An essential component of effective use of Ad Hoc Wireless networks is proper utilization of available resources and network stability. There has been a recent increase of interest in Ad Hoc networks, partly due to the fact that Ad Hoc networks can be implemented without requiring any support from existing wired backbone or costly hardware setup. The effective utilization of the power of the Ad Hoc networks lies in scalability, stability, maintainability and rapid convergence of these networks. The route detection and route formation in the Ad Hoc networks should be done instantaneously. Performing effective route detection on such environments can be best achieved when the broadcasting is improved and the redundancy in route detection is removed. In this thesis work, a cluster based algorithm as well as a localized algorithm for Connected Dominating Set formation have been proposed. The Clustering algorithm forms disjoint logical groups of nodes with a lead node as head of the cluster. The cluster head takes part in the routing and has additional tasks of cluster maintenance. The clusters form a logical backbone and the Route search space is limited to the no. of clusters. But, the method forms suboptimal routes. The Connected Dominating Set based algorithm forms a logical backbone of connected gateways. The broadcast packets are retransmitted by these nodes. The routes are computed by shortest path algorithm. Changes in the backbone does not have impact on the ongoing communications. New routes are computed upon failure of existing routes. The results obtained using this algorithm are compared with other methods across a range of different scenarios with 100 nodes upon a simulation area of 100 X 100 twips. The Connected Dominating Set algorithm distributes the dominating nodes equally along the entire range while others are being biased towards higher "id" nodes. The Connected Dominating Set based algorithm is excelling the cluster algorithm in Search space size.


This article aims to identify the optimal conditions necessary for the implementation of public health interventions. In order to approach this question, the authors relied upon a review of the health promotion literature and on three evaluation reports on the processes undertaken within the framework of French regional health programmes and their British equivalent counter-parts. Based on the synthesis of this work, the article puts forth recommendations for carrying out public health interventions at the national, regional and local level. It concludes by offering some structural proposals for improving health programme implementation.


ABSTRACT Five new species of the endemic giant pill-millipede genus Zoosphaerium from Madagascar are described: Z. muscorum sp. n., Z. bambusoides sp. n., Z. tigrioculatum sp. n., Z. darthvaderi sp. n., and Z. heleios sp. n. The first three species fit into the Z. coquerelianum species-group, where Z. tigrioculatum seems to be closely related to Z. isalo Wesener, 2009 and Z. bilobum Wesener, 2009. Z. tigrioculatum is also the giant pill-millipede species currently known from the highest elevation, up 2000 m on Mt Andringitra. Z. muscorum and Z. darthvaderi were both collected in mossy forest at over 1000 m (albeit at distant localities), obviously a previously undersampled ecosystem. Z. darthvaderi and Z. heleios both possess very unusual characters, not permitting their placement in any existing species-group, putting them in an isolated position. The females of Z. xerophilum Wesener, 2009 and Z. pseudoplatylabum Wesener, 2009 are described for the first time, both from samples collected close to their type localities. The vulva and washboard of Z. pseudoplatylabum fit very well into the Z. platylabum species-group. Additional locality and specimen information is given for nine species of Zoosphaerium: Z. neptunus (Butler, 1872); Z. villosum Wesener & Sierwald, 2005; Z. amabile Wesener, 2009; Z. tampolo Wesener, 2009; Z. smaragdinum Wesener, 2009; Z. viridissimum, Wesener, 2009; Z. pseudopiligerum Wesener, 2009; and Z. analavelona Wesener, 2009.


SUMMARY Dopamine (DA) is a critical modulator of brain circuits that control voluntary movements, but our understanding of its influence on the activity of target neurons in vivo remains limited. Here, we use two-photon Ca2+ imaging to simultaneously monitor the activity of direct and indirect-pathway spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in the striatum of behaving mice during acute and prolonged manipulations of DA signaling. We find that, contrary to prevailing models, DA does not modulate activity rates in either pathway strongly or differentially. Instead, DA exerts a prominent influence on the overall number of direct and indirect pathway SPNs recruited during behavior. Chronic loss of midbrain DA neurons in a model of Parkinson's disease selectively impacts direct pathway ensembles and profoundly alters how they respond to DA elevation. Our results indicate that DA regulates striatal output by dynamically reconfiguring its sparse ensemble code and provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease.


