My dissertation consists of two essays that focus on the construct of work calling. In Essay 1, I investigate the construct of calling - specifically, focusing on the moderating role of context. Researchers have struggled to define the nature of calling and have proposed different conceptualizations of calling, ranging from a religious and transcendental view to a more secular integrative view. In my essay, I review the extant literature by comparing and contrasting different conceptualizations of calling. Empirically, two primary research questions are addressed: (1) How does calling influence the following three categories of outcomes: work attitudes, emotional exhaustion and task performance? (2) How does task and social context moderate the relationship between calling and its outcomes? Data for this study was collected from 268 teachers and aides from 68 child care centers. Results indicate that individuals with stronger calling have positive work attitudes. In addition, results support the moderating role of discrete organizational context features.In Essay 2, I contribute to the extant theory on calling by examining the affective link between calling and two forms of emotional labor, surface acting and deep acting. Specifically, I examine the role of emotional labor in mediating the relationship between calling and its outcomes. Data for this study was collected from 195 teachers and aides from 42 child care centers. Findings indicate that calling is positively related with emotional performance and negatively related with emotional exhaustion. Further, results show that calling is positively associated with emotional labor, and in particular, is positively related to deep acting and negatively related to surface acting. Further, both surface acting and deep acting mediate the relationship between calling and its outcomes.


To the Editor.— To our knowledge, loss of muscle stretch reflexes in the legs of ballet dancers has not been reported in either the neurologic or ballet literature, although this fact is generally recognized among experienced dancers and instructors who believe it to be secondary to repeated minor injuries to the feet and legs that are frequently incurred during dancing. The phenomenon is more common among female dancers who dance en pointe and generally occurs after eight to ten years of dance experience. Four of 20 female ballet students from the North Carolina School of the H-Reflex Recovery Curve Measures in Seven Female Ballet Students Subject/ Age, yr Dance Experience, yr Recovery Curve Measurement 1/19 110 81 2/19 110 3/19 50† 21† 37‡ 12 46 47† 5/18 100 49 30‡ 6/20 55† 19† 48† 7/21 65 28† Controls* SD 22.9 18.6 11.1 Normal ranges for measurements of recovery curve are


ABSTRACTGeneralized Radon transforms, such as the hyperbolic Radon transform, cannot be implemented as efficiently in the frequency domain as convolutions, thus limiting their use in seismic data processing. We have devised a fast butterfly algorithm for the hyperbolic Radon transform. The basic idea is to reformulate the transform as an oscillatory integral operator and to construct a blockwise low-rank approximation of the kernel function. The overall structure follows the Fourier integral operator butterfly algorithm. For 2D data, the algorithm runs in complexity O(N2 log N), where N depends on the maximum frequency and offset in the data set and the range of parameters (intercept time and slowness) in the model space. From a series of studies, we found that this algorithm can be significantly more efficient than the conventional time-domain integration.


The purpose of the study was to investigate students' satisfaction with service delivery in the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho. Research survey of students was adopted. Sample size of 151 made up of students from selected departments at UHAS participated in the study. Data from the questionnaire was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS (version 22). Five areas of service delivery namely: library, ICT, health, transportation, and hostel services were considered in the study. A number of significant findings were made from the study. The results revealed that majority of the students indicated dissatisfaction with health, transport as well as Information and communication Technology services (ICT), while others showed little level of satisfaction with library and hostel services. Again, it was revealed that students' satisfaction with service delivery in terms of library and hostel services significantly differ by other services, while, they show much significant difference in their satisfaction with transport, health and ICT services. It was recommended that the university management should enhance students' satisfaction by ensuring all services that contribute to academic and social life of students in UHAS are delivered to acceptable and satisfactory standards. Again, it was recommended that the government should provide the necessary financial support or resources to management to meet acceptable standards in service delivery and surveys to assess students' satisfaction with service delivery should be on regular basis by management to ascertain the satisfaction needs of students.


This paper presents an enhanced transillumination radiosity method that can provide accurate solutions at relatively low computational cost. The proposed algorithm breaks down the double integral of the gathered power to an area integral that is computed analytically and to a directional integral that is evaluated by quasi‐Monte Carlo techniques. Since the analytical integration results in a continuous function of finite variation, the quasi‐Monte Carlo integration that follows the analytical integration will be efficient and its error can be bounded by the Koksma‐Hlawka inequality. The paper also analyses the requirements of the convergence, presents theoretical error bounds and proposes error reduction techniques. The theoretical bounds are compared with simulation results.


Alongside 'wilderness' the category 'national park' is one of the most powerful within nature conservation, and it in turn rests on a historical legacy of numerous and varied categories. Recent critique against conventional approaches to conservation has resulted in a shift towards more public participation and the inclusion of local development – at least in policy rhetoric. However, our research on a proposed new national park in the Swedish mountains (Jamtland County) shows how difficult it is to change rooted understandings of existing categories, such as 'national park'. The proposed park is perceived differently by different stakeholders, there exists tension and mistrust between them, and the park is contested for several reasons. Here categories and categorisation are important. Categories create paradoxes that may lead to tension and conflict, and they often act to block change in thinking and practice. These effects can occur when a piece of land belongs to different categories, when a category remains static while the local context changes, when the material and immaterial 'components inherent in landscapes are categorised differently by different users, and when they use the same category it may be attributed different values. A lack of awareness of this impedes novel solutions and potential trade-offs. This is equally relevant at the interface of science and policy, science and public, policy and public – and at the interface of these and the landscape. A critical analysis of how categories are formed, by whom, and their effects, are important for understanding and moving beyond conflicts in conservation.


The Internet of Things (IoT) is on the rise and it is giving a new shape to several fields such as smart cities, smart homes, smart health, etc. as it facilitates the connection of physical objects to the internet. However, this advancement comes along with new challenges in terms of security of the devices in the IoT networks. Some of these challenges come as network anomalies. Hence, this has prompted the use of network anomaly mitigation schemes as an integral part of the defense mechanisms of IoT networks in order to protect the devices from malicious users. Thus, several schemes have been proposed to mitigate network anomalies. This paper covers a review of different network anomaly mitigation schemes in IoT networks. The schemes' objectives, operational procedures, and strengths are discussed. A comparison table of the reviewed schemes, as well as a taxonomy based on the detection methodology, is provided. In contrast to other surveys that presented qualitative evaluations, our survey provides both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. The UNSW-NB15 dataset was used to conduct a performance evaluation of some classification algorithms used for network anomaly mitigation schemes in IoT. Finally, challenges and open issues in the development of network anomaly mitigation schemes in IoT are discussed.


A guide introducing users to resources about the history of the BU School of Theology, the founding school of Boston University.


Pathological gambling (PG) is a disorder recently conceptualized as a behavioural addiction, because of its neurobiological, neurophysiological and psychological features (American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5th ed., 2013; Potenza et al., 2012). PG represents both a social and a sanitary cost, in terms of pharmacological and psychological therapies. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between personality disorders, clinical syndromes and alexithymia levels in a group of pathological gamblers. Furthermore this study aimed at highlighting a relationship between PG and alexithymia, over and above the relationship between personality disorders, clinical syndromes and PG. Sixty treatmentseeking pathological gamblers and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. Psychological assessment included the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Pathological gamblers displayed Axis I disorders, such as anxiety, somatoform symptoms, bipolar symptoms, dysthymia, thought disorders and major depression, as well as Axis II disorders such as depressive, antisocial, sadistic, passive-aggressive, self-defeating and paranoid disorders, and greater alexithymia levels. Alexithymia was detected in PG independently from the presence of other psychiatric disorders. Our data show that comorbid psychiatric disorders have been evidentiated in PG. Interestingly alexithymia is related to PG indipendently from other psychopathological disorders, representing a relevant feature, helpful for assessing PG diagnosis and for orienting to the correct therapeutical strategy.


It was decided to try the effects of immunosuppressant therapy in this case since there were certain features similar to those of massive pulmonary fibrosis and a possibility that a delayed immune response might account in part for the lung damage. He was started on azathioprine 50 mg four times daily and in addition was given potassium aminobenzoate as an antifibrotic measure. The effect of the immunosuppressant therapy was monitored by frequent blood counts and immunophoresis of gammaglobulins. The latter showed proportional reductions after therapy started, the IgG level being reduced to 5-83 g/l (583 mg/100 ml). On 23 December the lung appearances began to improve, starting on the right side and to a lesser extent the left, and on 30 December there was further resolution of the lesions. Concomitantly with this his blood urea level began to fall and reached 10-3 mmol/l (62 mg/100 ml), the creatinine level being 61-9 mol/l being (0-7 mg/100 ml), and P02 steadily rose. These changes were all associated with a progressive clinical improvement which has been maintained, though his lung changes have not yet completely resolved.


