Nitric oxide may be a key mediator of excitotoxic neuronal injury in the central nervous system. We examined the effects of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) on excitotoxic striatal lesions. 7-NI significantly attenuated lesions produced by intrastriatal injections of NMDA, but not kainic acid or alpha-amino-3- hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) 7-NI attenuated secondary striatal excitotoxic lesions produced by the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor malonate, and the protection was reversed by L- arginine but not by D-arginine, 7-NI produced nearly complete protection against striatal lesions produced by systemic administration of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), another succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor, 7-NI protected against malonate induced decreases in ATP, and increases in lactate, as assessed by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. 7-NI had no effects on spontaneous electrophysiologic activity in the striatum in vivo, suggesting that its effects were not mediated by an interaction with excitatory amino acid receptors. 7-NI attenuated increases in hydroxyl radical, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and 3-nitrotyrosine generation in vivo, which may be a consequence of peroxynitrite formation. The present results implicate neuronal nitric oxide generation in the pathogenesis of both direct and secondary excitotoxic neuronal injury in vivo. As such they suggest that neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of neurologic diseases in which excitotoxic mechanisms play a role.


Abstract: A classical test for accessing the potential creativity of an individual is based on ideational fluency, where a person is asked to generate all possible uses for a familiar item like a piece of paper. In scoring the results, it is intuitive that the suggested uses should not be weighted equally. Those suggested in radically different categories are "worth more"; than those suggested within the same category only. We used information theory to derive a simple mathematical expression for a more objective measure of ideational fluency. We call this the creativity quotient (CQ). This innovative measure was examined using a small sample of participants, and is illustrated by the responses of two typical individuals from an ideational fluency task. The CQ accounts for the number of ideas (fluency), plus the number of categories (flexibility). Ongoing research will examine the independence of CQ from established measures of intelligence and personality.


The laser research group at Lulea University of Technology has, in collaboration withSwedish industries, performed more than 20 laser welding and laser arc hybrid welding casestudies during the last decade. Most of them can be considered as successful and havedemonstrated improved mechanical properties, new design opportunities and higher weldingproductivity. Nevertheless, very few of the successful case studies have resulted in anindustrial application and the number of industrial implementations is still very limited. Thereare of course several reasons, like company organisation, human factors or lack of experience,but usually it is a rational analysis based on return of investment. The case studies are alsousually limited to one component at one company without any further evaluation and analysisof other business opportunities, i.e. other components/products within the company orforming a cluster of companies in a geographic region. This paper presents an extend analysesof a number of the performed case studies with the objectives to evaluate and identifybusiness cases. Different business models, such as investigate product families for laserwelding within a company and company clusters with common laser welding resource, isevaluated and analysed.


I wrote this Paper for a seminar taught by Professor Mario Rizzio at New York University School of Law on the history and modern applications of classical liberal theory. This Paper attempts to provide a concrete answer to the question of whether the Rehnquist Court's "New Federalism" manifested the Court's willingness to re-adopt the libertarian construction of the Commerce Clause that predominated prior to the time of the New Deal. This Paper discusses this crucial question in light of the relatively recent development of the "Constitution in Exile" school of thought, which condemns the Court's post-New Deal movement away from the fundamental legal doctrines that had imposed firm constraints on state and federal power prior to that time.This Paper is divided into four parts. In Part I, this Paper lays out the philosophical underpinnings of the movement, followed by a comprehensive analysis of the legal foundations in Part II. Then in Part III, this Paper argues in opposition to much of the scholarly literature that while the Court has on a few occasions struck down federal regulatory laws enacted within the last 20 years, this does not mean that the Court is beginning to accept the theoretical underpinnings of the Constitution in Exile movement. In these few cases the Court has simply made decisions using theories and precedents unrelated to the movement's libertarian approach, which the movement's proponents happen to agree with. Finally, this Paper concludes by briefly considering the suitability of the current Supreme Court's expansive Commerce Clause jurisprudence from the perspective of ensuring that Congress does not exceed the permissible scope of its enumerated powers.


ABSTRACT The meanings attached to animals speak to context-specific socio-political differences that are crucial to the success of conservation and wildlife management programs. The social construction of animals, however, remains underrepresented in wildlife management scholarship and practice. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with farmers and urbanites, and analyzed the case of the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. People had negative perceptions of this species that revealed three themes about its labeling: (a) the bird as foreign; (b) the bird as a threat to livelihoods, the nation, and other species; and (c) the bird as a criminal. We have identified this phenomenon as an example of eco-xenophobia, which describes how non-human species come to be classified as foreign or as "other" and not the "rightful" occupants of a territory. We concluded that the narratives associated with animals cannot be ignored, especially when species become focal in wildlife management and conservation efforts.


By e-commerce via Internet, a new way of direct selling of a company's products has been offered. For the purpose of online distribution of hotel capacities, numerous booking portals have been established. In most cases, a booking portal takes a complete control over the sales, which causes hotels to lose their direct control over the booking of their capacities.

The bachelor thesis introduces a solution which enables future hotel guests to make a direct booking at a selected hotel via a booking portal, thereby closing a booking arrangement between a hotel and its guest directly. For this purpose, a special communication protocol enabling such a booking in real-time is defined. In such a way, hotels have a complete control over the booking process, by which such a real-time booking service is offered to the Internet users.

In order to define the communication protocol, the thesis focuses on data security principles and protocol message data representation. It discusses cryptography basics, which is essential for ensuring of data security. Digital certificates for user authentication over a computer network are introduced. Furthermore, the thesis explains the XML (Extensible Markup Language) standard and its extensions, by which a message structure and a message processing model of the protocol are defined. Also, when describing a communication based on the defined protocol, data which have to be exchanged during such a booking process are determined. For this data representation, the OpenTravel standard is used. This standard defines message syntax for information exchange among information systems in travel industry, where also hotel management systems are to be found.


Abstract. In this study we present the first long term measurements of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using a LED based Long Path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (LP-DOAS) instrument. This instrument is measuring continuously in Hong Kong since December 2009, first in a setup with a 550 m absorption path and then with a 3820 m path at about 30 m to 50 m above street level. The instrument is using a high power blue light LED with peak intensity at 450 nm coupled into the telescope using a Y-fibre bundle. The LP-DOAS instrument measures NO2 levels in the Kowloon Tong and Mongkok district of Hong Kong and we compare the measurement results to mixing ratios reported by monitoring stations operated by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department in that area. Hourly averages of coinciding measurements are in reasonable agreement (R = 0.74). Furthermore, we used the long-term data set to validate the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 data product. Monthly averaged LP-DOAS and OMI measurements correlate well (R = 0.84) when comparing the data for the OMI overpass time. We analyzed weekly patterns in both data sets and found that the LP-DOAS detects a clear weekly cycle with a reduction on weekends during rush hour peaks, whereas OMI is not able to observe this weekly cycle due to its fix overpass time (13:30–14:30 LT – local time).


PURPOSE
The serotonin 7 (5-HT7 ) receptor is suggested to be involved in a broad variety of CNS disorders, but very few in vivo tools exist to study this important target. olecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) would enable an in vivo characterization of the 5-HT7 receptor. However, no clinical PET radiotracer exists for this receptor and thus we aimed to develop such a tracer. In this study, we present the preclinical evaluation of [11 C]Cimbi-701.

PROCEDURES
Cimbi-701 was synthesized in a one-step procedure starting from SB-269970. Its selectivity profile was determined using an academic screening platform (NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program). Successful radiolabeling of [11 C]Cimbi-701 and subsequent in vivo evaluation was conducted in rats, pigs and baboon. In vivo specificity was investigated by 5-HT7 and σ receptor blocking studies. P-gp efflux transporter dependency was investigated using elacridar.

RESULTS
[11 C]Cimbi-701 could successfully be synthesized. Selectivity profiling revealed high affinity for the 5-HT7 (Ki = 18 nM), σ-1 (Ki = 9.2 nM) and σ-2 (Ki = 1.6 nM) receptors. In rats, [11 C]Cimbi-701 acted as a strong P-gp substrate. After P-gp inhibition, rat brain uptake could specifically be blocked by 5-HT7 and σ receptor ligands. In pig, high brain uptake and specific 5-HT7 and σ-receptor binding was found for [11 C]Cimbi-701 without P-gp inhibition. Finally, low brain uptake was found in baboons.

CONCLUSIONS
Both the specific σ-receptor binding and the low brain uptake of [11 C]Cimbi-701 displayed in baboons, discouraged further translation to humans. Instead, we suggest exploration of this structural class, as results indicate that selective 5-HT7 receptor imaging might be possible when more selective non-P-gp substrates are identified.


The morphogenetic function of nuclear apparatus has been studied by means of "chemical enucleation" using actinomycin D (60 microgram/ml, 3 hrs) and sibiromycin (10--100 microgram/ml, 3 hrs) at different developmental stages of Nereis virens (Sars.). The embryos were subjected to the effect of the inhibitors at the successive stages every 6 hrs beginning from the fertilization. The development proceeded in the normal way til the throchophore stage in spite of the inhibition of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis what agrees with the concept of P. P. Ivanov on the existence in Polychaeta of a developmental tendency to trochophore. The first period of morphogenetic activity of the genome which ensures the transition from trochophore to metatrochophore coincides with the gastrula stage and the second period which ensures the transformation of metatrochophore into nectochaete with the final phases of the trochophore stage.


Recently, several states amended their constitutions to define marriage as only a union between a man and a woman. Many Native American Indian tribal governments thereafter also adopted laws prohibiting homosexual marriages. However, this new policy conflicts with traditional tribal values. This Note shows that historically many tribes accepted and even honored same-sex unions. This Note proposes that tribes consider their traditions as they existed before European contact, and argues that, for some tribes, same-sex civil unions are a historically and culturally appropriate answer to the modern objections to same-sex marriage.


