When talking to fellow modellers about the feedback we get on our simulation models the conversation quickly shifts to anecdotes of rejective scepticism. Many of us experience that they get only few remarks, and especially only little helpful constructive feedback on their simulation models. In this forum paper, we give an overview and reflections on the most common criticisms experienced by ABM modellers. Our goal is to start a discussion on how to respond to criticism, and particularly rejective scepticism, in a way that makes it help to improve our models and consequently also increase acceptance and impact of our work. We proceed by identifying common criticism on agent-based modelling and social simulation methods and show where it shifts to rejection. In the second part, we reflect on the reasons for rejecting the agent-based approach, which we mainly locate in a lack of understanding on the one hand, and academic territorialism on the other hand. Finally, we also give our personal advice to socsim modellers of how to deal with both forms of rejective criticism.


: A fetal origin of the isalnds was supposed after light microscopical observations, investigated especially on young placentas. Electron microscopical examination confirm this supposition. The following facts prove, that the islands are products of the trophoblast: 1. The development of Langhans-cells to the differentiated cytotrophoblast, passing the state of the transitional cell type - I have called the differentiated cytotrophoblast "trophocyte". 2. The linkage of the trophocyte to the syncytiotrophoblast of the islands by desmosomes. 3. Definite morphological differences between the trophocytes and the decidual cells. 4. The absence of connective tissue and vessels in the islands.


Introduction Tobacco smoking is a great public health problem. Its evaluation and monitoring is important to identify risk groups and help guiding public policies. Objectives To describe the prevalence of daily tobacco smoking according to sex, age, per capita household income and occupation of residents over 15-year old in Brazil and macro-regions. Methods We analysed data of 252.768 individuals from the 2008 Brazilian National Survey, the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostragem de Domicílios (PNAD/IBGE). The analysis was adjusted for the sampling design. Multivariate Poisson regression models were used to associate occupational variables to smoking. Results Daily smoking prevalence in Brazil was 15.1%, varying from 12.0% in North region to 17.4% in Southern region, and was 62.0% higher in men compared to women. Higher proportion of male smokers was between 50 and 59 years old and in women the peak was from 40 to 49 years old. Smoking was inversely proportional to household income, varying from 11.5% among the 20% richest to 18.6% among the 20.0% poorest. Same trends for gender, age and income were observed in the different regions of Brazil. Daily cigarette consumption was 32.0% higher among workers compared to non-workers. White collar workers presented a smoking prevalence below 10.0%, while blue collar workers had rates above 20.0%. The association between smoking and occupation remained after the adjustment for sex, age and household income (p<0.001). Conclusions the inequalities found should be considered when developing effective strategies to smoking control and cessation. The occupational groups more exposed should have priority in the interventions.


The metabolic fate, tissue distribution, and elimination profile of [35S]- and [cysteine-U-14C]S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC)--given either intravenously or intraperitoneally to male Fischer 344 rats--was investigated. Blood samples were collected periodically from 5 min to 96 hr after administration. More than 99% of the DCVC was cleared from plasma within 2.5 hr after either intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. The initial half-lives of both [35S]- and [14C]DCVC were 2.0 and 2.8 hr, respectively, and the mercapturate S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-N-acetyl-L-cysteine was detected in plasma within 5 min of giving DCVC. The major plasma metabolite detected after giving [35S]DCVC was inorganic sulfate, and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-N-acetyl-L-cysteine and pyruvate were also detected in plasma after giving [14C]DCVC. S-(1,2-Dichlorovinyl)-N-acetyl-L-cysteine was the major urinary metabolite detected after giving [14C]DCVC, and inorganic sulfate was excreted in the urine after giving [35S]DCVC. Administration of the cysteine conjugate beta-lyase inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid led to a significant increase in the urinary excretion of radioactivity, mostly in the form of the mercapturate. The kidney contained the highest amount of radioactivity after administration of [35S]DCVC. In addition, similar amounts of radioactivity were present in brain, heart, kidney, and liver after administration of [14C]DCVC, but the 14C content of the liver was decreased in aminooxyacetic acid-treated rats. This study shows that DCVC is rapidly metabolized to inorganic sulfate and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-N-acetyl-L-cysteine, which are eliminated in the urine.


The radio telemetry is a well-known technique used within
zoological research to exploit the behavior of animal species.
A usage of GPS for a frequent and precise position recording
gives interesting possibility for a further enhancement of this
method. We present our proposal of an architecture and design
concepts of telemetry transmitter with GPS module, called GTAG,
that is suited for study of the Egyptian fruit bat ({\it
Rousettus aegyptiacus}). The model group we study set
particular constrains, especially the weight limit ($10$ g) and
prevention of any power resources recharging technique. We
discuss the aspect of physical realization and the
energy-consumption issues. We have developed a reference
implementation that has been already deployed during telemetry
sessions and we evaluate the experience and compare the
estimated performance of our device to a real data.


Most research depends on detection of driver alertness through monitoring the eyes, face, head or facial expression. This research presents methods for recognizing and summarizing the activities of drivers using the appearance of the driver's position--and changes in position--as fundamental cues, based on the assumption that periods of safe driving are periods of limited motion in the driver's body. The system uses a side-mounted camera and utilizes silhouettes obtained from skin-color segmentation for detecting activities. The unsupervised method uses agglomerative clustering to represent driver activity throughout a sequence, while the supervised learning method uses a Bayesian eigen-image classifier to distinguish between activities. The results validate the advantages of using driver appearance obtained from skin-color segmentation for classification and clustering purposes. Advantages include increased robustness to illumination variations and elimination of the need for tracking and pose determination.


Research into senior groups and their political nature has serious gaps. We claim that participants in the process are best placed to be both researchers and, with others, the subject of research. Here we illustrate the shortcomings of current methodologies, such as action research, due to the spatial separation and detemporalisation between what is being researched and the construction of a research interpretation. We highlight a tendency to veer towards the intellectual post hoc interpretation of events at the expense of the visceral nature of immersed human experience. Reflexivity in this paper refers to the attention paid to engaging with one's own experience and the noticing of one's sometimes unsettling movement of thought over an extended period of time and by doing so how this in turn affects one's own practice with others. We give examples of and argue for reflexive practice that understands and overcomes its own immersed nature.


BACKGROUND
Retrospective studies have suggested an association between systemic hypotension and hypoxia and worsened outcome from traumatic brain injury. Little is known, however, about the frequency and duration of these potentially preventable causes of secondary brain injury.

HYPOTHESIS
Early episodes of hypoxia and hypotension occurring during initial resuscitation will have a significant impact on outcome following traumatic brain injury.

DESIGN
Prospective cohort study.

SETTING
Urban level I trauma center.

PATIENTS
Patients with a traumatic brain injury who had a Glasgow Coma Score of 12 or less within the first 24 hours of admission to the hospital and computed tomographic scan results demonstrating intracranial pathologic features. Patients who died in the emergency department were excluded from the study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Automated blood pressure and pulse oximetry readings were collected prospectively from the time of arrival through initial resuscitation. The number and duration of hypotensive (systolic blood pressure, < or =90 mm Hg) and hypoxic (oxygen saturation, < or =92%) events were analyzed for their association with mortality and neurological outcome.

RESULTS
One hundred seven patients met the enrollment criteria (median Glasgow Coma Score, 7). Overall mortality was 43%. Twenty-six patients (24%) had hypotension while in the emergency department, with an average of 1.5 episodes per patient (mean duration, 9.1 minutes). Of these 26 patients with hypotension, 17 (65%) died (P =.01). When the number of hypotensive episodes increased from 1 to 2 or more, the odds ratio for death increased from 2.1 to 8.1. Forty-one patients (38%) had hypoxia, with an average of 2.1 episodes per patient (mean duration, 8.7 minutes). Of these 41 patients with hypoxia, 18 (44%) died (P =.68).

CONCLUSIONS
Hypotension, but not hypoxia, occurring in the initial phase of resuscitation is significantly (P =.009) associated with increased mortality following brain injury, even when episodes are relatively short. These prospective data reinforce the need for early continuous monitoring and improved treatment of hypotension in brain-injured patients.


Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease involving many organ systems. The cause is not known, but a complex combination of environmental and genetic factors seems to be involved. In SLE upregulation of type I interferons, a hyperactive B-cell response, presence of autoantibodies against modified nuclear components, increased complement consumption, increased apoptosis and decreased clearance of apoptotic cells are seen. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate some of these mechanisms. The thesis is based on four papers (I-IV). (Papers I and II) We found that the apoptosis inducing effect was specific for sera from SLE patients when comparing with sera from various control groups. However, the apoptosis inducing effect was not related to SLE disease activity. Serum from SLE patients was demonstrated to induce classical caspase-dependent apoptosis in monocytes and lymphocytes. The apoptosis induction was not dependent on death receptors but involvement of the mitochondrial pathway was indicated. (Paper III) Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by macrophages and C3 deposition on apoptotic cells were investigated in the presence of sera lacking different complement proteins. We found that complement-mediated opsonisation and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, particularly those undergoing secondary necrosis, are dependent mainly upon an intact classical pathway. C1q was not more important than other classical pathway components, suggesting a role in other pathogenetic processes than defect clearance of apoptotic cells. (Paper IV) We evaluated the roles of serum complement and antibodies against histones in relation to phagocytosis of necrotic cell material by polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMNs). Phagocytosis of necrotic material by PMNs and high concentration of antibodies against a broad spectrum of histones correlated with active SLE disease. The specificities of these anti-histone antibodies appear to determine the complement-dependent phagocytosis. In conclusion, sera from SLE patients have the capacity to contribute to an increased load of apoptotic cells. An efficient clearance of apoptotic and necrotic cell material is dependent on a functional classical pathway, and autoantibodies against histones reflect the presence of apoptotic or necrotic cells contributing to the autoimmune process in SLE. (Less)


Abstract The Laboria Minute of September 1990 resulted in an agreement that legislation on labour relations cannot work unless there has been extensive consultation with at least the major parties in the labour relations arena. Interest groups involved in the agricultural labour relations framework are identified using the tools of public choice theory. Resulting legislation reflects the relative political weight of these interest groups within the existing institutional structure. A change in this structure will result in a different weighting of the various groups along with new legislation reflecting the most politically powerful interests. An update on what has transpired in the agricultural labour relations arena is given along with policy implications and conclusions.


