Experimental data obtained by testing CMOS commercial ICs for latchup by means of automatic test equipment are presented. The results unambiguously show that latchup resistance is strongly influenced by interactions among complex structures within the circuit that are overlooked by widely used testing procedures. In particular, it is shown that both multiple pin excitation and static current loading can significantly decrease the component latchup resistance because of effects taking place within the semiconductor as well as through metal lines. >


The mimetic theory forged by René Girard is completely closed upon its own violence. Given that human violence was contained for centuries, by the victimary mechanism, its deconstruction by the Cross has unleashed a complete and total violence, leading us to the possibility of a real Apocalypse. We show here that this closure is based on a metaphysical view of desire, guiding us from the objet to the being of the model. Since Girard is always confined into metaphysics by his constant use of the paradigm of the image, the presence and, consequently, the idol, we demonstrate that there is still a way out of violence, the same way that is today the way out of metaphysics. With Jean-Luc Marion and his phenomenology of givenness, we oppose the paradigm of the icon to the one of the idol, and therefore the model of the sign to the one of the image. We demonstrate then that global mimetic violence can be stopped if we no longer desire objects and start desiring saturated phenomena, which implies a complete shift in the way we think and receive phenomena.


: Twenty-one patients with hemorrhagic vasculitis (HV) were examined for HBsAg, nine for HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, anti-HBs. HBV markers were identified in 6 out of 21 patients (29.6%): HBsAg in 5 cases (one of them also anti-HBc and anti-HBe), anti-HBs in 1 case. The history of HV ranged from 4 months to 8 years. Normal serum transaminase was seen in 5 out of 6 patients with HBV markers. It was somewhat elevated in 1 of the examinees due to cytostatic treatment in parallel growing of HBsAg titer. Cryoglobulins occurred in 3 out of 6 cases. Renal biopsy from 3 HBV markers carriers identified mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis in all of them.


The paper gives approximation algorithms for the k-medians and facility-location problems (both NP-hard). For k-medians, the algorithm returns a solution using at most ln(n+n/epsilon)k medians and having cost at most (1+epsilon) times the cost of the best solution that uses at most k medians. Here epsilon > 0 is an input to the algorithm. In comparison, the best previous algorithm (Jyh-Han Lin and Jeff Vitter, 1992) had a (1+1/epsilon)ln(n) term instead of the ln(n+n/epsilon) term in the performance guarantee. For facility location, the algorithm returns a solution of cost at most d+ln(n) k, provided there exists a solution of cost d+k where d is the assignment cost and k is the facility cost. In comparison, the best previous algorithm (Dorit Hochbaum, 1982) returned a solution of cost at most ln(n)(d+k). For both problems, the algorithms currently provide the best performance guarantee known for the general (non-metric) problems.
The paper also introduces a new probabilistic bound (called "Chernoff-Wald bound") for bounding the expectation of the maximum of a collection of sums of random variables, when each sum contains a random number of terms. The bound is used to analyze the randomized rounding scheme that underlies the algorithms.


Covering over 10,000 idioms and collocations characterized by similarity in their wording or metaphorical idea which do not show corresponding similarity in their meanings, this dictionary presents a unique cross-section of the English language. Though it is designed specifically to assist readers in avoiding the use of inappropriate or erroneous phrases, the book can also be used as a regular phraseological dictionary providing definitions to individual idioms, cliches, and set expressions. Most phrases included in the dictionary are in active current use, making information about their meanings and usage essential to language learners at all levels of proficiency.


This study was conducted for the purpose of monitoring changes in the marshes of southern Iraq, depend on image processing techniques for Landsat images for the period from 1990 to 2015.Landsat satellite images such as TM, ETM+, and LDCM for years 1990,2000, and 2015 in addition to set of maps were used, and then all these data were analysed and extracted the information from it by using ERDAS EMAGINE 2014 program also to extract the final maps layout the ARC GIS 10.2 program was used .Two important indices were extracted from satellite images, Transformed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (TNDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) for extract natural vegetation and water in study area. Supervised classification has been used to product three land cover maps for study area. After conducting all necessary analyses, the final results showed that the deterioration has happened largely in the waters of marshes and natural vegetation area in the period from 1990 to 2000 and then this deterioration was beginning decrease gradually and marshes began to recover from 2000 to 2015, there is increase in the surface area of waters of the marshes and natural vegetation in year 2015 than in year 2000, but this increase does not reach to the area of water and natural


In May 2010, the Bank presented a draft "Operational Policy on Gender Equality in Development" that, if approved, would replace its "Operational Policy on Women in Development" (OP-761). As stated in its draft document, the new Operational Policy intends to overcome a number of challenges that emerged under the current OP-761 Policy and demand urgent attention. One of those challenges is the limited progress made so far in evaluating the results and overall performance of its Gender Equality (GE) interventions. One of the preconditions for evaluating a project's performance is ensuring the availability of the information needed to ascertain how the intervention functioned, from its very beginning through completion. For that purpose, projects need to establish upfront their evaluation criteria, propose indicators with baseline values and define targets and milestones for them. This evaluation seeks to contribute to the enhancement of the Bank's work in the field of GE by examining the gender mainstreaming efforts of 21 projects in addressing these conditions. With that aim, it will focus on the projects' efforts to document the distribution of the benefits that they provide and the projects' effects dis-aggregated by gender.


Digital technologies have given rise to a new combination of big data and computational practices which allow for massive, latent data collection and sophisticated computational modeling, increasing the capacity of those with resources and access to use these tools to carry out highly effective, opaque and unaccountable campaigns of persuasion and social engineering in political, civic and commercial spheres. I examine six intertwined dynamics that pertain to the rise of computational politics: the rise of big data, the shift away from demographics to individualized targeting, the opacity and power of computational modeling, the use of persuasive behavioral science, digital media enabling dynamic real-time experimentation, and the growth of new power brokers who own the data or social media environments. I then examine the consequences of these new mechanisms on the public sphere and political campaigns.


An important issue in the design of a mobile computing system is how to manage the location information of mobile clients. In the existing commercial cellular mobile computing systems, a two-tier architecture is adopted. However, the two-tier architecture is not scalable. In the literatures, a hierarchical database structure is proposed in which the location information of mobile clients within a cell is managed by the location database responsible for the cell. The location databases of different cells are organized into a tree-like structure to facilitate the search of mobile clients. This architecture can distribute the workload amongst the location databases in the system. The location database organization has much impact on the total location management cost. However, non of previous work touches upon this problem. In this paper, considering the mobility patterns of mobile clients in different cells, we give a heuristic algorithm to cluster the location databases with the objective to reduce the location management cost. Extensive experiments are designed to evaluate the performance. The comparison shows that our location database clustering method can result in location update cost reduction.


In order to study the variations and relationship among morphological and quality traits, 12
populations (accessions) of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. Syn. Onobrychis sativa
L.), were assessed under sward growth condition using split plot design with three
replications during a two year period. Based on the above experiments, three best varieties
of Sainfoin were selected for further investigation, i.e Golpaygan-181, Orumieh-1763 and
Gorgan-1601.
To explore the potential for in vitro rapid regeneration of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia),
different concentrations of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)
and BAP combined with Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) were evaluated for their effects on
the induction of somatic embryos from leaf, stem and root explants. Different explants
were cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2,
2.5 and 3 mg L-1) of each kind of hormone. Callus induction percentage, fresh weight,
color and texture of the callus were assessed after 11 and 22 days of culture to compare the
effect of the different concentrations. The optimum medium for the proliferation of
embryogenic callus from leaf and root explants was MS supplemented with 2.5 mg L-1
BAP and 0.5 mg L-1 NAA.
For the first time, synthetic seed of Sainfoin was created and established. An encapsulation
protocol to obtain adventitious shoots from synthetic seeds of Sainfoin was achieved from
leaf and stem derived somatic embryogenic callus containing torpedo and cotyledonary
stages which were coated in different concentrations of sodium alginate either in MS
medium or soil. Initiated adventitious buds developed into rooting following culture on full
and half strength MS medium supplemented with BAP, NAA, IBA and IAA with various
concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg L-1) of each hormone.
v
The developed plantlets were successfully adapted to the natural conditions after several
steps of acclimatization with 98% of survival rate. It can be suggested that by using
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), comparison of intact (in vivo) and in vitro leaf
tissues could be evaluated clearly. In the current study, it was found that different
resistance strategies of Onobrychis viciifolia could be assessed based on stomata,
epicuticular waxes, convex cell, trichomes and calcium oxalate crystals function.
Plant propagation can also be achieved from somatic embrygenic callus. In this respect,
various explants were induced and two types of callus including embrygenic (E) and nonembrygenic
(NE) were obtained. Cytological studies of embryonic and non-embryogenic
callus as well as root meristem cells of in vitro and in vivo grown plants as the main tissues
of this species were carried out. Mitotic behavior was generally regular for all growth
conditions, but some irregularities such as cytomixis, binucleated cells and bridge
chromosomes were occasionally observed, especially in non-embryogenic callus.
In addition, callus and seeds of Sainfoin were exposed to five levels of UV-B radiation
(312 nm) to study the influence of increasing UV-B intensity on pigment study, seed
quality, cytological and phytochemical processes of both intact and in vitro growth
conditions. Assessment of results from callus as well as on different tissues of in vitro and
in vivo grown Sainfoin showed that flavonoid and phenolic compounds were increased
compared to the control cells, at 40% and 60% intensity, respectively.
In order to study seed quality as one of the explants sources, seven parameters were
assessed to investigate the effects of UV-B radiation, such as percentage of crude protein
(CP), percentage of crude fiber (CF), percentage of ash, percentage of acid detergent fiber
(ADF), percentage of dry matter digestibility (DMD), percentage of water-soluble
carbohydrates (WSC) and percentage of neutral detergent fiber (NDF). According to
vi
obtained results, atomic spectroscopy analysis confirmed that concentrations of trace
metals (Mn and Cu) and macro-nutrients (Ca, P and N) changed after UV radiation
treatment. HPLC analysis conducted on radiated seed extracts showed the presence of key
alkaloids, namely Berberine and Sanguinarine.
In vitro mutagenesis techniques were also applied to investigate the effects of gamma
irradiation at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 Gy on mitotic behavior, pigment study, biological and
phytochemical processes and also seed quality of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia).
Ultimately, changes in seed viability due to environmental conditions (cold stress and
relative humidity) are crucial factors to preserve seed germination ability in equatorial
zones. In this regard, the effect of relative humidity (RH) and cold storage on seed
viability, quality and element content of three varieties of Onobrychis viciifolia were
investigated. Mean relative humidity (RH) of 83-84% hastened the loss of seed viability
during 6 months, while stored seeds at -20 oC exerted only a minimal deteriorative effect
on percentage of the seed germination and vigour index.
Generally, this research consisted of four main aspects respectively, which are; 1.
Morphological study and genetic diversity to choose the best varieties and assess in
important intact plant traits, 2. Tissue culture of superior varieties for callus induction and
micropropagation, 3. Cytological study of callus, in vitro and in vivo grown plants to assess
the prior study based on the cellular behavior, and to detect any occurrence of somaclonal
variation in Sainfoin. 4. To create, modify and develop novel ideas, some studies were
designed such as synthetic seeds according to obtained results of the last three studies and
new breeding prospect of Onobrychis viciifolia. Seed as one of the explant resources was
chosen either for direct study of quality and element content or for indirect investigation of
different parameters in mature plants under both in vivo and in vitro growth conditions.


