthesia. Systemic lidocaine has been used in several studies to know its benefits on the outcome of anesthesia. Having inflammatory-modulating property, it significantly reduces pain and allows rapid discharge. We planned a study to evaluate the effect of intravenous lidocaine in reducing sevoflurane requirements during maintenance of general anesthesia Methods randomized double-blinded controlled trial enrolling 60 patients in the study. Informed written consent was obtained from all the patients and they were then randomly allocated into two groups of 30 each, namely Group L (lignocaine)and Group C (control) .BIS monitor Pulseoximetry NIBP Capnography (intraoperatively), ECG were measured in both groups Results Study showed that the amount of sevoflurane infused in the lidocaine group, to maintain BIS between 40 and 60 was significantly reduced, and also the intraoperative fentanyl requirements were significantly lower in the lidocaine group. It also significantly maintains the hemodynamic stability throughout the procedure and reduces the intraoperative analgesic requirements in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries.


Lycopene, an acyclic, open chain, unsaturated carotenoid having 13 double bonds, of which 11 are conjugated, arranged in a linear array, is considered to be a pigment of potential commercial importance in the emerging market for nutraceutical products because of its function as a health-promoting ingredient. Lycopene has received a great deal of attention as an effective antioxidant that can play an important role in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases. In this study, we reviewed extraction parameters of lycopene from tomato and tomato products by supercritical fluids and pre-extraction procedures. For extraction, temperature range as 50-110°C, extraction time range as 0.5-8.0 hours, extraction pressure range as 300-400 bar and using co-solvent, especially ethanol, are common parameters.


The compounds [mPTA][CoCl4] (1, mPTA = N-methyl-1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane cation), [CoCl(H2O)(DION)2][BF4] (2, DION = 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione), [Zn(DION)2]Cl2 (3) and [ZnCl(κO-PTA=O)(DION)][BF4] (4) were synthesized by reaction of CoCl2 with [mPTA]I or DION and ZnCl2 with DION or 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane-7-oxide (PTA=O) and DION, respectively. All complexes are water soluble and have been characterized by IR, far-IR, 1H, 13C and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS, elemental analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction structural analysis (for 1). They were screened against the human tumour cell lines HCT116, HepG2 and MCF7. Complexes 2 and 3 exhibit the highest in vitro cytotoxicity and show lower cytotoxic activities in normal human fibroblast cell line than in HCT116 tumour cell line, which demonstrates their slight specificity for this type of tumour cell.


In this article, I revisit the everlasting question of what constitutes a game. My purpose is to arrive at a permissive definition that can serve to bridge digital and non-digital game studies. The way I approach the issue is through eliciting the qualities of games for which I believe game studies provides appropriate tools. The article centres on the idea that games are systems, which have been designed to be played or evolved within a play practice. I use previous literature to carefully examine what is required from a game system, as well as what signifies play in relationship to other human activities. The strength of game studies is that it has developed ways to understand how these two aspects are interrelated how play is shaped by systems, and how systems need to be constructed to support play.


The colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have the potentials to be used in white light-emitting diode (WLED) as a down-converting component to replace incandescent lamps, because the traditional WLED composed of Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ (YAG:Ce) phosphor lack of red color emissions and shows low color quality. Among various QDs, CdSe has been extensively studied because it possesses attractive characteristics such as high quantum yields (QYs), narrow emission spectral bandwidth, as well as size-tunable optical characteristics. However, in order to enhance the color rendering index (CRI) of WLED, blending materials with different emission wavelengths has been used frequently. Unfortunately, these procedures are complex and time-consuming, and the emission energy of smaller QDs can be reabsorbed by larger QDs, resulting in decreasing the excitation intensity in yellowish-green region. Therefore, in this study, in order to decrease the reabsorption effect and to simplify the procedures, we have demonstrated a facile thermal pyrolyzed route to prepare bicolor CdSe QDs with dual-wavelengths. The emission wavelengths, particle sizes, and QYs of QDs can be tuned from 537/595 to 537/602 nm, 2.59/3.92 to 2.59/4.01 nm, and 27 to 40 %, for GR1 to 3 samples, respectively when the amount of Se precursor is decreased from 1.5 to 0.75 mmol. Meanwhile, the area ratio of green to red (Ag/Ar) in fluorescence spectra is gradually increased, due to the increase in growth rate, and decrease in nuclei formation in red emission. The GR1, GR2, and GR3 QDs are then encapsulated by convert types to form the LED, in which the QDs are deposited on the blue-emitting InGaN LED chip (λem = 450 nm). After encapsulation, the devices properties of Commission International d'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity and Ag/Ar area ratio are (0.40, 0.24), 0.28/1, (0.40, 0.31), 0.52/1, and (0.40, 0.38), 1.02/1, respectively for GR1, GR2, and GR3. The results show that the green emission intensity are strongly reabsorbed by red emission, as the Ag/Ar area ratios are gradually increased and the CIEs are dramatically shift to white light region, suggesting that the Se amount not only can tune the red emission intensity but also can decrease the reabsorption effect. Based on the above results, the GR3 is suitable to be applied for WLED against the reabsorption effect. Besides, when the GR3 is blended with UV resin of 30 wt. % to prepare the WLED, the CIE located at (0.35, 0.34) is applied as backlight source, providing 126 % color gamut in sRGB standard. As a result, by simply adjusting the concentration of Se precursor, QDs with dual-wavelengths can be prepared and the reabsorption effect can be avoided to show promising lighting properties for the application in WLED.


A nonlinear model is proposed representing air-gap magnetic flux density distribution in a synchronous machine with magnetic saturation in the pole tips. In order to explain the effect of magnetic saturation in a synchronous machine, the authors have measured air-gap flux in a specially designed synchronous machine, and recently proposed a model for the air-gap flux density distribution, concentrating on magnetic saturation in the field pole iron cores. In this paper, we propose an adaptation of our model for calculating air-gap flux, specifically addressing the magnetic saturation in the pole tips. By regarding the saturation as a consumer of m. m. f. similar to a virtual winding, we construct a magnetic circuit which represents the flow of magnetic flux inside the synchronous machine, and derive expressions which represent air-gap flux density distribution. Close agreement is obtained between the theoretically calculated results, and the results measured using search coils placed at the teeth of the armature.


Neutron flipping ratio measurements have been made on the intermetallic compound series Pd2-xMnSb in order to determine the suitability of the series for future use as improved neutron polarisers. High polarising efficiencies were observed at several compositions and temperatures for the (111), (002), (220) and (222) reflections. The suitability of the series for use as polarisers is discussed in terms of polarising efficiency, reflectivity, resolution, absorption and residual radioactivity, and lambda /2 contamination, and comparisons are made with the currently used polarisers Co/Fe and Cu2MnAl.


High severity fire may promote or reduce plant understory diversity in forests. However, few empirical studies test long-standing theoretical predictions that productivity may help to explain observed variation in post-fire plant diversity. Support for the influence of productivity on disturbance-diversity relationships is found predominantly in experimental grasslands, while tests over large areas with natural disturbance and productivity gradients are few and have yielded inconsistent results. Here, we measured the response of post-fire understory plant diversity to natural gradients of fire severity and productivity in a large-scale observational study in California's subalpine forests. We found that plant species richness increased with increasing fire severity and that this trend was stronger at high productivity. We used plant traits to investigate whether release from competition might contribute to increasing diversity and found that short-lived and far-dispersing species benefited more from high severity fire than their long-lived and near-dispersing counterparts. For far-dispersing species only, the benefit from high severity fire was stronger in high productivity plots where unburned species richness was lowest. Our results support theoretical connections between fire severity, productivity and plant communities that are key to predicting the consequences of increasing fire severity and frequency on diversity in the coming decades.


Abstract:The essays in this forum mark the 250th anniversary of Andrew Jackson's birth by reassessing the meaning and legacy of "Jacksonian Democracy." Some scholars have challenged this once-popular concept, while these contributors find that "Jacksonian Democracy" often combined the celebration of majority rule with racial supremacy for white men. Most Jacksonians sought power for white men while denying it to people of color, yet some promoted the interests of all laborers, including the enslaved, and granted citizenship and political rights to Native Americans. Racial democracy did not always function in straightforward ways. Jacksonian political culture also included distinct gender relations and household patriarchy, with mastery at home empowering white men in public. Jacksonian Democracy shaped more than politics, as Jacksonian notions of egalitarianism and democracy influenced religious, economic, and legal thought. This forum underscores the complexity of Jacksonian Democracy, a political ideology and a cultural worldview with a lasting legacy.


Gnathostome jaw patterning involves focal instructive signals from the embryonic surface cephalic ectoderm (SCE) to a fungible population of cranial neural crest. The spatial refinement of these signals, particularly for those patterning the upper jaws, is not fully understood. We demonstrate that Foxg1, broadly expressed in the SCE overlying the upper jaw primordia, is required for both neurocranial and viscerocranial development, including the sensory capsules, neurocranial base, middle ear, and upper jaws. Foxg1 controls upper jaw molecular identity and morphologic development by actively inhibiting the inappropriate acquisition of lower jaw molecular identity within the upper jaw primordia, and is necessary for the appropriate elaboration of the λ-junction, choanae, palate, vibrissae, rhinarium, upper lip and auxiliary eye. It regulates intra-epithelial cellular organization, gene expression, and the topography of apoptosis within the SCE. Foxg1 integrates forebrain and skull development and genetically interacts with Dlx5 to establish a single, rostral cranial midline.