Educational aims To review the diagnostic approach to the most relevant pulmonary causes of hypoxic acute respiratory failure. To focus on the use of invasive and noninvasive diagnostic techniques for these diseases. Summary Both acute and chronic pulmonary disorders can lead to hypoxic acute respiratory failure (ARF), in which patients are unable to maintain arterial oxygenation despite not retaining carbon dioxide. The three major acute disorders which can underly ARF are (ventilator-assisted) pneumonia (VAP), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary embolism. Each of these conditions poses its own diagnostic and treatment difficulties. This article will review diagnostic procedures relating to these most relevant causes of this syndrome.


Africa is beset with problems that range from natural calamities to civil wars and epidemics such as HIV-AIDS. Ironically, countries like Ethiopia, which badly need trained manpower, continued to lose highly skilled professionals, both military and civilian, to Western Europe and the United States. Ethiopia, for instance, loses more than a third of all its students who were sent for further education to Europe and the U.S. This is in addition to those who leave the country for various reasons but refuse to return home and those educated Ethiopians who became refugees in African countries. One of the consequences of the outflow of highly educated Ethiopians is that today there are more Ethiopian professionals, including MDs, working in the U.S. than in Ethiopia. However, not all Ethiopian professionals are successful in practicing their profession. Among these professionals, highly trained military officers constituted the largest group. They end up being taxi drivers and security guards; they represent the worst case of brain drain—brain hemorrhage. My paper will examine the causes and processes of migration of highly educated Ethiopians to the U.S. and its impact on higher education, both military and civilian, and health institutions in Ethiopia—a country with the least developed higher education establishments, even by African standards, and one of the worst HIV-AIDS affected areas in the world.


Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are becoming an increasingly common method for students to engage with and learn course material. ITSs are designed to provide students with one-on-one learning that is tailored to their own pace and needs. These systems can adapt to each users' individual knowledge and ability level to provide the most pedagogically effective learning environment. Tutoring systems have been designed that cover a variety of topics, including both well-defined and ill-defined domains. ITSs have seen great success within well-defined domains, where the topic itself provides only a limited set of responses. For example, in the domain of algebra, there is a limited set of possible actions that can be performed to solve for an unknown variable. Knowing this complete set of actions allows the tutoring system to predict all possible responses from the user. In contrast, ill-defined domains are more abstract and open ended. Reading comprehension is an ill-defined, open ended domain that can incorporate text from any subject, and involve numerous processes and problems for the learner. The number of associations that learners can make with a given text (e.g., based on personal memories, previous courses, ideas within different parts of the same text, etc.) is virtually infinite. These associations make it almost impossible to predict how a user will respond to a text. In addition to working with more abstract concepts, ITSs within ill-defined domains often have the added challenge of interpreting natural language user input. Incorporating natural language allows learners to use their own words and ideas as they interact with the content; however, this also increases the ambiguity of the interaction and decreases the system's ability to build a precise model of the learner. Building an accurate learner model is essential for the system to adapt the interaction in a pedagogically appropriate manner.


SUMMARY Metagenomics (also referred to as environmental and community genomics) is the genomic analysis of microorganisms by direct extraction and cloning of DNA from an assemblage of microorganisms. The development of metagenomics stemmed from the ineluctable evidence that as-yet-uncultured microorganisms represent the vast majority of organisms in most environments on earth. This evidence was derived from analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences amplified directly from the environment, an approach that avoided the bias imposed by culturing and led to the discovery of vast new lineages of microbial life. Although the portrait of the microbial world was revolutionized by analysis of 16S rRNA genes, such studies yielded only a phylogenetic description of community membership, providing little insight into the genetics, physiology, and biochemistry of the members. Metagenomics provides a second tier of technical innovation that facilitates study of the physiology and ecology of environmental microorganisms. Novel genes and gene products discovered through metagenomics include the first bacteriorhodopsin of bacterial origin; novel small molecules with antimicrobial activity; and new members of families of known proteins, such as an Na+(Li+)/H+ antiporter, RecA, DNA polymerase, and antibiotic resistance determinants. Reassembly of multiple genomes has provided insight into energy and nutrient cycling within the community, genome structure, gene function, population genetics and microheterogeneity, and lateral gene transfer among members of an uncultured community. The application of metagenomic sequence information will facilitate the design of better culturing strategies to link genomic analysis with pure culture studies.


This paper does a revenue–neutral cash flow modelling for fractional cloud computing adoption. The aim is to find out a mathematical fraction, other things being equal, for which the Net Present Value (NPV) maximizes with respect to cloud adoption. The impact of both deferred capital expenses and reduced operating expenses on NPV are treated in the model. The paper posits that the revenue generation and growth of the firms under consideration are independent of the way the IT resources are managed between cloud vs. traditional. In addition to NPV modelling, the paper also examines the fraction of the total product /solutions options that can be moved to the cloud today from the total universe of IT assets by running a statistical analysis of data collected from a vendor sample space.


Differential chemical etch method (DCEM) was employed to study the effect on the surface/subsurface damage depth of K9 glass lapped by different particle sizes of fixed diamond abrasives. The advantage of DCEM is that both the lapped and substrate samples are placed in the chemical etch at the same time to decrease or eliminate the effect of etching condition variation. K9 glasses are firstly fixed-abrasive lapped with 40, 28, 14 and 10μm diamond abrasives, respectively. Surface damages of K9 glass after FAL are measured by Microscopy. The results show that the corresponding subsurface damage (SSD) depths of K9 glass are 4.5, 3.4, 2.8 and 1.6μm when the fixed diamond abrasive particle size are 40, 28, 14 and 10μm.With the decreasing of diamond particle size, the SSD depth decreases obviously and surface quality of K9 glass is improved significantly.


Abstract A criticism of behavioural nudges is that they lack precision, sometimes nudging people who – had their personal circumstances been known – would have benefitted from being nudged differently. This problem may be solved through a programme of personalized nudging. This paper proposes a two-component framework for personalization that suggests choice architects can personalize both the choices being nudged towards (choice personalization) and the method of nudging itself (delivery personalization). To do so, choice architects will require access to heterogeneous data. This paper argues that such data need not take the form of big data, but agrees with previous authors that the opportunities to personalize nudges increase as data become more accessible. Finally, this paper considers two challenges that a personalized nudging programme must consider, namely the risk personalization poses to the universality of laws, regulation and social experiences, and the data access challenges policy-makers may encounter.


To maintain metabolic homeostasis, the nervous system must adapt and respond to an ever-changing environment. Transcription factors are key drivers of this adaptation, eliciting gene expression changes that can alter neuronal activity. Here we show in Caenorhabditis elegans that the terminal selector transcription factor ETS-5 not only establishes the identity of the BAG sensory neurons, but is re-purposed to shape the functional output of the BAG neurons post-mitotically. We find that ETS-5 directly regulates the expression of INS-1, an insulin-like peptide, in the BAG sensory neurons. INS-1 expression in the BAG neurons, and not in other INS-1-expressing neurons, decreases intestinal lipid levels and promotes foraging behaviour. Using in vivo analysis, we show that elevated intestinal lipid stores, driven by a high glucose diet, downregulates ETS-5-driven expression of INS-1. Together, our data reveal an inter-tissue regulatory loop by which a single neuron can control systemic metabolism, and that the activity of this neuron is modulated by the metabolic state of the organism.


Testing data generation system is an important guarantee for the realization of the maintainable, and effective automated testing of embedded software. In this paper, analysis of the characteristics of embedded software testing data is studied firstly. And then, the process of the embedded software testing data generation is put forward. Finally, the design and realization of the ESTDGS (embedded software testing data generation system) are described in detail. Using the layered architecture design, the user layer, function layer and data layer of ESTDGS are separated and the generated testing data is eventually stored using XML (Extensible Markup Language), which can improve the generalization, maintainability and expansibility of the system effectively.


In this article the author analyses specific reservations that are being done to the international documents for the protection of human rights and whether Vienna Convention on the Law of the Treaties applies to those human rights treaties or not. Also, the author analyses if reservations, which are incompatible with object and purpose of the treaty, can be done or not and what consequences they might bring. For this reason the author describes the practice of the state members under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These treaties were chosen not only because they laid down the most significant principles of the protection of human rights, but also due to the great number of reservations made to the fundamental provisions of these treaties. The importance of the topic is that in the human rights treaties the implementation of Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provisions on reservations brings several issues, even though on theoretical level the regulation of reservations seems unproblematic. Firstly, there is a major group of states (especially Islamic countries, which base their explanation on the incompatibility with Islamic law), which want to become parties to the treaties that protect human rights and make reservations to fundamental provisions of them at the same time. Secondly, the state parties that make objections to the reservations have to decide if the reservation is compatible with the object and purpose of the treaty or not. The regulation that is laid down in Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties creates difficulties for the state parties and withdrawal of reservations seems to be more problematic in reality than it is in theory. In order to find the solutions for the above mentioned issues, the author analyses whether the Vienna Convention on the Law of the Treaties regime works properly within the mechanism of making reservations to the human rights treaties or not, what reservations should be kept invalid under the human rights treaties and what could be the solutions for the most effective protection from the invalid reservations that address fundamental rights of human beings in the human rights law.