Many candidate genes have been studied for asthma, but replication has varied. Novel candidate genes have been identified for various complex diseases using genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We conducted a GWAS in 492 Mexican children with asthma, predominantly atopic by skin prick test, and their parents using the Illumina HumanHap 550 K BeadChip to identify novel genetic variation for childhood asthma. The 520,767 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) passing quality control were tested for association with childhood asthma using log-linear regression with a log-additive risk model. Eleven of the most significantly associated GWAS SNPs were tested for replication in an independent study of 177 Mexican case–parent trios with childhood-onset asthma and atopy using log-linear analysis. The chromosome 9q21.31 SNP rs2378383 (p = 7.10×10−6 in the GWAS), located upstream of transducin-like enhancer of split 4 (TLE4), gave a p-value of 0.03 and the same direction and magnitude of association in the replication study (combined p = 6.79×10−7). Ancestry analysis on chromosome 9q supported an inverse association between the rs2378383 minor allele (G) and childhood asthma. This work identifies chromosome 9q21.31 as a novel susceptibility locus for childhood asthma in Mexicans. Further, analysis of genome-wide expression data in 51 human tissues from the Novartis Research Foundation showed that median GWAS significance levels for SNPs in genes expressed in the lung differed most significantly from genes not expressed in the lung when compared to 50 other tissues, supporting the biological plausibility of our overall GWAS findings and the multigenic etiology of childhood asthma.


Australia's tropical rivers and wetlands face renewed interest and pressures from multiple sources. Sustainable management of Australia's tropical rivers and wetlands requires an integrated information base for assessment of their ecological character (including benchmarking their status) and the development of policy, especially for environmental flows and potential uses of water. An information base is being established for assessing change, undertaking ecological risk assessments of major pressures, supporting local and indigenous management, and strengthening holistic approaches for managing tropical rivers/wetlands at multiple scales eg regional, catchment or individual habitat. In this paper, we describe the spatial component of a project being conducted under Land & Water Australia's Tropical Rivers Program, which aims to better inform natural resource managers and decisionmakers about the status of rivers in northern Australia. The specific project under the Tropical Rivers Program we are addressing is 'Australia's tropical rivers- an integrated data assessment and analysis'. This paper outlines the approach used to address sub-project 1, an inventory of the biological, chemical and physical features of aquatic ecosystems. The method undertaken was to implement a multiple-scale inventory of the habitats and biota of the rivers, floodplains and estuaries of northern Australia using information from a variety of sources. This has been achieved through a framework that was developed within Australia and has been subject to international critique and acceptance. This primary source of information for populating the framework was the integration of remote sensing imagery and GIS datasets at different scales (e.g. biogeographical, catchment and site scales) for mapping purposes. This information will be used to make an initial assessment of the diversity, status and ecological value of aquatic ecosystems across the region. Using this approach, the inventory data we have collected will be used to illustrate known areas of biodiversity importance and importantly, gaps in information.


Low alloy steels such as ASTM A508 and A533 and their equivalent materials have been extensively applied in fabricating pressure vessels due to their relatively excellent mechanical properties and moderately good weldability. The integrity of such materials governs the safety of the power plants. These vessels mainly are subjected to random loading in service and the load cycle interactions can have a significant effect in fatigue crack growth. Studying of fatigue crack growth rate and fatigue life calculation under spectrum loading is important for the reliable life prediction of vessels. Many models have been proposed, but as yet no universal model exists. In this paper, a fatigue life predicted under various load spectra, using three different fatigue crack growth models namely the Austen, modified Forman and NASGRO models. These models are validated with fatigue crack growth test data under various variable amplitude loadings. This application is performed with aids of three-point bend specimens. The results show clearly the load sequences effect and the predicted results agree with some discrepancies between the different models as well as with the test data. Neglecting, the cycle interaction effects in fatigue calculation under variable amplitude loading lead to invalid life prediction.


In the ischemic heart, metabolic adaptation of cardiomyocytes exposed to prolonged hypoxia is critical to sustain myocardial energy production. Metabolic gene expression is regulated by Estrogen-Related Receptor (ERR) transcription factors and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator-1 (PGC-1) co-activators. ERRs do not require ligand to achieve an active conformation and regulate an array of target genes involved in myocardial energy metabolism. These studies aim to determine the regulatory mechanisms governing expression of ERR isoforms (ERRα and ERRβ) in cardiomyocytes undergoing oxidative stress. We hypothesize that metabolic energy production in myocardium initially adapts to hypoxia by inducing transient ERRβ expression, and maintains this compensatory expression through induction of sustained ERRα expression. Adult feline cardiomyocytes in primary culture were electrically stimulated to contract continuously at 1 Hz under normoxia (21% [O2]), hypoxia (0.5% [O2]), or hypoxia followed by reoxygenation. Expression of ERR, PGC-1 and target genes was measured by QRT-PCR (n≥5). QRT-PCR arrays were used to screen for prospective target genes. In response to 24 hours of hypoxia, mRNA levels increased for ERRα (3-fold by 24 hours), ERRβ (11-fold by 12 hours), PGC-1α (16-fold by 24 hours) and PGC-1β (8-fold by 24 hours). Subsequent reoxygenation for 24 hours decreased ERRβ, PGC-1α and PGC-1β mRNA levels to that of normoxia controls. However, reoxygenation did not markedly decrease (∼25%; 0.7 of 3.0-fold) ERRα mRNA levels. Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit VIc (Cox6c) and Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 (Fabp3) were identified as potential ERRα target genes in adult cardiomyocytes based on correlation of expression. Moreover, hypoxia-induced increases in Cox6c and Fabp3 mRNA levels were partially blocked by treatment with XCT-790, an inhibitor of ERRα activity. We conclude that hypoxia and subsequent reoxygenation elicit isoform-specific changes in ERR and PGC-1 mRNA expression in adult cardiomyocytes. This observed regulation of expression for ERR isoforms and their target genes may play a critical role in metabolic adaptation to oxidative stress.


In Internet of Things (IoT), numerous devices are able to collect and report data while they can execute simple processing tasks to produce knowledge. IoT Nodes exhibit limited computational resources, thus, they can only perform a limited number of tasks and store a short version of the collected data. In this paper, we propose a scheme that focuses on a distributed model for data storage in a group of IoT nodes. Nodes cooperate each other exchanging statistical information for their data. Our work aims to provide a model for the selection of the node where the incoming data should be stored irrelevantly of the node in which they are initially reported. The selection process involves a decision making process that adopts a statistical similarity model of the incoming data with the datasets present in the group, the estimation of the load of each node and the in-network communication cost. All these parameters are fed into a multi-class classification scheme for the final decision. Our aim is to have a view on the statistics of the available datasets beforehand, thus, facilitating the post-processing and the production of knowledge. We report on the evaluation of our scheme and present experimental results towards the presentation of pros and cons of our model.


By examination of the cancer genomics database we identified a new set of mutations in core histones that frequently recur in cancer patient samples and are predicted to disrupt nucleosome stability. In support of this idea, we characterized a glutamate to lysine mutation of histone H2B at amino acid 76 (H2B-E76K) found particularly in bladder and head and neck cancer that disrupts the interaction between H2B and H4. Although H2B-E76K forms dimers with H2A, it does not form stable histone octamers with H3 and H4 in vitro and when reconstituted with DNA forms unstable nucleosomes with increased sensitivity to nuclease. Expression of the equivalent H2B mutant in yeast restricted growth at high temperature and led to defective nucleosome-mediated gene repression. Significantly, H2B-E76K expression in the normal mammary epithelial cell line MCF10A increased cellular proliferation, cooperated with PIK3CA to promote colony formation, caused a significant drift in gene expression and fundamental changes in chromatin accessibility particularly at gene regulatory elements. Taken together, these data demonstrate that mutations in the globular domains of core histones may give rise to an oncogenic program due to nucleosome dysfunction and deregulation of gene expression.


Since the first recording of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) early last century, numerous methods for presentation of the resulting data have developed. In this paper, we discuss the common ways of describing SNA and their application to chronic recordings. Suggestions on assessing the quality of SNA are made, including the use of arterial pressure wave-triggered averages and nasopharyngeal stimuli. Calculation of the zero level of the SNA signal from recordings during ganglionic blockade, the average level between bursts and the minimum of arterial pressure wave-triggered averages are compared and shown to be equivalent. The use of normalization between zero and maximal SNA levels to allow comparison between groups is discussed. We recommend that measured microvolt levels of integrated SNA be presented (with the zero/noise level subtracted), along with burst amplitude and frequency information whenever possible. We propose that standardization of the quantifying/reporting of SNA will allow better comparison between disease models and between research groups and ultimately allow data to be more reflective of the human situation.


Purpose The impact of removing the flattening filter in clinical electron accelerators on the relationship between dosimetric quantities such as beam quality specifiers and the mean photon and electron energies of the photon radiation field was investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. The purpose of this work was to determine the uncertainties when using the well‐known beam quality specifiers or energy‐based beam specifiers as predictors of dosimetric photon field properties when removing the flattening filter. Methods Monte Carlo simulations applying eight different linear accelerator head models with and without flattening filter were performed in order to generate realistic radiation sources and calculate field properties such as restricted mass collision stopping power ratios Symbol, mean photon and secondary electron energies. To study the impact of removing the flattening filter on the beam quality correction factors kQ, this factor for detailed ionization chamber models was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations. Symbol. No caption available. Stopping power ratios Symbol and kQ values for different ionization chambers as a function of Symbol and %dd(10)x were calculated. Moreover, mean photon energies in air and at the point of measurement in water as well as mean secondary electron energies at the point of measurement were calculated. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Results The results revealed that removing the flattening filter led to a change within 0.3% in the relationship between %dd(10)x and Symbol, whereby the relationship between Symbol and Symbol changed up to 0.8% for high energy photon beams. However, Symbol was a good predictor of Symbol for both types of linear accelerator with energies Symbol 10 MeV with a maximal deviation between both types of accelerators of 0.23%. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. According to the results, the mean photon energy below the linear accelerators head as well as at the point of measurement may not be suitable as a predictor of Symbol and kQ to merge the dosimetry of both linear accelerator types. It was possible to derive Symbol using the mean secondary electron energy at the point of measurement as a predictor with an accuracy of 0.17%. A bias between kQ for linear accelerators with and without flattening filter within 1.1% and 1.6% was observed for Symbol and %dd(10)x respectively. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Symbol. No caption available. Conclusion The results of this study have shown that removing the flattening filter led to a change in the relationship between the well‐known beam quality specifiers and dosimetric quantities at the point of measurement, namely Symbol, mean photon and electron energy. Furthermore, the results show that a beam profile correction is important for dose measurements with large ionization chambers in flattening filter free beams. Symbol. No caption available.