Gastro-colic fistulas as a complication of benign gastric ulcers are relatively uncommon. The authors report a 59 year old caucasian female with a known hiatus hernia and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease presenting with diarrhoea and weight loss. Barium enema is the investigation of choice although it is important to exclude malignancy. Management is by en-bloc resection of the fistula with primary gastro-intestinal reconstruction.


Bone diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Paget's disease, and osteoporosis cause mortality and mobility limits. Nanomedicine and nano delivery systems have been utilised to deliver active drug moiety to the precisely targeted site in a controlled manner, and it serves as a means of diagnostic tools. The utilisation of nanomedicine is expanding vigorously for assured targeting and efficient drug delivery. Nanotechnology offers various advantages, such as site-specific targeting, precise drug release kinetics, and improved bone mineral density. Recent medications available for osteoporosis aren't viable due to the adverse effects associated with them and low patient compliance. There is an urgent need to develop biocompatible and appropriate drug delivery nanocarriers such as nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels, dendrimers, micelles, mesoporous particles, etc. These carriers enhance drug delivery and therapeutic effectiveness in bone tissues. The use of nanotechnology is also associated with toxicity. This article presents the review of various reports on nanocarrier systems and biologics for the treatment of osteoporosis. It aims to provide researchers with a clue for inventing a new drug delivery system with site-specific targeting for the treatment of osteoporosis.


Introduction On-shift napping can benefit night workers as regards sleep deprivation, adjustment of circadian rhythms, and alertness. But possible benefits of nap on health outcomes are scarcely investigated. Considering that night work is pointed as a risk factor for hypertension and obesity, we investigated the possible attenuation of blood pressure and body mass index increase by on-shift napping among nursing teams. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with nursing professionals who were informally allowed to nap for up to three consecutive hours during working nights. Current and accumulated doses of night work (NW) were studied through the number of working nights/2 week-span and years of NW, respectively. Four outcomes were measured using standard equipment and techniques: systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), hypertension (SBP ≥140 mmHg or DBP ≥90 mmHg or prescription of antihypertensive medication), and body mass index (BMI). The associations between exposure variables and outcomes were based on logistic regressions (hypertension) and generalised linear models (SBP, DBP and BMI). Results Among non-nappers (but not among nappers), current doses of NW (number of working nights) was significantly associated with increased SBP (β-value=1.39; 95% CI: 0.31 to 2.49) and DBP (β-value=0.80; 95% CI: 0.10 to 1.50), as well as increased odds for hypertension (OR=3.35; 95% CI: 1.74 to 6.57). This association was not observed for accumulated doses of NW. As regards BMI, both current and accumulated doses of NW were significantly associated with increased BMI levels (β-value=0.364 [95% CI: 0.002 to 0.749] and β-value=0.092 [95% CI: 0.011 to 0.173], respectively) only among non-nappers. Discussion Despite difficulties to the practice of napping on the job, the promising results for both BP and BMI justify further investigations that could subsidise policies related to promoting adequate conditions for night workers to nap while on the job.


Numerous glycopeptides continue to be described in the literature. They all share a similar heptapeptidic structure with a fixed spatial configuration that forms the basis of their ability to recognize D-alanyl-D-alanine-containing structures in the cell wall. This complexation results in block of peptiglycan elongation; hence, inhibition of growth; and, eventually, cell death. The great variety of substituents on the heptapeptide forms the basis of a wide gradation of physico-chemical characteristics, namely net charge and lipophilicity, which, in turn, might explain the widely differing pharmacologic properties.


Extreme weather threatens livelihood and urban development in the Philippines. However, addressing their effects and occurrences is a significant challenge, particularly in the Cagayan River Basin (CRB), due to increasing population and the dilemma of dam operations for floods and droughts management. Therefore, this paper focuses on investigating the impact of climate change on extreme weather events and understanding flood characteristics by simulating Typhoon Ulysses on the Magat dam. The Mann-Kendall test was used to investigate the spatiotemporal variability and magnitude of change in extremes over historical and future periods. Furthermore, Rainfall-Runoff Inundation Model was evaluated with four different dam operation scenarios to investigate mitigation strategies for dam optimisation to reduce flood and drought risks. Findings indicate an increased risk of dry and wet spells in future, potentially increasing vulnerability to drought and flooding over CRB. We also discovered that each sub-basin had different hydrological responses and significantly higher runoff than others. However, with a modified Magat dam operation to start a flow rate of 700 m3/s and a discharge rate of 0.5, the water level at Buntun can be lowered by 0.5 m. In addition, a proposed dam at Cagayan Segment 1 is expected to reduce flood risk in downstream areas.


The FA3 RPV heads segregation has been an important issue for the Flamanville 3 EPR project. A high carbon content of carbon has been measured at the outer central part of the two heads. Manufactured in 2006 according to the RCC-M requirements, these pieces were also submitted to the ESPN (i.e. nuclear pressurized equipment) French order requirements, and in particular the ESPN technical qualification.
 This paper presents the manufacturing of these heads to explain the origin of the segregation and place this process in its context, with in particular a clarification of the technical qualification requirements in 2011, which are different to the RCC-M qualification process. This qualification required additional chemical and mechanical characterizations in the segregated area of the representative vessel head. The additional Charpy-V test did not meet the 60 J requirement of the ESPN order and led to the large testing program to characterize the toughness properties of the segregated material.


Autoimmune diseases are globally regarded as a consequence of the loss of tolerance against self-antigens. This view has guided our therapeutic efforts to increase the auto-reactive threshold using immunosuppressive drugs. This editorial aims at discussing the strategies to treat autoimmune flares from a different perspective, and in the light of recent molecular insights. At present, the capacity of immunosuppressive drugs to maintain remission in autoimmune conditions is unquestioned. However, during flares of activity there is a completely different scenario, under which our first goal should probably be to kill overreactive cells. This is because positive selected immune cells cannot easily be switched off, unless they are forced to die. It is, therefore, understandable that cytostatic agents, typically cyclophosphamide, yield so good results dampening severe flares, even when used at low dose to reduce toxicity.1 In contrast, doses of "selective" immunosuppressive drugs required to kill cells can get unacceptably high, in many occasions failing to provide a safer alternative.2 On the other hand, too much killing could be dangerous. As it happens, not all patients show a good response to the so-called induction therapies, and the line between success and toxicity is very thin. In addition, drug regimens are frequently applied according to fixed protocols, e.g. during an established period of time, although sometimes we really do not know at which point the patient ceases to benefit from the therapy and if it can be safely withdrawn. On the whole, it seems clear that there are two distinct stages of disease that need different approaches, but still we need to decipher mechanisms concurring during flares and find out when to stop cytostatic strategies. The more we learn about the innate defence system, the more it looks that it greatly contributes to spark the flares of autoimmune diseases. My colleagues at the clinic usually remind me that not all autoimmune deregulation can be explained by germs. However, these provide a fine model to learn what can be going on in our patients during flares. Furthermore, the pathways triggered by the engagement of innate receptors help understand the importance of cell death in shutting down the activation process. Essentially, the debate about presence or absence of inductor pathogens is not so


We propose a new approach for 3D shape matching of deformable human shapes. Our approach is based on the joint adoption of three different tools: an intrinsic spectral matching pipeline, a morphable model, and an extrinsic details refinement. By operating in conjunction, these tools allow us to greatly improve the quality of the matching while at the same time resolving the key issues exhibited by each tool individually. In this paper we present an innovative High-Resolution Augmentation (HRA) strategy that enables highly accurate correspondence even in the presence of significant mesh resolution mismatch between the input shapes. This augmentation provides an effective workaround for the resolution limitations imposed by the adopted morphable model. The HRA in its global and localized versions represents a novel refinement strategy for surface subdivision methods. We demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed pipeline on multiple challenging benchmarks, and showcase its effectiveness in surface registration and texture transfer.


Though we lack empirically-based knowledge of the impact of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools on translation processes, it is generally agreed that all professional translators are now involved in some kind of translator-computer interaction (TCI), using O'Brien's (2012) term. Taking a TCI perspective, this paper investigates the relationship between machines and humans in the field of translation, analysing a CAT process in which machine-translation (MT) technology was integrated into a translation-memory (TM) suite. After a review of empirical research into the impact of CAT tools on translation processes, we report on an observational study of TCI processes in one particular instance of MT-assisted TM translation in a major Danish translation service provider (TSP). Results indicate that the CAT tool played a central role in the translation process. In fact, the study demonstrates that the translator's processes are both restrained and aided by the tool. As to the restraining influence, the study shows, for example, that the translator resists the influence of the tool by interrupting the usual segment-by-segment method encouraged by translation technology. As to the aiding influence, the study indicates that the tool helps the translator conform to project and customer requirements.


