This study seeks to establish the role decentralised governance has played in the performance of primary schools in eastern Uganda. Exploratory and descriptive data drawn from 104 school managers and district officials participating in the study indicate that decentralised governance has strengthened management of the payroll, increased regularity of monitoring and supervision and introduced school management committees. Despite these improvements in governance, there is however evidence that the quality of primary education continues to be low. Only a small and declining percentage of pupils complete primary education, and with increasingly poor grades. This is because, for a number of reasons, both the supply and demand side of governance are still weak. Despite this, overall the author finds that decentralised governance of primary education is a positive development, as it has enhanced the supply side of governance. There is, however, a need to control negative practices in the supply side of governance, and to systematically develop the demand side of governance, if the performance of Ugandan pupils is to improve.


Although progress has been made in the construction of single-electron devices (SEDs), few of the reported approaches have proved practically applicable, mainly owing to their cost-ineffectiveness and need for sophisticated instrumentation. Herein, a conceptually new method for fabricating SEDs through the metallization of divalent DNA-nanoparticle conjugates is described. Specifically, divalent DNA copolymers that are conjugated to gold nanoparticles (AuNP) were synthesized by application of the enzymatic extension of DNA conjugated on quantum-sized AuNPs. This conjugate structure allows the distance between the resulting poly(dG)-poly(dC) and the AuNP to be controlled by an ssDNA spacer. To afford poly(dG)-poly(dC) sequence-specific metal deposition, Cisplatin capable of specific chemisorption on the poly(dG)-poly(dC) is incubated with the divalent DNA copolymer–AuNP conjugates, followed by reduction of the Cisplatin to Pt metal at base resolution. As a result, AuNPs separated from the Pt "electrodes" by the ssDNA barriers in a single conjugate could be created as a double-tunnel junction for SEDs. This study is thought to be an important step toward the programmable organization of DNA for use in SEDs.


In order to understand the macroeconomic effects of inflation, it is necessary to investigate the underlying microeconomic aspects. Inflation affects microeconomic interaction between firms and consumers in a substantial ways. Firms choose pricing rules that affect consumers' search. The search is realized across firms and through time. The Theory does not provide a clear answer to the effect of inflation on welfare. On one hand, because of adjustment costs. A higher inflation is associated with a higher dispersion of prices, making search more attractive. On the other hand, inflation deteriorates the information content of prices, reducing the ability of consumers to take advantage of the dispersion of prices through search. This article surveys very recent contributions to this subject. It argues that although on can get important insights from this literature, it does not provide a satisfactory answer to the question that has puzzled macroeconomists for more than two decades: how to explain the s


This paper describes the development of a phonological assessment procedure for children speaking Mirpuri, Punjabi or Urdu in combination with English. The Rochdale Assessment of Mirpuri Phonology (RAMP) was produced in response to the practical difficulties of a monolingual therapist wishing to assess a child's phonological systems across all languages used. The assessment is currently being used both as a clinical tool within the Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust Speech and Language Therapy Department and as a research tool in collaboration with the Department of Speech, University of Newcastle to provide further data on patterns of bilingual phonological acquisition. Outcomes include therapy targeted more accurately at deficits within each phonological system.


The reduction of iron(III) oxide minerals is an important component of iron cycling in the subsurface. For example, certain bacteria couple carbon oxidation and iron reduction to obtain energy from growth. Although iron oxides are poor conductors of electricity, electrons that are transfered to an iron oxide mineral are quite mobile, using thermal energy to hop from one iron atom to another. New research used time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy to quantify the hopping rates for different iron(III) mineral phases and to confirm a theoretical picture of how the electron at one site alters the positions of the atoms around it. This work contributes to our understanding of how soil mineralogy evolves when geochemical or biochemical processes create reducing conditions. Credit:


In order to achieve the design of mechatronic system rapidly, an integrated design process is used for a hydrostatic slideway driven by linear motor. Control model of the linear motor and FE model of the slideway carriage are established, besides, force analysis of the carriage and relevant optimization are carried out. Software Simulink is used to simulate the linear feeding system. Subsequently, the advantages of the integrated design compared with traditional method are analyzed. This study could provide important insights for the design of the hydrostatic slideway with linear motor driven system.


: Fractional composition of hemin, isolated from blood of patients with hematological impairments, differed from the composition characteristic for donors as shown by paper chromatography. Three fractions of hemin, which corresponded to various steps of polymerization of the substance, were found on chromatograms of donor hemin. Hemin from the patients were characterized by alteration both in amount and in the ratio of the fractions. Estimation of the hemin composition using paper chromatography might serve as an additional diagnostic test.


To date, no distinction has been made between young and old in attentional resource models. The study reports results of two experiments designed to explore age differences in the pattern of attention. Experiments tested the effect of a spatial cue on the allocation of attention in the visual field using a cross-sectional age-comparison paradigm. Response Time (RT) cost and benefit patterns were analysed as to which of three current quantitative models of attention best explained results for each group. Theoretical implications for cognitive research are discussed. In addition, age considerations for visual and cognitive interactions in complex experimental visual arrays are addressed. Results of the experiments indicate that the ring model, a flexible resource model, best exemplifies attentional distribution for both the older and younger subjects when target visibility is enhanced for the older individuals. Within the model, however, attentional strategies differ between the groups.


Abstract. This paper introduces a potential method for the remote sensing of sea surface salinity (SSS) using the measured propagation delay of low-frequency Loran-C signals transmitted over an all-seawater path between the Sylt station in Germany and an integrated Loran-C/GPS receiver located in Harwich, UK. The overall delay variations in Loran-C surface waves along the path may be explained by changes in sea surface properties (especially the temperature and salinity), as well as atmospheric properties that determine the refractive index of the atmosphere. After removing the atmospheric and sea surface temperature (SST) effects from the measured delay, the residual delay revealed a temporal variation similar to that of SSS data obtained by the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite.


Many e-Book versions of Physics learning have used to support for gaining more information. Mostly, these e-Books didn't contain virtual laboratory environment due to the student's visualization in Physics concept. For this objection, an e-Book package was involved to developing, branded as Beboo (Bilingual e-Book), one stop e-Book package completed by physics visualize animation, virtual laboratory environment, student's worksheet, supporting video and self-final test. Beboo uses to assist the second-year student in senior high school to learn static fluids concept, including of the condition in static fluids and the Pascal-Archimedes principle applying in an everyday situation. This e-Book was developed by a range of multimedia including text, pictures, diagrams, sound effect, music, video, and animation in interactive and effective elements and required multiskilling that are content crating and programming. Besides, it contains the interesting part in physics learning, a laboratory activity, designed in two simulators on U-Pipe and Hydraulic Lift due to the student's understanding of the hydrostatic and pascal law systems. For a common self-final test, Beboo provides the final test feature, shown in multiple choice for concept achievement. In general, Beboo develops in three main stages (needs assessment, design and development & implementation) known as Hannafin and Peck Model and have the validation score in a range of 84%- 94%. Furthermore, Beboo should enlarge team due to more chapter coverage and Android platform support. Overall, Beboo uses for an alternative use for school with no real laboratory and as the minimal point to the next e-Book development. Moreover, this media developed as the answer in technology integration in 21st-century learning.


Abstract. Monsoonal rainfall is the primary source of surface water in India. Using 12 years of in situ and satellite observations, we examined the association of aerosol loading with cloud fraction, cloud top pressure, cloud top temperature, and daily surface rainfall over the Indian summer monsoon region (ISMR). Our results showed positive correlations between aerosol loading and cloud properties as well as rainfall. A decrease in outgoing longwave radiation and an increase in reflected shortwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere with an increase in aerosol loading further indicates a possible seminal role of aerosols in the deepening of cloud systems. Significant perturbation in liquid- and ice-phase microphysics was also evident over the ISMR. For the polluted cases, delay in the onset of collision–coalescence processes and an enhancement in the condensation efficiency allows for more condensate mass to be lifted up to the mixed colder phases. This results in the higher mass concentration of larger-sized ice-phase hydrometeors and, therefore, implies that the delayed rain processes eventually lead to more surface rainfall. A numerical simulation of a typical rainfall event case over the ISMR using a spectral bin microphysical scheme coupled with the Weather Research Forecasting (WRF-SBM) model was also performed. Simulated microphysics also illustrated that the initial suppression of warm rain coupled with an increase in updraft velocity under high aerosol loading leads to enhanced super-cooled liquid droplets above freezing level and ice-phase hydrometeors, resulting in increased accumulated surface rainfall. Thus, both observational and numerical analysis suggest that high aerosol loading may induce cloud invigoration, thereby increasing surface rainfall over the ISMR. While the meteorological variability influences the strength of the observed positive association, our results suggest that the persistent aerosol-associated deepening of cloud systems and an intensification of surface rain amounts was applicable to all the meteorological sub-regimes over the ISMR. Hence, we believe that these results provide a step forward in our ability to address aerosol–cloud–rainfall associations based on satellite observations over the ISMR.


Iphita limbata is a macropterous but flightless, phytophagous bug feeding on the seeds of Sterculia foetida. The studies on bio-ecology, activity pattern and sexual dimorphism in Iphita limbata from specified areas of Madras Christian College, Tambaram reveals that the occurrences of males were more than the females. Predominant mating behavior was found during the months of late December, January and February during which females were in mated condition. Iphita limbata prefers a relatively high humidity and an optimum temperature of 36.1°C for the population to flourish. The activity of Iphita limbata was found to be closely correlated to environment parameters especially temperature. The males are smaller than females. The reproductive organs of males consist of a pair of testis connected with paired seminal vesicle and a median ejaculatory duct; females consist of 7 pairs of teleotrohic ovarioles on either side of the alimentary canal with a spermatheca.


