It seems almost self-evident that "knowledge management" and "knowledge engineering" should be related disciplines that may share techniques and methods between them. However, attempts by knowledge engineers to apply their techniques to knowledge management have been praised by some and derided by others, who claim that knowledge engineers have a fundamentally wrong concept of what "knowledge management" is. The critics also point to specific weaknesses of knowledge engineering, notably the lack of a broad context for the knowledge. Knowledge engineering has suffered some criticism from within its own ranks, too, particularly of the "rapid prototyping" approach, in which acquired knowledge was encoded directly into an iteratively developed computer system. This approach was indeed rapid, but when used to deliver a final system, it became nearly impossible to verify and validate the system or to maintain it. A solution to this has come in the form of knowledge engineering methodology, and particularly in the CommonKADS methodology, which proposes developing a number of models of the knowledge from different viewpoints at different levels of detail. CommonKADS also offers a library of generic models for the "inference structures" – the steps by which certain types of knowledge-based task are tackled. CommonKADS is now the most widely used non-proprietary knowledge engineering methodology. The purpose of this thesis is to show how an analytical framework originally intended for information systems architecture can be used to support knowledge management, knowledge engineering and the closely related discipline of ontology engineering. The framework suggests analysing information or knowledge from six perspectives (Who, What, How, When, Where and Why) at up to six levels of detail (ranging from "scoping" the problem to an implemented solution). The application of this framework to each of CommonKADS' models is discussed, in the context of several practical applications of the CommonKADS methodology. Strengths and weaknesses in the models that are highlighted by the practical applications are analysed using the framework, with the overall goal of showing where CommonKADS is currently useful and where it could be usefully extended. The same framework is also applied to knowledge management; it is established that "knowledge management" is in fact a wide collection of different approaches and techniques, and the framework can support and extend every approach to some extent, as well as the decision which approach is best for a particular case. Specific applications of using the framework to model medical knowledge and to resolve common problems in ontology development are presented. The thesis also includes research on mapping knowledge acquisition techniques to CommonKADS' models (and to the framework); proposing some extensions to CommonKADS' library of generic inference structures; and it concludes with a suggestion for a "pragmatic" KADS for use on small projects. The aim is to show that this framework both characterises the knowledge required for both knowledge management and knowledge engineering, and can provide a guide to good selection of knowledge management techniques. If the chosen technique should involve knowledge engineering, the wealth of practical advice on CommonKADS in this thesis should also be beneficial.


The use of surrogate variables has been proposed as a means to capture, for a given observed set of data, sources driving the dependency structure among high‐dimensional sets of features and remove the effects of those sources and their potential negative impact on simultaneous inference. In this article we illustrate the potential effects of latent variables on testing dependence and the resulting impact on multiple inference, we briefly review the method of surrogate variable analysis proposed by Leek and Storey (PNAS 2008; 105:18718–18723), and assess that method via simulations intended to mimic the complexity of feature dependence observed in real‐world microarray data. The method is also assessed via application to a recent Merck microarray data set. Both simulation and case study results indicate that surrogate variable analysis can offer a viable strategy for tackling the multiple testing dependence problem when the features follow a potentially complex correlation structure, yielding improvements in the variability of false positive rates and increases in power. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Thirty-four different loci for hereditary spastic paraplegias have been mapped, and 16 responsible genes have been identified. Autosomal recessive forms of spastic paraplegias usually have clinically complex phenotypes but the SPG5, SPG24 and SPG28 loci are considered to be associated with 'pure' forms of the disease. Very recently, five mutations in the CYP7B1 gene, encoding a cytochrome P450 oxysterol 7-alpha hydroxylase and expressed in brain and liver, have been found in SPG5 families. We analysed the coding region and exon-intron boundaries of the CYP7B1 gene by direct sequencing in a series of 82 unrelated autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia index patients, manifesting either a pure (n = 52) or a complex form (n = 30) of the disease, and in 90 unrelated index patients with sporadic pure hereditary spastic paraplegia. We identified eight, including six novel, mutations in CYP7B1 segregating in nine families. Three of these mutations were nonsense (p.R63X, p.R112X, p.Y275X) and five were missense mutations (p.T297A, p.R417H, p.R417C, p.F470I, p.R486C), the last four clustering in exon 6 at the C-terminal end of the protein. Residue R417 appeared as a mutational hot-spot. The mean age at onset in 16 patients was 16.4 +/- 12.1 years (range 4-47 years). After a mean disease duration of 28.3 +/- 13.4 years (10-58), spasticity and functional handicap were moderate to severe in all cases. Interestingly, hereditary spastic paraplegia was pure in seven SPG5 families but complex in two. In addition, white matter hyperintensities were observed on brain magnetic resonance imaging in three patients issued from two of the seven pure families. Lastly, the index case of one family had a chronic autoimmune hepatitis while his eldest brother died from cirrhosis and liver failure. Whether this association is fortuitous remains unsolved, however. The frequency of CYP7B1 mutations were 7.3% (n = 6/82) in our series of autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia families and 3.3% (n = 3/90) in our series of sporadic pure spastic paraplegia. The recent identification of CYP7B1 as the gene responsible for SPG5 highlights a novel molecular mechanism involved in hereditary spastic paraplegia determinism.


Two Foci of Carcinoma and one of Lymphosarcoma in the Course of Ten Years, all "cured" by Deep X-rays.-W. M. MOLLISON. Male, aged 73, had an epithelioma on the posterior surface of the tongue in 1923; treated with deep X-rays with complete disappearance of growth. In 1930, carcinoma developed in the right side of the nasopharynx; this also completely disappeared under deep X-ray treatment. In October, 1932, a growth appeared in the left tonsil. Microscopical examination showed this to be lymphosarcoma. Deep X-ray treatment was again given with complete success.


What knowledge or habit of mind must would‐be readers command that mastery of speech will not have taught them? Surely, that is the first question one must answer if one is to understand the reading process and the ills that attend it. Yet the question could hardly be accommodated, let alone answered, within the theory of speech that was almost universally accepted when Frank Cooper entered the field. It therefore counts as a major achievement of his research that others were able to gain from it a critical insight into the relation between the biologically primary processes of speech and the biologically secondary processes of reading, and thus to see more clearly the difficulties that beset the progressions from the one to the other.


Hepatitis C (HCV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are major public health
issue worldwide. These two hepatotropic viruses share same ways of transmission
and also coinfection with these two viruses is not unusual, especially in areas with a
high prevalence of HBV infection and among people at high risk for parenteral
infection (Liu and Hou 2006). It is imperative that effective and reliable techniques
for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV) infection diagnosis be devised.
Additionally, non-reactive and misdiagnosis, often demanding iteration of tests for
confirmation. Biosensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection assay
provides a solution for these limitations. Additionally, the SPR can overcome the
contamination susceptibility of molecular methods that rely heavily on the purity of
the template nucleic acid and that would result in false positives.
This study proposes an optimized SPR protocol for large-scale Hepatitis C and B
samples screening. HCV and HBV detection chips were set up separately. The HCV
detection chip was established by immobilization of HCV Core genotype 1, HCV
Core genotype 3a and HCV NS5 genotype 3a antigens for hepatitis C genotype
screening. On the other hand, HBs Ag and HBsAg antibody were used to establish
the HBV screening chip. The limit of detection (LOD) was calculated for each
immobilized flow cell of each established chip used 20 human donor serums were
each spiked with HCV antibody for HCV established chip and 20 human donor
serums were each spiked with HBsAg antibody for HBV established chip. LOD of
HCV detection chip was in the range of 14.4 – 33.48 pg/ ml followed by a range of
18- 25.2 pg/ml for HBV detection chip used .
A total 137 HCV positive and negative samples were collected. All of the 137 tested
as positive or negative HCV samples, were analyzed for genotype 1 and genotype 3a
with established HCV screening chip. 37 samples were tested positive for HCV
antibody, showed 100% positivity for genotype 1. Consequently, 6.6 % tested
positive for core genotype 3a, while 16% tested positive for NS5 genotype 3a.Among the genotype 3a samples tested positive, only one sample showed positive
results for both core 3a and NS5 3a.
A total 400 HBV positive and negative samples were collected. All 100 positive
HBsAg, 100 negative HBsAg and 200 negative HBsAg antibody samples were
confirmed serologically by the HBV established chips.
Finally, the HBsAg, HCV core genotype 1 and HBsAg antibody were immobilized
to establish the dual detection chip. Based on the international distribution of HCV
genotype 1, it was chosen to establish the dual detection chip. The LOD for this dual
detection chip was in the range of 12.6–26.4 pg/ml. To determine the LOD for this
established chip, 20 human donor serums were used and each sample spiked with
HCV antibody and HBsAg antibody individualy and analysed with established chip.
Out of total 137 samples, 37 samples tested positive for HCV antibody and 100
tested negative for HCV antibody. Among oof 400 samples, 100 samples tested
positive for HBsAg, 100 samples tested negative for HBsAg and 200 samples tested
HBsAg antibody negative.
A comparison was made between the SPR and ELISA techniques in the diagnosis of
HCV and HBV infection. It was found that there was a strong correlation between
SPR and ELISA test when used to detect HCV and HBV in the samples. The
correlation coefficient obtained with the two techniques approached 1 (P< 0.01).
The range of linear dose was observed for each immobilized flow cell with a
coefficient of determination between 98 to 99%.
The novelty of this study is the ability to serologically detect HCV and HBV
antigens and antibody, as well as HCV genotypes mixture simultaneously. LOD for
developed SPR chips (observed between 14.4 – 33.48 pg/ml) showed higher
efficiency when compared to HCV and HBV commercially used enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chemiluminescent immunoassay (ChLIA)
(ng/ml). Due to the low detection limit of SPR compared to ELISA and ChLIA, it
can detect false negative samples caused by lower level of antibody and antigen than
ELISA and ChLIA detection limit, a greater efficiency lacking in the later mentioned
application.
In conclusion, the optimized SPR approach can serve as a standard operating
procedure (SOP) for national blood screening centers. Taken together, data indicate
that the assays developed are highly reproducible, specific and sensitive , accuracy,
precision, repeatability, linearity, range and robustness.. This biosensor-based assay
is a more efficient tool for accurate screening of antibody and antigen in HCV and
HBV infected patient serum, while retaining the advantages of ELISA. Moreover,
the inbuilt robotic automated system with reusable chip is on the top of novelty for
this dual antigen and antibody detection assay for suspected co-infected samples.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share the experiences and perspectives of three practitioners from two continents on the subject of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) from both academic and industrial viewpoints. The authors of the paper have each been working on the topic of LSS over the past 15 years and have contributed over 150 journal and conference papers to the topics of lean and Six Sigma.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is to synthesize the practical experiences and research conducted by three authorities on the topic of LSS. In addition, relevant secondary data have also been used in the sections where and when appropriate.