In this work the basic flow field is investigated for the compressible boundary layer flow over a rotating disk. Making use of self-consistent assumptions within boundary layer theory, the governing basic equations of motion are derived leading to a generalized steady compressible Von Karman flow. A Runge-Kutta integration method accurate to the fourth order is then employed for the solution of the resulting equations. Finally the velocity and temperature distributions corresponding to the various parameters are calculated numerically and presented.


Gas insulated transmission lines (GIL) are a new technology for transmitting power over long distances. In this paper, an analytical method (AM) is proposed to investigate the coupled magnetothermal problem in GIL . Kelvin functions are employed to calculate the skin effect coefficients of the conductor and the enclosure. The calculated power losses are used as heat source input for the thermal analysis. Considering the convective and radiation heat transfer effects, the heat balance equations on the surface of the conductor and the enclosure are established, respectively. Temperature rise of the GIL at different operation conditions are investigated. The proposed method is validated against the finite element method (FEM). The simplicity of the approach makes it attractive for self-made software implementation in the thermal design and the condition monitoring of GIL.


Birds of a Feather is a single-player card game in which cards are arranged in a grid. The player attempts to combine stacks of cards under certain rules, with the goal being to combine all cards into a single stack. This paper highlights several approaches for efficiently classifying whether a randomlychosen state has a single-stack solution. These approaches use graph theory and machine learning concepts to prune a state's search space, resulting in significant reductions in runtime relative to a baseline search.


A versatile and efficient bisaminal template approach for the synthesis of cyclam and [13]aneN4 (homocyclen) bifunctional chelating agents (BCAs) bearing a hydroxyethyl function as a C-appended group is presented. The synthesis is rapid (two steps/one week) and does not require fastidious protection–deprotection steps or chromatographic purification. Another reactional route and alternative work-up give access to their oxo-cyclam and oxo-homocyclen analogues. The procedure consists of the cyclization of the preorganized tetraamine 1,4,8,11-tetraazaundecane, in its cis-butanedione-bisaminal form, with an α,β-unsaturated lactone to provide the tetracyclic oxo-intermediate whose bisaminal bridge can be easily removed and/or its amide function reduced under mild conditions. Furthermore, the synthetic route was successfully applied to the synthesis of teta and trita BCAs analogues starting from the linear tetraamine 1,4,7,10-tetraazadecane. Additionally, the appended alcohol functions of various cyclam and homocyclen based ligands were converted into their ethylamine functions following a very convenient procedure. Finally, preliminary analytical and complexation studies highlight that the supplementary hydroxyethyl C-appended chain has only a low impact on the acid–base behaviour and copper(II) or zinc(II) coordination properties of the macrocycle.


A grazing incidence pumping x-ray laser scheme using JIGUANG II is proposed. We investigate the characteristics of the focusing of parabolas, and obtain the optimal intensity distributions in the target surfaces with paraboloid mirrors of different parameters by the vectorial ray-tracing. Kinetic simulations are carried out. The results show that due to the enhancement of absorption by the selectable plasma region (gain region), saturated amplification of the x-ray laser can be achieved with 100 mJ energy in pre and pumping pulses, respectively, on 3 mm Ti targets.


Autocrine secretion of cytokines by metastatic colorectal cancer cells and their role during invasion and liver homing has been poorly characterized. In this study, we used cytokine arrays to analyze the secretomes of poorly and highly metastatic colorectal cancer cells. Compared with poorly metastatic cancer cells, highly metastatic cells expressed increased levels of the immunosuppressive cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 in addition to increased surface expression of the high affinity IL-13 receptor IL-13Rα2, suggesting that IL-13Rα2 mediates IL-13 effects in colorectal cancer cells. Silencing of IL-13Rα2 in highly metastatic cells led to a decrease in adhesion capacity in vitro and a reduction in liver homing and increased survival in vivo, revealing a role for this receptor in cell adhesion, migration, invasion, and metastatic colonization. In support of this, IL-13 signaling activated the oncogenic signaling molecules phosphoinositide 3-kinase, AKT, and SRC in highly metastatic cells. Clinically, high expression of IL-13Rα2 was associated with later stages of disease progression and poor outcome in patients with colorectal cancer. Our findings therefore support a critical role for IL-13Rα2 expression in colon cancer invasion and metastasis.


This paper argues that people from all walks of life are required to make ethical decisions. Assessing the consequences of what we decide provides us with a workable method of reaching an answer – by deciding whether the consequences are good or bad. The decisions we make in the institutions that organise our lives – be it the workplace, our professional lives, in our industry associations or our social or public structures are often complex, difficult to choose between conflicting alternatives, between good or bad consequences. Most people have little or no training in moral decision making. This paper argues that utility is more likely to provide a defendable response. But utilitarianism has been attacked on many fronts, and by renowned philosophers. The paper refutes these attacks, further arguing that the version of utilitarianism set out by John Stuart Mill provides a simpler, preferable way to make an ethical choice than competing theories, particularly deontology and virtue. The principles that he sets out, readily identifiable in his text: Encourage happiness; Do good; Minimise pain; Do no harm; Ensure justice; Respect individuals and their freedoms, will not answer all issues. But they will, with some weighing of utilities, bring greater rationality into our ethical decisions.


One of the major stumbling blocks to understanding evolution is the difficulty in reconciling the emergence of complexity with the apparently undirected forces that drive evolutionary processes. This difficulty was originally framed as the "Watch and Watchmaker" argument and more recently revived by proponents of "intelligent design." Undergraduates in particular often attribute purpose and forethought as the driving force behind biological phenomena, and have difficulty understanding evolutionary processes. To demonstrate that complexity can arise solely through mutations that fix in populations via natural selection or drift, we can use analogies where processes can be observed across short time frames and where the key data are accessible to those without specialized biological knowledge. The evolution of language provides such an example. Processes of natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, acquisition of new functions, punctuated equilibria, and lateral gene transfer can be illustrated using examples of changing spellings, neologism, and acquisition of words from other languages. The examples presented in this article are readily accessible, and demonstrate to students that languages have dynamically increased in complexity, simply driven by the usage patterns of their speakers.


Computer-aided detection is additionally referred to as computer-aided identification, area unit systems that assist doctors within the interpretation of medical pictures. Imaging techniques in X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound nosology yield an excellent deal of data that the radiotherapist or alternative medical skilled has got to analyze and valuate comprehensively in an exceedingly short time. Computer aided Diagnosis identification systems method digital pictures for typical appearances and to spotlight conspicuous sections, like doable diseases, so as to supply input to support a call taken by the skilled. Medical computer-aided identification systems area unit restricted by the presence of noise, uncertainty, and opacity in medical pictures. Such limitations might have an effect on diagnostic choices whereas crucial the sickness kind and grade. Fuzzy sets area unit extensively used to scale back the uncertainty and opacity in many applications; but, such ways ignore the abstraction framework of the pixels because of noise. to beat such limitations of the fuzzy-based ways, the neutrosophic set is employed instead. The main goal of Computer aided diagnosis systems is to spot abnormal signs at Associate in Nursing earliest that a person's skilled fails to seek out. In diagnostic technique, identification of tiny lumps in dense tissue, finding discipline distortion and prediction of mass kind as benign or malignant by its size, shape, etc.


With the popularity of group data sharing in public cloud computing, the privacy and security of group sharing data have become two major issues. The cloud provider cannot be treated as a trusted third party because of its semi-trust nature, and thus the traditional security models cannot be straightforwardly generalized into cloud based group sharing frameworks. In this paper, we propose a novel secure group sharing framework for public cloud, which can effectively take advantage of the cloud servers' help but have no sensitive data being exposed to attackers and the cloud provider. The framework combines proxy signature, enhanced TGDH and proxy re-encryption together into a protocol. By applying the proxy signature technique, the group leader can effectively grant the privilege of group management to one or more chosen group members. The enhanced TGDH scheme enables the group to negotiate and update the group key pairs with the help of cloud servers, which does not require all of the group members been online all the time. By adopting proxy re-encryption, most computationally intensive operations can be delegated to cloud servers without disclosing any private information. Extensive security and performance analysis shows that our proposed scheme is highly efficient and satisfies the security requirements for public cloud based secure group sharing.