Test-Driven Development: A Practical Guide presents TDD from the perspective of the working programmer: real projects, real challenges, real solutions, ...real code. Dave Astels explains TDD through a start-to-finish project written in Java and using JUnit. He introduces powerful TDD tools and techniques; shows how to utilize refactoring, mock objects, and "programming by intention"; even introduces TDD frameworks for C++, C#/.NET, Python, VB6, Ruby, and Smalltalk. Invaluable for anyone who wants to write better code... and have more fun doing it!


In the present work, a new technique based on the data mining approach has been discussed for the prediction of tropical cyclogenesis using the ocean wind vectors derived from the sea-winds scatterometer on QuikScat satellite. The technique is based on similarity of given wind pattern with wind vector signatures of developing systems, available from the past observations. A database has been formed in this work using the QuikScat-observed vector wind patterns associated with the early stages of tropical cyclones that developed in the North Indian basin during the years 2000-2008. The prediction of possibility of cyclogenesis, in a given scene, is determined by matching it with all the archived scenes in a database using vector block matching algorithm. The system is predicted as developing, if its matching index exceeds the predetermined threshold value (0.5). The prediction of cyclo genesis can be made 24-96 h prior to its classification as a tropical storm by the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre. The probability of detection of the technique is determined using the equivalent of the Jackknife approach in the database as 0.93. The algorithm is tested with a continuous wind data of years 2007-2009 for active cyclone months (excluding the scenes archived in a database). All the 14 tropical disturbances that developed into tropical storms during the test period were predicted using the discussed method, and two false alarms were found.


first trimester. We aimed at describing key features of tetralogy of fallot (TOF) on real-time volumetric 3D reconstruction of fetal heart anatomy and Doppler angiography of great vessels at first trimester scan. Methods: In our center, second line ultrasound examinations of fetal heart is routinely offered at first trimester in all patients with a NT measurement > 99th centile. In cases with a diagnosis of TOF 3D volumes were retrospectively reviewed in order to define key features of this defect at first trimester. Results: During the study period, 3 cases of TOF was suspected and later confirmed. Fetal karyotype was performed allowing for the diagnosis of aneuploidy in all 3 cases. TOP was performed according to parents decision and local laws and pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis all 3 cases. 3 D volumes analysis allowed to pick up two major findings as early as first trimester. The axis of the heart which is in a left lateral deviation and abnormal three vessels view with a large aortic root and a small pulmonary artery. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TOF might be suspected as early as first trimester in the presence of a left lateral deviation and abnormal three vessels view showing a large aortic root and a small pulmonary artery. Although these early cases seem to carry a very poor prognosis, sonographer should not overlook those signs, particularly when scanning fetuses with increased NT.


Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) presents with intermittent claudication; however, in the later stages, acute ischemia can occur as a result of complete arterial occlusion or embolism. We present a patient that symptomatic with plantar flexion. PAES was diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography. In operation medial head of gastrocnemius was resected and popliteal artery resection end to end anastomosis technic was performed. After surgery patient discharged with no symptom and problem. Ischemic symptoms in the lower leg in young patients with extremity movement, PAES must be considered. Correct diagnosis for PAES are important for preventing deterioration in the patient's clinical condition. Key words: Popliteal entrapment syndrome, Claudication intermittans, Plantar flexion, Medial head of gastrocnemius.


Alternate intravenously administered infusions in 127 surgical patients had 500 ml of clinical dextran 75 added per day. The degree of phlebitis at the site of infusion was evaluated at the time of its discontinuation. The incidence of infusion phlebitis was found to be 30% in both treated and control groups, volume and duration of infusion being comparable. These results are discussed in relation to the value of dextran in the prevention and treatment of thrombophlebitis.


Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) are believed to be a highly promising technology and will play an increasingly important role in future generation wireless mobile networks. Routing in WMN is a challenging problem as a result of highly dynamic topology as well as bandwidth and energy constraints. The Swarm Intelligence paradigm, such as Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), has recently been demonstrated as an active approach for routing in both wired and wireless networks. We designed a novel ACO-based multicasting routing algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, a source-based approach is adapted to build a multicast tree among all the multicast members, and an evolutional scheme for the original multicast tree is designed to find a more optimal multicast tree. In addition the evolutional scheme also acts as a local recovery technique when some intermediate nodes move away. Compared with ODMRP and MAODV, the proposed algorithm performs better in terms of average delay, success ratio and efficiency.


Abstract Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are moving towards km-scale (and smaller) resolutions in order to forecast high-impact weather. As the resolution of NWP models increase the need for high-resolution observations to constrain these models also increases. A major hurdle to the assimilation of dense observations in NWP is the presence of non-negligible observation error correlations (OECs). Despite the difficulty in estimating these error correlations, progress is being made, with centres around the world now explicitly accounting for OECs in a variety of observation types. This paper explores how to make efficient use of this potentially dramatic increase in the amount of data available for assimilation. In an idealised framework it is illustrated that as the length-scales of the OECs increase the scales that the analysis is most sensitive to the observations become smaller. This implies that a denser network of observations is more beneficial with increasing OEC length-scales. However, the computational and storage burden associated with such a dense network may not be feasible. To reduce the amount of data, a compression technique based on retaining the maximum information content of the observations can be used. When the OEC length-scales are large (in comparison to the prior error correlations), the data compression will select observations of the smaller scales for assimilation whilst throwing out the larger scale information. In this case it is shown that there is a discrepancy between the observations with the maximum information and those that minimise the analysis error variances. Experiments are performed using the Ensemble Kalman Filter and the Lorenz-1996 model, comparing different forms of data reduction. It is found that as the OEC length-scales increase the assimilation becomes more sensitive to the choice of data reduction technique.


Cement asphalt mortar (CA mortar) is a highly flowable grouting material used in the slab track structure. Temperature significantly influences the workable time of CA mortar. The workable time of CA mortar is controlled by the adsorption of asphalt droplets in the emulsion on cement grains. In the present study, the absorption behaviours under different temperatures were investigated to reveal the influences of temperature on workable properties of CA mortar. A laser particle size analyzer was employed to characterize the particle size variation in the cement and asphalt emulsion (CAE) system. The results indicated that the particle size increased more prominently at elevated temperature; The viscosity of the CAE system was measured by a rotational viscometer, results indicated that variation pattern of viscosity correlated well with that of the particle size in the CAE system and the increase of particle size was partially accountable for the increase of viscosity and impairing the flowability of CA mortar; the workable properties of CA mortar were also investigated, results showed that the slump flow increased and the workable time decreased with the increase of temperature. The addition of non-ionic emulsifier could retard the adsorption behaviour between cement and asphalt and prolong the workable time of CA mortar.


Solo exhibition comprising of painting, sculpture and video. Co-curated with Marie Anne McQuay and Lucy Byatt.

Grandes Et Petites Machines refers to the Grande Machines of the French salon, large-scale history paintings, which focus on the physical mechanics of human struggle or violent revolution usually set against the crumbling architecture of authority.

This exhibition endeavored to dramatically highlight issues raised by various information theories and their related technologies, focusing on their contribution to ideas of progress, entropy and their social, cultural and legal impact. In particular it sought to expose the coercive role of such technologies in representations of sensationalism, secrecy and encoding in art along with the expansion of governing institutions and patterns of detection and surveillance. An installation of paintings, sculpture and video (spanning the both galleries at Spike Island, Bristol) reflected on the changing ubiquity of digital zones, where the virtual and physical coexist, whilst exploring concepts of the artist/creator/viewer as being complicit in the surveillance and division of objects. The concrete artworks in Grandes Et Petites Machines were also incorporated, virtually as animated components, into the accompanying video work Peer to Peer, screened during the exhibition period. Peer to Peer is an Artists Film and Video production supported by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.


More than two-thirds of young people in developed nations have sexual intercourse while still in their teens. The most vulnerable group of premarital sexual behaviour are youths and adolescents. The aim of the study is to assess factors affecting premarital sex behaviours among adolescents and its impact on health. This study is based on the review of secondary information published by the relevant organization and authors in Nepal and beyond. Study materials were primarily identified searching through Electronic databases and Software bases. Age group of 10-19 called as adolescents during the period, there is drastic development in physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. There are multidimensional factors that leads to premarital sexual behaviour. Parent relationship withtheir children and family environment, societal environment, cultural and traditional rules and values, economic condition, school environment, peer's relationship, love and affairs, communications (mobiles, internet-pone movies etc.) and rules and regulation are the risk factors that affect in premarital sexual behaviour of the adolescents. Sex after marriage is fruitful but having a premarital sex with mutual understanding with full protection is not a big issue. Unwanted pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, abortion, STIs, HIV/AIDS, regrets, guilt, loss of self-respect, depression, loss of family support, substance abuse and even suicidal death  are the health impact of premarital sexual behaviour among adolescents.