The original information in the existing security system based on the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) is essentially protected by only a certain order of FRFT. In this paper, we propose a novel method to encrypt an image by multiorders of FRFT. In the image encryption, the encrypted image is obtained by the summation of different orders inverse discrete FRFT of the interpolated subimages. And the original image can be perfectly recovered using the linear system constructed by the fractional Fourier domain analysis of the interpolation. The proposed method can be applied to the double or more image encryptions. Applying the transform orders of the utilized FRFT as secret keys, the proposed method is with a larger key space than the existing security systems based on the FRFT. Additionally, the encryption scheme can be realized by the fast-Fourier-transform-based algorithm and the computation burden shows a linear increase with the extension of the key space. It is verified by the experimental results that the image decryption is highly sensitive to the deviations in the transform orders.


In a number of recent papers, I have begun to develop a new theory of character which is conceptually distinct both from traditional Aristotelian accounts as well as from the positive view of local traits outlined by John Doris. On my view, many human beings do have robust traits of character which play an important explanatory and predictive role, but which are triggered by certain situational variables which preclude them from counting as genuine Aristotelian virtues. Like others in this discussion, I have focused on helping behavior in particular, and have gone on to argue that much of the social psychology literature is compatible with this new approach. The goal of this paper is to develop the model as it pertains to helping behavior further by examining how helping-relevant traits can serve as impediments to helping behavior.


This paper provides an overview of application building in the course environment illustrated with samples of student work. User applications (apps) built as extensions of multiphysics models have been integrated into traditional face-to-face and hybrid engineering courses. Apps were first included in a multidisciplinary modeling graduate course that emphasizes an end-of-semester research project. At the undergraduate level, apps were added into a two-course mechanical engineering thermo-fluids sequence. Initially, apps were used as an effective demonstration tool both in the classroom and in an on-line environment. Subsequently, application building has been embedded into a string of simulation projects featuring prominently in the performance assessment. As a result, students have become more demonstrably engaged and are devoting substantial time outside the classroom to understand theoretical concepts. Feedback from graduates indicates that familiarity with simulation work-flow and application building are effective skillsets in seeking an entry-level industry position.


Increasing air and sea surface temperatures at high latitudes lead to accelerated thaw, destabilization, and erosion of perennially frozen soils (i.e., permafrost), which are often rich in organic carbon. Coastal erosion leads to an increased mobilization of organic carbon into the Arctic Ocean that can be converted into greenhouse gases and may therefore contribute to further warming. Carbon decomposition can be limited if organic matter is efficiently deposited on the seafloor, buried in marine sediments and thus removed from the short-term carbon cycle. Basins, canyons and troughs near the coastline can serve as sediment traps and potentially accommodate large quantities of organic carbon along the Arctic coast. Here we use biomarkers (source-specific molecules), stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) and radiocarbon (Δ14C) to identify the sources of organic carbon in the nearshore zone of the southern Canadian Beaufort Sea. We use an end-member model based on the carbon isotopic composition of bulk organic matter to identify sources of organic carbon. Monte Carlo simulations are applied to quantify the contribution of coastal permafrost erosion to the sedimentary carbon budget. The models suggest that 40% of all carbon released by coastal erosion is efficiently trapped and sequestered in the nearshore zone. We conclude that permafrost coastal erosion releases huge amounts of sediment and organic matter into the nearshore zone. Rapid burial removes large quantities of carbon from the carbon cycle in depositional settings.


A guide to scholarly resources of interest to the staff and students of nursing at the University of New England


For many engineering and aerospace applications, detection and quantification of multiscale damage in fiber-reinforced composite structures is increasing in importance. Consequently, the development of an efficient and cost-effective diagnosis scheme that can accurately sense, characterize, and evaluate the existence of any form of damage will offer significant potential for improving the performance, reliability, and extending the operational life of these complex systems. We present an approach to characterize and classify different damage states in composite laminates by measuring the change in the signature of the resultant wave that propagates through the anisotropic media under forced excitation. The wave propagation is measured using surface-mounted piezoelectric transducers. Sensor signals collected from test specimens with various forms of induced damage are analyzed using a pattern-recognition algorithm known as the one-class support vector machines. The one-class support-vector-machine algorithm performs automatic anomaly detection and classification of damage signatures using various features from the sensor readings. The results obtained suggest that the one-class support-vector-machine algorithm, along with appropriate preprocessing techniques, can often achieve better accuracy than the popular k-nearest-neighbor method in detecting and classifying anomalies caused by structural defects, even when the perturbations caused in the sensor signals due to different damage states are minimal.


The current work is a case study of three solar energy projects built with the joint efforts of Apple and Sun Power. Because of their positive results and unique characteristics, I take these projects as an example of a successful collaboration in the solar energy sector between an American and a Chinese-operating company. In the midst of complicated trade frictions between China and the US in the solar energy sector, these projects stand out in a unique way: they bring benefits to all participants, do not exacerbate the trade disputes, they are environmentally-friendly and promote peace in the Sino-American relations. The Apple-Sun Power projects also show a new approach to the overseas business model. They represent a more conscientious way of conducting business abroad since the company which is outsourcing its manufacturing (in this case Apple) uses clean energy to power its operations. Therefore, there is no exploitation of local resources, no damage to the local environment and the local people's health. On the contrary: there is an inflow of investments in the Chinese solar industry, cheap electricity for Apple and no harmful effects on the local environment. Based on the case study I make the argument that the solar energy sector is a solid ground for creating cooperation not only between companies but also between countries. Indeed, as we see in the example of Apple and Sun Power, their joint projects bring a long list of benefits without creating frictions between any parties. Viewed from a more global perspective, these projects promote the relations between China and the US and can be used as a model for promoting cooperation between other countries and consolidate peace on the global arena. In short, solar energy proves to be a good ground for developing peaceful collaboration between countries. One of the reasons is that it creates a complex interconnection between the participants and brings them to work closely together. More importantly, the result of the collaboration not only brings benefits to the participants themselves but also helps preserve the environment and tackle climate change—issues which all nations are concerned about. This is a key feature of the collaboration in the solar energy sector—it unites actors on the international arena under ideals which all human beings share: clean environment, sustainable economy and a better future for those who will come after us.


The spatial variations of liquid distribution and local mass transfer coefficient in a 0.30-m column of 25.4-m Pall rings were investigated. The data of liquid distribution was collected with a 39-cell liquid collector and a wall-flow tube from a doubled-wall section in the column at the packing-support level. The local mass transfer coefficients were measured via the electrochemical technique by individual cathodic nickel-coated Pall rings placed at various spatial positions. Both measurements were conducted at various fluid flow rates with three liquid distributor designs at different bed heights. Liquid distribution and local mass transfer coefficients observed were far from uniform in the column. The wall flow developed along the packed bed until a fully developed flow pattern was reached. With more uniform initial liquid distribution, the less packing height needed to reach the fully developed flow pattern along with higher the mass transfer efficiency in the column. Ladder-type liquid distributor (LLD) showed less angular effect in measurements. Increasing the liquid flow rate slightly improved the uniformity of liquid distribution and enhanced the mass transfer. No influence of gas flow rate on liquid distribution and mass transfer coefficient was found at the range of gas flow rates used. These gas flow rates were much lower than the loading point. Liquid maldistribution factor and mass transfer maldistribution factor decreased with increases in the uniformity of the initial liquid distribution. These values were 0.21(0.48). 0.16(0.26) and 0.14(0.22) for single-point liquid distributor (SPLD), cross-type liquid distributor (CLD) and LLD, respectively. By comparison, a good agreement was observed on the relation of liquid maldistribution factor and mass transfer maldistribution factor.


