Introduction Emergency department (ED) crowding is recognised as a major public health problem. While there is agreement that ED crowding harms patients, there is less agreement about the best way to measure ED crowding. We have previously derived an eight-point measure of ED crowding by a formal consensus process, the International Crowding Measure in Emergency Departments (ICMED). We aimed to test the feasibility of collecting this measure in real time and to partially validate this measure. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in four EDs in England. We conducted independent observations of the measure and compared these with senior clinician's perceptions of crowding and safety. Results We obtained 84 measurements spread evenly across the four EDs. The measure was feasible to collect in real time except for the 'Left Before Being Seen' variable. Increasing numbers of violations of the measure were associated with increasing clinician concerns. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.80 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.90) for predicting crowding and 0.74 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.89) for predicting danger. The optimal number of violations for predicting crowding was three, with a sensitivity of 91.2 (95% CI 85.1 to 97.2) and a specificity of 100.0 (92.9–100). The measure predicted clinician concerns better than individual variables such as occupancy. Discussion The ICMED can easily be collected in multiple EDs with different information technology systems. The ICMED seems to predict clinician's concerns about crowding and safety well, but future work is required to validate this before it can be advocated for widespread use.


Applying gene technology in agricultural production, which results on the so-called genetically modified (GM) foods, is one of the most controversial scientific, political and social debates. In the EU, the underdevelopment of biotech crops is attributed to the social distrust in transgenic food. The potential consumers' reactions towards Genetically Modified (GM) food influence the commercial feasibility and determine the economic agent decisions. This paper studies the underlying factors involved in determining consumers' choice behaviour towards GM foods, examining the potential role of people literacy what is an issue barely studied by literature. The research is performed in Southern Spain using variance-Structural Equation Modelling, Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results indicate that perceived risks and benefits from GM food act as antecedent of consumers' purchase decisions and some differences are found in the patterns of behavioural intentions between scientific-technical literacy and social-humanistic literacy group.


ABSTRACT The European Union's (EU) Common Commercial Policy (CCP) is more fragile than the label 'exclusive competence' suggests. Ratification conflicts have increased since the 1980s and have further intensified in recent years. Simultaneously, the EU's trade competence witnessed a progressive expansion in consecutive treaty reforms. In recourse to the 'failing forward' (Jones et al., 2016) argument, this paper argues that recurring failure and progressive integration have been equally constitutive elements in the CCP's historical development. The substantive expansion of the international 'deep trade' agenda repeatedly laid bare the gaps in and fuelled intergovernmental conflict over the scope of the EU's competences. Over time, these instabilities acted as a catalyst of integration, supporting supranational entrepreneurs' quest for – and member state governments' acceptance of – further yet ever-incomplete delegation. The paper thus demonstrates that, under certain conditions, the failing forward argument is applicable even to the EU's historical core of regulatory market-making.


It is obvious from the study of literature that university-industry (U-I) relationships and their subsequent knowledge transfers are topics of high political, economical, managerial and academic interest. Indeed, technological knowledge is seen as a major source of long-term economic growth and its transfer to the firm is critical since it acts as a significant innovation factor. In order to access this knowledge, a portfolio of sourcing strategies is available to the firm: knowledge creation through internal RandD departments, knowledge sharing with suppliers or market relationships, and also transfer from knowledge institutions such as public and private research centres. In this paper, we recognISe that University is a central source of knowledge but we question the general belief that knowledge is per se flowing between private and academic sphere through the conduct of University-Industry relationships. As a result, this paper presents our literature analysis concerning this research topic and explores one particular mean of inter-organisational knowledge transfer, namely the University-Industry collaborative research project. We present findings from an exploratory study, which aims at examining knowledge flows and collaborative behaviours at stake in such research projects. This interview survey has been realised with respondents actively involved in Belgian university-industry (U-I) interactions and provides qualitative data analysed through the theoretical framework of organisational knowledge creation developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi. We found evidence supporting the existence of a knowledge spiral as a dynamic for the whole projects and identified some knowledge-based limits to the reconciliation process between university's interests and company's needs.


Recent findings on the ecology, etiology and pathology of coral pathogens, host resistance mechanisms, previously unknown disease/syndromes and the global nature of coral reef diseases have increased our concern about the health and future of coral reef communities. Much of what has been discovered in the past 4 years is presented in this special issue. Among the significant findings, the role that various Vibrio species play in coral disease and health, the composition of the 'normal microbiota' of corals, and the possible role of viruses in the disease process are important additions to our knowledge. New information concerning disease resistance and vectors, variation in pathogen composition for both fungal diseases of gorgonians and black band disease across oceans, environmental effects on disease susceptibility and resistance, and temporal and spatial disease variations among different coral species is presented in a number of papers. While the Caribbean may still be the 'disease hot spot' for coral reefs, it is now clear that diseases of coral reef organisms have become a global threat to coral reefs and a major cause of reef deterioration.


A huge amount of ferronickel slag is produced as a by-product of manufacturing ferronickel, which is used in stainless steel and nickel alloy. This paper presents the effect of using different percentages of ground ferronickel slag (GFNS) with fly ash (FA) on the workability and compressive strength of geopolymer mortar. A mixture of NaOH and Na2SiO3 solutions was used as the alkaline activator. It was found that the flow of fresh mortar decreased with the increase of GFNS content. This is attributed to the higher fineness and angular shape of GFNS particles as compared to spherical fly ash particles. The mortar cube specimens were heat-cured at 60 °C for 24 hours. The compressive strength of geopolymer mortar using 100% FA was 54 MPa and it increased by 17%, 21% and 36% for using 25%, 50% and 75% GFNS as fly ash replacement, respectively. The strength increase is attributed to the increase of Si/Al ratio by GFNS that favoured the production of alkali aluminosilicate reaction products.


Background The retinoic acid (RA) pathway plays a crucial role in both eye morphogenesis and the visual cycle. Individuals with monoallelic and biallelic pathogenic variants in retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), encoding a serum retinol-specific transporter, display variable ocular phenotypes. Although few families have been reported worldwide, recessive inherited variants appear to be associated with retinal degeneration, while individuals with dominantly inherited variants manifest ocular development anomalies, mainly microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma (MAC). Methods We report here seven new families (13 patients) with isolated and syndromic MAC harbouring heterozygous RBP4 variants, of whom we performed biochemical analyses. Results For the first time, malformations that overlap the clinical spectrum of vitamin A deficiency are reported, providing a link with other RA disorders. Our data support two distinct phenotypes, depending on the nature and mode of inheritance of the variants: dominantly inherited, almost exclusively missense, associated with ocular malformations, in contrast to recessive, mainly truncating, associated with retinal degeneration. Moreover, we also confirm the skewed inheritance and impact of maternal RBP4 genotypes on phenotypical expression in dominant forms, suggesting that maternal RBP4 genetic status and content of diet during pregnancy may modify MAC occurrence and severity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that retinol-binding protein blood dosage in patients could provide a biological signature crucial for classifying RBP4 variants. Finally, we propose a novel hypothesis to explain the mechanisms underlying the observed genotype–phenotype correlations in RBP4 mutational spectrum. Conclusion Dominant missense variants in RBP4 are associated with MAC of incomplete penetrance with maternal inheritance through a likely dominant-negative mechanism.


BACKGROUND: Adherence to medication, and related health and economic outcomes, is becoming increasingly important as populations age and as the number of Americans managing chronic conditions increases. The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) statin medication adherence measure is used in Medicare star ratings to evaluate health plan performance. Yet, limited evidence exists that investigates the association between statin medication adherence, as specified in the PQA adherence quality measure, and disease-state control, health care utilization, and costs. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between adherence (≥80% proportion of days covered) and disease-state control, health care utilization, and health care costs for Medicare supplemental beneficiaries using statin medications eligible for inclusion in the PQA statin adherence quality measure. METHODS: This retrospective study used a cohort of eligible beneficiaries for inclusion in the PQA statin adherence measure with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) laboratory values from IBM MarketScan Medicare Supplemental Research Databases (2009-2015). A logistic regression model assessed the association between adherence and LDL control (controlled individuals had LDL levels ≤ 100 mg/dL). Health care utilization and costs during a 1-year period, from first statin medication claim, were compared between adherent and nonadherent groups using generalized linear models with log link and negative binomial distribution (utilization) or gamma distribution (costs), adjusting for covariates. Beta coefficients were used to compute cost ratios (CR) and rate ratios (RR). Cohort characteristics were assessed using t-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, or chi-square tests. An a priori alpha level of 0.001 was used. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 77,174 beneficiaries, of whom 58,668 (76.0%) were classified as adherent to their statin medications. After controlling for other factors, odds of disease-state control were approximately 2 times higher among medication adherent beneficiaries compared with their nonadherent counterparts (OR = 2.192; 95% CI = 2.109-2.278). Multivariable analyses showed adherers experienced 4.7% fewer outpatient (RR = 0.953; 95% CI = 0.940-0.965) and 27.5% fewer inpatient (RR = 0.725; 95% CI = 0.687-0.766) visits; had 9.9% lower outpatient (CR = 0.901; 95% CI = 0.885-0.916) and 28.3% lower inpatient (CR = 0.717; 95% CI = 0.705-0.729) costs; 14.7% lower total costs (CR = 0.853; 95% CI =0.838-0.868); and 7.0% higher prescription drug costs (CR = 1.070; 95% CI = 1.052-1.089) than nonadherers. Adherence to statin medications was associated with a reduction in total costs of $157.32 per member per month. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective database analysis demonstrated that statin adherence was associated with approximately twice the odds of having a controlled disease state compared with nonadherence in a large Medicare sample. Adherent beneficiaries had fewer outpatient and inpatient visits (lower utilization), lower outpatient and inpatient costs, and lower total costs, a calculated savings of $157.32 per member per month, despite having higher prescription drug costs. Finally, these results provide important new information by demonstrating that adherence (≥ 80%) is associated with lower health care costs in a short (1-year) time frame.