This paper discusses the performance of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) process by changing the bottom shape of the electrode, including two stages: designing the electrodes by turning process then the resulted electrodes were used to machine the workpiece by EDM. The effect of electrode shape on material removal rate (MRR) has been investigated for material of CK 60 carbon steel for workpiece and material of brass for electrode. The shapes of the electrode bottom were flat, conical (with 90o apex angle) and round (with 8 mm radius) of constant diameter electrode of 16 mm. Experiments were repeated for three current values of (10, 20 and 42 A) and three duty factor values of (0.4, 0.8, and 1). The results of experiments showed the main effect of current and duty factor on MRR. From experimental work, it is found that for most of experiments flat electrode gives highest MRR as compared to the two other shapes. A mathematical model was developed by factorial design to predict the values of MRR for different electrode shapes, currents, and duty factors by the Minitab Statistical Software (MSS). KeywordsCK 60 carbon steel, Electrical discharge machining, Electrode shape, Factorial design, Material removal rate. How to cite this article: Sh.H. Aghdeab and N.G. Ghazy, "Effect of Current and Duty Factor for Different Electrode Shapes on Material Removal Rate in EDM," Engineering and Technology Journal, Vol. 36, Part A, No. 6, pp. 633-640, 2018.


The design of a general-purpose multibody simulator that runs in real-time and features haptic display is presented. The repertoire of this simulator includes systems subject to holonomic constraints, nonholonomic constraints, and notably, systems subject to changing constraints. In contrast to the use of generic equations of motion, Kane's method is used by a computerized symbolic manipulator to produce custom-built, compact, and computationally efficient ordinary differential equations for each virtual system to be simulated. A method is presented whereby new equations, reflecting the presence of a transient constraint, may be formulated on-line by a recombination of terms comprising the nominal equations. This paper also serves as a tutorial introduction to Kane's method and includes a detailed derivation of Kane's equations with a geometric interpretation. An illustrative example featuring changing constraint conditions is developed in the body of the paper while two more examples, chosen to highlight certain features within Kane's method, are presented at the conclusion.


In this study, we specify a disaggregated vector autoregression model (VAR) to analyze the behavior of employment in three Southern California counties during two different types of aggregate economic downturns. Using this model, we estimate the impact of hypothetical, one-time shocks to macroeconomic variables, on employment levels by county. The two adverse shocks that we examine are a monetary (demand) shock, and an oil price (supply) shock. Our empirical framework allows us to examine, within a single model, the dynamic behavior of employment during these downturns. We provide evidence that even within regional economies in the United States, employment levels respond differentially to macroeconomic shocks. Our model also allows us to examine how the impact of these shocks on total county employment has changed over time. In particular, we find that, over the sample period, total employment across Southern California has become less sensitive to oil price shocks.


A piping system including straight pipes, elbows and tee branches in a nuclear power plant is mostly subjected to severe loading conditions with high temperature and pressure. In particular, the wall-thinning of an elbow due to flow accelerated corrosion is one of safety issues in the nuclear industry. In this respect, it is necessary to investigate the limit loads of an elbow with a wall-thinned part for evaluating integrity. In this paper, three dimensional plastic limit analyses are performed to obtain limit loads of an elbow with different bend angles as well as defect geometries under internal pressure and in-plane/out-of-plane bending moment. The limit loads are also compared with the results from limit load solutions of an uninjured elbow based on the von Mises yield criteria. Finally, the effects of significant factors, bend angle and defect shape, are quantified to estimate the exact load carrying capacity of an elbow during operation.


During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the ice masses covering the western side of the northernmost Antarctic Peninsula (NAP) drained into Bransfield Basin (BB) (Banfield & Anderson 1995). A drainage-basin area of about 60 000 km2 generated an ice flux that entrained significant volumes of englacial and subglacial debris that were subsequently delivered into BB. Multibeam-bathymetric data show a number of deeply sculpted, sub-parallel glacial cross-shelf troughs and associated landforms within the framework of an entire glacial depositional system (Canals et al. 2002; Garcia et al. 2011).

Bransfield Basin is a 35 000 km2, SW–NE-orientated marginal basin situated between the South Shetland Islands (SSI) and the NAP and adjacent islands (Fig. 1a). BB consists of three sub-basins, the main one being the 1950 m deep Central Bransfield Basin (CBB) which is 215 km long and 120 km wide. The NAP margin of the CBB hosts several cross-shelf troughs opening into a sedimentary outer shelf (Fig. 1b) including Mott Snowfield, Laclavere and Lafond troughs (Canals et al. 2002).

 Fig. 1.
( a ) Location of study area (red box; map from IBCSO v. 1.0). SSI, South Shetland Islands; BB, Bransfield Basin. ( b ) Swath-bathymetric image of Central Bransfield Basin (CBB). Acquisition system Simrad EM12-S. Frequency 12.5 kHz. Grid-cell size 200 m (colour) and GEBCO_08 Grid (grey). Land area …


Advances in the fields of communication technology and software, electrical and mechanical engineering enable the replacement of a single robot by cooperative robotic team in highly demanding applications, such as search and rescue. A robotic team could perform better than a single robot, if certain challenges, such as action planning, coordination, and decision making, are successfully tackled. One key factor for the successful performance of a robotic team is the multi-robot task allocation. Specifically, the challenge is to define which robot executes which task, considering an efficient solution for the successful completion of the complex mission. The task allocation could be even more challenging when real-world communication constraints and uncertainties are presented, such as limited bandwidth, high latency and high packet loss. In the current study, we attempt to resolve the issue of a cooperative robotic team under communication constraints. To reach this goal, the use of a distributed world model for multi-robot task allocation is proposed. This ontology based distributed world model is capable of successfully handling to a great extent the aforementioned communications limitations, thus allowing successful mission execution even under harsh communication conditions. An efficient centralised task allocation mechanism, using k-means clustering, is described, and its performance is compared to a greedy centralised task allocation method. Experimental simulation results indicate that the efficient method performs better on average than the greedy one, without extra time requirements.


This is the third volume of the catalogue raisonne of the work of the American painter John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). Comprising over 200 portraits and portrait sketches in oil and watercolour, painted between 1900 and the artist's death in 1925, this work completes the trilogy of portrait volumes. The catalogued works have been grouped into two chronological sections, each with its own introduction to set the particular group in context. There is also a section of undated portraits and an appendix listing previously unrecorded works. Each work is documented in depth: entries include traditional data about the painting or watercolour; details of the work's provenance, exhibition history, and bibliography; a short biography of the sitter; a discussion of the circumstances in which the work was created; and a critical discussion of its subject matter, style and significance in Sargent's career. With very few exceptions, all the works are reproduced in colour. There is also an illustrated inventory of Sargent's studio props and accessories and a cross-referenced checklist of the portraits in which they appear.


We have fabricated high-T/sub c/ ramp-edge junctions with a Ga-doped YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// (YBCO) barrier in the trilayer geometry of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta///YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 2.79/Ga/sub 0.21/O/sub 7-/spl delta///YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// on LaAlO/sub 3/ single crystals. Interface resistances of the junctions were drastically reduced by using in-situ RF plasma cleaning treatment. The cross-sectional images of the interface of the junctions were analyzed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The temperature dependences of critical currents and junction resistances were consistent with the behavior predicted by the conventional proximity effect. The critical currents of the Ga-doped junctions were less sensitive to the variation of the barrier thickness compared to those of the other junctions. The increase of the barrier resistivity by Ga-doping resulted in an enhancement of the I/sub c/R/sub n/ values, up to 320 /spl mu/V at 60 K.


BACKGROUND
Flexible bronchoscopy is a frequently used procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of various lung disorders. As there is no standardized guideline on the insertion of the bronchoscope, and few studies are available on the subject, we conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial to compare nasal and oral insertion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In total, 66 patients who underwent bronchoscopy without sedation were randomly assigned to either oral or nasal insertion. Primary and secondary outcome parameters were time to pass the vocal chords (VC) from first insertion and willingness to return (WTR).

RESULTS
Time to pass the VC was significantly shorter with oral insertion compared with nasal insertion (median 24.43 vs. 52.33 s; P<0.001). WTR did not differ between the 2 groups [median score 4 (nasal) vs. 5 (oral); P=0.358 on a 10-point scale]. However, a significant correlation was found between WTR and the patients' experience with the insertion of the bronchoscope in both groups (r=0.639; P=<0.001). This correlation was strongest in the nasal group (r=0.809; P=<0.001). Conversion occurred more often in the nasal group than in the oral group (51.6% vs. 1.5%).

CONCLUSIONS
Time to pass the VC is shorter in oral insertion compared with that in nasal insertion. In particular, after nasal insertion, a negative experience of the patient was associated with a lower score on WTR. Therefore, we advise oral insertion for a nonsedated bronchoscopy with a >6.0-mm bronchoscope when there is no indication for inspection of the upper airways.


OBGYN.net Conference Coverage From 55th Annual Meeting of ASRM held conjointly with CFAS - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - September, 1999


Antifungal caspofungin (CPFG) was approved for the treatment of febrile neutropenia (FN) as the empiric treatment. However, the relationship between pharmacokinetic properties of CPFG and its clinical effects in patients with FN has not been fully established yet. Thus, in the present study, we tried to establish the simple and quantitative HPLC method to measure CPFG in human plasma with liquid-liquid extraction. CPFG in human plasma was extracted by liquid-liquid extraction and was separated by 5C18 column with mobile phase containing 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) and acetonitrile (65:35). CPFG and p-hydroxybenzoate ethyl ester, used as an internal standard (IS), were detected by a fluorescence detector (Ex: 224 nm, Em: 304 nm) and by UV-VIS (254 nm), respectively. CPFG and IS were detected with retention times of 17.0 and 9.5 min, respectively, which were separated from matrix compounds. The calibration curves were linear from 1.0 to 20 μg/mL (R2>0.99). The limit of detection, the limit of quantification and the lower limit of quantification were 0.53 μg/mL, 0.89 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL, respectively. The validation study revealed that the intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were within the acceptable range and that CPFG was fairly stable after freezing and thawing, reconstitution, in autosampler and in stock solution at ambient temperature up to 8-24 h. These results suggest that our established method to measure CPFG in human plasma would be applicable to measure plasma CPFG in patients with FN in order to establish the evidence for appropriate drug therapy.