Fuzzy controllers are best used as nonlinear controllers although they can be linear, piecewise linear or nonlinear. Currently, there exist no theoretical methods to determine whether a fuzzy controller is nonlinear. Because a fuzzy controller has many degrees of freedom in terms of its components selection (e.g., input fuzzy sets, output fuzzy sets, and fuzzy rules), linear controllers can be unconsciously and undesirably generated. In the present paper, we establish conditions under which nonlinearity of a general class of Mamdani fuzzy controllers can be determined. These fuzzy controllers can use input fuzzy sets of any types, arbitrary fuzzy rules, arbitrary singleton output fuzzy sets, arbitrary inference methods, Zadeh fuzzy logic AND operator, and the centroid defuzzifier. We prove that the fuzzy controllers using Zadeh AND operator are always nonlinear, regardless of choice of the other components. The general fuzzy controllers using the product AND operator are also always nonlinear except when all input fuzzy sets are triangular or trapezoidal and a couple of other conditions are satisfied. The exceptions lead to piecewise linear or linear controllers.


Abstract A selected group of 1973 North Pacific Ocean tropical cyclones was studied by using data from the Nimbus 5 Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR), the Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR), NOAA-2 and USAF DMSP imageries. From the unique combination of infrared, visible, and microwave data, it was possible during various stages of storm development to differentiate between dense cirrus outflow and rain areas, to identify centers of circulation and areas of low-level moisture, and by the use of a theoretical model to estimate semi-quantitatively areas of light, moderate, and heavy rainfall rates.


Wetlands are vital to the health of the nation's waterways. Even small, geographically isolated wetlands can perform important functions that benefit their surrounding ecosystem. Despite the important role of smaller wetlands, the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) protection of these areas is limited to those wetlands that satisfy legal tests limited by the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. The main test to establish jurisdiction—the "significant nexus" test—relies on a connection between a wetland and a navigable-in-fact waterway. Smaller wetlands, however, may not each have individual connections that are sufficient to satisfy the significant nexus test. When wetlands are "similarly situated," therefore, the individual effects of each wetland may be aggregated to assess the connection to a navigable-in-fact waterway. This Note proposes that the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classification system, which is already used to assess wetland functions and values, be used to establish when wetlands are similarly situated. Using HGM classification this way is consistent with the legislative purpose of the CWA and Supreme Court precedent in United States v. Rapanos, would improve the efficiency of CWA jurisdictional determinations, and would allow small, geographically isolated wetlands to fall under the CWA's protections.


The youth unemployment rate gives a very incomplete view of the difficulties facing young people entering the French labour market. The main obstacles are the general rigidities that penalise new entrants whatever their age. However, some young entrants–notably dropouts– experience specific problems. Short-term contracts have lasting but ambiguous effects on integration into the labour force. On the positive side, entering the labour market with a temporary contract may raise the probability of remaining employed in the medium/long term. On the negative side, a succession of short-term contracts may make it harder to find a stable job. Lastly, young people are often forced to enter the labour market by accepting a job for which they are overqualified.


Dear Sir, Emerging Zika virus infection is an important medical problem. The disease manifests as dengue‐like infection and is difficult to diagnose.[1‐3] The interesting concern on Zika virus infection is its effect on red blood cells. Several emerging infections have important findings on relationship with anemia.[4,5] Those findings imply the possible pathomechanism of viral infection that affects red blood cells. Here, the authors analyzed the data on 7 Thai cases,[6] and it is found that there is no anemic presentation. Based on this finding, Zika virus should not induce any anemia.


Low flow extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) is a promising approach to correct hypercapnic lung failure, facilitate lung protective ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome and to possibly prevent the application of invasive ventilation. However, the predominant availability of adult membrane lungs (MLs) at most intensive care units are burdens for low flow ECCO2R that intends to reduce cannula size and promote the mobility of the patients. Herein, in a mock setup, we combine the idea of a low flow ECCO2R and the use of adult MLs by installing a recirculation channel into the circuit and comparing the new setup to an already clinically established setup, "the Homburg lung." Furthermore, to make stronger reference to hypercapnic respiratory failure, we investigate the influence of CO2 partial pressure in blood on CO2 removal of both setups. A linear association between CO2 partial pressure in blood and CO2 removal of the ML in the physiologically relevant range was observed. To understand this linear dependence, a simplified mathematical model was proposed. Our new ECCO2R mock setup combines the idea of a low flow ECCO2R and an adult size ML. It shows a reasonable alternative to the current available low flow setups based on pediatric MLs.


AIM
To compare the effectiveness of ProTaper Universal retreatment instruments with continuous rotation and adaptive motion (AM; a modified reciprocating motion that combines rotational and reciprocating motion) in the removal of filling material.

METHODOLOGY
Mesiobuccal root canals in 36 mandibular first molars were instrumented up to size F2 with the ProTaper Universal instrument (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and filled using sealer and ProTaper Universal F2 gutta-percha cones. Gutta-percha was then down-packed and the root canal backfilled using the extruder hand-piece of the Elements Obturation System (SybronEndo, Orange, CA, USA). The teeth were assigned to two groups (n = 18), and removal of the root fillings was performed using one of the following techniques: group 1) ProTaper Universal retreatment files used with rotational motion (RM) and group 2) ProTaper Universal retreatment files used with adaptive motion (AM) (600° clockwise/0° counter-clockwise to 370° clockwise/50° counter-clockwise). The teeth were sectioned, and both halves were analysed at 8 × magnification. The percentage of remaining filling material was recorded. The data were analysed statistically using the Student's t-test at a 95% confidence level (P < 0.05).

RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to the total time required for retreatment (P = 0.481). The AM technique left significantly less filling material than the RM method (P = 0.013).

CONCLUSION
The use of ProTaper Universal retreatment files with adaptive motion removed more filling materials from root canals than the rotational movement.


We discuss linear multiagent systems consensus problem with distributed reduced-order observer-based protocol under switching topology. We use Jordan decomposition method to prove that the proposed protocols can solve consensus problem under directed fixed topology. By constructing a parameter-dependent common Lyapunov function, we prove that the distributed reduced-order observer-based protocol can also solve the continuous-time multi-agent consensus problem under the undirected switching interconnection topology. Then, we investigate the leader-following consensus problem and propose a reduced-order observer-based protocol for each following agent. By using similar analysis method, we can prove that all following agents can track the leader under a class of directed interaction topologies. Finally, the given simulation example also shows the effectiveness of our obtained result.


: The rapid development of automobile industry in China did improve people's quality of life. However, it has also damaged the ecological environment. The emission of a large amount of automobiles is one of the serious air pollution sources. In recent years, the shortage of petrochemical energy, the rapid rise of harmful particles in the air (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10), and the increasing worse atmospheric environment are becoming obstacles to China's sustainable development. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are recognized as an ideal alternative to conventional cars. This study aims to explore the factors that can promote consumers' adoption of BEVs and to construct domains of these factors. Firstly, an open web questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were conducted to widely collect factors that promote consumers' purchase of BEVs. Then, questionnaire survey and exploratory factor analysis were used to construct domains of promoting consumers' purchasing willingness. A total of six factors that promote consumers' adoption of BEVs were obtained. Finally, the research results can provide references for the Chinese government and the BEV manufacturers in the development and promotion of EVs.


The relationship between ethnic, religious and social communities in some western European states is surrounded by a sense of crisis. The atmospherics of this crisis immigration, visible difference, tension over "trigger issues" such as women's apparel or icons of faith, the pervading fears of the post-9/11 world are easier to identify than its actual character. In this circumstance, where evidence of conflict is readily available but a view of the whole picture is harder to achieve, it is not surprising that many people seeking to make meaning from apparent confusion look for scapegoats. In media, academia and much public discussion in the first years of the millennium (particularly in Britain, with which this essay is mainly concerned), one of the principal scapegoats has been and continues to be multiculturalism.


The primary objective of this study is to acquire an understanding of the current state-of-the-art of traffic signal control strategies at urban street systems. Signalized intersections can be classified into three types: (1) an isolated intersection; (2) an arterial street; and (3) a network. For the analysis of isolated intersection capacity and performance, the commonly used methods include the U.S. Highway Capacity Manual (HCM); Webster's method; and the Australian method. Investigation of traffic signal upgrading strategies in the field can be expensive and time consuming. Unexpected and unnecessary congestion may result and cause negative citizen reaction. Many efforts have been directed towards the development and use of software computer models to evaluate the impacts of various strategies for upgrading traffic signals in different operating environments. The two most widely used packages that were developed to analyze and evaluate traffic operation at isolated intersections are the signal operations analysis package (SOAP) and the traffic experimental and analytical simulation package (TEXAS). For arterial streets, the methods that are commonly used in the timing design of fixed-time arterial systems include conventional methods, the maximal bandwidth method, and the delay/difference of offsets method. The two commonly used packages in the design and evaluation of signal operations at arterials are the progression analysis and signal system evaluation routine (PASSER II(80)) and the arterial analysis package (AAP). For a network that is comprised of a number of signalized intersections, the coordination of traffic signals along the route is regarded as one of the most efficient ways to improve total system performance by reducing delay, stops, fuel consumption, and vehicle emissions. Cycle length, splits, and offsets need to be evaluated and made optimum to improve total system performance. Since the manual work involved in designing the timing plans for a network is quite cumbersome and at times unmanageable, many efforts have been made to develop and use software packages that can assist traffic engineers in solving traffic and transportation management problems on grid networks. The two most widely used packages are TRANSYT and NETSIM. In response to the need to develop advanced operational control programs which would result in a marked improvement in traffic flow, extensive research and develop efforts have been directed towards traffic-responsive control strategies of urban street systems. This area represents one of the leading edges of the traffic control field. The methods that showed good promise to reach the desired goal are: the urban traffic control systems (UTCS); the splits, cycle and offset optimization technique (SCOOT); and the Toronto methods. These methods represent new concepts which could enhance the state-of-the-art in online control techniques.