Nutrition and exercise are well-established modalities for the induction of fat loss. However, it is important that alternative methods of fat reduction be investigated whether as supplementary treatments to traditional methods or stand-alone interventions, as a significant portion of the population is unable to participate in exercise training or undergo effective diet programs. Some studies have shown that daily whole-body massage can limit body fat deposition in infants, as well as young and middle-aged adults. While most studies have investigated the effects of traditional massage modalities in which massage is applied by a massage therapist using touch to manipulate the soft tissues of the body, research regarding the efficacy of newer massage modalities like percussive massage remains limited. PURPOSE : To investigate the effects of percussive massage on skeletal muscle mitochondrial fat metabolism and thigh subcutaneous fat thickness. METHODS : Nine healthy young (22±4 yr) men (n=4) and women (n=5) received 18 sessions of 30-min-percussive massage on their right thigh over the course of 6 weeks. Muscle samples were collected one week before the start of massage sessions and 48 h after the last session from the participant's treated thigh. Subcutaneous fat was imaged and measured using ultrasound on both the treated and contralateral thighs. Mitochondrial fat oxidation was assessed in permeabilized muscle fibers using high-resolution respirometry (Oroboros O2k), supported by octanoylcarnitine (0.5 mM), malate (2 mM), and ADP (2.5 mM). Respiration is expressed as pmol of O 2 consumed per second per mg of tissue (wet weight). RESULTS Percussive massage treatment decreased the subcutaneous fat thickness of the treated thigh by 7.2%±5.4, which was not significantly higher than the contralateral leg (0.5% ± 4.3; p=0.07). Subcutaneous fat thickness decreased from 10.04 ± 5.49 mm at baseline to 9.36 ± 5.39 mm post treatment in the treated thigh and remained unchanged in the contralateral limb (9.53 ± 5.18 mm to 9.54 ± 5.24 mm). However, maximal mitochondrial fat oxidation increased significantly (p=0.038) from 13.16 ± 4.9 pmolO 2 /s/mg to 17.33 ± 3.59 pmolO 2 /s/mg (+31.7%), after 6 weeks of percussive massage. CONCLUSION : These results suggest that percussive massage increases mitochondrial fat oxidation, which could potentially lead to a decrease in body fat deposition if applied daily, or over a longer time course.


OBJECTIVE
Macrolide antibiotics are among the most commonly used antibiotics; the association of macrolide antibiotics exposure with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) has been hypothesized. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library from inception to 15 July 2019 to identify studies used macrolide antibiotics for any indication. The results were reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using random-effects model to derive the association of macrolide antibiotics exposure with SNHL. The objective of this meta-analysis was to estimate the association of macrolide antibiotics exposure and SNHL from up-to-date evidence.

KEY FINDINGS
Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. There was no statistically significant association between macrolide antibiotics exposure and SNHL; the OR was 1.20 (95% CI: 0.96 to 1.49). No significant association was found with any of the subgroup meta-analyses.

SUMMARY
Whilst the frequency of SNHL was higher with macrolide antibiotics exposure compared with controls, overall, no association was found between macrolide antibiotics and SNHL.


Modern Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are becoming very popular in embedded systems and high-performance applications. FPGA has benefited from the shrinking of transistor feature size, which allows more on-chip reconfigurable (e.g. memories and look-up tables) and routing resources. Unfortunately, the amount of reconfigurable resources in a FPGA is fixed and limited. This paper investigates an application-mapping scheme in FPGA by utilizing sequential processing units and task specific hardware. Genetic Algorithm is used in this study. We found that placing sequential processor cores into FPGA can improve the resource utilization efficiency and achieved acceptable system performance. In this paper, two cases were studied to determine the trade-off between resource optimization and system performance.


Feedback control of a manipulator with a passive joint which has neither an actuator nor a holding brake is in-vestigated. The manipulator has three axes in a horizontal plane, with the third joint being passive. The dynamic constraint on the free link is 2nd-order nonholonomic. A trajectory for positioning is composed of simple transla-tional and rotational trajectory segments. The trajectory segments are stabilized by nonlinear feedback, considering the motion of the center of percussion of the free link. Simulations and experimental results show the effectiveness of the feedback control law.


Defences against parasites are typically associated with costs to the host that contribute to the maintenance of variation in resistance. This also applies to the defence provided by the facultative bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa, which protects its aphid hosts against parasitoid wasps while imposing life-history costs. To investigate the cost–benefit relationship within protected hosts, we introduced multiple isolates of H. defensa to the same genetic backgrounds of black bean aphids, Aphis fabae, and we quantified the protection against their parasitoid Lysiphlebus fabarum as well as the costs to the host (reduced lifespan and reproduction) in the absence of parasitoids. Surprisingly, we observed the opposite of a trade-off. Strongly protective isolates of H. defensa reduced lifespan and lifetime reproduction of unparasitized aphids to a lesser extent than weakly protective isolates. This finding has important implications for the evolution of defensive symbiosis and highlights the need for a better understanding of how strain variation in protective symbionts is maintained.


Coptosperma graveolens subsp. arabicum (Rubiaceae) is a shrub or small tree and currently endangered in Saudi Arabia. In this study, ribulose-1, 5-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene sequence and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profile of C. graveolens were determined. Our study showed that this species is phylogenetically related with Tarenna supra axilaris , Coptosperma sp. and Paracephaelis sp. group on the basis of rbcL gene sequences. The studied specimen and related taxa inferred from partial rbcL gene sequence demonstrated a distinct lineage; therefore, could distinguish the species as C. graveolens unequivocally. The specimen (6R1) demonstrated the highest level of sequence similarities (99.5%) with three close species in the group. RAPD profile of C. graveolens generated amplified products ranging from 218 to 1338 bp. A total of 18 bands were observed for plant species using 5 commercially available RAPD primers (P). The number of major bands for the plant species for a single primer ranged from 3 to 5. The maximum number of major bands was observed for the P1 (5 bands), 4 bands for P4 and the equal number of bands (3) for P2, P3 and P5. The determined rbcL gene sequence and RAPD profile of the endangered plant species C. graveolens will improve the identification process with morphology based taxonomic methods.


Antimicrobials (AM) play a critical role in the treatment of human and animal (aquatic and terrestrial) diseases, which has led to their widespread application and use. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses and some parasites) to stop an antibiotic, such as an antimicrobial, antiviral or antimalarial, from working against them. Globally, about 700 000 deaths per year arise from resistant infections as a result of the fact that antimicrobial drugs have become less effective at killing resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial chemicals that are present in environmental compartments can trigger the development of AMR. These chemicals can also cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) to further spread antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) because they may have an evolutionary advantage over non-resistant bacteria. This paper will provide alternative screening methods useful for environmental samples and surveillance approaches in planning such screening efforts. Based on case studies, this paper aims to summarize the current understanding of the occurrence of ARG in the environment, and the antimicrobial movement from agricultural areas to the environment. Antimicrobial movement from agricultural areas to the environment: The missing link. A role for nuclear techniques


The Food Policy Audit was developed in response to the growing need for tools to assist in the food planning process and was piloted in a graduate urban and environmental planning course at the University of Virginia. The audit proceeded in two phases: phase one consisted of 113 yes-or-no research questions regarding the existence of foodbased policy relating to public health, economic development, environmental impacts, social equity, and land conservation; phase two confirmed the validity of phase one's results through a series of stakeholder meetings. The meetings also provided insight into the success of policies and initiatives currently in place, community attitudes and perceptions, and community priorities for moving forward. The Food Policy Audit process proved educationally beneficial to both students and community members, and provided a policy-based tool for communities interested in shaping a more sustainable and resilient food system.


In a recent work, quartz single crystal extracted from the pegmatitic vein in the Menderes Massif (Western Turkey) was investigated and the most recent geological events of the sample was dated using Al centers by ESR (electron spin resonance) techniques. The estimated age of 1.8 \pm 0.5 My agree with neither the previous age evaluated to be 12 My by using isotopic dating techniques nor the lifetimes of these centers in the sample. It was suggested that the thermal or geothermal stressing history of the metamorphic region must have changed the apparent ESR age several cycles in this period. The other possibility should also be considered that annealing and reirradiation processes repeated for many times over a long period might effect the paramagnetic characteristics, such as g (spectroscopic splitting factor) values, hyperfine structures of the centers as well as change the ESR ages. Hence the motivation should be investigated at least one cycle. In this study, the angular dependence of the ESR spectra of these centers has been surveyed to understand the influence of heating and reirradiation. Only g values of the Ti centers measured at 100 K could be investigated since their hyperfine structure was well-resolved, while the ESR spectra of Al centers were too complex for this investigation. The principal values and direction cosines of the g-tensor of the Ti centers were calculated to be nearly the same for natural, irradiated and irradiated-annealed-reirradiated samples. Ti centers destroyed by annealing were recreated by g -reirradiation, at least for one step, without affecting the behaviour of the angular dependence of g.


