Pregnancies among women of advanced maternal age (AMA 35 years or older) or among women of high parity (HP having had five or more births) are linked to maternal and infant mortality. To better understand the context in which AMA and HP pregnancies occur the USAID-funded Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) project conducted qualitative research on the perception and determinants of such pregnancies in rural and urban locations of two USAID family planning (FP) priority countries – Niger and Togo. HC3 supplemented this research with secondary analyses of DHS data and data from a 2014 Niger study referred to here as the AMA/HP Niger Women's Insights Research. The study showed that urban locations had less restrictive cultural norms preventing FP method use compared to rural locations and urban Togolese participants demonstrated more knowledge about AMA and HP pregnancy risks than Nigerian participants as a whole. We found that AMA and HP pregnancies were generally seen as part of the reproductive norms in situations where fertility rates remain exceptionally high such as in Niger. However pregnancy risks such as loss of the mother or child's life were key fears among men and women in both countries. The study provided important insights needed to address AMA/HP pregnancies through culturally appropriate health communication interventions. HC3 used these findings to create an Implementation Kit (I-Kit) for FP and maternal and child health program managers. While the I-Kit provides guidance on addressing AMA and HP through social and behavior change communication in Niger and Togo specifically the resource is designed to be adapted for use in the broader Sub-Saharan Africa region. The I-Kit includes ready-to-use health communication tools for engaging women decision-makers communities healthcare providers journalists and others. In 2016 and 2017 one organization each in Niger and Togo piloted the I-Kit integrating selected I-Kit tools into their unique programs and documenting their experiences. Both organizations credit the I-Kit with expanding the scope of topics their programs now address to include AMA and HP pregnancy and provided concrete suggestions for adapting the materials according to activity and intended audience.


We recently reported the formation of micro- and nanometer thick tubules in a binary system of cholesteryl-modified aminouridine and a phosphatidylcholine in aqueous solution upon cooling from 70 °C to room temperature (Pescador et al., Chem. Commun, 2010, 46, 5358). To better understand the first steps of the tubular self-assembly and the role of the phospholipid, we investigated now morphological changes of phosphatidylcholine giant unilamellar vesicles upon incorporation of the conjugate at room temperature. We observed formation of needle-like structures organized in rosettes or bundles within hours to days depending on the mole fraction of the conjugate and preparation technique. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the needle-like structures were 100–200 nm thick tubules with the inner lumen diameters of 15–40 nm. The tube self-assembly occurred at room temperature, which is important for further development of biomedical applications.


The pre-lytic release mechanism of foot-and-mouth disease virus was investigated by immunofluorescence, acridine orange staining, and electron microscopy in infected bovine and porcine kidney coverslip cultures. Cells with cytoplasmic fluorescence and which were positive for single stranded RNA with acridine orange staining were observed at 2 h after infection. Scanning electron microscopy showed cytoplasmic blebs in all cultures examined 2 h after infection. Rounded cells with virus inclusions began to appear 3 h after infection. Rounded cells and cytoplasmic blebs were shown to have single stranded RNA by acridine orange staining. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy with immunoferritin tagging demonstrated foot-and-mouth disease virus in cytoplasmic blebs. This study presents evidence for a pre-lytic release of foot-and-mouth disease virus through virus-containing cytoplasmic blebs emerging from infected cells.


The Chang'e-3 (CE-3) lander and rover mission to the Moon was an intermediate step in China's lunar exploration program, which will be followed by a sample return mission. The lander was equipped with a number of remote-sensing instruments including a pair of cameras (Landing Camera and Terrain Camera) for recording the landing process and surveying terrain, an extreme ultraviolet camera for monitoring activities in the Earth's plasmasphere, and a first-ever Moon-based ultraviolet telescope for astronomical observations. The Yutu rover successfully carried out close-up observations with the Panoramic Camera, mineralogical investigations with the VIS-NIR Imaging Spectrometer, study of elemental abundances with the Active Particle-induced X-ray Spectrometer, and pioneering measurements of the lunar subsurface with Lunar Penetrating Radar. This special issue provides a collection of key information on the instrumental designs, calibration methods and data processing procedures used by these experiments with a perspective of facilitating further analyses of scientific data from CE-3 in preparation for future missions.


This essay applies bell hooks' theory of the oppositional gaze to the 2013 film, 12 Year's a Slave. I argue that the film subverts traditional power dynamics linked to the experience of visual pleasure through film by shifting responsibilities between black and white audiences. Whereas previously black audiences had to confront degrading depictions of self as a "way in" to film, white audiences instead had the privilege of critiquing film if whiteness was negated, or else not depicted at all. After a brief overview of hooks' theory of film, it examines the character of Patsey for the ways in which violence imposed on her body necessitate a confrontation with self and identity for audiences of all races, and for the ways it supports the films subversion of traditional ways of looking.


Tertullian of Carthage was the earliest Christian writer to argue against abortion at length, and the first surviving Latin author to consider the unborn child in detail. This book is the first comprehensive analysis of Tertullian's attitude towards the foetus and embryo. Examining Tertullian's works in light of Roman literary and social history, Julian Barr proposes that Tertullian's comments on the unborn should be read as rhetoric ancillary to his primary arguments. Tertullian's engagement in the art of rhetoric also explains his tendency towards self-contradiction. He argued that human existence began at conception in some treatises and not in others. Tertullian's references to the unborn hence should not be plucked out of context, lest they be misread. Tertullian borrowed, modified, and discarded theories of ensoulment according to their usefulness for individual treatises. So long as a single work was internally consistent, Tertullian was satisfied. He elaborated upon previous Christian traditions and selectively borrowed from ancient embryological theory to prove specific theological and moral points. Tertullian was more influenced by Roman custom than he would perhaps have admitted, since the contrast between pagan and Christian attitudes on abortion was more rhetorical than real.


In the summer of 1543 King Henry VIII promised that he would send 40,000 ducats, the equivalent of £10,000, to Ferdinand, king of the Romans and of Hungary, archduke of Austria, to help his brother, Emperor Charles V, in his defence of Christendom against the Turk. Europe witnessed a strange alliance between Henry, himself a schismatic monarch, and Charles, who had effectively blocked Henry's attempts to have the pope annul his first marriage. The coalition of opposing forces was equally remarkable, comprising the Most Christian King of France and his non-Christian ally, the Turk. Francis's support for the Turks was contrasted by some with the king's attitude to Protestant reform. Francis seems to have regretted the presence in 1543–4 of a Turkish colony at Toulon, which appears to have possessed a slave market and mosque. The alliance between Charles V and Henry VIII attests to the persistence of the medieval concept of Christendom (Christianitas), groups of nations which shared basic religious and cultural values despite the religious divides being caused by the Reformation. Henry made elaborate plans to furnish Charles with the promised £10,000 to support military action on the continent. The money, available either as cash or as bills of exchange, was released in two halves, the first on 16 August 1543 and the second on 18 September. In his usual way, the imperial ambassador in England, Eustace Chapuys, made things worse by harrying the Privy Council for speedy payment of the funds. The crown, none the less, hit on an interesting solution to the problem of recovering its money. Henry issued an appeal to every diocese in England to organise voluntary contributions from parishioners to recover the amount of money he disbursed abroad. Working from the financial returns among the exchequer subsidy rolls at the Public Record Office, Dr Kitching has calculated that such collections raised no more than £1,903 8s. 3d., less than a fifth of the money advanced to Charles V. The English parishes reimbursed the crown in late 1543 and early 1544. As Dr Kitching himself has indicated, the background to the whole episode is poorly documented. Previously unknown to historians, however, important material concerning the king's plan survives in the diocesan archives of London and Westminster. The episcopal registers of Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, and Thomas Thirlby, bishop of the short-lived see of Westminster, both shed valuable light on this scheme. Diocesan bishops recorded their formal administrative acts in registers, the compilation of which was supervised by the diocesan registrar. Unfortunately, the archiepiscopal archives at Lambeth are silent on the collections of 1543. The registers for the dioceses of London and Westminster, however, are particularly informative for the opening years of the Reformation. It is my purpose to consider the nature of the new evidence and to offer a transcript of the more important documents.


The first results of a multidisciplinary study on the Messinian evaporitic interval of the Govone section (northwestern Italy), subdivided into several sedimentary cycles, are reported here. Primary sulphate evaporites and intercalated shaly deposits, which formed during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, contain well-preserved and taxonomically determinable terrestrial plant remains. Palynomorphs are present continuously all along the analysed succession and among them, pollen is especially abundant and diverse. Additionally, a few fragments of silicified wood (which are rare in the studied area) occurred in layers rich in phytodebris, but their analysis showed poor preservation of anatomy. Carpological remains are not abundant and are strongly altered by diagenesis. Compressed conifer shoots and angiosperm leaves are well-preserved in several layers, one of which yielded a particularly diverse assemblage. The various plant records have been integrated to obtain an initial general idea on the floristic composition of the assemblages and the palaeoenvironment. We hypothesize that a subtropical humid forest may have surrounded the basin, not only during the deposition of shale deposits, but also during the formation of gypsum, generally considered a product of arid climate. Despite the low-resolution sampling strategy for macrofossils, the identification of several relevant plant taxa (Engelhardia orsbergensis, Eurya stigmosa, Symplocos casparyi, Taiwania sp.), seems to indicate that the Govone section could provide an interesting glimpse into the composition of the palaeoflora of northern Italy during the deposition of the Messinian evaporites.