A coded long pulse is applied to the Jicamarca 50 MHz high power large aperture radar to study meteor head echoes. We develop a probabilistic detection model, which finds 25% more meteors than the commonly used signal‐to‐noise threshold method. The long code and the probabilistic approach allow us to detect over 180 meteors per minute during the dawn hours, which is several times higher than reported previously. The typical mass of the meteoroids is estimated to be about 10−9 kg, slightly smaller than other sensitive very‐high‐frequency and ultrahigh‐frequency high power large aperture radars except the Arecibo radar. The high sensitivity allows us to observe numerous meteors in the presence of the strongest equatorial electrojet. We report and discuss the characteristics of meteor flux rate, ablation height, and velocity with a constant noise power for the first time for the Jicamarca radar. The highest average detection height is found to be near 2 a.m., instead of near 6 a.m. when the largest average velocity is observed. This is likely due to the combination of the relative large atmospheric velocity and the substantial atmospheric entry angles around 2 a.m. The observed characteristics suggest that many meteors are detected 8° off zenith despite that the full beam width is only 2.4°.


Combined estrogen-progestin preparations (CEPs) are associated with thromboembolic (TE) side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of TE using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse events recorded from April 2004 to November 2014 in the JADER database were obtained from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) website (www.pmda.go.jp). We calculated the reporting odds ratios (RORs) of suspected CEPs, analyzed the time-to-onset profile, and assessed the hazard type using Weibull shape parameter (WSP). Furthermore, we used the applied association rule mining technique to discover undetected relationships such as the possible risk factors. The total number of reported cases in the JADER contained was 338,224. The RORs (95% confidential interval, CI) of drospirenone combined with ethinyl estradiol (EE, Dro-EE), norethisterone with EE (Ne-EE), levonorgestrel with EE (Lev-EE), desogestrel with EE (Des-EE), and norgestrel with EE (Nor-EE) were 56.2 (44.3–71.4), 29.1 (23.5–35.9), 42.9 (32.3–57.0), 44.7 (32.7–61.1), and 38.6 (26.3–56.7), respectively. The medians (25%–75%) of the time-to-onset of Dro-EE, Ne-EE, Lev-EE, Des-EE, and Nor-EE were 150.0 (75.3–314.0), 128.0 (27.0–279.0), 204.0 (44.0–660.0), 142.0 (41.3–344.0), and 16.5 (8.8–32.0) days, respectively. The 95% CIs of the WSP-β for Ne-EE, Lev-EE, and Nor-EE were lower and excluded 1. Association rule mining indicated that patients with anemia had a potential risk of developing a TE when using CEPs. Our results suggest that it is important to monitor patients administered CEP for TE. Careful observation is recommended, especially for those using Nor-EE, and this information may be useful for efficient therapeutic planning.


Solar cells provide an alternative and environmentally friendly source of energy from the sun. In this project, we fabricated organic solar cells and characterized their conduction under a simulated solar light source. The organic cells have an active region composed of electron-donor poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and electron acceptor penyl- C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) materials to form a pn heterojunction. This study was investigated, we analyzed the effect of annealing P3HT:PCBM polymeric blends on cell efficiency while maintaining the substrates under ambient atmosphere. The effect of annealing on the solar cell efficiency by measuring their current-voltage characteristics given these conditions, and found an indirect correlation between efficiency and annealing temperature.


We propose a scheme involving a Cooper pair transistor (CPT) embedded in a superconducting microwave cavity, where the CPT serves as a charge tunable quantum inductor to facilitate ultra-strong coupling between photons in the cavity and a nano- to meso-scale mechanical resonator. The mechanical resonator is capacitively coupled to the CPT, such that mechanical displacements of the resonator cause a shift in the CPT inductance and hence the cavity's resonant frequency. The amplification provided by the CPT is sufficient for the zero point motion of the mechanical resonator alone to cause a significant change in the cavity resonance. Conversely, a single photon in the cavity causes a shift in the mechanical resonator position on the order of its zero point motion. As a result, the cavity-Cooper pair transistor coupled to a mechanical resonator will be able to access a regime in which single photons can affect single phonons and vice versa. Realizing this ultra-strong coupling regime will facilitate the creation of non-classical states of the mechanical resonator, as well as the means to accurately characterize such states by measuring the cavity photon field.


In wireless distributed sensor network, the efficiency of energy consumption is very important in developing the techniques to extend its lifetime. Due to the random failures of sensor nodes, this paper proposes a concept of the expected energy consumption to control the success rate of message transmission, decrease the energy consumption, and measure the network performance. Furthermore, based on the minimum energy reliable path and its two algorithms, restricted shortest path algorithm and "restricted" Dijksta algorithm, an algorithm is developed to compute the expected energy consumption of a sensor network. The simulation shows the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Finally, the influence of reliability threshold on the expected energy consumption of a network is simulated and analyzed.


Knowledge Management (KM) is an emerging methodology that harnesses an organization's largely untapped resource, knowledge, not only to sustain competitive advantage but also to become innovative. Since knowledge is a crucial resource, it should be managed judiciously. KM helps integrate, manage, store, retrieve, and disseminate an organizations information and intellectual assets to improve business performance. To be successful, KM requires a major shift in organizational culture and commitment. The primary focus of this research is to see how the grounded theory approach can be applied to studying the knowledge management practices in organizations. Our ultimate goal is to develop an empirically testable model that informs organizations on how to successfully implement KM by clearly outlining the current practice of KM and their relationship to organizational purposes, implementation , success factors and metrics, ''failure factors,'' organizational impacts, and requisite organizational cultures and technology.


Identification of genes determining the expression of economically important traits of plants and animals is a main research focus in agricultural genomics. Most of these traits are characterized by a wide variability of the expression of genes at certain loci called quantitative trait loci (QTL). Characterization of the chromosomal regions carrying QTL can be applied in marker-assisted selection (MAS) to improve breeding efficiency. Molecular linkage maps in combination with powerful statistical methods facilitate the genetic dissection of complex traits, and the chicken is ideally suited for this task due to a relatively short life cycle and large number of progeny. Two major approaches are employed in understanding the genomic architecture of economically important traits: QTL mapping and, more recently, functional genomics.


Aim : Urena lobata L. a member of Malvaceae family, is widely used as famine food in Africa. It is also used in traditional medicine system to cure gonorrhea, fever, wounds, toothache & rheumatism. The plant has already been tested for its antioxidant activity. The work was extended to investigate and identify the flavonoid glycosides present in the plant. Methodology: Urena lobata leaves were dried, powdered and extracted with petroleum ether followed by methanol. The methanolic extract, after processing through different solvents, was used to obtain the Chemically active constituents .Column Chromatography and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) were used to isolate four compounds which were, in turn, subjected to spectroscopic analysis. Results: The spectroscopic studies indicated that the four isolated compounds are (1) Quercetin, (2) Kaempferol, (3) Quercetin 3-0-rutinoside and (4) Kaempferol 3-0- β glucopyranoside. Conclusion: The presence of flavonoids in the plant makes it an important ingredient of the traditional medicinal system. Since flavonoids are associated with antioxidant activity, their presence in the plant makes it an important food material.


Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949) is simultaneously a visual document of the bombed-out fabric of late 1940s Vienna and a stylised dream space built on the aesthetic foundations of German Expressionism. In this, it exemplifies the way in which film abstracts physical location while remaining indexically linked to it. This paper uses The Third Man to interrogate the relationship between spatial denotation and connotation. It explores how the film exploits the visual contradictions that result from transforming (three-dimensional) physical place into (two-dimensional) cinematic space. Through the use of Dutch angles, high contrast lighting, wide angle photography, and disjunctive montage sequences, the film plays place and space off against each other to create an aesthetic of disorientation. Its oneiric spaces repeatedly confound attempts by Holly Martens (Joseph Cotton) to orientate himself geographically, narratively, and socially. By contrast, urbane racketeer Harry Lime (Orson Welles) moves through the city as if he were in a film, appearing and disappearing at will. Holly is stuck in the denoted city, while Harry traverses the connoted city. However, the distorted perspectives created by Robert Krasker's camerawork result in a spatial disorientation so extreme that the film sometimes approaches graphic abstraction. In the end, even Harry finds himself unable to make sense of the film's spaces and dies ensnared in the chiaroscuro patterns of a spiral staircase.