Abstract Thailand is known to be a part of what is called the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, hosting a vast array of organisms across its diverse ecosystems. This is reflected by the increasing number of new species described over time, especially fungi. However, a very few fungal species from the specialized spider-parasitic genus Gibellula have ever been reported from this region. A survey of invertebrate-pathogenic fungi in Thailand over several decades has led to the discovery of a number of fungal specimens with affinities to this genus. Integration of morphological traits into multi-locus phylogenetic analysis uncovered four new species: G. cebrennini, G. fusiformispora, G. pigmentosinum, and G. scorpioides. All these appear to be exclusively linked with torrubiella-like sexual morphs with the presence of granulomanus-like asexual morph in G. pigmentosinum and G. cebrennini. A remarkably high host specificity of these new species towards their spider hosts was revealed, and for the first time, evidence is presented for manipulation of host behavior in G. scorpioides.


Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can benefit from sustaining laser generated plasma with microwaves to enhance elemental detection sensitivity. To achieve efficient microwave coupling, critical factors, such as the electromagnetic environment and reflection coefficient of the coupling device, need to be considered to quantitatively predict the electric-field strength in the plasma location. 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulations were used to design near-field microwave applicators suitable to maximize microwave coupling into the short-lived laser-induced plasmas. The simulations pointed out to four effective and practical designs containing varieties of isolation techniques. The four developed microwave applicators were then used to improve the detection of copper present in a mineral ore solid sample, using LIBS and imaging techniques simultaneously. It was found that, with 1.2 kW microwave power, an applicator design with a 30 mm diameter ground plane can significantly boost the signal of copper line 324.754 nm with a factor of 849, which is, to the authors' best knowledge, the highest reported value. Furthermore, an outstanding signal to noise ratio of 166 was recorded in a solid sample containing a certified 3.38 μg g−1 copper concentration.


How do people react to setbacks and successes? I introduce a new measure of challenge-seeking to determine the effect of winning and losing in a competition on the willingness to seek further challenges. Participants in a lab experiment compete in two-person tournaments and are then informed of their score and the outcome of the competition. Conditional on the score, winning or losing is random. Participants then have to decide on a performance target for a second round: the higher the target, the higher the potential reward, but participants who do not reach the target earn nothing. I find that, conditional on first round scores, losers go for a more challenging target but perform worse, leading to lower earnings and a higher probability of failure. These findings could have important implications for our understanding of individual career paths. Early outcomes coul d alter the probability of success and failure in the long term.


Introduction: The Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) in Malaysia is the most vulnerable group. This is one of reason for the increased incidence of teenage pregnancies. University students in particular face new challenges in sexual health including contraceptive.
Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted among university students at a public university in Malaysia. Using purposive sampling technique, 500 students participated in this study which was conducted over a period of four months from December 2016 to April 2017. Self-administered questionnaire consisted of 32 questions divided in four sections, socio-demographic profile, the knowledge, awareness and perception on contraception was used in this study. Descriptive analyses were executed for each variable.
Result: In total, 500 students participated in the study, 86.6% were female and 11.4% male. Ages ranged from 18 to 28 years old and the mean age was 21 years old (SD: 1.57). Majority of them were among Malay ethnicity (97%); 1.2% of them were married; 70.4% was currently studying at degree level and only 38.2% were among non-sciences students. More than half of the participants ever heard of contraceptive method (67.2%). Mean knowledge score of the participants was 4.41±1.33 while awareness score of participants was 20.64± 3.15. More than half of participants disagreed or strongly disagreed (52.7%) that only womenareresponsibletousecontraceptivemethodswhile54.2%ofthemagreedand strongly agreed that contraceptive pills do not guarantee 100% contraception. More thanhalfoftheparticipants'agreedandstronglyagreedthathealthcareprovidersmust provide counselling on contraceptive methods (62.4%) and sex education including contraception should be introduced in early age (55%).
Conclusion: The deficiency of contraceptive knowledge; and the importance and effectiveness of contraceptive measures call forth the university on the needs of comprehensive education and culturally-sensitive aimed at promoting healthy decision-making about family planning and STI prevention. It is important to understand the major obstacle in gaining knowledge and utilizing contraceptive among university students.


Feature extraction plays a significant part in computer vision tasks. In this paper, we propose a method which transfers rich deep features from a pretrained model on face verification task and feeds the features into Bayesian ridge regression algorithm for facial beauty prediction. We leverage the deep neural networks that extracts more abstract features from stacked layers. Through simple but effective feature fusion strategy, our method achieves improved or comparable performance on SCUT-FBP dataset and ECCV HotOrNot dataset. Our experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and clarify the inner interpretability of facial beauty perception.


People report enjoying momentary extraverted behavior, and this does not seem to depend on trait levels of introversion-extraversion. Assuming that introverts desire enjoyment, this finding raises the question, why do introverts not act extraverted more often? This research explored a novel explanation, that trait introverts make an affective forecasting error, underpredicting the hedonic benefits of extraverted behavior. Study 1 (n = 97) found that trait introverts forecast less activated positive and pleasant affect and more negative and self-conscious affect (compared to extraverts) when asked to imagine acting extraverted, but not introverted, across a variety of hypothetical situations. Studies 2-5 (combined n = 495) found similar results using a between-subjects approach and laboratory situations. We replicated findings that people enjoy acting extraverted and that this does not depend on disposition. Accordingly, the personality differences in affective forecasts represent errors. In these studies, introverts tended to be less accurate, particularly by overestimating the negative affect and self-consciousness associated with their extraverted behavior. This may explain why introverts do not act extraverted more often (i.e., they overestimate hedonic costs that do not actually materialize) and have implications for understanding, and potentially trying to change, introverts' characteristically lower levels of happiness.


A dopant-segregated Schottky barrier (DSSB) FinFET silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) for nor-type flash memory is successfully demonstrated. Compared with a conventional FinFET SONOS device, the DSSB FinFET SONOS device exhibits high-speed programming at low voltage. The sharp dopant-segregated Schottky contact at the source side can generate hot electrons, and it can be used to provide high injection efficiency at low voltage without any constraint on the choice of the proper gate and drain voltage. The DSSB FinFET SONOS device is therefore a promising candidate for nor-type flash memory with high-speed and low-power programming.


Background: The retail industry is highly affected by the changes in the world. With the disruptive force of digitalization, more and more of the transactions within retail is moved online as the ecommerce has expanded making the retail industry more competitive. This change has and is forcing many offline retailers to close business around the world but in this change, has new trends emerged. Both online and offline retailers are starting to see the value of having physical stores as well as having an online presence. Doing so creates opportunities for both e-commerce companies and physical retail stores to create value using multiple channels. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find out how an independent fashion brick and mortar store can create value for consumers through multiple channels to gain a competitive advantage against pure online retailers and larger retail companies. Method: This topic will be studied with a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with customers in demographic 18-30 years old with the goal of understanding how customers purchase clothes in different channels to create insights for independent brick and mortar stores. The data were analyzed with the seven steps of Grounded Theory. Conclusion: The results of the research show that independent brick and mortar store have competitive advantages regarding personal service, products, and product assessment. However, many customers want to search for information and inspiration about products online before they shop, even if the actual purchase is made in a store which means that independent brick and mortar stores need to have their products online for that. It was also found that customers want more flexibility between channels. For example, purchase online and pick-up in store. The authors believe that with this changes, independent brick and mortar stores can compete in the 21st century while still maintaining their current advantages.


Executive Stock Option Programs (SOPs) have become the dominant compensation instrument for top-management in recent years. The incentive effects of an SOP both with respect to corporate investment and financing decisions critically depend on the design of the SOP. A specific problem in designing SOPs concerns dividend protection. Usually, SOPs are not dividend protected, i.e. any dividend payout decreases the value of a manager's options. Empirical evidence shows that this results in a significant decrease in the level of corporate dividends and, at the same time, into an increase in share repurchases. Yet, few suggestions have been made on how to account for dividends in SOPs. This paper applies arguments from principal-agent-theory and from the theory of finance to analyze different forms of dividend protection, and to address the relevance of dividend protection in SOPs. Finally, the paper relates the theoretical analysis to empirical work on the link between share repurchases and SOPs.


A novel type of sensor system called the active floor is presented that allows the time-varying spatial weight distribution of the active office environment to be captured. The properties of the active floor are described, showing that it differs substantially from other commonly encountered sensor systems. Furthermore, classification of the footstep signature of a number of individuals is attempted by application of the hidden Markov model technique.


This article describes the context in which 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and other mescaline-like compounds were explored as hallucinogens for military and intelligence purposes from the 1940s to the 1960s. Germans first tested mescaline as a "truth drug" in a military context. In the 1940s, the United States military started testing hallucinogenic substances as truth drugs for interrogation and behavior manipulation. After tests carried out using mescaline and other drugs in 1950, some derivatives of mescaline were synthesized by the Army for the exploration of possible "speech-inducing" effects. After insufficient animal testing, the substances were given to patients at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). 3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (MDE), a compound almost identical to MDMA, was among the compounds delivered for testing at the NYSPI. During tests with other derivatives (3,4-dimethoxyphenethylamine (DMA), 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethylamine (MDPEA), MDA) in 1952-53, an unwitting patient died in these tests, which was kept secret from the public. Research was interrupted and toxicological animal testing procedures were initiated. The secret animal studies run in 1953/1954 revealed that some of the "mescaline derivatives" tested (e.g. MDA, MDE, DMA, 3,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA), MDMA) were considered for further testing in humans. In 1955, the military changed focus to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), but some interest in mescaline-like compounds remained for their ability to change mood and habit without interfering with cognition and sensory perception. Based on the known documents, it remains unclear (but probable) whether any of the mescaline derivatives tested were being used operationally.