This paper develops a novel approach to the analysis of vulnerability in the context of food security. The proposed methodology incorporates recent developments in the analysis of risk management. It can be applied to estimate the probability that a household or a community might fall below a critical food security threshold at some time in the future. The methodology also aims to identify the risk management strategies which are most effective in reducing the likelihood of the occurrence of food insecurity or the severity of its effects.


As many readers of Locke Studies are aware, the long-awaited publication of a scholarly edition of Locke's published Abrégé and the transcription of an English "Epitome" of An Essay concerning Human Understanding (Essay) should be published in the near future. Both of these documents are tantalizing for aiding in the interpretation of the Essay because they are the author's own efforts to clarify the argument and design of his great work prior to publication. This short note briefly summarizes the evidence for the superiority of the "Epitome" over the Abrégé and suggests several ways in which a clearer understanding of these documents could contribute to a more accurate reading of the Essay.


Kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong are often criticised for not putting early childhood education theory into practice after their in-service training. It appears that they may be too concerned about academic work and discipline in the classroom and neglect to create a coherent vision of early childhood education. It might be suggested that kindergarten teachers have difficulties in coping with reform that advocates child-centred teaching approaches and active learning as the idealised vision of early childhood education when they have to cope with the Chinese cultural influence and parental demands for an early academic start. This article reviews the current teacher education provision and the cultural context of education in Hong Kong, and tracks the classroom strategies of kindergarten teachers in nine case studies. The findings of the study suggest that there is a general pattern for teaching in kindergartens. The culture of teaching tends to reflect the coping strategies of the teachers to overcome a triangle of potentially conflicting expectations and orientations: the vision of early childhood education, the Chinese culture, and local constraints. Moreover, simply training teachers would not ultimately change their practice unless the environment in which teachers work facilitated this. In view of this, teacher development and change are most possible if there is a change in views and attitudes towards teaching.


Volatility can emerge in any working group, particularly in a flat hierarchy with no established leader; add diversity and exhaustion to the mix, and a group is vulnerable to buckling under the pressure of its own goals. This fictional account of a contentious learning team at a business school dramatizes both the words and thoughts of the participants as frictions lead them to consider disbanding. It provides a means of discussing the nature of leadership among peers and in particular the critical but easily overlooked role of personal energy management––mental, physical, and emotional; even when the strengths of diversity are leveraged proactively, interpersonal interaction still requires a significant reservoir of positive energy, whereas its depletion can sabotage even the best of intentions.


1 Roehrborn CG, Van Kerrebroeck P, Nordling J. Safety and efficacy of alfuzosin 10mg once-daily in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms and clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia: a pooled analysis of three double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. BJU Int 2003; 92 : 257–61 2 Kirby RS. Doxazosin in benign prostatic hyperplasia. effects on blood pressure and urinary flow in normotensive and hypertensive men. Urology 1995; 46 : 182–6 3 Kirby RS. Terazosin in benign prostatic hyperplasia. effects on blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive men. Br J Urol 1998; 82 : 373–9 4 The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. NIH Publication 03–5233: NIH, May 2003 5 di Priolo L, Priore P, Gocco C et al. Dose-titration study of alfuzosin, a new alpha1-adrenoceptor blocker, in essential hypertension. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1988; 35 : 25–30 6 Sega R, Marazzi ME, Bombelli M et al. Comparison of the new alpha1-blocker, alfuzosin with propranolol as first-line therapy in hypertension. Pharmacol Res 1991; 24 : 41–52


Although the application of sketch-based chart annotation is not pervasive in management, the use of sketchmarks can provide numerous benefits to managerial discussions. The collaborative use of chart annotations can support management teams in their decision making based on quantitative charts by visually eliciting and capturing interpretation processes, clarifying basic assumptions, stimulating different perspectives, and extrapolating trends into the future. Sketch-based annotations combine the simplicity and immediacy of drawing with the clarity and richness of charting. In this paper, we provide the rationale for this under-researched visual management and communication practice, illustrate it through examples, and – as our main contribution – provide a first overview classification of the different sketchmarks that management groups can use in their discussion of quantitative charts (for such contexts as strategy or project reviews). In the end of the working paper we briefly describe our future research in this area and highlight implications for management. We provide basic sketchmark forms and guidelines for managers and facilitators in the appendix.


басын ұлғайтады. Abstract. The research aim is to study the current state of development of livestock production in the East Kazakhstan region, consider the main problems and prospects. The article provides a detailed analysis of livestock production activities in the East Kazakhstan region in the period from 2016 to 2020 by comparing the indicators of number of livestock and poultry population, their productivity, production volume of livestock production industry. The structure of production by farm categories is shown in dynamics. The indicators are presented taking into account the indicative parameters of the State Program on Development of AIC RK for 2017-2021. The main problems of the livestock sub-complex of the East Kazakhstan region are identified, includ-ing low level of provision with forage base, lack of high-quality animal nutrition, which, in turn, contributes to reduction of productivity of animals and poultry, small proportion of breeding stock. The author notes that a significant shortage of livestock production industry is weak tech-nical equipment, unjustified technological processes and lack of a single production organization scheme. Emphasis on public support as a result of the successful implementation of the long-term sectoral program on development of dairy farming for 2018-2027 will contribute to stimulat-ing the activities of personal subsidiary farms, their increase through the creation of family farms, which will increase the efficiency of livestock farms. In the future, strict observance of sanitary and hygienic requirements, timely implementation of full-fledged veterinary and pedigree work will increase the breeding cattle population in


In both the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), the law governing the enforcement of foreign judgments is evolving, but in different directions. EU law, especially after the elimination of exequatur by the 2012 'Recast' of the Brussels I Regulation, increasingly facilitates enforcement in member states of judgments of other member states' courts, reflecting growing faith in a multilateral private international law approach to foreign judgments. In US law, on the other hand, increasingly widespread adoption of state legislation based on the 2005 Uniform Foreign-Country Money Judgments Recognition Act (2005 Act), which adds new case-specific grounds for refusing enforcement, suggests growing scepticism. In this essay, I explore possible reasons for these diverging trends. I begin with the most obvious explanation: the Brussels framework governs the effect of internal EU member state judgments within the EU, whereas the 2005 Act governs the effect of external foreign country judgments within the US. One would expect more mutual trust – and thus more faith in foreign judgment enforcement – internally than externally. But I argue that this mutual trust explanation is only partially satisfactory. I therefore sketch out two other possible explanations. One is that the different trends in EU and US law are a result of an emphasis on 'governance values' in EU law and an emphasis on 'rights values' in US law. Another explanation – and perhaps the most fundamental one – is that these trends are ultimately traceable to politics.


Recently, a multiplex ELISA (Quansys Biosciences) was developed that measures ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), retinol-binding protein (RBP), C-reactive protein (CRP), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), thyroglobulin, and histidine-rich protein 2. Our primary aim was to conduct a method-comparison study to compare five biomarkers (ferritin, sTfR, RBP, CRP, and AGP) measured with the Quansys assay and a widely-used s-ELISA (VitMin Lab, Willstaett, Germany) with use of serum samples from 180 women and children from Burkina Faso, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Bias and concordance were used to describe the agreement in values measured by the two methods. We observed poor overall agreement between the methods, both with regard to biomarker concentrations and deficiency prevalence estimates. Several measurements were outside of the limit of detection with use of the Quansys ELISA (total n = 42 for ferritin, n = 2 for sTfR, n = 0 for AGP, n = 5 for CRP, n = 22 for RBP), limiting our ability to interpret assay findings. Although the Quansys ELISA has great potential to simplify laboratory analysis of key nutritional and inflammation biomarkers, there are some weaknesses in the procedures. Overall, we found poor comparability of results between methods. Besides addressing procedural issues, additional validation of the Quansys against a gold standard method is warranted for future research.


Introduction Frailty is a geriatric syndrome frequently associated with executive dysfunction and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). But the relation between executive dysfunction and brain changes is poorly understood in frail subjects. Our hypothesis is that frontal-WMH mediates the association between frailty and executive dysfunction. Methods A convenience sample of 113 subjects older than 65 years without dementia was studied with neuropsychological test, a structured clinical interview, physical examination and brain MRI. They were classified as robust or pre-frail and frail using the frailty phenotype score (0–5). The frontal WMH (F-WMH) were manually graduated (0–6) using the "Age-Related White Matter Changes score" from FLAIR sequences at a 3 Tesla brain MRI. A mediation analysis was done for testing whether F-WMH could act as a link factor between frailty phenotype score and executive dysfunction. Results The group's mean age was 74 ± 6 years, subjects with higher frailty score had more depressive symptoms and worse performance in executive function tests. A regression analysis that explained 52% of the variability in executive functions, revealed a significant direct effect of frailty score (Standardized βcoeff [95% CI] −0.201, [−0.319, −0.049], and F-WMH (−0.152[−0.269, −0.009]) on executive functions, while the F-WMH showed a small partial mediation effect between frailty and executive functions (−0.0395, [−0.09, −0.004]). Discussion Frontal matter hyperintensities had a small mediation effect on the association between frailty and executive dysfunction, suggesting that other neuropathological and neurofunctional changes might also be associated with executive dysfunction in frail subjects.


PURPOSE
To investigate the characteristics of the corneal topography with three-dimensional (3-D) anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) following Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK).