Those looking for a good distillation of current studies on midrash will find it in this volume-for Neusner has written larger treatises on the subject, and he is well acquainted with a field that has claimed a good deal of renewed attention in the past 30 years. Most simply put, midrash for Neusner is &dquo;biblical exegesis by ancient Judaic authorities&dquo; (p. xi). He discerns three types of midrash-exegesis: 1) as prophecy, characterized by the Judaism of Qumran as well as by the Jewish-Christianity of Matthew; 2) as systematic paraphrase, as practiced by the translators of Scripture into Aramaic (targums) and Greek (e.g. LXX); and finally (3) as parable, not excluding allegorizing tendencies, characteristic of the Judaism of the dual (written and oral) Torah. This is found in Mishnah, the Talmuds, and in the various midrash-collections. For a more precise definition of midrash, Nuesner gives full authorization to what was offered by Gary G. Porton: &dquo;Midrash is a type of literature, oral and written, which has its starting point in a fixed, canonical text, considered to be the revealed word of God by the midrashist and by his audience, and in which this original verse is explicitly cited or clearly alluded to ... For something to be considered midrash, it must have a clear relationship to the accepted canonical text. Midrash is a term given to Jewish activity which finds its locus in the religious life of the Jewish community. While others exegete their revelatory canons, and while Jews exegete other texts, only Jews who explicitly tie their comments to the Bible engage in midrash&dquo; (pp. 9-10). Neusner further authorizes midrash within the Bible, called by Michael Fishbane &dquo;inner-biblical exegesis,&dquo; as when Psalm 106:32-33 clarifies what is vague in Numbers 20:10-13. One of the advantages of this volume is the large quantity of illustrative texts, often quite extensive, showing the various types of midrash. Thus readers may decide for themselves how much value they perceive in the various midrashic processes and methods. Like many other volumes produced under the name of Jacob Neusner this one has benefited from the collaboration of colleagues and associates.


Haemophilia A and B are the two most common severe congenital bleeding disorders and each is corrected with infusion of a single plasma protein. Preliminary data from animal models and from clinical trials in humans suggest that gene therapy may be effective in the haemophilias. Advances in vector technology combined with improved trangenes and knowledge of factors VIII and IX secretion in target tissues over the past several years have improved the prospects of gene therapy for the haemophilias.

Key Concepts

Understand the roles of factors VIII and IX in the intrinsic coagulation cascade.

Understand that both haemophilia A and B are caused by single gene mutations inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern.

Understand the clinical features of haemophilia A and B.

Understand that haemophilia A and B are excellent models for gene therapy because of the wide range of protein levels that can be both therapeutic and not toxic.

Understand issues that determine target tissue suitability for gene therapy.

Understand the importance of efficient transgene transfection and secretion and the role of bioengineered transgenes.

Understand the potential for accumulation of unfolded or misfolded protein accumulation with overexpression of a transgene in a target tissue and the possibility of toxicity through induction of the unfolded protein response.

Understand the advantages and disadvantages of available vector technologies including: nonviral delivery systems, retroviral vectors, adenoviral vectors and adeno-associated viral vectors.

Become familiar with results from gene therapy clinical trials in the haemophilias.

Become aware of the ethical and regulatory considerations in haemophilia gene therapy.

Keywords:

factor VIII;
factor IX;
immune response;
coagulation factors


Traditional traffic counting location (TCL) problem is to determine the number and locations of counting stations that would best cover the network for the purpose of estimating origin-destination (O-D) trip tables. It is well noted that the quality of the estimated O-D trip table depends on the estimation methods, an appropriate set of links with traffic counts, and the quality of the traffic counts. In this paper, we develop strategies in the screen-line-based TCL model for selecting additional traffic counts for improving O-D trip table estimation. Using these selected traffic counts, the O-D trip table is estimated using a modified path flow estimator that is capable of handling traffic count inconsistency internally. To illustrate the impact of the additional number of traffic counts on O-D estimation, we set up a unique experiment in a real world setting to visually observe the evolution of O-D estimation as the number of traffic counting locations increases. By comparing the O-D trip tables in a GIS, we visualize the actual impacts of counting locations on the estimation results. Various spatial properties of O-D trip tables estimated from traffic counts of different locations are identified as results of the study.


This report provides a review of high school completion rates for limited English proficient (LEP) students in Texas, discusses evidence-based dropout prevention strategies for LEP students, and makes recommendations for expanding and enhancing Texas' efforts to promote high school completion and success for LEP students. What follows are highlights from the report.


This paper examines the forest communities dominated by Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris (Mill.) Lehr. that have been described up until now in the Mediterranean Region (including other isolated extrazonal areas in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula and in Northern Turkey) as more or less evolved aspects of woods, microwoods and high maquis that principally tend to make up climacic and edapho-climacic "series heads". These formations maintain a significant large-scale distributive potential within the infraand thermomediterranean bioclimate belts (with a few penetrations into the mesomediterranean) with a dry-subhumid (and sometimes humid) ombrotype; however, they are currently quite rare and fragmented in the wake of large-scale deforestation and the impoverishment of old-growth communities dominated by a species known to live for millennia. The study was conducted through the analysis of phytosociological data taken from the scientific literature and other unpublished data regarding North-Africa (Morocco, Algeria), the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands as well as other islands from the Tyrrhenian area (Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily and its minor islands), the Italian Peninsula, the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean region, Turkey and the southern Anatolian coast. A comparison between the different communities has shown a high floristic and physiognomic-structural homogeneity that justifies their categorization in the Quercetea ilicis class. The biogeographic and ecologic vicariance shown by the same formations within the large Mediterranean distribution range makes it possible to subdivide them into the following orders and alliances: 1) Pistacio-Rhamnetalia alaterni [A) all. Tetraclini articulatae-Pistacion atlanticae (suball. Pistacienion atlanticae); B) all. Asparago albi-Rhamnion oleoidis; C) all. Oleo sylvestris-Ceratonion siliquae]; 2) Quercetalia calliprini [D) all. Ceratonio-Pistacion lentisci]; 3) Quercetalia ilicis [E) all. Querco rotundifoliae-Oleion sylvestris; F) all. Fraxino orni-Quercion ilicis; G) all. Erico arboreae-Quercion ilicis; H) all. Arbuto unedonis-Laurion nobilis (suball. Arbuto-Laurenion nobilis)]. Regarding the syntaxonomical aspect: (i) two new associations are described [Hippocrepido emeroidis-Oleetum sylvestris and Junipero foetidissimae-Oleetum sylvestris]; (ii) two new associations [Phillyreo latifoliae-Oleetum sylvestris Barbero, Quézel & Rivas-Martínez ex Gianguzzi & Bazan ass. nova and Calicotomo intermediae-Oleetum sylvestris Quézel, Barbero, Benabid, Loisel & Rivas-Martínez 1988 ex Gianguzzi & Bazan ass. nova] and a new subassociation [Aro neglecti-Oleetum sylvestris Rivas-Martínez & Cantò 2002 corr. Rivas-Martínez & Cantò fraxinetosum angustifoliae Pérez Latorre, Galán de Mera, Deil & Cabezudo ex Gianguzzi & Bazan subass. nova] are leptotypified; (iii) a nomen novum of the association is redefined [Rhamno laderoi-Oleastretum sylvestris (Cantò, Ladero, Perez-Chiscano & Rivas-Martínez 2011) Gianguzzi & Bazan nom. nov.].


Abstract only given, as follows. Video conferencing has become an alternative way to get people to communicate with each other without having to travel long distances. Though it has proven to be very useful in many occasions, in order to have a successful video conference, (1) it requires preliminary scheduling to have all involved parties present at the same time, (2) all parties need to be fully prepared and give quick responses to minimise expensive "dead space", and (3) there never seems to be enough communication bandwidth. Of course, as is common in most conference settings, people inevitably try to rush for conclusions near the end. With the above in mind, we are developing new data management techniques to conduct video conferences in which all parties need not be present at the same time, people can communicate at their own pace, and network bandwidth is utilized more effectively. We briefly describe the basic ideas behind such a system and show a prototype system.<<ETX>>


Abstract This paper describes a theoretical model to capture the rate of erosion of a silty sand based on the principle of conservation of energy. Erosion is considered to begin when the interparticle bonds between grains are broken by hydrodynamic stresses exerted on the soil particles. These detached particles are then suspended and transported by the flow of eroding fluid. It is further assumed that once the particles are fully suspended and have reached the flow velocity, resettlement does not take place. Stabilization of soil particles because of lignosulfonate (LS) treatment is represented by the increased strain energy required to break the interparticle bonds. The equation proposed in this study is based on the shear stress-strain characteristics, mean flow velocity, mean particle diameter, and the packing arrangement of particles. The result of the proposed study is presented in the form of erosion rate versus the hydraulic shear stress. The model is validated with a series of laboratory erosion tests using the Process Simulation Apparatus for Internal Crack Erosion (PSAICE) for different percentages of LS. The model results are in good agreement with the experimental observations. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000766. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.


One of the practical means for waterworks to compete with each other for efficient operation is implementing an evaluation program. The evaluation program, coinciding with public notification, was prepared and implemented as a trial in Korea in 2003. However, several unexpected issues arose during the implementation. The evaluation scheme has been revised and described in this paper. The water quality might better be used as a qualification barrier for the further evaluation process. It may also be reasonable to consider that the evaluation team might visit on a very exceptional day for the plant, therefore it might be better to let the evaluation team have enough time to assess plants more extensively. The collateral case study reports should be used as a manual to maintain consistency between the evaluation teams. Although the case study took place in -Korea, the revised principles from this experience may be beneficial to other countries.