Responses to lifestyle interventions in people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) may differ during the intervention phase: some progress to diabetes, some regress to normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and some retain IGT. Whether these different responses to intervention influence subsequent outcomes is uncertain. In 1986, 576 persons with IGT in Da Qing, China, were randomized to control or intervention (diet, exercise, diet plus exercise) groups for a six-year lifestyle intervention. In 1992, of 540 participants who completed the intervention, 252 (46.7%) had progressed to diabetes, 174 (32.2%) regressed to NGT, and 114 (21.1%) remained as having IGT. In 2016, we conducted a 30-year follow-up study to assess the intervention effect on CVD events, defined as the first occurrence of non-fatal or fatal stroke, myocardial infarction or heart failure, and composite microvascular complications, defined as the first occurrence of severe retinopathy, nephropathy or neuropathy. We compared the difference in those outcomes between the three groups. The 30-year cumulative incidence of CVD was 65.6% (95% CI 58.7-71.5) in the participants with diabetes, 46.1% (95% CI 48.0-53.8) in those with NGT, and 50.6% (95% CI 40.5-59.9) in those with IGT. The corresponding incidence of microvascular complications was 44.3% (95% CI 36.8-51.4), 23.1%, (95% CI 15.7-31.4), and 31.2% (95% CI 21.1-41.7). Adjusting for age and sex, those who had developed diabetes had significantly higher risks than those who had reverted to NGT for both CVD (HR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.18-2.07, P = 0.002) and composite microvascular complications (HR = 2.53, 95% CI 1.62-3.93, P Disclosure Y. Chen: None. P. Zhang: None. J. Wang: None. Q. Gong: None. Y. An: None. E. Gregg: None. P.H. Bennett: Consultant; Self; World Health Organization. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc. Other Relationship; Self; American Diabetes Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. G. Li: None. Funding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (5U19GH000636-05)


Excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from human activities have contributed to degradation of coastal waters globally. A growing body of work suggests that hydrologically restoring streams and rivers in agricultural and urban watersheds has potential to increase N and P retention, but rates and mechanisms have not yet been analyzed and compared across studies. We conducted a review of nutrient retention within hydrologically reconnected streams and rivers, including 79 studies. We developed a typology characterizing different forms of stream and river restoration, and we also analyzed nutrient retention across this typology. The studies we reviewed used a variety of methods to analyze nutrient cycling. We performed a further intensive meta-analysis on nutrient spiraling studies because this method was the most consistent and comparable between studies. A meta-analysis of 240 experimental additions of ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−), and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) was synthesized from 15 nutrient spiraling studies. Our results showed statistically significant relationships between nutrient uptake in restored streams and specific watershed attributes. Nitrate uptake metrics were significantly related to watershed surface area, impervious surface cover, and average reach width (p < 0.05). Ammonium uptake metrics were significantly related to discharge, velocity, and transient storage (p < 0.05). SRP uptake metrics were significantly related to watershed area, discharge, SRP concentrations, and chl a concentrations (p < 0.05). Given that most studies were conducted during baseflow, more research is necessary to characterize nutrient uptake during high flow. Furthermore, long-term studies are needed to understand changes in nutrient dynamics as projects evolve over time. Overall analysis suggests the size of the stream restoration (surface area), hydrologic connectivity, and hydrologic residence time are key drivers influencing nutrient retention at broader watershed scales and along the urban watershed continuum.


In this paper an attempt to elucidate the geodynamic situation in Bulgaria and adjacent lands from a seismological point of view is proposed. The fault plane solutions of 418 earthquakes and corresponding stresses and deformations are also analyzed. For the purposes of the quantitative stress and strain modeling, a seismic zonation is carried out and the Bulgarian territory and surroundings are divided in nine seismic hazard zones. The main seismological and focal mechanisms characteristics for each zone are presented. The stress tensors for the zones/fault systems are calculated by inversion of the focal mechanisms data using the technique of Gephart [1990]. The released strain is computed by means of the moment tensors of focal mechanisms according to the relation of Kostrov [1974]. In general, the obtained mean strain tensors show some agreement with the calculated mean stresses. Several local discrepancies and the whole geodynamic situation are analyzed in the light of some present tectonic hypotheses. On the basis of the analysis of the seismicity, stress and deformation on the territory of North Balkans are presented.


We propose a minimum cost method for traffic shaping and policing in the context of quality-of-service (QoS) based networks. Given the user's desired QoS and the network's resource availability, our procedure determines the least-cost parameters for a traffic shaper or policer which still guarantees access to the network whilst satisfying the QoS constraints. We illustrate our scheme using on-off sources and formulate the QoS constraints by effective bandwidths.


We studied the effects of small, <20 mum, Te inclusions on the energy resolution of CdZnTe gamma-ray detectors using a highly collimated X-ray beam and gamma-rays, and modeled them via a simplified geometrical approach. Previous reports demonstrated that Te inclusions of about a few microns in diameter degraded the charge-transport properties and uniformity of CdZnTe detectors. The goal of this work was to understand the extent to which randomly distributed Te-rich inclusions affect the energy resolution of CZT detectors, and to define new steps to overcome their deleterious effects. We used a phenomenological model, which depends on several adjustable parameters, to reproduce the experimentally measured effects of inclusions on energy resolution. We also were able to bound the materials-related problem and predict the enhancement in performance expected by reducing the size and number of Te inclusions within the crystals.


It is now possible to recommend indications for aortic endarterectomy, based on published clinical essays and revision of large surgical series. Surgery indications will depend on the stenosis degree and the plaque morphology, as well as on the patient's clinical state and the morbid-mortality in this surgical team. As other studies with large case series, evidences that carotid endarterectomy and/or endovascular management, when realized by expert teams, is a safe procedure in patients with surgical indication.


The steel production is a highly capital and energy intensive industry that due to recent raw materials' price increase and lowered demand, it has been squeezed and forced to look more deeply on how to add value to the customer at lower operative costs. The project was carried out on site at the ArcelorMittal's millin Esch-Belval, Luxembourg which comprises an integrated melt shop, continuous casting plant and the rolling mill with the objectives of proposing optimization rules for the cold sector of the rolling mill and to analyze the impact of the future truckbay shipment area. The course of action followed was to draw a Value Stream Map (VSM) in order to understand the plants' current status and serve as a roadmap to build a discrete event simulation model that after its validation, served as a support tool to analyze what-if scenarios. Similarly, a current status analysis of the shipment/stock area was conducted collecting statistics about potential truckshipments and finally proposing a series of recommendations for its operation. The main proposed solutions to optimize the rolling mill's cold sector were:(a) Integer programming model to globally optimize the scrap level when cutting the mother beams to customer size beams. (b) Updating pacemaker parameters and (c) Local process time improvements. Concerning the future truck loading, the simulation model was used as a support tool to dimension the transition area between the cranes' and forklift operations resulting in a 6-9 bundles buffer capacity. Additionally, the current length-based storage policy was found to have competitive objectives so a turnover class-based storage policy is proposed with A, B, C classes which should provide an improved organization of the stock and travel distance of the cranes. The evaluation of the cranes' performance remains an issue since there are currently no objective measures like, for instance, travelled distance. Optical measuring devices are suggested as one option to have a performance indicator that would help further investigate root cause problems in the shipping/stock area.


This article aims to discuss the rise of ethnic nationalism and related intra-state conflicts in the post-Cold War era, also attempting to come up with some recommendations for the resolution of such conflicts. By looking through major ethnopolitical conflicts around the globe and trying to find out some main points in common, the study reaches the conclusion that these conflicts are, in general, associated with, but not limited to, restrictions of ethnic identity, legal, economic and cultural discrimination, antidemocratic regimes, unfavorable economic conditions, collapse of state authority, and international support. The study also reveals that ethnopolitical conflicts cannot be resolved through force only. Although a reasonable use of force may be functional in terms of stopping immediate violence and providing a cooling-off period for negotiations, multi-level efforts are said to be needed by domestic and international actors to be responsive to the underlying causes of intra-state conflicts discussed in detail.


Research within religious education ought to place a greater prominence on the massive supply of knowledge, information and communication that the digital world in general, and the internet in particular, present. Solid education should be provided in a positive spirit, but with scientific methods for managing the new media. While it is essential to stress the potential of new media, it is equally important to engage in critical analysis and source-criticism of to the same degree. At Umea University, Sweden, religious studies make use of digitised archival documents with this critical caveat in mind. The research methods are based on an interdisciplinary research environment with a tradition of focusing on the Christian cultural heritage.


Investigation of the lunar crustal magnetic anomalies offers a comprehensive long-term data set of observations of small-scale magnetic fields and their interaction with the solar wind. In this paper a review of the observations of lunar mini-magnetospheres is compared quantifiably with theoretical kinetic-scale plasma physics and 3D particle-in-cell simulations. The aim of this paper is to provide a complete picture of all the aspects of the phenomena and to show how the observations from all the different and international missions interrelate. The analysis shows that the simulations are consistent with the formation of miniature (smaller than the ion Larmor orbit) collisionless shocks and miniature magnetospheric cavities, which has not been demonstrated previously. The simulations reproduce the finesse and form of the differential proton patterns that are believed to be responsible for the creation of both the "lunar swirls" and "dark lanes." Using a mature plasma physics code like OSIRIS allows us, for the first time, to make a side-by-side comparison between model and space observations. This is shown for all of the key plasma parameters observed to date by spacecraft, including the spectral imaging data of the lunar swirls. The analysis of miniature magnetic structures offers insight into multi-scale mechanisms and kinetic-scale aspects of planetary magnetospheres.