Findings

The authors initially present the history of LSS emphasizing the importance of integration of the two most effective process excellence methodologies over the past 30 years. The authors also report the current trends of LSS in organizations as well as the emerging future trends. They argue that LSS will continue to grow and evolve across the globe for several years.

Practical implications

The paper is intended to be equally useful to both academics and practitioners who are interested on the topic of LSS. From a pure practical standpoint, the paper provides an overview of the past, present and future trends of LSS as a powerful business strategy and problem-solving methodology for all industrial sectors, irrespective of their size and nature. The documentation of the history and recent developments in LSS should be useful to researchers in academia.

Originality/value

In authors' best knowledge, there are no recent journal articles which cover all the three of these aspects; the past, the present and the future of LSS. This paper presents the above three aspects in a unique manner and addresses the gap between the current state and future directions of LSS.


Objective: To study the differential effects of subcutaneous E, alone or in combination with P on the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to oxidation in naturally postmenopausal diet-controlled rhesus monkeys. Design: Prospective, longitudinal controlled study. Setting: Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, and Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaver-ton, Oregon. Patient(s): Five naturally postmenopausal rhesus monkeys. Intervention(s): Estradiol was administered subcutaneously for the first 4 weeks, followed by Ez plus P for 4 weeks, followed by a third 4-week washout period. Main Outcome Measure(s): Changes in plasma lipoprotein levels and oxidation of LDL and serum concentrations of Ez and P. Result(s): Levels of LDL cholesterol fell after 4 weeks of treatment with Ez, compared with baseline. The lag time to half maximal light absorbancy after 4 weeks of Ez treatment was significantly increased compared with baseline. The maximal absorbance values and the slope of the propagation phase after 4 weeks of treatment with Ez were decreased compared with baseline. After 4 weeks of combined Ez and P treatment, all values were comparable to baseline. Conclusion(s): These results suggest that subcutaneous Ez therapy appears to enhance LDL resistance to oxidation and that this effect is attenuated by the addition of the P. (Fertil Sterile 1997;68:525-30.


Speech Pathology students in Australia complete clinical placements as part of their professional preparation. Stress levels experienced by students while on clinical placement can impact on their ability to learn and cope within the workplace. This study explores potential sources of stress for students while on clinical placement and uncovers that differences in the way students and clinical educators perceive how time is spent during clinical placements may be a factor in student stress. In addition, students' time management abilities were measured using the Australian Time and Organisation Management Scale (ATOMS) over a one year period to determine the impact of clinical placements on the development of abilities in this area. Clinical Educators also rated students' time management abilities during clinical placements to determine the extent to which students and clinical educators agree about their time management abilities. The study also investigates the stress levels of students on clinical placement and how students cope with their stress. The majority of students minimized the impact of external sources of stress, developed time management abilities and used appropriate coping strategies to keep stress to a moderate level during their clinical placements.


The scientific basis and the development of research on new solutions for organic production of fodder and their conversion into animal products with high biological value, maintaining biodiversity and environmental protection, have created the premises for promoting new technologies to improve, rehabilitate and enhance the grasslands, which are in accordance with a sustainable and efficient agriculture practice. In this chapter the technological solutions and technical equipment for improving the permanent grasslands by total renovation, specific to each stationary area conditions, are presented. The basis of new technologies or technological sequences for improving the degraded grasslands is composition and utilization of complex aggregates, consisting of specific machines and equipment, using the recent research achievements in the field of grassland farming. It is also intended that the proposed technological solutions eliminate or limit the effect of external restrictive factors so as to ensure a high feed production and a high feed value, meeting the agrotechnical requirements for each agricultural component operation. For highlighting the advantages of using the specific machines, traditional technologies, within are used common farming machines and new technologies, when are used specific machinery for grassland farming, are analyzed in comparison. To improve the degraded grasslands by reseeding method, new technologies and technological sequences use different complex aggregates, which perform in a pass 2 or even 3 operations, such as: clearing of non-valuable vegetation, hillocks and liming; tillage and liming; seedbed preparation and spreading the chemical fertilizers; rolling before sowing, sowing, rolling after sowing; the destruction of the old grass carpet, seedbed preparing, sowing and rolling after sowing and fertilization with chemical fertilizers; fertilization with chemical fertilizers, rolling before sowing, sowing and rolling after sowing. Compared to traditional technologies, new technologies and technological sequences for improving the degraded grasslands, require reduced fuel consumption and labor, with a lower number of aggregate passes.


ABSTRACT This paper presents further results of studies of tritium oxidation in unsaturated soil by microorganisms. The objective of the study was to develop a laboratory technique to study the kinetics of HT deposition to soil due to its oxidation and the kinetics of HTO retention in local soils, which are used for agriculture and forestry. Kinetics of HT to HTO oxidation and deposition to soil has been studied in laboratory conditions. An experimental cell was developed to prepare a mixture of air, water vapor and tritium gas and to pump the mixture through the soil sample under study. The activity of HTO converted in the soil sample during a certain period of time was used to determine the oxidation rate. This rate varies, depending on the catalytic and/or biological activity of the soil material. Theoretical considerations have shown that the deposition rate can be expressed by the effective rate of oxidation, which formally corresponds to the first-order HT oxidation. The rate of HT to HTO conversion and deposition to soil is required for assessment of consequences of HT release into the atmosphere.


In the Arctic and Subarctic, the contribution of Indigenous knowledge to understanding environmental change has been established over the last several decades. This paper explores the role of Indigenous knowledge of water in understanding hydrologic change within complex social-ecological systems. Observations of hydrology in the Yukon River Basin, contributed by 20 community experts from Ruby Village, Alaska, in semi-structured interviews, are compared with findings from scientific literature to illustrate the commonalities and differences. Research findings reveal the contribution of Indigenous knowledge to understandings of hydrologic change in the Yukon River and its tributaries, which includes insights regarding alterations in sediment and river ice regimes. Recommendations for future research that incorporates Indigenous knowledge of water to gain insight into hydrologic changes in the watershed include combining multiple case studies that are distributed geographically. Our findings suggest 1) that using participatory research approaches to research will help ensure that it benefits the communities whose livelihoods are affected by hydrologic changes, and 2) that a multidisciplinary approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods from the social and biophysical sciences would be most effective to help us understand and respond to hydrologic changes.


WEEKS,
  KATHERINE
  S.

  La
  Vie
  de
  Blaise
  Pascal
  et
  son
  Héritage
  Mathématiques
  et Philosophiques ADVISOR:
  Professor
  Cheikh
  Ndiaye This
  paper
  will
  discuss
  the
  life
  of
  Blaise
  Pascal,
  his
  philosophy
  and
  mathematics.
  We
  will first
  study
  the
  life
  of
  Pascal,
  by
  looking
  at
  his
  family,
  the
  success
  of
  his
  family,
  and
  how
  he was
  educated.
  We
  will
  then
  move
  onto
  study
  the
  history
  of
  the
  arithmetic
  triangle,
  which eventually
  becomes
  known
  as
  Pascal's
  Triangle.
  Finally
  we
  will
  look
  at
  Pascal's
  Pensées. Finally
  we
  will
  conclude
  that
  Pascal
  is
  not
  only
  known
  for
  Pascal's
  Triangle
  but
  also
  his legacy
  in
  the
  Philosophic
  world.
  It
  becomes
  clear
  that
  Pascal
  would
  not
  have
  been
  the mathematician
  he
  was
  without
  the
  philosophy,
  and
  likewise,
  he
  would
  not
  have
  been
  the philosopher
  without
  mathematics.