This paper is a contribution to the contested discourse about how healthy food supplies can be secured for future generations. It argues that the small-scale food providers who currently supply the local food webs that nourish more than 70 per cent of the world's population can provide for the growing urban and world population, building on their skills and knowledge. The food webs they serve are productive, resilient, and healthy, connecting food providers and consumers locally. Local food webs are a cornerstone for the model of food provision, in the framework of food sovereignty, that should be prioritized in order to secure our future food. The paper sets out to demonstrate the value and challenges of local, resilient, biodiverse, and productive food systems that would benefit from greater support and compliant policies. It uses examples from Kenya and the UK to demonstrate how productive local food systems can improve small-scale family farming and reduce hunger, in contrast to industrial agricultura...


1. Small mirrors are used to record the movements of the spiracle valves of Schistocerca gregaria, and some general observations are made on the synchronized movements of the spiracles with ventilation. 2. Spiracles 1-3 are shown to alter their positions of opening and closing in different carbon dioxide concentrations, within the pattern of synchronized movements. 3. Modifications of the amount of opening of spiracles 1 and 3 take place as a result of differential contractions of the openers. In spiracle 1 the energy is stored in an elastic system, and the opener does not necessarily make contractions every cycle. Oscilloscope recordings show these reactions, resulting from carbon-dioxide stimulation, are controlled entirely from within the central nervous system and do not depend on any sensory input. 4. The movements of spiracle 2 are controlled peripherally through the direct action of carbon dioxide on the muscle membrane (Hoyle, 1960) and also through a cuticular wide-opening device. 5. The maintained sensitivity of spiracle 1 and the increased sensitivity of spiracle 2 after they are uncoupled from ventilation are discussed. 6. Some remarks are made on the activity of the denervated spiracle 2, and the suggestion is made that it depends on a central core of thin fibres. 7. A central nervous mechanism is postulated which could account for the rhythmic cessation of impulses in spiracle and ventilatory nerves.


or sensor disturbances is proposed. The nonlinear observer design problem is addressed within a similar methodological framework as the one introduced in [8,11] for state estimation purposes only. From a mathematical standpoint, the problem under consideration is addressed through a system of first-order singular PDEs for which a rather general set of solvability conditions is derived. A nonlinear observer can then be designed with a state-dependent gain that can be computed from the solution of the system of singular PDEs. Under the aforementioned conditions, both state and disturbance estimation errors converge to zero with assignable rates. The convergence properties of the proposed nonlinear observer are tested through simulation studies in an illustrative example involving a biological reactor.


Lignin was extracted from Acanthopanax senticosus remainders after pharmaceutical production process, with acetic acid-water as extracting reagent. Four factors effects, namely reaction temperature from 160°C to 220°C, reaction time from 40 min to 100 min, acetic acid concentration from 50% to 80% and solid-liquid ratio from 1:40 to 1:5, were studied and optimized by a four-level orthogonal array design (OAD) on lignin antioxidant capacity. The results indicated the reaction temperature and reaction time were significant factors among these factors. At the same lignin solution concentration, the acetic acid lignin antioxidant capacity was better than that of Kraft lignin, but much lower than that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA).


Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Meningeal tuberculosis is a complication that requires early detection and immediate installation of appropriate therapy. Given the low sensitivity of sputum smear and culture of bacillus tuberculosis, other tools should be explored in the differential diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis such as adenosine deaminase (ADA) isoenzymes. Objectives: To determine ADA isoenzymes activity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with tuberculous meningitis. Design: Descriptive study, with non-probability sampling. Institution: Biochemistry and Nutrition Research Center, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. Biological materials: Samples of CSF from patients with clinical symptoms of tuberculous meningitis. Interventions: Samples of CSF with ADA activity above 9 U / L were stored at -40°C until vertical electrophoresis was run. Mann Whitney statistical analysis was used with 0.1 significance level to compare meningeal tuberculosis ADA values with other nervous system diseases. Main outcome measures: Isoenzymes ADA1m, ADA1cp, and ADA2. Results: Median total ADA enzyme activity in CSF in all patients with TB meningitis was higher than in other parainfective diseases of the central nervous system. In both cases ADA1cp had greater contribution to total ADA and showed larger increase in tuberculous meningitis. ADA2 increase was higher in meningeal tuberculosis compared with other CNS diseases. Conclusions: CSF electrophoresis distinguishes ADA isoenzymes, showing elevated levels of ADA2 in meningeal tuberculosis as a result of increased monocyte-macrophage cell line.


: Changes in systolic time intervals following the administration of either morphine (0.1 mg/kg) or meptazinol (1 mg/kg) were studied in 12 patients admitted to hospital for intra-abdominal operations. The changes in these indices of cardiac performance were small. However, in 5 of the 6 patients who received morphine, the changes were in a direction suggesting negative inotropism, whereas the changes following meptazinol (6 patients) consistently suggested an improved ventricular performance.


There is massive potential in the higher education space spread across the Asian continent especially in countries like India and China. Global players operating in this space are eyeing these markets. This throws opportunities as well as challenges. There are many players, local as well as global, who have experimented or are experimenting online (pure play) or blended models in education. There have been failures and mistakes, which have thrown lot of learning. As a result players have improvised their offers. Online education is now working. Though the progression is slow, it is expected to grow exponential in the coming years. E-learning is network enabled learning. There is a race to get into e-learning space in India given the scope and size of this market in India. But many organizations and academic institutions trying to foray into E-learning are getting imbalanced due to the lack of proper understanding of the market place and internal/external requirements. IT assimilation throws unimaginable challenges. What should be the operating strategy, deliverable value, approach, processes and technology assimilation strategies so that the entire organization moves towards successful implementation of the E-learning project without compromising on its existing competencies is a serious matter for researchers to ponder. This paper tries to answer some of the above issues with the help of the experiences gained form one of the largest online education project launched and running quite successfully in India. The suggested framework evolves around discovery of a collaboration model with software and connectivity service providers and criteria of collaboration to be drawn from the learner needs and requirement. The collaboration should balance to achieve necessary value proposition for the intended learner segment by careful crafting of the Learner Centric Value Chain.


The composition and function of the immune system in African children is linked to age, location, and anemia. A global immune landscape Systems biology approaches to the immune system have revealed specific phenotypes associated with disease or response to vaccination. However, these studies are concentrated in certain areas of the world, and the findings may not apply globally. Hill et al. studied longitudinal blood samples from a large malaria vaccine trial conducted in different African countries. They saw country-specific trajectories of immune development that influenced vaccine responses. Anemic children showed dampened adaptive immune responses. Follow-up experiments with B cells in vitro revealed that iron has direct effects on B cell differentiation. These results show that geographic location has an important influence on immune development. Children from low- and middle-income countries, where there is a high incidence of infectious disease, have the greatest need for the protection afforded by vaccination, but vaccines often show reduced efficacy in these populations. An improved understanding of how age, infection, nutrition, and genetics influence immune ontogeny and function is key to informing vaccine design for this at-risk population. We sought to identify factors that shape immune development in children under 5 years of age from Tanzania and Mozambique by detailed immunophenotyping of longitudinal blood samples collected during the RTS,S malaria vaccine phase 3 trial. In these cohorts, the composition of the immune system is dynamically transformed during the first years of life, and this was further influenced by geographical location, with some immune cell types showing an altered rate of development in Tanzanian children compared to Dutch children enrolled in the Generation R population–based cohort study. High-titer antibody responses to the RTS,S/AS01E vaccine were associated with an activated immune profile at the time of vaccination, including an increased frequency of antibody-secreting plasmablasts and follicular helper T cells. Anemic children had lower frequencies of recent thymic emigrant T cells, isotype-switched memory B cells, and plasmablasts; modulating iron bioavailability in vitro could recapitulate the B cell defects observed in anemic children. Our findings demonstrate that the composition of the immune system in children varies according to age, geographical location, and anemia status.