Background: Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are pleiotropic molecules with widespread action in autoimmune diseases. Objective: This study characterizes the distribution of iNOS and TNF-α in the spinal nerve roots, dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve of Lewis rats during experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). Methods: Macrophages and neutrophils were identified by immunofluorescence as cellular sources of iNOS and TNF-α at various stages of EAN induced by synthetic peptide 26. Results: As the disease progressed, iNOS- and TNF-α-bearing cells gradually infiltrated the cauda equina, dorsal root ganglia, Th12–L3 spinal roots, and the sciatic nerve. A severer EAN profile developed when more iNOS- and TNF-α-bearing cells were present, and the recovery from EAN was related to the disappearance of these cells and the regeneration of nerve fibers. Conclusions: This is the first report to show iNOS- and TNF-α-immunoreactive cells in dorsal root ganglia during EAN, suggesting an underlying pathology for the neuropathic pain behavior in EAN. Our results suggest that the cells bearing iNOS and TNF-α in the different parts of the peripheral nervous system are involved in the development of the clinical signs observed at each stage of EAN.


In an in vitro flow model, unstimulated neutrophils rolled steadily over a surface coated with platelets, until superfusion of the chemotactic peptide formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) caused a dose-dependent (10(-11) to 10(-7) mol/L) transition from rolling to stationary attachment in seconds, followed more slowly by neutrophil shape change and spreading on the surface, However, at low concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ (0.1 mmol/L and 0.05 mmol/L, respectively, rather than physiologic 1 mmol/L and 0.5 mmol/L), neutrophils first halted but then started to roll again and to detach from the surface over 5 to 10 minutes. At the low cation concentration, stopping was largely inhibited by antibodies to the neutrophil integrins CD18 or CD11b, but not CD11a. When neutrophils were pretreated with antibodies to CD11b or CD18 in 1 mmol/L Ca2+ 0.5 mmol/L Mg2+, stopping was not prevented but delayed. However, if antibodies were also included with the superfused fMLP, stopping was inhibited, and detachment followed. This indicates that CD11b/CD18 was newly expressed during shape change and mediated the second phase of neutrophil immobilization and spreading in a cation-dependent manner. Prestimulated neutrophils also bound to platelets and spread, but immobilization was blocked if they were perfused with antibody to CD18 or CD11b or with low Ca2+ and Mg2+. Examining the cation-dependence further, it was evident that the presence of Mg2+ was essential for integrin-mediated adhesion and that the Mg2+ concentration determined whether immobilization could be maintained or was transient. Continuous superfusion of fMLP was also essential for maintenance of stable adhesion and spreading. Thus, activation of constitutive CD11b/CD18 rapidly and reversibly converted rolling to stationary attachment, whereas maintenance of adhesion and neutrophil spreading required continual expression of additional CD11b/CD18 that was only functional at physiologic Mg2+. Continual activation and deactivation of CD11b/CD18 during de novo expression could mediate immobilization and onward migration of neutrophils in vivo, and activated platelets appear capable of supporting this process as well as endothelial cells.


The problem of determining the part mix ratios at which a set of part types should be produced over the next production period is addressed. Integer programming is used to solve this problem, with computations based on machine utilizations. Several objectives are discussed, each applicable in different FMS situations. One objective balancing machine workload to eliminate bottlenecks, is illustrated. The ratios provide input into more detailed models that can be used to evaluate these part mix ratios. Three complementary models are suggested: a stochastic, multiclass, closed queuing network model, providing pessimistic, aggregate, and steady-state performance evaluation results: a deterministic, timed Petri net model, and its associated algebraic representation, which provides optimistic results: simulation, which provides the detailed modeling capabilities necessary to evaluate the performance of the ratios for research purposes. Either of the first two models is adequate to evaluate the ratios in practice. The part mix ratios can help solve other planning and operating problems. >


This paper investigates computer simulation of sound fields in acoustical environments. All the contemporary acoustical computer models represent the room to be modelled as a series of flat or planar surfaces. Generally these surfaces must have many edge vertices but must be contained in a single plane. That means that curved walls are required to be represented by a finite number of flat planar segments. The quality of the overall simulation process is directly related to the three dimensional geometrical and acoustical model and obviously the restriction of flat surface representation is a negative factor. Further the use of a large number of planar surfaces to represent a curved wall is inefficient, since as the number of surfaces increases the number of calculations also increases. A computer model based on the ray method is suggested that is able to predict the acoustic environment of closed or partially closed spaces and to tolerate curved boundaries without approximating them into a series of flat surfaces as contemporary models do. Note that in buildings with curved walls there are often serious problems with speech intelligibility and the appreciation of music. The main applications of the proposed computer model are in relation to churches with domes, indoor sports halls with curved ceilings and generally any large enclosure of any particular geometry. Predicted results are compared with theoretical calculations and experimental measurements.


At the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, world leaders endorsed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Placing economic, social, and environmental sustainability at the center of development, the new agenda has the potential for a historic shift in achieving the goal of ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity. Within this changed and changing context, the operations and modus operandi of the International Development Association (IDA) are being examined. As the world's largest provider of financial resources to the poorest countries, it is expected to deliver greater results in the new development paradigm. In line with the commitment to learning from the past, this synthesis report presents findings from recent evaluations and analysis from the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG). Focusing on the special themes under IDA16 and IDA17, it aims to offer evaluation evidence on what has and has not worked in IDA priority areas in order to support the IDA18 replenishment discussions.


Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes (APS) are the association of autoimmune endocrine diseases with other non-endocrine autoimmune disorders. Type II APS is defined by occurrence of Addisons disease with thyroid autoimmune disease and/or type 1 diabetes mellitus. We present a 46-year-old male patient who was hospitalized because of asthenia, adynamia, hyporexia, severe loss of weight, dizziness and vomiting. Diabetes mellitus had been diagnosed 3 years earlier when he was obese. He presented arterial hypotension, anemia, darkening of the skin and oral mucosa, hyponatremia and frequent hypoglycemia although his insulin dose was decreased. Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed together with hypothyroidism and type 1 diabetes, all of them of autoimmune origin. Hormonal replacement treatment was initiated. Genetic studies were performed and a new polymorphism was found. Conclusions: HLA DRB1 *08 found in our patient has not been described in APS II or in any other autoim- mune disorders. He also has HLA DQB1*0302 described in previous reports related to APS II. In type 1 diabetic patients whose insulin requirement decreases, it would be advisable to rule out adrenal insufficiency, a component of APS II, as an etiologic factor in spite of its low prevalence. In diabetic obese patients (mainly young) who lose weight without a defined cause, type 1 diabetes mellitus should be excluded. Rev Argent


Web 2.0 and its associated applications and tools have, in many areas, brought about and are continuing to bring about significant shifts in the way people communicate, create, and share information. Pervasive access to broadband Internet connectivity and communication services has created new forms of relationships and patterns of communicating and learning. The expanding lexicon of Web 2.0 applications (podcasts, web logs, wikis, mashups, etc.) signal changes in the learning landscape, where learners are active participants, creators of knowledge, and seekers of engaging, personal experiences. In what has been called a culture of participation, the line separating consumers and producers of content is becoming blurred and we are witnessing a new wave of "prosumers," very often learners, who are actively creating and sharing content and ideas. By adopting an innovative learning paradigm that the authors call Pedagogy 2.0, teaching and learning strategies can enable greater engagement of learners in shaping the education they receive through participatory choice, personal voice, and ultimately, "co-production."


ABSTRACT Eukaryotic genes possess introns that must be spliced out following transcription. The origin of introns remains an unanswered question, one that is characterized by two different views: either they are ancient and generally undergoing loss or they are the result of more recent gain. We studied the intron organization of the fibrillarin gene from the sequenced genomes of twenty-five species representing all four eukaryotic kingdoms. Results showed that more complex, multicellular species had generally larger numbers and lengths of introns. Twenty-two different intron positions were used by the 127 introns found collectively in the fibrillarin genes from the twenty-five species. Several of these were shared in species across multiple kingdoms, a finding that was interpreted to indicate that these introns were present in early eukaryotic ancestors, as predicted by the introns-early model. In the ten deuterostome species examined, the fibrillarin introns showed a high level of evolutionary conservation, and the variations that did exist were best explained by four independent intron losses and no intron gain. The fungi as a group, however, showed much greater variation in the fibrillarin intron patterns, a result consistent with extensive intron loss, more recent intron gain, or a combination of both.