HOWARD HUGHES'S NEW FILMGOERS' GUIDE TO SCIENCE-FICTION FILMS DELVES DEEP INTO THE LANDMARK MOVIES OF THIS EVERPOPULAR GENRE, FROM METROPOLIS TO AVATAR AND BEYOND, AND COVERS OVER 250 MORE Outer Limits explores science-fiction cinema through 26 great films, from the silent classic Metropolis to today. It reviews the galaxy of stars and directors who have created some of the most popular films of all time, including George Lucas's 'Star Wars' films, Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Minority Report, James Cameron's 'Terminator' films and Ridley Scott's milestones Alien and Blade Runner. It also discusses everything from A-listers 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes, to Japanese monster movies, 1950s B-movies, creature features and cult favourites, depicting time travel, distant planets or alien invasions. Films featured include The War of the Worlds, Independence Day, Tarantula, Godzilla, The Thing, Forbidden Planet, Barbarella, Galaxy Quest, Mad Max 2, Back to the Future, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Star Trek, Apollo 13, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Matrix, and many, many more. Illustrated with original posters, Outer Limits is an informative, entertaining tour of the sci-fi universe.... Download ebook, read file pdf The Filmgoers' Guide to the Great Science-Fiction Films


Russia's psychiatrists, like members of many other occupational groups, were drawn into politics in the early years of the twentieth century. Although relatively small in size, the psychiatric profession was especially vocal during that era. In a number of respects, the particular concerns of psychiatrists differed from those of other doctors; however, Nancy Frieden's observation that "professional grievances formed the core of the physicians' opposition" is as applicable to psychiatric physicians as to most other medical practitioners—and indeed to other professional groups as well.2 While a large number of Russia's educated workers were critical of specific governmental policies and of the very structure of their society, the political activists among them tended to channel much of their energy into the effort to gain increased autonomy and status for their respective occupations.


Launched in 2013, LivDet-Iris is an international competition series open to academia and industry with the aim to assess and report advances in iris Presentation Attack Detection (PAD). This paper presents results from the fourth competition of the series: LivDet-Iris 2020. This year's competition introduced several novel elements: (a) incorporated new types of attacks (samples displayed on a screen, cadaver eyes and prosthetic eyes), (b) initiated LivDet-Iris as an on-going effort, with a testing protocol available now to everyone via the Biometrics Evaluation and Testing (BEAT)* open-source platform to facilitate reproducibility and benchmarking of new algorithms continuously, and (c) performance comparison of the submitted entries with three baseline methods (offered by the University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University), and three open-source iris PAD methods available in the public domain. The best performing entry to the competition reported a weighted average APCER of 59.10% and a BPCER of 0.46% over all five attack types. This paper serves as the latest evaluation of iris PAD on a large spectrum of presentation attack instruments.


Abstract The research into workaholism in individuals running small, family-owned businesses, among microentrepreneurs, i.e. individuals conducting business activity and employing up to 9 people, was inspired by the relatively high number of persons seeking assistance at a psychotherapy centre, classifying the ailments as workaholic issues, with n=64 respondents interviewed. The paper presents selected manifestations of workaholism, categorised into several key data areas as a result of qualitative research. Quota sampling was used to select respondents who were microentrepreneurs and who had been running family businesses for at least two generations. The results presented in the paper are part of a more extensive research project supervised by the first author, concerning the psychological aspects of running family businesses.


: Kinetics of neutrophil inactivation was investigated in vitro by Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test in the process of their contact with the substrate. It has been shown that the previous thermostatation results in an exclusive inactivation of neutrophils with high reaction ability leading to their complete inactivation. Such an inactivation is a consequence of cell contacts with the substrate, whose chemical structure and physicochemical properties define the process regularities. The neutrophil inactivation is probably not a consequence of the contact itself but may follow the next scheme: stimulus (contact with substrate)--generation of reactive oxygen metabolites--inactivation. Two functional unequal classes of neutrophils were differentiated on the basis of different levels of their reactive oxygen metabolite generation, and on their ability to inactivation. In vitro cells of one of these classes actively generate reactive oxygen metabolites to be inactivated in consequence of interaction with the substrate, whereas cells of the other class produce reactive oxygen metabolites less actively and are nor inactivated. Evidently, in vivo cells of the are phagocytes and those of the latter fulfill other functions.


WaaG is a glycosyltransferase that is involved in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria. Inhibitors of WaaG are highly sought after as they could be used to inhibit the biosynthesis of the core region of lipopolysaccharide, which would improve the uptake of antibiotics. Herein, we establish an activity assay for WaaG using 14C-labeled UDP-glucose and LPS purified from a ∆waaG strain of Escherichia coli. We noted that addition of the lipids phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL), as well as the detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) increased activity. We then use the assay to determine if three molecular scaffolds, which bind to WaaG, could inhibit its activity in vitro. We show that 4-(2-amino-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)phenol inhibits WaaG (IC50 1.0 mM), but that the other scaffolds do not. This study represents an important step towards an inhibitor of WaaG by fragment-based lead discovery.


The solidification behavior of the semi-solid slurry with rapid shear-rate changes was investigated by using succinonitrile-5at.%water transparent alloy and Sn-15wt.%Pb alloy on a self-made apparatus. The results showed that the rapid changes of shear-rate improved the nucleation and promoted the globular growth of solidification microstructure in the stirred melt. The increase of shear-rate was in favor of promoting the grain growth with globular shape to a certain extent, however, when the shear-rate was beyond a critical value, the further increase of the shear-rate will lead the disappearance of the globular crystals. Thus, the microstructure of semi-solid processing could be refined by a controlled stirring process.


A simple and effective parameterization for the profile of extreme wind gusts during severe wind conditions is presented. It is shown that the gust profile follows directly from the logarithmic wind profile. Also the uncertainty in the gust estimates can easily be determined from information of the average wind speed at two different heights. One specification of practical importance is that the maximum 3s-gust in a 10 min period at 10 m height is arithmetically equal to the average wind at 140 m. At larger heights the gusts are equal to the average wind speed at an easily determinable height that is a factor α (α > 1) higher. Validation over The Netherlands indicates that this rule applies to heights up to at least 200 m. This outcome is validated both over land and over sea, and is independent of surface roughness. The proposed parameterization reproduces the climatological values of the measured extreme wind gusts. Maximum gusts for individual winter months are better represented than for individual summer months. The mean error in the monthly winter maxima estimates is 5%.


Despite the fact that most plants accumulate both sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) ions to high concentration in their shoot tissues when grown in saline soils, most research on salt tolerance in annual plants has focused on the toxic effects of Na accumulation. There have also been some recent concerns about the ability of hydroponic systems to predict the responses of plants to salinity in soil. To address these two issues, an experiment was conducted to compare the responses to Na and to Cl separately in comparison with the response to NaCl in a soil-based system using two varieties of faba bean (Vicia faba), that differed in salinity tolerance. The variety Nura is a salt-sensitive variety that accumulates Na and Cl to high concentrations while the line 1487/7 is salt tolerant which accumulates lower concentrations of Na and Cl. Soils were prepared which were treated with Na or Cl by using a combination of different Na salts and Cl salts, respectively, or with NaCl. While this method produced Na-dominant and Cldominant soils, it unavoidably led to changes in the availability of other anions and cations, but tissue analysis of the plants did not indicate any nutritional deficiencies or toxicities other than those targeted by the salt treatments. The growth, water use, ionic composition, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured. Both high Na and high Cl reduced growth of faba bean but plants were more sensitive to Cl than to Na. The reductions in growth and photosynthesis were greater under NaCl stress and the effect was mainly additive. An important difference to previous hydroponic studies was that increasing the concentrations of NaCl in the soil increased the concentration of Cl more than the concentration of Na. The data showed that salinity caused by high concentrations of NaCl can reduce growth by the accumulation of high concentrations of both Na and Cl simultaneously, but the effects of the two ions may differ. High Cl concentration reduces the photosynthetic capacity and quantum yield due to chlorophyll degradation which may result from a structural impact of high Cl concentration on PSII. High Na interferes with K and Ca nutrition and disturbs efficient stomatal regulation which results in a depression of photosynthesis and growth. These results suggest that the importance of Cl toxicity as a cause of reductions in growth and yield under salinity stress may have been underestimated.


The capture of two specimens of Physiculus dalwigki (Kaup, 1758) from the coast of Senegal is reported in this note. They were two adult specimens which measured 244 mm and 302 mm for total length, respectively, and weighed 81.8 g and 174.0 g, respectively. They were caught by trammel nets in the marine area of Dakar. They were described while mrophometric measurements and meristic counts were provided. These two findings constitute the first substantial records of P. dalwigki in the Senegalese waters, but also the southern extension range of the species from the western coast of Africa.


Objectives: The importance of knowing HIV status is a key strategy for HIV response and effective treatment services. The present study aimed to assess feasibility of using oral- fluid based rapid HIV test aided by FrontlineHealth workers (FLWs) of pregnant women in rural districts of India. Methods: A feasibility study, using cross sectional design was carried-out in two rural districts of India. Overall, 900 pregnant women were screened using OraQuick® test, an oral-fluid based rapid HIV test facilitated by trained FLWs and subsequently, all participants were tested at in existing government center for confirmatory HIV testing. The data were collected from three aspects: i) the results of OraQuick® HIV test and confirmatory test ii) the perspectives of FLWs through in-depth interviews and iii) information on the acceptability of oral-fluid based HIV testing from 479 pregnant women, through a structured questionnaire. The descriptive statistics was used to analyse the quantitative data and thematic content analysis to analyse the qualitative in-depth interviews. Results: Of the 947 pregnant women who were offered HIV screening using OraQuick® saliva based test, 95% (n=900) accepted to undergo the test. Of the total 479 pregnant women interviewed, 91.2% liked the OraQuick® kit for HIV screening. The key motivators of accepting the test are easy procedure (43%), non-invasiveness (29%) and quick access to results (18%). Out of 900 pregnant women screened by OraQuick®, nine women were found to be HIV positive, which corresponded with confirmatory test results. Qualitative data provided insights into FLWs to understand their views regarding current situation on HIV testing and services available to the pregnant women. Conclusion: With an urgent need to improve access to HIV screening at the grass root level, an oral based HIV rapid testing mechanism can provide a plausible solution for improving early detection of HIV among pregnant women.