Nowadays, business analytical users need agile processes spanning from the selection of relevant data from raw data sources to the generation of data structures prepared to serve as input for OLAP, Data Mining and/or other analytical tools. However, the wide range of analytical needs and the increasingly need of adaptive Business strategies discourages the use of the 'All-In-One' existing suites (i.e., end-to-end Solutions from a single vendor). Oppositely, an agile approach suiteindependent is advisable to boost user's independence from a specific vendor and the analytical capabilities enabled by combining several suites / tools according to the user's needs. In this thesis we present and develop 'SETA', a suite-independent agile analytical framework by proposing a novel approach combining rich metadata definition and automation components. As proof of validity, we instantiate the developed framework in a real-world project for the WHO Chagas Programme. This thesis introduces two main contributions. First, an approach to store and integrate a set of heterogeneous data sources into a flexible data store in some intermediate point between the classical Data Warehouse (DW) approaches and the recent Data Lake strategies. We argue that classical DW systems are too rigid to accommodate agile analytical pipelines, whereas Data Lakes and Big Data technologies are not suitable to much of today's organizations. Thus, a novel approach combining both approaches is presented. Second, a rich definitional system to represent 1) the data components at Source, Global Schema and Domain levels, 2) the data mappings between this levels and 3) the final user analytical requirements. This definitional system provides a flexible view of the data schema at different levels and habilitates the automation of the target data schemas and the ETL to feed them.


Clinical experience with hydroxocobalamin in acute cyanide poisoning via ingestion remains limited. This case concerns a 35-year-old mentally ill woman who consumed more than 20 apricot kernels. Published literature suggests each kernel would have contained cyanide concentrations ranging from 0.122 to 4.09 mg/g (average 2.92 mg/g). On arrival, the woman appeared asymptomatic with a raised pulse rate and slight metabolic acidosis. Forty minutes after admission (approximately 70 min postingestion), the patient experienced headache, nausea and dyspnoea, and was hypotensive, hypoxic and tachypnoeic. Following treatment with amyl nitrite and sodium thiosulphate, her methaemoglobin level was 10%. This prompted the administration of oxygen, which evoked a slight improvement in her vital signs. Hydroxocobalamin was then administered. After 24 h, she was completely asymptomatic with normalised blood pressure and other haemodynamic parameters. This case reinforces the safety and effectiveness of hydroxocobalamin in acute cyanide poisoning by ingestion.


To improve practice and increase the quality of human identification processes, this article proposes a methodological framework and interview to facilitate the recovery of antemortem information about ailments, illnesses, and injuries, referred to as forensic semiology. The proposal is based on experience working on the intervention at the Parish Cemetery in Penco, Chile. Twenty-eight cases, which correspond to a total of 61 interviews, were analyzed through a diachronic comparison of content during the 2010–2016 period. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the semiology interview demonstrate an increase in the quantity and quality of supplementary information in the process of human identification based on skeletal remains.


The split that followed the failed succession plan for Reliance Industries Limited is one of the most significant and publicized narrative in the Indian corporate sector. The long family feud that followed the death of the founding patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani highlights the critical role of succession planning in large family businesses. Succession planning becomes extremely critical in the emerging markets where the legal and institutional arrangements regulating the corporate entities and the corporate governance practices are still being developed. The absence of a solid succession plan observed in the case of Reliance Industries is not uncommon among large business houses in India. However, given its size (market capitalization of over Rs. 1.2 Lakh Crores) the Reliance saga has implications beyond just souring of personal relationships among family members. Given the fact that it is one of the largest and most successful exchange traded conglomerates, the economic implications in terms of corporate value erosion and shareholder wealth destruction are immense. The uncertain environment since the death of Dhirubhai in 2002 has had negative implication for firm's stock performance. In addition, the recently unveiled plan of de-merger and split of the empire among the two brothers most likely is not the best way to spin-off business units from a conglomerate. There may be value erosion due to lost diversification benefits, synergies, economies of scale and scope, and complementarities. This case deals with the implications of the dispute for corporate value and continuation of efficient business practices. It also concerns the regulatory environment and how to ensure effective corporate governance mechanisms to ensure that various stakeholder interests are protected.


Recently, scholars have examined the 1909 corporate excise tax, the first tax imposed against corporations because of their corporate status, and concluded that it was enacted due to developments in entity theory around the turn-of-the-century. According to this scholarship, corporations grew in power and became real entities under the eyes of the law and the people. The government sought to regulate this accumulated wealth through corporate taxation. Thus, the origins of the modern corporate income tax can be traced to entity theory and the need to regulate corporate power. This historical explanation does not stand up to close scrutiny. Upon examining the events leading up to and following the adoption of the 1909 tax, as well as the debates over the 1909 act itself, it appears that the role of entity theory and corporate regulation in the rise of the modern corporate income tax has been overstated. The 1909 corporate excise tax, like its predecessors, the sugar and petroleum excise taxes during the Spanish-American War, were an attempt to reach shareholder wealth while complying with the constitutional limitations imposed by the Supreme Court in Pollock. While they were both passed with regulatory undertones, the historical significance of this tax became more limited after the constitution was amended to permit income taxation. When the first post-amendment corporate income tax was enacted in 1913, it was essentially a replica of the pass-through corporate taxation employed during the nineteenth century. This chapter in a forthcoming book, Studies in the History of Tax Law, Vol. II (John Tiley, ed., Hart Publishing, forthcoming 2006), suggests that rather than appearing in 1909 as a result of developments in entity theory, the modern corporate income tax emerged during World War I and its aftermath because of a variety of factors. These included the wartime need for revenue, the increase in progressive surtax rates applied to individuals, and a shift toward more conservative dividend policies among corporations. Each of these factors combined to produce a different reality for the taxation of corporate income. The pass-through model was no longer considered viable. Thus, the modern corporate income tax system developed not because of a change in the theory of the corporation or because of a desire to regulate it, but because the old system no longer worked.


Health is understood as a complex phenomenon, related to multiple causes linked to factors which have diverse biological, psychological, economic and social natures. Among these and individuals' behavior a causal relationship is established, converting those individual decision-making processes into fundamental health which bears evidence on the necessity for health professionals to be prepared for this new reality. Community nursing clinical contexts comprise the first line of priorities to deal with this problem. The objective of this article is to comprehend how the process to prepare nursing professionals for clinical practice in community nursing occurs in a Superior School of Nursing in Portugal. This study is of an exploratory and descriptive nature. Interviews were carried out and later their content was analyzed. Based on the results, the authors noticed the need to redirect teaching in order to form professionals who attend to the needs of the population, who work in teams, and who, mainly succeed in dialoging according to the Paulo Freire perspective. The authors conclude that it is necessary to create a greater coherence between what is taught and what occurs in the context of clinical practice, in other words, that the school world carries on a dialogue with the working, clinical practice world and vice versa.


Background: Tuberculosis remains a worldwide health hazard instead well documented well publicized methods of prevention and cure. Chest radiographs are used to stratify for risk and to assess for asymptomatic active disease. Hence; we planned the present study to retrospectively analyze the data of the pulmonary tuberculosis patients for analyzing the spectrum of radiographic findings. Subjects and Methods: In the present study, we analyzed the data records of a total of 100 pulmonary tuberculosis patients. A self-framed master cart was prepared in which, past medical history, clinical history, radiographic findings, clinical findings of all the patients was obtained. Data records of only those patients were analyzed in which both clinical and bacteriologic confirmation of the disease was present. Radiographs were evaluated. Only preoperative radiographic findings were taken into consideration. Results: The most common radiographic finding was hilar lymph node, found to be present in 66 percent of the patients. Unilateral nodular infiltration was found to be present in 25 percent of the patients. Patchy consolidation was seen in 22 percent of the patients. Fibrotic scar was seen in 10 percent of the patients while calcified nodule was seen in 8 percent of the patients. Conclusion: In diagnosing and assessing the extent of severity among tuberculosis patients, radiographic imaging is a vital tool.


Costs involved in double-bottoms (tandem trailers) and TOFC (trailer-on-flatcar; piggyback) were modeled and compared with conventional over-the-road transport of bulk milk from northern Vermont in single trailers. Both modes were found to be both cost-effective and fuel-sparing alternatives to conventional transport. Since the study' s completion, although not as a direct result of it, two shippers have adopted these innovations . One of them (using double-bottoms) has budgeted savings even larger than those claimed in our study.


Supernova-driven outflows from early galaxies may have had a large impact on the kinetic and chemical properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM). We use three-dimensional Monte Carlo cosmological realizations of a simple linear peaks model to track the time evolution of such metal-enriched outflows and their feedback on galaxy formation. We find that at most 30% of the IGM by volume is enriched to values above 10-3 Z☉ in models that include only objects that cool by atomic transitions. The majority of enrichment occurs relatively early (5 ≲ z ≲ 12) and leads to a mass-averaged cosmological metallicity between 10-3 and 10-1.5 Z☉. The inclusion of Population III objects that cool through H2 line emission has only a minor impact on these results: increasing the mean metallicity and filling factor by at most a factor of 1.4 and moving the dawn of the enrichment epoch to z ≈ 14 at the earliest. Thus, enrichment by outflowing galaxies is likely to have been incomplete and inhomogeneous, biased to the areas near the starbursting galaxies themselves. Models with a 10% star formation efficiency can satisfactorily reproduce the nearly constant (2 ≤ z ≤ 5, Z ≈ 3.5 × 10-4 Z☉) metallicity of the low column density Lyα forest derived by Songaila in 2001, an effect of the decreasing efficiency of metal loss from larger galaxies. Finally, we show that IGM enrichment is intimately tied to the ram-pressure stripping of baryons from neighboring perturbations. This results in the suppression of at least 20% of the dwarf galaxies in the mass range ~3 × 108-3 × 109 M☉ in all models with filling factors greater than 2% and an overall suppression of ~50% of dwarf galaxies in the most observationally favored model.