Pneumonitis is a rare but serious complication associated with paclitaxel and/or trastuzumab treatment. We report a 51-year-old female patient with locally advanced breast cancer who presented with shortness of breath, fever, dry cough and pulmonary infiltrates. She had been treated without complications for 10 weeks with paclitaxel (Taxol) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) as neoadjuvant therapy, with complete clinical and pathological response. Infections and cardiomyopathy were excluded as causes of her symptoms. Bronchoscopy and biopsy were performed and a diagnosis of druginduced interstitial pneumonitis was made. After treatment with steroids, the patient showed a significant response in less than 24 h; she was discharged home without the need for oxygen less than 48 h after therapy initiation. Although no causative association could be found between either trastuzumab or paclitaxel and this patient's pulmonary syndrome, the potential for such toxicity should be considered, especially as paclitaxel/trastuzumab is a vey common combination therapy for breast cancer.


Abstract. In this paper, the author first reviews the different terminologies used in underactuated grasping and illustrates the current increase of activity on this topic. Then, the (probably) oldest known self-adaptive mechanism is presented and its performance as an underactuated finger is discussed. Its original application, namely a flapping wing, is also shown. Finally, it is proposed that the mechanisms currently used in underactuated grasping have actually other applications similarly to the previously discussed architecture could be used for both an underactuated finger and a flapping wing. This paper was presented at the IFToMM/ASME International Workshop on Underactuated Grasping (UG2010), 19 August 2010, Montreal, Canada.


Purpose: Doxorubicin has shown efficacy especially in combination treatment for the treatment of multiple myeloma; however, its side effects limit its use. INNO-206 is an albumin-binding prodrug of doxorubicin, which is released from albumin under acidic conditions. Because INNO-206 has not been previously evaluated in any hematologic malignancy, we determined its anti–multiple myeloma effects. Experimental Design: The anti–multiple myeloma effect of INNO-206 at different pH levels on multiple myeloma cell proliferation using multiple myeloma cell lines with the MTS assay and antiangiogenic activity using the chorioallantoic membrane/feather bud assay were determined. The anti–multiple myeloma effects and toxicity of INNO-206 were also compared with conventional doxorubicin and PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) alone, and in combination with bortezomib, using our multiple myeloma xenograft models. Results: INNO-206 inhibited blood vessel formation and reduced multiple myeloma cell growth in a pH-dependent fashion. INNO-206 alone produced marked anti–multiple myeloma effects in vivo at doses that doxorubicin was toxic, and the combination of INNO-206 plus bortezomib produced increased anti–multiple myeloma effects compared with either agent alone. In contrast, all mice receiving bortezomib with doxorubicin or PLD died. Conclusions: These findings show that INNO-206 produces anti–multiple myeloma effects in vitro and in vivo. It also enhances the antitumor effects of bortezomib. These results suggest that INNO-206 may provide patients with multiple myeloma with an anthracycline that may be administered safely at higher doses compared with free doxorubicin, resulting in superior efficacy compared with the currently available anthracyclines to treat this B-cell malignancy. Clin Cancer Res; 18(14); 3856–67. ©2012 AACR.


In 2012, local food activists in Huntington, West Virginia created The Wild Ramp: a non-profit local food market to serve the dietary needs of the community's low-income and low-access citizens, as well as the economic needs of area farmers and other working populations. What began as a senior project by a group of Marshall University students became a social movement toward sustainable economic development within this Appalachian community. The Wild Ramp provides a strong case for the power of grassroots activism and utilization of social capital in place-based economic development and community empowerment. The process was the work of a small-scale social movement from within Huntington, but intertwined with the growing local movement across the United States and the world. By exploring the sociological and economic forces embedded in The Wild Ramp's formation, and by collecting survey and interview data from community members, this research examines the ways that community values fostered the development of a local food market and the ways in which the community has gained social capital and empowerment from these efforts. Results from this research explaining the dynamics of social change may be beneficial to communities seeking place-based economic development strategies.


Chloroplast genomes encode rRNAs, tRNAs, and proteins involved in transcription, translation, and photosynthesis. The expression of 15 plastid genes representing each of these functions was quantitated during chloroplast development in barley (Hordeum vulgare). The transcription of all plastid genes increased during the initial phase of chloroplast development and then declined during chloroplast maturation. RNAs corresponding to rpoB- rpoC1-rpoC2, which encode subunits of a plastid RNA polymerase, and rps16, which encodes a ribosomal protein, reached maximal abundance early in chloroplast development prior to genes encoding subunits of the photosynthetic apparatus (rbcL, atpB, psaA, petB). Transcription of rpoB as well as 16S rRNA, trnfM-trnG, and trnK was high early in chloroplast development and declined 10-fold relative to rbcL transcription during chloroplast maturation. RNA hybridizing to psbA and psbD, genes encoding reaction center proteins of photosystem II, was differentially maintained in mature chloroplasts of illuminated barley. Differential accumulation of psbD mRNA relative to rbcL mRNA was due to light-stimulated transcription of psbD. In contrast, enhanced levels of psbA mRNA in mature chloroplasts were due primarily to selective stabilization of the psbA mRNA. These data document dynamic modulation of plastid gene transcription and mRNA stability during barley chloroplast development.


This paper assesses the usefulness of monitoring market turbulence, return magnitude surprise and correlation surprise as potential signals to assist investors in timing de-risking strategies in the South African and African market settings. The analysis follows Kinlaw and Turkington (2014) who recently proposed the measures of magnitude and correlation surprise by decomposing the market turbulence measure. We find that in periods when correlation surprise spikes that in both the South African and African market environments subsequent periods are characterised by higher risk and lower returns. Our findings thus corroborate the predictive capability of the components of market turbulence.


Context: Recent research in Europe and the USA revealed that the number of patients who have experienced a medical error in healthcare has increased worryingly since the last decade, while over half of harm refers to medical errors reasonably preventable. At the same time, surveys indicate that medical errors constitute a significant financial burden on Health Care Systems.
Objectives: The aim of this paper is to present the current situation regarding the medical errors in Greece and to identify the underlying factor contributing to their presence.
Method: We performed an extensive analysis of 287 cases of medical malpractice presented in front of the Greek courts over the last 15 years. The research process included a detailed review of the case while economic and other data where recorded. Then simple descriptive statistical analysis, cross-tabs analysis, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis was applied to unveil information relevant to our research.
Results: The findings from our analysis showed that some 45% of medical errors occur during treatment while most incidents of medical error related to death (37%) or permanent disability (36%). Further, the analysis unveiled that on top of the list of specialties who are involved in cases of medical errors and with higher awarded compensation are those of General Surgery and Obstetrics - Gynecology. In Greece, unlike other countries in the world, the assessment of an overall burden of medical errors is not achievable, mainly due to the absence of any medical error reporting system.


IntroductionDue to the ever-growing volume and complexity of clinical data, it has become a tedious task to extract information from data for secondary uses such as decision support, quality assurance, and outcome analysis. Recently, there have been great advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) approaches that automate knowledge extraction from clinical reports in order to save costs and improve efficiency.
Objectives/ApproachOur goal is the development of an NLP tool designed to automatically extract and encode clinical information from laboratory reports. This study describes and evaluates our NLP tool on provincial repositories of laboratory tests and results called Ontario Laboratory Information System (OLIS). OLIS is an electronic system that covers >200 labs and stores patients' current and past test results as patients move through different areas of the healthcare system. Our NLP tool is a modular system of pipelined components including Named Entity Recognition module for extracting mentions of virus and test mentions and inference to combine extracted entities into a meaningful outcome.
ResultsInitial analyses were conducted on a segment of OLIS related to laboratory tests for respiratory viruses. This data included over a million observations corresponding to ~100 Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC), with >40,000 unique strings. The clinical text was cleaned, tokenized, and parsed using an in-house text algorithm that was continually refined with manual review from clinical experts. This data was then encoded as virus and test types to be used as a ground truth. The NLP tool was built on ground truth data and achieved an accuracy greater than 95%.
Conclusion/ImplicationsApproaches like these can be applied to many areas of health research that make use of clinical reports. Our methods, when optimized and validated, can be deployed into clinical systems to provide on-the-spot analysis of various laboratory reports.


The HbA1c estimates long-term glycaemic control in individuals. However, scanty data exist on the determination of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in newly diagnosed HIV patients using the HbA1c screening tool in the South African context. Thus, this study examines the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients in Buffalo City Municipality, East London, South Africa.

 This was a cross-sectional study of 335 newly HIV-diagnosed patients between August 2016 and July 2017. Demographic (age, gender, residence, employment status and level of education) and behavioural variables (smoking and alcohol use (past 30 days)) were by self-reporting. Information on HbA1c and other clinical variables were obtained from the medical records of the patients. Diabetes mellitus was defined based on the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (SEMDSA) 2017 guideline of HbA1c of above 6.5%. Weight and height were measured using standard protocols. Logistic regression analyses were applied to determine the predictors of abnormal glycated haemoglobin.

 Majority of the participants were female (72%). The prevalence of patients with HbA1c greater than 6.5% was 6%. The multivariate analysis indicates only age (p=0.031) and race (0.019) significantly shows a correlation to increase the risk of development of DM in newly diagnosed HIV positive patients. The binary logistic regression analysis shows that age (above 46 years) (p=0.001; AOR (6.60); CI (2.08-20.9) was directly related to the development of DM.