Given the strong contribution of tourism in the Moroccan economy, we propose in this paper to analyze the determinants of an empirical point of view of international tourism demand addressed to Morocco. To do this, we estimated a vector error correction (VECM) for the period 2000 - 2009 with a quarterly frequency. The results of our estimates show that long-term arrivals at border posts (specifically from France, Spain and Germany) depend positively on income, the accommodation capacity in classified establishments, the exchange rate and negatively on the relative price. Furthermore, our estimates indicate that external shock (especially a terrorist act) will have a significantly negative impact on tourism demand.


Serbia has extraordinary conditions for considerably bigger herbal and livestock organic production. The constant growth of the demand for the organic products in the world points to the fact that this method of production can be extremely profitable if natural resources, knowledge and productive experience are used in the right way. Most of natural meadows and pastures in Serbia are situated in hilly and mountainous areas. Agricultural activities were extinguished due to the depopulation trend. Therefore the development of intensive production wasn't achieved. The aim of this paper is to point out the possibility and perspective of livestock development, according to the existing conditions, and the necessity of realization of planned investment programs on the state level. Also, its aim is to underline the possibility of development of organic production in rural areas. Considering the preservation of nature and existing economic aspect, there are possibilities for organic production of meat, milk and dairies. The results of statistic data of livestock fund are also presented in this paper, as well as percentile share of meadow and pasture participation in total usage of agricultural areas in the counties of the Republic of Serbia. The Law of organic production and related regulations were adopted by the state and subsidies for the production of this type were given as well. The result was that first producers were converted to this kind of agricultural production. Also, the analyzed state of organic livestock production in the world and Europe (EU) points to the institutional and natural conditions for the organic development in Serbia, and to the basic recommendations for its development.


The data available from the A2 Collaboration at MAMI were analyzed to select the $\gamma p\to \pi^0\eta p$ reaction on an event-by-event basis, which allows for partial-wave analyses of three-body final states to obtain more reliable results, compared to fits to measured distributions. These data provide the world's best statistical accuracy in the energy range from threshold to $E_{\gamma}=1.45$ GeV, allowing a finer energy binning in the measurement of all observables needed for understanding the reaction dynamics. The results obtained for the measured observables are compared to existing models, and the impact from the new data is checked by the fit with the revised Mainz model.


Purpose: The Korean government has tried to decrease the suicide death rate over the last decade. Suicide attempts, particularly non-fatal attempts, are the most powerful known risk factor for a completed suicide. An analysis of suicide attempt methods will help establish the effective preventive action of suicide. Fit prevention according to the method of suicide attempt may decrease the incidence of suicide death. Self-poisoning is suggested as a major method of both suicide attempts and suicide death. The aim of this study was to determine if a self-poisoning patient is a suitable target for the prevention of the suicide. Methods: This was retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort, which included patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) after a self-harm or suicide attempt from Jan 2013 to Dec 2017. The proportion of methods in suicide attempts, psychological consultation, and fatality according to the suicide attempt method were analyzed. The types of poison were also analyzed. Results: Poisoning was the most common method of suicide attempts (52.1%). The rate of psychological consultations were 18.8% for all patients and 29.1% for poison patients (p<0.001). The rate of mortality in poisoning was 0.6%. Psychological consultation was performed more frequently in admission cases than discharged cases. The most common materials of poisons was psychological medicines and sedatives that had been prescribed at clinics or hospital. Conclusion: Self-poisoning is a major method of suicide attempt with a high rate of psychiatric consultation, low mortality rate, versus others methods. The prevention of suicide death for suicide attempts may focus on self-poisoning, which is the major method of suicide attempts. A suitable aftercare program for self-poisoning may be an effective method for preventing suicide if an early diagnosis and management of psychiatric disorders through psychiatric consultation can be made, and early connection to social prevention program for non-fatal patients are possible.


Little is known about the end-of-life (EOL) experience of patients with rare cancers (PRC) or their caregivers. From September 2002 to August 2008, 618 stage IV cancer patients [195 PRC and 423 patients with common cancers (PCC)] and their caregivers participated in an interview-based cohort study. Patients were interviewed about EOL preferences, planning, medical care, and followed until death. Interviews with caregivers at baseline assessed caregiver mental and physical health; and postmortem, assessed EOL patient care. PRC were four times more likely than PCC to be receiving both radiation and chemotherapy at study entry (10.3% vs 3.3%, respectively, adjusted odds ratio 4.31, P=0.003). PRC's caregivers were more likely to report declining health (22.1% vs 15.7%, P=0.05) and marginally more likely to report using mental health services to cope than PCC's caregivers. PRC were as likely to acknowledge their illness was terminal, have EOL discussions, and participate in advance care planning as PCC. Future research should investigate terminal care for PRC and how providing care affects caregivers' physical and mental health.


Larvae of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus obtained from 6 consecutive ovitrap surveillance (OS) in Taman Samudera and Kg. Banjar were evaluated for their susceptibility to temephos. Larval bioassays were carried out in accordance with WHO standard methods, with diagnostic dosage (0.012 mg/L) and operational dosage (1 mg/L) of temephos respectively. Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus obtained from six OS in Taman Samudera showed resistance to diagnostic dosage of temephos with percentage mortality between 5.3 to 72.0 and 9.3 to 56.0, respectively, while Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus obtained from Kg. Banjar showed resistance to temephos with percentage mortality between 16.0 to 72.0 and 0 to 50.6, respectively. Only two strains of Ae. aegypti from Kg. Banjar were susceptible to temephos with 93.3% (OS 2) and 100% (OS 3) mortality. The 50% mortality at lethal time (LT50) for all strains of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus tested against operational dosage of temephos showed range between 36.07 to 75.69 minutes and 58.65 to 112.50 minutes, respectively, and complete mortality was achieved after 24 hours. Our results indicated that there is weekly variations of the resistance status for Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Aedes susceptibility to temephos is changing from time to time in these two study sites. It is essential to continue monitoring the resistance of this vector to insecticides in order to ensure the efficiency of program aimed at vector control and protection of human health.


Limnoperna fortunei, a species of bivalve of foreign origin, was confirmed to exist in Japan for the first time in 1992. It was found in some facilities of Hanshin Water Supply Authority in 1994. Later, it was found to cause various problems such as clogging of sampling pipes. Following this finding, research was initiated to investigate the possibility of its causing major incidents of bio-fouling such as total blockage of water passage by adhering to the raw water transmission pipe wall in massive numbers. As a result, it was found that Limnoperna fortunei was spawned in summer and grew up to 20 mm in size by the end of a one-year period when it began to die out and became detached immediately. Therefore, it was concluded that no deliberate efforts to remove them are required to avoid major problems.


General requirements of the FM stereo receiver are reviewed with emphasis on high quality stereo performance commensurate with the system capability. In the commercially manufactured receivers described, proper attention has been given to each of these requirements, and the stereo demodulation circuits are integrated within the radio chassis. Two approaches are covered; one, a complete self-contained stereo FM radio, and the other, a novel solution to the conversion problem for existing FM receivers. The latter consists of a ``Multiplexer'' receiver which is not an ``adaptor'' and which requires no connection to the monaural receiver. Circuit details and performance data are included.


Energy is indispensable for human life. Energy is not only a measurement for economical and social improvement but also a fundamental human necessity. Every country in the planet are trying to find a way to solve energy problems such as depending on energy importation, all kind of environmental pollution, global warming, increasing cost of energy, and energy inefficiency. Industrial and technologic developments are continuing rapidly, the need of energy consuming is increasing accordingly, and also concerning the population increase; the governments are given vast amount of incentives for renewable energy for the solutions to these kinds of problems and for the aims to be realized, which are saving money, saving energy and therefore saving the world. In this study, recent renewable energy developments, the evaluation of renewable energy, the importance of renewable energy use, the incentives and subsidies, the renewable energy policies in Turkey are investigated. In this regard some barriers and recommendations are submitted.


A CF-8M (cast type 316) neck liner or manway was removed from the top of a digester vessel. Repeated attempts to repair the part in the field during its life cycle of many years had failed to keep the unit from leaking. The casting was a CF-8M modified with the molybdenum level at the top end of the range. The plate was standard 317L material. The filler metal was type 316, although marginal in molybdenum content. Investigation (visual inspection, chemical analysis, micrographs, and metallographic examination) supported the conclusion that the damage to the neck liner was due to Cl-SCC in an area of debris buildup. It appeared the original casting suffered SCC in a low-oxygen area high in chlorides from repeated wet/dry cycles where there was a buildup of debris. Recommendations included redesigning the neck liner to eliminate the abrupt change where there was debris buildup. If redesign was impossible, an alloy more resistant to Cl-SCC, such as a duplex stainless steel or a high-molybdenum (4 to 6%) austenitic stainless steel, should be used.