Xylose isomerase (XI; E.C. 220.127.116.11) catalyzes the isomerization of xylose to xylulose, which can be used to produce bioethanol through fermentation. Therefore, XI has recently gained attention as a key catalyst in the bioenergy industry. Here, we identified, purified, and characterized a XI (PbXI) from the psychrophilic soil microorganism, Paenibacillus sp. R4. Surprisingly, activity assay results showed that PbXI is not a cold-active enzyme, but displays optimal activity at 60°C. We solved the crystal structure of PbXI at 1.94-Å resolution to investigate the origin of its thermostability. The PbXI structure shows a (β/α)8-barrel fold with tight tetrameric interactions and it has three divalent metal ions (CaI, CaII, and CaIII). Two metal ions (CaI and CaII) located in the active site are known to be involved in the enzymatic reaction. The third metal ion (CaIII), located near the β4-α6 loop region, was newly identified and is thought to be important for the stability of PbXI. Compared with previously determined thermostable and mesophilic XI structures, the β1-α2 loop structures near the substrate binding pocket of PbXI were remarkably different. Site-directed mutagenesis studies suggested that the flexible β1-α2 loop region is essential for PbXI activity. Our findings provide valuable insights that can be applied in protein engineering to generate lowtemperature purpose-specific XI enzymes.


The effect of apolipoprotein E polymorphism on the established relationships between glucose tolerance, plasma insulin levels, and plasma lipoprotein concentrations were investigated in a sample of women defined on the basis of apolipoprotein E phenotypes. In women with the apolipoprotein E ε2 allele (n = 22), fasting plasma insulin and glucose and insulin areas under the curve measured during an oral glucose tolerance test were positively correlated with plasma triglyceride levels (0.48 ≤ r ≤ 0.70; P < 0.05). In this group, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and very-low-density lipoprotein triglyceride concentrations were positively correlated with fasting insulin levels, the insulin area, and with the ratio of insulin area to glucose area. In women (n = 24) homozygous for the apolipoprotein E ε3 allele (the most common allele), essentially similar associations were found. In contrast, in women (n = 17) with the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele, no association was found between glucose tolerance, fasting and postglucose plasma insulin levels, and plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. These results suggest that apolipoprotein E polymorphism substantially modifies the associations between glucose tolerance, plasma insulin levels, and plasma lipoprotein concentrations. Additional analysis of the data revealed that apolipoprotein E polymorphism did not alter the relationships between body fat distribution and fasting insulin and postglucose insulin levels, but no correlation was observed between fatness indexes and glucose tolerance among apolipoprotein E ε2 carriers. Therefore, the mechanisms by which apolipoprotein E polymorphism modifies plasma lipoprotein levels in a hyperinsulinemic state is not by altering the relationship of abdominal obesity to hyperinsulinemia but more likely by modifying the metabolic fate of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in hyperinsulinemic, insulin-resistant subjects.


A thesis submitted to the Department of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science degree in Environmental Resource Management, 2004


Flood risk reduction can be provided by interventions such as raising land or constructing flood defences. This paper introduces an approach to optimise the selection of risk reduction strategies. It expands existing economic optimization approaches for flood defences, by introducing (largely) analytical formulations to include the effects of approaches to mitigate flood consequences. The method considers the size of the protected area and associated damages, the costs and dimensioning of interventions and the likelihood of flooding. It is applied in several practical cases. Within the context of this economic model, we conclude that a system of flood defences is more economical than a landfill for larger areas. Fills are preferred for small areas and/or for low costs. A combination of strategies is preferred when the value protected by the flood defence is low compared to the value protected by the fill, or when the high value development is relatively small in size. The sensitivity of outcomes to the choice of the main input parameters is presented, as well as implications of the results and selection of strategies in developing and developed countries. Overall, this approach supports decision makers in developing effective strategies to manage and reduce flood risk.


INTRODUCTION: In gastroschisis, premature birth may avoid the development of intestinal peel and favour the primary closure. We present the preliminary results obtained after following a multidisciplinary approach to gastroschisis. After prenatal ultrasound diagnosis, preterm caesarean delivery at 34-35 weeks of gestation is programmed. METHODS: Prospective design of a study, where we included all prenatal diagnosed gastrosquisis neonates, from July 2007 to January 2012. RESULTS: We followed 9 infants (3 male). Average weight at birth: 1,927 gr. (+/- 370). Primary closure was successfully accomplished in the first 3 hours of life all cases. We found two cases of slight peel. We found no associated intestinal malformations, except for one small bowel stenosis. No significant neonatal distress respiratory syndrome developed. Mean parenteral nutrition time was 13.9 days (+/- 3.8). 4 neonates developed central line associated infection. No surgical site infection developed. Enteral nutrition was started at day 8th (+/- 2.8). Enteral requirements were fulfilled at day 15th (+/- 3.6). Mean hospital stay was 31 days (+/- 10). Mean follow-up was 30 months. 4 cases developed a small (< 5 mm) umbilical hernia CONCLUSION: Programming premature cesarean section delivery at 34 weeks of gestation was beneficial to the neonates with gastroschisis, yet it avoided peel development, and rendered primary closure without serious difficulties possible. This diminishes hypoperistalsis time and allows rapid instauration of enteral feeding, so hospital stays may be shorter.


Few studies have found strong evidence to suggest that ecotones promote species richness and diversity. In this study we examine the responses of a high-Andean bird community to changes in vegetation and topographical characteristics across an Andean tree-line ecotone and adjacent cloud forest and puna grassland vegetation in southern Peru. Over a 6-month period, birds and vegetation were surveyed using a 100 m fixed-width Distance Sampling point count method. Vegetation analyses revealed that the tree-line ecotone represented a distinctive high-Andean vegetation community that was easily differentiated from the adjacent cloud forest and puna grassland based on changes in tree-size characteristics and vegetation cover. Bird community composition was strongly seasonal and influenced by a pool of bird species from a wider elevational gradient. There were also clear differences in bird community measures between tree-line vegetation, cloud forest and puna grassland with species turnover (β-diversity) most pronounced at the tree-line. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that the majority of the 81 bird species were associated with tree-line vegetation. Categorizing patterns of relative abundance of the 42 most common species revealed that the tree-line ecotone was composed primarily of cloud forest specialists and habitat generalists, with very few species from the puna grassland. Only two species, Thlypopsis ruficeps and Anairetes parulus, both widespread Andean species more typical of montane woodland vegetation edges, were categorized as ecotone specialists. However, our findings were influenced by significant differences in species detectability between all three vegetation communities. Our study highlights the importance of examining ecotones at an appropriate spatial and temporal scale. Selecting a suitable distance between sampling points based on the detection probabilities of the target bird species is essential to obtain an unbiased picture of how ecotones influence avian richness and diversity.


OBJECT
Experience with the use of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide in patients with ischemic stroke is limited. The authors report the off-label use of intraarterial eptifibatide during endovascular ischemic stroke revascularization procedures for reocclusion after documented recanalization or formed fresh thrombi in distal vessels that were inaccessible to endovascular devices.

METHODS
Patients who received intraarterial eptifibatide were identified from a prospectively collected database of patients in whom endovascular revascularization for acute ischemic stroke was attempted between 2005 and 2008. Data were analyzed retrospectively. The intraarterial eptifibatide dose was a single-bolus dose of 180 μg/kg body weight. Primary outcome measures were angiographic recanalization (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Grade 2 or 3), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate, overall mortality rate, and favorable 3-month modified Rankin Scale score (≤ 2).

RESULTS
The study included 35 patients (mean age 62 years, range 18-85 years). The median presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 13. Two patients received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator before endovascular therapy. The median time from symptom onset to therapy initiation was 230 minutes (range 90-1370 minutes). Twelve patients (34%) received intraarterial tissue plasminogen activator without mechanical measures. Mechanical revascularization measures used were Merci retriever in 19 (54%), Penumbra device in 1 (3%), balloon angioplasty in 15 (43%), and stent placement in 22 (63%) patients. The mean dose of intraarterial eptifibatide was 11.6 mg (range 5-16.6 mg). Partial-to-complete recanalization (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Grade 2 or 3) was achieved in 27 patients (77%). Postprocedure intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 13 patients (37%), causing symptoms in 5 (14%). In the 5 symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage cases, all patients but one presented more than 8 hours after symptom onset and all received intraarterial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. The median discharge National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 7 (range 0-17). At 3 months postprocedure, 21 patients (60%) had a modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 2, and 8 patients (23%) had died.

CONCLUSIONS
Adjunctive intraarterial eptifibatide is a feasible option for salvage of reocclusion and thrombolysis of distal inaccessible thrombi during endovascular stroke revascularization. Its safety and efficacy need to be studied further in larger, multicenter, controlled studies.


Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker is over expressed in epithelial cancers and in retinoblastoma (RB). We fabricated an EpCAM targeting aptamer-siRNA chimera and investigated its anti-tumor property and EpCAM intracellular domain (EpICD) mediated signaling in epithelial cancer. The anti-tumor efficacy of EpCAM aptamer-siEpCAM chimera (EpApt-siEp) was evaluated by qPCR, northern and Western blotting in WERI-Rb1- RB cell line, primary RB tumor cells and in MCF7- breast cancer cell line. Anti-tumor activity of EpApt-siEp was studied in vivo using epithelial cancer (MCF7) mice xenograft model. The mechanism and pathways involved in the anti-tumor activity was further studied using protein arrays and qPCR. EpApt-siEp chimera was processed in vitro by dicer enzyme. Treatment of the WERI-Rb1 and MCF7 cells with EpApt-siEp revealed statistically significant down regulation of EpCAM expression (P<0.005) and concomitant reduction in cellular proliferation. In primary RB cells cultured from RB tumors, EpApt-siEp silenced EpCAM, significantly inhibited (P<0.01) cell proliferation and induced cytotoxicity. Knockdown of EpICD expressed in RB primary tumors led to repression of pluripotency markers, SOX2, OCT4, NANOG, and CD133. In vivo studies showed complete tumor growth regression without any toxicity in animals (P<0.001) and tumor tissues showed significant downregulation (P<0.05) of EpCAM, MRP1, ABCG2, stathmin, survivin and upregulation of ATM (P<0.05) leading to apoptosis by intrinsic pathway with minor alteration in cytokines. Our results revealed that EpApt-siEp potentially eradicated EpCAM positive cancer cells through CSC marker suppression and apoptosis, while sparing normal EpCAM negative adjacent cells.


Cowden syndrome (CS) (OMIM 158350) is a multiple hamartoma syndrome associated with germline mutations in thePTEN tumour suppressor gene. While CS is characterised most commonly by non-cancerous lesions (mucocutaneous trichilemmomas, acral and palmoplantar keratoses, and papillomatous papules), it is also associated with an increased susceptibility to breast cancer (in females) and thyroid cancer, as well as non-cancerous conditions of the breast and thyroid. Here we report two cases of male breast cancer occurring in patients with classical CS phenotypes and germline PTEN mutations. The first subject was diagnosed with CS indicated primarily by mucocutaneous papillomatosis, facial trichilemmomas, and macrocephaly with frontal bossing at the age of 31 years. He developed breast cancer at 41 years and subsequently died of the disease. A PTENmutation, c.802delG, was identified in this subject, yet none of his family members showed evidence of a CS phenotype, suggesting that thisPTEN mutation may be a de novo occurrence. The second subject had a CS phenotype including multiple trichilemmomas and thyroid adenoma, developed male breast cancer at 43 years, and died of the disease at 57 years. He was a carrier of aPTEN mutation c.347-351delACAAT that cosegregated with the CS phenotype in affected family members. These two cases of male breast cancer associated with germlinePTEN mutations and the CS phenotype suggest that CS may be associated with an increased risk of early onset male as well as female breast cancer.


For the Venice Biennale 1985, Daniel Libeskind constructed Three Lessons in Architecture. The project consists of three large machines; The Reading Machine, The Memory Machine and The Writing Machine. Libeskind claims that he built these machines in order to retrieve the experiences of making architecture by handicraft, intellectual control and industrial production. The underlying argument is that 'the weapons' of modern architecture – methods of drawing, making, thinking and writing about architecture that originated in the medieval monastery – were slowly becoming defunct; the architecture of humanism and its respective technology of the mechanical machine were about to end.

Libeskind stresses that his machines do not work in the realm of objects but in the realm of ideas. They are means of investigation rather than finite objects in themselves. They are experiments in different forms of realism: technical, functional, social and psychological. In this sense, they are 'objects of knowledge' similar to early scientific experimental instruments; they demonstrate a belief. Architectural objects – particularly models – are often made to emphasise the materiality and three-dimensionality of architecture. In Three Lessons in Architecture, while materiality and functioning are still important, ultimately the purpose of the object is the representation of a possibility. The actual workings of the machines matter in as much as they give a vivid image of the metaphor constructed 'between the axis of technology and the axis of architecture.'

Three Lessons in Architecture is a visual allegorical tale. It appropriates past technological imagery to discuss the tools of the architect in a moment when the existing 'weaponry' is about to be supplanted by new ways of thinking and making; as a result, it is both nostalgic and visionary. Nostalgic in the outward appearance of its handcrafted constructions and its erudite referencing of the past; visionary in its statement with regard to the future of production of architectural knowledge and experiences. Three Lessons in Architecture uses allegory as a potent tool for design exploration which brings into architecture knowledge from a wide range of fields. Allegory allows the architectural object to become 'metaphysical equipment' and making to be deployed as a critical tool articulating theory. This paper analyses Three Lessons in Architecture as an allegorical project that uses of the machine as medium to construct a 'figurative theory' of the tools of the (post-)modern architect.


Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) have begun to incorporate game-based components in an attempt to balance the learning benefits of ITSs with the motivational benefits of games. iSTART-ME (Motivationally Enhanced) is a new game-based learning environment that was developed on top of an existing ITS (iSTART). In a multi-session labbased efficacy study with 125 high school students, those students with a low prior reading ability who were trained by a game-based tutoring system (iSTART-ME) or a traditional intelligent tutoring system (iSTART-Regular) performed significantly better on posttest measures than students assigned to a time-delayed control condition. Additionally, the low reading ability students who interacted with the game-based system had a tendency to gain more than students in the traditional ITS system.


Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based approach to behavior intervention. There are many classroom management techniques based on the principles of behavior analysis. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the following research questions: Do individual relationships exist between knowledge of ABA, perceptions of ABA, and use of ABA-based techniques? To what extent do teacher knowledge and perceptions explain variance in teacher use of ABA-based techniques? What is the relationship between grades taught and teacher knowledge, perceptions, and use of ABA strategies? What is the relationship between years of experience and each of the three variables? A survey was developed and distributed to kindergarten through 8th grade teachers. The survey assessed perceptions and use using Likert scale ratings. Knowledge was measured by responses to multiple-choice questions and vignettes describing typical classroom behavior problems. The data was collected and analyzed to determine the relationships between the three research questions. Results indicated that perceptions of ABA positively predicted use, while knowledge was not related to perceptions or use of ABA. Grade taught was negatively correlated with the use of ABA strategies. The discussion includes the implications and limitations of this study.


This paper will examine Ibn Sina's theory of the Conditional Syllogism from a purely logical point of view, and will lay bare the principles he adopted for founding his theory, and the reason why the newly introduced part of his logic remained undeveloped and eventually was removed from the texts of logic in the later Islamic tradition. As a preliminary discussion, this paper briefly examines Ibn Sina's methodology and gives a short summary of the relevant principles of Aristotelian logic, before delving into the analysis of Ibn Sina's treatment of the conditional, which is the heart of the paper. This analysis explains Ibn Sina's theory of conditionals in systematic stages, explaining his motivation at each step and showing the weaknesses in his argument using the tools of modern symbolic logic. The paper concludes by mentioning a few of Ibn Sina's remarkable insights regarding conditionals. Key terms: Conditional Syllogism, Ibn Sina, Aristotelian Logic.


The innate and adaptive immunities have been documented to participate in the pathogenesis of nephrotoxic acute kidney injury (AKI); however, the mechanisms controlling these processes have yet to be established. In our cisplatin-induced AKI mouse model, we show pathological damage to the kidneys, with the classical markers elevated, consistent with the response to cisplatin treatment. Through assessments of the components of the immune system, both locally and globally, we demonstrate that the immune microenvironment of injured kidneys was associated with an increased infiltration of CD4+ T cells and macrophages concomitant with decreased Treg cell populations. Our cell-based assays and animal studies further show that cisplatin exposure downregulated the protein levels of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint protein, in primary renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, and that these inhibitions were dose-dependent. After orthotopic delivery of PD-L1 gene into the kidneys, cisplatin-exposed mice displayed lower levels of both serum urea nitrogen and creatinine upon PD-L1 expression. Our data suggest a renoprotective effect of the immune checkpoint protein, and thereby provide a novel therapeutic strategy for cisplatin-induced AKI.


RuOx-PdO/Ti electrode was prepared and used in the photoelectrochemical degradation of reactive brilliant red K-2BP. The effects of supporting electrolytes, such as NaCl, NaNO3, and Na2SO4, on the discoloration were studied. Several parameters altering the efficiency of the photoelectrochemical degradation were also investigated and optimized. It was found that under the optimal reaction conditions, that is, pH≈6.0, the NaCl concentration 0.02 mol·L-1, and current intensity 0.25 mA·cm-2, a color removal of 91.6% within 30 min could be obtained. The main cause of the discoloration could be attributed to a synergetic effect between electrochemical process and photochemical process, that is, to a synergetic effect between the active chlorine formed during the electrochemical treatment as well as the derived HO., O-, Cl.species under photo radiation and the photoelectrochemical degradation. The electrode performed well over a wide range of temperatures and initial concentrations of dye. This showed promise for the application of RuOx-PdO/Ti electrode in the treatment of dye-polluted water.


This paper presents a new framework for researching the identities and power relationships between locals and tourists in developing countries. Moving away from conceptualizing identities as tied into binary frameworks, this paper conceptualizes identities as fluid, multiple and context-specific. Based on ethnographic fieldwork from 1999 to 2001, this research explores the everyday lived experiences of Thai men working in the bars and bungalows of Had Rin peninsula on Koh Phangan island in southern Thailand. In this paper I map the ways that the identities of these men shift and change as they move between the different social geographies that overlie their everyday lived spaces on Had Rin peninsula. In highlighting the ways that the men's identities shift as they move through space I argue for the importance of space and context in theorizing identities, demonstrating that dualistic representations of identity are inadequate attempts to capture identities which are actually very complex, multiple and subject to change.