In this paper we demonstrate the possibility of modifying porous silicon (PSi) particles with surface chemistry and recognition molecules (antibodies) such that these devices could potentially be used for single-cell identification or sensing. This is achieved by modifying PSi Rugate filters via hydrosilylation with surface chemistry that serves firstly, to protect the silicon surfaces from oxidation; secondly, renders the surfaces resistant to nonspecific adsorption of proteins and cells and thirdly, allows further functionality to be added such as the coupling of antibodies. The surface chemistry remained unchanged after sonication of the PSi to form PSi microparticles. The ability to monitor the spectroscopic properties of microparticles, and shifts in the optical signature due to changes in the refractive index of the material within the pore space, is demonstrated. The particles are shown to remain stable in physiological buffers and human blood for longer than one week. Finally, the modification of the PSi particles with functional antibodies is achieved.


In order to study the influence of fuel injection nozzle arrangement on the lubrication effect of arc tooth cylindrical gear, a model of fuel injection lubrication was established, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software was used for simulation calculation. The focus on the influence of gear parameters, oil jet conditions and nozzle layout on gear lubrication performance is studied. The results show that reducing the oil jet distance not only improves the lubrication performance of the gear but also reduces the offset of the oil jet streamline. The reasonable of nozzle layout is the premise of ensuring better lubrication conditions, and the best nozzle layout scheme is obtained through data comparison analysis. The lubrication effect decreases when the nozzle angle is offset. The lubrication effect does not change when the nozzle is horizontally offset by a distance of 0.5 module in the direction of the pinion, and the lubrication performance is degraded when the distance exceeds 0.5 module. Finally, the influence of nozzle diameter on lubrication is analyzed, the lubrication effect is directly proportional to the nozzle diameter.


In order to survive to the exposure of DNA damaging agents, cells activate a complex response that coordinates the cellular metabolism, cell cycle progression and DNA repair. Among many other events, recent evidence has described global changes in mRNA splicing in cells treated with genotoxic agents. Here, we explore further this DNA damage-dependent alternative splicing. Indeed, we show that both the splicing factor SF3B2 and the repair protein CtIP contribute to the global pattern of splicing both in cells treated or not to DNA damaging agents. Additionally, we focus on a specific DNA damage- and CtIP-dependent alternative splicing event of the helicase PIF1 and explore its relevance for the survival of cells upon exposure to ionizing radiation. Indeed, we described how the nuclear, active form of PIF1 is substituted by a splicing variant, named vPIF1, in a fashion that requires both the presence of DNA damage and CtIP. Interestingly, timely expression of vPIF1 is required for optimal survival to exposure to DNA damaging agents, but early expression of this isoform delays early events of the DNA damage response. On the contrary, expression of the full length PIF1 facilitates those early events, but increases the sensitivity to DNA damaging agents if the expression is maintained long-term.


Between May 1, 1976 through May 14, 1977, feces from 1,056 five-day-old babies in newborn nurseries were examined by electron microscopy, of which 343 (32.5%) contained rotavirus. Rotaviruses were prevalent throughout the study period, but infection reached its peak during the winter months of December 1976 and January 1977, at which time 46% and 49% of babies, respectively, were excreting rotaviruses. Infection occurred substantially less frequently among breast-fed babies. Further, infected breast-fed babies excreted less virus than those who were bottle fed. Viral particles in feces of breast-fed babies frequently appeared in clumps, which usually contained complete smooth viral particles. Analysis of feeding charts in one of the wards revealed that infection was usually asymptomatic because only 15 of 189 (8%) babies had enteritis. None of these babies had symptoms of sufficient severity to necessitate treatment.


: Care plans are developed to meet the needs of persons suffering from a dementia or a chronic, debilitating disease. Nurses, social workers, physicians, physical therapists, and other health care professionals create the care plans, primarily with the care recipient in mind. Yet, often, it is the family caregiver who must provide the majority of home care. Who considers this caregiver's needs? This article focuses on the informal, family caregiver, often untrained, who must follow the care plan, with or without help from the professionals. It offers practical suggestions to help these caregivers carry out their role with productive and satisfying results.


Abstract-Mobile terminals provide an increasingly important communication channel in facilitating social connections. Mobile social networking has an enormous potential for us to tap and there is an urgent need to explore new service modes in this area. We have developed a system of social interaction, called Mobile Hunter System, for people to expand their scope of interpersonal relationships not only through the internet but also face-to-face, which makes a difference from the traditional social network systems. People can record their interesting things and share their instant feelings whenever and wherever they want by using this platform. Besides, people can organize a location-based game which provides the chance for people to conduct their social interactions face to face, using their true identities. Usability test result shows that this system is entertaining and is helpful for people to extend the scope of their social network.