> Perspective on the paper by Himmelmann et al (see page 921)

Descriptions of the epidemiology of a disease require a specific definition of what comprises the disease. This assumes particular relevance in relation to cerebral palsy (CP) because it is not a single disease entity and it has a multifactorial aetiology, with considerable variation in presenting symptoms and signs. Early descriptions of CP by Little, Freud and Ostler describe it as a collection of motor disorders dating from the time of birth or early childhood and caused by lesions of the brain.1 Since then there have been several attempts to define the syndrome.2 3 4 5 Not only has a universally acceptable definition of what comprises the complexity of CP proved elusive, but its classification into a several subtypes has also presented problems. Classifications have been made based on the anatomical site of the brain impairment; the clinical symptoms and signs, eg, spastic conditions, dyskinesias or ataxias; the topographical involvement of the extremities, eg, hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia; the degree of muscle tone, eg, isotonic, hypotonic or hypertonic; and the timing of the presumed insult, eg, prenatal, perinatal or postnatal.6 To these problems of definition and classification are added the variation over time of symptoms and signs in a child and the variation between assessing clinicians and interpreting these symptoms and signs. An algorithim applying reliable standardised neurological …


Carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of wool textiles from the north (Virú, Early Intermediate Period) and central (Chancay, Late Intermediate Period) coasts of Peru were used to reconstruct the diet and habitat of the camelids (llamas and alpacas) from which they were produced in order to better understand the regional political economies. The Chancay textiles were derived from camelids primarily raised on high-altitude C3 grasslands. Similarly, isotopic data from Virú textiles assembled in north-coast styles are consistent with the importation of highland camelid wool. For both Virú and Chancay, imported raw materials were crafted in local styles, serving as an effective means of materializing corporate power. Stylistically foreign (noncoastal) Virú textiles were characterized by carbon isotopic compositions similar to those for camelids recovered from Early Intermediate Period sites in the Virú Valley and suggest that these textiles originated in the yungas (1,000–2,300 m asl) or the low sierra (2,300–3,500 m asl). Accordingly, although highland camelid wool was imported to the coast, a simple model of exchange involving the movement of wool textiles exclusively from the puna or the altiplano to the coast is untenable.


While some of MENA's recent macro-economic and political developments have created further obstacles for the region's youth, young peoples' responses to these constraints have differed remarkably. As such, the process by which we expand our understanding of young people should be informed by a wider perspective: the aspirations of youth and their senses of identity as well as the economic and political contexts that confront them. How individuals manage the challenges they face, and how youth mobilize collectively to deal with those overarching constraints faced in the region, are likely influenced by diverse factors related to their gendered, national, urban, tribal, cultural, and religious differences. To explore the underlying causes and consequences of these complexities, CIRS launched a multi-disciplinary research initiative in collaboration with Silatech, a Doha-based and youth-oriented social initiative organization. As many of the region's youth are contending with the effects of social and economic exclusion, this research explores the ways in which youth manage and respond to various socioeconomic and political constraints across the region, as well as the potentials of policy to support various aspects of youth's lives. Additionally, this research initiative examines the ways in which Middle Eastern youth collectively regenerate a new consciousness and forge novel methods of mobilization. The original research papers produced as part of this initiative will be published as a special issue of The Muslim World in 2017.


Shape memory alloy (SMA) composites are being used in an ever-expanding set of applications. For new applications, SMA composites are being developed incorporating a wide variety of matrices. The effect of these new compositions on the transformation behavior of the SMA inhomogeneities and on the effective composite behavior is explored here. An analytic methodology combining micromechanical methods with an SMA constitutive model is developed to determine the overall transformation properties of the composite. Specifically, the effective phase diagram, the effective transformation strains and the composite stress state before and after transformation are determined. The results obtained from the analyses of an SMA–ceramic composite show that after transformation the stress distribution between the two phases is modified such that the stress in the direction of applied loading in the SMA phase is reduced while the stress in the same direction in the ceramic phase increases. This stress redistribution decreases the local transformation strain in the direction of loading and results in an increase of the applied stress necessary to initiate and complete the forward and reverse transformation at a specific temperature. The effects of the elastic modulus of the matrix and volume fraction of the SMA inhomogeneities on the transformation behavior are explored through a parametric study to understand their influence on SMA composite design.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether treatment with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) alone or in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can prevent postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery, when compared with conventional nurse-controlled analgesia.

DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING
University Medical Center.

PATIENTS
A total of 120 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting.

INTERVENTIONS
After extubation of the trachea, 120 patients were randomly allocated to three different methods of postoperative pain relief for 72 hrs. In group 1, patients received PCA with a bolus of 1.5 mg piritramide combined with a 10-min lockout interval. Group 2 patients were treated with a combination of PCA and administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed three times per day. Patients of group 3 received conventional nurse-controlled analgesia. Postoperative assessment included daily visual analog pain scoring (VAS) and chest radiographs. All chest radiographs were graded for the extent of atelectasis by a radiologist blinded as to treatment using a scale from 0 to 9 for each of the three lung fields of the right and left lungs.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Chest radiograph atelectasis scores and VAS values were similar among the three groups on the first and second days. On the third day, the chest radiograph atelectasis scores of the left lower and the right middle lung field were significantly better in the groups treated with PCA alone (4.7 +/- 3.0; 0.3 +/- 1.0) and in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (3.9 +/- 1.1; 0.4 +/- 1.2) than in the control group (5.5 +/- 3.1; 0.8 +/- 1.8). Furthermore, on the third day, the VAS values for maximum pain were higher in the control group (42.6 +/- 19.7) compared with the VAS values in the two groups with PCA (32.2 +/- 17.9 and 34.5 +/- 21.0).

CONCLUSIONS
PCA significantly decreases postoperative pulmonary atelectasis in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting when compared with nurse-controlled analgesia. In addition, patients treated with PCA experienced a higher quality of analgesia. We therefore conclude that treatment with PCA may reduce respiratory complications after coronary artery bypass grafting.


We made a comparative study between the action of barbexaclone and phenobarbital on the electroencephalographic pattern, on the convulsive threshold in rats submitted to continuous venous infusion of 4 mg/kg/min of cardiazol (CDZ) and on the motor activity on the mouse. The barbexaclone didn't alter the electroencephalographic pattern of the rat and its anticonvulsive activity was demonstrated by the increase of the convulsive threshold from 66.0 +/- 8.3 mg/kg to 111.2 +/- 12.75 mg/kg. This increase was similar to that produced by 3.0 mg/kg of phenobarbital. Because the relation between the anticonvulsive doses is of 1:1,4 and in 100 mg of barbexaclone there are only 60 mg of phenylethylbarbituric acid, we conclude that barbexaclone has an equivalent anticonvulsive effect as phenobarbital, with less alterations of the motor activity.


Introduction. High levels of antioxidant phytochemicals have been linked to the treatment and prevention of several cancers. Recent reports have identified a number of native Australian fruits as having high antioxidant capacities. Despite this, several of these species are yet to be tested for anticancer activity.
Methods. Solvent extracts were prepared from high antioxidant native Australian plants and their antioxidant capacities were determined by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Anti-proliferative activities against CaCo2 and HeLa cancer cells were determined by an MTS based cell proliferation assay. Toxicity was determined using the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay.
Results. The methanolic and aqueous extracts of all plant species displayed high antioxidant contents (equivalent to 16-95 mg of vitamin C per gram of plant material extracted). In contrast, the ethyl acetate extracts for all species had relatively low antioxidant contents (generally below 5 mg of vitamin C equivalents per gram of plant material extracted). The antioxidant contents correlated with the ability of the extracts to inhibit proliferation of CaCo2 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The high antioxidant methanolic and aqueous extracts of all species were potent inhibitors of cell proliferation, with IC50 values generally below 1000 µg/mL. The aqueous S. australe fruit extracts were particularly effective, with IC50 values of 27 and 172 µg/mL against CaCo2 and HeLa cells respectively. In contrast, the lower antioxidant content ethyl acetate extracts generally did not inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Indeed, exposure of the cancer cells to most of the ethyl acetate extracts induced potent cell proliferation. The methanolic and aqueous Syzygium extracts displayed significant toxicity in the Artemia franciscana bioassay, with LC50 values below 1000 µg/mL. All other extracts were nontoxic.
Discussion. The antiproliferative activity of the high antioxidant plant extracts against HeLa and CaCo2 cancer cell lines indicates their potential in the treatment and prevention of some cancers.


In this paper, taking elastic and plastic characteristics of rock into account, the authors have studied the relationship between different constitutive models. By transforming material parameters merely, on the basis of Equivalent Mohr-Coulomb Yield Criterion, the researchers achieved the application of these relationship in the computer program-Ansys5.7. They also have discussed the magnitude relationship between the transformed parameters and the original ones. By analyzing the cases of rock slope with obvious sliding surface, the researchers proved that it is liable to replace Mohr-Coulomb Yield Criterion with Equivalent Mohr-Coulomb Yield Criterion. We can use Equivalent Mohr-Coulomb Yield Criterion to simulate rock material, the results are smaller and more conservative than the standard ones. Meanwhile, the authors indicate that it is beneficial to apply Equivalent Mohr-Coulomb Yield Criterion to simulate rock material in rock slope projects with obvious sliding surface which have accurate standard requirements about displacement.


We introduce the concept of local bucket error for the mini-bucket heuristics and show how it can be used to improve the power of AND/OR search for combinatorial optimization tasks in graphical models (e.g. MAP/MPE or weighted CSPs). The local bucket error illuminates how the heuristic errors are distributed in the search space, guided by the mini-bucket heuristic. We present and analyze methods for compiling the local bucket-errors (exactly and approximately) and show that they can be used to yield an effective tool for balancing look-ahead overhead during search. This can be especially instrumental when memory is restricted, accommodating the generation of only weak compiled heuristics. We illustrate the impact of the proposed schemes in an extensive empirical evaluation for both finding exact solutions and anytime suboptimal solutions.