El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events exert significant influence on Southeast Asian rice output and markets. This paper measures ENSO effects on Indonesia's national and regional rice production and on world rice prices, using the August Niño 3.4 sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) to gauge climate variability. It shows that each degree Celsius change in the August SSTA produces a 1,318,000 metric ton effect on output and a $21/metric ton change in the world price for lower quality rice. Of the inter-annual production changes due to SSTA variation, 90% occur within 12 provinces, notably Java and South Sulawesi. New data and models offer opportunities to understand the agricultural effects of ENSO events, to reach early consensus on coming ENSO effects, and to use forecasting to improve agencies' and individuals' capacity to mitigate climate effects on food security. We propose that Indonesia hold an 'ENSO summit' each September to analyse the food-security implications of upcoming climate events.


School violence and bullying re worrying problems due to their growing prevalence and severe consequences for adolescent and youth health and wellbeing. Sociocultural factors can contribute to, complicate, and increase the cases of violence in classrooms and spaces related to educational centers. Transphobic violence in this article is defined as the type of violence suffered by transgender and nonbinary adolescents and youth as a manifestation of the problem of discrimination and hate against gender and sexual diversity. This work intends to study the complex sociocultural dynamics of violence detected in educational contexts affecting transgender and nonbinary adolescents and youth identified by recent high- impact studies. At the same time, we aim to fill the gap in the scientific literature on transphobic violence and articulate successful strategies to prevent and combat it. In this review, transphobic violence is defined as the violence affecting transgender adolescents and youth, continuous in time, influenced by peers, and taking place in spaces or realities related to educational centers. The reviewed studies point at the complexity of this kind of violence due to the combination of socio-personal factors and its variety in manifestations. Furthermore, we study the consequences of transphobic violence for the wellbeing and health of transgender and nonbinary adolescents and youth to deepen the knowledge of their mental health repercussions. We end by providing suggestions for how this problem can be prevented in educational environments, grounded on scientific evidence in the materialization of a transformative approach.


The human brain uses acoustic cues to decompose complex auditory scenes into its components. For instance to improve communication, a listener can select an individual "stream," such as a talker in a crowded room, based on cues such as pitch or location. Despite numerous investigations into auditory streaming, few have demonstrated clear correlates of perception; instead, in many studies perception covaries with changes in physical stimulus properties (e.g., frequency separation). In the current report, we employ a classic ABA streaming paradigm and human electroencephalography (EEG) to disentangle the individual contributions of stimulus properties from changes in auditory perception. We find that changes in perceptual state—that is the perception of one versus two auditory streams with physically identical stimuli—and changes in physical stimulus properties are reflected independently in the event-related potential (ERP) during overlapping time windows. These findings emphasize the necessity of controlling for stimulus properties when studying perceptual effects of streaming. Furthermore, the independence of the perceptual effect from stimulus properties suggests the neural correlates of streaming reflect a tone's relative position within a larger sequence (1st, 2nd, 3rd) rather than its acoustics. By clarifying the role of stimulus attributes along with perceptual changes, this study helps explain precisely how the brain is able to distinguish a sound source of interest in an auditory scene.


1Department of Pathology, Anyang Tumor Hospital, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Anyang 455000, People's Republic of China; 2NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100032, People's Republic of China Introduction: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly heterogeneous type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with many molecular subtypes that can be distinguished by gene expression profiling (GEP). However, the pathogenesis of DLBCL is still unclear. Materials and Methods: The expression levels of the prolyl isomerase PIN-1 and other related proteins were determined in 73 primary DLBCL patient samples and cell lines by Western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Lymphoma cell viability was detected by CCK-8 proliferation assay. Results: High levels of PIN-1 expression were detected in 55% of germinal center B cell (GCB) DLBCL patient samples, whereas such abnormal expression levels were found in only 11% of non-GCB DLBCL patient samples. PIN-1 expression was positively associated with activation of the oncogenic phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway in both GCB DLBCL cell lines and primary patient samples. Depletion of PIN-1 was cytotoxic to GCB DLBCL model cell lines because it led to inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, revealing a GCB DLBCL subgroup that is dependent on this pathway. A PI3K inhibitor was selectively toxic to GCB DLBCL lines expressing high levels of PIN-1. Conclusion: Our study used PIN-1 to identify a new subgroup of GCB DLBCL associated with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and our findings reveal that inhibition of PI3K is a promising therapeutic approach for GCB DLBCL.


The increase of the older population hypothesized during the last century for the beginning of the third millennium was fundamental for the establishment and development of the medical discipline of geriatrics as well as of biogerontological research. This increase, however, is reach-ing unexpected proportions, due to various scenarios demographic investigations could not predict. These include among others accelerated vs . usual aging and initial ame-lioration of quality of life in the recent gen-erations vs . subsequent worsening of disability prevalence. The major consequence for this situation is that healthcare systems are challenged in keeping the pace with the individual and social demands of the older population. This situation requires an urgent paradigm shift with the implementation of authentic comanagement of medical spe-cialists and geriatricians for the ameliora-tion of integrated and transitional care. The present work shows the first results of the studies from a task force established 2015 at the Dpt. II of the University Hospital of Cologne with the aim of integrating personalized medicine with high-performance organ medicine in older adults accessing various non-geriatric medical settings.


A total of 216 pigs (initially 10.8 lb and 21 d of age) was used in a 35 d growth trial to determine the effect of increased dietary methionine on growth performance for the early-weaned pig when offered a porcine plasma-based diet. During d 0 to 21 postweaning, increasing methionine levels were obtained by adding DL-methionine to a common basal diet. The control diet was corn-soybean meal-based; contained 10% spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), 20% dried whey, 3% lactose, and 1.75% spray-dried blood meal (SDBM); and was formulated to contain 1.6% lysine and .28% methionine. DL-methionine replaced sucrose in the control diet to achieve the experimental dietary methionine levels of .28, .32, .36, .40, .44, and .48%. Six pigs were housed per pen with six pens per treatment. From d 21 to 35 postweaning, all pigs were switched to a common diet containing 10% dried whey and 2.5% SDBM and formulated to contain 1.25% lysine. During d 0 to 21, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (F/G) were improved quadratically as dietary methionine increased, with maximum growth performance being obtained between .40 and .44% dietary methionine. Average daily gain was not affected during the second half (d 21 to 35) of the trial. However, both ADFI and feed efficiency were improved with increasing methionine level fed during phase I. On d 7 and 14 postweaning, blood urea N was reduced as dietary methionine increased. Pigs fed .40% dietary methionine had the lowest blood urea N concentration on d 14 compared to pigs fed the other methionine levels. Cumulative (d 0 to 35) ADG and ADFI were maximized between .40 and .44% dietary methionine. These data suggest that the early-weaned pig requires approximately .40 to .44% dietary methionine to optimize growth performance. This corresponds to .345 to .385% digestible methionine and 1.27 and 1.55 g/d of methionine intake from d 0 to 14 postweaning. These requirements are substantially higher than those previously recommended.


: We estimated the concentrations, multiple forms, and lectin binding of five microsomal enzymes in particle free extracts from human kidney, pancreas, jejunal mucosa, and normal and cancerous liver. While arylesterase markedly reacted only with concanavalin A, arylamidase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and cholinesterase were intensely precipitated by lectins from Ricinus communis 120, Canavalia ensiformis, Triticum vulgare and Phaseolus vulgaris S. Agglutinins from Glycine max, Arachis hypogaea and Ulex europaeus proved less effective. The reaction mainly depended on the origin of enzymes not on their species. Desialylation always decreased precipitation, and in extracts of normal liver parenchyma it even totally abolished precipitation, by Triticum vulgare lectin. Sialoenzymes therefore appear to be normal intracellular constituents. Differences between enzymes from normal and cancerous liver were not reflected by variant properties of the corresponding activities in sera. The same held true for multiple forms. The reasons for these differences are discussed.


The wide life expectancy gap between the old and new member states of the European Union is most strongly related to the high rate of premature mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). To learn more about the background of this gap, the relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) with CVD mortality, morbidity and the utilization of antihypertensive drugs was studied in Hungary, a Central-Eastern European country with an extremely high relative risk of premature CVD mortality. Risk analysis capabilities were used to estimate the relationships between SES, which was characterized by tertiles of a multidimensional composite indicator (the deprivation index) and CVD burden (mortality and morbidity) as well as the antihypertensive medications at the district level in Hungary. The excess risks caused by premature mortality from CVDs showed a strong correlation with deprivation using the Rapid Inquiry Facility. The distribution of prevalence values related to these diseases was found to be similar, but in the areas of highest deprivation, where the prevalence of chronic ischaemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases was found to be higher than the national average by 30 and 20%, the prevalence of hypertension exceeded the national average by only 4%. A linear association between the relative frequency of prescriptions/redemptions and deprivation for most antihypertensive drugs, except angiotensinogen receptor blockers, was shown. More intense screening for hypertension is proposed to improve the control of CVDs in countries affected by high disease burden.