PURPOSE: This study explores the association between sustainable business practices (SBP) and turnover intention (TI) to understand the role of sustainability initiatives in influencing employee retention and organizational commitment. METHODOLOGY: The present study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. From an initial selection of 326 articles, a rigorous double-blind screening process identified 31 key papers for in-depth analysis. FINDINGS: The systematic review provides compelling evidence that SBP have a robust positive association with employee outcomes, especially in reducing TI. This relationship is notably mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment and moderated by psychological safety and ethical leadership elements. Further, key gaps were discerned, including the necessity to explore the varied impact of SBP across industries, the enduring effects of SBP on TI, the influence of cultural and contextual facets, and the urgency for methodological advancements in cross-cultural research. In response to these gaps, four hypotheses were conceptualized to provide deeper insights into the complex interplay between SBP, TI, and overarching cultural/contextual variables. IMPLICATIONS: Theoretically, this research adds to the existing literature by empirically validating the relationship between SBP and TI, highlighting critical mediators and moderators, and suggesting avenues for future research. Incorporating the identified gaps and proposed hypotheses provides a structured direction for subsequent investigations. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating SBP into organizational strategies to promote sustainability while enhancing workforce well-being and retention. Organizations can align with sustainability goals and boost employee satisfaction by focusing on organizational commitment, open communication, and leadership grounded in ethical and sustainable principles. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This research provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay between SBP and TI, integrating insights from various studies. By emphasizing understudied mediators and moderators, identifying research gaps, and outlining derived hypotheses, the study sets the stage for future inquiries. Its practical recommendations are essential for organizations that balance sustainability goals with workforce stability, benefiting organizational performance and employee satisfaction.


Background: Chronic suppurative otitis media is a common infectious disease. The micro-organisms commonly associated with it and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern is important for its treatment. This study was conducted to identify the common microorganisms involved and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media.
 Material & Methods: This descriptive study was carried out from January 2011 to August 2011 at Department of ENT, DHQ Teaching Hospital and Microbiology Department, CMH, D.I.Khan. A total of 190 patients with unilateral or bilateral active chronic suppurative otitis media attending the out patient clinic were included in the study. Pus samples were collected from the discharging ears and sent for microbiology.
 Results: From 190 specimens, 174(91.6%) were positive, and 16(8.4%) culture negative. There were 167(87.9%) bacterial isolates and 7(3.7%) fungi. Pseudomonas aeruginosa 80(45.9%) was the dominant isolate, followed by Staphylococcus aureus 46(26.4%) including 10 isolates of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed that piperacillin/tazobactum was active against 100% isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and all Staphylococcus aureus except MRSA.
 Conclusion: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common isolate followed by Staphylococcus aureus from the culture specimens of chronic otitis media. Both of these are sensitive to tazocin except MRSA. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is increasingly becoming more resistant to the commonly used antibiotics like quinolones.


Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that are a source of mutations and can target specific sites in host genome. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of TE target site preferences is a fundamental challenge in functional and evolutionary genomics. Here we used accurately mapped TE insertions in the Drosophila melanogaster genome, from large-scale gene disruption and resequencing projects, to better understand TE insertion site mechanisms. First we test predictions of the palindromic target site model for DNA transposon insertion using artificially generated P-element insertions. We provide evidence that the P-element targets a 14 bp palindromic motif that can be identified at the primary sequence level that differs significantly from random base composition in the D. melanogaster genome. This sequence also predicts local spacing, hotspots and strand orientation of P-element insertions. Next, we combine artificial P-element insertions with data from genome- wide studies on sequence properties of promoter regions, in an attempt to decode the genomic factors associated with P-element promoter targeting. Our results indicate that the P-element insertions are affected by nucleosome positioning and the presence of chromatin marks made by the Polycomb and trithorax protein groups. We provide the first genome-wide study which shows that core promoter architecture and chromatin structure impact P-element target preferences shedding light on the nuclear processes that influence its pattern of TE insertions across the D. melanogaster genome. In an effort to understand the natural insertion preferences of a wide range of TEs, we then used genome resequencing data to identify insertions sites not present in the reference strain. We found that both Illumina and 454 sequencing platforms showed consistent results in terms of target site duplication (TSD) and target site motif (TSM) discovery. We found that TSMs typically extend the TSD and are palindromic for both DNA and LTR elements with a variable center that depends on the length of the TSD. Additionally, we found that TEs from the same subclass present similar TSDs and TSMs. Finally, by correlating results on P-element insertion sites from natural strains with gene disruption experiments, we show that there is an overlap in target site preferences between artificial and natural insertion events and that P-element targeting of promoter regions of genes is a natural characteristic of this element that is influenced by the same features has the artificially generated insertions. Together, the results presented in this thesis provide important new findings about the target preferences of TEs in one of the best-studied and most important model organisms, and provide a platform for understanding target site preferences of TEs in other species using genomic data.


Alabama has been traveling down a fiscally unsustainable road. The burden of unchecked fiscal irresponsibility will ultimately fall on taxpayers, making Alabama an unattractive location for residency or business. This path has led Alabama to a crossroads, one where the choice is to continue down the same unsustainable path or to take the alternative road of fiscal and economic reform. Through reform, Alabama can set itself on the road to economic freedom and prosperity, thereby making the state an attractive location for entrepreneurship, investment, and job creation. This study analyzes the road Alabama has been traveling and the crossroads it has brought Alabama to today, and offers reforms that would put the state on an alternative path toward prosperity-enhancing economic freedom and limited government. Those changes include budget, tax, public-sector pension, constitutional, and regulatory reforms.


Interaction tasks in virtual reality (VR) such as three-dimensional (3D) selection or manipulation of objects often suffer from reduced performance due to missing or different feedback provided by VR systems than during corresponding realworld interactions. Vibrotactile and auditory feedback have been suggested as additional perceptual cues complementing the visual channel to improve interaction in VR. However, it has rarely been shown that multimodal feedback improves performance or reduces errors during 3D object selection. Only little research has been conducted in the area of proximity-based multimodal feedback, in which stimulus intensities depend on spatiotemporal relations between input device and the virtual target object. In this paper, we analyzed the effects of unimodal and bimodal feedback provided through the visual, auditory and tactile modalities, while users perform 3D object selections in VEs, by comparing both binary and continuous proximity-based feedback. We conducted a Fitts' Law experiment and evaluated the different feedback approaches. The results show that the feedback types affect ballistic and correction phases of the selection movement, and significantly influence the user performance.


Glass is one of several early modern industries where the development from small-scale workshop to large-scale industry offers a valuable insight into wider socio-economic trends. Previously, medieval and early modern forest (wood ash) glass has been studied using a range of analytical techniques. However, characterisations of production centres and exchange systems for forest glasses are difficult to verify, in part because very few examples of raw glass from furnace sites have been investigated. Compositional analysis can provide evidence for the raw materials used and can sometimes provide compositional groupings specific to sites. However, strontium and neodymium isotope determinations can actually provenance the glass by linking the geological ages, or sources, of raw materials to production sites. Using EPMA fifty-six raw glass samples from four sites in two English production areas in operation during the 14th and 16th centuries have been analysed. These analyses have shown that the main products of these sites were potash-rich, wood or bracken ash glasses. However, the chemical composition does not provide sufficient resolution to identify differences between the two English regions or the sites within these regions. A subset of five raw glass samples from each of these sites have also been analysed using TIMS to determine strontium and neodymium concentration and isotope ratios. The results allow glasses produced in each region to be differentiated, and can even be used to divide glass production sites within the regions.


This paper studies the architectural problem of branch prediction. We analyse the popular technique of two-level adaptive prediction, relating it to the state-of-the-art Machine Learning technique of Bayesian Networks (BNs). We show that a two-level predictor is an approximation to the BN formalism. This link allows us to explore the wider family of BN predictors. We investigate how to adapt BN techniques to operate within realistic hardware constraints, using the same primitive components that are present in existing branch predictors. We systematically study how performance is affected by these simplification. We aim to use these ideas to reduce the storage overhead of BN predictors without losing significant prediction accuracy. The key motivating factor is that storage required in two-level predictors grows exponentially with branch history length, whereas BNs provide a framework to reduce this overhead.


Background After more than 40 years of research, the mechanisms underlying the association of HLA-B27 with spondyloarthritis (SpA) remain poorly understood. We hypothesised that Drosophila might be a relevant model to study HLA-B27 and particularly for deciphering the cellular cascade and the genetic pathways affected by HLA-B27 mutation. To do so, we developed HLA-B2705, HLA-B0702 (control) and human Beta-2-microglobulin (hB2m) transgenic Drosophila. Methods Gateway Technology and UAS-Gal4 system used for developing transgenic HLA-B/human hB2m Drosophila. UAS-hB2m transgene was inserted in the long arm of chromosome 3 and UAS-HLA-B2705 and UAS-HLA-B0702 were alternatively inserted at another position in the short arm of the same chromosome. For each construct, various transgenic lines were obtained and crossed with several tissue specific driver strains, to induce the expression of the sequence coding for HLA-B0702 and hB2m or HLA-B2705 and hB2m placed under the control of UAS sequences. Results HLA-B2705/hB2m transgenes were first expressed in Drosophila thanks to the vestigialGa4 driver line allowing to produce targeted proteins in the Vestigial domain (dorso-ventral frontier of the wing epithelia). We observed positive staining with HC10 antibodies (class I heavy chain) and W6/32 antibody (HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C conformation) for both tested HLA-B/hB2m but only HLA-B27/hB2m was labelled with ME1 (anti-HLA B/C) antibodies, suggesting a different conformation of HLA-B27 and HLA-B7 with hB2m in the wing epithelia. Furthermore, by mean of the nubbin or engrailed drivers which drive the expression in a larger part of the wing, we observed specific loss of the posterior cross-vein following HLA-B27/hB2m expression but not HLA-B7/hB2m. Conclusion Drosophila lines were established allowing tissue specific expression of different HLA-B alleles. Our data suggest that the expression of HLA-B/hB2m transgenes in epithelial cells leads to a plasma membrane localization for HLA-B2705/hB2m but not for HLA-B0702/hB2m. Furthermore, we observed that tissue specific expression of HLA-B27/hB2m but not HLA-B7/hB2m induced specific loss of cross-vein suggesting it interferes with developmental pathways involved in differentiation. This is the first time that differences in localization between HLA-B2705, a subtype associated with SpA, and HLA-B0702, which is not associated with the disease are reported. These results show that transgenic Drosophila might be a pertinent model to decipher molecular mechanisms involved in HLA-B27 trafficking and to better understand potential different behaviours of HLA-B subtypes.