How can we build on the substantial foundations of member care as we pursue new opportunities for impacting our needy world? We address this important question through the framework of Global Integration (GI) and multi-sectoral member care. GI is a framework for linking our integrity, skills, and values in order to address the major issues in our world. We present five strategic areas for connecting and contributing across sectors in member care as "global integrators." These areas include engaging our world via: the member care field; international issues; the humanitarian, development, and other sectors; global mental health; and faith-based partnerships. We finish by describing seven indicators for involvement as global integrators and a sample GI template for multi-sectoral member care. We encourage colleagues to continue the emphasis on well-being and effectiveness for mission personnel while launching into new areas of challenge and service within the missio Dei.


This paper examines the syntax of partitive constructions with superlatives in French and the realization of gender in constructions with an animate noun, and focuses on contexts that allow gender mismatches (la plus intelligente de mes gentils professeurs 'the most intelligent of my kind professors'). We show that such mismatches are allowed in French superlative partitives that contain a default masculine noun. To account for the mismatches, we propose that the nouns involved have an unvalued gender feature that can be assigned a sex specification in the course of the derivation. For superlative partitives we propose that this specification takes place in a Gender Phrase in the outer DP. Furthermore, we show that quantified partitives (e.g. three of the books) behave differently from superlative partitives, a fact we try to explain in terms of structural differences. We distinguish between partitives with an of-complement and non-canonical partitives with an 'among'-PP or a preposed 'of'-phrase. We also claim that our data can provide further insight into the role of locality in semantic agreement: we compare superlative partitives to quantified partitives in terms of agreement, and suggest that the two types of partitives should be placed in different positions on an Agreement Hierarchy.


An understanding of how pathogens colonize their hosts is crucial for the rational design of vaccines or therapy. While the molecular factors facilitating the invasion and systemic infection by pathogens are a central focus of research in microbiology, the population biological aspects of colonization are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the early colonization dynamics of Salmonella enterica subspecies 1 serovar Typhimurium (S. Tm) in the streptomycin mouse model for diarrhea. We focused on the first step on the way to systemic infection — the colonization of the cecal lymph node (cLN) from the gut — and studied roles of inflammation, dendritic cells and innate immune effectors in the colonization process. To this end, we inoculated mice with mixtures of seven wild type isogenic tagged strains (WITS) of S. Tm. The experimental data were analyzed with a newly developed mathematical model describing the stochastic immigration, replication and clearance of bacteria in the cLN. We estimated that in the beginning of infection only 300 bacterial cells arrive in the cLN per day. We further found that inflammation decreases the net replication rate in the cLN by 23%. In mice, in which dendritic cell movement is impaired, the bacterial migration rate was reduced 10-fold. In contrast, mice that cannot generate toxic reactive oxygen species displayed a 4-fold higher migration rate from gut to cLN than wild type mice. Thus, combining infections with mixed inocula of barcoded strains and mathematical analysis represents a powerful method for disentangling immigration into the cLN from replication in this compartment. The estimated parameters provide an important baseline to assess and predict the efficacy of interventions.


Introduction: Previous studies have revealed analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of Mentha piperita (MP). Hence, in this study, the antidepressant effects of the ethanolic extract of MP in forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in male mice were investigated. Materials & Methods: In this experimental study, 96 male mice were randomly divided into 12 groups of 8 that received normal saline (10 ml/kg), imipramine (30 mg/kg), fluoxetine (20 mg/kg), and different doses of MP (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg), respectively. In FST, immobility time, swimming time, and climbing time and immobility time in TST were recorded during 6 minutes. In this study, all the drugs and extracts were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) at the constant volume of 10 ml/kg. Findings: Results shows that 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract, as well as fluoxetine and imipramine reduced immobility time compared to the control group in FST and TST (p less-than 0.001). In addition, the ethanolic extract and fluoxetine increased swimming time (p less-than 0.001) without any significant change in climbing time (p greater-than 0.05). In contrast, imipramine increased climbing time without any significant change in swimming time (p greater-than 0.05). Discussion & Conclusions: This extract like serotonergic agents (e.g., fluoxetine) decreases immobility time and increases swimming time without any significant change in climbing time. Hence, MP compounds (especially menthol) induced their effects through serotonergic mechanism. However, further studies are needed to clarify their exact mechanism of action.


Postreplicative, "senescent" human fibroblasts were fused to HeLa or to SV-40 transformed human fibroblasts with Sendai virus. DNA synthesis was reinitiated in senescent nuclei in a high proportion of the heterodikaryons. The [3H]thymidine labeling index of senescent fibroblast nuclei in heteropolykaryons was a function of the ratio of HeLa to senescent nuclei.


Zirconium alloys are widely used for different applications in nuclear industry. Precise knowledge of their texture is of great relevance since this hcp metal exhibits a strong crystal anisotropy. Despite that, the mechanisms of texture change during its deformation and subsequent annealing are still not precisely known. Thus, there is a need for a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of recrystallisation. Earlier works on Zr702 [1-3] suggested that the kinetics and local mechanisms of recrystallisation after cold-rolling was controlled by the heterogeneity of the deformed microstructure and that, at the end of recrystallisation (corresponding to the disappearance of the deformed matrix), the position of the major texture components remained almost unaffected. The aim of the present work is to confirm whether these statements can be generalized for various deformation conditions or not.


Network security applications such as to detect malware, security breaches, and covert channels require packet inspection and processing. Performing these functions at very high network line rates and low power is critical to safe guarding enterprise networks from various cyber-security threats. Solutions based on FPGA and single or multi-core CPUs has several limitations with regards to power and the ability to match the ever increasing line rates. This paper describes a MPPA (Massively Parallelized Processing Architecture) framework based on the Ambric parallel processing device that can speed up computation of network packet processing and analysis tasks. This is accomplished with a programmable processor interconnection that enables parallelizing the application and replication of data through channels. In this paper, we consider three network security applications - detecting malware, detecting covert timing channels, and a symmetric encryption engine. Experimental analyses of parallel implementations of the detection algorithms show that MPAA can easily achieve throughput greater than 1Gbps with low power usage.


We introduce ImitationFlow, a novel Deep generative model that allows learning complex globally stable, stochastic, nonlinear dynamics. Our approach extends the Normalizing Flows framework to learn stable Stochastic Differential Equations. We prove the Lyapunov stability for a class of Stochastic Differential Equations and we propose a learning algorithm to learn them from a set of demonstrated trajectories. Our model extends the set of stable dynamical systems that can be represented by state-of-the-art approaches, eliminates the Gaussian assumption on the demonstrations, and outperforms the previous algorithms in terms of representation accuracy. We show the effectiveness of our method with both standard datasets and a real robot experiment.


We consider a system of two parabolic equations with a forcing term present in one equation and a nonlinear coupling term of a particular type in the other one. We establish a local null controllability result, even if the linearized control system fails to be null controllable. The proof combines the return method, a Carleman inequality and an argument based on homogeneity. Our result can be applied to a reaction-diffusion system from Chemistry and to the Ginzburg-Landau equation.


Tunable density, thermally and mechanically stable, elastic, and thermally insulating sponges are required for demanding applications. Hierarchically structured sponges with bimodal interconnected pores, porosity more than 99%, and tunable densities (between 7.6 and 10.1 mg/cm3) are reported using polyimide (PI) as high temperature stable polymer. The sponges are made by freeze-drying a dispersion of short PI fibers and precursor polymer, poly(amic acid) (PAA). The concept of "self-gluing" the fibrous network skeleton of PI during sponge formation was applied to achieve mechanical stability without sacrificing the thermal properties. The sponges showed initial degradation above 400 and 500 °C in air and nitrogen, respectively. They have low thermal conductivity of 0.026 W/mK and thermal diffusivity of 1.009 mm2/s for a density of 10.1 mg/cm3. The sponges are compressible for at least 10 000 cycles and good thermal insulators even at high compressions. These fibrous PI sponges are promising candidates for potential applications in thermal insulation, lightweight construction, high-temperature filtration, sensors, and catalyst carrier for high-temperature reactions.


I present results from magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of a gaseous envelope collapsing onto a black hole (BH). These results support the notion that the collapsar model is one of the most promising scenarios to explain the huge release of energy in a matter of seconds associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Additionally, the MHD simulations show that at late times, when the mass supply rate is expected to decrease, the region in the vicinity of the BH can play an important role in determining the rate of accretion, its time behaviour and ultimately the energy output. In particular, the magnetic flux accumulated around the BH can repeatedly stop and then restart the energy release. As proposed by Proga & Zhang, the episode or episodes of reoccurrence of accretion processes can correspond to X-ray flares discovered recently in a number of GRBs.


This work had as its objective the characterization of a granite powder waste from sawing operations with a view to its incorporation in red ceramic. The granite waste came from the municipal area of Santo Antônio de Pádua, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The characterization was performed in terms of chemical composition, particles size distribution, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis (DTA/TG). The results indicate that the granite waste presents favorable characteristics for incorporation in red ceramic compositions due to its fine granulometry as well as a considerable fluxing potential related to its high amount of alkaline oxides.