Postmenopausal women with established vertebral osteoporosis were studied for 2 years to determine the terminal elimination half‐life and the duration of response to treatment with intravenous alendronate (30 mg) given over 4 days. The urinary excretion of alendronate followed a multiexponential decline. Approximately 50% of the total dose was excreted over the first 5 days, and a further 17% was excreted in the succeeding 6 months. Thereafter, there was a much slower elimination phase with an estimated mean terminal half‐life of greater than 10 years (n = 11). Urinary excretion of hydroxyproline and calcium decreased significantly from pretreatment values by day 3, reaching a nadir by 1 week (40% and 67% decrease, respectively). Thereafter, hydroxyproline remained suppressed for the following 2 years. In contrast, urinary calcium excretion returned gradually toward pretreatment values over the first year and during the second year was comparable to pretreatment values. Serum activity of alkaline phosphatase activity decreased over 3 months (23% reduction), increased gradually thereafter, and returned to pretreatment values at month 24. Bone mineral density measured at the spine increased by approximately 5% during the first year and remained significantly higher than pretreatment values at 2 years. We conclude that a short course of high doses of intravenous alendronate is associated with a prolonged skeletal retention of the agent. This open study also suggests that this regimen has a sustained effect on bone turnover persisting for at least 1 year.


The lack of knowledge on the traits related to the germination and establishment of native plant species represents obstacles to restoration. Seed mass, germination and emergence variability from two characteristic grasses (Festuca vaginata and Stipa borysthenica), and two dicots (Centaurea arenaria and Dianthus serotinus) of Hungarian sandy grasslands from altogether 34 localities were tested. Our results showed that seed mass had a significant positive effect on germinability of the dicots and on seedling emergence of all species. The laboratory germination capacity of S. borysthenica was low due to dormancy. We found a significant variability among seed traits and emergence between localities in all the species except for the germination of S. borysthenica. This significant variation among populations might be explained by local adaptation or maternal effects. We conclude that germination under laboratory-regulated conditions is a good predictor of seedling emergence for restoration projects, but limited to species with non-dormant seeds.


This study describes the pattern of oxygen consumption (VO2), rectal temperature (Tr), and acral skin temperature (Tac) in sleeping and resting (awake) burned children nursed in a thermoneutral environment. Measurements of respiratory gas exchange (VO2 and carbon dioxide production (VCO2)) were made using an open circuit, flow through system of indirect calorimetry. Tr and Tac were monitored continuously. Sixteen patients were studied during the first 18 hours after being burned. Three phases of change in VO2, Tr, and Tac are described. The first was a stable period and there was little change from admission values. The second (7-10 hours after burn) was a phase of rapid heat storage. It started with a fall in Tac. Peak values of Tr (38.8-41.1, median 40.0 degrees C) and VO2 (8.5-11.8 ml/min/kg) occurred either in phase 2 or in the later phase 3. At its peak VO2 was 12-61% above values in phase 1. In phase 3, Tac returned towards admission values but Tr and VO2 were variable. These changes suggest that both an increase in metabolic heat production as well as heat conservation at the extremities may be involved in the generation of early fever after a burn.


Probing the evolution of galaxies through the neutral hydrogen window has until recently been limited to studies of environmentally driven evolution in the local universe. Detailed imaging studies of galaxies in Virgo and volume limited surveys of clusters out to z = 0.08 show that ram pressure stripping is one of the mechanisms that drives galaxy evolution even at considerable distances from the dense cluster cores. Hydrodynamical simulations show that indeed the effects of the ICM are felt out to the virial radius due to the complex structure of the ICM. Westerbork and Arecibo have begun to observe galaxies at cosmologically interesting distances (z = 0.2). Soon the EVLA will be able to make a complete census of all H I emission in cones of 40′×40′ probing an instantaneous velocity range from z = 0 to 0.53, with a resolution of a few arcsec. If prime focus feeds were to be installed at the EVLA those studies could easily be extended out to z = 1 in the coming decade, making the EVLA a prime pathfinder f...


If the concept of social justice posits equality and fairness between subjects in the social order, then the presence of those subjects within that order must first and foremost be acknowledged. In Ireland's recent reform of prostitution law contained in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, the presence of the sex worker as a rights-bearing subject or citizen, with access to justice in that capacity, was denied. In this article I focus on the use of data by the neo-abolitionist 'Turn off the Red Light' campaign to 'flatten out' the complexity of sex workers lives and present the figure of the 'vulnerable prostituted woman' and the 'trafficking victim': tragic, abject, a necessarily violated person and in need of 'protection' from the state. I argue that this data, entering public and political discourse as uncontestable truth, constituted what I call, 'framing figures', framing an inevitable outcome and precluding certain subjects from the status of equality and fairness. The data allowed campaigners for the Sex Purchase Ban (SPB), and, in turn the state, to eclipse a social justice approach to sex work, such as proposed by the Sex Workers Alliance of Ireland and other actors.


This thesis describes the establishment of the Commissariat of Education (Narkompros), the formation of its policies and their implementation. The study has two purposes. The first is to present an institutional history of the formation of a Soviet commissariat. The second is to examine the policies and organizational approaches of Narkompros towards education and the arts, as a major factor i# the establishment of relations between the Soviet government and the Russian intelligentsia. The original materials on which the thesis is based are the Narkompros files of the Central State Archives (TSGAOR and TSGA RSPSR) in Moscow. These consist largely of minutes and protocols of the collegium of Narkompros and some of its subordinate departments. Prom these materials, it is possible to reconstruct both the internal workings of Narkompros - its .organizational complexity and confusion, its financial difficulties, the relations between its members - and, to a considerable extent, its relations with other government and Party institutions. One of the problems interesting the author is the relationship of Narkompros with its superiors (VTSIK, Sovnarkom, the Central Committee, the Politburo), and the way in which these bodies influenced its policies and activities. It appears that interference from above was slight, except in times of crisis; and that at all times the proliferation of 'higher instances' made it relatively easy to evade unwelcome instructions from any one of them. In its relations with other commissariats and Vesenkha, Narkompros engaged in a series of demarcation disputes. These were often won on paper and according to the decision of Sovnarkom, but lost in practice because of Narkompros' weak economic position and lack of political influence. None of the leaders of Narkompros - Lunacharsky, Pokrovsky, Krupskaya and later Litkens - held influential positions in the Party. Narkompros 1 greatest political asset was Lenin's support, which (except on some artistic questions) was almost always given. The interest of other Party leaders in education and Narkompros was intermittent and, as regards Narkompros, not usually benevolent. Zinoviev, Kamenev, Stalin and Preobrazhensky all, on occasion, attacked or opposed Narkompros - a relevant factor in the case of Zinoviev and Kamenev being that both had wives working in Narkompros (Lilina and Kameneva) who were at odds with the Narkompros leadership. Dzerzhinsky made one major intervention in educational affairs, when he removed a whole sphere of Narkompros activity (child welfare) to the effective control of the GPU. VTSIK, of which Lunacharsky was a member throughout this period, was normally sympathetic to Narkompros; but its support of Narkompros projects rarely yielded substantial results, because other bodies disregarded its recommendations. The same was true, although to a lesser extent, of Sovnarkom resolutions on Narkompros 1 behalf. The Central Committee of the Party considered educational questions less frequently than VTSIK or Sovnarkom, and intervened usually to chastise Narkompros. Narkompros was in name, and indeed in fact, the commissariat of enlightenment. Its educational policies were solidly "based on the most enlightened and progressive educational theories of the time. But the execution of these policies was enormously hindered by the hostility of the intelligentsia and the ignorance of the masses. They foundered in the confusion of the Civil War and economic crisis. The leaders of Narkompros believed in encouraging local, popular initiative in the organization of education. They made little attempt to create a strong centralized administration of education. For this reason, among others, few of Narkompros' educational policies were satisfactorily realized in practice. In dealing with cultural and educational institutions - the universities, the Academy of Sciences, the theatres, Proletkult - Narkompros found itself in something of a dilemma of principle. It was ready to give independence and administrative autonomy, "but only in return for some show of cooperation and sympathy with the Soviet government. The universities, though very anxious for autonomy, were overtly hostile to Narkompros and the government. The Academy of Sciences approached Narkompros courteously (although without any declarations of political loyalty), and retained a degree of autonomy which the universities were denied. Proletkult was at first allowed "both autonomy and government subsidy by Narkompros; but, in 1920, Lunacharsky was rebuked for overlooking the political dangers of Proletkult's independence. Lunacharsky was always insensitive to nuances of political relations between revolutionary socialist groups, and this brought him into conflict with Lenin on the Proletkult issue. In the sphere of literature and the arts, Narkompros - and Lunacharsky in particular - acted as intermediary between the government and the intelligentsia. It was an ungrateful task. Narkompros and Lunacharsky were frequently criticized in government and Party circles for 'softness' towards the intelligentsia. They approached the intelligentsia in a conciliatory spirit which was rarely reciprocated: the organized' intelligentsia in the universities, Union of the arts and Teachers' Union responded belligerently, -and with a certain undertone of contempt. In spite of this, Lunacharsky had some success in opening channels of communication between the arts and the government. This, rather than the organization of an 'administration' of the arts, - involving subordination to government control of persons and institutions which had been or wished to be independent of it - was his intention. His policy towards the arts was to tolerate and subsidize all groups showing a minimum of cooperation with Narkompros, and to avoid at all costs sponsoring any sort of artistic monopoly or 'official' art. This was a policy which would have appealed to the artistic left in the 1930s, but in this period it was greatly resented. The futurists and 'proletarian' artists, particularly those who were Communists or Communist sympathizers (including Mayakovsky and Meyerhold), did not want toleration but monopoly, and loudly reproached Lunacharsky for withholding it from them. Lunacharsky defended the principle of individual creative freedom; one of his opponents on the left (Kerzhentsev) suggested in reply that Communist writers and artists should be brought under 'Party discipline' in their work. In 1920-21, the leaders and policies of Narkompros suffered heavy criticism and were partially discredited. By the end of 1921, the achievements of Narkompros in the educational sphere had been largely destroyed "by the economic crisis and by the New Economic Policy, which removed the greater part of educational financing from the central budget. This double defeat of Narkompros raises the question of whether its policies and ideals were fundamentally incompatible with the general policies of the Party and the institutions of Soviet government. The thesis concludes that the economic situation contributed overwhelmingly to Narkompros' defeat; and that the educational system which Narkompros had tried to create was beyond the financial and organizational capacity of the Soviet republic to sustain. The political explanation of Narkompros' defeat is accepted in part. On the one hand, many influential members of the Party and government regarded the leaders of Narkompros with suspicion as, in Stalin's phrase, 'old literati' of the revolution. Narkompros remained civilian in outlook and permissively democratic in method, resistant to the enthusiasm for strict centralization and military discipline which had been generated by the Civil War. For this reason, its policies were unlikely to be given the energetic support of most Party members either at central or local level. But, on the other hand, these policies were supported by Lenin. Lenin's wife, Krupskaya, - whom Lunacharsky once described as 'the soul of Narkompros 1 - was the most vehement of Narkompros' leaders in opposition to 'military' methods and the imposition of organizational forms from above. Her aim was not just to avoid 'bureauoratic' organization by departments and appointed officials (which Narkompros was forced to adopt, in spite of her objections), but to create a working participant democracy in the educational field through the organization of local, popularly-elected, educational Soviets. Lenin's speeches on education and political education developed the same theme, and applied it to the whole sphere of local organization. It is therefore suggested that Narkompros had a view of enlightenment which was shared by Lenin and was not foreign to the traditions of the Bolshevik Party; and that the achievements and aspirations of Narkompros under Lunacharsky were the legitimate, though not the only, offspring of the Party in power.