Abstract : A questionnaire was designed and distributed nationwide to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects to evaluate the nature and magnitude of bird damage and nuisance bird pests. The consensus Bird damage control authorities was that most Civil Works bird problems could be controlled with existing established pest management techniques. The most severe and widespread problem noted during the study was pigeons roosting or nesting on structures such as lock and dam complexes, bridges, and power generating stations. Gulls, swallows, and a few other species were responsible for similar localized problems, usually on a smaller scale. The chief complaint was bird excrement, which was responsible for health hazards, decreased aesthetics, interference with maintenance procedures, safety hazards, and deterioration/corrosion of equipment, materials, and machinery. Avian ectoparasites and damage to building insulation, electrical circuits, and equipment were also important considerations. Their excrement and nests contributed to deterioration and failure in mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical components. Minor problems reported were agricultural depredations (mainly from blackbirds), competition with native bird species (mainly from starlings), scavenging, and predation. Based on the research, it was recommended that a workshop be organized to introduce Civil Works personnel to bird management technologies, and to make them aware of the availability of State and Federal contacts for bird damage control and guidance.


Facemask is defined as a loose-fitting device which creates a physical barrier between the mouth and nose of the individual wearing mask and likely pollutants in the immediate environment. Evolution of severe viral respiratory infectious agents such as pandemic COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome, pandemic influenza and avian influenza has driven the use of protective face masks by public and health workers. In this chapter, characteristics features and uses of different types of masks are discussed. Characteristics of various nonwoven technologies for manufacturing face masks are also discussed. Test methods and recent developments in face masks are briefly covered.


ABSTRACT.
 Egg viability in birds declines with increasing length of the delay in the start of incubation (i.e., incubation delay) and may be influenced by microbial infection and exposure of eggs to temperatures above physiological zero (>24°C). Onset of incubation during egg laying results in developmental asynchrony of embryos but may help to maintain viability of early-laid eggs. We manipulated incubation delay of Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) eggs and tested for effects of incubation delay and ambient temperature on egg viability and microbial infection. We also examined onset of incubation by egg-laying females. Hatching success declined slowly with increasing length of incubation delay and was very weakly affected by increasing exposure to temperatures >24°C. On average, females began incubation at night 7 days after nest initiation, but egg viability had declined only 8.6% (95% confidence interval: 4.3–15.2) by day 7. Microbial infection of eggshells was not related to length of incubation delay or mean daily temperature of the exposure period. Clutch size declined as the breeding season progressed, and nocturnal incubation began earlier in the laying sequence with declining clutch sizes. Laying females, regardless of clutch size, incubated for 3 nights before starting full incubation. We suggest that early onset of incubation may be more important in reducing incubation period and predation risk than in maintaining viability of early-laid eggs.


The mobile ad-hoc networks comprised of nodes that are communicated through dynamic request and also by static table driven technique. The dynamic route discovery in AODV routing creates an unsecure transmission as well as reception. The reason for insecurity is the route request is given to all the nodes in the network communication. The possibility of the intruder nodes are more in the case of dynamic route request. Wormhole attacks in MANETs are creating challenges in the field of network analysis. In this paper the wormhole scenario is realized using high power transmission. This is implemented using energy model of ns2 simulator. The Apptool simulator identifies the energy level of each node and track the node of high transmission power. The performance curves for throughput, node energy for different encrypted values, packet drop ratio, and end to end delay are plotted.


Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is increasingly used for aerodynamic research and development. The PIV technique allows the recording of a complete flow velocity field in a plane of the flow within a few microseconds. Thus, it provides information about unsteady flow fields, which is difficult to obtain with other experimental techniques, especially at the investigation of rotor flow fields and propeller slipstream


Polymer flooding is the more successfully and mature chemical EOR technique (Manrique, 2007), The success of polymer flooding as a method of oil recovery has been attributed to a profile control mechanism between polymer solution and oil during water flooding. Two important parameters are important on this process: Mobility Ratio (M) and Capillary Number (Nc) (Thomas, 2007, Karpan, 2011). As polymers are injected in the reservoir, they are exposed to chemical, physical and mechanical degradation that affect their performance in sweeping the crude oil trapped in the porous medium. The effect is critical under high salinity brine with divalent ions Ca2+ and Mg2+. The object of this research was to study the effect of flow behaviour of HPAM (hydrolysed poly-acrylamide) of different molecular weight (MW) and special co-polymers PAM as chemical flooding of sandstones core rocks under high salinity conditions, and under harsh conditions of brine composition existing in the North Sea.


In this study we focused on the structure and expression of the HLA-E, F, and G class I complexes in placental tissue. Structural analysis included an examination of the peptides bound to soluble and membrane forms of the HLA-G complex isolated directly from placenta. An important distinction was observed from HLA-G bound peptides previously isolated from transfectant cells. Thus, the number of distinct moieties bound to placental-derived proteins was substantially lower than that bound to transfectant-derived HLA-G. Indeed, a single peptide species derived from a cytokine-related protein alone accounted for 15% of the molar ratio of HLA-G bound peptide. To further examine HLA-E and its potential to bind peptide, notably that derived from HLA-G, we combined new Abs to examine expression in placental tissues for all the known forms of the nonclassical class I molecules. Whereas membrane HLA-G was found in extravillous trophoblasts, soluble HLA-G was found in all placental trophoblasts, including villous cytotrophoblasts and syncitiotrophoblasts. Further, HLA-E was found in all cells that expressed either form of HLA-G, consistent with HLA-E being complexed with the HLA-G signal sequence-derived nonamer in these cells. Finally, using new reagents specific for HLA-F, a restricted pattern of expression was observed, primarily on extravillous trophoblasts that had invaded the maternal decidua. Comparative staining indicated that HLA-F was on the surface of these cells, defining them as the first to demonstrate surface expression of this Ag and the first cell type identified to express all three nonclassical HLA class I Ags simultaneously.


The West Riding of Yorkshire is remarkable in possessing, at Harrogate and Askern respectively, two groups of Sulphuretted Waters, each of which, in its own way, is unique in the United Kingdom. The Harrogate Waters have been somewhat frequently examined, but no analyses of the Askern Waters have been made since those of Lankester and West in 1840,* although since that time structural alterations have been made in some of the wells, and the reputation of the waters in the treatment of skin diseases and chronic rheumatism, has steadily increased.

It seemed very desirable that these waters should again be carefully examined, and, whilst at the Yorkshire College, I undertook an investigation which comprised the estimation of the dissolved constituents in each of the waters, and also the determination of the more important of them, and especially of the sulphuretted hydrogen, at various seasons of the year. The results have been communicated to the Chemical Society, but it seemed appropriate that they should also be brought before a society which is specially interested in all scientific matters relating to the West Riding.

Askeron is mentioned in A Natural Experimental and Medicinal History of the Mineral Waters of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, published in 1734 by one Dr. Short, who speaks of one spring only, describes its reactions, which were those of a sulphuretted water containing calcium compounds, and says, "The farmers find it of notable service to them in curing chafed feet, saddle galling, horses or oxen galled in the ...


A small molecule acts through separate mechanisms to exert very different effects—extend mammalian life span or impair glucose homeostasis. The goal of aging research is to extend healthspan, the period of life free of chronic disease. It has been known for decades that calorie restriction—a regime of reduced calorie consumption without malnutrition—extends the life span of mammals (1) and other model organisms. A primary effect of calorie restriction is to improve glucose homeostasis, which may underlie increased longevity. In the last few years, the focus has turned from characterizing genes and molecular mechanisms that drive aging (2) to small-molecule interventions, and in 2009, rapamycin was the first drug reported to extend the life span of mice—roughly 15% in females and 10% in males (3). Rapamycin has been proposed as a calorie restriction mimetic and, at least in mouse models, it is proving beneficial in preventing the onset of many age-related diseases (4). However, there is a fly in the ointment regarding its use (or that of rapalog derivatives) to extend healthspan. Rapamycin causes glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in mice and humans (5), effects that could outweigh longevity benefits. On page 1638 of this issue, Lamming et al. (6) identify a mechanism by which the drug confers insulin resistance, and show that rapamycin's effect on glucose homeostasis and longevity can be uncoupled.


Competition is the main driver of the economy. This phenomenon has long been of interest to economists, which subsequently resulted in the creation of several approaches to the concept of competition. Economists developed various methods for assessing competition and the competitive position of the firm. The assessment of competition and competitive position allows the company to understand the situation on the market and develop a strategy in order to take a leading position.
Information and communication technologies (ICT) are rapidly developing around the world. ICT penetrate into all spheres of human life, changing human behavior, in particular our behavior as a consumer. Consumers become more IT-armed; they are no longer satisfied with traditional approaches to customers. As a result, firms also need to change, introducing ICT into their business processes.
The banking sector has its own characteristics that distinguish it from other sectors of the economy. Consequently, the banking competition also has its own characteristics. Banks actively use ICT, introducing them into their internal processes, as well as in the services they provide.
There are two hypotheses in this Master's Thesis. The purpose of H1 was to investigate how ICT impacts on competitive position of banks in Russia. H2 was that the most important ICT which impacts competitive position of banks in Russia are those which improve the quality of banking services. To prove these hypotheses the case study of PJSC Sberbank was used. The analysis of current state of competition in the Russian banking market also was conducted. In the case study the bank's history was reviewed, its financial and economic activities were analyzed, and Porter's Five Forces Analysis was conducted. Both hypotheses were accepted.