This paper deals with the failure mechanism of sedimentary rocks in terms of underground stability. The engineering behaviour of anisotropic rocks and anisotropic influence needs further investigation with regard to stability analysis due to the different failure mechanisms. In order to understand the effects of anisotropy, laminated rocks were investigated. Laboratory test results for the anisotropic strength characteristics of sedimentary rocks in different directions were determined. The material selected for the tests was sandstone and siltstone from the Upper Miocene-Pliocene Handere Formation (Th) in n«>ithern Adana (Turkey). Samples were then prepared as test samples to ISRM standards with the samples ot stated at 10° increments to the lamination plane for the application of failure theories. The deft mation characteristics of these anisotropic rocks in the application of the failure theories were determined by the lamination plane angle to the loading direction when applying the stress state. Various failure théorie», were applied to determine the anisotropic strength and deformation properties of these rocks. It is commonly assumed that bedding planes of sedimentary rocks exhibit homogeneous properties and it was found to be a transversely isotropic rock material.


In part 2 the author tries to put the organizations which are responsible forguaranteeingsecurity and have the opportunity to control the means of violence into the sphere of social-economic analysis. The theoretical approaches are mainly focused on actions of those who have access to the means of duress. Short theoretical description of force entrepreneurship is given after that. The third part discovers the first elementary form of force entrepreneurship - provision of protection services including so called "guarding racket". Then the author analyzes the more complicated forms of force entrepreneurship - force partnership and force.


This paper, written for a Symposium, identifies and challenges three premises contained in the Symposium's title, "Divorce Reform for the Protection of Children." First, it tacitly assumes that divorce reform can protect "children" in general, rather than a relatively small, and quite demographically distinct, population of children in particular. Second, it assumes that divorce itself poses a danger to these children. Third, it assumes that the law should step in to avert, or at least manage that danger. This paper interrogates each of these propositions. My project may strike some as painfully obvious. Of course there are bigger, broader threats to American children, but this conference is not about the top five threats to American children; it is about divorce. Surely we can make divorce less difficult and less painful for children and surely that is worth doing. There is an impressive assembly of brainpower in this Symposium devoted to precisely that. But my thesis here is that first, there are built-in costs and built-in limits to this particular approach. Second, both can be constructively addressed by re-situating the discussion of the protection of children in the broader rhetorical framework of human rights law.


Fragments of Roman sewn‐plank boats have been found, during rescue excavations, in the Canale Anfora, an artificial channel used by Roman ships to enter the Roman city of Aquileia. Remains were found in both 1988 and 2005 at the same site. Elements of what were probably two boats are analysed and compared to other finds of Roman sewn boats found along the coast of the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. They are evidence of the use of this technique, instead of the more widespread mortise‐and‐tenon system, in the quite limited area of the Northern Adriatic. These boats were used both for inland and for maritime navigation.


Ovarian granulosa cell tumours are relatively uncommon sex-cord–stromal neoplasms that account for approximately 1–2% of all ovarian malignancies. They are of adult or juvenile type, the former being more common. The prognosis of juvenile granulosa cell tumour (JGCT) is excellent, with tumour recurrence or metastasis being rare, although when this neoplasm does recur, this is usually early.1 Adult granulosa cell tumour (AGCT), on the other hand, is regarded as a low-grade malignant neoplasm since there is a significant propensity for recurrence or metastasis. Often the recurrent or metastatic tumour manifests itself many years after removal of the primary neoplasm with intervals in excess of 10 or even 20 years being not uncommon; the longest reported period from initial removal to tumour recurrence is 37 years.2 The 10-year survival for AGCT has been variously reported as between 60 and 90%; however, the 25-year survival is significantly lower and in the region of 40–60%.3 Most AGCTs are confined to the ovary at diagnosis, that is stage I, and the overall 10-year survival for these is in the region of 85–95%. In most institutions, stage I AGCTs are not given adjuvant therapy and, as such, it would be important to identify prognostic factors that might predict those stage I tumours that are likely to recur since patients could be advised on the likelihood of recurrence, and those with neoplasms with adverse features might be offered adjuvant therapy following surgical removal. Multiple studies have investigated whether there are features that predict which stage I AGCTS are likely to recur and the paper by Leuverink et al in this issue examines the value of mitotic indices and Ki-67 proliferation index in this regard.4 We critically review the published literature in an attempt to ascertain whether there are any clinicopathological features that …


A multifactorial risk pattern of periodontitis has been recognized, where in addition to host and environmental factors a pathogenic microbiota plays a primary role. At present no definite answer can be given to the question of whether the expression of either aggressive etiological agents (implying infection with a virulent microbiota), or a high level of individual susceptibility to periodontal disease, or a specific combination of both is the conductive factor in the etiopathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis. The purpose of the current research was to analyze the prevalence of periodontitis-associated microorganisms in patients with aggressive periodontitis and periodontally healthy elders by using molecular-biologic detection methods like eubacterial PCR-amplification of 16S rDNA in combination with dotblot hybridization. The oligonucleotide probes for the detection of Tannerella forsythensis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Fusobacterium spp., Prevotella intermedia, Eikenella corrodens, Veillonella parvula and Capnocytophaga ochracea were designed and evaluated. The PCR products of 42 cultivated target and closely related bacteria were obtained for the optimization of hybridization conditions. For the epidemiological study subgingival plaque was sampled from four pockets and one healthy site of 45 aggressive periodontitis patients as well as from five sites of 21 elderly. The differences in the prevalence of bacterial species was analyzed by chi-square test. The results of the study confirmed the reliability of the oligonucleotide probes in a specific and sensitive detection of the respective oral species. The data of the epidemiological study revealed frequent colonization by T. forsythensis, P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum and C. rectus in patients with aggressive periodontitis, however individual variations were obvious. These microorganisms could be predominantly identified in periodontal pockets, but were significantly less common in the healthy sites of the periodontitis patients and in the elderly subjects. A. actinomycetemcomitans could be detected in only a few patients, reducing its suspected importance in the etiopathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis. No direct association for P. intermedia and E. corrodens with aggressive periodontitis or periodontal health could be seen. C. ochracea was highly prevalent in the well-maintained elderly, being rarely found in the diseased group. The putative pathogens T. forsythensis, P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum and C. rectus can be conclusively suggested as the key-bacteria in patients with aggressive periodontitis. However, considering that periodontitis is a polymicrobial infection, the screening of the microbial population, rather than the isolation of single members of the subgingival flora, should give a more comprehensive perspective in etiopathogenetic research of periodontitis.


This work describes a method based on vaporization techniques, for direct determination of calcium carbonate in fortified calcium tablets and for determination of total carbonate content in water. A discarded jam jar was adapted to be used as a closed reaction chamber. A piece of cylindrical glass was fitted at the bottom to form a base for the sample vial. In the experiment, a vial containing a carbonated sample was placed inside the jar, surrounded by a pH indicator solution (acceptor solution). The samples containing the carbonate were transformed from these solid or liquid states by acidification to a carbon dioxide gaseous phase inside the jar. The diffused carbon dioxide was then trapped into the indicator acceptor (Cresol red). The change of the absorbance of cresol red, based on alteration of solution pH, was detected at wavelength 440 nm. The system showed good linearity between absorbance and carbonate concentration allowing direct measurement of carbonate in both solid and liquid samples. The results show that the developed system is both performs well and is cost-effective for quality control in industry and in environmental measurement.


The MBA Business Research was constructed to help students in MBA classes with basic business research methods - topics covered include: company data, country research, and marketing information resources.


Continuum solvation methods can provide an accurate and inexpensive embedding of quantum simulations in liquid or complex dielectric environments. Notwithstanding a long history and manifold applications to isolated systems in open boundary conditions, their extension to materials simulations, typically entailing periodic boundary conditions, is very recent, and special care is needed to address correctly the electrostatic terms. We discuss here how periodic boundary corrections developed for systems in vacuum should be modified to take into account solvent effects, using as a general framework the self-consistent continuum solvation model developed within plane-wave density-functional theory [O. Andreussi et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 064102 (2012)]. A comprehensive discussion of real-and reciprocal-space corrective approaches is presented, together with an assessment of their ability to remove electrostatic interactions between periodic replicas. Numerical results for zero-and two-dimensional charged systems highlight the effectiveness of the different suggestions, and underline the importance of a proper treatment of electrostatic interactions in first-principles studies of charged systems in solution.