One hundred and thirty four patients with previously untreated Parkinson's disease were recruited to a multicentre double blind study comparing two introductory dosage regimens of bromocriptine: a low/slow regimen increasing to a maximum of 25 mg/day and a high/fast regimen increasing to a maximum of 100 mg/day over a 26 week period. It was hoped to determine the minimum dose of bromocriptine required with either regimen. A patient's ability to achieve a 33% improvement in clinical rating scores was recorded using a combined score of functional disability (Webster) and self rated daily living activities (ADL). Sixty five out of 129 patients (50%) had reached the improvement criteria in 26 weeks, 37 (49%) from the "slow" and 28 (53%) from the "fast" group (N.S.). However, if only those patients still in the trial at the end of 26 weeks are considered the relevant percentages are 73% and 88% (p less than 0.05). Statistical analysis allowing for censored observations was used to examine group differences in dosage and time at improvement. This excluded the patients who had dropped out due to side effects from the calculations. The results indicated a marked difference between groups in both dose (slow 22.0 mg, fast 55.4 mg (p less than 0.01) and time (slow 22.8 weeks and fast 14.4 weeks (p less than 0.05). Severe side effects necessitated withdrawal from the trial in 34 patients, a larger proportion 19 (36%) being in the fast group compared with 15 (20%) from the slow group (p less than 0.05). The number of dropouts due to non effect was 2 (4%) in the fast and 10 (13%) in the slow. The only predisposing factor relating to dropping out due to side effects was a high initial ADL (p < 0.01). It is concluded that bromocriptine is an effective de novo treatment for Parkinson's disease. The "fast" introductory regimen is less well tolerated than the "slow", but the later has the disadvantage of a long delay before patients reach an effective dose. It is recommended that it would be wise to adopt an intermediate dosing strategy.


Grouping customer transactions into segments may help understand customers better. The marketing literature has concentrated on identifying important segmentation variables (e.g., customer loyalty) and on using cluster analysis and mixture models for segmentation. The data mining literature has provided various clustering algorithms for segmentation without focusing specifically on clustering customer transactions. Building on the notion that observable customer transactions are generated by latent behavioral traits, in this paper, we investigate using a pattern-based clustering approach to grouping customer transactions. We define an objective function that we maximize in order to achieve a good clustering of customer transactions and present an algorithm, GHIC, that groups customer transactions such that itemsets generated from each cluster, while similar to each other, are different from ones generated from others. We present experimental results from user-centric Web usage data that demonstrates that GHIC generates a highly effective clustering of transactions.


Graphene is the first two-dimensional (2D) atomic c rystal available to us. Since its discovery in 2004, graphene has captured th attention and the imagination of worldwide researchers thank to its s upreme properties. Catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) is a wi dely employed method to synthesize large areas graphene on metal foil or to cover nanoparticles (NPs) with carbon coating. Exfoliatio n f graphite is largely used for the massive production of flakes of graphe ne. In such light, this thesis work has been focused to develop industrial scalable processes starting from research at lab sc ale on graphene formation. The first part of investigation has been addressed to fabrication of highquality graphene films on Ni foil using CVD at ambi ent pressure. Critical parameters including Ni thickness, cooling rate, an d polycrystalline crystallographic orientation have been explored to understand the graphene formation mechanism and to obtain controlled carbon growth. We have studied the effect of operating conditions such as the synthesis time and feed composition, as well as the key role played by H 2. The placement of graphene on arbitrary substrates i s key for applications. A study of graphene transfer from metal foil on spe cific support was also realized. Subsequently, core-shell few layer-graphene-coated m tal nanoparticles (GCMNP) were synthesized by CVD. Different synthesi s operating conditions were investigated to achieve a good cont rol over the coverage of GCMNPs and to understand the mechanism of GCMNP for mation and carbon coverage. The reactor outlet gas was continu ously monitored on-line during the catalyst activity. Several techniques we re utilized to characterize the catalyst and the reaction products and to corre late their properties with the reactor operating conditions. Magnetic properties of the core-shell few layer gra phene-coated magnetic nanoparticles were also studied. Parallel, few layer graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets w re prepared by a very fast modified Hummers method and largely chara cterized. The tribological behaviour of GO in mineral oil was inv estigated under a wide spectrum of conditions. Finally, the preparation of graphene and multilayer graphene sheets by liquid phase graphite exfoliation in N-met hylpyrrolidone (NMP) was carried out. A one step massive very pure thin flak es production with an high monolayer yield was obtained.


Three assays were developed from April 3, 1995 to October 10, 2005. The work with corn was conducted in a greenhouse, using velvet bean (Mucuna aterrima) and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) as green manure with 15N labeling of either shoots or roots, in two soils with contrasting textural classes. The mineralization of N from legume plants incorporated into the two soils was investigated too. This work included two green manures: velvet bean and sunn hemp, and the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) residues. Nitrogen from the velvet bean accounted for a greater proportion of the soil inorganic N; shoots were responsible for most of N accumulated. Common bean residues caused immobilization of inorganic N. The leguminous species added were intensively and promptly mineralized, preserving the soil native nitrogen. One hundred days after emergence of the corn, velvet bean provided higher accumulation of nitrogen in the soil, higher absorption by corn plants and accumulation in the aerial part. The green manure decomposition was more intense in the medium textured soil. In this soil, highest nitrogen losses were also observed. The sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) was cultivated for five years in the field and was harvested three times; 15N recovery was evaluated in the first two harvests. The combination of inorganic fertilizer and green manure resulted in higher sugarcane yields than either N source applied separately; however, in the second cutting the yields were higher where sunn hemp was used than in plots with ammonium sulfate. The recovery of N by the first two consecutive harvests accounted for 19% to 21% of the N applied as sunn hemp and 46% to 49% of the N applied as ammonium sulfate. Very little inorganic N was present in the 0-40 cm soil layer with both N sources.


It is well-known that N(b)-benzyltryptophan alkyl esters undergo the Pictet-Spengler reaction with aldehydes to furnish both cis- and trans-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carbolines, with the trans isomer predominating. Epimerization at C-1 took place under acidic conditions to produce, exclusively, the thermodynamically more stable trans diastereomer via internal asymmetric induction. Recent kinetic experiments provided insight into the cis to trans epimerization mechanism involved in the Pictet-Spengler reaction of 1,2,3-trisubstituted tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. Since the epimerization reaction had been shown to be sensitive to electronic effects at C-1, the rate data for a series of 1-phenyl-substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carbolines was investigated via a Hammett study. Analysis of the data supported the presence of a positively charged intermediate with a rho value of -1.4, although the existence of an iminium ion intermediate or a carbocationic intermediate could not be determined from this data alone. Analysis of the rate of epimerization demonstrated first-order kinetics with respect to TFA following the initial protonation of the substrate. This observation was consistent with the formation of a doubly protonated intermediate as the rate-determining step in the carbocation-mediated cis to trans epimerization process. In addition, the observed first-order rate dependence was inconsistent with the retro-Pictet-Spengler mechanism since protonation at the indole-2 position was not rate determining as demonstrated by kinetic isotope effects. Based on this kinetic data, the retro-Pictet-Spengler pathway was ruled out for the cis to trans epimerization of 1,2,3-trisubstituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carbolines, while the olefinic mechanism had been ruled out by experiments carried out in TFA-d.


Liquid crystal flexoelectric actuation uses an imposed electric field to create membrane bending, this phenomenon is found in outer hair cells (OHC) located in the inner ear, whose role is to amplify sound through the generation of mechanical power. Oscillations in the OHC membranes create periodic viscoelastic flows in the contacting fluid media. A key objective of this work on flexoelectric actuation relevant to OHC is to find the relations and impact of the electro-mechanical properties of the membrane, the rheological properties of the viscoelastic media, and the frequency response of the generated mechanical power output. The model developed and used in this work is based on the integration of: (i) the flexoelectric membrane shape equation applied to a circular membrane attached to the inner surface of a circular capillary, and (ii) the coupled capillary flow of contacting viscoelastic phases, which are characterized by the Jeffreys constitutive equation with different material conditions. The membrane flexoelectric oscillations drive periodic viscoelastic capillary flows, as in OHCs. By applying the Fourier transform formalism to the governing equations and assuming small Mach numbers, analytical equations for the transfer function, associated to the average curvature, and for the volumetric rate flow as a function of the electrical field were found, and these equations can be expressed as a third-order differential equation which depends on the material properties of the system. When the inertial mechanisms are considered, the power spectrum shows several resonance peaks in the average membrane curvature and volumetric flow rate. When the inertia is neglected, the system follows a non-monotonic behavior in the power spectrum. This behavior is associated with the solvent contributions related to the retardation-Jeffreys mechanisms. The specific membrane-viscoelastic fluid properties that control the power response spectrum are identified. The present theory, model, and computations contribute to the evolving fundamental understanding of biological shape actuation through electromechanical couplings.