Length-weight relationships (LWRs), relative condition factor (Krel), relative weight (Wr) and optimal length (Lopt) were calculated for five important commercial fishes from Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Samples were collected from 2011 and December 2012 in 11 stations in three Iranian provinces (Hormuzgan, Khozestan and Sistan and baluchestan) using trawl and gillnets. Also, length-length relationships (LLRs) for Pampus argenteus and Scomberomorus commerson were computed. The values of the exponent b in the length-weight relationship ranged from 2.593 for S. commerson to 2.995 for P. argenteus. Krel varied between 1.01 ± 0.08 for Parastromateus niger and 1.06 ± 0.41 for P. argenteus. Also, Wr ranged from 59.12 ± 47.74% for S. commerson to 107.78 ± 107.29% for Eleutheronema tetradactylum. The Lopt were calculated for all five species. A negative allometric growth was found in S. commerson, while other four species (E. tetradactylum, Otolithes ruber, P. niger and P. argenteus) had isometric growth. The length-weight and length-length relationships presented here are for the first time in the Iranian coastal waters of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, which can provide a basis for fisheries management.


Background: This systematic review identified empirical studies to elaborate on the understudied aspect of retirement timing related to physician's preparation and engagement with the retirement planning process. Four questions were addressed: 1) When do physicians retire? 2) Why do some physicians retire early? 3) Why do some physicians delay their retirement? 4) What are some strategies that facilitate physician retention and/or retirement planning?
Methods and Findings: English-language studies were searched in electronic databases through June 2015 to meet the following inclusion criteria: peerreviewed primary journal articles, published with quantitative or qualitative analyses of planning and opinions about physician retirement. Three independent reviewers assessed each study for methodological quality and a third reviewer resolved inconsistencies. In total, 60 studies meet the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Representative sampling was used in 75% of studies, however most did not control for confounding variables. The majority were methodologically strong. Physicians commonly reported retiring between 60 and 69 years. Excessive workload and burnout were frequently cited reasons for early retirement. Obstacles to continuing practice included: career dissatisfaction, workplace frustration, and workload pressure; whereas, ongoing financial obligations delayed retirement.
Conclusions: This is the first review of literature related to early, late, and on-time retirement of physicians. Health organizations aiming to either delay or encourage retirement should accommodate flexible working hours, provide resources and information about financial planning, and consider stipulations in practice plans that clarify timing and transitions from medicine.


Ozonide antimalarials, OZ277 (arterolane) and OZ439 (artefenomel), are synthetic peroxide-based antimalarials with potent activity against the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Here we used a "multi-omics" workflow, in combination with activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), to demonstrate that peroxide antimalarials initially target the haemoglobin (Hb) digestion pathway to kill malaria parasites. Time-dependent metabolomic profiling of ozonide-treated P. falciparum infected red blood cells revealed a rapid depletion of short Hb-derived peptides followed by subsequent alterations in lipid and nucleotide metabolism, while untargeted peptidomics showed accumulation of longer Hb-derived peptides. Quantitative proteomics and ABPP assays demonstrated that Hb-digesting proteases were increased in abundance and activity following treatment, respectively. The association between ozonide activity and Hb catabolism was also confirmed in a K13-mutant artemisinin resistant parasite line. To demonstrate that compromised Hb catabolism may be a primary mechanism involved in ozonide antimalarial activity, we showed that parasites forced to rely solely on Hb digestion for amino acids became hypersensitive to short ozonide exposures. Quantitative proteomics analysis also revealed parasite proteins involved in translation and the ubiquitin-proteasome system were enriched following drug treatment, suggestive of the parasite engaging a stress response to mitigate ozonide-induced damage. Taken together, these data point to a mechanism of action involving initial impairment of Hb catabolism, and indicate that the parasite regulates protein turnover to manage ozonide-induced damage. Author Summary The ozonides are a novel class of fully synthetic antimalarial drugs with potent activity against all parasite species that cause malaria, including the deadliest, Plasmodium falciparum. With the emergence of resistance to current frontline artemisinin-based antimalarials, new drugs are urgently needed and a clear understanding of their mechanism of action is essential so that they can be optimally deployed in the field. Here, we studied the biochemical effects of two ozonides, OZ277 (marketed in India in combination with piperaquine) and OZ439 (in Phase IIb clinical trials) in P. falciparum parasites using an untargeted multi-omics approach consisting of proteomics, peptidomics and time-dependent metabolomics, along with activity-based protease profiling. We found that the ozonides initially disrupt haemoglobin metabolism and that they likely engage the parasite proteostatic stress response. Furthermore, when the duration of ozonide exposure was extended beyond 3 hours to reflect clinically-relevant exposure periods, additional parasite biochemical pathways were perturbed. This comprehensive analysis provides new insight into the antimalarial mode of action of ozonides and provides new opportunities for interventions to enhance their antimalarial efficacy.


Purpose: W e investigated the effects of radical cystectomy and the prognostic factors that affect the survival of bladder cancer patients. Materials and Methods: From 1979 to 2002, 59 patients with long-term follow up results of at least 2 years were enrolled in this study. Indications for surgery included muscle invasive bladder cancer and high-risk superficial bladder cancer. The cancer specific and recurrence free survival rates with respect to the possible prognostic factors were determined using Kaplan-Meier statistics. Results: The mean patient age was 62.8 years (M: 48, F: 11), and the estimated 5and 10-year survival rates were 62% and 39.4%, respectively. The median time to local or systemic recurrence was 16 months (range: 5~ 100), and the average survival durations after local and systemic recurrence were 14.4 months and 12.7 months, respectively. Pathologic stage, tumor grade, mean nuclear area, sex and lymphatic invasion were significant factors by univariate analysis (p<0.05). The disease related survival rate in patients having progression from an initial superficial tumor was lower than for those patients who displayed muscle invasive disease at the initial treatment. Multivariate analysis identified pathologic stage and lymphatic invasion as independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Radical cystectomy for organ-confined cancer showed favorable 5and 10-year survival rates. The survival rate for patients with progression from an initial superficial tumor was worse than for those patients with invasive tumor at the initial presentation. The most significant independent prognostic factors were the pathologic stage and the presence of lymphatic invasion, which were highly correlated with all the investigated disease endpoints. (Cancer Research and Treatment 2005; 37:48-53) 󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏 Key W ords: Radical cystectomy, Bladder cancer, Prognostic factor


We study the ability of students in a senior/graduate software engineering course to understand and apply metamorphic testing, a relatively recently invented advance in software testing research that complements conventional approaches such as equivalence partitioning and boundary analysis. We previously reported our investigation of the fall 2011 offering of the Columbia University course COMS W4156 Advanced Software Engineering [6], and here report on the fall 2012 offering and contrast it to the previous year. Our main findings are: 1) Although the students in the second offering did not do very well on the newly added individual assignment specifically focused on metamorphic testing, thereafter they were better able to find metamorphic properties for their team projects than the students from the previous year who did not have that preliminary homework and, perhaps most significantly, did not have the solution set for that homework. 2) Students in the second offering did reasonably well using the relatively novel metamorphic testing technique vs. traditional black box testing techniques in their projects (such comparison data is not available for the first offering). 3) Finally, in both semesters, the majority of the student teams were able to apply metamorphic testing to their team projects after only minimal instruction, which would imply that metamorphic testing is a viable strategy for student testers.


The aim of the study was to determine the structure and composition of vegetation, especially for understory vegetation namely seedlings and saplings in the KGPAA Mangkunegoro I Forest Park area (or Taman Hutan Raya/Tahura) in Ngargoyoso Karanganyar Central Java. KGPAA Mangkunegoro I Forest Park located in the village of Sukuh Berjo Ngargoyoso Karanganyar District of Central Java. The research used quadratic method for taking the sample. The location is about 1200 above sea level (asl) consists of flora and fauna which the diversity still high. The objectives of this research are to determine species composition, structure and diversity index species of saplings and seedlings vegetation. The data were then analyzed manually. Results showed that 19 species belonging 15 families for seedlings and 10 species belonging 8 families for sapling vegetation. Results of Important Value Index (IVI) of saplings vegetation are Elaeocarpus serratus Roxb (110.42 %); Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth (70.19 %) and Pinus merkusii L. (31.38%). The IVI for seedlings vegetation are Penisetum purpureum (53.4 %);Melastoma sp (17.4 %) and Chloris barbata (13.4 %). Based on the data, it is suggested that the mountain should be conserved and long-term ecological research should be conducted.