Abstract. We used banding data to investigate dispersal and survival of Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus) in two study areas in southern Ohio from 1996 to 2018. Of the 2448 nestlings we banded, 167 (6.8%) were encountered (dead or alive) some time after banding. Mean distance from the natal nest at the time of encounter was 31.6 ± 6.2 km (median = 10.0, range = 0.1–568.6 km, n = 163); natal dispersal distance averaged 16.0 ± 1.9 km (median = 9.0, range = 1.4–117.1 km, n = 110), and was significantly greater for females than for males. Most hawks dispersed <30 km, but 11 hawks (6.7%) dispersed >100 km from their natal nest. Of these long-distance dispersers, nine (82%) were <2 yr old, suggesting that some young birds wander widely prior to breeding. Dispersal distance differed by sex and age at encounter, with dispersal distance negatively correlated with age at encounter, and females dispersing farther (39.8 ± 12.3 km) than males (22.8 ± 9.86 km) and unknown-sex birds (33.9 ± 10.6 km; all P < 0.05; means estimated from the logistical regression model). Dispersal direction for all birds followed a uniform distribution (P > 0.05); however, dispersal direction of long-distance dispersers was not uniform (P < 0.05) but bimodal, with hawks encountered either to the south or to the northeast of the study area. Mean age at recovery was 2.6 ± 0.3 yr (median = 1.5 yr, range = 0.2–10.3 yr). As in other raptor species, apparent annual survival varied between age classes, with young birds (hatch-year and second-year) having lower apparent annual survival (0.49 ± 0.03) than adult birds (0.76 ± 0.03). Our study provides information on dispersal, survival, and causes of mortality of Red-shouldered Hawks, demographic data that are important for evaluating population trends and the sustainability of urban/suburban populations.


Waltz with Bashir is a "psycho-documentary cartoon" made by the Israeli director Ari Folman about the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacre that occurred during the 1982 Lebanon War. The film has received mixed reviews and caused heated debate among fans and critics since its release in 2008. In this paper I read Waltz with Bashir as an Israeli soldier's traumatic awakening to his blindness to the dehumanizing power of the militant nationalist ideology of Israel and the cumulative trauma thus inflicted on the Palestinians. In my reading of this film, I focus on key moments of traumatic encounters that Folman portrays in his animated feature: Folman's recurring dream, Frenkel's surreal dance, and the shocking news footage at the end of the film. Taking my cue from Eric L. Santner's notions of "ethical encounters" and of memories as an "archive of symptoms," I read these traumatic encounters with the Other as unintended sites where the subject becomes exposed to the nakedness of his being and the "corporeal vulnerability" he shares with his Neighbor, an exposure which compels him to perform memory-work "otherwise" by animating repressed affects. By recollecting and deciphering missed encounters, the subject then creates the possibility of translating missed opportunities into ethical encounters. Folman's encounter with the Palestinian women at the end of the film is, in my reading, precisely such a revelatory moment that releases him from the mesmerizing, though cryptic, demands of nationalist ideology and opens him to live "in the midst of life."


The relationship between the cinematic image and the industrial commodity was the subject of many product placement studies during the 20th century. This article argues that the contemporary computer automation of perspective and rendering has had far-reaching consequences for the relationship between cinematic image and manufactured object. The emergence of Renaissance perspective structured a new relationship between the image and the object, both of which were rationalised under the visually representable specificity of geometrical and mathematical precision. Taking this as a departure, contemporary computer generated (CG) animation renovates 'the visual nominalism' of Renaissance perspective with one crucial difference: computer automation adds the fourth dimension of time to the perspectival image. This facilitates an image form qualitatively different from either hand-drawn Renaissance imaging or mechanically reproduced film, an image form that is instead both hand-drawn and mechanically reproduced at the same time. The implications of this difference are explored through a close analysis of contemporary CG animated features, which offer much to an understanding of the future development of all cinematic imaging and consumer culture. Perhaps most significantly, the objects and characters that populate CG features are integrally related to contemporary practices of industrial product design engineering: a development that has considerable implications for contemporary understandings of 'product placement'. When every object on screen is literally an industrially manufactured, carefully placed product, traditional theories of film, advertising and consumer culture need to be retriangulated. This article asserts that CG features demand a new approach to the relationship between cinematic image and manufactured product on multiple levels.


Background: The typical patient with Gallstone ileus is female, elderly, with concomitant medical diseases and high operative risk. This disease is becoming more common as a result of increase the aging population. Its diagnosis is difficult and early diagnosis could reduce the mortality. Nowadays the use of new imaging techniques can expedite the correct diagnosis, decreasing preoperative delay. However, controversy persists primarily in relation to surgical strategy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients with the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction between 1998 and 2011. We took into consideration concomitant medical conditions, previous history of cholelithiasis, operative risk (ASA score), preoperative findings, duration and type of surgery, post-operative outcome, 30-day mortality.  Results: The incidence was 0.66% (4 out of 601 cases of intestinal obstruction), 1% if we consider small bowel obstruction only (399 cases), 2.01% in patients over the age of 65 (199 out of 601) and 3.73 % in patients over the age of 80 (107 out of 601). In cases of small bowel obstruction resulting in impacted foreign body the incidence was 36.36 %. All patients were female with a mean age of 81.7 (range 75 - 86). The proper diagnosis prior to surgery was assessed in 2 out of 4 cases. In one case enterolithotomy was completed in one stage with cholecystectomy and closure of the fistula during acute surgery, while in 3 cases enterolithotomy alone was performed, 1 patient operated enterolithotomy alone died on the 14th postoperative.  Conclusions: The history, clinical, and radiologic findings are often nonspecific suggesting only a small bowel obstruction. Nowadays the use of new imaging techniques, in combination with plain abdominal radiographs, can expedite the correct diagnosis in over 50% of cases decreasing preoperative delay. The type of intervention does not significantly influence post-operative morbidity and mortality rates. We believe to perform simple enterolithotomy as procedure of choice, while the one-stage procedure should be performed in patients with greater life expectancy, less operative risk and comorbidity. doi:10.4021/jcs87w


Introduction Worldwide, prisons are high-risk settings for the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV. There is a need to understand the health conditions of prisoners to improve and implement timely strategies for HIV diagnosis and control. Hence, we aimed to identify factors associated with self-reported HIV (srHIV) among Peruvian inmates. Methods This study is a secondary data analysis of the First Peruvian Prison Census conducted in 2016. We estimated the prevalence of srHIV in prisoners who were male at birth and the association of srHIV with other social conditions, criminal records, and prevalent health conditions. Nested models identified a multivariable parsimonious model for factors associated with srHIV and yielding prevalence ratios adjusted by the included parameters. Results The census surveyed 71,087 male inmates of whom 0.4% reported srHIV (n = 305), and 82% of whom were receiving antiretroviral treatment (n = 220). In our final multivariable model, srHIV was independently associated with age between 36 and 55 years old vs. >55 years old [parsimonious prevalence ratio (pPR) = 1.98, 95% CI, 0.96–4.08], having a stable partner out of prison (pPR = 1.64, 95% CI, 1.24–2.19), being homosexual (pPR = 4.16, 95% CI, 2.50–6.90), self-report of prevalent tuberculosis co-infection (pPR = 2.55, 95% CI, 1.82–3.58), self-report of prevalent sexually transmitted infections (pPR = 34.49, 95% CI, 24.94–47.70), and self-report of prevalent illicit drug use 30 days before the survey (pPR = 1.91, 95% CI, 1.43–2.56). Conclusion Self-reported HIV is associated with multiple social, health and prison risks among Peruvian inmates. Deeply understanding these factors would help to design HIV prevention and control strategies in Peruvian prisons.


A novel current reference with low temperature and supply sensitivity and without any external component has been developed in a 0.25 /spl mu/m mixed-mode process. The circuit is based on a bandgap reference (BGR) voltage and a CMOS circuit similar to a beta multiplier. An NMOS transistor in triode region has been used in place of a resistor in conventional beta multiplier to achieve a current which has a negative temperature coefficient and only oxide thickness dependent. The BGR voltage has a positive temperature coefficient to cancel the negative temperature coefficient of the beta multiplier. The simulation results using Bsim3v3 model show max-to-min fluctuation of less than 1% over a temperature range of -20/spl deg/C to +100/spl deg/C and a supply voltage range of 1.4 V to 3 V with /spl plusmn/30% tolerance for all of the used on- chip resistors. The maximum current variation is slightly less than the oxide thickness variation in the process corners.


Five decades of rhetoric and reform in teacher education underscore the importance of multicultural education in preparing teachers to meet the needs of all students. State and national policy initiatives targeting multicultural education build on two assumptions: first, that preservice teachers lack the multicultural awareness to function as culturally responsive educators, and second, that higher levels of multicultural awareness correspond with increased pedagogical proficiency. Few studies have examined variation in multicultural awareness across preservice candidates, or the link between multicultural awareness and prospective teachers' measured competencies. Using a novel dataset of 2,500 preservice teachers' beliefs and student teacher performance assessments, we find that Black and Latino candidates report greater multicultural awareness, while Asian Americans report less, compared with their White counterparts. Prior experience working with nondominant populations is linked with higher levels of awareness, particularly for minority respondents. Propensity score matching analyses reveal that multicultural awareness is tied to candidates' competence in creating nurturing classroom environments.


The paper is concerned with the development of an unsupervised segmentation algorithm for multispectral images. Due to the high dimensionality of these images, the underlining motivation of this work is on how to build up a robust unsupervised segmentation algorithm with acceptable computational complexity. After an initial approximate segmentation using the EM algorithm, a cost function associated to each pixel is proposed. This function includes a term that measures how close the pixel at hand is to the region's distribution centroids, and another term that measures the local homogeneity in the pixel's neighborhood. In addition, an edge progression technique is used to re-label pixels optimally. Extensive experiments have been carried out on many multispectral images and quantitative results have shown the efficiency of the approach.