 Consistent with other studies, the exclusive non-fasting HbA1c, which is a marker of glycaemic control, only underestimate glycemia in HIV patients with diabetes in this present study. Notwithstanding, HIV patients who are over 40 years are likely to develop DM. As such, screening older individuals diagnosed with HIV is crucial in offering a timely point of care and interventions.


Magnetomotive microscopy techniques are introduced to investigate cell dynamics and biomechanics. These techniques are based on magnetomotive transducers present in cells and optical coherence imaging techniques. In this study, magnetomotive transducers include magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and fluorescently labeled magnetic microspheres, while the optical coherence imaging techniques include integrated optical coherence (OCM)and multiphoton (MPM) microscopy,and diffraction phase microscopy (DPM). Samples used in this study are murine macrophage cells in culture that were incubated with magnetomotive transducers. MPMis used to visualize multifunctional microspheres based on their fluorescence, while magnetomotive OCM detects sinusoidal displacements of the sample induced by a magnetic field. DPM is used to image single cells at a lower frequency magnetic excitation, and with its Fourier transform light scattering (FTLS) analysis, oscillation amplitude is obtained, indicating the relative biomechanical properties of macrophage cells. These magnetomotive microscopy method shave potential to be used to image and measure cell dynamics and biomechanical properties. The ability to measure and understand biomechanical properties of cells and their microenvironments, especially for tumor cells, is of great importance and may provide insight for diagnostic and subsequently therapeutic interventions.


The function of legal rules as technical instruments of social organisation and how to make them work effectively has become an increasingly importance focus of attention for those interested in regulation. This essay examines the financial regulation in the UK and in particular the regulatory policy of rule-use of the present regulatory authority responsible for the supervision and regulation of financial markets, the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The following themes are discussed: How did the regulatory policy of rule-use grow out of existing institutional arrangements? What were the factors that shaped it? What are its characteristics? Has it succeeded in making financial regulation more effective? As it will be shown, the formation of regulatory standards is context dependent and relies heavily on the institutional configurations and dominant ideology of the time. Towards the end of this essay, certain concerns will be raised pertaining to the assumed eligibility of the present regulatory policy of rule-use to improve regulatory effectiveness.


Abstract. This paper aims to highlight the use of the georadar as a useful prospecting technique to identify the areal density and the geometrical features of the grottoes placed in a historical town characterised by high seismic hazard. The town considered here is Rionero in Vulture (Southern Italy) that was hit by several historical earthquakes, among which the 1930 Irpinia earthquake (Me=6.7, Is=VIII MCS). For this event a damage map was already available from a previous study (Gizzi and Masini, 2006). This map shows that some sectors of the town suffered higher damage. One factor causing the uneven distribution of the effects is considered to be the presence of grottoes. To strengthen this work hypothesis it was necessary to in-depth investigate the subsoil of Rionero in Vulture. Therefore, geophysical data were correlated and integrated with data obtained from field surveys and historical documentary sources. All these investigations allowed to obtain more insights about the influences of the man-made caves on seismic damage.


Background &Aims: Nowadays, application of low cost available methods for minimum treatment of surface waters for drinking in emergency conditions, and in conditions of non-available healthy water was approved by international healthcare organizations. SODIS technology, i.e., the use of solar radiation for disinfection of water, is one of the most important technologies. In this research, the effect of UV-A radiation of solar in disinfection of surface water in Urmia geological conditions was studied. Materials & Methods : In a cross- sectional study, in June and July of 2013, sampling was done from surface water for 9 days. Then the samples were transferred to laboratory, and the parameters of initial microbial load, turbidity, pH, and water temperature was performed on them. The samples have been exposed to sunlight for 6 hours from 9 to 15 in two types of transparent PET and glass containers. The process was repeated in two 3-hour sessions. The intensity of UV radiation in the UV-A range was measured by UV meter hourly and the average intensity was obtained. By using an statistical analysis, the relationship between reduce of microbial load and contact time, water temperature, turbidity, initial microbial load and pH have been investigated. Results: The results of this study showed a reduction in microbial load of samples after 3 and 6 hours of exposure time which was 1.32 log10 and 0.32 log 10, respectively, when water turbidity is less than 20 NTU. Also by increasing intensity of UV-A radiation, disinfection efficiency was increased and the initial microbial load of water samples didn't have significant effect on water disinfection. Also results showed that there was a direct relationship between water and environmental temperature with microbial load reduction. Conclusion: SODIS technology can be considered as a method of water disinfection in emergency conditions.


Dissertation Submitted in Partial/Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree
of Master of Science in Procurement and Supply Chain Management (MSC-
PSCM) of Mzumbe University


BACKGROUND:Orexin neurons regulate the sleep/wake cycle and are proposed to influence general anesthesia. In animal experiments, orexin neurons have been shown to drive emergence from general anesthesia. In human studies, however, the role of orexin neurons remains controversial, owing at least, in part, to the fact that orexin neurons are multifunctional. Orexin neurons regulate not only the sleep/wake cycle, but also body temperature. We hypothesized that orexin neurons do not directly regulate emergence from anesthesia, but instead affect emergence indirectly through thermoregulation because anesthesia-induced hypothermia can greatly influence emergence time. To test our hypothesis, we used simultaneous measurement of body temperature and locomotor activity. METHODS:We used male orexin neuron-ablated (ORX-AB) mice and their corresponding wild-type (WT) littermates to investigate the role of orexin neurons in emergence. Body temperature was recorded using an intraperitoneally implanted telemetric probe, and locomotor activity was measured using an infrared motion sensor. Induction of anesthesia and emergence from anesthesia were defined behaviorally as loss and return, respectively, of body movement. Mice received general anesthesia with 1.5% isoflurane in 100% oxygen for 30 minutes under 3 conditions. In the first experiment, the anesthesia chamber was warmed (32°C), ensuring a constant body temperature of animals during anesthesia. In the second experiment, the anesthesia chamber was maintained at room temperature (25°C), allowing body temperature to fluctuate. In the third experiment in WT mice, the anesthesia chamber was cooled (23°C) so that their body temperature would decrease to the comparable value to that obtained in the ORX-AB mice during room temperature condition. RESULTS:In the warmed condition, there were no significant differences between the ORX-AB and control mice with respect to body temperature, locomotor activity, induction time, or emergence time. In the room temperature condition, however, anesthesia-induced hypothermia was greater and longer lasting in ORX-AB mice than that in WT mice. Emergence time in ORX-AB mice was significantly prolonged from the warmed condition (14.2 ± 0.8 vs 6.0 ± 1.1 minutes) whereas that in WT mice was not different (7.4 ± 0.8 vs 4.9 ± 0.2 minutes). When body temperature was decreased by cooling in WT mice, emergence time was prolonged to 12.4 ± 1.3 minutes. Induction time did not differ among temperature conditions or genotypes. CONCLUSIONS:The effect of orexin deficiency to impair thermoregulation during general anesthesia is of sufficient magnitude that body temperature must be appropriately controlled when studying the role of orexin neurons in emergence from anesthesia.


The uncovered interest rate parity equation is the cornerstone of most models in international macro. However, this equation does not hold empirically since the forward discount, or interest rate differential, is negatively related to the subsequent change in the exchange rate. This forward discount puzzle is one of the most extensively researched areas in international finance. It implies that excess returns on foreign currency investments are predictable. In this paper we propose a new explanation for this puzzle based on rational inattention. We develop a model where investors face a cost of collecting and processing information. Investors with low information processing costs trade actively, while other investors are inattentive and trade infrequently. We calibrate the model to the data and show that (i) inattention can account for most of the observed predictability of excess returns in the foreign exchange market, (ii) the benefit from frequent trading is relatively small so that few investors choose to be attentive, (iii) average expectational errors about future exchange rates are predictable in a way consistent with survey data for market participants, and (iv) the model can account for the puzzle of delayed overshooting of the exchange rate in response to interest rate shocks.


Previous studies implicate the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) p59fyn in the propagation of signals from the B cell antigen receptor. To elucidate the functions of this kinase, we examined B cell responsiveness in mice engineered to lack the hematopoietic isoform of p59fyn. Remarkably, antigen receptor signaling was only modestly defective in fynTnull B cells. In contrast, signaling from the interleukin (IL)-5 receptor which ordinarily provides a comitogenic stimulus with antiimmunoglobulin, was completely blocked. Our results document the importance of p59fynT in IL-5 responses in B cells, and they support a general model for cytokine receptor signal transduction involving the simultaneous recruitment of at least three families of PTK.


TOPIC
Targeted temperature management and therapeutic hypothermia are essential components of the multimodal approach to caring for compromised patients after cardiac arrest and severe traumatic brain injury.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The continuously evolving science necessitates summation of individual facets and concepts to enhance knowledge and application for optimally delivering care. Targeted temperature management is a complex therapy that requires fine-tuning the most effective interventions to maintain high-quality targeted temperature management and maximize patient outcomes.

PURPOSE
To describe the underlying pathophysiology of fever and the importance of manipulating water temperature and of preventing and treating shivering during that process.

CONTENT COVERED
This article discusses nursing considerations regarding the care of patients requiring targeted temperature management that are necessary to improve patient outcomes.


The exploitation of frequent item sets has been restricted by the the large number of generated frequent item sets and the high computational cost in real world applications. Meanwhile, maximum length frequent item sets can be efficiently discovered on very large datasets and are useful in many application domains. At present, LFIMiner_ALL is the fastest algorithm for mining maximum length frequent item sets. Exploiting the optimization techniques in LFIMiner_ALL algorithm, we develop the MaxLFI algorithm to discover maximum length frequent item sets by adding our conditional pattern base pre-pruning strategy and evaluating initial length of maximum length frequent item sets to prune the search space. Experimental results on real-world datasets show that our proposed algorithm is faster than LFIMiner_ALL algorithm for mining maximum length frequent item sets.