METHODS
Thirty-four eyes of 33 patients following DSAEK were studied. In addition to conventional topographic maps, the elevation map of the intrastromal interface and pachymetric maps of the host and graft were obtained by corneal topographic analysis using 3-D AS-OCT. The coefficient of variation of the corneal power (CV-Pa, CV-Pp) and root mean squares of the corneal elevation (RMS-Ea, RMS-Ep) of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces were determined. Based on the combination of the regularity and irregularity of the anterior and posterior surfaces, subjects were classified into four types: type 1, regular/regular; type 2, irregular/regular; type 3, regular/irregular; and type 4, irregular/irregular.

RESULTS
The average graft decentration was 0.59 ± 0.23 mm. The proportion of types 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 59%, 9%, 24%, and 9 %, respectively. The CV-Pa (25.8 ± 8.9) and CV-Pp (-73.9 ± 18.0) of the type 1 corneas were significantly better than that of type 2 and type 3 corneas, respectively. The RMS-Ea (5.1 ± 1.3) and RMS-Ep (26.0 ± 7.3) of the type 1 corneas were significantly better than that of type 2 and type 3 corneas.

CONCLUSIONS
An OCT-based corneal topographer might be useful in determining the factors associated with optical quality of the cornea following DSAEK by analyzing the topographic characteristics of host and donor separately.


Metals play important roles for cellular functions and also for generating oxidative DNA damages. Furthermore, they are con sidered to act not only as carcinogens but also as co-carcinogens which activate carcinogenic chemicals. The question of whether trace metal concentrations in tissues increase or decrease in cancerous patients has not been answered with certainty, since the data in this area are both rare and include contrary results. This confusion can be attributed to differences in digestion methods of tissues and reliability of analysis techniques. In this study, concentrations of trace metals including Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, and Ca in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissues were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The tissue samples were digested by using microwave energy. The average concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, and Ca were 0.7, 13, 22, 129 and 260 μg/g, respectively) in cancer- ous women's breast tissues found to be significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in non-cancerous women's breast tissues (0.4, 7, 12, 55, and 165 μg/g, respectively), for the paired samples. Thus, the concentration levels of these metals can be considered for diagnosis of cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissues.


Roots were grown in airtight chambers in an intermittent nutrient solution mist. Various gaseous mixtures were used to determine the effects of short-term aeration deficiencies on cell division and root growth. Following treatments of 4 to 94 hours, the roots were aerated with air for 5 days. Root tip samples were prepared for microscopic examination at several times during and after treatment. Oxygen levels of I to 10% without CO₂ reduced the rate of cell division as much as 80% at the end of a 94- hour treatment; however, cell division resumed rapidly after treatment. Nitrogen reduced cell division in secondary roots within 15 minutes, stopped all division within 94 hours, and frequently killed primary root tips. After being returned to air, the rate of cell division in the old secondary root system was approximately 70% of normal within 48 hours, but few new roots developed. Mixtures of gases containing 1 to 10% O2 plus enough CO₂ to equal 91% killed part of the secondary root system but rarely killed the primary root tip. These data show that either zero 0₂ or high CO₂ for only 94 hours injures the root system of Vicia faba L. and that high CO₂ is more injurious than zero 0₂.


1. An assay has been developed with sufficient sensitivity for determination of the adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate diesterase activity in islets of Langerhans, and has been used to investigate the response of the enzyme to various agents which are known to affect insulin release. 2. The subcellular distribution of the enzyme in islets of Langerhans prepared from guinea-pig pancreas was investigated and over 70% of the activity present in the original homogenate was recovered in the supernatant fraction. 3. Gel filtration of the activity present in the supernatant fraction on Sephadex G-200 gave a single peak of activity with an apparent molecular weight of 200000. The phosphodiesterase activity in the peak fraction showed two apparent K(m) values for adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) of 3mum and 30mum, suggesting the presence of two activities. The pH optimum of the activity with the low K(m) value was 8.7. 4. Theophylline, caffeine, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (SC-2964), glibenclamide, tolbutamide, xylitol and leucine were inhibitors of the activity with the low K(m) value; imidazole and arginine stimulated the activity, and glucose and diazoxide were without significant effect. 5. It is suggested that the agents theophylline, caffeine, SC-2964, glibenclamide, tolbutamide, leucine and imidazole may alter the intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP in islets of Langerhans by affecting the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in islet cells and in this way may affect insulin release.


Indirect speech acts communicate more than their literal meaning, and their comprehension relies on the listener's ability to draw the appropriate inferences in a given context. We used eye tracking to investigate the cognitive processing involved in the comprehension of simple (direct) and complex (unconventional indirect) communicative acts, a more general distinction that applies not only to sincere speech acts, but also to irony and deceit. We recorded the eye movements of 40 participants while they read 60 stories (20 sincere, 20 deceitful, 20 ironic) consisting of a context and a target answer. For each story, we created two different contexts so that the same identical target answer was a simple (direct) and a complex (unconventional indirect) communicative act, respectively. We also assessed the indirectness of simple and complex communicative acts, as well as participants' working memory (WM) and theory of mind (ToM). Eye-pattern analysis showed that complex communicative acts were more difficult to understand than simple acts; differences between simple and complex acts held for all the pragmatic phenomena investigated, though processing differences were greater for sincere acts than for irony and deceit. We found a role of indirectness and ToM in the pragmatic processing of simple and complex acts, whereas the role of WM was modest. The present findings underscore the importance of adopting an encompassing theory that can account for different types of indirect speech acts, such as sincere, deceitful and ironic acts; they also suggest the importance of assessing individual differences in inferential and cognitive abilities.


The ecology of R plasmids was studied in the intestinal flora of 19 patients with salmonellosis without antibiotic treatment. The plasmids found in the Salmonella strains and the accompanying non-pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae were characterized in each patient. We determined the transferability by conjugation, the fi character and the incompatibility group and did enzyme restriction analysis of these plasmids. The results obtained showed that S. typhimurium is the species of this genus with the highest incidence of R plasmids, and Escherichia coli among the non-pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae. The plasmids found in Salmonella are different from the plasmids found in the other Enterobacteriaceae in fi character (50% fi+ in Salmonella and 5% in the other Enterobacteriaceae) and incompatibility group (33% belong to the FII group in Salmonella plasmids and none on the other Enterobacteriaceae), thereby expressing a different origin.


The structure of velocity in the outer region of turbulent channel flow (y+ [gsim ] 100) is examined statistically to determine the average flow field associated with spanwise vortical motions. Particle image velocimetry measurements of the streamwise and wall-normal velocity components are correlated with a vortex marker (swirling strength) in the streamwise–wall-normal plane, and linear stochastic estimation is used to estimate the conditional average of the two-dimensional velocity field associated with a swirling motion. The mean structure consists of a series of swirling motions located along a line inclined at 12°–13° from the wall. The pattern is consistent with the observations of outer-layer wall turbulence in which groups of hairpin vortices occur aligned in the streamwise direction. While the observational evidence for the aforementioned model was based upon both experimental and computational visualization of instantaneous structures, the present results show that, on average, the instantaneous structures occur with sufficient frequency, strength, and order to leave an imprint on the statistics of the flow as well. Results at Reτ = 547 and 1734 are presented.


Background. Diabetes-related health education promotes patient efficacy for diabetes self-management. However, sub-optimal knowledge of diabetes in people with diabetes is recognized as a challenge in overcrowded public health facilities in India. We aimed to determine the effect of health education through mobile phone text messages (short messaging service [SMS]) on diabetes-related knowledge of patients with diabetes. Methods. From February 2016 to February 2017, we recruited adult patients with diabetes for this quasi-experimental study done in the outpatient setting of a major tertiary care government hospital in Delhi, India. Participants in the intervention group received a text message on diabetes self-care practices every alternate day for 90 days. We evaluated the patients' knowledge of diabetes using the Spoken Knowledge in Low Literacy in Diabetes (SKILL-D) questionnaire and a self-designed diabetes knowledge questionnaire. Results. We enrolled 190 men and 160 women, of whom 52 (13.7%) were lost to follow-up. At baseline, mean diabetes knowledge scores were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. After the intervention period of 3 months, the diabetes knowledge scores for SKILL-D and the patient diabetes knowledge questionnaire showed a statistically significant increase in the intervention group (mean difference 0.7 and 0.5, respectively; p<0.001, but there was no increase in the control group). Conclusion. The use of mobile phone technology for diabetes-related health education through mobile text-message (SMS) technology is an effective method for health promotion.


It is shown that the eddy currents in the rotor of an induction machine produce a torque proportional to the slip according to the general relations between torque, electrical rotor power and mechanical power. This torque can be dealt with in the same way as the torque of the rotor currents, the same torque producing flux being influencing both. Conditions are quite different for the rotor hysteresis, the rotor hysteresis torque being constant and only reversing its sign in synchronisme. This power jump, the hysteresis jump, means an alteration of the direction of energy flow through the air gap of the induction machine without load. It was found that the ratio of the total rotor iron losses to air gap power of the eddy currents and hysteresis is equal to the slip, in analogy to the well known relations between slip, electrical rotor power and air gap power of a loaded induction machine. In a table and several figures the conditions are illustrated as a function of slip.
It is shown how the circle diagram must be altered as a result of the reflexions. The diameter of the circle remains constant but direction and size of no load current in synchronisme will be altered. The eddy currents of the rotor alter the short circuit point and the power line while the hysteresis torque causes a parallel shift of the torque line (to the bottom in case of subsynchronisme, and to the top in case of hypersynchronisme) whereby the bearing friction loss may be included. The mechanical useful power of the motor or the driving power of the generator respectively is found by the diagram and simple calculation.