The objective of this study is to understand the interaction between gender, spatial visualization ability, effort, and course outcomes in an engineering graphics course. Within engineering, spatial visualization ability is essential to many applications, beginning with engineering graphics. Engineering graphics courses are commonly introductory-level classes in engineering programs, creating challenges for women, who on average score lower on tests of spatial visualization ability. Improved understanding of gender differences in engineering graphics classes could therefore help identify pedagogical areas to support women and increase their retention in engineering programs. Although a gender gap exists in spatial ability and performance in engineering graphics classes, female students still achieve positive course outcomes. We hypothesize that: 1) female students put more effort into engineering graphics courses; and 2) that this greater effort (measured as time spent on homework, homework scores, quiz scores and attendance) by female students reduces the gender gap in course and exam grades. By analyzing scores on homework, quizzes, exams, and attendance in addition to total course score, we can better assess differences between students and quantify the relative importance of different factors like effort and ability on student performance. We present data from three semesters of a freshman-level engineering graphics course at a large research university and analyze differences in spatial visualization ability and course outcomes of male students (n=232) and female students (n=76). Female students scored lower on spatial visualization tests and course exams but had higher performance in less time-restricted, effortrelated outcomes, such as attendance and homework scores, compared to male students. However, on average, female students had lower overall course grades. After accounting for the spatial ability gender gap by comparing students in groups of similar visualization ability, we found that female students with high spatial visualization abilities tended to have better performance on less time-restricted, effort-related outcomes and took more time on homework, but still had lower exam and course scores than their male counterparts. It appears that the gender gap in performance may not be explained fully by spatial visualization, but could be related to gender differences in testing. Better understanding of the differences between male and female students of similar visualization ability could help educators identify opportunities to leverage these differences in developing pedagogical strategies to support women in introductory engineering graphics courses and further engineering pursuits.


One of the advantages of having information in digital form is that it lends itself readily to content-based access. This applies to information stored in any media, though content searching through information stored in a structured database or as text is more developed than content searching through information stored in other media such as music In practice, the most common way to index and provide retrieval on digital music is to use its metadata such as title, performer, etc , as has been done in Napster.

My research has lead to the development of a digital music information retrieval system called Ceolaire which can index monophonic music files Music files are analysed for notes on the equal tempering scale, where note changes are observed and recorded as being up (U), down (D) or the same (S) relative to the previous note. These note changes are then indexed in a search engine At query time, notes are generated by a user using a web based interface These notes form the query for the retneval engine. A user is presented with a ranked list of highly scored documents. This thesis explores the building and evaluation of the Ceolaire system.


Currently, a great number of research projects are focused on finding new treatment methods for cancer and carcinogenesis predictors, as well as the ways to dicrease cancer development risks. This article provides an overview of research on vitamin D as cancer prevention factor. The results of independent experiments and in vitro tests explaining the mechanisms of protective effect of vitamin D and its derivatives on cancer are illustrated. The review of epidemiological survey results obtained from different countries and various populations that were focused on the association of vitamin D use with various cancer pathologies incidence was performed.


BackgroundCase reports and cross-sectional studies suggest increased risks of cutaneous and non-cutaneous infections in eczema; this relationship needs to be assessed in large population-based studies with diagnostic confirmation. The objective was to examine associations between eczema and common childhood infections.MethodsIndividuals registered prior to age 18 in the Health Improvement Network, a UK general practice database, from 2003 to 2013 were included in this cohort study. We determined the association between eczema and selected infectious outcomes, including cutaneous (dermatophyte, herpes simplex virus, impetigo, molluscum contagiosum and warts), and non-cutaneous infections (otitis media, streptococcal throat infections, and pneumonia).ResultsEczema was diagnosed in 14.4% (95% confidence interval 14.4, 14.4), and the average age of eczema diagnosis was 7.94 years (7.91, 7.98). All of the infectious illnesses were more prevalent in those with eczema compared to those without, with adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) as follows: dermatophyte 2.54 (2.47-2.61), herpes simplex virus, 2.08 (2.04-2.12), impetigo 2.61 (2.53-2.68), molluscum contagiosum 3.11 (3.07-3.14) and warts 1.98 (1.96-2.00). For non-cutaneous outcomes, the odds of otitis media, streptococcal throat infections and pneumonia were 2.24 (2.22-2.25), 1.75 (1.69-1.82) and 1.27 (1.23,1.31). Associations were attenuated in sensitivity analyses.ConclusionSelected infectious illnesses were more prevalent in those with eczema versus those without, with the strength of association varying from 75% increase in streptococcal throat infections to a three-fold increased prevalence for molluscum contagiosum. Findings suggest there may be generalized immune dysfunction in eczema predisposing to increased risk of various infections, which is important for clinical management.


BACKGROUND
There is a perception that after-hours hip surgery may result in increased complication rates. Surgeon fatigue, decreased availability of support staff, and other logistical factors may play an adverse role. However, there are little data supporting this perception in the hip fracture literature. We present a retrospective study comparing outcomes of hip fracture surgeries performed after hours versus regular daytime hours and outcomes before and after implementation of a dedicated orthopedic trauma room staffed by a fellowship trained traumatologist.

METHODS
A retrospective study of 767 consecutive patients with intertrochanteric, subtrochanteric, or femoral neck fractures was performed for the years 2000 to 2006. Surgeries were stratified by time of incision into two groups: day (07:00 AM-05:59 PM) and night (06:00 PM-06:59 PM). Each group was further divided into a period before the implementation of a trauma room and the period after (August 2004). Records were examined for procedure length, intraoperative blood loss, complications (nonunion, implant failure, infection, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, and refracture), reoperation, and mortality.

RESULTS
Four hundred ninety-nine patients were included the day group and 268 in the night group. There were no differences in terms of age, ethnicity, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, total number of comorbidities, and fracture type between groups. There were significantly more females in the night group than the day group. Intertrochanteric fractures were 64% of all fractures, femoral neck fractures were 34%, and subtrochanteric fractures were 2%. Duration of surgery for Dynamic Hip System procedures was significantly longer in the night group and also before the trauma room became available. These differences in duration of surgery also correlate with blood loss differences between the groups. Intramedullary nails also took longer to do at night. Hemiarthroplasties demonstrated no significant differences. The 1-year and 2-year mortalities of hip fracture patients operated during daytime hours in a trauma room (13 and 15%, respectively) were significantly less than they were before the implementation of the trauma room (25 and 37%, respectively). When the effect of the trauma room was eliminated, there were no significant differences between overall daytime and nighttime mortalities at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years. There were no significant differences in other complications noted between the different groups.

CONCLUSIONS
We recommend that nighttime surgery should not be dismissed in hip fracture patients that would otherwise benefit from an early operation. However, there seems to be a decreasing trend in mortality when hip fractures are operated in a dedicated daytime trauma room staffed by a dedicated traumatologist.


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In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) indicated that red meat is a probable cause of colon cancer, while processed meat was classified as carcinogenic. The 2010 indicators of lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer among South African (SA) males and females was 1:114 and 1:182 respectively, while its prevalence as a newly diagnosed cancer was seventh for males and sixth for females. SA consumers have increased their meat expenditure over the past decade as a result of class mobility. This has resulted in an increase in the proportion of middle-class consumers. Although the consumption of red meat has increased, it has been surpassed by chicken. Due to a lack of national food consumption data regarding processed meat, it is not clear what local consumption trends are. The 2015 Consumer Price Index (CPI) documented a significant urban food price increase for chicken, cheaper cuts of beef and polony. However, when comparing urban food prices, a processed meat like polony is 27% cheaper per kilogram than whole chicken. Hence it is possible that the relative affordability of processed meat could contribute to its consumption among many South Africans (SAs) and in so doing, could contribute to colon cancer risk. In relation to the above, it is important for future SA public health recommendations to take cognisance of the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research recommendations of limiting red meat consumption to less than 500 g/week and avoiding processed meat.


We study the evolution of helical magnetism in MnGe chiral magnet upon partial substitution of Mn for 3$d$-Co and 4$d$-Rh ions. At high doping levels, we observe spin helices with very long periods—more than ten times larger than in the pure compound—and sizable ordered moments. This behavior calls for a change in the energy balance of interactions leading to the stabilization of the observed magnetic structures. Strikingly, neutron scattering unambiguously shows a double periodicity in the observed spectra at x=0.5 and >0.2 for Co- and Rh-doping, respectively. In analogy with observations made in smectic liquid crystals, we suggest that it may reveal the presence of magnetic "twist grain boundary" phases, involving a dense short-range correlated network of magnetic screw dislocations. The dislocation cores are here tentatively described as smooth textures, made of nonradial double-core skyrmions.


In this paper, we investigate the role of technology to address the concerns of a civil society group carrying out community-level consultation on the allocation of £1 million of community funds. We explore issues of devolved decision-making through the evaluation of a sociodigital system designed to foster deliberative virtues. We describe the ways in which this group used our system in their consultation practices. Our findings highlight how they adopted our technology to privilege specific forms of expression, ascertain issues in their community, make use of and make sense of community data, and create resources for action within their existing practices. Based on related fieldwork we discuss the impacts of structuring and configuring tools for 'talk-based' consultation in order to turn attention to the potential pitfalls and prospects for designing civic technologies that create resources for action for civil society.


Large integration of wind power in modern power systems sets new challenges in power system operation raising serious concerns on issues related to dynamic security, stability and reliability of the system. In addition to this, replacement of conventional power plants by wind power plants of similar size increases the risk of system failures. Nowadays, these new challenges in the power systems operation have resulted in continuous revision of the grid codes for wind power plants by the system operators in order to facilitate high penetration levels of wind power in a secure and reliable way. This paper presents an overview of the main technical issues related to the interconnection of large wind power into the grid as well as the main requirements adopted by the system operators in modern grid codes in order to allow large integration of wind power into the power system while ensuring the security and the reliability of the power system. Emphasis in the paper is on the grid requirements in Denmark and China regarding regulation of active power, regulation of reactive power and low voltage ride through capability.