Objective:Attachment styles reflect individual differences in beliefs about oneself and others, interpersonal functioning and close relationships. This study intended to investigate attachment styles of vaginismus patients. Methods: Our sample was included 56 patients with vaginismus and 51 healthy women. Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction Scale (GRISS) and Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) were administered to the patients and healthy control group. Results: The scores of the vaginismus group for secure attachment scores were statistically significantly lower than the healthy control group (p=0.041) while there was no difference between the groups for the fearful, preoccupied and dismissive attachment subscale scores (p= 0.071, p= 0.14, p= 0.114 respectively). GRISS total and subscale scores were statistically higher in women with an insecure attachment style when the total sample as divided into two groups as secure and insecure attached individuals.Conclusions: These findings taken together support the notion that insecure attachment may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of vaginismus.


This paper explores the relationship between public transit mode share and population density. It critically reviews the long-held belief that an increase in population density (compact built form) will result in an increase in public transit ridership. The research developed a longitudinal data set of travel behavior, transit supply, and proxies of built form for 1996 and 2016 for the City of Toronto. The data set is spatially disaggregated at the Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) level such that the TAZs that divide the City into 480 mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive zones. The paper found that a cross-sectional analysis of population density and transit mode share captures mostly the contemporaneous relationship between the two and does not, by default, lend credence to the argument that if the density increases over time at a place, it will subsequently result in higher public transit ridership. Such a question will require a longitudinal analysis where the impact of a change in public density over time is examined to determine its impact, if any, on transit ridership. Using Linear Mixed Models for longitudinal data, the paper found that the contemporaneous relation between density and transit mode share holds, but the change in population density over time does not automatically correlate with an increase in transit ridership


Compressed sensing proposes to reconstruct more degrees of freedom in a signal than the number of values actually measured (based on a potentially un-justified regularizer or prior distribution). Compressed sensing therefore risks introducing errors — inserting spurious artifacts or masking the abnormalities that medical imaging seeks to discover. Estimating errors using the standard statistical tools of a jackknife and a bootstrap yields error "bars" in the form of full images that are remarkably qualitatively representative of the actual errors (at least when evaluated and validated on data sets for which the ground truth and hence the actual error is available). These images show the structure of possible errors — without recourse to measuring the entire ground truth directly — and build confidence in regions of the images where the estimated errors are small. Further visualizations and summary statistics can aid in the interpretation of such error estimates. Visualizations include suitable colorizations of the reconstruction, as well as the obvious "correction" of the reconstruction by subtracting off the error estimates. The canonical summary statistic would be the root-mean-square of the error estimates. Unfortunately, colorizations appear likely to be too distracting for actual clinical practice in medical imaging, and the root-mean-square gets swamped by background noise in the error estimates. Fortunately, straightforward displays of the error estimates and of the "corrected" reconstruction are illuminating, and the root-mean-square improves greatly after mild blurring of the error estimates; the blurring is barely perceptible to the human eye yet smooths away background noise that would otherwise overwhelm the root-mean-square.


This conceptual contribution identifies and deconstructs ideological rifts in management and organizational scholarship. People-oriented humanistic and critical perspectives are distinguished from the explicitly or implicitly profit-and performance-oriented mainstream. Past, present, and future manifestations of ideological antagonisms are examined. Underlying organizational paradigms are conversely oriented towards social-emancipatory belief-systems and ideals versus economic-utilitarian logics and objectives. Emancipation aspires to overcome oppression and limiting conditions, pursued in projects of humanization, such as organizational democracy, human relations, work redesign, and personality development. Utilitarian approaches emphasize economic imperatives of profits and performance, inherent in projects of economic rationalization, such as scientific management, personnel selection, leadership, and high-performance work systems. Philosophical roots, historical developments, and properties of antagonistic paradigms are reviewed. Drawing on a current academic debate, their present configuration is analyzed along the dimensions of individualism, competition, and instrumentality. These building blocks of neoliberal ideology are contrasted with humanistic ideals of individuation, solidarity, and emancipation. Exemplary applications of resulting counter-models to contents and processes of organizational research are examined. The paradigm of critical management studies is discussed as an alternative frame of reference, aimed at challenging psychologically, socially, or ecologically destructive, dysfunctional, or limiting tendencies with regard to work-related interests, ideologies, institutions, and identities, based on principles of de-naturalization, reflexivity, and non-performativity. Propositions are developed, how dialectically integrating humanistic and critical perspectives can contribute to exposing and overcoming blind spots, theoretical paradoxes, defensive biases, and hidden agendas as ideological constraints of mainstream management and organizational scholarship.


Mental modeling, which is a theory about knowledge organization, has been recently studied by science educators to examine students' understanding of scientific concepts. This qualitative study investigates undergraduate students' mental models of atomic spectra. Nine second-year physics students, who have already taken the basic chemistry and chemistry laboratory application courses, participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The analysis revealed that students had four types of coherently organized knowledge structures: the Scientific Model of Atomic Spectra (SMAS), the Primitive Scientific Model of Atomic Spectra (PSMAS), No Photon Model (NPM), and the Orbit Model (OM). Identified mental models indicated that students used some fundamental concepts interchangeably, and "electronic transition" and "photon energy" were the threshold concepts for students' scientific understanding of atomic spectra.


People who become dependent on cannabis are more likely than infrequent users to experience any of the adverse health effects that are caused by chronic cannabis use. Dependent cannabis use is rare in comparison with the more prevalent pattern of experimental and intermittent use (Bachman et al., 1997), but it may nonetheless affect as many as 1% of adults in the USA and Australia in any 1 year (Anthony et al., 1994; Hall et al., 1999a). Dependent cannabis users typically smoke two or more cannabis cigarettes a day over periods of years or decades in a minority of cases (Copeland et al., 2001; Solowij, 2002; Swift et al., 1998b). This chapter summarizes the most probable adverse health effects that cannabis-dependent persons are at increased risk of experiencing. With few exceptions (e.g., Solowij et al., 2002; Taylor et al., 2000), the literature does not directly assess the adverse health effects of cannabis dependence. The most probable effects can nonetheless be inferred from the more common studies of the effects of long-term daily cannabis use because many daily users are dependent on cannabis (Swift et al., 1998a, 2001). The chapter reviews evidence on the adverse health effects of more or less daily use over periods of years during young adulthood, and among those who seek treatment in their mid-thirties who have used cannabis more or less daily for the past 15–20 years.


The crystal phase, surface composition, particle shape and thermodynamic chaxacter of Ag ultrafine particle (UFP), which were prepared by sputtering in Ar gas, have been analysed by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photo-electron spectrum, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and differential scanning calorimeter. The results show that the particles with size larger than 4.6nm are composed of Ag-nuclens and Ag 2 O-surface-layer, the particles with size less than 4.6nm consisted of Ag 2 O only, the shape of particles with size less than 10nm are spherical and that with size larger than l0nm are non-definte when the particle were as-prepared. It is shown by DSC that there are different thermal effect between UFP and solid Ag. Also, it is shown by TEM that a few particles which had two phase of Ag and Ag 2 O and deposited on the carbon film have been reduced to metal Ag UFP after 40 days.


Heat exchangers used in heating systems usually operate under conditions of variable flow rates and temperatures of heat carriers. However, the theory for calculating the variable modes of operation of such devices is based on the use of constant parameters of heat exchangers. At the same time it is clear that the parameter of the heat exchanger can be affected by all quantities that determine the change of the heat transfer coefficient. In addition, the groups of heat exchangers with a tied supply of heat, i.e. with redistribution of the heat flow in a variable mode of operation, are used. A new method for calculating the variable modes of operation of heat points with a tied heat supply has been developed. The method of mathematical modeling defines the dependencies that determine the change in the heat exchanger parameters in variable operating modes. The obtained expressions can be used to configure programmable regulators which will allow the correction of inefficient modes of operation of the heating system.


Salmonella typhimurium YeaD (stYeaD), annotated as a putative aldose 1-epimerase, has a very low sequence identity to other well characterized mutarotases. Sequence analysis suggested that the catalytic residues and a few of the substrate-binding residues of galactose mutarotases (GalMs) are conserved in stYeaD. Determination of the crystal structure of stYeaD in an orthorhombic form at 1.9 angstrom resolution and in a monoclinic form at 2.5 angstrom resolution revealed this protein to adopt the beta-sandwich fold similar to GalMs. Structural comparison of stYeaD with GalMs has permitted the identification of residues involved in catalysis and substrate binding. In spite of the similar fold and conservation of catalytic residues, minor but significant differences were observed in the substrate- binding pocket. These analyses pointed out the possible role of Arg74 and Arg99, found only in YeaD-like proteins, in ligand anchoring and suggested that the specificity of stYeaD may be distinct from those of GalMs


Abstract:  A feature of black African hair is an apparent increased fragility of the hair shaft compared to other ethnic groups (as measured by the tensile force needed to break the hair fibre). This has certain similarities to that reported for trichorrhexis nodosa (weathering secondary to physical damage) and trichothiodystrophy [a genetic disorder associated with reduced cystine (sulphur)‐rich proteins and increased fragility]. In the present study, the distribution of the cystine‐rich proteins in the hair of black Africans was compared to that of Caucasian and Asian volunteers, plus patients with trichorrhexis nodosa and trichothiodystrophy, using transmission electron microscopy and specific silver stains. It was found that the silver staining pattern of the hair shafts of black Africans was similar to that observed for Caucasians, Asians and also patients with trichorrhexis nodosa. The cuticular cells exhibited an electron dense A layer and exocuticle, and in the cortex the microfibrils forming the macrofibres were outlined by electron‐dense material. This contrasts with the abnormal distribution of the cystine‐rich proteins seen in trichothiodystrophy. This study is the first formal comparison of the cystine‐rich proteins in the various racial groups and shows that there is no abnormality in their distribution in black African hair shafts compared to the other ethnic groups. Therefore, the excessive structural damage observed in the African hair shafts is consistent with physical trauma (resulting from grooming) rather than an inherent weakness due to any structural abnormality.