A major realignment is taking place in the way we understand the state in Indonesia. New studies on local politics, ethnicity, the democratic transition, corruption, Islam, popular culture, and other areas hint at novel concepts of the state, though often without fully articulating them. This book aims to capture some dimensions of this shift. One reason for the new thinking is a fresh wind in state studies more generally. People are posing new kinds of questions about the state, and they are developing new methodologies to answer them. Another reason for this shift is that Indonesia itself has changed, probably more than most people recognize. It looks more democratic, but also more chaotic and corrupt, than it did during the militaristic New Order of 1966–98. This book consists of case studies from many different settings around the archipelago. The studies focus on various types of state representatives, such as village heads, informal slum leaders, district heads, and parliamentarians. They explore the spaces and settings where the state is evident and where it is discussed: coffee houses, hotel lounges, fishing waters, and streetside stalls. They investigate state authority, both as a set of actual practices and as an image of what the state "ought" to be. The case studies, and the broader trend in scholarship of which they are a part, allow for a new theorization of the state in Indonesia that more adequately addresses the complexity of political life in this vast archipelago nation.


We report, for the first time, that a nanocrystalline layered TiP2O7 as a cathode material for Li-, Na- and K-alkali metal batteries is prepared by a solvothermal process followed by a heat treatment at 600 °C. For comparison, a crystalline cubic TiP2O7 is also synthesized at 800 °C. It is clarified that the layered TiP2O7 is slightly poorer for lithium storage but much better for sodium and potassium storages than the cubic phase. The detailed electrochemical processes are investigated by means of ex situ XRD analyses. Different from the two-phase co-existence mechanism for the cubic phase, a solid-solution mechanism is identified for the layered phase to follow in the Li/Na/K intercalation reactions based on electrochemical and structural studies. To overcome the poor electronic conductivity limit for high rate applications, carbon coating is employed on the TiP2O7 samples. The carbon-coated layered phase TiP2O7 (600 °C) displays fairly reversible capacity close to 100 mA h g−1 in both Li and Na rechargeable alkali metal batteries. It is a promising electrode material for large energy storage systems.


The problem of discovering information flow trends and influencers in social networks has become increasingly relevant both because of the increasing amount of content available from online networks in the form of social streams, and because of its relevance as a tool for content trends analysis. An important part of this analysis is to determine the key patterns of flow and corresponding influencers in the underlying network. Almost all the work on influence analysis has focused on fixed models of the network structure, and edge-based transmission between nodes. In this paper, we propose a fully content-centered model of flow analysis in social network streams, in which the analysis is based on actual content transmissions in the network, rather than a static model of transmission on the edges. First, we introduce the problem of information flow mining in social streams, and then propose a novel algorithm InFlowMine to discover the information flow patterns in the network. We then leverage this approach to determine the key influencers in the network. Our approach is flexible, since it can also determine topic-specific influencers. We experimentally show the effectiveness and efficiency of our model.


Stationarity properties of real interest rates are examined for 21 transition economies. Owing to transaction costs and other frictions, it is quite plausible that we are dealing with potential non-linearities in the real interest rate. Therefore we examine stationarity of the real interest rate allowing for non-linearities and asymmetric adjustment with smooth structural change in the data generating process. Our findings suggest that taking account of non-linearities in the data generating process results in a rejection of the unit root null hypothesis for some countries which seem to be non-stationary according to conventional unit root tests. This finding points to the importance of allowing for both structural breaks and asymmetric adjustment in the real interest rate series of transition countries.


While past strategies for agricultural water management have focused on irrigation (use of blue water), this paper demonstrates the dominance of green water in food production. A global, yet spatially disaggregated, green‐blue analysis of water availability and requirement, using the LPJmL dynamic vegetation and water balance model, indicates that many countries currently assessed as severely water short are able to produce enough food for their populations if green water is considered and is managed well. The need to integrate green and blue water management is highlighted in a future scenario of water availability under climate change and population growth (HadCM2 A2). For 2050, the scenario indicates that 59% of the world population will face blue water shortage, and 36% will face green and blue water shortage. Even under climate change, good options to build water resilience exist without further expansion of cropland, particularly through management of local green water resources that reduces risks for dry spells and agricultural droughts.


PURPOSE
This study evaluated changes in cho-roidal and macular thickness in healthy volunteers and chronic smokers.

METHODS
Thirty-three eyes of 33 chronic smokers (study group) and 33 eyes of 33 healthy controls who had never smoked were prospectively evaluated. Comprehensive ophthalmic assessment included slit lamp biomicroscopy, stereoscopic fundus examination, and intraocular pressure measurement. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography was used to measure choroidal and macular thickness 1 month before smoking cessation (smoking period) and after 3 months of smoking cessation (nonsmoking period).

RESULTS
The mean age of the participants was 41.88 ± 6.52 years (range, 26-52), and the average smoking duration was 8.6 ± 2.5 years (range, 5-16). The thickness of the paracentral choroid (nasal: 1,500 mm, p=0.001 and temporal: 1,500 mm, p=0.001) had significantly decreased after 3 months of smoking cessation. The thicknesses of the subfoveal choroid in the smoking and nonsmoking periods were not significantly different (p=0.194). The mean central macular thickness was 267.21 ± 18.42 mm in the smoking period and 268.42 ± 18.28 mm in the nonsmoking period (p=0.022).

CONCLUSIONS
Smoking was associated with statistically significant changes in paracentral choroidal and central macular thickness in healthy volunteers. Pathological studies should be performed to evaluate the effects of smoking on posterior ocular structures.


: Investigators from the Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology (Kyrgyzstan) from 1988 to 1994 have conducted a randomized trial entering 122 patients with prostatic cancer. 44 patients received radiation treatment (group 1), 43 patients in addition to radiation were given chemotherapy and estrogens (group 2), 35 patients received drugs and estrogens (group 3). A complete response was registered in 80 (65.5%) patients. 84.2% and 69.8% of them survived 3 and 5 years, respectively. Of 30 patients 24.5%) with partial response 3- and 5-year survival was recorded in 82.8 and 57.3%, respectively. Morphological examination of transrectal prostatic biopsies 3-72 months after the treatment stated the existence of tumor pathomorphosis and unchanged tumor in 111(29.7%) and 42(11.2%) samples. It was found that the above morphological changes had developed throughout 72 months. Their intensity was the greatest within the first after-treatment year. Long-term outcomes proved better in those patients who had no residual tumor and in those who had tumor pathomorphosis during aftertreatment year 1.


Most chemical carcinogens are not active in their original forms but required bioactivation to highly reactive metabolites. The phase I and phase II enzymes play important role in carcinogen activation. Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are phase II enzymes existed as two isoforms, NAT1 and NAT2. NAT enzymes catalyse the biotransformation of many primary amines, hydrazines and their N-hydroxylated metabolites, thereby play role in both the detoxification and metabolic activation of numerous xenobiotics. Chemoprotection strategies against cancers usually include the inhibition of various steps in metabolic activation. There were many reports demonstrated that flavonoid had tumor prevention effect. In this study, the chemopreventive agents of interest were focused primarily on some abundant natural products which are found in fruits, vegetables, and teas as part of normal human diets. The chemical classes employed in this study include polyphenol of small molecules i.e. caffeic acid and ferulic acid; flavonoids i.e. quercetin, genistein, silymarin, tea catechin and coumarins. Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which were previously reported possessing NAT1 inhibition activity such as aspirin, paracetamol and diclofenac were also included. This study was aimed to screen the inhibitory action of these compounds in vitro on NAT1, since NAT1 enzyme is expressed widely in the body. The sources of enzymes were from human extra-hepatic bile duct carcinoma cell line (KMBC) and surgical liver specimens from cholangiocarcinoma patients. NAT1 activity was determined by using para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) as a test substrate and was analysed by the high performance liquid chromatography method. This study showed that caffeic acid, (-)epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin and taxifolin showed strong NAT1 inhibition activity, whereas, tyramine and tryptamine, the substrates of alkylarylamine N-acetyltransferase had only slightly inhibitory effects. This study suggest that natural products with potent NAT inhibitory activity may be useful in cancer chemoprevention


A clearer definition of the Frasnian stage as an internationally recognized subdivision of the Devonian System is required. Following tradition the base of this stage should be taken as the base of the Upper Devonian. Pending international agreement on the definition of -the limits of the Frasnian, it is recommended that the base should continue to be defined as the base of the Assise de Fromelennes. This level agrees with the :boundary currently accepted by the Conseil geologique de Belgique; and seems close to the concept accepted by Gosselet when he proposed the Frasnian in 1879. This horizon appears, on present evidence, to fall within the varcus Zone of the conodont chronology: it may not be far from the base of the goniatite Lunulicosta Zone and Manticoceras Stufe. The serious repercussions of current proposals to change the definition to the base of the Assise de Frasnes are, outlined. The upper limit of the Frasnian is now defined as the base of the Assise de Senzeille and it is recommended that it should remain so until international agreement recommends a change. A case is argued for considering a slightly higher horizon within the conodont triangularis Zone and at the base of the Cheiloceras Stufe, since it is ,this boundary, in practice, which has widest international acceptance at present. The need for international discussion of correlations and definitions of these boundaries is emphasized. Selected aspects of these problems are considered in detail.