In order to improve the control performance of vector inverter, an improved parameter identification solution for induction motor is proposed in this paper. Dc or AC voltage is applied to the induction motor using the SVPWM through the inverter. Then stator resistance, stator leakage inductance, rotor resistance, rotor leakage inductance and mutual inductance are obtained according to the signal response. The discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is used to deal with the noise and harmonic. The impact on parameter identification caused by delays in the inverter switch tube, tube voltage drop and deadtime is avoided by effective compensation measures. Finally, the parameter identification experiment is conducted based on the vector inverter which using TMS320F2808 DSP as the core processor and results show that the strategy is verified.


An adaptor protein in the insulin signaling pathway enables the survival of aggressive neuroblastoma cells. Alternatives to ALK in neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric solid tumor that is often driven by oncogenic mutations or rearrangements of the gene encoding the tyrosine kinase receptor ALK. In relapsed neuroblastoma, the frequency of ALK mutation is increased, highlighting the importance of understanding ALK signaling in this cancer. Two papers identify alternative targets in ALK-driven neuroblastoma cells. By combining various proteomics analyses with protein-protein interaction networks, Emdal et al. found that IRS2, an adaptor protein in the insulin receptor signaling pathway, linked ALK signaling to neuroblastoma cell survival. Van den Eynden et al. integrated proteomics and gene expression analyses to identify ETS family transcription factors and the MAPK phosphatase DUSP4 as targets of ALK signaling. These papers identify new targets that could be exploited to treat ALK-positive neuroblastoma. Oncogenic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is one of the few druggable targets in neuroblastoma, and therapy resistance to ALK-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) comprises an inevitable clinical challenge. Therefore, a better understanding of the oncogenic signaling network rewiring driven by ALK is necessary to improve and guide future therapies. Here, we performed quantitative mass spectrometry–based proteomics on neuroblastoma cells treated with one of three clinically relevant ALK TKIs (crizotinib, LDK378, or lorlatinib) or an experimentally used ALK TKI (TAE684) to unravel aberrant ALK signaling pathways. Our integrated proximal proteomics (IPP) strategy included multiple signaling layers, such as the ALK interactome, phosphotyrosine interactome, phosphoproteome, and proteome. We identified the signaling adaptor protein IRS2 (insulin receptor substrate 2) as a major ALK target and an ALK TKI–sensitive signaling node in neuroblastoma cells driven by oncogenic ALK. TKI treatment decreased the recruitment of IRS2 to ALK and reduced the tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS2. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated depletion of ALK or IRS2 decreased the phosphorylation of the survival-promoting kinase Akt and of a downstream target, the transcription factor FoxO3, and reduced the viability of three ALK-driven neuroblastoma cell lines. Collectively, our IPP analysis provides insight into the proximal architecture of oncogenic ALK signaling by revealing IRS2 as an adaptor protein that links ALK to neuroblastoma cell survival through the Akt-FoxO3 signaling axis.


The un is increasingly relying on private military and security companies (pmscs) for a wide range of services. Until recently, un use of pmscs was not governed by systemwide rules and standards. The establishment of guidelines on the use of armed private security in late 2012 has led to greater accountability and transparency around this practice. The guidelines clarify the decision-making process and the criteria for the selection and hiring of companies providing armed security. However, they are overly reliant on self-regulation by pmscs and remain limited, raising questions about their capacity to avoid companies with objectionable records and prevent potential incidents. Moreover, the guidelines raise concerns that the use of pmscs by the un may become normalised, with yet unexamined effects on the organisation's security policies and its image.


Previous research demonstrates that integration of science and literacy instruction in primary grades has positive outcomes for students' science and literacy development. However, variations in how science and literacy are enacted suggest integration may not be sufficient to meet the literacy and science needs of all students in an equitable manner. The purpose of this study was to examine two first-grade teachers' science integration during literacy instruction in one high- and one low-income school context within one urban district. Analysis of field notes, transcripts of lessons, and interviews revealed that expectations to integrate science during time set aside for literacy instruction without consideration of contextual factors perpetuated and concealed ongoing inequities in science education for students from the lowest income school. Further, this study adds to evidence from prior studies demonstrating that reading of science-related texts alone, as a substitute for instruction in science as a discipline, does not provide students with the resources needed to learn to think, talk, and act as scientists. Findings from this study require researchers and policy-makers to address the context-specific factors that shape instructional contexts in ways that limit or expand the potential of integrated science–literacy instruction in urban schools.


Variations in transaction activity between commercial real estate markets and over time are likely to have important implications for investment strategies and pricing. The authors investigate economic and real estate market factors that might drive such variations. Their article draws on data on trading volumes and turnover rates for 49 U.S. metropolitan statistical area office markets. Panel models are employed to determine which factors lead to higher or lower turnover over the 2002–2015 period. The results indicate positive associations between turnover rates and market size, economic growth, and occupancy rates. Meanwhile, higher capital market risks and transfer taxes are found to have a negative effect on turnover rates. The findings are economically plausible and robust to a variety of specifications, including different measures of turnover rates. It is also found that private investor transaction activity is less strongly affected by market fundamentals than institutional investor activity.


In the macaque monkey, area V6A, located in the medial posterior parietal cortex, contains cells that encode the spatial position of a reaching target. It has been suggested that during reach planning this information is sent to the frontal cortex along a parieto-frontal pathway that connects V6A–premotor cortex–M1. A similar parieto-frontal network may also exist in the human brain, and we aimed here to study the timing of this functional connection during planning of a reaching movement toward different spatial positions. We probed the functional connectivity between human area V6A (hV6A) and the primary motor cortex (M1) using dual-site, paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation with a short (4 ms) and a longer (10 ms) interstimulus interval while healthy participants (18 men and 18 women) planned a visually-guided or a memory-guided reaching movement toward positions located at different depths and directions. We found that, when the stimulation over hV6A is sent 4 ms before the stimulation over M1, hV6A inhibits motor-evoked potentials during planning of either rightward or leftward reaching movements. No modulations were found when the stimulation over hV6A was sent 10 ms before the stimulation over M1, suggesting that only short medial parieto-frontal routes are active during reach planning. Moreover, the short route of hV6A–premotor cortex–M1 is active during reach planning irrespectively of the nature (visual or memory) of the reaching target. These results agree with previous neuroimaging studies and provide the first demonstration of the flow of inhibitory signals between hV6A and M1. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT All our dexterous movements depend on the correct functioning of the network of brain areas. Knowing the functional timing of these networks is useful to gain a deeper understanding of how the brain works to enable accurate arm movements. In this article, we probed the parieto-frontal network and demonstrated that it takes 4 ms for the medial posterior parietal cortex to send inhibitory signals to the frontal cortex during reach planning. This fast flow of information seems not to be dependent on the availability of visual information regarding the reaching target. This study opens the way for future studies to test how this timing could be impaired in different neurological disorders.


Future networks are expected to integrate diverse services. For this purpose, new algorithms and protocols have been proposed for link scheduling, admission control, and routing. The interaction between these three components is crucial to the performance of the network. However, this interaction is difficult to model realistically using available techniques. We present an iterative discrete-time approach that yields a realistic model which takes into account this interaction. The model applies to connection-oriented networks with different types of real-time connections. It allows the investigation of various control schemes for both transient and steady-state performances. Preliminary results indicate that our approach is computationally much cheaper than discrete-event simulation, and yields sufficiently accurate performance measures.<<ETX>>


Context. Global Software Development (GSD) is the plan of action in which software development is performed under temporal, political, organizational and cultural boundaries. Offshore outsourced software development is the part of GSD, which refers to the transfer of certain software development activities to an external organization in another country. The primary factors driving offshore outsourced software development are low cost, access to a large pool of skilled laborers, increased productivity, high quality, market access and short development cycle. Requirements engineering (RE) and especially requirements elicitation is highly affected by the geographical distribution and multitude of stakeholders. Objectives. The goal of conducting this study is to explore the challenges and solutions associated with requirements elicitation phase during offshore software projects, both in research literature and in industrial practice. Moreover, this study examines that which of the challenges and practices reported in literature can be seen in industrial practice. This helped in finding out the similarities and differences between the state of art and state of practice. Methods. Data collection process has been done through systematic literature review (SLR) and web survey. SLR has been conducted using guidelines of Kitchenham and Charters. During SLR, The studies have been identified from the most reliable and authentic databases such as Compendex, Inspec (Engineering village) and Scopus. In the 2nd phase, survey has been conducted with 391 practitioners from various organizations involved in GSD projects. In the 3rd phase, qualitative comparative analysis has been applied as an analysis method. Results. In total 10 challenges and 45 solutions have been identified from SLR and survey. Through SLR, 8 challenges and 22 solutions have been identified. While through industrial survey, 2 additional challenges and 23 additional solutions have been identified. By analyzing the frequency of challenges, the most compelling challenges are communication, control and socio-cultural issues. Conclusions. The comparison between theory and practice explored the most compelling challenges and their associated solutions. It is concluded that socio-cultural awareness and proper communication between client and supplier organization's personnel is paramount for successful requirements elicitation. The scarcity of research literature in this area suggests that more work needs to be done to explore some strategies to mitigate the impact of additional 2 challenges revealed through survey.