Given the growth in scuba diving activities and the importance of environmental education programs to alleviate the potential impacts on coral reef ecosystems, there is a need to better understand the diving community, its environmental knowledge, and subsequent behavioral actions. The purpose of this study was to explore the role or influence of specialization in scuba diving (as a moderator and mediator) on the relationship between marine-based environmental knowledge and behavior. Four hypotheses were formulated and empirically tested. Data from 370 scuba divers were collected (May-September 2002) in the St. Petersburg/Sarasota region of southwestern Florida. Marine-based environmental knowledge (11 items) and behaviors (16 items) were employed, along with recreation specialization (17 items) adapted from the literature. Specialization in scuba diving acted as a strong partial mediator but failed to be significant when tested as a moderator. Among scuba divers, marine-based knowledge did predict overall and specific proenvironmental behaviors; however, the level of specialization played a strong role in mediating the relationship.


Quantification of strengths of selected segments of the body is essential to predict their influence in weightlifting. The purpose of this study was to quantify back strength and leg strength, and to predict the clean and jerk and the snatch using back strength, leg strength and body weight as independent variables. Twenty-three weightlifters were randomly selected from 40 volunteers to serve as subjects. A spring dynamometer was used to measure back and leg strength. Subjects performed three trials of a maximum jerk, snatch, back lift and leg lift. A stepwise regression model was used to predict the performance in the jerk and snatch based upon back strength, leg strength and the body weight of the lifter. It was concluded that back strength and leg strength are equally influential in predicting performance of the jerk. In the snatch, leg strength and body weight are more influential than back strength. Multiple regression equations of the dependent variables jerk (J) and snatch (S), and the independent variables body weight (W), back strength (B) and leg strength (L) are as follows: (1) J = -14.02 + 0.24W + 0.29B + 0.30L (2) S = 1.70 + 0.35W - 0.2B + 0.31L Multiple regression equations of the dependent variables jerk (J) and snatch (S) and the two best predictor independent variables are as follows: (3) J = -12.46 + 0.40B + 0.27L (4) S = 0.73 + 0.34W + 0.30L The three-variable model for the jerk equation 1 and the snatch equation 2 was found to be the better regression model because the R-square value is 0.76 and 0.64 for jerk and snatch, respectively. The coach and the weightlifter can use these regression models to monitor the progress in performance of the jerk and snatch during training.


In this thesis, the new process will proposed which using diamond profile boring to boring 8-shaped hole in intermediate stainless steel plate of synthetic fiber gear pump. Academic analysis was made for gear pump's flow rate, and analysis was made for the disadvantage of using brown alumina grinding wheel to grinding 8-shaped hole in intermediate plate's internal surface. The critical technical of single crystal diamond's material selecting, grinding, welding were solved, and diamond profile boring was designed and manufactured. We confirmed the boring parameters: "", "" and "" through experiment and academic analysis. The qualified intermediate stainless steel plate with 8-shaped hole was using in one spinning factory; we conquered the grinding hole's disadvantage and productivity is increasing 15 times.


The transforming school counselor initiative directs counselors to move beyond their roles as helpers to individuals to organizational or school improvement catalysts. A parallel moral shift from individual ethics to individual-organizational-systemic ethics must accompany this transformation. This article provides the reader with a blueprint for understanding the ethics of organizations and how those standards inform leadership for professional school counselors.


This paper presents an efficient algorithm filling Images with complicated closed edges through analyzing and comparing several frequent filling algorithms for image. The filling algorithm, like algorithm of scan line filling, doesn't use seed points, but has as good result as using seed points to fill. The algorithm is simple and feasible by testing, and can fill images with complicated close edges quickly and effectively.


We study the impact of research collaborations in coauthorship networks on total research output. Through the links in the collaboration network researchers create spillovers not only to their direct coauthors but also to researchers indirectly linked to them. We characterize the interior equilibrium when multiple agents spend effort in multiple, possibly overlapping projects, and there are interaction effects in the cost of effort.


The discussion on 'The comparative institutional analysis of energy transitions' gives us a state-of-the-art overview of the main theoretical and conceptual developments within the field of political economy. It invites us to broaden our knowledge on the changing realities of different geographical regions in energy transition. In this discussion forum, Finnegan discusses emerging themes in the comparative political economy literature of climate change. He identifies gaps and offers an outline for further research. Allen, Allen, Cumming and Johan take a closer look at the links between different types of capitalism and the natural environment. The authors stress the importance of adopting an institutional perspective to explain differences in environmental outcomes. Wood compares the transitions of energy usage and mixes between liberal and coordinated market economies from a historical perspective. He looks for parallels between the energy transition from coal to oil and gas to the current renewables. Nicklich and Endo answer the question 'Do globalization and globally perceived occurrences of environmental problems lead to a convergence of energy supply?'. They compare the fields of German and Japanese wind power with a particular focus on Greenpeace after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Finally, Lim and Tanaka focus on the question 'When do energy transition policies enjoy broad-based acceptance?'. They conclude that the public acceptance of energy transition varies between Western and non-Western societies.


This essay proposes a way to prevent the Paris Agreement on climate change reached in December 2015 from collapsing. The agreement was historic. Nearly every nation in the world - from North Korea to the United States - pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement, however, contains no consequences if countries do not live up to their commitments. Environmental agreements of this kind are extremely fragile. At the heart of the problem is what is known as the tragedy of the commons - a unique dynamic that sabotages cooperation. In a nutshell, the problem is that no one can trust each other, which produces a destructive race to the bottom. This essay proposes a bold and totally novel solution to short-circuit this effect.


A novel thermally responsive copolymer p(NIPAAm-co-DEGDVE) is synthesized using the substrate independent method of iCVD and exhibits a sharp lower critical solution temperature (LCST) transition centered at ≈28.5 ± 0.3 °C determined via quartz crystal microbalance measurements with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Swelling with water below the LCST produces a reversible change of ≈3× in film thickness. The layer is conformal on nanostructured surfaces including MWCNT forests and electrospun nanofiber mats. Modified planar substrates exhibit ≈30°change in static contact angle over the LCST, while through conformal coating on nanostructured substrates changes in static contact angle up to 135° are achieved. Additionally, coated surfaces exhibit temperature sensitive BSA adsorption measured by QCM-D and is reversible as shown through fluorescence imaging of a coated electrospun nanofiber mat.


AIM
This study examined the role of job dimensions, job satisfaction, psychological stress and job burnout in predicting turnover intention at one and five years' time among professional nurses in the Philippines.

METHODS
A cross-sectional design was utilized in the study using a convenience sample of 549 registered nurses from six hospitals in the Central Philippines during the period of October 2018 to January 2019. Five self-report scales were used in this study.

RESULTS
Overall, 46.1% (n = 253) and 78.9% (n = 433) of nurses reported planning to leave the organization at one and five years' time, respectively. The type of hospital, job satisfaction and job burnout explained variances for turnover intention at one and five years' time. Separately, hospital bed capacity and job stress predicted turnover intention at five years' time. None of the job dimensions accurately predicted turnover intention in nurses.

CONCLUSION
Higher turnover intention results at one and five years' time were dependent on nurses' psychological stress, job burnout and job satisfaction.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE AND POLICY
Organizational measures aimed at reducing stress and burnout and increasing job satisfaction in nurses are critically important to enhance the retention of nurses and ensure continued quality of nursing care.


Various differentiable models are frequently used to describe the dynamics of complex systems (see the kinetic models, fluid models, etc.). Given the complexity of all the physical phenomena involved in the dynamics of such systems, it is required to introduce the dynamic variable dependencies both on the space-time coordinates and on the scale resolutions. Therefore, in this case an adequate theoretical approach may be the use of non-linear physical models either in the form of the Scale Relativity Theory or of the Extended Scale Relativity Theory, i.e., the Scale Relativity Theory with an arbitrary constant fractal dimension. In the framework of the Extended Scale Relativity Theory, fractal velocity field is described both by topological solitons of kink type and by non-topological soliton varieties of breather type. Applications for the blood flow are proposed. The results revealed the directional flow toward the walls, which can explain the thickening effect which is one of the source of arteriosclerosis.


The number of cesarean sections and hysterectomies performed in the United States continues to increase. Infections that occur subsequent to these procedures are usually polymicrobial in nature and treatment is often initially empiric and consists of the use of antimicrobial(s) that provide broad coverage. Combining clavulanate potassium with ticarcillin disodium (Timentin) significantly extended ticarcillin's spectrum of activity to include coverage of many beta-lactamase producing strains of bacteria--coverage of which is a growing problem in the treatment of serious infections. Clinical studies have shown that ticarcillin/clavulanate potassium is as safe and effective as clindamycin plus gentamicin or other single agent drugs used in the treatment of obstetric/gynecologic infections. The cost-saving potential of this combination agent as compared with clindamycin plus gentamicin as well as with cefoxitin is illustrated in a study conducted by this author and discussed in this article.


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of sensor nodes. These sensor nodes are powered by battery to communicate with each other. Energy efficiency is the vital issue in wireless sensor networks. Various Routing techniques have been evolved to maximize network lifetime, throughput and scalability. LEACH is one of the hierarchical clustering protocols widely used in WSNs. The goal of this paper is to provide brief overview of some LEACH variants.