The paper delves into the institutional mechanism for resolving trade disputes in the EAC. It identifies and discusses various mechanisms set up by the founding Treaty and Protocols to resolve trade disputes that arise in the integration process. The central thesis of this paper is as a Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) that is fast growing, trade disputes are bound to occur with the EAC. It is on this basis that the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), the EAC Committee on Trade Remedies, Partner States judicial, administrative and legislative organs as well as other voluntary mechanisms have been established to handle trade disputes. Basically, the institutional framework as well as regulations for settling trade disputes in the EAC embodies elements of diplomacy and adjudication. The combination is desirable for administrative convenience and flexibility in terms of speedy and efficiency in the resolution of trade disputes.


Leishmaniasis is neglected tropical a protozoan infectious disease caused by Leishmania parasites. VL (also known as Kala-Azar) is the most severe chronic form of Leishmaniasis, almost always fatal if untreated. The annual burden of VL in Ethiopia is estimated to be between 4,500 and 5,000 cases. In a medical environment, incomplete information and imprecise are driven to making an incorrect medical decision and maximize the rate of morbidity and mortality. Fuzzy logic technology enables to provide a simple way to attain to a certain conclusion from vague, imprecise and ambiguous medical data. Clinical suspicion of VL is complex because of its clinical manifestation are shared by other commonly occurring tropical disease like malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis. Several studies were conducted on VL, nevertheless, no one addresses the VL diagnosis using learning capacity. This thesis, we developed and investigated the application of an intelligent interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Expert System for diagnosis Visceral Leishmaniasis (VLDES) to assist health workers easy diagnosis a patient and decision-makers to prevent the expansion epidemic. The Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System would be clear to present a highly interpretable and transparent model that is very suitable for the handling uncertainties in the input factors and converting the accumulated data to linguistic formats. First we acquired well organized domain expert knowledge via interview questions and relevant document from the university of Gondar Kala-Azar Treatment and Research center. Secondly, we defined the parameters of fuzzy membership functions of Type-1 Fuzzy Logic System mentioned based on domain knowledge with intensive discussion. Finally, we employed to define uncertainty of the Footprint of Uncertainty (FOU) percentage of Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System. We obtained  98.97% classification accuracy respectively from fifteen patients testing data. This show that the proposed Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Classification System provides a more interpretable model that Diagnosis VL.


Background: During recent decades open approach rhinoplasty and then, to obtain better transcolumellar scar results, some incisions like z, v, and reversed v were introduced. Different authors describe step and inverted v incisions as the two most common transcolumellar incisions. Thus, the present study was conducted to compare postoperative transcolumellar scars using these two patterns.
Methods: A total of 62 aesthetic rhinoplasty candidates were randomly divided into two groups of step pattern and inverted v pattern. Then, all the patients were operated by one surgeon in similar operative conditions using similar suture materials and operation techniques. Patient follow-ups for transcolumellar scars were done in three ways:
1. According to the clinical scar assessment scale (SCAS),
2. According to the observer team scores (1-10 scoring system) (Two plastic surgeons, an aesthetic ward nurse, and a non-aesthetic ward nurse)
3. According to patient's evaluation (1-10 scoring system). Finally, data were collected and submitted for analysis.
Results: Both groups had similar mean ages. After six months, analysis of transcolumllar scars were done according to the three criteria previously mentioned. According to the findings, compared with step incision, inverted v incision produced higher scores and better quality for both patients and observer team.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that inverted v transcolumellar incision produces better scars in comparison to step incision in the views of patients and observer team. As a result, we advise inverted v pattern for transcolumellar incision in open rhinoplasty.


Networks-on-Chip (NoC) have emerged as a replacement for traditional shared-bus designs for on-chip communications. As with all current VLSI design, however, reducing power consumption in NoCs is a critical challenge. One approach to reduce power is to dynamically scale the voltage and frequency of each network node or groups of nodes (DVFS). Another approach to reduce power consumption is to replace the balanced clock tree with a globally-asynchronous, locally-synchronous (GALS) clocking scheme. NoCs implemented with either of these schemes, however, tend to have high latencies as packets must be synchronized at intermediate nodes between source and destination. In this paper, we propose a novel router microarchitecture which offers superior performance versus typical synchronizing router designs. Our approach features Asynchronous Bypass Channels (ABCs) at intermediate nodes thus avoiding synchronization delay. We also propose several new network topology and routing algorithm that leverage the advantages of the bypass channel offered by our router design. Our experiments show that our design improves the performance of a conventional synchronizing design with similar resources by up to 26% at low loads and increases saturation throughput by up to 50%.


Electrostatic discharge (ESD) failure is a major reliability problem, and ESD protection is an emerging design challenge for radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits demanding extremely high reliability for wireless applications in harsh environments. This paper reports the design and optimization of a 5-kV ESD-protected 2.4-GHz power amplifier (PA) circuit in a 0.18-μm RFCMOS technology. A new mixed-mode ESD simulation-design method and an accurate RF ESD characterization technique are used to minimize the inevitable ESD-induced parasitic effects, which can significantly degrade PA circuit performance. A novel ESD-aware PA design technique is utilized to optimize whole-chip ESD+PA performance. Experiments show that conventional ESD protection can seriously affect the PA circuit, while optimized ESD protection may resolve such a problem. The optimized ESD-protected PA circuit achieves good whole-chip performance, including 5-kV ESD protection, a linear output of 13.5 dBm, a gain of 20.2 dB, and a power-added efficiency of ~ 18%, all favorable in the same design category.


A modeling scheme is presented which provides a medium for the rigorous, formal, and abstract specification of large-scale software system components. The scheme allows the description of component behavior without revealing or requiring the description of a component's internal operation. Both collections of sequential processes and the data objects which they share may be described. The scheme is of particular value during the early stages of software system design, when the system's modules are being delineated and their interactions designed, and when rigorous, well-defined specification of undesigned components allows formal and informal arguments concerning the design's correctness to be formulated.


Managing the workforce in the organization is one of the essential goals of the organization, which helps to improve productivity. To do so, organizations should implement various labor welfare measures. The present study deals with identifying the multiple determinants of labor welfare facilities and their impact on job satisfaction. The success of an organization depends on the job satisfaction of the workforce.In the present study, the parameters of job satisfaction are identified by an extensive literature survey.The present study identifies that labor welfare facilities and job satisfaction of employees will affect the quality of work life. In this context, the study addresses the labor welfare schemes, job satisfaction level, and its impact on Quality of Worklife,Job Satisfaction in KSRTC Kolar District. Data is collected through primary sources with an interview schedule with a Likert five-point scale with a sample size of 150.


The "war on terror" represents a powerful metaphor reaching into the everyday lives of millions of non-U.S. citizens and citizens alike, both domestically and abroad. The "war" has skewed the debate, specifically regarding immigration regulation and reform. It is especially pernicious because it operates, on an unconscious level, on our unstated assumptions about immigrants and immigrant populations. In this Article, the authors begin with a discussion of the so-called "anchor" babies, now transmogrified into a new, scarier concept, "terror" babies. This is a good starting point for the discussion because it illustrates quite poignantly the ways in which the rhetoric has driven the debate to the point of absurdity and hyperbole. We then address the proliferation of terror-related grounds of inadmissibility and deportability. The issues which have come up in proceedings center around the malleability of the term "material support," the exceedingly large breadth of scope in the term "terrorist activity," as well as the difficulties which follow from allowing for the incorporation of the inadmissibility grounds into the parallel ground of deportability in section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"). Equally disturbing are the misunderstandings surrounding the term "illegal immigrant." We argue for a more nuanced approach which takes into account the range of available relief depending on the nature and history of one's undocumented status. Throughout the discussion, there is the recognition that governmental actors have latitude, sometimes enormously wide latitude, to interpret the laws. It is often in these interstices where abuse occurs. We next discuss the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and the trend to apply the doctrine outside of its normal confines in the context of criminal defendants and to deprive the courts of jurisdiction to hear the appeals of immigrants. We point out the infirmities with applying the fugitive disentitlement doctrine in the context of immigration. In the Real ID Act, among other legislation, there are severe jurisdiction-stripping provisions which have deprived federal district courts, in habeas proceedings, of the power to review final orders of removal, and modified the jurisdiction of the federal courts of appeals to hear immigrants' appeals in other important ways. We argue that in these provisions the Real ID Act violates the Suspension Clause. In our conclusion we argue that metaphors certainly help us to interpret the world by making connections between disparate concepts. However, metaphors are not merely "figures of speech" but can result in tools of powerful persuasion. The danger of equating terrorists with immigrants and vice versa through the metaphor of the war on terror has become a very real threat to immigrants' rights, and by extension, to all our rights, citizens and non-citizens alike.


BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision has improved the outcome of locally advanced rectal carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify independent prognosis factors of disease recurrence in a group of patients treated with this approach. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: This study was retrospective in design. Data from patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who had completed treatment from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed. SETTINGS: The analysis was performed in a tertiary referral center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were the recurrence risk factors. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 228 patients; 69.3% of them were men, and median age was 59 years. Stage III rectal cancer was found in 64.9% of patients. The most frequently administered therapy was concurrent capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and 7-field radiotherapy, followed by 3-field radiotherapy and fluoropyrimidines. After a median follow-up of 49 months, 23.7% of the patients experienced disease recurrence: 2.6% had local recurrence, 21.1% had distant metastases, and 0.5% had both. Factors significantly correlated with recurrence risk in multivariate logistic regression were y-pathological stage (III vs I/II: OR = 2.51), tumor regression grade (1/2 vs 3+/4: OR = 3.34; 3 vs 3+/4: OR = 1.20), and low rectal location (OR = 2.36). The only independent prognosis factor for liver metastases was tumor regression grade (1/2 vs 3+/4: OR = 4.67; 3 vs 3+/4: OR = 1.41), whereas tumor regression grade (1–2 vs 3+/4: OR = 5.5; 3 vs 3+/4: OR = 1.84), low rectal location (OR = 3.23), and previous liver metastasis (OR = 7.73) predicted lung recurrence. LIMITATIONS: This is a single institutional experience, neoadjuvant combined therapy is not homogeneous, and the analysis has been performed in a retrospective manner. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with low third locally advanced rectal cancer with a poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (high y-pathological stage or low tumor regression grade) are at high risk of recurrence. Intense surveillance and the design of alternative therapeutic approaches aimed to lower the distant failure rate seem warranted.