In a field study for a French public organization, 3 strategies designed to enhance attendance at meetings were compared. Recipients of a minimum income allowance receive invitation letters to orientation meetings; these letters usually emphasize coercion and threaten to withdraw their allowance. This approach has limitations: the participation rate is poor, and the consequences are detrimental for both the organization and the beneficiaries. To overcome those difficulties, we tested alternative ways of promoting compliance without pressure and influence. The first strategy involved sending the traditional peremptory invitation letter; the second strategy involved sending a new version of the letter that emphasized commitment factors and freedom evocation ("the binding mail technique"); and the third strategy involved behaviorally involving the beneficiaries by a combination of binding communication, level of action identification, and freedom evocation before the traditional letter was sent. Results showed that the use of compliance-gaining procedures led the nonattendance rate to diminish from 76% (the peremptory letter) to 57% with the binding mail, and to 33% for the combined techniques. These impressive results, however, are tempered somewhat by the fact that a study in a second agency yielded nonsignificant effects, with nonattendance rates at approximately the same level in all conditions (respectively 52%, 41%, and 43%). Results are discussed in light of commitment theory, social identity theory, and behavioral science; further research is proposed and the adoption of a "binding identities" meta-theoretical perspective advocated.


This essay proposes new paths for the analysis of hip-hop in Mexico, providing a brief history of its development and suggesting new ways of defining its local meanings and uses. The essay bases much of its analysis on notions of cultural hybridity as employed by Helena Simonett and Néstor García Canclini, and George Yúdice's concept of culture expediency. It frames the appropriation of rap music in Mexico as a form of cultural agency and self-empowerment on the part of marginal social groups. This is seen in many ways: through the integration of indigenous heritage and languages into performance, or musical elements derived from the northern border. It is also evident in the ways artists have occupied and converted abandoned buildings within Mexico City into concert venues or cultural spaces. Three different artists serve as my principal case studies: Mare Advertencia Lirika, Akil Ammar, and The Guadaloops. Although Mexican hip-hop is represented to an extent in existing scholarship, it remains less well documented than in many other Latin American countries. This document demonstrates the dynamic impact of hip-hop music culture on Mexican youth and advocates for its further study.


1. Protanopes and deuteranopes show one maximum of wavelength discrimination which occurs near their neutral point in the region of 500 mµ (blue-green for color-normal). The value of the just discriminable wavelength interval Δλ is about 1 mµ at this point and is much like the normal. To either side of this, Δλ rises. It increases rapidly on the short-wave side, and slowly on the long-wave side, rising to about 50 mµ at the two ends of the spectrum. 2. The brightness distribution in the spectrum for dichromats falls only partly outside the range established for color-normals. The protanope curve is narrower than normal, and its maximum lies nearly 15 mµ to the left of it. The deuteranope curves are about the same width as the normal, and their maxima lie slightly but definitely to the right of it. The main difference between protanope and deuteranope spectrum sensitivity lies on the red side of brightness curves, where the deuteranope is strikingly higher. This difference furnishes the only reliable diagnostic sign which may be applied to an individual dichromat for separating the two types. 3. The average position for the neutral point of twenty-one protanopes is 496.5 mµ; of twenty-five deuteranopes 504.3 mµ. The range of variation in the position of neutral point is twice as great for the deuteranope as for the protanope. 4. Dichromatic gauging of the spectrum cannot yield unique mixture values for any wavelength because of the large stretches of poor wavelength discrimination. Data have therefore been secured which locate the spectral ranges that can match specific mixtures of two primaries when brightness differences are eliminated. The form of the data is much the same for a protanope and for a deuteranope; the only difference is in the relative brightness of the primaries. 5. Previously accepted anomalies in the spectral matching of dichromats which have led to the rejection of the third law of color mixture for them, have been eliminated. They are shown to have been due to the non-uniqueness of color matches and the usually disparate brightnesses of the primaries. Color mixture matches for dichromats are valid at all brightnesses.


Pride will result of employees masterpiece, big enthusiasm or interest to work represent strong incentive to realize work, in consequence the aspect motivate is one of main key in target attainment with expected. PT. Intan Pramadita accept a lot of duty which must be finished with brief time, but is not made balance to with employees amount answering the demand so that there are some company duty which do not finish on schedule and the mentioned result employees have to work of office hours which have been determined. This research is conducted by using approach qualitative with case study device. Technique of data collecting conducted by through : circumstantial interview and observation and also documentation. After done by inspection validity, data analysed by (1) data discount, (2)
presentation of data and, (3) conclusion withdrawal. Pursuant to conducted research, hence the result got by is : (1) picture motivate employees job in PT. Intan Pramadita is desire to please others. Pride and ownself requirement demand as enhancement factor motivate officer job, from other side that there is awareness that striving is the part of successfulness live, for the reason out for to always look for job of extra assistively is company head of outside office hour. (2) Strategy and effort conducted by a company is improvedly employ officer, credit subsidy, and health subsidy for employees. Beside gift training on outside town, to give congeniality and understanding to employees about company requirement which must be done. There by remember PT. Intan Pramadita is one of company moving in the field of expedition, where services and facility aspect, hence the company better add adequate facility for his employees in order to the company activity walk at ease and fulfill goals work. Prosperity attention to employees require to be improved, possible addedly employ employees or add better job medium is which is anding will be able to improve motivation of outside town, to give congeniality and understanding to employees about company requirement which must be done.


This paper presents the prototype of a hypodermic fiber-optics microscope. The instrument permits the researcher to observe tissues beneath the skin of the living animal or human, microscopically, through a hypodermic needle. The device utilizes fiber optics for image transmission, making it possible to observe through needles with inside diameters of 0.81 mm. Special features of this device include a self-contained illumination system within the same needle as the imaging bundle, and a unique microscope eyepiece which corrects for distortion caused by the necessary bevel at the far end of the needle. The resolving power of the present system is about 10 μ. A major problem is the definition of structures from each other within living tissue. Experiments are under way with various vital stains to improve this definition. Successful observations to date have been made of blood vessels and muscle fibers. Possible applications of the instrument are discussed.


Psychonaut2002 is a European Union, multi-site research project to investigate the developing relationship between the Internet and drugs with abuse potential. This paper describes the findings of the Scotland research site, which investigated the online availability of prescription drugs. The project used a cross-sectional study to investigate 275 English-language websites, found by searching Google.com and AltaVista.com for 'prescription drugs'. We found that online pharmacies selling prescription drugs can be classified into four types: (1) legitimate pharmacies; (2) subscription pharmacies; (3) lifestyle pharmacies; and (4) no-prescription pharmacies. The paper considers these findings in relation to what is already known about Internet access. We specifically consider the issues of literacy, Internet access, and credit-card ownership in relation to online pharmacies. We suggest that those from higher socioeconomic groups would be most able to access online pharmacies. However, drug abuse within this population may not be so readily recognized. Efforts to bridge the digital divide may increase access to Internet-sourced drugs amongst those in lower socioeconomic groups. We conclude that stereotypical notions of drug abuse being limited to lower socioeconomic groups may need to change. Increased Internet access may increase the role of the Internet in drug abuse.


This one-semester, mixed methods study underpinning social cognition and theory of planned behaviour investigated the attitudes, self-efficacy, and experiences of 559 first year undergraduate chemistry students from two cohorts in modified process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) classes. Versions of attitude toward the study of chemistry (ASCI v2), and chemistry attitudes and experiences questionnaire (CAEQ) were adopted, modified, and administered to understand and gauge students' affective outcomes before (pre) and after (post) POGIL intervention. Students' post-POGIL perceptions of their attitudes, self-efficacy and experiences were statistically significantly higher. In addition to confirmatory testing of reliability of data obtained from ASCI v2 and CAEQ in an Australian POGIL context, the findings suggest that POGIL intervention provides positive affective experiences to students who are new to chemistry or have limited prior chemistry knowledge.


Background Stairs and steps have in some countries become the leading source of brain injury, with children and working age adults as the main populations at risk. Risk factors and trends were assessed for hospitalizations of children and youth ≤19 years in Canada. Methods Non-nominal hospital admission data were obtained from the Canadian Institute of Health Information for the years 1994–2009. Hospitalisations of children and youth 0–19 years of age due to falls on stairs and steps were extracted using appropriate ICD 9 and 10 codes. Trends by age group were analysed and hospitalizations cross classified using external cause and nature of injury codes. Statistical evaluation included χ2 for univariate and bivariate analysis and Poisson or negative binomial regression for trend analysis of hospitalizations and injuries. Results There were 13,500 hospitalisations from falls on stairs and steps among 0–19 year olds. Rate of hospitalisation decreased by 55% over the study period from 16.8/100,000 to 7.5/100,000. Infants less than <1 year old had the highest rate at 33.2/100,000, and the greatest improvement correlating in time with banning of baby walkers. Males represented 55% of patients. The home was the site of 60% of incidents, with 60% of falls resulting in a fracture and 30% in intracranial injury. For infants <1 year, 50% of stair falls resulted in an intracranial injury. Income quintiles were highly correlated (p < 0.001), especially for lowest, at 25% of total, versus highest 16%. Conclusions Home stairs present serious hazards, especially for infants and children. While rates of stair falls have declined in the last two decades, much work remains to make stairs safer and prevent injuries, especially of the brain. Home stairs can be made less steep by adopting the 7–11 configuration widely adopted for public places, and other building code measures to correct frequent design and constuction hazards.


Crit Care Med 2016 • Volume 44 • Number 12 (Suppl.) than 8 mg/dL. This represented an absolute improvement of 14% towards goal. Conclusions: At baseline, 35% of PICU patients were transfused for hemoglobin less than 7 mg/dL. Within two months post-intervention, nearly half of patients were transfused for a hemoglobin level less than 7 mg/dL. We recommend restrictive transfusion thresholds with an awareness campaign strategy, which could reduce unnecessary transfusions and lead to resource and cost savings.