Bag-of-words based lexical retrieval systems are still the most commonly used methods for real-world search applications. Recently deep learning methods have shown promising results to improve this retrieval performance but are expensive to run in an online fashion, non-trivial to integrate into existing production systems, and might not generalize well in out-of-domain retrieval scenarios. Instead, we build on top of lexical retrievers by proposing a Term Weighting BERT (TW-BERT) model. TW-BERT learns to predict the weight for individual n-gram (e.g., uni-grams and bi-grams) query input terms. These inferred weights and terms can be used directly by a retrieval system to perform a query search. To optimize these term weights, TW-BERT incorporates the scoring function used by the search engine, such as BM25, to score query-document pairs. Given sample query-document pairs we can compute a ranking loss over these matching scores, optimizing the learned query term weights in an end-to-end fashion. Aligning TW-BERT with search engine scorers minimizes the changes needed to integrate it into existing production applications, whereas existing deep learning based search methods would require further infrastructure optimization and hardware requirements. The learned weights can be easily utilized by standard lexical retrievers and by other retrieval techniques such as query expansion. We show that TW-BERT improves retrieval performance over strong term weighting baselines within MSMARCO and in out-of-domain retrieval on TREC datasets.


An attempt was made to apply different nonlinear growth models to predict the best growth model for Large White Yorkshire pigs and to examine the difference in the growth pattern of male and female piglets.The data pertaining to achieve the objectives were collected between 2011 to 2016 at PGRIAS,Kattupakkam,on bodyweights at different ages of pigs with the sample size of 1226 Male and 1120 Female Large White Yorkshire pigs were included in the study. The data on body weights were plotted against the age for both males and females separately,and the shape of the curve was examined. Based on the shape of the curves,the following models were fitted to the data,viz.,Brody model, Logistic model, Gompertz model,Von Bertalanffy model,and Richard model. For non linear models,the hightest R square value,Root Mean Square Error(RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Absolute Predicted Error (MAPE) criteria were used to determine the best fitted model. The analysis of data revealed that in male pigs the value of highest R2 (0.999)and least MAE (0.597), RMSE(1.755), MAPE(29.85) were observed in Gompertz model followed by Logistic model, Incase of female pigs the highest R2 (0.998) and least MAE (0.654), RMSE(1.130), MAPE(29.03) were seen for Gompertz model.Thus,it could be concluded that as the best fit for assessing growth of male and female Large White Yorkshire pigs.


An experimental research on interference of two risers with suppression device was conducted. The arrangement of the two risers is side-by-side, one is bare and another is a riser with triple strakes. Centre-to-centre distances from 3 to 10 diameters of the risers were studied. The riser model was a 18mm diameter organic glass with wall thickness of 2 mm. The current velocity ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 m/s, with approximate increments of 0.1 m/s. Dynamic strain records were obtained through the dynamic strain gauges which were sticked on the surface of the risers. The experimental data were contrastive studied by dynamic response, amplitude and frequency, respectively. The experimental results indicate that interference have little effect on the oscillatory characteristic of the riser with triple strakes while have important effect on the oscillatory characteristic of the bare riser with different distances.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between life style, menstrual attitude and premen-strual syndrome in nursing students. Methods: the study participants were 246 nursing students of a university in Gyeunggi province. Data werecollected by a self-administered questionnaire from may to june, 2012. Collected data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test, one-way ANOVA and Scheffe test. Results: Students who had undesirable alcohol habits (r=.15,p=.020) and negative menstrual attitude (r=.17, p=.009) experienced more a severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Students with dysmenorrheal had more severe PMS (F=12.41, p<.001) and a negative menstrual attitude (F=6.18 ,p<.001). Conclusion: These finding suggest that PMS would be alleviated by nursing interventions to improve alcohol habits and decrease negative menstrual attitudes, and nursing interventions for dysmenorrheal would be helpful in PMS management in nursing students. Further studies on the development of nursing interventions related to these factors are needed for PMS management.


VP22, a major component of the HSV-1 virion tegument, is conserved in alphaherpesviruses and has structural similarity to ORF52, a component of the virion tegument that is well conserved in gammaherpesviruses. Although the potential DNA binding activity of VP22 was discovered decades ago, its significance in the HSV-1 life cycle is poorly understood. ABSTRACT AIM2 is a cytosolic DNA sensor of the inflammasome, which induces critical innate immune responses against various invading pathogens. Earlier biochemical studies showed that the binding of AIM2 to DNA triggered the self-oligomerization of AIM2, which is essential for AIM2 inflammasome activation. We recently reported that VP22, a virion tegument protein of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), inhibited activation of the AIM2 inflammasome in HSV-1-infected cells by preventing AIM2 oligomerization. VP22 binds nonspecifically to DNA; however, its role in HSV-1 replication is unclear. We investigated the role of VP22 DNA binding activity in the VP22-mediated inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation. We identified a VP22 domain comprising amino acids 227 to 258 as the minimal domain required for its binding to DNA in vitro. Consecutive alanine substitutions in this domain substantially impaired the DNA binding activity of VP22 in vitro and attenuated the inhibitory effect of VP22 on AIM2 inflammasome activation in an AIM2 inflammasome reconstitution system. The inhibitory effect of VP22 on AIM2 inflammasome activation was completely abolished in macrophages infected with a recombinant virus harboring VP22 with one of the consecutive alanine substitutions, similar to the effect of a VP22-null mutant virus. These results suggest that the DNA binding activity of VP22 is critical for VP22-mediated AIM2 inflammasome activation in HSV-1-infected cells. IMPORTANCE VP22, a major component of the HSV-1 virion tegument, is conserved in alphaherpesviruses and has structural similarity to ORF52, a component of the virion tegument that is well conserved in gammaherpesviruses. Although the potential DNA binding activity of VP22 was discovered decades ago, its significance in the HSV-1 life cycle is poorly understood. Here, we show that the DNA binding activity of VP22 is critical for the inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation induced in HSV-1-infected cells. This is the first report to show a role for the DNA binding activity of VP22 in the HSV-1 life cycle, allowing the virus to evade AIM2 inflammasome activation, which is critical for its replication in vivo.


Along with the change of paradigm, including the Government of Local Government has an obligation to prioritize aspects of human-driven development (HDI). These priorities would have budgetary consequences. To that end, the Local Government shall allocated in the budget. The problem is, the achievement of HDI be one of the things that pose a fiscal risk in the area. This risk is usually associated with the possibility of unintended negative consequences, for example, the possibility of unexpected or slipping of HDI achievement targets. By using elasticity analysis method, this study was conducted to calculate potential fiscal risks arising in the related possibility of slipping of HDI achievement targets. Based on the analysis, it appears that the impact is different in each province (Bali, East Java, East Kalimantan and NTT NAD) in accordance with the characteristics and conditions of the area. Therefore necessary to develop a strategy that is based on the characteristics and conditions of each area in the future.Keywords: Elasticity, HDI, Budgeting Based on HDI


Background
There has been an explosion of interest in medical professionalism over the past decade but at present there are no evidence based guidelines on how to effectively develop medical professionalism in future doctors (Passi et al. 2010). Role modelling has been highlighted as an important method to help develop professionalism but there is no current theory regarding the process of role modelling (Passi et al. 2013). Therefore, the aim of this PhD was to investigate how positive doctor role modelling influences the development of professionalism in future doctors.

Methods
A qualitative methodology using the grounded theory inquiry approach of Strauss and Corbin (2008) was used to generate a general explanation (a theory) of the process of role modelling shaped by the views of the participants. The study involved focus groups with final year medical students, semi structured interviews with consultants and semi structured interviews with consultants and final year medical students immediately after outpatient clinics. This systematic approach used involved open coding, axial coding and selective coding to reveal the processes involved in role modelling, which is illustrated in a coding paradigm diagram.

Results
The results revealed a new theory of doctor role modelling which is described as follows – Doctor role modelling is an important process in medical education that involves conscious and subconscious elements. It consists of an Exposure Phase followed by an Evolution Phase. The exposure phase involves demonstration of professional attributes by the doctor role models (clinical expertise; relationships with patients, students and colleagues; personality and inspirational characteristics). The evolution phase begins with observation of the role model by the modellee, following which the modellee makes a judgement whether or not to trial the observed behaviours of the role model. When the decision to trial is reached, this then leads to the Model Trialling Cycle which involves 5 stages of assembly, emulation, experimentation, adaptation and assimilation. The outcome is the evolution of a professional doctor who has developed their unique professional identity and career aspirations.

Conclusion
This detailed qualitative study has provided a new theory of doctor role modelling in medical education. The impact of role modelling is in the development of medical professionalism professional identity and the influence of career choice. The theory can now be incorporated in medical curriculums worldwide to enhance the development of medical professionalism. Detailed recommendations for clinical practice and future research are described.


Women migrant domestic workers (WMDWs) constitute 7.7 percent of migrant workers worldwide, of whom more than a quarter live and work in the Arab region. In Lebanon, as in other Arab countries, WMDWs are recruited through the sponsorship system, Kafala. Under this system, a potential migrant worker can only obtain legal residency and a work permit in the country of destination if she is sponsored by a specific employer. Once in the destination country, the worker cannot transfer to a new employer unless granted permission by the original sponsor. The system heightens the social, economic, and legal vulnerability of WMDWs and has been described as unfree or bound labor and a system of racialized servitude. Yet, Kafala is not a written policy but rather a collection of administrative procedures, customary practices, and socially acceptable norms that are maintained by various players throughout the migration process. The question then arises as to whether advocacy efforts that focus on abolishing Kafala as a legal term would mitigate employers' exploitative practices that violate the workers' rights and freedoms, particularly in a country like Lebanon. This policy brief is based on a study carried out under the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Work in Freedom project designed to mitigate the exploitation and forced labor of women migrating from South to West Asia to work in the domestic and garment sectors. This brief explores knowledge, awareness and attitudes to Kafala by employers in Lebanon.