A novel method of minimizing the embedding impact is proposed in this paper. Optimal embedding is achieved using network flow algorithms by considering the modifications on the cover image as flows of pixels among different states. This method is not an independent steganographic scheme, but rather it minimizes the embedding impact after the embedding process and it's compatible with the majority of embedding techniques. Due to its dependence on the embedding process, many optimization problems, such as the minimization of a globally interactive distortion function, that are intractable during the embedding process can be solved with relatively low computational cost by rectifying the modifications on the cover image after the embedding process. A distortion function based on Kullback-Leibler divergence is provided as a concrete example to illustrate the basic idea of this method.


In Aotearoa New Zealand, retracing the footsteps of famous Maori tipuna or ancestral trails is not a new phenomena, but the availability of social media has enabled this information more accessible, reaching a wider audience.  Events span from retracing tribal battles, following ancestral mountain trails to the moana and beyond. One such voyage, involved a group of 50 students from Tauranga Moana, who retraced their ancestral connections of the Takitimu waka back to Rarotonga (Te Kanawa, 30 July 2016). The Commemoration of the Battle of Ruapekapeka also followed the footsteps of tipuna, the famous warrior chief Te Ruki Kawiti and his peoples, whose memories were honoured by a 400 strong haka party, dignitaries, politicians and hundreds of people,  (Forbes, 2016).  Following the journey of Tainui rangatira, was a pre-season bonding exercise that Waikato Chiefs rugby coach Dave Rennie identified as beneficial for his players to learn more about their surroundings '…an arduous two-day torture test which connected with the past, the land, the people and the sea they will represent this season' (Napier, 2013).     Over the last three decades, there has also been an increasing interest in the histories of Māori prophets throughout Aotearoa.  The journey of children from Parihaka Pa was made into a documentary named Tatarakihi: The Children of Parihaka (2012), which followed the ancestral journey of their tipuna Te Whiti ō Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi (and their people), arrested in Parihaka Taranaki for ploughing their land and wrongfully imprisoned in Christchurch and Dunedin without trial (www.parihakafilm.com; https://www.nzonscreen.com). The Tamakaimoana people also undertook a pilgrimage in December 2013 to retrace the footsteps of their prophet Rua Kenana from Maungapōhatu (Te Karere, April 4 2016).    Several Gisborne iwi recently retraced the route from Gisborne to the Rēkohu Chatham Islands following their prophet Te Kooti Arikirangi (Smith, 2016).  Retracing the footsteps of ancestors is not only a physical undertaking, but for many, also an emotional, cultural and spiritual journey.   The Waitaha People of Te Waipounamu South Island, retraced Te Maihāroa (? – 1885) and Te Heke (The Migration 1877-79) on a contemporary peace walk called Te Heke Omaramataka (2012).  The experiences of these trekkers were captured by filmmaker Bronwyn Judge in a free to view documentary entitled 'Te Heke 2012 Waitaki Mouth to Omarama' (Judge, B, 2012, Youtube: Te Heke 2012 Waitaki Mouth to Omarama).   This paper is based on the whanau journals recorded by participants as they trekked from the Waitaki river mouth to Omarama in December 2012.


Background: First metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint arthrodesis can be fixed using either a dorsal plate or crossed screws. However, there is considerable difference in the cost of these implants, and it is not known if there is sufficient difference in outcome that might justify this cost difference. Our aim was to compare the functional results and patient satisfaction rates after first MTP joint arthrodesis in a group of patients using the same surgical technique except for the fixation devices. Methods: A prospective cohort of 27 patients who underwent first MTP joint fusion by the same surgeon using 2 crossed screws or a single screw with a dorsal plate was recruited over a 3-year period. Demographic information, patient satisfaction rates, complications, and union rates were evaluated. American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and visual analog scale (VAS) scoring systems were used pre- and postoperatively to compare the functional outcomes. Thirty consecutive procedures (screws, n = 15; plate, n = 15) were performed. Age (55.8 ± 11.1 vs 63.3 ± 12.4 years for screws and plate respectively; P = .091) and female gender percentages (80% and 73%, P = .666) were similar between groups. Results: The overall union rate was 93% with no differences between groups. AOFAS and VAS scores improved significantly postoperatively for each technique, and no differences were found between the two in the improvement in AOFAS (42.4 ± 8.0 vs 44.3 ± 8.2, screws and plate respectively; P = .520) and VAS scores (66.0 ± 5.4 vs 69.0 ± 6.9;P = .195). The implant cost for screws was $40 and for dorsal plate, $328. Conclusions: First MTP joint fusion using either screws or plate fixation results in an improvement in AOFAS and VAS scores. Functional improvement and patient satisfaction did not differ between the 2 techniques, despite a considerable difference in cost between the two methods of fixation. Level of Evidence: Level III, prospective comparative study.


Compression of short text strings, such as the GSM Short Message
Service (SMS) and Twitter messages, has received relatively little attention
compared to the compression of longer texts. This is not surprising given that
for typical cellular and internet-based networks, the cost of
compression probably outweighs the cost of delivering uncompressed messages.
However, this is not necessarily true in the case where the cost of data transport is high, for example, where satellite
back-haul is involved, or on bandwidth-starved mobile mesh networks, such as
the mesh networks for disaster relief, rural, remote and developing contexts
envisaged by the Serval Project [1-4]. This motivated the development of a
state-of-art text compression algorithm that could be used to compress
mesh-based short-message traffic, culminating in the development of the stats3
SMS compression scheme described in this paper. Stats3 uses word frequency and
3rd-order letter statistics embodied in a pre-constructed dictionary to affect
lossless compression of short text messages. This scheme shows that our scheme
compressing text messages typically reduces messages to less than half of their
original size, and in so doing substantially outperforms all public SMS
compression systems, while also matching or exceeding the marketing claims of
the commercial options known to the authors. We also outline approaches for
future work that has the potential to further improve the performance and
practical utility of stats3.


Background : Pregnancy amongst adolescent girls is common in many parts of the world. The dominant discourse in public health unquestioningly paints this as a problem; it does not pay sufficient attention to girls ' views. Objectives : This paper presents a critical account of adolescent South Sudanese girls ' reasons for and explanations of childbearing. It discusses their experiences and views on childbearing and attempts to explain their reproductive choices and actions, in context. Methods : The study draws upon 24 interviews with adolescent boys, girls and parents from Wau, South Sudan. Data was analysed using the framework analysis approach. Results : Three interacting themes within which adolescent girls framed their views and decisions about childbearing are identified. The local society places high value on mother-hood – adolescent girls ' desires to become mothers is a reproduction of this social norm. Girls linked having a child to the possibility of making one ' s ' own home ' ; in the difficult and uncertain context they lived in, for many girls, having a child (and making a home) appeared as one of the few means to be happy. In making the decision to bear a child, the girls navigated multiple dilemmas and trade-offs between an unpromising present and an uncertain future. Bearing a child and making one ' s ' own home ' was seen as a way to exit into the world of adults, and as a strategy towards achieving security and stability. Conclusions : Instead of simplistically problematizing adolescent pregnancy in South Sudan, it is important to take into account the experiences and standpoints of adolescent girls, and to recognize that in choosing to become mothers, they are in many ways exercising agency despite being severely constrained by complex, insecure and unfair social circumstances. We argue that such an approach will allow the development of more appropriate, realistic and inclusive health and social policies and programs.


An inertial measurement unit (IMU) typically has three accelerometers and three gyroscopes. The output of those inertial sensors is used by an inertial navigation system to calculate the navigation solution–position, velocity and attitude. Since the sensor measurements contain noise, the navigation solution drifts over time. When considering low cost sensors, multiple IMUs can be used to improve the performance of a single unit. In this paper, we describe our designed 32 multi-IMU (MIMU) architecture and present experimental results using this system. To analyze the sensory data, a dedicated software tool, capable of addressing MIMUs inputs, was developed. Using the MIMU hardware and software tool we examined and evaluated the MIMUs for: (1) navigation solution accuracy (2) sensor outlier rejection (3) stationary calibration performance (4) coarse alignment accuracy and (5) the effect of different MIMUs locations in the architecture. Our experimental results show that 32 IMUs obtained better performance than a single IMU for all testcases examined. In addition, we show that performance was improved gradually as the number of IMUs was increased in the architecture.


NP-hard problems, such as generating crossword puzzles, are candidates for solution by genetic algorithms (GAs). A combination of both a genetic algorithms and a Wisdom of Artificial Crowds (WoAC) aggregation method was developed for the purpose of creating crossword puzzles given a particular outline. The program was written using a GPL Hunspell wrapper NHunspell for word verification and suggestion. In American-style crossword puzzles, we saw performance improvements of around 20% in reaching a local optima, with a 6% improvement in the number of successful words found by a GA + WoAC algorithm over the baseline genetic algorithm.


Physics is a fundamental branch of science. In this research paper, author has manifested different features of physics in the level of philosophy. The principles of philosophy are dependent on the principles of physics. The brief explanations and examples mentioned in this research paper are supportive to the integration between physics and philosophy keeping the scope of further discussion resulting into the advancement of science for the welfare of society. All prime ideas of this research paper are developed and flourished by author in the National Institute of Technology Arunachal Pradesh, under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Government of India). This research paper is founded on the basis of the lectures delivered by 'Swami Vivekananda' in the 19th and 20th century by the form of speech and letters to the audience. Keywords: Physics, philosophy, concept, society Cite this Article Subhadeep Mukhopadhyay. Special Thoughts in Physics. OmniScience: A Multi-disciplinary Journal. 2017; 7(2): 20–22p.