A general calculation method is described for determining of illuminance from a vertical louver blind system, which slats are of negligible thickness, uniformly diffusing surfaces and uniform reflectances. Available data in practice are also prepared for this method. First, configuration factors of arbitrary position on the working plane are analytically introduted for the sky to be viewed between louver slats and for these slats themselves. Next, a direct illuminance of this position is obtained by using these configuration factors and average luminances of the sky and slats. The luminance of slat is calculated in two cases, that the window faces to the uniform sky and gronnd, and the slats are uniformly illuminated by the direct sunlight on the critical condition of precisely shading it with slats. For an indirect illuminance a simple formula by author is effective in practice. Necessary transmittances of louver system in this formula are presented as useful data in above mentioned two cases. An overlapping of results calculated in the both cases is approximately applied to almost all weather conditions with or without the direct sunlight.


Oil is often thought of as a sole commodity with singular powers to shape geopolitics, economic development, and environmental change. Yet the complex hydrocarbon assemblage of crude oil is only commodified through the refining process, which produces a multiplicity of products (e.g. gasoline, heating oil, petrochemicals). In this paper, I argue that petroleum products provide the supplementary materiality for a neoliberal cultural politics of "life." In the first section, drawing from Gramsci and Foucault, I argue that the popular basis of neoliberal hegemony is rooted in a cultural politics of "entrepreneurial life" that accompanied increasing suburbanization, single-family homeownership and widespread automobility in the post-World War II United States. By the 1970s, masses of white suburban homeowners buttressed the "rightward turn" in American politics based around an "ideology of hostile privatism" and the demonization of taxes and wealth redistribution. In the next section, I suggest that this geography of life is rooted in the history of refineries and their search for multiple marketable outlets for petroleum by-products. Increasingly, the petroleum industry sought to actively remind the public that their lives were saturated with petroleum products. In the last section, I examine a film produced by the American Petroleum Institute titled Fuel-Less, a parody of the film Clueless. In the film, the main character, Crystal, is forced to discover what her life would be like without petroleum products. Crystal is taken to an oil well and refinery to learn about how crude oil becomes the multiple products she uses in her life. As she learns to appreciate oil, she develops a neoliberal form of environmental responsibility focussed upon volunteerist actions like recycling. The overall lesson is both the unavoidability of oil in everyday life and that privatized actors (consumers and capital) can all "pitch in" to create a sustainable future.


Recent years have witnessed significant changes in the social and economic context of young people's lives. There is increasing evidence of a greater disparity between those with prospects and those without. For some, these changes represent a time of unlimited opportunity – to travel, to seek personal and spiritual fulfilment or to undertake a whole host of self-developing activities – before settling into adult life. For others however, such opportunities are still as distant as they would have appeared a half century ago. France (2008a) argues that since 1997, 'youth policy's primary focus has been on reducing social exclusion rather than being aimed at poverty' (p498). Policy tends to focus on what it depicts as 'inappropriate' or 'problem' behaviour and in doing so, it ignores the structural issues which can marginalise and impoverish young people's lives.


Research about the predictors of resilience in the inmate population needs further explorations. This study examines the predictors of resilience in male inmates from Padua prison, before and after a 9-session neuropsychopedagogical intervention, entitled Envisioning the Future (EF), which took part in remote during Covid-19 pandemic. Using two linear regression models, a change in the factors determining inmates' resilience was found from before to after the intervention. In the pre-course group (n = 24), only low avoidance emerged as a statistically significant predictor of the level of resilience. In the post-course group (n = 24) low avoidance, flexibility, high levels of social support, and self-efficacy in managing positive emotions emerged as significant predictors of inmates' resilience. The results show that the constellation of factors predicting resilience in prisoners can be enriched by participating to neuropsychopedagogical interventions like EF, that increases individuals' resources in a challenging context such as prison.


Abstract Stated preference approaches, such as contingent valuation, focus mainly on the estimation of the mean or median willingness to pay (WTP) for an environmental good. Nevertheless, these two welfare measures may not be appropriate when there are social and political concerns associated with implementing a payment for environmental services (PES) scheme. In this paper the authors used a Bayesian estimation approach to estimate a quantile binary regression and the WTP distribution in the context of a contingent valuation PES application. Our results show that the use of other quantiles framed in the supermajority concept provides a reasonable interpretation of the technical nonmarket valuation studies in the PES area. We found that the values of the mean WTP are 10–37 times higher than the value that would support a supermajority of 70 per cent of the population.


Examines the reconstruction properties of orthogonal moment descriptors. An asymptotic expansion for the global reconstruction error is established. This reveals mutual relationships between a number of moments, the image smoothness, sampling rate and noise model characteristics. The problem of a data-driven selection of an optimal number of moments is addressed.<<ETX>>


Some claim that the scarcity of natural resources, particularly renewable resources, is a causal mechanism behind civil war. Recent work in development studies and political science suggest that relative abundance of natural resources cause broad-based socio-economic and political problems, while some using microeconomic theories even blame abundance directly for motivating loot-seeking rebellion and allowing the finance of large-scale armed violence. Using a host of alternative measures of natural capital wealth, disaggregated as renewable and nonrenewable, this study finds that an abundance of renewable resources, not its scarcity, leads to violence and to lower economic, human, and institutional development. The abundance of mineral resources is consistently associated with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of human and institutional development. The results raise serious doubts about the concept of ecoviolence as theorized hither to. Future research should trace the processes through which the honey pot of abundant resources promotes bad governance, inequity, poverty, environmental degradation, and conflict. The good news is that human greed and folly, not mother nature, is still the problem for peace. The bad news is that mother nature will continue to suffer given difficulties associated with controlling human nature.


This paper introduces a new framework, that is, the virtual video (vvideo) capture device on Unix operating system. The vvideo capture device is suitable for realizing augmented reality applications as networked generic applications. It enables the augmented reality applications to become generic applications via the kernel layer so that all ordinary networked software for using videos can incorporate augmented reality applications directly and easily. Also, we discuss the basic mechanism of the announcement method on Internet which enables all sites to reach any augmented reality applications on Internet. Then, we propose a new video information management model for dealing with spatial and temporal characteristics as metadata of video data. Important components of the new model are Fragmented Reality (FR) and Recalled Reality (RR) for storing video data from the real world and for retrieving and processing video data dynamically. Finally, we show some augmented reality prototypes on Internet based on our new frameworks.


Among various approaches to eye tracking systems, light-reflection based systems with non-imaging sensors, e.g., photodiodes or phototransistors, are known to have relatively low complexity; yet, they provide moderately accurate estimation of the point of gaze. In this paper, a low-computational approach on gaze estimation is proposed using the Eye Touch system, which is a light-reflection based eye tracking system, previously introduced by the authors. Based on the physical implementation of Eye Touch, the sensor measurements are now utilized in low-computational least-squares algorithms to estimate arbitrary gaze directions, unlike the existing light reflection-based systems, including the initial Eye Touch implementation, where only limited predefined regions were distinguished. The system also utilizes an effective pattern classification algorithm to be able to perform left, right, and double clicks based on respective eye winks with significantly high accuracy. In order to avoid accuracy problems for sensitive sensor biasing hardware, a robust custom microcontroller-based data acquisition system is developed. Consequently, the physical size and cost of the overall Eye Touch system are considerably reduced while the power efficiency is improved. The results of the experimental analysis over numerous subjects clearly indicate that the proposed eye tracking system can classify eye winks with 98% accuracy, and attain an accurate gaze direction with an average angular error of about 0.93 °. Due to its lightweight structure, competitive accuracy and low-computational requirements relative to video-based eye tracking systems, the proposed system is a promising human-computer interface for both stationary and mobile eye tracking applications.


We have previously shown that the Ste20-like kinase SLK is a microtubule-associated protein inducing actin stress fiber disassembly. Here, we show that v-Src expression can down-regulate SLK activity. This down-regulation is independent of focal adhesion kinase but requires v-Src kinase activity and membrane translocation. SLK down-regulation by v-Src is indirect and is accompanied by SLK hyperphosphorylation on serine residues. Deletion analysis revealed that casein kinase II (CK2) sites at position 347/348 are critical for v-Src-dependent modulation of SLK activity. Further studies show that CK2 can directly phosphorylate SLK at these positions and that inhibition of CK2 in v-Src-transformed cells results in normal kinase activity. Finally, CK2 and SLK can be co-localized in fibroblasts spreading on fibronectin-coated substrates, suggesting a mechanism whereby SLK may be regulated at sites of actin remodeling, such as membrane lamellipodia and ruffles, through CK2.


This essay examines the questions raised by the present financial crisis through an enquiry into the institutional foundations of American finance. We view with some skepticism strong claims concerning the disastrous outcome for the structural dynamism of the global financial system and America's position in it. Many critical political economists tend to take the system of global financial markets as their point of departure and then locate the US in this system. Such approaches, however, generally fail to do justice to the decades-long build up of US financial power and do not capture many of the organic institutional linkages through which the American state is connected to the world of global finance and which are responsible for its imperial sprawl. In many ways, financial globalization is not best understood as the re-emergence of international finance but rather as a process through which the expansionary dynamics of American finance took on global dimensions. Because the present system of global finance has been shaped so profoundly by specifically American institutions and practices, it will not do to evaluate the changes and transformations of this system on the basis of either an abstract, generic model of capitalism or mere extrapolations from conjunctural crises. Crisis and instability are part and parcel of the dynamics of imperial finance and so are the managerial capacities developed by the US state. The most important questions that should occupy critical political economists therefore have to do not with what appear to be external challenges to US financial power (or the putative opportunities for progressive change opened up by them), but rather relate to the ways in which the imperial network of intricate, complex and often opaque institutional linkages between the US state and global finance is managed and reproduced.