The resistance to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of hydraulically expanded Alloy 600 steam generator tubing, manufactured by the Westinghouse Specialty Metals Division, was evaluated under highly accelerated conditions in a 400{degrees}C steam test environment. These evaluations included microstructural characterizations of all test materials, screening tests with highly stressed reverse U-bends (RUBs), and the testing of internally pressurized hydraulic expansion tube-in-collar mockups. Eighteen heats of archived tubing from an operating nuclear power plant were evaluated; included were heats of Alloy 600 in both the mill annealed (A600 MA) and thermally treated (A600 TT) conditions. Other heats of archived A600 TT tubing, and reference laboratory heats with known corrosion resistance, were also included in various portions of this investigation. Hydraulically expanded mockups of A600 T-F tubing exhibit high resistance to PWSCC in the aggressive steam test environment. Some of the archived A600 MA heats, however, possess low resistance to PWSCC. Shot peening of the ID surfaces of tubes of these latter heats prior to testing was effective in precluding the occurrence of PWSCC. Archived heats of Model F (or F-type replacement) A600 TT steam generator tubing typically exhibit carbide morphologies and distributions consistent with high resistance to PWSCC. These datamore » are in agreement with the performance to date of operating Model F steam generators.« less


The generation mechanisms of supercontinuum (SC) and the effect of the modified Raman model on SC are further analyzed in a flat dispersion photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with two-zero dispersion wavelengths (TZDWs) by introducing an accurate Raman response function in the scalar nonlinear Schrodinger equation. The results show that the introduction of Boson peak in the modified Raman gain model not only results in much rapider broadening of SC but also promotes more pump pulse energy transferred to the short wavelength region, which is related to stimulated Raman scattering. Moreover, SC generated from the PCF splits into two spectral bands, and their spectral peaks rapidly separate and broaden with the increase of incident power. Double-band central wavelengths are finally located at about 850 nm and 1220 nm. The pumping energy depletion phenomenon occurs. The simulated results from the modified Raman model are in better agreement with the experimental results than that from the single-Lorentzian model.


: The solution behaviour of hydroxyzine in water and chloroform (in the strongly alkaline and the strongly acidic range) is utilized to extract it from animal material and to purify the extract. A concentration of 0.01 p.p.m. is detectable in liver, kidneys and muscular substance. 0.05 p.p.m. may be determined semiquantitatively by visual spot comparison. In milk, the detectable amount is 0.1 p.p.m. and 0.5 p.p.m. can be determined semiquantitatively. The recoveries of low concentrations of hydroxyzine are likely to be lower in milk samples than in organ samples.


The variational Bayesian approach has recently been proposed to tackle the blind image restoration (BIR) problem. We consider extending the procedures to include realistic boundary modelling and non-stationary image restoration. Correctly modelling the boundaries is essential for achieving accurate blind restorations of photographic images, whilst nonstationary models allow for better adaptation to local image features, and therefore improvements in quality.


Over the years the Internet has shown extraordinary scalability and robustness in spite of the explosive growth in geographical reach, user population size, as well as network traffic volume. This scalability and robustness is, in no small part, supported by the Internet's transport protocols, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) in particular. Nevertheless, with the rapid growth of multimedia-rich contents in the Internet, such as audio and video, the many strengths of TCP in data delivery are slowly imposing bottlenecks in multimedia data delivery where different media data flows often have different needs for bandwidth. As TCP's congestion control algorithm enforces fair bandwidth sharing among traffic flows sharing the same network bottleneck, different media data flows will receive the same bandwidth irrespective of the actual needs of the multimedia data being delivered. This work addresses this limitation by proposing a new algorithm to achieve non-uniform bandwidth allocation among TCP flows originating from the same sender passing through the same network bottleneck to multiple receivers. The proposed algorithm, called Virtual Packet Substitution (VPS), has four desirable features: (a) it allows the allocation of bottleneck bandwidth between a group of TCP flows; (b) the resultant traffic flows as a whole, maintain the same fair bandwidth sharing property with other competing TCP flows; (c) it can be implemented entirely in the sender's TCP protocol stack; and (d) it is compatible with and does not require modification to existing TCP protocol stack at the clients. Simulation results show that the proposed VPS algorithm can achieve accurate bandwidth allocation while still maintaining fair bandwidth sharing with competing TCP flows.


Wanninkhof, R., D.C.E. Bakker, N. Bates, A. Olsen, T. Steinhoff and A.J. Sutton. 2013. Incorporation of Alternative Sensors in the SOCAT Database and Adjustments to Dataset Quality Control Flags. http://cdiac.ornl.gov/oceans/Recommendationnewsensors.pdf. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. doi: 10.3334/CDIAC/OTG.SOCAT_ADQCF With the advent of new sensors and platforms to measure surface water carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, the dataset quality control (QC) criteria are updated in the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) to accommodate surface water fugacity of CO2 (fCO2w) data from these sensors. The current dataset QC flags and their rationale are described. The new sensors and platforms are briefly presented. Some changes in the criteria for assigning dataset QC flags and a new data quality flag are introduced. The term "dataset QC flag" replaces "cruise QC flag" to reflect the alternate platforms that are included in SOCAT. All dataset QC flags will incorporate a specified accuracy of the data. For equilibrator based systems the criteria for equilibrator pressure measurements are relaxed as they are unnecessary stringent for the accuracy of fCO2 in surface seawater. The acceptable comparison with other in situ data, defined as a high quality cross-over, will meet specific criteria of maximum distance, differences in fCO2w and sea surface temperature (SST) between two datasets. The scientist submitting the dataset will enter a preliminary dataset flag. Platform type including alternative platforms, such as buoys and selfpropelled surface vehicles, will be provided in the metadata and will be available as a selectable option in the Live Access Server (LAS) for SOCAT. These updates facilitate better separation of 1 Since there is no absolute standard for pCO2 in seawater, the term accuracy throughout refers to agreement with accepted values obtained from conventional state-of-the art systems such as described in Pierrot et al. (2009).


Changed dietary habits in Western countries such as reduced fiber intake represent an important lifestyle factor contributing to the increase in inflammatory immune-mediated diseases. The mode of action of beneficial fiber effects is not fully elucidated, but short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and gut microbiota have been implicated. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of dietary fiber on lupus pathology and to understand underlying mechanisms. Here, we show that in lupus-prone NZB/WF1 mice low fiber intake deteriorates disease progression reflected in accelerated mortality, autoantibody production and immune dysregulation. In contrast to our original assumption, microbiota suppression by antibiotics or direct SCFA feeding did not influence the course of lupus-like disease. Mechanistically, our data rather indicate that in low fiber-fed mice, an increase in white adipose tissue mass, fat-inflammation and a disrupted intestinal homeostasis go along with systemic, low-grade inflammation driving autoimmunity. The links between obesity, intestinal leakage and low-grade inflammation were confirmed in human samples, while adaptive immune activation predominantly correlated with lupus activity. We further propose that an accelerated gastro-intestinal passage along with energy dilution underlies fiber-mediated weight regulation. Thus, our data highlight the often-overlooked effects of dietary fiber on energy homeostasis and obesity prevention. Further, they provide insight into how intricately the pathologies of inflammatory immune-mediated conditions, such as obesity and autoimmunity, might be interlinked, possibly sharing common pathways.


Our ability to describe the physical state of the expanding coma affects fundamental areas of cometary study both directly and indirectly. In order to convert measured abundances of gas species in the coma to gas production rates, models for the distribution and kinematics of gas species in the coma are required. Conversely, many different types of observations, together with laboratory data and theory, are still required to determine coma model attributes and parameters. Accurate relative and absolute gas production rates and their variations with time and from comet to comet are crucial to our basic understanding of the composition and structure of cometary nuclei and their place in the solar system. We review the gas dynamics and kinetics of cometary comae from both theoretical and observational perspectives, which are important for understanding the wide variety of physical conditions that are encountered.


Although there has been a significant increase in breast-feeding (BF) rate in Korea, it is plateaued since 2008 and still low compared with that of other countries. Because BF has been related to lower obesity prevalence in many studies and the increase in childhood obesity became evident in Korea, we wondered if a relatively lower BF rate has anything to do with this increase. Therefore, we looked into the relationship between mode & duration of BF during infancy and weight status of toddlers using the data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008 through 2011. Number of 2-3 year old toddlers with complete information on BF, anthropometry and normal birth weight was 674. While 87% of them were ever-breastfed, 6.2% each of them were either obese or overweight based on the Standard Growth Chart for Korean Children. Not only the obesity prevalence was different among groups of different mode of feeding, but also the mean duration of BF was significantly longer in normal weight group (9.2 mo.) compared with obese group (5.5 mo.). Accordingly, overweight and obesity prevalence of the toddlers breast-fed for 12 months or longer was significantly lower than that of the toddlers breast-fed for less than 12 months (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.32-0.87). This study revealed that both BF and duration of BF affect the childhood obesity and, BF for 12 months or longer should be encouraged more aggressively as one of the main strategies to prevent and/or decrease childhood obesity in Korea. (Korean J Community Nutr 18(6) : 644~651, 2013)


In this article, we propose an estimator using the exponential function for the population mean in the case of non-response on both the study and the auxiliary variables. The equations for the Bias and Mean Square Error (MSE) are derived to the first order of approximation and theoretical comparisons are made with existing estimators in literature. Besides, we examine the efficiency of the proposed estimator according to the classical ratio and regression estimator, Hansen-Hurwitz unbiased estimator, and the estimator of Singh et al. (2009). Following theoretical comparisons, we infer that the proposed estimator is more efficient than compared estimators under the obtained conditions in theory. Moreover, these theoretical results are supported numerically by providing an empirical study on five different data sets.