Feminism has long centered on breaking down the public and private divide that traditionally organized social relations and subordinated women. Privacy is lauded for giving women space for self-determination, but also criticized for creating spaces where patriarchy and misogyny can flourish unchecked. Cyberspace heightens the stakes of this tension because it creates almost limitless access to people's personal data. We live in a datafied society powered by digital profiling, automated decision-making, and surveillance systems in which we no longer control our personal data; rather, it is used to control us. Women face multiple, gendered harms in cyberspace, including online harassment, digital discrimination, and sexual surveillance by the "femtech" industry. Yet the United States lacks comprehensive privacy laws, and its analog-era anti-discrimination statutes are no match for the digital world. American privacy protections hinge upon a notice and consent regime that puts the onus on users to protect their privacy, rather than the entities that benefit from gathering individual's personal data. This chapter presents an overview of the oppression women and other marginalized people suffer through a loss of privacy in the digital age and the efforts that activists have taken to ameliorate the harms of cyberspace and to shape privacy norms in a feminist and inclusive manner. It describes the meaning of privacy through four waves of feminist theorizing and activism, analyzes how American privacy law responds to major gender equity challenges in cyberspace, and highlights current feminist theories and models of resistance.


Abstract The initiation and level of infestation by dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), was tracked over three consecutive years in two nonbearing apple (Malus spp.) orchards in West Virginia and Virginia. The orchards were planted on a number of rootstock–variety (≈cultivar) combinations and grown using different cultural practices. Infestations were detected during the first season after planting and continued to increase annually. The amount of burr knot tissue had the greatest impact on dogwood borer populations, because increasing amounts of burr knot tissue resulted in higher infestation rates. The use of plastic spiral wrap tree guards seemed to increase the development of burr knot tissue, resulting in significantly greater infestation compared with trees without tree guards in the West Virginia orchard. Variety also had a significant effect, because 'Idared' trees on M.26 had significantly greater levels of infestation compared with 'Buckeye Gala' on M.26, with or without tree guards, in the Virginia orchard. Mounding soil around the rootstock to a height just above the graft union prevented or tremendously curtailed infestation by dogwood borer, but it led to scion rooting that seemed to have an impact on size-controlling features of dwarfing rootstocks. Removal of the mounds at the beginning of the third growing season resulted in infestation of the rooted tissue during the same season. As long as apple cultivars continue to be planted on size-controlling rootstocks, dogwood borer will likely remain a serious pest, requiring either chemical treatments or a behavioral control strategy, such as mating disruption, to protect trees from infestation and damage.


Despite advances in the curative treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), recurrence will occur in the majority of cases. At diagnosis, acquisition of segmental uniparental disomy (UPD) by mitotic recombination has been reported in 15% to 20% of AML cases, associated with homozygous mutations in the region of loss of heterozygosity. This study aimed to discover if clonal evolution from heterozygous to homozygous mutations by mitotic recombination provides a mechanism for relapse. DNA from 27 paired diagnostic and relapsed AML samples were analyzed using genotyping arrays. Newly acquired segmental UPDs were observed at relapse in 11 AML samples (40%). Six were segmental UPDs of chromosome 13q, which were shown to lead to a change from heterozygosity to homozygosity for internal tandem duplication mutation of FLT3 (FLT3 ITD). Three further AML samples had evidence of acquired segmental UPD of 13q in a subclone of the relapsed leukemia. One patient acquired segmental UPD of 19q that led to homozygosity for a CEBPA mutation 207C>T. Finally, a single patient with AML acquired segmental UPD of chromosome 4q, for which the candidate gene is unknown. We conclude that acquisition of segmental UPD and the resulting homozygous mutation is a common event associated with relapse of AML.


In this article, we predominantly report the investigation of the local crystal structure around a Ti dopant by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the nano-mechanical properties of co-sputtered Al1-xTixN (x = 0 to 4%) thin films. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) results show that these films are crystallized with the hexagonal wurtzite structure of AlN. Surface chemical analysis and morphology analysis of Al1-xTixN films are executed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, respectively. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) shows that a Ti atom replaces Al in the AlN crystal and forms localized distorted tetrahedral TiN species, leading to a tensile strain. The bond lengths (Ti-N)ax and (Ti-N)bs are found to be moderately decreased with increasing Ti concentration, which is extracted from the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis. However, the Ti-Al bond length in the second coordination sphere having Al vacancies is unaffected by Ti concentration. The hardness (H) and modulus (E) of Al1-xTixN films are measured by the nano-indentation technique, and increase from 17.5 to 27.6 GPa and 231 to 293 GPa, respectively with x = 0 to 4 at% because of the improvement of p-d hybridization between the Ti and N atoms.


BACKGROUND
The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) society lists early mobilization as one of their recommendations for improving patient outcomes following colorectal surgery. The level of supporting evidence, however, is relatively weak, and furthermore, the ERAS guidelines do not clearly define "early" mobilization. In this study, we define mobilization in terms of time to first ambulation after surgery and develop an outcome-based cutoff for early mobilization.

METHODS
This is a retrospective cohort study comprised of 291 patients who underwent colorectal operations at a large, academic medical center from June to December 2019. Three cutoffs (12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours) were used to divide patients into early and late ambulation groups for each cutoff, and statistical analysis was performed to determine differences in postoperative outcomes between the corresponding groups.

RESULTS
Multivariate analysis showed no difference between the early and late ambulation groups for the 12-hour and 48-hour cutoffs; however, ambulation before 24 hours was associated with a decreased rate of severe complications as well as fewer adverse events overall. Patients who ambulated within 24 hours had a 4.1% rate of severe complications and a 22.1% rate of experiencing some adverse event (complication, return to the emergency department, and/or readmission). In comparison, 11.8% of patients who ambulated later experienced a severe complication (P = 0.026), while 36.1% of patients experienced some adverse event (P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS
Ambulation within 24 hours after colorectal surgery is associated with improved postoperative outcomes, particularly a decreased rate of severe complications.


Building design can have a major impact on sustainability through material efficiency and
construction waste minimisation (CWM). The construction industry consumes over 420
million tonnes of material resources every year and generates 120 million tonnes of waste
containing approximately 13 million tonnes of unused materials. The current and on-going
field of CWM research is focused on separate project stages with an overwhelming
endeavour to manage on-site waste. Although design stages are vital to achieve progress
towards CWM, currently, there are insufficient tools for CWM. In recent years, Building
Information Modelling (BIM) has been adopted to improve sustainable building design,
such as energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Very little has been achieved in this field
of research to evaluate the use of BIM to aid CWM during design. However, recent
literature emphasises a need to carry out further research in this context.
This research aims to investigate the use of BIM as a platform to help with CWM during
design stages by developing and validating a BIM-aided CWM (BaW) Framework. A
mixed research method, known as triangulation, was adopted as the research design
method. Research data was collected through a set of data collection methods, i.e. selfadministered
postal questionnaire (N=100 distributed, n=50 completed), and semistructured
follow-up interviews (n=11) with architects from the top 100 UK architectural
companies. Descriptive statistics and constant comparative methods were used for data
analysis. The BaW Framework was developed based on the findings of literature review,
questionnaire survey and interviews. The BaW Framework validation process included a
validation questionnaire (N=6) and validation interviews (N=6) with architects.
Key research findings revealed that: BIM has the potential to aid CWM during design;
Concept and Design Development stages have major potential in helping waste reduction
through BIM; BIM-enhanced practices (i.e. clash detection, detailing, visualisation and
simulation, and improved communication and collaboration) have impacts on waste
reduction; BIM has the most potential to address waste causes (e.g. ineffective
coordination and communication, and design changes); and the BaW Framework has the
potential to enable improvements towards waste minimisation throughout all design stages.
Participating architects recommended that the adoption of the BaW Framework could
enrich both CWM and BIM practices, and most importantly, would enhance waste
reduction performance in design. The content should be suitable for project stakeholders,
architects in particular, when dealing with construction waste and BIM during design.


Trauma is associated with an increased rate of tissue catabolism which can lead to a heightened cellular requirement for regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and to decreased activities of adenosine triphosphatases. The effect of severe trauma and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) on water and electrolyte levels in red cells, serum, muscle and liver was investigated. In this study, 16 subjects formed the normal control (control group). The injured group consisted of 8 subjects who suffered from severe trauma and/or post-operative complications with or without infection. The TPN group consisted of 8 subjects in a severe catabolic period who underwent TPN treatment. Blood, muscle and liver samples were obtained during surgical procedures. In red cells and serum, all measured electrolyte levels were within normal limits except the serum of the injured group which showed decreased calcium and increased magnesium levels. Muscle and liver tissue analyses for the injured group showed an increase in water content and sodium and chloride levels, but calcium, potassium and phosphate levels in muscle were decreased. Hepatic potassium and calcium levels, however, were both increased in the same group. In the TPN regimen, cell mass was restored, primarily in muscle, with a contraction of the water content. The restoration of electrolyte levels, especially potassium levels, in muscle during TPN reflected an increase in muscle cell mass.