Protein-RNA recognition supports many cellular functions, and abnormal protein-RNA interactions are crucial therapeutic targets in e.g. neurodegenerative diseases and RNA viruses infections. Moreover, synthetic RNA aptamers are used as protein modulators [ref in 1]. The rational conception of either aptamers or RNA-protein interaction inhibitors requires atomistic description of protein-RNA complexes. Yet their experimental resolution is arduous, and protein-RNA computational docking is hampered by the high flexibility of RNA single-stranded regions, which mostly provides recognition specificity. The lack of methodology for modeling ssRNA limits all protein-RNA docking methods [2].

We developed an original fragment-based approach, accurately predicting ssRNA-protein complexes structure from only protein structure and RNA sequence: We (i) cut the RNA sequence in overlapping trinucleotides, represented by sequence-specific conformers-ensembles in a fragment library built from known protein-RNA structures; (ii) dock each conformer-ensemble on the protein; (iii) select the spatially compatible poses; (iv) assemble them in a realistic conformation.

Moreover, we developed and validated an RNA-protein contacts predictor, based on statistical analysis of known complexes, which provides (optional) starting points for the fragments docking. We applied them on ten complexes with various ssRNA sequences (6-11 nucleotides) and RNA-recognition domains. Without predicting specific contacts, we identify the RNA binding site more accurately than all existing methods [3]. Predicting 3-4 contacts, we model ssRNA within 1-2A RMSD. Such crystallographic-like precision, never reached so far [1], reveals a methodological breakthrough in RNA-protein docking.

[1] Chauvot-de-Beauchene et al (2016) NAR 44(10):4565-4580
[2] Fulle, Gohlke (2010) JMR 23(2):220-231
[3] Chauvot-de-Beauchene et al (2016) PloS.Comput.Biol. 12(1):e1004697


Crop agronomic parameters (leaf area index (LAI), nitrogen (N) uptake, total chlorophyll (Chl) content ) are very important for the prediction of crop growth. The objective of this experiment was to investigate whether the wheat LAI, N uptake, and total Chl content could be accurately predicted using spectral indices collected at different stages of wheat growth. Firstly, the product of the optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index and wheat biomass dry weight (OSAVI×BDW) were used to estimate LAI, N uptake, and total Chl content; secondly, BDW was replaced by spectral indices to establish new spectral indices (OSAVI×OSAVI, OSAVI×SIPI, OSAVI×CIred edge, OSAVI×CIgreen mode and OSAVI×EVI2); finally, we used the new spectral indices for estimating LAI, N uptake, and total Chl content. The results showed that the new spectral indices could be used to accurately estimate LAI, N uptake, and total Chl content. The highest R2 and the lowest RMSEs were 0.711 and 0.78 (OSAVI×EVI2), 0.785 and 3.98 g/m2 (OSAVI×CIred edge) and 0.846 and 0.65 g/m2 (OSAVI×CIred edge) for LAI, nitrogen uptake and total Chl content, respectively. The new spectral indices performed better than the OSAVI alone, and the problems of a lack of sensitivity at earlier growth stages and saturation at later growth stages, which are typically associated with the OSAVI, were improved. The overall results indicated that this new spectral indices provided the best approximation for the estimation of agronomic indices for all growth stages of wheat.


Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disorder that is associated with the imbalance of trace elements which are involved in many functions especially enzyme activities. Changes in the levels of serum elements probably can create some complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Previous experimental and clinical studies report that oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis and development of (T2DM). However, the exact mechanism of oxidative stress could contribute to and accelerate the development of (T2DM).
The aim of this study contained the following sections: firstly, to determine some biochemical parameters in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) like lipid peroxidation marker, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondly, to determine serum and urine levels of zinc as trace element and serum level of iron, then to compare those parameters with that for age matched healthy individuals.
The study performed on 45 Iraqi men, who attended Baghdad Teaching Hospital. They were grouped into to 2 groups based on fasting serum glucose (FSG), and (HbA1c) value first group was included 20 healthful persons with A1c 6.4% as T2DM.
Outcomes of this study demonstrated a clear increase in T2DM in fasting serum glucose, ( HbA1c), MDA values, urine concentration of zinc , and serum level of iron compare to control.T2DM shows a significant reduction in both TAC and serum level of zinc ,if compared with control group .
Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Trace elements, Lipid peroxidation.


Studies of trophic-level material and energy transfers are central to ecology. The use of isotopic tracers has now made it possible to measure trophic transfer efficiencies of important nutrients and to better understand how these materials move through food webs. We analyzed data from thirteen 15 N-ammonium tracer addition experiments to quantify N transfer from basal resources to animals in headwater streams with varying physical, chemical, and biological features. N transfer efficiencies from primary uptake compartments (PUCs; heterotrophic microorganisms and primary producers) to primary consumers was lower (mean 11.5%, range <1% to 43%) than N transfer efficiencies from primary consumers to predators (mean 80%, range 5% to >100%). Total N transferred (as a rate) was greater in streams with open compared to closed canopies and overall N transfer efficiency generally followed a similar pattern, although was not statistically significant. We used principal component analysis to condense a suite of site characteristics into two environmental components. Total N uptake rates among trophic levels were best predicted by the component that was correlated with latitude, DIN:SRP, GPP:ER, and percent canopy cover. N transfer efficiency did not respond consistently to environmental variables. Our results suggest that canopy cover influences N movement through stream food webs because light availability and primary production facilitate N transfer to higher trophic levels.


Nanodiscs are an example of discoidal nanoscale self-assembled lipid/protein particles similar to nascent high-density lipoproteins, which reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. The major protein component of high-density lipoproteins is human apolipoprotein A-I, and the corresponding protein component of Nanodiscs is membrane scaffold protein 1 (MSP1), a 200-residue lipid-binding domain of human apolipoprotein A-I. Here we present magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR studies of uniformly (13)C,(15)N-labeled MSP1 in polyethylene glycol precipitated Nanodiscs. Two-dimensional MAS (13)C-(13)C correlation spectra show excellent microscopic order of MSP1 in precipitated Nanodiscs. Secondary isotropic chemical shifts throughout the protein are consistent with a predominantly helical structure. Moreover, the backbone conformations of prolines derived from their (13)C chemical shifts are consistent with the molecular belt model but not the picket fence model of lipid-bound MSP1. Overall comparison of experimental spectra and (13)C chemical shifts predicted from several structural models also favors the belt model. Our study thus supports the belt model of Nanodisc structure and demonstrates the utility of MAS NMR to study the structure of high molecular weight lipid-protein complexes.


Overexploitation of hydric resources and lack knowledge of interactions between riparian vegetation, water and soil, generates loss of environmental services and ecological degradation in many mountainous riparian environments. In order to characterizing riparian-soils and non-riparian soils, soil organic carbon content and particulate carbon was evaluated as ecological degradation indicators and also degree of association between physical and chemical water properties with those of riparian soils. Twenty sites were selected in lotic systems between 1900-3900 m on slopes Western in Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National-Park and influence zone. Also variability soil organic carbon content was evaluated at 1 and 5 m from stream (riparian soils) and also at more than 5 m from river (non-riparian soils) in different types of land use. Results showed signif icant relationships between soil organic carbon, electrical conductivity, pH, total nitrogen and available phosphorus with water properties (temperature, pH, conductivity, nitrates, ammonia, total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and particulate organic carbon). An inverse relationship was observed between soil organic carbon content of with particulate organic carbon, nitrates and nitrites, conductivity and dissolved oxygen. No signif icant differences were found in riparian-soils organic carbon (1 and 5 m), but there were signif icant differences in non-riparian soils organic carbon. Both soil organic carbon and water organic carbon particulate contents showed signif icant differences with respect to land use. Organic carbon contents in preserved riparian soils were higher than 240 Mg SOC ha-1 but in riparian-soils of degraded sites almost f ifty times smaller (5 Mg SOC ha-1).


This paper provides new theory and evidence about the benefits of openness on a firm's innovation performance and, more importantly, the specific firm-level contingencies under which those benefits are more (or less) likely to be observed. Building on Dyer and Singh's (1998) relational view, we suggest that a firm's lack of resources and absorptive capacity, as well as its use of secrecy, are significant barriers to benefiting from openness to external knowledge. Using responses from 12,152 firms to the fourth and fifth UK versions of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) we generate findings consistent with our hypotheses.


Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is a destructive disease limiting sugar beet production and managed using resistant cultivars, crop rotation, and timely applications of effective fungicides. Since 2016, its causal agent, Cercospora beticola, has been reported to be resistant to Quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs) and to have reduced sensitive to Demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) in sugar beet growing areas in North Dakota and Minnesota. Isolates of C. beticola resistant to QoIs, DMIs, and both QoIs and DMIs were collected from Foxhome fields, Minnesota in 2017. Fitness of these resistant isolates was compared to that of QoI- and DMI-sensitive isolates in laboratory and greenhouse studies. In the lab, mycelial growth, spore production, and spore germination were measured. The results showed that resistant isolates had significantly less mycelial growth and spore production than sensitive isolates, while no significant difference in spore germination was detected. In the greenhouse, six leaf-stage sugar beets were inoculated with a spore suspension made from each resistant group and then incubated in separate humidity chambers. CLS disease severity was evaluated visually at 7, 14, and 21 days after inoculation (DAI) and the areas under disease progress curve (AUDPC) were calculated. Resistant isolates had significantly smaller AUDPC but still caused high disease severity as the sensitive ones at 21 DAI. Although QoI and/or DMI resistant isolates had a relatively slower disease development, they still caused high disease severity and need to be factored in disease management practices.