The Higher Education (HE) sector's deliverable has social, economic and environmental implications. The construction industry has a positive role to play, in assisting the sector to achieve desired outcomes, in relation to these implications. Since the formation of Her Majesty's (HM) coalition government in the UK in 2010, there have been a number of reports and strategies published, concerning efficiency and procurement in the construction industry. Such reports include HM Treasury's 2011 Construction Strategy, which sets out a model for construction procurement in the public sector. It is important to both the University Institutions, as well as HM's UK Government that the recommendations are implemented. The Government has a significant role, through the 'Higher Education Funding Council for England', to ensure it receives perceived value, when providing funding. This paper explores the 2011 construction strategy, and its associated documents. The reports are then related to a case study, which is an organisation providing teaching, research and other services within the North West of England. Data is collected with a pragmatic philosophical viewpoint from qualitative data, in the form of interviews, document analysis and participant observation. The findings of the research, form part of an on-going research project into collaboration. The research's value is in relating the government's agenda for improvement, to a sector, that due to recent reform has become more aligned with the private sector. The findings identify, that the case study is already moving towards the methods of best practice, identified in the strategy and associated documents. However, further support will be required from the Cabinet Office, to achieve full compliance, including integrated procurement, in smaller university organisations.


One of the peculiar characteristics of the Sherlock Holmes fandom is that it has always had a tendency to blow innuendos in Arthur Conan Doyle's stories out of proportion. One might argue that such is the case of Irene Adler, the most recognisable female character from the Sherlock Holmes canon. Although we are not given much information on her in the original story and she hardly speaks in her own voice, for the community of readers she has become the most significant woman that Sherlock Holmes had ever encountered. Thus, the creators who adapted her for the screen also treated the heroine of "A Scandal in Bohemia" symbolically, allowing themselves to freely portray her presence in their versions of the story. For certain reasons, Irene Adler has been interpreted in pop-culture differently at various times: as the woman who beat Holmes with her wit, the detective's romantic interest, his nemesis or a femme fatale figure. This tendency seems to be pushed to the extreme recently and the adaptations of the heroine in question gravitate towards a sexually confident, overtly self-aware, as well as dominant (both sexually and mentally) rival to Holmes. The idea behind this paper is to investigate the transformation of Irene Adler's character from the originally debatably scandalous adventuress to her modern portrayal as a dominatrix in the BBC miniseries, Sherlock. Hence, I will concentrate on this most recent take on the woman in the episode "A Scandal in Belgravia," attempting to analyse in what ways the creators of the show go back to the roots and succeed in capturing the essence of Irene Adler's figure, and conversely – in what measure does this adaptation epitomize the changes done to the character over the years of reinterpreting and diverting from its literary counterpart.


Quantitative and qualitative analysis of bacterial isolates in water and fish samples (Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus) from Jebba Lake were carried out using primary isolation media and microbact identification kits. The concentration of heavy metals, Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Arsenic (As) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Samples were collected from five (5) different stations. Station Jl.1 and Jl.2 are located at the upper course of the lake and were characterized by high human activities (washing, bathing, mining and animal husbandry operations) especially in sample station Jl.2. Sample station Jl.3 has low human activities, however it has a tributary with high mining activities. Station Jl.4 has high domestic washings but low animal husbandry operation and low mining activities. Station Jl.5 has low domestic washings, low animal husbandry operation and low mining activities. Mean faecal coliform count of sample station Jl.1 (580.83 CFU/100ml) and station Jl.2 (700.83 CFU/100ml) were above maximum permissible limit for Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA). Faecal coliform count of sample stations Jl.3, Jl.4 and Jl.5 were below maximum permissible limit. Maximum faecal coliform count during the wet season was 1600.00 CFU/100ml, while the maximum count during the dry season was 920.00 CFU/100ml. Bacterial species such as Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas fluorescens – 25, Escherichia coli, Moraxella species, Mannheimia (pasturella) haemolytica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens – 35, Escherichia hermannii were found in water samples and species such as Vibrio alginolyticus, Moraxella species, Escherichia hermannii, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila were isolated from fish intestines and gills. Concentration of Cu, Cr and As in water was observed to be within permissible limit but the concentration of Pb and Cd were above tolerable limit. In fish organs, the concentration of heavy metals were within permissible limit except that of Pb and As in Oreochromis niloticus fish intestines (ONFI) (0.38±0.00 and 0.03±0.00 respectively) and Clarias gariepinus fish intestines (CGFI) (0.40±0.00 and 0.03±0.01 respectively) which were above maximum permissible limit by standard organizations.
Key words: Jebba Lake, water, fish, Oreochromis niloticus, Clarias gariepinus, bacteria, heavy metals


Desmoplastic fibroblastoma (collagenous fibroma) is a rare benign fibrous tumour thought to arise from subcutaneous tissue or skeletal muscle. We herein report a case of elderly female presented with a slow growing non tender mass on anterior aspect of right thigh. Radiological investigation showed a mass in intermuscular plane. Lumpectomy was performed, histopathologic examination of the subsequent specimen confirmed the diagnosis of desmoplastic fibroblastoma.


Purpose: A Malone appendicostomy and a Monti ileostomy are effective surgical modalities for treating children with congenital intestinal dysfunction or fecal incontinence. However, a left colonic antegrade continence enema (ACE) has been reported as an alternative. This paper evaluated the efficiency of ACE, using a retubulized sigmoidostomy (RS), for maintaining fecal continence, and its acceptability as a first line surgical treatment. Methods: 11 patients underwent surgery between March 2002 and July 2003: 8 meningomyelocele, 1 cloacal anomaly, 1 anorectal malformation and 1 lipoma of the spine. An RS tube was fashioned, and then implanted using a segment of the sigmoid colon, and exteriorized through the umbilicus. An enema was begun 12 days after surgery using only normal saline. The outcome were assessed after adjusting the appropriate enema regimen for the 11 cases. Results: The mean duration of the enema was 22.08.4 minutes, with 250 ml (80800 ml) as the median volume of fluid used. The enema interval ranged from 1 to 3 days. No patient showed any abdominal discomfort or soiling episodes, with the exception of one that experienced day-time fecal staining, but this occurred less than once per month. The self-cosmesis for the umbilical stoma was satisfactory. Conclusion: The RS procedure provided excellent continence control, with a shortening of the duration of the enema, a lower fluid volume and good cosmesis, without any ACE related abdominal pain. This procedure can be used as the first choice surgical treatment for intractable constipation and fecal incontinence.


AIM
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), e.g. pantoprazole (PP), esomeprazole (EP) and omeprazole (OP), work as anti-ulcer/gastrointestinal reflux drugs. Also, they are widely used in postoperative care of patients in cardiac surgery to prevent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore, in western industrial countries they play a major economic role, representing one of the most important drugs in open heart cardiac surgery.

METHODS
Intact muscle strips (n=32) were isolated from the right ventricle wall of failing human hearts. In four different groups (PP, EP, OP, control group, each n=8), force amplitudes were recorded at a frequency of 60 beats per minute (bpm) with increasing PPI concentrations (0 to 320 µm/mL).

RESULTS
In isometrically contracting muscle strips, significant negative inotropic effects were observed in the presence of all three PPI-groups (PP, EP and OP) with doses of 2.5 µg/mL and higher compared to the control group (p < 0.05 each). With high doses (320 µm/mL), force amplitudes could be almost completely depressed. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for EP was 35.7 (confidence interval: 17.3-73.6) vs. OP 29.3 (6.8-126.6) vs. PP 25.1 (14.6-43.1) µg/mL (n.s.). No significant differences were found between the different proton pump inhibitors (PP, EP, OP) throughout the range of all concentrations. Relaxation was impaired in all PPI subgroups with prolonged time to 90% relaxation (RT90%) and maximum relaxation velocity (‑df/dt) was reduced, too. These effects were partially reversible after wash-out of the drugs.

CONCLUSION
We conclude that proton pump inhibitors show significant negative inotropic effects on isolated human failing myocardium. There is no apparent difference seen in the magnitude of the effects of each PPI-group. Further, in-vivo investigations are necessary to reveal the clinical evidence of PPI's negative inotropic effects, e.g. in cardio-surgical patients with heart failure.