In the bottom region of blast furnaces during the ironmaking process, the liquid iron and molten slag drip into the coke bed by the action of gravity. In this study, a practical multi-interfacial smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation is carried out to track the complex liquid transient dripping behavior involving two immiscible phases in the coke bed. Numerical simulations were performed for different conditions corresponding to different values of wettability force between molten slag and cokes. The predicted dripping velocity changes and interfacial shape were investigated. The relaxation of the surface force of liquid iron plays a significant role in the dripping rate; i.e., the molten slag on the cokes acts as a lubricant against liquid iron flow. If the attractive force between the coke and slag is smaller than the gravitational force, the slag then drops together with the liquid iron. When the attractive force between the coke and slag becomes dominant, the iron-slag interface will be preferentially detached. These results indicate that transient interface morphology is formed by the balance between the momentum of the melt and the force acting on each interface.


The European Union is presently funding collaborative research and development activities in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP 6) that covered the period of 2002-2006. Activities in the communications field have made significant progress toward advanced communication technologies, systems, and services, enabling low cost broadband end-to-end connectivity and seamless mobile and wireless access solutions across a range of heterogeneous network infrastructures. Currently, the European Commission is starting to implement the Seventh Framework Programme (FP 7) that covers the period of 2007-2013. The area of communication technologies is characterized by the main technical objective of ubiquitous and unlimited capacity communication networks. Activities are expected to aim for ubiquitous access over heterogeneous networks - fixed, mobile, wireless, and broadcasting networks - spanning the personal area to the regional and global areas, enabling the seamless delivery of ever higher volumes of data and services.


Abstract In this study, the wear behavior of chilled cast iron and nodular cast iron materials used in camshaft manufacturing has been compared. Nodular cast iron specimens were additionally heat treated at 200 and 300 °C for stress relieving after hardening. Thus, the effect of the stress release treatment on wear behavior was comparatively evaluated with respect to the untreated specimens. The ball-on-disk test described in ASTM G99-05 standard was performed under dry sliding conditions as wear test. The specimens were exposed to dry sliding test under a load of 30 N with a rotational speed of 300 rpm against hardened 100Cr6 counterparts and for the distances of 100, 500 and 1000 m. The results showed two different wear behaviors for the 100 m and 500/1000 m distances, respectively. Under given dry sliding conditions, induction hardened nodular cast iron and slightly stress released specimens exhibited relatively higher wear resistance in the tests over a distance of 500 and 1000 m, while the others showing an increase in wear loss amounts at the same sliding distances.


While in the Western societies the act of translating was a phenomenon that had a powerful tradition which started long before the sixteenth century, in the Romanian Principalities the first timid attempts were recorded at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Taking into account the translations accomplished by the nineteenth Romanian women writers and the large range of languages (French, Italian, Greek, Latin, German, English, Spanish) they used, I have tried to "discover" and "revive" as many women writers as I could, first of all by focusing all my attention on the works of the neglected women (writers) translators. The present research, which limits only to Romanian women writers that translated writings of foreign women authors, needs also a special attention to finding biographical data about the translators since a lot of them used pen names (few writers used even more than three pen names) or signed their writing or translations only with the initial letters of their names, especially for the works published in installments. There is a significant amount of research in order to bring to light all the translated works since most of them can be found only in (incomplete) issues of journals, almanacs, literary magazines, theatre's journals, or manuscripts. By using the international database Women Writers in History we may involve researchers and students from many European countries in contributing with important information concerning their women writers. There are also negotiations with national libraries in 25 countries around Europe in order to get partners for this database which offers open access.


ABSTRACT Objective. Family needs of patients with acquired brain injuries have been studied for about three decades. In this study, we assessed the needs, the quality of life and the psychological state of relatives of patients with locked-in syndrome (LIS). Design: A survey was carried out using the family needs' questionnaire (FNQ). Subjects and methods: Thirty relatives of patients with LIS fully completed the FNQ. Results: The most important need reported by families corresponded to the need for medical information. The highest percentage of satisfaction (66%) was also observed for this need. Among the needs for information, specifically, the most important for LIS' relatives was to know that the patient's needs and wishes were respected by the professional staff, which were fulfilled in 93% of the sample. The need for emotional support was the least important and had the lowest percentage of satisfaction (55%). The number of met/unmet needs correlated with the quality of life of the families. Most of the relatives reported anxiety feelings and depressive thoughts. Conclusions: Receiving accurate medical information is the most important need for family of patients with LIS and their quality of life is correlated with the fulfilment of their needs.