Recent experiments have demonstrated that the ATP-utilizing chromatin assembly and remodeling factor (ACF) is a dimeric, processive motor complex which can move a nucleosome more efficiently towards longer flanking DNA than towards shorter flanking DNA strands, thereby centering an initially ill-positioned nucleosome on DNA substrates. We give a Fokker-Planck description for the repositioning process driven by transitions between internal chemical states of the remodelers. In the chemical states of ATP hydrolysis during which the repositioning takes place a power stroke is considered. The slope of the effective driving potential is directly related to ATP hydrolysis and leads to the unidirectional motion of the nucleosome-remodeler complex along the DNA strand. The Einstein force relation allows us to deduce the ATP-concentration dependence of the diffusion constant of the nucleosome-remodeler complex. We have employed our model to study the efficiency of positioning of nucleosomes as a function of the ATP sampling rate between the two motors which shows that the synchronization between the motors is crucial for the remodeling mechanism to work.


The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of four radiolabeled phosphodiester oligonucleotides with 3'- and 5'-blocked ends were studied in mice and compared with previously studied, unblocked, all-phosphodiester and all-phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. The radiolabel was a tritiated methyl group enzymatically attached at an internal cytidine. The ends of the blocked phosphodiester oligonucleotides were protected by cyclization or by incorporation of either phosphorothioate or methylphosphonate linkages. Although these modifications protected the blocked oligonucleotides from degradation by exonucleases present in mouse serum, degradation initiated by endonucleases was 50% complete in 0.5-5 hr. After intravenous injection, the blocked oligonucleotides were much less stable than the all-phosphorothioate oligonucleotide and only marginally more stable than the previously studied, unblocked phosphodiester oligonucleotide. Even a "chimeric" blocked oligonucleotide with 16 phosphorothioate linkages and eight contiguous phosphodiester linkages was rapidly degraded. Despite the favorable serum binding, tissue accumulation, and stability observed with phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, these properties did not provide the chimeric oligonucleotide access to a compartment where its phosphodiester linkages were stable. In other respects, the blocked and chimeric phosphodiester oligonucleotides also resembled the unblocked phosphodiester oligonucleotide; radiolabel was cleared rapidly from the blood, there was little evidence of tissue accumulation, high performance liquid chromatographic analysis of tissue extracts showed extremely rapid degradation to mononucleotides, and only mononucleotide metabolites were present in urine. In summary, blocked phosphodiester oligonucleotides are rapidly attacked by endonucleases present in mice. Unless this problem is less serious in primates, such blocked oligonucleotides will be relatively unattractive candidates for drug development.


Chemoprevention opens new perspectives in the prevention of cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases associated with tobacco smoking, exploitable in current smokers and, even more, in exsmokers and passive smokers. Evaluation of biomarkers in animal models is an essential step for the preclinical assessment of efficacy and safety of potential chemopreventive agents. Groups of Sprague Dawley rats were exposed whole body to a mixture of mainstream and sidestream cigarette smoke for 28 consecutive days. Five chemopreventive agents were given either with drinking water (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, 1 g/kg body weight/day) or with the diet (1,2-dithiole-3-thione, 400 mg; Oltipraz, 400 mg; phenethyl isothiocyanate, 500 mg; and 5,6-benzoflavone, 500 mg/kg diet). The monitored biomarkers included: DNA adducts in bronchoalveolar lavage cells, tracheal epithelium, lung and heart; oxidative damage to pulmonary DNA; hemoglobin adducts of 4-aminobiphenyl and benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide; micronucleated and polynucleated alveolar macrophages and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in bone marrow. Exposure of rats to smoke resulted in dramatic alterations of all investigated parameters. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine, phenylethyl isothiocyanate, and 5,6-benzoflavone exerted a significant protective effect on all alterations. 1,2-Dithiole-3-thione was a less effective inhibitor and exhibited both a systemic toxicity and genotoxicity in alveolar macrophages, whereas its substituted analogue Oltipraz showed limited protective effects in this model. Interestingly, combination of N-acetyl-L-cysteine with Oltipraz was the most potent treatment, resulting in an additive or more than additive inhibition of smoke-related DNA adducts in the lung and hemoglobin adducts. These results provide evidence for the differential ability of test agents to modulate smoke-related biomarkers in the respiratory tract and other body compartments and highlight the potential advantages in combining chemopreventive agents working with distinctive mechanisms.


Purpose: The purpose of the study is to
find out the impact of automation on the mindset of existing employees as well
as job seekers, the study is to know the perception towards the automation
whether it has a positive or negative impact and also to study whether
automation would pose a threat to upcoming jobs.

Methodology: The first phase of research
analogies was conducted by framing a questionnaire tackling specific points of
the research at hand. The questionnaire was then circulated among the existing
employees and also who were seeking jobs and then 131 prompt responses were
taken from the entire sample size to research upon form the entire population.
The application is used to conduct the research and the data is analysed using
SPSS version 22 and regression is used to conduct the analysis. The data has
been compiled in the keynote format and has been used to show a vivid
description of the entire raw conglomerate data and has finally been
extrapolated into a proper, finished informative product.

Findings: According to the result, the
impact of automation on existing employees is less than as compared to job
seekers (employable mass). Job seekers are mostly concerned about the
employment because as of now automation is limited to an extent but soon in no
time the industries would be transformed with fully automated process and the
jobs will be curtailed.


In this work, we highlight the "lessons from history" that can be drawn from a historical discussion and understanding of the past and present of resource-rich developing economies to obtain conditions for successful natural resources-based development. The conceptual core of our answer to those questions will be based on three key ideas. First, abundance of natural resources is closely associated with levels of economic development. Second, we emphasize that an abundance of natural resources is not a fixed situation. It is a process that reacts to changes in the structure of commodity prices and factor endowments, and progress requires capital, labour, technical change and appropriate institutional arrangements. Finally, history shows that institutional quality is the key factor to deal with abundant natural resources and, especially, with the rents derived from their use and exploitation. The ways in which natural resources interact with economic development are mediated by the performance of institutional arrangements in at least three dimensions: (i) institutions' ability to limit rent-seeking opportunities that divert innovation and resources from productive avenues; (ii) political competition and participation relate to rules governing chief executive recruitment and selection, the fairness and impartiality of electoral processes, and constraints on executive power; and (iii) the characteristics of institutions that reduce transactional risk through proper enforcement of property rights. In sum, history is very clear in showing that natural capital is non-neutral for economic performance but it is a systemic component of economic development where institutional quality is the key component to deal with and create "curses" and "blessings" of natural resources.


BACKGROUND
Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) can be found in approximately 20 % to 35 % of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). PAVM should be treated since they are a source of paradoxical embolization, potentially resulting in severe neurologic complications. The treatment of choice is the endovascular embolization with coils.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Seven patients with HHT underwent superselective embolization of PAVM detected during screening for PAVM. Four patients had a single PAVM and one patient 3, 4 and 5 PAVMs, respectively. Electrolytically detachable coils were used for embolization. In addition, coils with synthetic fibers were used during 6 embolizations for completion of embolization.

RESULTS
Embolization was technically successful in all patients. Complete primary occlusion was achieved in all PAVM. No coil migration or occlusion of unaffected pulmonary arteries was observed. After embolization, one patient developed a small pleural effusion, which was treated symptomatically.

CONCLUSION
As a minimally invasive procedure, superselective embolization is the treatment of choice in treating PAVM in patients with HHT. With the use of electrolytically detachable coils, the ideal coil size can be chosen and exact placement achieved without the risk of coil migration or occlusion of unaffected pulmonary arteries.


Hemorrhagic gastric ulcer were often found in the population who suffered from the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. Gastric biopsy samples taken from 136 patients in the population were examined for Helicobacter pylori by culture and PCR methods. Furthermore, production of CagA protein from isolates was investigated. Number of positive cases with culture and PCR method were 20 (50.0%) and 26 (65.0%) in hemorrhagic ulcer, 62 (86.1%) and 65 (90.3%) in other ulcers, respectively. Number of CagA positive strains from the patients of the hemorrhagic ulcer and other ulcers were 20 (76.9%) and 21 (32.3%), respectively. The significance in both ulcers was observed (p < 0.001). From the present results, it was considered that the stress of the earthquake, the infection of H. pylori and the production of CagA protein of the organism were combined and this caused hemorrhagic gastric ulcers.


Raman spectroscopy is a practical evaluation technique for the quantum effect of phonons in a microcrystalline structure. It is very sensitive to fluctuations of crystalline potential or localized atomic geometry. Phonon confinement is observed as a broadening and desymmetrization of the Raman spectrum. However, Raman spectra also include information on crystal quality, strain, and thermal influence caused by the excitation source. Because these factors have an effect similar to that of phonon confinement on spectra, distinction of the factors is essential for accurate evaluation of the phonon confinement effect. The influence of these effects in the utrathin-film silicon-on-insulator (SOI) was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Marked broadening and desymmetrization of Raman spectra were confirmed for the SOIs with thickness less than 5 nm. The crystalline quality and strain in the SOI layer were investigated by X-ray diffraction. We developed a precise simulation technique for phonon confinement with consideration of thermal and strain effects. By comparing the simulation with the results of Raman spectroscopy, an exact evaluation of phonon confinement effects in utrathin-film SOI was achieved.