A yellow-pigmented, Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, catalase-negative and oxidase-positive bacterium, designated strain HR-AYT, was isolated from a water sample of the Han River. Cells were non-motile rods without flagella. Growth was observed at 5-30 °C (optimum, 20 °C), pH 5-9 (optimum, pH 7) and 0 % NaCl. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6. Strain HR-AYT did not produce flexirubin-type pigments. The major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 0. The polar lipids comprised phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified phosphoamino lipid as major polar lipids, and four unidentified lipids were also detected as minor lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain HR-AYT was 34.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain HR-AYT belonged to the family Flavobacteriaceae in the phylum Bacteroidetes, and formed a phylogenic lineage with members of the genus Flavobacterium. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity showed that strain HR-AYT was most closely related to Flavobacterium chungbukense CS100T (97.91 %) and Flavobacterium glaciei 0499T (97.74 %). Based on these results, strain HR-AYT represents a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium alvei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HR-AYT (=KACC 19407T=JCM 32264T).


AIM: Tono-pen measurement of intraocular pressure(IOP) under topical anaesthesia in full term normal newborns. ·METHODS: The IOP measurements were taken using Tono-pen XL tonometer under topical anaesthesia in 150 newborns(300 eyes) within 24h after birth,over a period of three months,in a university hospital. Gender,gestation period,mode of delivery and birth weight of newborns were noted from medical records. ·RESULTS: There were 70 males and 80 females. All babies were Malays. The IOP measurements were taken between 12 and 24h after birth. The gestation period of babies ranged between 37 and 41 weeks; 118 babies were delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery and 32 by caesarian section. The birth weight of babies ranged between 2.1 and 4.3kg. The mean IOP of 300 eyes was 15.99±2.79mmHg(range 8-22). There was no statistically significant difference of mean IOP and gender,laterality of eye,type of delivery,gestation age,or birth weight of newborns. ·CONCLUSION: The IOP in full term normal newborns was 16mmHg. Tono-Pen appears to be ideal instrument for taking IOP in newborns because of its small size and easy handling.


DSCG and PRD-92-Ea showed tachyphylaxis in the rat PCA test when a large intravenous dose (40 mg/kg of DSCG and 20 mg/kg of PRD-92-Ea) was given 30 min before administering intravenously the expected effective doses at the time of antigen challenge. This predosing led to a marked loss of effectiveness. Cross-reacting tachyphylaxis was also demonstrated in this model. Predosing rats with DSCG led to a great loss of effectiveness of a subsequent expected active dose of PRD-92-Ea and predosing with PRD-92-Ea had the same effect in preventing the antiallergic action of a subsequent dose of DSCG. The Rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) did not exhibit this phenomenon of tachyphylaxis. PRD-92-Ea and DSCG were given intravenously 30 min before and the same dose of 20 mg/kg repeated just before Ascaris suum challenge in the Rhesus monkey asthma model with no loss of their expected effectiveness.


The paper proposes a new procedure for magnetic field computation in multiply connected ferromagnetic domains. The magnetic field in ferromagnetic bodies is computed using the Finite Element Method (FEM) with Dirichlet boundary conditions and the vector potential normal derivative is obtained. This becomes the boundary condition for the Boundary Element Method (BEM) applied in free space, from which the new value of the vector potential results. The relative high permeability of the ferromagnetic bodies insures the convergence of the procedure. The nonlinearity of the ferromagnetic bodies is treated using the polarization fixed point method (PFPM), in which the polarization is corrected in terms of magnetic field strength H , in order to have a high permeability. The method was applied for the magnetic field computation in a transformer.


This is a review of recent studies on relationships between reproductive ecology, ontogeny of osmoregulation, and larval salinity tolerance in congeneric sesarmid crabs from Jamaica: Armases ricordi (H. Milne Edwards), A. roberti (H. Milne Edwards) and A. miersii (Rathbun).In the semiterrestrial coastal species A. ricordi, the zoeal stages tolerate only moderately reduced salinities (17-25), in which they are capable of hyper-osmoregulation. The megalopa is the first ontogenetic stage of this species, which exhibits significant hyper-osmoregulation and tolerance of lower salinities (≥5), as well as a moderately developed function of hypo-regulation at high salt concentrations (32-44).In the riverine species A. roberti, the first zoeal stage shows, already at hatching, a strong capability of hyper-osmoregulation, surviving for up to two days in freshwater (<0.2). Interestingly, this early expressed physiological function becomes significantly weaker in the subsequent zoeal stages, where survival and hyper-osmoregulation were observed only at salinities ≥10. The capability of hyper-regulation in strongly dilute media re-appears only in the megalopa stage, which tolerates even an extended exposure to freshwater.Similar to A. roberti, the semiterrestrial coastal species A. miersii shows already at hatching a strongly developed function of hyper-osmoregulation in salinites down to 1, corresponding with tolerance of very low salinities. In contrast to A. roberti, however, these capabilities increase gradually throughout larval and juvenile development. In all three species compared here, the pattern of hyper-hypo-osmoregulation appears, for the first time in ontogeny, in the megalopa stage, and it increases after metamorphosis and throughout juvenile development.These species- and stage-specific patterns of osmoregulation and larval salinity tolerance are compared with contrasting life styles, reproductive behaviours, and life-history strategies. In A. ricordi, the larvae are directly released into coastal marine waters, where salinities are high, and thus, no strong hyper-osmoregulation is needed throughout the zoeal phase. The megalopa stage of this species, by contrast, may invade brackish mangrove habitats, where osmoregulatory capabilities are required. Strong hyper-osmoregulation occurring in both the initial and final larval stages (but not in the intermediate zoeal stages) of A. roberti corresponds to the tentative pattern of ontogenetic migration in this species: hatching in freshwater, larval downstream transport, later zoeal development in brackish estuarine or coastal marine waters, and final re-immigration of megalopae and juvenile crabs into limnic habitats, where the conspecific adults live. In A. miersii, the ontogenetic pattern corresponds with an unusual reproductive biology: it breeds in supratidal (i.e. land-locked) rock pools, where variations in salinity are high and unpredictable.Matching patterns in the ontogeny of osmoregulation and life-history strategies indicate a crucial adaptive role of osmoregulation for invasions of (by origin marine) crabs into brackish, limnic and terrestrial environments.


Homozygous mutations in the progranulin gene (GRN) are associated with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis 11 (CLN11), a rare lysosomal-storage disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia, seizures, retinitis pigmentosa, and cognitive disorders, usually beginning between 13 and 25 years of age. This is a rare condition, previously reported in only four families. In contrast, heterozygous GRN mutations are a major cause of frontotemporal dementia associated with neuronal cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions. We identified homozygous GRN mutations in six new patients. The phenotypic spectrum is much broader than previously reported, with two remarkably distinct presentations, depending on the age of onset. A childhood/juvenile form is characterized by classical CLN11 symptoms at an early age at onset. Unexpectedly, other homozygous patients presented a distinct delayed phenotype of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism after 50 years; none had epilepsy or cerebellar ataxia. Another major finding of this study is that all GRN mutations may not have the same impact on progranulin protein synthesis. A hypomorphic effect of some mutations is supported by the presence of residual levels of plasma progranulin and low levels of normal transcript detected in one case with a homozygous splice-site mutation and late onset frontotemporal dementia. This is a new critical finding that must be considered in therapeutic trials based on replacement strategies. The first neuropathological study in a homozygous carrier provides new insights into the pathological mechanisms of the disease. Hallmarks of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis were present. The absence of TDP-43 cytoplasmic inclusions markedly differs from observations of heterozygous mutations, suggesting a pathological shift between lysosomal and TDP-43 pathologies depending on the mono or bi-allelic status. An intriguing observation was the loss of normal TDP-43 staining in the nucleus of some neurons, which could be the first stage of the TDP-43 pathological process preceding the formation of typical cytoplasmic inclusions. Finally, this study has important implications for genetic counselling and molecular diagnosis. Semi-dominant inheritance of GRN mutations implies that specific genetic counselling should be delivered to children and parents of CLN11 patients, as they are heterozygous carriers with a high risk of developing dementia. More broadly, this study illustrates the fact that genetic variants can lead to different phenotypes according to their mono- or bi-allelic state, which is a challenge for genetic diagnosis.


Mild Control: Selective cyclization of aminocyclopropanes on the N1 or C3 positions of indole was achieved by tuning the catalyst and solvent. The new strategy was applied to the formal synthesis of aspidospermidine and the total synthesis of goniomitine in 13 steps and 11% overall yield. The first studies on the bioactivity of goniomitine demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against several tumor cell lines (IC50: 150-400 nM).


Japan's fishery harvest peaked in the late 1980s. Providing individually specific catch shares of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) to each fisherman is the key to avoid the race for fish. Thus, in moving the idea into practice with the actual implementation of catch shares, it is curial to estimate the potential cost reduction in the industry. We find that the maximum level of production the fixed inputs in Japan are capable of supporting (i.e., capacity output) could be three times higher. Additionally, current overall fixed inputs could be reduced to one-tenth. Getting rid of these inefficient fishers would help lead to sustainable fishery management. These significant potential results are important for policy purpose. For example, about 450 billion yen (about 4.5 billion dollars) can be saved allocating individually specific catch shares to each fisherman.


This study reports on a method to extract heavy metals from compost. Compost samples were initially characterized to determine the type and content of heavy metal compounds. Column studies were carried out by solid liquid extraction method using 0.01 M Na2EDTA-0.1 M Na2S2O5 solution. Target heavy metal removal efficiencies were achieved for Cu (72%), Zn (77%), Pb (47%), Cd (86%), but not for Ni (12%) after160 minutes contact time at a solid:liquid ratio of 1:15 g mL and 360 mL solution volume.