Objective: To identify factors that might influence physicians' referrals of obese adolescents to pediatric multidisciplinary weight management (PMWM) programs. Design/methods: Survey of a national sample of 375 pediatricians (PDs) and 375 family physicians (FPs) explored program availability, referral history, desired services, and when in the course of treatment physicians would refer. Differences were examined via χ2 tests. Results: Response rate was 67%. More PDs than FPs reported having a PMWM program available (46% vs 10%, P < .01). More PDs (PD 83% vs FP 53%, P < .01) and female physicians (88% vs 65%, P < .01) reported having made a referral. Most physicians wanted coordinated diet, activity, and behavioral therapy (79%). Almost all physicians indicated they would refer when unsure of what else to do, or if requested by the patient/parent. Conclusions: PMWM program referrals appear limited by availability. These data also suggest physicians may be reticent to refer. Further work should examine whether this affects patient outcomes.


Simultaneous determination of endocrine disrupter compounds (EDCs), namely diltiazem, progesterone, benzylbutylphthalate (BBP), estrone, and carbamazepine (Cbz) were performed by using high performance LC–electrospray tandem MS. The ultrasound-aided sequential extraction of sludge samples was optimized to increase extraction efficiencies of the analytes; ranging between 93.0–98.3% recovery. The limit of detection values for diltiazem, progesterone, BBP, estrone, and Cbz were found as 0.78, 0.72, 0.24, 0.75, and 0.72 µg/kg, respectively. Sludge samples taken from Ankara Tatlar; Hurma, Lara and Kemer of Antalya, and Middle East Technical University-vacuum rotating membrane wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) aeration tanks were analyzed for their EDCs contents under optimized conditions. Diltiazem was found in all the samples in the range between 116.4–180.8 ng/g while progesterone and estrone were not detected in any of the samples analyzed with the exception of Tatlar WWTP. The BBP concentration was between beyond detection and 9195.5 ng/g. In addition, Cbz was found in all the samples ranging from 25.6 to 118.8 ng/g.


Early literature on Red Ring disease of coconuts, caused by the nematode Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus (Cobb, 1919) Goodey, 19C0, has been reviewed by the writer (Fenwick 1957). Little information is available however on the techniques used, and investigation has shown that the extraction of these nematodes from different types of coconut tissue presents problems which are not dealt with in Goodey's (1957) review of nematological technique. It is felt that the techniques developed by the writer for this worm might be of interest to other workers who are concerned with the extraction of very slender active nematodes from hard plant tissues.


Background: Palliative care is mainly restricted to terminal care. General practitioners (GPs) are not trained to early identify palliative patients with cancer, COPD or heart failure. With the help of the RADboud indicators for PAlliative Care needs (RADPAC), we trained GPs to identify patients' needs and to make a proactive care plan. They were also able to join two role-plays where they discussed the patient's future, and consulted a palliative care consultant to fine-tune the care plan. We evaluated the programme with the GPs and consultants and noted its impact on their daily practice. Methods: Two years after they had participated in the programme, we held semi-structured interviews with the GPs and a focus group interview with the consultants and performed a thematic content analysis. Results: Six consultants and nine GPs participated in the programme. Most GPs and consultants mentioned positive changes in the thinking or acting of GPs regarding early palliative care. A number continued to use the tool to identify patients; most of the others noted they had internalised the indicators. Although half of them still considered discussing end-of-life aspects difficult, particularly in patients with organ failure, the others were more easily able to discuss the future with their palliative patients. Conclusion: Although most GPs and consultants were positive about the training programme and applying it in daily practice, we conclude that in future programmes, more attention needs to paid to timely identification of palliative patients with COPD or CHF and how to discuss the future with them.


The English professional football industry has attracted considerable academic interest in relation to the tragedies that occurred during the 20th century. However, the bulk of this work has focused on historical, social and economic factors rather than match processes. Consequently, an in-depth view of contemporary football match event management processes does not exist. This paper aims to address this by examining small and medium enterprises (SME) and event literatures in order to surface the SME mentality evident in the majority of clubs. A Football Match Event Lifecycle Model is developed and then used to provide an insight into contemporary football event management issues and processes and demonstrate how clubs can generate, transfer and use knowledge to learn from the mistakes of the past. The paper adopts an interpretivist methodological approach and utilises qualitative primary data from semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation.


An estimation approach is described for three-dimensional reconstruction from line integral projections using incomplete and very noisy data. Generalized cylinders parameterized by stochastic dynamic models are used to represent prior knowledge about the properties of objects of interest in the probed domain. The object models, a statistical measurement model, and the maximum a posteriori probability performance criterion are combined to reformulate the reconstruction problem as a computationally challenging nonlinear estimation problem. For computational feasibility, a suboptimal hierarchical algorithm is described whose individual steps are locally optimal and are combined to satisfy a global optimality criterion. The formulation and algorithm are restricted to objects whose center axis is a single-valued function of a fixed spatial coordinate. Simulation examples demonstrate accurate reconstructions with as few as four views in a 135 degrees sector, at an average signal-to-noise ratio of 3.3. >


Nowadays, technology and the English language are crucial in business. The National
 Information Technology Committee launched a policy emphasizing the importance of
 information technology as the driving instrument for the country's development, both
 social and economic. Therefore, if a University wants to produce graduates qualified to
 meet market needs, it should establish policies that enable instructors to use
 technology and English for teaching. The School of Accountancy, University of the
 Thai Chamber of Commerce, has encouraged instructors to use programs for
 teaching, such as Microsoft Excel, SAP, Express, ACL and Yahoo Group to enable
 students to appropriately and effectively apply technology in accounting.
 The School of Accountancy also encourages the inclusion of English Language in
 class, and to have exercises in English for students to try. In addition, the school has
 initiated a project called "Star of Accountancy" specifically for students who choose to
 study accounting using English Textbooks. The author believes the students who join
 this program would be skillful and able to benefit from knowledge acquired in the
 future. The author therefore applied to teach Fundamentals of Accounting to first year
 for accountancy students during the first semester of the academic year 2008/2009.
 Fifty students chose to join this project. The book chosen was Financial Accounting
 (6th Edition) by Jerry J. Weygandt, Paul D. Kimmel and Donald E. Kieso, and published by John Wiley & Sons. It was selected for its updated content and including a website
 (www.wileyplus.com) for teaching material. Furthermore, the author uses Yahoo Group
 to make it convenient for students to download materials and to submit their work
 on-line. As a result of using technology and English together for this subject, most
 students believed they received a good grounding in addition to other skills.


In this paper, a new object manipulation method is proposed by applying the ray's depth information to the ray-casting-based interface. Ray-casting has been widely used in handheld device interfaces for manipulating objects in three-dimensional (3D) space, such as augmented reality or virtual reality environments. However, the traditional ray-casting interface has limited object manipulation because it cannot designate a specific location in 3D space; it also has poor accuracy in manipulating objects at far distances. In this study, a user could register the virtual object in the real 3D space by specifying the arbitrary position using ray-depth information. We also improved the virtual object manipulation accuracy of the ray-casting interface by compensating the sensitivity according to the distance between the user and the object. To verify the manipulation accuracy of the interface implemented with the proposed technology, this study conducted a comparative experiment with existing interfaces. This verified the performance improvement in 3D space.


Rating scales for mood disorders have been reviewed with special reference to their consistency, applicability, and validity. Diagnostic scales with a biometric reference to antidepressants have been developed on the basis of the Newcastle Scales. This Diagnostic Melancholia Scale (DMS) includes two dimensions, one measuring endogenous depression, and one measuring reactive depression. These dimensions were found not to be mutually exclusive as 30% of the depressed patients scored high on both dimensions. Scales measuring outcomes of treatment were subdivided into (a) scales measuring disability of clinical depression (melancholia), anxiety, and mania, (b) scales measuring distress as a construct of sideeffects during treatment, and (c) scales measuring discomfort or quality of life. Disability, distress and discomfort should be separately validated as they reflect different aspects of outcome of treatment. Self‐rating scales have their main applicability in the measurement of discomfort.


Demands of the police and the courts in gathering evidences and investigating crimes stimulated special training programmes of the experts in the Netherlands. In the Dutch laboratory of forensic science (FSL) as in other fields, the necessity of training of experts is considerably narrow specialisation emerged. While applying modern technologies, new methods of investigation and while trends of criminality are undergoing change, experts with general technical education do not correspond to the requirements of contemporary legal system. The fields of technical knowledge have been differentiated consecutively and the following disciplines as separate ones have been marked out: 1. Toxicology; 2. Examinations of hairs and fibre; 3. Serology; 4. Examinations of weapons and ammunition; 5. Examinations of shot traces; 6. Examinations of explosives. Moreover, the examinations of palm-prints (fingerprints) documents, drugs, road accidents, ecological, computer and other have been segregated. There are lists of experts who specialise in particular fields in the Netherlands. Every expert in addition to special knowledge in particular field must have general legal, criminalistics knowledge and knowledge about the Dutch organisational system of Police and Courts. Modern expert training programme in the institutions of FSL in the Netherlands consists of two parts: 1. general part, where all the expert candidates have to participate in; 2. specialised part, devoted to the experts of certain field. Employee of FSL in the Netherlands may collect knowledge in two ways: person is either trained as expert from the beginning or is accepted to one of the laboratories as a technical employee and later is allowed to try again to become an expert. According to the general part of the programme, the expert candidates follow some short training courses, which last for 40 days in total. All the courses are divided into 4 blocks of theoretical and practical exercises. Especially a lot of attention is paid to the self-study of the candidates. Expert candidate receives a full package of training material. Candidates are trained by collaborators of FSL, lecturers of other institutions, police officers from detective technical sections, criminalists technicians. According to the second part of the programme, expert candidates study special disciplines of certain field. Later on they take graduation examination and are listed into the certain specialisation list of experts in the Netherlands. Expert training programme is presented and general training aims and methods are pointed out.