Abstract As students continue to review the sustainability of higher education institutions, there is a growing need to understand the economic returns of degrees as a function of a sustainable institution. This paper reviews a range of international research to summarize the economic drivers of higher education attainment. Although the cost inputs to higher education are fairly well understood, the economic return of a degree is not. Students misperception of economic returns coupled with a dynamic definition of employability create the framework for unsustainable debt loads for graduates. This paper proposes three metrics that can be used to assess the economic sustainability of students graduating higher education that can be used to supplement the broader definition of sustainability within higher education.


Young creators, designers, and master artisans are reinventing craftsmanship with their freshness and daring and turning it into a laboratory for sensory, emotional, and symbolic experiences. This paper will present artisans' organizational status in the development of such a profession or craft in the municipalities that are part of the northern region of Valle del Cauca (Colombia). For this purpose, we resorted to documentary analysis and inquiries with stakeholders to characterize the region socially and demographically, for its geographical location, and identifying comparative and competitive advantages in the territory, according to the productive vocation of the municipalities and their relationship with crafts production. Likewise, the research analyzes artisans' capabilities as a dynamizing sector for social, economic, and organizational processes. This study is a preliminary approach because its results are inconclusive, thus allowing other researchers to develop into the importance of the artisanal sector for the socio-economic development of the northern region of Valle del Cauca. The strategic approaches outlined in this paper are those consolidated with the stakeholders, who have enabled the craft sector's strengthening through innovative proposals regarding the management of their workshops and business units.


We have developed a dorsal intracranial surgery that is minimally invasive and gives excellent access to either afferent or efferent vagal rootlets to produce selective deafferentations or deefferentations in the rat. We have combined this new unilateral afferent rhizotomy with a contralateral celiac branch cut (to completely deafferent the intestines) and a duodenal catheter placement 4 cm distal to the pylorus. Animals were maintained with 17 h/day access to a nutritionally complete liquid diet. Measures of first meal size, daily intake, and body weight before and after both surgeries indicated that animals with unilateral vagal deafferentiations recovered as fast and completely as sham-operated controls. Intraduodenal oleate (1.2 kcal) infusions reduced the size of the first meal in surgical controls (by 64%; P < 0.01) but not in the deafferented rats. A dual wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase/Fluorogold protocol provides verification of sensory and motor lesions. The selective vagal deafferentation provided by the new surgery offers a useful model for determining gastrointestinal sites of nutrient detection and separating pre- and postabsorptive consequences of a meal.


-Pathogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) caused wide-spread mortality of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in Canada in 1990 and in Canada and the USA in 1992. Presence of pathogenic NDV in Double-crested Cormorants is important because of the potential risk of spread to other wild birds and domestic poultry, and the effect on population dynamics of Double-crested Cormorants. The first isolation of NDV from a member of the Phalacrocoracidae was from European Shags (P aristotelis) in Scotland in 1949. It was found in Great Cormorants (P carbo) from the Volga Delta in 1974, and in Double-crested Cormorants from Quebec in 1975. From 1990 to 1997, pathogenic NDV was isolated from Double-crested Cormorants in different parts of North America in five of eight years. Newcastle disease may cause high mortality of juvenile Double-crested Cormorants; affected birds typically have wing or leg paralysis, loss of balance, and non-suppurative inflammation of brain and spinal cord. There are no reports of extensive mortality from Newcastle disease in wild birds cohabiting with Double-crested Cormorants; however, it is likely that commercial range turkeys contracted Newcastle disease from Double-Crested Cormorants in North Dakota in 1992. Newcastle disease virus isolates from Double-crested Cormorants from widely separated breeding sites and from different years have the same predicted amino acid sequence of the fusion protein cleavage site. This sequence includes the substitution of arginine for glutamine at position 110 of the fusion protein, which appears to be unique for NDV isolates obtained from cormorants and associated species since 1990. Received 19 March 1999, accepted 24July 1999.


Background: Research has shown that the emotional impact of cancer can be more difficult to cope with than practical or physical demands and a diagnosis can have significant short- and long-term psychological sequalae including depression, anxiety, difficulties in adjustment and coping and associated poor quality of life (Vachon, 2006). The common-sense model of illness representations has been widely cited as a useful theoretical framework to explain how individuals with chronic illnesses such as cancer think about and respond to their condition (Leventhal & Nerenz, 1985). Aims: Two systematic reviews were conducted to identify studies that had measured the prospective relationship between illness representations and the psychological health of cancer patients (Review 1) and to identify studies that had developed interventions to modify the illness perceptions of cancer patients to improve their psychological health (Review 2). Methods: Using best practice guidelines for systematic reviews (Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, 2009) two independent systematic reviews were conducted. Results: Review 1 identified seven studies that had measured the prospective relationship between illness perceptions and psychological health outcomes in cancer patients. The majority of these studies found that patients with the most negative illness perceptions had the poorest psychological health in the future. Review 2 identified thirteen studies that had developed interventions to either directly target illness perceptions or had hypothesised that other types of intervention would indirectly change patient's cancer related illness perceptions. Findings revealed some interventions were more effective than others in improving the psychological health of cancer patients, largely depending on their design and content. Discussion: Illness perceptions were overall predictive of several psychological health outcomes in cancer patients although there was a lack of methodological consistency in the measurement of illness perceptions making synthesis challenging. Interventions were more likely to be effective if they did not specifically target illness perceptions and if they were comprised multiple 'active' components including increased access to social support, homework based activity, group discussion, skills based training and improving the expression of emotions. Relaxation training appeared to be a significant component useful in facilitating psychological improvements in this patient group. Conclusions: Future research would benefit from further exploration of the process of change in such complex interventions in order determine which ingredients or indeed combination of ingredients are necessary for interventions to be effective in improving psychological health.


We consider the inference problem for finite transducers using different kinds of samples (positive and negative samples, positive samples only, and structural samples). Given pairs of input and output words, our task is to infer the finite transducer consistent with the given pairs. We show that this problem can be solved in certain special cases by using known results on the inference problem for linear languages.


Routine Examinations for Neoplasms SIR,-Most of us know of patients whose chances of survival would have been good instead of hopeless had existing technical knowledge been used at the right time in determining whether they had some common neoplastic disease. I am prompted to write this letter because a patient of mine, aged 47, who had only minimal symptoms for two months, was found to have carcinoma of the cervix uteri "too extensive for radium." The extension of routine examination of persons at risk to certain common neoplasms is urgently needed where such examinations are simple and safe. Already mass radiography plays a useful role, and in certain industries, I understand, routine examinations are made to exclude occupational cancers. This country lags far behind the U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. in routine examinations for carcinoma of the uterus, whose scope has been much increased by recent advances in cytology. An up-to-date scheme based on cytological examination of vaginal smears should make routine examinations a simple matter for clinician and patient, though requiring considerable numbers of specially trained laboratory technicians. It would take time and money to train the technicians and to run the scheme, but I think it is time that someone asserted that we can afford such things. In a few localities, I understand, some such schemes are already in operation, but what is needed is central encouragement to their establishment in all centres of population, using existing simple techniques of examination pending the training of the necessary technicians.-I am, etc.,


Interatomic coulombic electron capture is a non-local process involving the environment-assisted attachment of a free electron with implied consequences for various systems. Starting from the established numerical model of quantum confinements in a nanowire, this dissertation sets out to deduce model-independent hypotheses for future investigations of theoretical or experimental nature and develops a generalised adaptation of the model to test whether the effective-two-electron treatment suffices to successfully capture a free electron in the experimentally motivated system of a barium (II) cation engulfed in a Bose-Einstein-condensate of neutral rubidium atoms. Appearing associated to differing electronic states of the confinement region, two subprocesses can contrast in spatial preferences and resonant energies. For the investigated range of parameters, the energy levels of these associated states suggest to provide a starting point for a more comprehensive description beyond the particular parameters of an individual model. A rather simple electric dipole-dipole coupled adaptation of the model is then able to successfully show environment assisted electron attachment to a barium (II) cation aided by a surrounding cloud of ultracold rubidium atoms in typical experimental conditions.


Communication via satellite begins when the satellite is positioned in the desired orbital position. Ground stations can communicate with LEO (Low Earth Orbiting) satellites only when the satellite is in their visibility region. The ground station's ideal horizon plane is in fact the visibility region under 0˚ of elevation angle. Because of natural barriers or too high buildings in urban areas, practical (visible) horizon plane differs from the ideal one. The duration of the visibility and so the communication duration varies for each LEO satellite pass at the ground station, since LEO satellites move too fast over the Earth. The range between the ground station and the LEO satellite depends on maximal elevation of satellite's path above the ground station. The dimension of the horizon plane depends on satellite's orbital attitude. The range variations between the ground station and the satellite, and then ground station horizon plane simulation for low Earth orbiting satellites as a function of orbital attitude is presented. The range impact and horizon plane variations on communication duration between the ground station and LEO satellites are given.