This study was carried out to determine the hematinic effects and long term safety of Zanthoxylum usambarensis and Erythrina abyssinica in mice. Aqueous stem extracts of Z. usambarensis and E. abyssinica were screened for their haematinic activity in Phenylhydrazine induced anemic mice using the oral route. Hematological parameters were analysed as indices of anemia. The safety of these plant extracts was studied by orally administering 1 g/kg body weight of aqueous extracts daily in mice for thirty days and determining changes in body and organ weight, hematological and biochemical parameters. The mineral content of the extracts was estimated using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence system (TRXF) while phytochemicals were assessed using standard procedures. Phenylhydrazine (PHZ) treatment induced macrocytic anemia. Administration of Z. usambarensis and E. abyssinica extracts at 100 mg/kg body weight daily for three weeks increased the red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume and decreased the mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin though E. abyssinica returned these parameters to normal. Administration of Z. usambarensis and E. abyssinica extracts at 1 g/kg body weight daily for four weeks significantly increased the activities of alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and amylase and the levels of urea and creatine in the treated mice. Extracts from both plants had alkaloids and flavonoids and minerals potassium, calcium, chromium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, nickel, arsenic, and lead. This study has confirmed in vivo haematinic activity and safety of aqueous stem bark extracts of Z. usambarensis and E. abyssinica. The observed haematinic activity could be attributed to the phytonutrients present in these plants. The study recommends continued use of Z. usambarensis and E. abyssinica in the management of anaemia at the right doses as high doses are toxicity.


textabstractSo-called little, or domain-specific languages (DSLs), have the potential to make software maintenance simpler: domain-experts can directly use the DSL to make required routine modifications. At the negative side, however, more substantial changes may become more difficult: such changes may involve altering the domain-specific language. This will require compiler technology knowledge, which not every commercial enterprise has easily available. Based on experience taken from industrial practice, we discuss the role of DSLs in software maintenance, the dangers introduced by using them, and techniques for controlling the risks involved.


Magnetic properties of electrical steels such as magnetization behavior and electrical losses are mainly related to chemical composition, crystallographic orientation and microstructure. By now, several models have been proposed to empirically correlate magnetic properties and affecting parameters. A quantitative model based on physical understanding of the interaction between the magnetic field variables (e.g. domain structure) and local microstructural variables (e.g. grain orientation and misorientation, grain boundary plane inclination) is still missing. To obtain a better understanding of the interaction between grain boundaries and domain walls, the magnitude of free pole density at grain boundaries was taken into account. Experimental results from 3-dimentional EBSD experiments were employed to measure the grain boundary orientation for several samples with different chemical composition and grain size. The free pole density was calculated using the relative misorientation between adjacent grains, and was included in a model together with grain size, magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy and silicon equivalent. By comparison with the experimental results of the magnetic induction measured at low, medium and high magnetic fields, is shown that the magnetization behavior can be more accurately predicted when the above mentioned phenomena are taken into account.


This paper exhibits a comparative assessment based on time response specification performance between fuzzy and Model predictive control (MPC) for a pitch control system of an aircraft system. The dynamic modeling of pitch control system is considered on the design an autopilot that controls the pitch angle. It starts with a derivation of suitable mathematical model to describe the dynamics of an aircraft. For get close to actual conditions. The white noise disturbance applied to the system. The performances of pitch control systems are investigated and analyzed based on common criteria of step's response in order to identify which control strategy delivers better performance with respect to the desired pitch angle. .The design of MPC gave response less quality than that was given from Fuzzy controller but acceptable responses. Finally, It is found from simulation, predictive controller proposed gives the best performance compared to fuzzy controller.


1. This study was carried out to investigate if the degree of selectivity of motor innervation to hind limb muscle spindles which occurs in the adult cat is present in the post-natal kitten. Selective axons innervate one type of intrafusal fibre only, while non-selective axons innervate more than one type in the same spindle (Boyd and Gladden 1985). 2. Tenuissimus and peroneal muscle spindle poles from kittens of 50df (n=7, 1 dpn (n=14), 12dpn (n=13), 21 dpn (n=12) and 28dpn (n=13) were serially sectioned for light and electron microscopy. Ultrathin sections were taken every 2-5 pin and semi-thin (1pm) sections collected in-between. If it was suspected that information was lost in the 1pm thick sections these were re-embedded and subsequently ultrathin sectioned. Electron micrographs were taken of the ultrathin sections and from these the spindles were reconstructed so that the lengths of primary and sensory endings, and capsule and intrafusal fibre lengths were estimated. Numbers and degree of myelination of the motor axons were noted. The distribution of motor axons to the intrafusal fibres was determined by following both myelinated and unmyelinated axons through serial sections: this has not been possible previously in such young material. Numbers, lengths, types and distance from the equator of motor endings were calculated. 3. Results of each of the ages studied were compared statistically for each feature studied in order to assess any significant change during this period of development. 4. Bag fibres were distinguished from chain fibres by size and arrangement of central nuclei under the primary sensory endings. The bag fibres were approximately twice the diameter of chain fibres and had their central nuclei arranged in a group whereas the chain fibre nuclei were arranged in a line. Many intrafusal fibres were found to decrease in cross-sectional area in the equatorial region. 5. Bagl fibres were distinguished from bag2 fibres by a) the grouping of the bag2 fibre with chain fibres in the equatorial region, and b) the more granular appearance of the bag2 fibre (due to more mitochondria and glycogen inclusions) than the bagl fibre. Bag fibre cross-sectional area measurements were not consistently different from each other. 6. A formula was constructed in order to determine when any chain fibres should be included as long chain fibres. This was necessary because although the majority of chain fibres were shorter than bag fibres (typical chain fibres), long chain fibres were also found; these can be of a typical chain or bag fibre diameter. Since the total length of spindles increased with age, the absolute length of chain fibres could not be used to discriminate between long and typical chains. 7. Endings were identified as sensory when the muscle basement membrane encompassed the axon terminal. Motor endings were distinguished from sensory endings by the presence of the basement membrane between the axon terminal and muscle surface. Additional features which confirmed the identity were the variety of types of axon terminal vesicle (round, flat, dense cored) found in sensory endings and the position of the endings along the intrafusal fibre. Occasionally the basement membrane was not present between the axon terminals and muscle membrane in motor endings of the 50df spindles. 8. There were 119 motor axons in this study of which 77 were unmyelinated. Of the 59 total spindle poles, 36 were from tenuissimus muscles and 23 from peroneal muscles. Four tandem spindles were present in this material. There were 55 bagl fibre poles, 66 bag2 fibre poles, 240 typical chain poles and 20 long chain poles of either large or thin diameter. In total there were 586 motor endings. 9. The length of the primary and secondary sensory endings, capsule and intrafusal fibres increased with age. 10. Motor axons. It was not possible to categorise the motor axons as gamma or beta. The numbers of motor axons supplying spindle poles was found to be 2-3 for each age group. Numbers of motor axons supplying individual intrafusal fibre poles were, 1-2 for bag fibres and 0-1 for chain fibres, both typical and long. These figures are in the same range as the numbers of ? axons which supply individual fibres of adult spindles. Polyneuronal innervation of the type where many axons supply a single motor endplate therefore does not occur during the period studied, but does in rat spindles, even after birth (Kucera, Walro and Reichler 1988). The distribution of motor axons to the intrafusal fibres, even as late in development as 28dpn, was less selective than in adult spindles. Myelination of motor axons was 92% complete by 28dpn. The selectivity did not depend on myelination prior to 21 dpn but myelinated axons had a smaller proportion of inappropriate innervation by 28dpn. All bag2 fibres, 90% of bagl fibres and 76% of typical chain fibres had some motor innervation by 28dpn. These values were very similar to adult innervation values. The innervation of long chain fibres was more variable in the young but they tended to be innervated when present, whereas only 25% are innervated in the adult. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


The environment contains several water sources such as brooks, rivers and lakes, that indirectly or directly contribute to human wellbeing and a variety of water ecosystems. Rivers are, unfortunately, still the main domestic and industrial waste-water transmission source, creating both the permanent and largest pollution source. From among other significant pollution sources, outflows from agricultural areas, also have an influence on climatic changes. Rivers are regarding pollution easily accessible, therefore it is very important to supervise water-pollution, the quality of river-basins' waters, and to assess water quality according to time and space influences. This paper presents the physical and chemical parameters of the River Mura's water for the period 1996 to 2009. Samples of water were taken at four diverse measuring places; analyses being performed in two independent laboratories. The parameters that characterized the 336 samples were: water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, oxygen deficiency, biochemical and chemical oxygen demand in filtered and non-filtered samples, total and carbonate hardness, suspended substance share, AOX, TOC and phosphate, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulphate and phosphate ions contents. The seasonal and space influences of pollution on the River Muras' were researched using linear regression.. Special attention was devoted to the monitoring of those individually measured parameters that most reflected river's quality. Monitoring of the River Mura's water pollution and the results from particular measured parameters, can also be used when searching for pollution causes and when planning preventive measures for protective purpose. KEy woRDs: River, Water quality, Pollution, Physical-chemical parameters, Linear regression. Chemical Analysis and the River Mura Water Quality  B. Krajnc Galunder, M. Kolar International Journal of Sanitary Engineering Research Vol. 4  No. 2/2010 5 INTRoDUCTIoN


Depression appears to be the common psychiatric dosorder in any given community. Depression in different forms may affect 10% of the population at any given time. The paucity of mental health power has made people to ignore the presence of depression and its impact on individual's capacity of functioning. If we have to plan community based interventions some strategies are to be adopted. In primary healthcare systems short training of all categories of personnel in PHC and regular supply of free medicines are essential. With the experiences of general practitioners and their involvement, patients with depression can be approached for help. So also school and college teachers, trained counselors, religious and spiritual leaders can be involved in the processes. Family members can take care of patients. Stress management techniques, helpline, crisis intervention can be other methods to help the patients suffering from depression.