The ability of five chemopreventive agents to inhibit 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induced lung tumors in A/J mice was determined. The carcinogen was administered in the drinking water during 7 weeks (at doses of 9.2 to 3.1 mg/mouse). Three chemopreventive agents: (dose, g/kg diet) ellagic acid (4.0), 2(3)-BHA (5.0), and sulindac (0.13) inhibited the multiplicity of lung adenomas by 52, 88, and 52%, respectively, when compared to NNK controls. beta-Carotene + retinol (2.14 + 0.009), in combination, and selenium (0.0022) were ineffective. NNK was absorbed more rapidly from the duodenum than from the stomach and was metabolized in both tissues. The activation of NNK by alpha-carbon hydroxylation and its deactivation by pyridine N-oxidation was more extensive in the duodenum than in the stomach. Carbonyl reduction of NNK was 10 times higher in the duodenum. Liver microsomes were more active than lung microsomes in the alpha-carbon hydroxylation of NNK, suggesting that some liver isozymes of cytochrome P-450 have a high affinity for NNK. Pyridine N-oxidation was five times more extensive in lung microsomes than in liver microsomes. Collectively, these results demonstrate that NNK given orally to A/J mice provides a suitable model from which to assess the relative activity and mechanisms of action of chemopreventive agents in pulmonary carcinogenesis.


The article documents that among patients with saphenofemoral reflux inadequate surgery on the saphenofemoral junction was the cause of recurrence in 40% and 43% respectively of patients treated at hospitals and in out-clinics, but in only 14% when operation was performed by a specialized vascular surgeon. The causes of recurrence are described in the literature as follows: inadequate ligation, recanalisation, neovascularisation, non-saphenofemoral reflux, long saphenous vein duplication, incompetent perforator veins and inadequate stripping of the long saphenous vein. Our examination of the past ten years of literature in this area leads to the conclusion that patients with varicose veins caused by saphenofemoral reflux should be examined clinically as well as with colour-Doppler-ultrasonography. The main cause of recurrence is insufficient surgery. The surgeon may reduce recurrence rates by combining stripping of the long saphenous vein to the knee including duplications with thorough ligation of the saphenofemoral junction and ligation of adjacent side-branches. Stab avulsions are obligatory.


Today's increasingly rapid use of digital technology has created many new opportunities for organizations in all industrial fields. Digital transformation has a positive impact on innovation and company performance based on the theory of the resource-based view. The growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and their relatively high role in the community's economy, is also accompanied by several problems that arise in the face of the current digitalization era. The main challenges in the digitization process for SMEs are limited financial resources, limited knowledge resources, and limited technology awareness. An ecosystem-based digital platform enables SMEs to integrate strategic knowledge sources while configuring internal and external resources to better respond to a dynamic and volatile environment.


Purposes of the study and background The objective of this overview was to evaluate the available evidence from systematic reviews on the effectiveness of surgical interventions for sciatica due to disc herniation. The last search was conducted in 2011. Since then new reviews have been published or existing reviews have been updated. Summary of the methods used and results A comprehensive search was performed in multiple databases including Cochrane database of systematic reviews (CDSR), Database of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) and Pubmed. Included are Cochrane and non-Cochrane systematic reviews on sciatica due to disc herniation published in peer-reviewed journals. We evaluated surgery versus conservative care and different surgical techniques compared to one another. The methodological quality of the systematic reviews was evaluated using AMSTAR by two independent reviewers. Nine, mostly high quality, systematic reviews on surgical interventions for disc herniation were included. Four reviews compared surgery with conservative treatment and concluded consistently that surgery has only short term benefits while the long term results showed no difference in effect. Four reviews compared open discectomy with micro(endo)scopic discectomy and found no significant and/or clinically relevant differences. The quality of evidence on alternative minimal invasive techniques (laser discectomy, automated percutaneous discectomy, and nucleoplasty or coblation) is consistently low in four recent reviews. Conclusion Although the quality of the reviews was quite acceptable, the quality of the included studies was mostly poor. The choice between surgical techniques and surgery and conservative intervention should be based on surgeon and patient preferences, among other things.


Fifteen recipients of donor-specific blood transfusions (DST)2 from HLA haploidentical related donors were tested for changes in immune responsiveness following the transfusions. Three patients developed cytotoxic antibodies toward the donor, but no "broad" sensitization toward the panel cells was seen. The responsiveness to mitogens (PHA and con A) and soluble antigens (PPD and a mixture of antigens) was not changed. MLC responsiveness toward the donor, but not to third-party or pool-stimulating cells, was reduced. Evidence of specific MLC-suppressing cells was found in 11 of 15 patients following DST. The cell-mediated lympholysis response toward the donor increased in 50% of the patients after DST, including those who developed anti-bodies. The frequency of acute rejection episodes in the 11 grafted patients was not correlated with the changes in in vitro responsiveness.


This article explores the involvement of Jewish women in Barcelona's business and economic affairs in the period 1348–91 through notarial records. The study reveals the tension between their self-determination and their dependence on male relatives and the patriarchal community to which they belonged. Women's involvement in three fields – moneylending, artisanal activities, and wet-nursing – will be examined. These particular roles reveal the different positions that women occupied in Jewish society, their social differences, their expectations, and the expectations placed upon them by their kin and community. The article investigates the influence of Christian society on economic trends as well as on specific professions amongst the Jews of Barcelona. It traces how this influence affected Jewish women in particular ways, giving them an enhanced profile at certain times. In summary, these women were able to prove their skills and value within the patriarchal structure – an environment in which they were usually bound to silence.


Introduction: Spinal anaesthesia is a preferred choice for infraumbilical surgery. Various drugs have been added intrathecally to augment analgesia in the postoperative period. Morphine an opiate was among the first to be introduced. More recently the alpha-2 agonist Clonidine. Aim: To compare Clonidine and Morphine as adjuncts to bupivacaine in spinal anaesthesia on the quality of the block, the duration of postoperative analgesia, haemodynamic changes and complication. Materials and Methods: In this randomised double blind controlled study, one hundred patients between age 20-40 years of age and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status 1 and 2 undergoing lower limb Orthopaedic procedures were studied to compare the effect of preservative free morphine (100 mcg) (Group BM) and clonidine (30 mcg) (Group BC) as an adjunct to 0.5% bupivacaine in spinal anaesthesia. Group BM received a mixture of 2.6 mL (13 mg) of hyperbaric bupivacaine (0.5%) with 0.1 mL of preservative free Morphine and 0.1 mL 0.9% saline. Group BC received a mixture of 2.6 mL (13 mg) of hyperbaric bupivacaine (0.5%) with 0.2 mL of clonidine (30 mcg).Total volume of solution in both the groups was 2.8 mL. The groups were compared for the onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade. Duration of analgesia, Sedation, Haemodynamic variations viz., Pulse rate, blood pressure and complications. Data obtained was analysed using Student t-test, Pearson chi-square test and ANOVA as appropriate. Results: Onset of sensory block was faster and duration of the sensory as well as motor block was more after addition of Clonidine (30 μg) to bupivacaine in spinal anaesthesia. The duration of postoperative analgesia was significantly prolonged to 10-13 hours in patients receiving Bupivacaine and morphine combination as compared to 6-8 hours noted in patients receiving Bupivacaine and Clonidine only. Incidence of hypotension, bradycardia, shivering, nausea and vomiting was not statistically significant. None of the patients in both groups showed any other side effects like respiratory depression, hypoxia, excessive sedation or any other spinal consequences. Conclusion: Clonidine improves the quality of spinal anaesthesia in terms of faster onset of sensory block and longer duration of sensory as well as motor block compared to morphine, when added as an adjunct. However, the duration of postoperative analgesia was prolonged more with the addition of Morphine compared to Clonidine.


This article aims to provide a clearer understanding of the emerging market for Islamic art in the early decades of the twentieth century through a study of the changing purchasing habits of one European collector, Calouste Gulbenkian, and specifically his acquisition of mīnāʾī ware. Such an approach allows for a coherent, focused study that engages with the leading dealers, agents, and auction houses of the time. These were located primarily in Paris and, to lesser extent, New York and London, in the key period during which the Islamic art market became a major part of the broader art and antiquities business. The main focus is on the shift from buying newly excavated fragmentary material from Armenian dealers to purchasing seemingly complete, but heavily restored, bowls from established collections sold at the leading auction houses. Each of the pieces in Gulbenkian's collection of mīnāʾī ware is examined in detail, and a new taxonomic classification is presented for this well known, but still poorly understood, class of Islamic ceramics.