Common-sense (or folk) psychology holds that (generally) we do what we do for the reasons we have. This common-sense approach is embod-ied in claims like 'I went to the kitchen because I wanted a drink' and 'She took a coat because she thought it might rain and hoped to stay dry'. However, the veracity of these common-sense psychological expla- nations has been challenged by experimental evidence (primarily from behavioural economics and social psychology) which appears to show that individuals are systematically irrational—that often we do not do what we do because of the reasons we have. Recently, some of the same experimental evidence has also been used to level a somewhat different challenge at the common-sense view, arguing that the overarching aim of reasoning is not to deliver better or more reason-governed decisions for individual reasoners, but to improve group decision making or to protect an individual's sense of self. This paper explores the range of challenges that experimental work has been taken to raise for the com- mon-sense approach and suggests some potential responses. Overall, I argue that the experimental evidence surveyed should not lead us to a rejection of individual rationality.


We will treat a task of statistical detection using discrete alphabet in this paper. It is well known that the likelihood ratio detector is the optimal one, provided that "measurements" taken on the detected object are mutually independent and that we know the feature distributions of target and background objects precisely. The detector presented here is optimal using only the independence assumption. Instead of requiring the knowledge of the underlying distributions it relies on the training data itself. Further, we introduce the averaging technique which aims to lower the effects of statistical dependence. This averaged detector outperformed similarly averaged likelihood ratio detector by 7% relative in the task of speaker detection.


This study aims to provide both a model by using cumulative cases and cumulative death toll for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) outbreak in four countries, China, Italy, South Korea, and Turkey, starting from the first diagnosis and to compare associated indicators. The most successful estimation was obtained from the cubic model with natural logarithm for China, Italy, South Korea, and Turkey. The success of the models was around 99%. However, differences began to emerge in China, Italy, and South Korea after the second week. Although the highest number of new cases per 1 million people in China was 9.8 on February 28, 2020; it was 108.4 on March 21, 2020, in Italy; and this was 16.6 on March 5, 2020, in South Korea. On the other hand, the number of new cases was 24.6 per 1 million people on March 27, 2020, in Turkey. The log-cubic model proposed in this study has been set forth to obtain successful results for aforementioned countries, as well as to estimate the course of the COVID-19 outbreak. Other factors such as climacteric factors and genetic differences, which may have an impact on viral spreading and transmission, would also have strengthened the model prediction capacity.


We present a design exercise illustrating how fashion practices and the fashion design process can be used to create new opportunities both in the mobile domain and in product design, as well as in wearable computing. We investigate the concept of outfit-centric design by extending the support for social and visual interaction with digital devices beyond the currently available shells and stickers, and drawing on the ways in which people vary their dress ensembles. We designed a set of mock-up samples in a local fashion style, as a first step in understanding possible applications of the emerging technology of organic interfaces. Initial user feedback shows how fashion-conscious participants creatively experimented with the set's variations of shape and color in outfits created from their personal wardrobes, which revealed the importance of the objects' size and location on the body. It also points out that a lack of integration with the fashion system's processes reduces the attractiveness of the samples.


Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world for women. Early detection and diagnosis can be done to reduce the cancer death rate. MicroRNA is known as a biomarker for breast cancer and with the help of artificial neural network technology, made it possible to perform a classification process for early detection. Backpropagation neural network has good performance in classification, however, still has a drawback related to its long training time. This research is conducted to classify breast cancer (whether a cell is cancer or normal and whether it is before or after metastatic stage) based on microRNA profiles using backpropagation with Nguyen-Widrow and Stimulus-Sampling algorithm optimization. In this paper, three breast cancer datasets are used to compare the classification performances. Furthermore, some alternatives microRNA features set are obtained using feature selection methods and compare the accuracy values. The results show that the combination of Nguyen-Widrow and Stimulus-Sampling algorithm produces the best backpropagation performance based on the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC value as well as reducing the running time. The combination of Nguyen-Widrow and Stimulus-Sampling algorithm proved to be able to increase the performance of the method. Nguyen-Widrow algorithm provides weights value initialization that is not too small or too large so that the convergence process can be enhanced. Meanwhile, the use of Stimulus-Sampling improves the performance of backpropagation by strengthening the output unit, which give the smallest error value.


To many consumers, indulging in unhealthy treats is a "vice" and can cause unpleasant feelings, such as guilt. Nonetheless, consumers do not want to give up indulgences altogether and find ways to allow themselves guilt-free gratification. We propose a novel, calculated tactic that consumers use to avoid unpleasant feelings often associated with unhealthy eating. Four studies demonstrate that consumers proactively and strategically confer responsibility for indulgences to other people to prevent looming negative feelings about consuming the same item. In laboratory and field experiments, for unhealthy (compared to healthy) foods consumers exhibit a preference for being served a chosen food instead of serving themselves. Moderation and mediation show that this preference is driven by anticipated negative self-conscious affect, which gives rise to a motivation to avoid responsibility. Across our studies, people seek to alter the social context surrounding indulgent food consumption in this way, despite making their own food choices.


Although fuels derived from petroleum process residues have been used extensively for many years, considerable confusion still exists as to their characteristics. As essentially cheap by-product fuels, they have not received a great deal of attention in the past. In recent years their use in gas turbines and diesel engines has emphasized the need for a better understanding of their properties and behavior in combustion chambers. It is the aim of the present paper to bring together the published information on the nature of residual petroleum fuels, widely scattered in petroleum and engineering journals. It will be seen that these fuels generally exhibit a more complex behavior in comparison with heavy-distillate fuels.


OBJECTIVE
Given the tremendous growth in assisted living (AL) over the past 20 years, it is important to understand how expansion has affected the demand for long-term care (LTC) provided in nursing homes (NHs). We estimated the effect of a change in county-level AL beds on the prevalence of private-pay residents and private-pay resident days at the NH-level.

DATA SOURCES
National census of large AL providers (25+ beds), and Minimum Data Set combined with Medicare enrollment records and claims from 2007 and 2014.

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective longitudinal analysis of LTC markets.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Mean AL beds per county increased from 285 to 324, while NHs exhibited a decrease in private-pay residents (20.1 to 17.7 percent) and resident days (21.3 to 17.5 percent). An increase of 1,000 AL beds at the county level is associated with a reduction of 0.44 percentage points in private-pay resident days but is not significantly associated with percent of private-pay residents.

CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that increases in AL capacity have potentially allowed NH residents to delay or decrease their privately financed lengths of stay. As demand for AL continues to grow, it will be important to assess the effects on other LTC sectors.


The spreading resistance of a metal contact on a semiconductor sample is analysed for infinite geometry, with three different boundary conditions: a specified potential of the contact, a uniform contact current density and a current density dependent on contact resistance. The cases of a thin layer on a perfectly conducting substrate and on a non-conducting substrate are analysed each for the boundary conditions of uniform current density and of the current density distribution valid for the infinite geometry. With a perfectly conducting substrate the two boundary conditions yield about 10% difference. With a non-conducting substrate calculations based on both current density distributions produce in the thin layer approximation the same In r dependence required. The constant terms in both approaches are different by 5% and the constant current density result in addition agrees with the result obtained with a totally different transmission-line approach. The actual three-point-probe measurement situation is discussed. The danger of correcting the precise spreading resistance measurement results with an error of 1%, with formulae derived on the basis of a formal model which is sensitive to the choice of the boundary conditions by up to 10%, is stressed. The effects of undefined thickness, bevel edge and transition layer curving upwards are mentioned as further complications.


The BRDF values of several samples of Martin Black have been measured at 10.6 microm and several angles of incidence. The values are in good agreement with data taken recently on an identical sample with a different instrument and with data from an identical sample taken several years ago with a similar instrument.


We have analyzed four sediment cores from the Southern Indian Ocean (ODP sites 757, 758, 1135 and 762) with high carbonate content, in order to reconstruct the neodymium isotopic composition (εNd) of ancient intermediate South Indian seawater from Late Cretaceous (90 Ma) to Early Eocene (40 Ma). The εNdvariations are highly consistent and exhibit reproducible patterns over a very large geographic area, confirming the seawater origin of the signal. Combining geochemical constraints with paleogeographic reconstructions, we highlight the respective roles of (1) large‐scale tectonic events, (2) continental weathering from surrounding Precambrian terrains (90–65 Ma), (3) oceanic circulation changes (50–40 Ma) and, possibly, (4) local volcanism of the ultra‐fast spreading South East Indian Ridge (SEIR) (60–50 Ma) on the Nd isotopic composition of South Indian seawater. Between 60 Ma and 50 Ma, the regional Nd isotopic variations closely mimic changes in SEIR spreading rate. We suggest that the Nd isotopic composition of seawater could be influenced by Nd of volcanic origin in the vicinity of ultra‐fast spreading ridges (>13 cm/yr). The India‐Asia collision closed the Equatorial Seaway between Asia and India and drastically changed oceanic circulation patterns in the Indian Ocean: warm and more radiogenic Pacific equatorial seawater was diverted to the South by the East Indian coast. A stronger mixing of this Pacific seawater with South Indian seawater would explain the rapid shift ofεNd from 50 Ma (−11) to 40 Ma (−8).


Many Latinos from Mexico, Central America, and South America have made the decision to immigrate to the United States in recent years—whether legally or illegally. In the literature, stories of immigration and hopes for the American Dream proliferated; however, varying degrees of racism and anti-immigration sentiment were also revealed. Interviews of first-generation Latino immigrants and American citizens that were both attendees of a local Hispanic church in southcentral Virginia showed that Latino immigrants had hopes of achieving what they believed to be the American Dream, while realizing they had a long journey ahead. American citizens were more certain of having achieved at least some portion of the American Dream, and also had hopes of fully attaining what they believed to be the American Dream.