Correlation between basic sanitary condition and Diarrhea with the water quality in Sukaraja Subdistrict Medan Maimun District 2012. Diarrhea on Deli river users was fairly high. The cause was suspected by unhealthy basic sanitation and people's habits in using river water as water source. The study aimed to analyze the correlation between condition of basic sanitation and diarrheaon Deli river users and to know Deli water riverquality. The study was conducted by descriptive method with cross sectional study design. This research conducted along the riverside area of Deli on Sukaraja village Medan Maimun Sub District with 59 housewives sample.The result showed there was correlation between sanitation of water resources (p=0,024), family latrines (p=0,016), garbage disposal (p=0,045) and diarrhea, and there was no correlation between sanitation of waste water treatment (p=0,050) and diarrhea. From the results oflaboratory tests,river water quality in upstream area did not exceed the the specified threshold value, such as temperature, nitrate, selenium, and E. coli. According to PP no. 82 tahun 2001, while in middle and downstream area number of E. Coli was foundhad exceeded the specified threshold value. Based on the result of study, Deli river in middle and downstream area had contaminated by feces and there was a significant correlation betweenbasic sanitation and diarrhea. Suggested forLocal Government Medan District to be more intensive on water supply and environmental health program and people to care about their basic sanitation.


PURPOSE
This article describes the use of sialoendoscopy for diagnosis and treatment of strictures and kinks in the major salivary glands ducts.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Thirty-four salivary glands with obstruction were diagnosed as having ductal kinks or strictures. Strictures were diagnosed by sialography and sialoendoscopy, kinks were diagnosed mainly by sialography, whereas endoscopy was used to rule out other pathology and to locate the kink. There were strictures in 25 salivary glands (14 male and 11 females; aged 25 to 60 years), 14 in the parotid and 11 in the submandibular gland, and kinks in 9 salivary glands (5 males 4 females; aged 40 to 55 years). Seven kinks were found in the submandibular gland and 2 in the parotid. Treatment of strictures was performed by dilatation procedures with saline under pressure, balloon techniques, and forced manipulation. After these procedures, a polyethylene stent was inserted for 2 weeks. Kinks were treated by advancement ductoplasty and balloon contouring to overcome the acute angle.

RESULTS
Twenty of 25 cases of stricture became completely asymptomatic in a follow-up of 8 to 36 months after treatment. In 4 cases, further revisional dilatation was needed, and in 1 case treatment failed and the gland had to be removed. All 9 cases of kinks became completely asymptomatic in a follow-up of 6 to 24 months after treatment.

CONCLUSION
Strictures and kinks should be considered when salivary gland obstruction is present without sialolithiasis.


An image compression technique is proposed that attempts to achieve both robustness to transmission bit errors common to wireless image communication, as well as sufficient visual quality of the reconstructed images. Error robustness is achieved by using biorthogonal wavelet subband image coding with multistage gain-shape vector quantization (MS-GS VQ) which uses three stages of signal decomposition in an attempt to reduce the effect of transmission bit errors by distributing image information among many blocks. Good visual quality of the reconstructed images is obtained by applying genetic algorithms (GAs) to codebook generation to produce reconstruction capabilities that are superior to the conventional techniques. The proposed decomposition scheme also supports the use of GAs because decomposition reduces the problem size. Some simulations for evaluating the performance of the proposed coding scheme on both transmission bit errors and distortions of the reconstructed images are performed. Simulation results show that the proposed MS-GS VQ with good codebooks designed by GAs provides not only better robustness to transmission bit errors but also higher peak signal-to-noise ratio even under high bit error rate conditions.


A microelectronic biosensor was subjected to in vivo exposure by implanting it in the vicinity of m. trapezii (Trapezius muscle) from cattle. The implant is intended for the continuous monitoring of glucose levels, and the study aimed at evaluating the biostability of exposed semiconductor surfaces. The sensor chip was a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) prepared using 0.25 µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor CMOS/BiCMOS technology. Sensing is based on the principle of affinity viscometry with a sensoric assay, which is separated by a semipermeable membrane from the tissue. Outer dimensions of the otherwise hermetically sealed biosensor system were 39 × 49 × 16 mm. The test system was implanted into cattle in a subcutaneous position without running it. After 17 months, the device was explanted and analyzed by comparing it with unexposed chips and systems. Investigations focused on the MEMS chip using SEM, TEM, and elemental analysis by EDX mapping. The sensor chip turned out to be uncorroded and no diminishing of the topmost passivation layer could be determined, which contrasts remarkably with previous results on CMOS biosensors. The negligible corrosive attack is understood to be a side effect of the semipermeable membrane separating the assay from the tissue. It is concluded that the separation has enabled a prolonged biostability of the chip, which will be of relevance for biosensor implants in general.


Psychiatric disorders and associated cardiac comorbidities have increased the risk of mortality worldwide. Researchers reported that depression increases the possibility of future cardiac abnormalities by approximately 30%. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop therapeutic interventions to treat depression and associated cardiac abnormalities. The present study was conducted to evaluate the prophylactic effect of rosmarinic acid (RA) against chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)‐induced depression associated cardiac abnormalities in Wistar rats. The CUS paradigm, which comprised several stressors, was employed for 40 days to induce depressive‐like behavior and associated cardiac abnormalities in rats. Along with CUS, RA at a dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg was administered orally to two groups of animals for 40 days. Behavioral tests (forced swim test and sucrose consumption test) and molecular biomarkers (corticosterone and serotonin) were performed. Electrocardiography was performed before CUS (Day 0), Day 20, and Day 40 to study electrocardiogram parameters. Furthermore, changes in body weight, organ weight, tissue lipid peroxidation, glutathione, catalase, cTn‐I, MMP‐2, and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α and IL‐6) were estimated. Our results showed that RA treatment caused a reduction in immobility period, adrenal hyperplasia, corticosterone level, tissue lipid peroxidation, cTn‐I, MMP‐2, proinflammatory cytokines, and QRS complex duration, while an increase in sucrose consumption, brain serotonin level, T‐wave width, glutathione, and catalase activity as compared with the CUS‐control group. The results of our study proved that RA administration ameliorates CUS‐induced depression‐associated cardiac abnormalities in rats via serotonergic, oxidative, and inflammatory pathways.


While the market for energy management systems (EMS) has been exploding, there are many indications that the pendulum of high expectations may have swung too far. A simple seven-day time clock can usually provide 80-95 percent of the potential savings of many EMS features. For several hundred additional dollars, a small microprocessor based time clock with features such as automatic holiday and daylight savings adjustments, optimal start, and four separate load stop/start schedules (ventilation, heating, and air conditioning, indoor lights, and outdoor lights) can be purchased which can increase the savings an additional 5-20 percent on most buildings. Owners of multiple building systems or large commercial and industrial buildings can often justify a complex EMS with increased load scheduling capability. However, EMS features such as duty-cycling and demand limiting are usually overrated in their energy savings capability, not only because slowing down the fans can save more energy than cycling them, but also because duty cycling can cause personnel discomfort and equipment maintenance problems. Moreover, any temperature control modifications which save energy can usually be installed without an EMS for less initial cost and with an equivalent energy savings. Additional expenses for EMS features such as temperature monitoring and remote set point adjustment are not usually of value if a building's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is operating properly. EMS features such as metering and report logs can be useful diagnostic tools in the hands of a qualified individual, but often they provide data diarrhea.


In Eweida and others v UK the European Court of Human Rights held that there was a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights article 9 where an employee's claim for indirect discrimination on grounds of religion or belief was unsuccessful in the Court of Appeal because she could not show that a group of people sharing her views had been disadvantaged by the employer's action. This led to a legal note from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the effects of the decisions and guidance on how employers should deal with employees who wanted modifications of their working conditions because of their religion or belief. This guidance could be taken to suggest that employers should do their best to accommodate employees' religious requirements where reasonable to do so.

The purpose of this paper is to argue that, on the contrary, the European Court of Human Rights's decision in Eweida v UK does not require the concept of reasonable accommodation to be introduced into English law, and that there are good reasons for regarding such a development as undesirable.