Introduction: Conventional chemomechanical debridement (CMD) of deciduous root canals can significantly reduce the intracanal bacterial load but cannot assure predictable disinfection due to the inherent anatomical complexities. Newer methods are thus being employed to enhance the efficacy of pediatric endodontic disinfection, and the use of laser technology is at the forefront of this endeavor. Aim: The aim is to assess the efficacy of diode laser-assisted disinfection in comparison to conventional sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) based CMD in deciduous root canals. Materials and Methods: A total of 12 patients aged 5–8 years of both genders were selected. Local anesthesia was administered and rubber dam isolation achieved. Access opening was done and the roof of the pulp chamber was removed. A sterile paper point compatible with the anatomic diameter of the canal was introduced and left in place for 30 s ( first sample) which was then transferred into an Eppendorf tube containing reduced transport fluid medium. CMD was performed up to 25 number K-file with intermittent 3% NaOCl irrigation. Post-CMD, sterile number 25 paper points were introduced as above (second sample). Thereafter, an 810 nm diode laser (1W, CW) with a specific endodontic E-200 tip was introduced into the root canals 2 mm short of the radiographic apex and was gently withdrawn in a helical zigzag motion. Another sample was then taken using a sterile No. 25 paper point (third sample) and transported to the microbiological laboratory for culture. Results: The mean reduction in colony forming units postdiode laser application was seen to be 100% when compared to 98.46% reduction after CMD with 3% NaOCl. Conclusion: An 810 nm diode laser can be used as an effective adjunct to conventional methods of deciduous root canal disinfection.


In most real mirages, each ray is confined to a single plane giving collinear images. A contiguity principle suffices for the triple image form. Inversion of any image can be associated with contact of the corresponding ray with a caustic.


This article sheds light on the dynamics of power in a contested field of action – environmental assessment (EA) – within which theorisation and analysis of power has been limited, and there has been little engagement with productive approaches to power. We use of a typology for analysing the production of social order to create a rich and complex narrative of the power dimensions of the institutionalisation of EA systems, and thereby to problematise this field of action. The analysis focuses upon the World Bank's pursuit of its strategy of reshaping governance in developing countries through the development of a new instrument for EA – Institution‐centred Strategic Environmental Assessment (ISEA). We examine the Bank's experimentation with ISEA as an instrument for the critique, unsettling and potential reform of environmental governance in developing countries, and as a mechanism for reinforcing its status as a leading authority on development. This situated analysis opens the way towards a richer understanding of power dynamics in the field of EA, from which a clearer understanding of the normative challenges within this field of action can be developed. In so doing, it also raises the vexed question of how concepts and technologies of governance have permeated environment and development thinking with so little critical scrutiny.


Takes a general systems approach to reconceptualize and interconnect existing theories of alienation in community and in society. Alienation is viewed as a generic term for different types of information processing disturbances of human individuals, conceived as autoietic, self‐steering and self‐referential systems. In considering the possible relationships between alienation and the community‐society continuum, regarded as a controversial and complex one, a third element, complexity itself, which exerts its influence, is introduced. The main focus is on the different kinds of alienated response that may be evoked by relatively simple versus relatively complex environments. Discusses the idealized concept of the community and describes the negative effects of idealization. Finally, addresses the question of what type of community is still feasible in the highly complex society.


Using the Devaney chaos theory, designed a compound chaotic mapping as the encryption function, and had proven that the track was non-periodic for the initial value of a finite decimal. We have designed an encryption algorithm successively according to this, and realized the encryption for sound documents. Afterward the simulation experiment has been set on. We realized the key sensitivity analysis, the statistical analysis, as well as the correlation analysis of definite text and secret text. The experimental result showed that this system has the good cryptology performance, produces the large key space. Meanwhile, it has excellent avalanche effect, resists exhaustion and the statistical analysis effectively.


This study considers Rudolf Modley's efforts to achieve the standardization of international graphic symbols from 1940 to 1976. Modley was one of the major activists in the movement to standardize graphic symbols and his interest in standardization continued throughout his life. During the 1930s and 1940s, Modley, who had the experience of working under Otto Neurath in Vienna, worked in the making of charts in the U.S. After WWII, he continued to undertake various projects and institutional works devoted to developing international graphic symbols until 1976, the year of his death. Although in some instances he is regarded as a 'designer', in reality, he was a consultant and coordinator in his field. By focusing on these more appropriate roles, this study examines his activities with the project of compiling a symbol dictionary and his work at Glyphs, Inc. Finally, some characteristics of Modley's principles related to the standardization of graphic symbols are discussed and evaluated.


a history of nose-bleeding recorded in 4.5 %, but surmised that, since the patients were not known to have been specifically asked about it, the true incidence was probably much higher. That this surmise is correct is shown by some figures I prepared for a meeting of the Section of Oto-rhino-laryngology at the Annual Meeting of the B.M.A. in 1957, and since these figures have not been published I thought they might interest your readers. From the patients attending my hypertensive clinic, 200 cases, all of whom had initial systolic blood pressures of at least 200 mm. Hg, were specifically asked if they had in recent years suffered from epistaxis, and 46-i.e., 23%, replied in the affirmative. In order to see whether there was much relationship between the height of the blood pressure and the tendency to bleed, 69 patients whose systolic blood pressure had been recorded as 250 mm. Hg or more were analysed separately. A history of nose-bleeding was obtained in 20 (29%) of them. Nose-bleeding has often been called a safety valve for hypertension, and evidently the general public think so too, for a remarkable number of these hypertensive patients who had never suffered from nose-bleeds said that " they often wished that they had."' One was not, however, much impressed with the efficiency of a safety valve which in 70% of the most severe cases of high blood pressure never worked at all, and in the remainder only quite occasionally. One was also interested to see how effective treatment of the hypertension had been in preventing further attacks of this unpleasant symptom. Naturally no accurate comparison could be made, since the duration of the malady before treatment was undertaken was quite unknown, but it seemed likely to have been at least as long as the treatment period. Most of the patients had been treated with ganglion-blocking agents, with varying success. Of the 69 severe cases 10 (14%) had further epistaxis despite the treatment. Only in a few instances did repeated nose-bleeding before treatment cease dramatically afterwards. But when it did the patients were very grateful.-I am, etc.,


Over the last decade, Mozambique has experienced drastic increases in food prices, with serious implications for households' real income. A deeper understanding of how food prices are spatially transmitted from global to domestic markets is thus fundamental for designing policy measures to reduce poverty and food insecurity. This study assesses the spatial transmission of white maize prices between South Africa and Mozambique using an asymmetric error correction model to estimate the speed and symmetry with which prices are being transmitted from the international to the domestic market. The study found that although the transmission of white maize prices from South Africa and Mozambique is cointegrated in the long run, it is not co-integrated in the short run, and that the transmission of these prices is asymmetric depending on whether the international price increases or decreases. The study suggests that some of the barriers that currently constrain a more efficient price transmission are related to the presence of a highly prohibitive import tariff and the structure of a value added tax.


Experimental evidence has documented that during compression of metal foams, deformation is governed by the development of horizontal strain localization bands. Higher-order theories, such as the micromorphic continuum and gradient plasticity have been successfully employed to model experimental data. In the present study after comparing the aforementioned theoretical approaches, an analytical model, using gradient plasticity, is developed that can predict the strain distribution within the foam localization bands. Furthermore, in order to obtain a better understanding of the foam mechanics a numerical approach using cellular automata is used to predict the damage evolution and the stress–strain response during compression;the resulting stress-strain graphs are in very good agreement with experimental data.


Use these sources to help you find information on diseases, disorders and conditions. There are additional sources included on other Nursing and Allied Health LibGuides.


In many real world applications, the same item may be described by multiple sources. As a consequence, conflicts among these sources are inevitable, which leads to an important task: how to identify which piece of information is trustworthy, i.e., the truth discovery task. Intuitively, if the piece of information is from a reliable source, then it is more trustworthy, and the source that provides trustworthy information is more reliable. Based on this principle, truth discovery approaches have been proposed to infer source reliability degrees and the most trustworthy information (i.e., the truth) simultaneously. However, existing approaches overlook the ubiquitous long-tail phenomenon in the tasks, i.e., most sources only provide a few claims and only a few sources make plenty of claims, which causes the source reliability estimation for small sources to be unreasonable. To tackle this challenge, we propose a confidence-aware truth discovery (CATD) method to automatically detect truths from conflicting data with long-tail phenomenon. The proposed method not only estimates source reliability, but also considers the confidence interval of the estimation, so that it can effectively reflect real source reliability for sources with various levels of participation. Experiments on four real world tasks as well as simulated multi-source long-tail datasets demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing state-of-the-art truth discovery approaches by successful discounting the effect of small sources.