The compliance enforcement system of the Kyoto Protocol provides only weak incentives for Parties to comply with their commitments. For example, the penalties for non-compliant countries are not legally binding, and moreover, there is no second-order punishment for those countries that fail to implement them. Thus, a Party can simply refuse to comply without consequence. The alternative compliance enforcement systems that have been proposed in the literature also face substantial problems. A simple, flexible, potent, and credible compliance enforcement system for a post-Kyoto climate agreement, based on deposits, is proposed here: at ratification, each country deposits a significant amount of money, and continues to do so in the preparation stage each year until the start of the commitment period. At the end of this period, those countries that meet their emissions limitation targets receive a full refund of their deposit, while those that fail to do so forfeit part or all of it. A simplified two-country model of the deposit system and a numerical example of an agreement involving the US, Japan, Russia, and Europe is also provided. If each country's deposit is no less than its abatement costs, there is a strong incentive for participating countries to avoid non-compliance.


The distribution and morphology of pyrite in 3 Holocene estuarine sediments were examined using light microscopy, analytical scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The distribution and morphologies of pyrite were similar with pyrite being dispersed throughout the soil matrices as well as concentrated in root remnants and other macropores. The pyrite occurred in both framboidal and irregularly shaped dense clusters from 4 to 15 µm diameter, and also in loose clusters. Individual crystals in these clusters ranged in size from 1 to 2 µm. Pyrite crystals exhibited octahedral, pyritohedral, and equant anhedral (i.e. rounded globular) habit. Organic matter coatings and clay coatings were common around pyrite at each site. Thin coatings of monosulfide with an acicular morphology occurred around some framboidal clusters at one site. The distribution of framboids and individual crystals in the clayey matrix, root remnants, and other macropores indicates that the pyrite in these sediments has formed in situ. These data have important implications for the rate of sulfide oxidation and acid production from these soils.


Background : We compared the ease of insertion of classic LMA™ and the fibreoptic assessment of LMA position between standard technique of LMA insertion and laryngoscopic aided insertion Patients and Methods : After IRB approval, 60 consenting adult patients belonging to ASA physical status 1or 2 scheduled to undergo short surgical procedure under general anaesthesia were randomized into two groups , Group S and Group L. In Group S, after induction of anaesthesia with propofol 2.5 mgkg-1, size 3 or size 4 classic LMA was inserted by standard technique described by Brain A I J. In group L LMA was inserted with the help of Macintosh laryngoscope. Ease of LMA insertion was recorded. Fibreoptic grading of final position of LMA was done. Presence of blood on the LMA was noted while removing it. Data were analyzed using Chi square test. P<0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: Patient characteristics were comparable between the two groups. There was no difference in ease of LMA insertion between the
groups (P=0.612). Final LMA position was significantly better in group L compared to group S (P=0.000). Incidence of blood on LMA was similar in both the groups (P=0.765).
Conclusions: Laryngoscopic technique of insertion provides a better final positioning of the classic LMA™ when compared to the standard insertion technique as confirmed by the fibreoptic bronchoscope


Ikaros encodes a zinc finger protein that is involved in gene regulation and chromatin remodeling. The majority of Ikaros localizes at pericentromeric heterochromatin (PC-HC) where it regulates expression of target genes. Ikaros function is controlled by posttranslational modification. Phosphorylation of Ikaros by CK2 kinase determines its ability to bind DNA and exert cell cycle control as well as its subcellular localization. We report that Ikaros interacts with protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) via a conserved PP1 binding motif, RVXF, in the C-terminal end of the Ikaros protein. Point mutations of the RVXF motif abolish Ikaros-PP1 interaction and result in decreased DNA binding, an inability to localize to PC-HC, and rapid degradation of the Ikaros protein. The introduction of alanine mutations at CK2-phosphorylated residues increases the half-life of the PP1-nonbinding Ikaros mutant. This suggests that dephosphorylation of these sites by PP1 stabilizes the Ikaros protein and prevents its degradation. In the nucleus, Ikaros forms complexes with ubiquitin, providing evidence that Ikaros degradation involves the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. In vivo, Ikaros can target PP1 to the nucleus, and a fraction of PP1 colocalizes with Ikaros at PC-HC. These data suggest a novel function for the Ikaros protein; that is, the targeting of PP1 to PC-HC and other chromatin structures. We propose a model whereby the function of Ikaros is controlled by the CK2 and PP1 pathways and that a balance between these two signal transduction pathways is essential for normal cellular function and for the prevention of malignant transformation.


Due to unique and tunable optical properties, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are becoming more widely used in biological and biomedical applications. However, nanoparticles in fluid tend to lose the specific function because of aggregation in the transport process of use. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the aggregation behavior for having a good understanding of aggregation mechanism and inhibiting GNPs aggregation. A MD simulation in this study was performed to investigate the physical aggregation behavior of GNPs in biological media. By analyzing the aggregation proportion of GNPs in different conditions and the changes in center-to-center distance between GNPs with the time, the effects of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics of GNPs, velocity of ionic solution, size of GNPs, initial distance between two GNPs, and surface charge were discussed. The simulation results indicate that the aggregation proportion of GNPs with hydrophilic modification is 62.5%, which is less than 87.5% in the model without surface modification, while the final aggregation proportion of GNPs with hydrophobic modification increased to 100%. When the velocity of the NaCl aqueous solution is 0.1 m/s, the final aggregation proportion of GNPs is 87.5%, which is similar with the model without flow velocity. But the final aggregation proportion increased to 100% when the velocity is 1m/s. Under the same conditions, the GNPs of 1 nm diameter aggregated at 0.16 ns, but the GNPs of 1.5 nm and 2 nm diameters aggregated at 0.6 ns and 0.8 ns, respectively. For the GNPs of 1 nm diameter, the GNPs can only get close to each other very slowly when the distance between the surfaces of GNPs is within the range of 0.8–1.2 nm, whereas the GNPs will aggregate quickly when the distance is close enough. GNPs can retain stable by modified with appropriate negative charge. But ions in the solution will weaken this effect.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


AIM
Menopause transition is able to induce a significant change in the quality of life of women and a growing demand for alternative treatments to hormonal therapy of the psychological and somatic/vasomotor symptoms related to menopausal transition has been observed in these last years. In this study we aimed to investigate the effect of a two-month supplementation period with the Klamath algae extract Klamin® on the general and psychological well-being of a group of 30 menopausal women, free from any hormonal therapy.

METHODS
Patients were randomly subdivided in 2 groups (15 patients each) and each of them was treated with Algae Klamath extract (Klamin®, Nutrigea, Urbino, Italy) (1600 g/day) or with placebo (vanilla tablets) for 8 weeks. Patients were evaluated both for the hormonal and psychological profiles (Symptom Rating Scale - Italian version [SRT] and Zung Self-Rating Scale) before and after the treatment interval.

RESULTS
Both groups of patients were similar in baseline conditions but significant changes were observed after the treatment interval in the group administered with Algae Klamath extracts. Though no hormonal changes occurred after the treatment interval in both groups, only patients under Klamin administration showed both SRT and Zung scales significantly improved, thus reporting a consistent change in their quality of life, for mood, anxiety and depressive attitude.

CONCLUSION
Since the Klamath extract did not show steroid-like effects on the hormonal parameters, it could be proposed as valid integration for those women seeking for alternative treatment to hormonal therapy so that to overcome many of the menopausal symptoms.


The National Parks of the United Kingdom are characterised by their beautiful countryside
and spectacular rural landscapes. They are also significant leisure based trip attracting
locations, the dominant transport mode being the private car which typically accounts for
90% of all journeys made to these destinations. Excessive car use in National Parks is
problematic since traffic congestion, environmental degradation, vehicle noise and parking
problems serve to undermine the natural and recreational values which they are intended
to promote.
As recognition of the negative impacts of car use in National Parks has grown, so have calls
for innovation and experimentation in approaches to traffic management and transport
policy in these locations. Despite this, policy change has been slow. Sustainable and
effective solutions to transport problems in UK National Parks appear no nearer to being
found now than they were sixty five years ago.
Accordingly, this thesis seeks to investigate the process of policy change with respect to
leisure transport in UK National Parks. The study adopts the Multiple Streams framework
(Kingdon, 1984) as the mechanism by which to explore policy change in the sector, and a
case study method is chosen as the overarching research approach. Within the case study
design, a three stage research method is undertaken, consisting of a) documentary analysis
combined with semi-structured interviews with Transport Officers at UK National Park
Authorities, b) two sub case studies at the local level in the New Forest and Yorkshire Dales
National Parks, and c) semi-structured interviews with National Park transport planning
experts at the national level.
The Multiple Streams framework is shown to accurately identify important processes and
mechanisms which can be seen to account for policy stability (and therefore inhibit change)
within the National Park transport planning sector. As such, the thesis concludes that at the
present time there is no significant window for policy change with respect to leisure
transport in UK National Parks. A number of barriers exist which make this so. First are
perceptions of public and political apathy towards transport problems in the National Parks,
and a lack of quantifiable data by which to ‗frame' these issues. Second are competing
agendas of key delivery agencies in the policy sector, where conflict between economic and
environment objectives limit the consideration of certain transport planning instruments for
use. Third are issues surrounding the technical feasibility (in terms of implementation) and
public acceptability of a range of transport planning instruments, and fourth is a lack of
advocacy for policy change amongst the general public and politicians at the local and
national level. In light of the research findings, recommendations and advice to policy
makers and practitioners seeking change within the sector are offered.