The problems caused by random sway errors in the tow-path of a single hydrophone, synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) are well-known. If these horizontal displacement errors are left uncorrected and the tow path is assumed to be straight, they have a devastating effect on the quality of the reconstructed image. Although on-board navigation instruments can help measure the gross departures from the straight path, sub-wavelength residual sway errors still corrupt the imaging process. An early sway estimation technique in SAR (called the map-drift algorithm) was to divide the full aperture up into two equal, but non-overlapping sub-apertures. By cross-correlating the resultant two low-resolution images, an estimate of the equivalent phase error (that is the sway error divided by the wavelength and multiplied by /spl pi/) could be obtained for the second order coefficient of the polynomial describing the sway between the images. The two-image map-drift algorithm could be extended to smaller and smaller sub-apertures with the phase error estimated to higher and higher orders of the polynomial. The limit of the method is when the sub-aperture images are of such a low resolution that it is not possible to detect the differential sway between adjacent images. More recently SAS systems have a single transmitter +projector and an array of receiving hydrophones so that the echoes received from any one ping can be reconstructed into a low-resolution image centred on the rotational axis of the real array. The images from the adjacent pings are cross-correlated to determine how the sonar has moved between pings. The sub-aperture (cf. map-drift algorithm) is thus determined by the extent of the physical array. From the cross-correlation, the differential sway can be estimated from a series of displaced single ping images just as in the map-drift algorithm. By measuring the rotational displacement between the images we can also estimate the relative yaw between single ping images. Using simulated, distorted SAS data as input, the proposed DPIA algorithm shows promise in that it can estimate yaw with sufficient accuracy to restore distorted SAS images very close to their diffraction limit. Here we present "before and after" simulated images from an extant SAS and demonstrate the power (and also the limitations) of the proposed DPIA technique.


Twelve pancreases from human infants one year old or less were analyzed for tissue insulin and amylase content before and after dispersal of pancreatic fragments by mincing and collagenase digestion. Tissue insulin and amylase content provide an index of pancreatic islet mass and exocrine digestive enzyme content, respectively. The results were compared with similar anaylses performed on juvenile and adult human pancreases before and after islet isolation and on intact and dispersed neonatal rat and adult rat pancreas. Infant human pancreas has an average tissue insulin concentration of 1,128 μg./gm. of tissue and a total insulin content of 1,718 μg/pancreas, as against values of 140 μg./gm. of tissue and 7,209 μg./pancreas for adult human pancreas. Average tissue amylase concentration is 0.24 mg./gm. of tissue in infant human pancreas and 3.0 mg./gm. of tissue in adult human pancreas. The insulin/amylase ratio in infant pancreas is 4,800, as against 46 in the adult pancreas. Neonatal rat pancreas, which can be dissociated and transplanted without separation of islet and exocrine components, has a similarly high tissue insulin and low tissue amylase content when compared with adult rat pancreases. Infant human pancreas has a total islet mass 24 per cent that of an adult human pancreas, and neonatal rat pancreas has a total islet mass 11 per cent of that of an adult rat pancreas. One neonatal rat pancreas prepared by minimal collagenase digestion can cure diabetes when transplanted via the portal vein to a rat. Following dispersal of infant human pancreas by collagenase digestion, the islet content and the insulin/amylase ratio of the recovered tissue equals or exceeds that which usually can be isolated from adult cadaver pancreases. Infant human pancreas is a rich source of islet tissue that is relatively uncontaminated by exocrine digestive enzymes. After dispersal, infant human pancreas may be ideal for transplantation to selected diabetic patients.


Tuberculosis is a serious disease with high morbidity and mortality, thus rapid and cost-effective diagnostic test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is urgently needed. Here, a novel detection diagnostic technique, termed as loop-mediated isothermal amplification label-based nanoparticles with lateral flow biosensor (LAMP-LFB), was developed and evaluated for rapid, reliable and objective detection of MTB. Two sets of primers, which targeted IS 6110 and IS 1081 sequences of MTB, were simultaneously designed for establishment of LAMP-LFB assay. The optimal reaction conditions of MTB-LAMP-LFB assay confirmed were 66ºC for only 50min. The analytical sensitivity of MTB-LAMP-LFB is 10fg of genomic templates in pure culture, and the detection results obtained from LFB was in conformity with agarose gel electrophoresis. No cross-reactivity with other common bacteria and non-tuberculous mycobacteria strains (NTM) was obtained. A total of 158 clinical samples were collected from presumptive 158 TB patients, were used for evaluating the feasibility of MTB-LAMP-LFB assay. Among 98 TB patients diagnosed with composite reference standard, the positive rate for MTB detection using liquid culture, Xpert MTB/RIF and LAMP-LFB were 40.0% (39/98), 50.0% (48/98), and 86.7% (85/98), respectively. Among 39 culture confirmed samples, 84.6% (33/39) cases were Xpert MTB/RIF-positive and 92.3% (36/39) were LAMP-LFB-positive. For the 59 clinically diagnosed TB cases 25.4% (15/59) and 83.0% (49/59) were Xpert MTB/RIF-positive and LAMP-LFB positive, respectively. Therefore, MTB-LAMP-LFB assay is a simple, reliable, and sensitive method for MTB detection and maybe prospective in early diagnosis of MTB.


Ranibizumab is a monoclonal antibody fragment targeted against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) A isoform (VEGF-A). This study aimed to report a case of esophageal ulcer that developed soon after intravitreal ranibizumab injection in a patient with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A 53-year-old male patient diagnosed with AMD received ranibizumab through intravitreal injection in the left eye. Mild dysphagia occurred 3 days after receiving intravitreal ranibizumab injection for the second time. The dysphagia exacerbated remarkably and was accompanied by hemoptysis 1 day after receiving ranibizumab for the third time. Severe dysphagia accompanied by intense retrosternal pain and pant emerged after injecting ranibizumab for the fourth time. An esophageal ulcer was observed through ultrasound gastroscopy, covered with fibrinous tissue, and surrounded by flushing and congestive mucosae. The patient received proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) after discontinuation of ranibizumab. The dysphagia and retrosternal pain were gradually relieved after treatment. Afterwards, the esophageal ulcer has not relapsed since permanent discontinuation of ranibizumab. To our best knowledge, this was the first case of esophageal ulcer related to intravitreal ranibizumab injection. Our study indicated that VEGF-A played a potential role in the development of esophageal ulceration.


The key questions in this chapter are first, to what extent has the Council of Europe been involved with regulation of new health technologies (NHTs) and second, what is the nature of its interventions? The chapter focuses on the theme of (human) rights, though it also addresses ethical issues when we come to discuss dignity. Technological change may seem to threaten the status of human rights as fundamental standards — much less fixed points — in political democracies, with authors wondering how human rights can survive the challenge of rapidly evolving technology, or even how human rights might be meaningful in a 'posthuman' age. In addressing these questions, the chapter is structured as follows. Part B describes the system of multilevel regulation within the Council of Europe, identifying the relevant Council of Europe institutions and texts. Part C considers the importance of flexibility and variability in the Council's interventions relating to NHTs; a particular focus is the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the margin of appreciation doctrine. The theme of rights and especially autonomy-related rights (non-interference, privacy, etc.) is the subject of Part D; equality rights and the right to health are also considered. Part E examines how the Council treats dignity. Part F revisits some of the governance related discussion of the earlier sections, highlighting the Council's standards that encourage public discussion of these sensitive questions.


Background: Hypercalcemia of malignancy is the second most common cause of hypercalcemia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Several treatment options are available including pharmacological therapy with bisphosphonates, denosumab, glucocorticoids, and calcimimetics, as well as conventional therapy with hydration and possibly calcitonin. While guidelines have previously considered treatment effects, no guideline has yet considered a range of contextual factors impacting recommendations for the management. Objective: The aim of this study is to summarize the available evidence on important decisional factors for the development of guidelines for the treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy. These include patient's values and preferences, cost, acceptability, feasibility, and equity. Methods/Design: This is a systematic review of observational studies, case series, trials, reviews and qualitative studies involving treatment of adult patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy. We developed and executed two independent search strategies using five databases: Pubmed, Medline (OVID), Embase.com, CINAHL (EBSCO) and Cochrane, and reviewed their combined output. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts and full texts and will implement data abstraction from relevant studies independently and in duplicate. The outcomes of interest are the decisional factors that influence drug selection, with possible subgroup analyses by drug class or etiology of hypercalcemia of malignancy. We will present the data collected in a narrative and thematic approach. Discussion: This systematic review will identify important treatment decisional factors, and will assist guidelines panels, physicians and patients to decide on therapeutic options based on the current evidence.


Purpose
As intangible cultural heritage, traditional performing arts depend on transmission by individuals and collectives. The purpose of this paper is to explore how traditional performers practice their arts in South Korea. The analysis focuses on the transformations of performance conventions and contexts, as well as on new genres that developed in response to heritage legislation and social change during the last 200 years.

Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a wide array of existing ethnographic research, the paper compares processes of transmission and transformation of three different genres: the solo singing-storytelling genre pansori, the ensemble percussion-dance genre pungmul and the various regional forms of mask dance drama subsumed under the label talnori. The paper argues that the artists, who perform these genres, while not unaffected by the expectations of their audiences, have the power to transcend traditional boundaries.

Findings
Due to early professionalization in the nineteenth century, pansori performers could adapt to the changing contexts of market-oriented modernity and survive until governmental intervention in 1962. Pre-modern pungmul and talnori was performed primarily by and for rural communities, resulting in an interruption of transmission when these contexts disappeared and partial re-invention in the wake of official preservation legislation.

Originality/value
The need for repeated performance in historically varying contexts makes the analysis of performing arts particular fruitful for understanding how practitioners of tradition (have to) adapt to change. A historical-comparative perspective provides concise insights into the dynamics of development that informs tradition today. The inclusion of offspring genres (changgeuk, madang-geuk, samulnori) furthermore shows the potential of heritage development beyond the official system of preservation.