Multimodal underwater adsorption behaviour of catechol units was demonstrated by examining the adsorption of different oxide nanoparticles on nanoscale-integrated polymer nanosheets. Catechol-based polymer nanosheets were fabricated using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique with random copolymers (p(DDA/DMA)s) of N-dodecylacrylamide (DDA) and dopamine methacrylamide (DMA). The p(DDA/DMA) nanosheets were immersed into water dispersions of SiO2, Al2O3, and WO3 nanoparticles (NPs) respectively. The results show that the adsorption properties can be altered by varying the NP type: SiO2 NP adsorption was observed only below pH = 6, at which the o-quinone form in p(DDA/DMA) nanosheets transforms into the catechol form or vice versa. However, their transition point for Al2O3 NP adsorption was found at approximately pH 10, at which the surface potential of Al2O3 NPs changes the charge polarity, indicating that the electrostatic interaction is predominant. For WO3 NPs, adsorption was observed when citric acid, which modifies the surface of WO3 NPs by complex formation, was used as a pH-controlling agent, but no adsorption was found for hydrochloric acid used as a pH controlling agent. FT-IR measurements proved that miniscule amounts of water molecules were trapped in p(DDA/DMA) nanosheets and that they acquired hydrogen bonding network formations, which might assist nanoparticle adsorption underwater and make the catechol units adjustable. The results indicate that the nanoscale spatial arrangements of catechol units in films are crucially important for the application of multimodal adsorption of oxide nanoparticles on catechol-based polymer materials.


The paper reviews the relationship between spatial and transportation planning in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that most urbanisation in the region has largely occurred subsequent to the 1950s and, accordingly, urban development has been profoundly and negatively affected by the (misguided) spatial and institutional tenets of modernism. It demonstrates how a considerable amount of the poor performance of these settlements can be directly attributed to this. Two factors in particular about the planning systems are emphasized: the way in which programmatic land-use planning lies at the heart of both spatial and transportation planning; and the way on which transportation and spatial planning have been separated into independent processes. In the final section, the paper identifies ways of improving the planning system. Firstly, it identifies the performance qualities which Southern African settlements should be seeking to achieve. Secondly, it focuses on two necessary arenas of change: the need to replace programmatic land-use planning practices with structuralspatial approaches; and it makes a case for making urban corridors a spatial focus of integrated planning, as a way of beginning the restructuring and intensification of settlements which are currently characterised by sprawl, fragmentation and separation Keywords—Corridors, modernism, programmatic planning, structural-spatial planning


Sets of synthetic peptides that interact with the insulin receptor ectodomain have been discovered by phage display and reported in the literature. These peptides were grouped into three classes termed Site 1, Site 2, and Site 3 based on their mutual competition of binding to the receptor. Further refinement has yielded, in particular, a 36-residue Site 2-Site 1 fusion peptide, S519, that binds the insulin receptor with subnanomolar affinity and exhibits agonist activity in both lipogenesis and glucose uptake assays. Here, we report three-dimensional crystallographic detail of the interaction of the C-terminal, 16-residue Site 1 component (S519C16) of S519 with the first leucine-rich repeat domain (L1) of the insulin receptor. Our structure shows that S519C16 binds to the same site on the L1 surface as that occupied by a critical component of the primary binding site, namely the helical C-terminal segment of the insulin receptor α-chain (termed αCT). In particular, the two phenylalanine residues within the FYXWF motif of S519C16 are seen to engage the insulin receptor L1 domain surface in a fashion almost identical to the respective αCT residues Phe701 and Phe705. The structure provides a platform for the further development of peptidic and/or small molecule agents directed toward the insulin receptor and/or the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor.


Abstract : A problem confirmation study was performed at Castle AFB and included 21 potential contaninant source sites identified in the Phase I Report as requiring field investigation. The potential source sites were grouped into 16 investigation sites including the area of a confirmed plume of TCE contamination in groundwater. The field investigations, conducted from October 1984 to April 1985 included installation of 27 new monitor wells and 11 shallow lysimeters, collection of sediment samples from surface soil, shallow broings, and drainage ditches, geophysical surveys of three sites, two rounds of surface and groundwater sampling and water level measurements, and pilot test operations on a Base production well. Analytes include volatile organic compounds, TOC, TOX, oil and grease, as well as phenols, nitrate, metals, pesticide and herbicides at selected sites. Of the sixteen sites investigated, twelve were recommended for further groundwater study, either through continued monitoring of existing wells, or through expansion of the monitoring network. The TCE plume in the shallow aquifer was delineated and recommended for immediate feasibility study; additional investigation to locate the source of the plume and to define its extent in off-Base areas and in an underlying aquifer have also been recommended. Contents of this Vol.: Field Sample Log Sheets.


Abstract In this paper, we explore the implications of metrolingual language practices for how we understand social inclusion. A vision of social inclusion that includes bi- and multilingual capacities may comprise an appreciation of a diversity of languages other than English, and the skills and capabilities of multilingual language users, yet it is all too often premised on an understanding of language use that cannot escape its origins in statist understandings of language ideologies where a particular language is associated with a particular cultural, ethnic or geographical configuration. Recent studies show the creative ways in which language users cross linguistic and cultural boundaries to form new linguistic and cultural possibilities. In this paper, we therefore ask how we can open up an understanding of social inclusion to include not only the recognition of bilingual capacity but also the fluidity and flux of the metrolingual workplace where creative language use beyond static linguistic boundaries are present. Such a move, however, raises important questions for what is included and excluded in any model of social inclusion since it renders the boundaries of difference more fluid than in other approaches to language diversity. We conclude by suggesting to the extent that social inclusion has become the 'new multiculturalism', it can, if broadly conceived and allied to metrolingualism, present a new way forward in understanding language and social disadvantage.


To construct accurate risk assessment models for engineered nanomaterials, there is urgent need for information on the reactivity (or conversely, persistence) and transformation pathways of these materials in the natural environment. As an important step toward addressing this issue, we have characterized the products formed when aqueous C(60) clusters (nC(60)) are exposed to natural sunlight and also have assessed the wavelengths primarily responsible for phototransformation. Long-wavelength light (λ ≥ 400 nm) isolated from sunlight, was shown to be important in both the phototransformation of nC(60) and in the production of (1)O(2). The significance of visible light in mediating the phototransformation of nC(60) was supported by additional experiments with monochromatic light in which the apparent quantum yield at 436 nm (Φ(436 nm) = (2.08 ± 0.08) × 10(-5)) was comparable to that at 366 nm (Φ(366 nm) = (2.02 ± 0.07) × 10(-5)). LDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated that most of the photoproducts formed after 947 h of irradiation in natural sunlight retain a 60 atom carbon structure. A combination of (13)C NMR analysis of (13)C-enriched nC(60), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and FTIR indicated that photoproducts have olefinic carbon atoms as well as a variety of oxygen-containing functional groups, including vinyl ether and carbonyl or carboxyl groups, whose presence destroys the native π-electron system of C(60). Thus, the photoreactivity of nC(60) in sunlight leads to the formation of water-soluble C(60) derivatives.


This report will employ a hierarchical logistic regression model with mixed effects as an alternative to the traditional analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach that is often used when repeated observations are taken for each treatment. In the case of a binary response variable, ANOVA approaches typically require the user to first convert responses to an appropriate continuous variable, often a total score. The data used in this report include responses from 83 participants and are coded binary. Each participant was asked to make 12 separate decisions based on information received from videos of adult informants. The original purpose of the study was to determine the effect of subjects' age (between-subjects) and of video characteristics (within-subjects) on the likelihood that children will make the correct choice. The purpose of this report was instead methodological in nature. The results of the hierarchical model are compared to the results of a traditional mixed design analysis of variance to illustrate the strengths gained from applying hierarchical models to data that includes repeated observations per subject and to compare results when the dichotomous nature of the outcomes is appropriately modeled.


Silicon carbide (SiC) detectors have been employed to analyze the multi-MeV ions generated from laser plasma. The irradiation was performed with the iodine laser of Prague Asterix Laser System Laboratory operating at 1016 W cm−2 pulse intensity. Thin metallic and polymeric targets were irradiated and the produced plasmas were monitored in the forward direction. The use of SiC detectors ensures the cutting of the visible and soft UV radiation emitted from plasma, enhancing the sensitivity to protons and very fast heavy ions. The time-of-flight spectra obtained by irradiating polymeric films with high laser pulse energy produce protons with energy in the range 1.0–2.5 MeV and all the charge states of carbon ions. The metallic Al target allows achieving energy up to 3.0 MeV for protons and 40 MeV for Al ions. All the results reveal the high performances of these detectors in terms of resolution and response time.


A model for flow-induced collisions of fractal aggregates is developed. The model is based on the analysis of the relative trajectories between a pair of aggregates that takes into account their hydrodynamic and their colloidal interactions. Regarding the former, the aggregates are modeled as permeable spheres where the Brinkman equation is used to describe the flow inside the aggregates. Interparticle forces are incorporated by considering the forces between the primary particles in the two aggregates that are the nearest. The model results in a collision efficiency that depends on the masses of the colliding aggregates, the fractal dimension, and a nondimensional Hamaker constant characterizing the interparticle forces. The collision efficiency model is used to investigate the dynamics of a suspension undergoing coagulation. Significant deviations with respect to existing collision efficiency models are evidenced.