UNILATERAL syphilitic primary optic nerve atrophy will almost always become bilateral if not treated properly. If, however, therapy is begun while the atrophy of the optic nerve is limited to one side, involvement of the normal eye may be prevented in a high proportion of cases. 1 In my anatomic material of 12 cases of syphilitic primary optic nerve atrophy, death had occurred at a time when the atrophy was confined to one optic nerve in 2. The histologic study of the visual pathways in these 2 cases furnished the clue to the ultimate degeneration of the nerve fibers of both optic nerves. REPORT OF CASES Case 1. —Unilateral syphilitic primary atrophy of the optic nerve in a patient with dementia paralytica. A Negro woman aged 65 presented the characteristic symptoms of dementia paralytica without tabetic involvement of the spinal cord. There were syphilitic aortic insufficiency and roentgenographic evidence of


Palm kernel wastes produced from small and medium-scale industries pose a serious environmental problem in Nigeria. A portion of these wastes is used as feed supple-ments for livestock but most are disposed off by burningin the industry for heating purposes. This practice is anenvironmental concern and the byproduct ash is also aproblem which needs to be addressed. Alternative economic disposal methods are necessary and one potential method is to convert the wastes into compost and put them back on the farm.This paper describes a study in which palm kernel waste was converted into compost using goat manure andpoultry droppings as nitrogen supplements. Thecompost was assessed for crop yield using green amaranth as a test crop under greenhouse conditions.The composting process was complete within 42 daysand the quality was found to be good.The results indicate that the composts can be applied at 4 tonnes/Ha to obtain yields comparable to those of organo-mineral fertilizer and chemical fertilizer which are popular among Nigerian farmers. This composting process has the potential to address the environmental health concerns arising from the current way of dealing with palm kernel wastes.


Ensuring a comfortable indoor air quality requires a minimum fresh air supply by ventilation. Moreover, the improvement of the air tightness in new and refurbished high performance buildings enhances the role of mechanical ventilation and its importance in further increasing the energy efficiency. Indeed, a reduction of the ventilation load can be achieved by installing air-to-air heat recovery devices, whose potential energy savings can be easily assessed by means of their nominal effectiveness. However, this estimation does not consider the impact on the overall performance of the system, in particular when humidity control is needed. Proper control strategies can be defined on the basis of the indoor latent load to prevent preheating or avoid moisture recovery when dehumidification by cooling is then required. In this work, the energy saving potential of heat recovery systems has been analyzed, considering the impact of different control strategies on both energy and cost savings. The calculations have been generalized using the specific latent load, which allows for the analysis of strategies and savings based on typical utilization categories, without considering in detail all the building characteristics. Representative hourly weather data for 66 European cities have been used to evaluate sensible and total heat recovery devices. The energy and the cost saving results have been mapped per each European Koppen-Geiger climate class and each country, respectively. The proposed strategies based on humidity control can strongly reduce the attractiveness of total heat recovery with respect to sensible heat recovery in terms of energy and cost savings, especially when high specific latent loads are considered.


Introduction Alemtuzumab (Campath-1H), the first humanised monoclonal antibody, is emerging as the most effective disease modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). One common side effect is thyroid gland disturbance. However, despite use in clinical trials and off-licence as a compassionate treatment, little is known about the spectrum, clinical aspects, and treatment requirements of Campath induced thyroid dysfunction. Aim To characterise the thyroid complications of the Plymouth Hospitals Campath cohort. Method Hospital notes from all people with MS treated with Campath, were examined in chronological order (since 2002). Thyroid complications were characterised clinically, biochemically and immunologically. Results To date notes from 135 consecutive patients have been examined (2002–2011). There is a thyroid disturbance in 34.1%, in 5.2% the disturbance being only immunological (TPO positive), while 28.9% have a biochemical and/or clinical thyroid disturbance. Of these last group there have been 19 thyrotoxicosis cases (14.1%) with an onset date between 14 and 45 months after the 1st Campath dose, 1 thyroid eye disease (0.7%), eight transient hyperthyroidism (5.9%) and 13 hypothyroidism (9.6%). All the patients with thyrotoxicosis received Carbimazole and two radioiodine. Of note from the 25 TPO positive patients only seven haven't developed a biochemical or clinical thyroid complication. Conclusion Campath induced thyroid disturbance in MS appears common and of a wide variety. Most people required treatment and have persistent thyroid dysfunction many years after treatment. The minority were severe. Careful pro-active surveillance is required to prevent and treat these complications promptly.


We aimed to determine the effect of Luria-Bertani (LB) medium, nutrient broth (NB) and tryptic soy broth (TSB), pH, temperature, and incubation time on the production of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS). The effect of glucose, whey and glycerol on bacterial EPS production by Bacillus pseudomycoides U10 was also tested. LB was better than NB and TSB for EPS production. Maximum EPS production was obtained when 1 g/L whey was added to the growth medium. The influence of incubation times (24–96 h), different pH values (6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0 and 9.0) and temperature (25, 30, 37 and 45 °C) were also tested. The optimum pH level was 7.0 and the highest EPS production was observed at 37 °C after 60 h of incubation. Glycerol was not a good carbon source for cell growth and EPS production. The difference in carbohydrate and protein amount was related to the different types of EPS (dissolved and particulate). In general, the uronic acid content in particulate EPS was lower than in dissolved EPS. The maximum uronic acid was obtained from dissolved EPS (16 mg uronic acid/g EPS). According to X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric EPS have a poorly crystalline nature and exhibit two-step degradations, corresponding to the weight loss of moisture and/or carboxyl group and the pyrolysis of EPS, without distinctive changes in different media conditions. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data indicate the layer thickness of the bacterial EPS is from 12.04 to 14.07 A for whey and dissolved LB conditions, respectively. It was found that EPS structures changed with whey addition, such as higher d-values, lower weight losses and more filamentous structures which seemed to be related to increasing durability and/or stability.


This thesis (papers submission) focuses on the challenge of using public opinion to value environmental goods that are both complex to understand and unfamiliar to people. The three central papers are introduced by a literature review, which considers recent advancements in methods and knowledge associated with determining values for unfamiliar goods. The first paper then applies a stated preference choice experiment (using online surveys) and a latent class analysis to determine the value of reducing persistent chemicals from waterbodies in England and Wales. A scientific certainty attribute is included to capture the uncertainties associated with persistent chemical effects, marking a novel contribution to the literature and a development of the precautionary principle for application. The second paper uses a deliberative approach to investigate how people frame policy options for reducing chemical water pollution in England and Wales (required under the Water Framework Directive), using a representative sample of participants over two consecutive weekend workshops. The key finding here is that stated preference research aiming to be policy-relevant should improve its approach to cost fairness issues. The final paper uses a contingent valuation approach (using online surveys) to estimate the value of removing metal pollution from waterbodies in England and Wales. This paper applies a split sample to investigate the effect of a social norms information treatment on how convincing and realistic people found the stated preference scenario and payment tasks to be, which increased for the treatment group. The results indicate that the treatment has a weak direct impact on estimated mean willingness to pay (WTP), however a relative measure of WTP precision suggests that such estimates can be improved if people pay attention to the treatment. The findings from this thesis are of use to social scientists, civil servants and environmental economists interested in: improving approaches to valuing complex and unfamiliar goods; better reflecting natural decision-making in public opinion research; and applying findings from deliberative and survey-based research to create and manage more effective policies.


N-Acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) levels in serum and urine from diabetics have been measured over a three-year period to assess their potential as indicators of the onset of retinopathy and nephropathy. The presence of retinopathy and nephropathy was confirmed by fluorescein angiography performed at the end of the study and by proteinuria, respectively. Three groups of diabetics were investigated, those on insulin, on oral hypoglycaemics, or on diet only. There was no apparent correlation between total NAG activity in serum with the development of retinopathy, nor were serum isoenzyme variations useful in this context. However, urine total NAG activity demonstrated a striking difference between diabetics of all groups and normals. In particular the B isoenzyme doubled in diabetics. The potential use of this finding in relation to prediction of the onset of microangiopathy is discussed.


The graphical approaches often have different backgrounds and view a system or an algebraic model from different perspectives in order to facilitate the communication and the understanding. These graphical approaches satisfy the modeling needs and give a clear and easily understandable overview of the behavioral and functional models and make easier to see what the process is, which vulnerabilities and asset that are involved and how the system works. The main goal of this paper is to develop and implement a methodology which combines the functional analysis and the bond graph (BG) tool for intelligent and autonomous systems. As a result, a supervisory interface is obtained, given under a finite automaton, displaying to the operators the possibilities the system has to achieve or not, its objectives. Each operating mode, corresponding to a vertex of the automaton, is associated with a set of services from a functional point-of-view and is defined accurately by a behavioral BG model. Furthermore, the service availability (associated to the BG elements) and the conditions for switching from one mode to another one are analyzed by fault detection and isolation algorithms generated on the basis of the structural and causal properties of the BG tool. Moreover, when a fault is not completely isolable some results can nevertheless be expressed in terms of available or unavailable services.


The present study investigated the role of religiosity in dealing with family-related uncertainties (e.g., uncertainty concerning fertility decisions or the stability of family relationships) that arise from current social change in industrialized nations. We hypothesized that religiosity, because it is a central source of family values and norms, reduces individuals' perceived load of family-related uncertainties. At the same time, because perceiving family-related uncertainties may conflict with religious values and norms concerning the family, we expected that religiosity exacerbates the association of these uncertainties with psychological distress. Structural equation modeling with latent interactions in a sample of 2,571 Polish adolescents and adults 20 to 46 years of age supported these predictions. Although modest in magnitude, associations held after controlling for potential sociodemographic confounders. Our study reveals the complex role of religiosity in dealing with family-related uncertainties and underscores the importance of attending to potential downsides of this otherwise beneficial resource.