Water-soluble perylene bisimide derivative 7 modified with six mannoses was synthesized and its self-assembled properties were studied by UV-Vis and CD spectroscopy, which revealed an interesting self-assembly with a solvent-tuning chiral conformation in H(2)O-DMSO solution. As H(2)O was added to the DMSO solution until a 60% (or 70%) v/v proportion was achieved, the self-assembly of the mannose functionalized compound 7 exhibited a left-handed helical conformation. More interestingly, when the volume of H(2)O constituted beyond 85% of the solution, the conformation of the self-assembly turned out to be a right-handed helical conformation. Furthermore, the binding interactions between the self-assembly of compound 7 and Con A were investigated by turbidity assay, CD spectra, TEM and SEM images, and ELLA experiment, which indicated that the self-assembly of compound 7 as multivalent glycoclusters exhibited specific binding to Con A with an IC(50) value of 24 μM (144 μM, valency corrected), 10 times stronger than the reference compound (α-MMP).


Multiple agent chemotherapy in high-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumor patients is a problem for any medical team. In this study, EMA-EP chemotherapy (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin, and cisplatinum) was evaluated as firstline chemotherapy to manage high-risk GTT metastatic patients. Seventeen high-risk metastatic patients, including 14 without and 3 with brain metastasis, who were candidates to firstline multiple agent chemotherapy between April 2000 and March 2003 in Vali-e-Asr hospital took part in a prospective study under EMA-EP regimen. EMA-EP was prescribed in two periods: EMA in two consecutive days in week 1 and EP in 1 day in the following week with a week interval between these two (each cycle was repeated every 2 weeks). In brain metastasis group, patients got high-dose medication (methotrexate) together with brain radiotherapy. Remission, toxicity, full dose tolerance, and recurrences of patients were evaluated. Median age of patients was 30 (15–49), and they received 100 courses of chemotherapy including 75 low-dose courses and 25 high-dose courses. 71% of courses were done in full dosage (83% in low dose and 36% in high dose). The most common cause for dosage reduction was leukopenia. Two patients did not complete the regimen, one due to hypersensitivity and the other due to fever and leukopenia leading to death. All others, who received complete courses, achieved remission. In the group without brain metastasis, one case of recurrence was observed. Grade 3 anemia, grade 3 and 4 leukopenia, and grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia were observed in 3, 12, and 3% of patients, respectively. In current study, EMA-EP regimen in patients with high-risk metastatic GTN patients (with or without brain metastasis) lead to remission in all patients who completed the treatment courses.


This paper uses a functional approach to analyze the distributions of weekly returns in Bitcoins on leading cryptocurrency exchanges. The results present strong evidence for non-stationarity, which suggests unpredictability and time-varying statistical properties. In addition, non-stationary fluctuations tend to be primarily concentrated in even moments, such as volatility and kurtosis—however their effect is significant and persistent in every moment, including higher moments. The analysis in this paper proposes that the Bitcoin market is maturing and tending towards stability, but retains a high degree of unpredictability in the case of random shocks due to underlying market dynamics.


The objectives of this research are to identify the human-nature relationship as reflected in George"s Julie and elaborate how the human-nature relationship is depicted in the novel. Thus, the researcher applies ecocriticism theory, especially Garrad"s concept of animal and ecosystem theory. To analyze how the humannature relationship is depicted in the novel, the researcher employs Lukens" literary elements of children"s literature.
This research is a qualitative research. The content analysis method is used to analyze the data. The main data of this research are words, phrases, sentences related to the issues of human-nature relationship taken from George"s Julie. The key instrument of this research is the researcher herself. The researcher determined some indicators of the human-nature relationship and literary elements of children"s literature as explained in the analytical construct. The indicators were made based on the theory to gain the data. The research used peer debriefing method in order to achieve the trustworthiness
The findings of this research reveal that both the good and bad humannature relationship are portrayed in George"s Julie. Each of the human-nature relationship is determined by some indicators. The main indicators showing the good relationship are "understanding the existence of plant and animal as a part of human life" and "respecting all kinds of living things on earth". The main indicator showing the bad relationship is "having money-oriented principle". The researcher also found that human in the story starts having awareness to struggle to keep the balanced nature. This struggle can be seen through three categories: "action, hardship and insistence". Stopping the industry is the solution for the bad relationship between human and nature. The human-nature relationship in George"s Julie is represented by using three literary elements of children"s literature: character, theme and setting. The traits of characters are revealed by action, speech, others" comments and author"s comments. The theme of the story is delivered explicitly which is stated by some characters or is narrated by the author. The setting of Julie functions as antagonist that makes the story believable to the readers. In conclusion, the researcher finds out that George"s Julie is beneficial in constructing the children"s awareness of natural environment that is crucial for today"s life.


This guide provides quick access to the best resources at WU for conducting research related to human biology and physiology research


Numerous proposals exist for load balancing in peer-to-peer (p2p) networks. Some focus on namespace balancing, making the distance between nodes as uniform as possible. This technique works well under ideal conditions, but not under those found empirically. Instead, researchers have found heavy-tailed query distributions (skew), high rates of node join and leave (churn) and wide variation in node network and storage capacity (heterogeneity). Other approaches tackle these less-than-ideal conditions, but give up on important security properties. We propose an algorithm that both facilitates good performance and does not dilute security. Our algorithm, k-choices, achieves load balance by greedily matching nodes' target workloads with actual applied workloads through limited sampling and limits any fundamental decrease in security by basing each nodes' set of potential identifiers on a single certificate. Our algorithm compares favorably to four others in trace-driven simulations. We have implemented our algorithm and found that it improved aggregate throughput by 20% in a widely heterogeneous system in our experiments.


While STEM professions exhibit rapid growth in both employment opportunity (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2013) and earnings potential (Talakjowski, 2018), many of these careers – especially those in IT and engineering fields – have traditionally been and still remain male-dominated. For example, the workforces of large technical firms such as Google and Amazon consist of about 30% women with only a few of those women attaining leadership roles (Cheng, 2015). There has been extensive research exploring reasons explaining why women are underrepresented in STEM professions. However, there has been relatively little research investigating reasons why some women not only choose to enter STEM professions but also thrive in their STEM-oriented careers. This study seeks to fill that gap by reporting results from a grounded theory exploration of the career stories of successful women leaders in STEM professions. Our interest in this study is obtaining an understanding of women's career stories from the perspective of the women themselves. We conducted and analyzed semi-structured interviews with 22 women leaders in STEM fields. The interview protocol included questions beginning with family and childhood influences and progressing through adolescence and college choices before examining career progression and aspirations. We also asked about significant individuals who influenced their careers, both positively and negatively, and about their perceptions of both career advantages and disadvantages attributable to gender. While the women included in this study represent a varied group, there are some common themes that are beginning to emerge as we progress with the analysis. Many of the women report strong childhood emphasis on work ethic in their families with some coming from very humble beginnings including both agricultural workers and first-generation immigrants. Most of the respondents reported that they participated in competitive activities in their school years. The women respondents chose to study STEM-related fields both because of an affinity for math, science, and logic and because of the influence of respected family members and mentors. As these women entered their careers, many of them found themselves decidedly in the minority in their male-dominated environments. Two interesting themes are found in the stories of how the women navigated those circumstances. In some cases, the women made deliberate efforts to adapt and fit into those environments; for example, one related an account of how she cultivated an interest in watching sports and playing golf. In other cases, the women credited their ability to build networks and relationships in the workplace as a critical factor in their success. Further discussion of these and other themes as well as the supporting evidence from the interviews will be presented at the conference. Findings from this research will help to develop recommendations both for women interested in STEM professions as well as for organizations that would like to recruit and retain women in their workforce.


This paper presents results of research on legislative delegation in representative democracy which points to the existence of a bond between a nation (demos) and a constitution. Consequently, we claim that the meaning of constitutional institutions may change, depending on the understanding of the concept of nation. We refer to a homogeneous and to a heterogeneous concept of nation and their coexistence in Polish societal space and analyse the Second (1918–1939) Polish Republic's constitutions and practice to exemplify the friction of two concepts of the nation. Furthermore, the Third (since 1989) Republic's regulations and practice are explored to show how a homogeneous concept of the nation affects the openness of 1997 Constitution. A heterogeneous nation is reflected in the Polish constitutions and their values whilst at the same time, a constitutional practice has been developed under influence of the homogeneity of the nation.


This book examines scholarship, best practice methodologies, and examples of policy and practice from various professional fields in education and psychology to illuminate the elevated emphasis on test fairness in the 2014 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Together, the chapters provide a survey of critical and current issues with a view to broadening and contextualizing the fairness guidelines for different types of tests, test takers, and testing contexts. Researchers and practitioners from school psychology, clinical/counseling psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and education will find the content useful in thinking more acutely about fairness in testing in their work. The book also has chapters that address implications for policy makers, and, in some cases, the public. These discussions are offered as a starting point for future scholarship on the theoretical, empirical, and applied aspects of fairness in testing particularly given the ever-increasing importance of addressing equity in testing.


A novel photoresponsive zirconia (ZrO2) precursor solution was prepared using zirconium tetra-n-butoxide, 4-(phenylazo)benzoic acid and ethyleneglycol monomethylether. Two kinds of ZrO2 films were prepared using the photoresponsive ZrO2 precursor solution and by dip-coating while applying an electric field to the substrates: one was the film prepared with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to the solution and as-deposited films; the other was the film prepared without UV irradiation. It was found that the surface roughness of films was greatly changed by UV irradiation. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the rough film was greater than that of the smooth film.