Introduction: Metastatic bronchial carcinoids are rare neoplasms, where efforts of medical treatment so far have been disappointing. A previous study from our center indicated that temozolomide might be of value. Materials and Methods: All patients with progressive metastatic bronchial carcinoid treated with temozolomide as monotherapy at our center between 2004 and 2010 (n = 31) were included in this retrospective study. 14 tumors were classified as typical and 15 as atypical carcinoids, whereas 2 tumors could not be classified. Temozolomide was given on 5 consecutive days every 4 weeks. Toxicity was evaluable in 28 of 31 patients, and 22 patients were evaluable by RECIST 1.1. Results: There were no complete responses. A partial response was seen in 3 patients (14%), stable disease in 11 (52%) and progressive disease in 7 patients (33%). Median progression-free survival was 5.3 months and median overall survival was 23.2 months from the start of temozolomide. Toxicities grade 3-4 were noted in 4 patients, thrombocytopenia (n = 3) and leukopenia (n = 1). Conclusion: Temozolomide as monotherapy shows activity in metastatic bronchial carcinoids. Regimens combining temozolomide with other agents (e.g. capecitabine and/or bevacizumab, everolimus, radiolabeled somatostatin analogues) should be further studied in these patients.


The general objective of this study was to find out control system on cash collection in ECG and the general practical challenges of ensuring prudent cash collection. For this study, the target population comprised management members of ECG Ghana, Tellers or cash collectors of ECG Ghana, who on daily basis pay monies in cash to ECG Ghana ltd. multiple sampling methods was adopted for this study. The study found that internal control, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance to management and the board of directors regarding achievement of an entity's objectives. The likelihood of achievement is affected by limitations inherent in all internal control systems. These include the realities that human judgment in decision-making can be faulty, persons responsible for establishing controls need to consider their relative costs and benefits, and breakdowns can occur because of human failures such as simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by collusion of two or more people. Finally, management has the ability to override the internal control system. An internal control system can be expected to provide reasonable assurance of achieving objectives relating to the reliability of financial reporting and compliance with laws and regulations. Achievement of those objectives, which are based largely on standards imposed by external parties, depends on how activities within the entity's control are performed.


The mouse blastocyst, at the time of implantation, has three distinct cell lineages: epiblast (EPI), trophoblast and primitive endoderm (PE). Interactions between these three lineages and their directional growth and migration are critical for establishing the initial asymmetries that result in anterior-posterior patterning of the embryo proper. We have re-investigated the timing of specification of the three lineages in relation to the differential allocation of progeny of the first two blastomeres to the embryonic versus abembryonic axis of the blastocyst. We find that the majority of cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) are specified to be EPI or PE by the mid 3.5 day blastocyst and that this is associated with localized expression of GATA-6 in the ICM. We propose a model for molecular specification of the blastocyst lineages in which a combination of cell division order, signal transduction differences between inner and outer cells and segregation of key transcription factors can produce a blastocyst in which all three lineages are normally set up in an ordered, lineage-dependent manner, but which can also reconstruct a blastocyst when division order or cell interactions are disturbed.


Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) toxicity is a poorly understood physiological disorder that occurs under anaerobic conditions and can cause substantial yield loss in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Though the reduction of sulfate (SO42-) to H2S is the causes of toxicity, there are many factors that influence the extent to which this occurs. Two greenhouse studies were designed to investigate the chemical and physical characteristics of four soils in Arkansas where this disorder occurs regularly (H and HR-W), sometimes occurs (HR-E), and has never been reported (PTRS). The three soils that have had this disorder (H, HR-W, and HR-E) contained approximately 30% more silt than PTRS. Mehlich 3 extractable SO42- and Fe concentrations were significantly different among the soils. In the first study, the effect of soil sterilization on SO42- concentration was examined. This study showed that SO42- concentrations over time were significantly greater in the sterilized soils from day 7-77 (p=0.0231 to <0.0001) indicating that microbes play a key role in the disappearance of SO42-. Sulfate concentrations were different from day 21-77 (p=0.0310 to <0.0001), however H and PTRS were not statistically different. Redox potential dropped more rapidly in H than PTRS, suggesting that redox potential greatly influences the occurrence of H2S toxicity. When rice was grown, there was again a statistical difference between locations (p=0.0405 to 0.0095), however H contained the most SO42- and PTRS the least. The most rapid decline in SO42- occurred after two weeks of flooding, which coincides with the onset of symptoms in the field. Within four weeks after flooding, H lost 20.7 mg SO42- kg-1 soil solution whereas PTRS lost 13.5 SO42- kg-1 soil solutions. These results indicate that the rate of SO42- reduction, decline in redox potential, and activity of microorganisms all play a role in the occurrence of H2S toxicity.


Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases are clinical conditions increasingly observed in geriatric populations. A common symptom of these pathologies is represented
by the increased difficulty with food manipulation and intake. Developing food products,
dietary supplements and oral medications for this set of patients requires an improved understanding of the interplay between bolus rheology, tongue coordination and lubrication
of the oral cavity and their effect on the resulting ease of swallowing.
This study employs an in vitro model experiment to elucidate the role of bolus rheology
and to describe the oral swallowing dynamics in presence of suspended particles, to mimic
swallowing of solid oral dosage forms.
The model was first used to test viscoelastic liquids to validate the hypothesis that elasticity can contribute to a smoother bolus flow in the transition between the oral and the
pharyngeal phase of swallowing. In this respect, the experimental results confirmed the
effectiveness of thin viscoelastic liquids. These consistently led to a measurable reduction
in bolus fragmentation at the ejection from the in vitro oral cavity without however significantly delaying the overall oral transit time. Conversely, model thick elastic liquids
noticeably increased the measured oral transit times and led to an increased quantity of
post-swallow residues. These results suggests the existence of an optimum range of rheological properties in vitro to secure the best balance between bolus fragmentation and
bolus velocity. This finding, if confirmed in vivo could help designing novel products with
elastic properties for a better management of swallowing disorders.
Attention was then dedicated to the study of the alterations to the in vitro swallowing
dynamics resulting from the presence of suspended tablets and multiparticulates. This
topic was developed in relation to the peculiar needs of paediatric and geriatric populations
that require a high dose flexibility and often show a reduced acceptance towards large solid
oral dosage forms. Based on the theoretical results reported for simpler peristaltic flow, the
study aimed at quantifying the additional pumping effort required for swallowing single
and multiple tablets as a function of their physical attributes. in vitro tests confirmed
that model-tablets with a larger cross section in the direction of swallowing consistently
delayed the bolus flow. The viscosity of the suspending vehicle was also an important
factor: thicker liquid media were able to ensure a smoother flow in vitro, even for large
solid oral dosage forms. This finding confirms the effectiveness of thickened liquids as
suspending vehicles for the oral administration of tablets and capsules.
The importance of the suspending vehicle rheology was further highlighted with a combined in vitro and sensory study that considered the swallow-ability of placebo multiparticulates. The in vitro model provided a higher discrimination ability among the different
formulations. This helped to clarify the results obtained from the 30 untrained healthy
volunteers recruited for the sensory tests. Whilst confirming its utility, the study also
pointed out some of the limitations of the in vitro model that consistently over-predicted
the viscosity for smooth swallowing, compared to the in vivo data. This led to the development of a novel experimental setup, inspired by the functionality of the tongue, and
capable of tackling a significant number of the limitations observed for previous in vitro
studies of swallowing. This three dimensional model, can handle liquid boli spanning a
wide range of consistencies and the soft robotic actuation can also be tailored to provide
insights on the role of poor tongue coordination. The availability of this model allows to
greatly extend the kinematic and dynamic comparison with clinical data and can allow
for a more in-depth investigation of the role of oral lubrication in the bolus transport.


The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 is known to exhibit pronounced variability in the high-energy (100 MeV <  E <  100 GeV) γ-ray band, which is continuously monitored with Fermi-LAT. During two periods of high activity in April 2014 and June 2015 target-of-opportunity observations were undertaken with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in the very-high-energy (VHE, E >  100 GeV) γ-ray domain. While the observation in 2014 provides an upper limit, the observation in 2015 results in a signal with 8.7σ significance above an energy threshold of 66 GeV. No VHE variability was detected during the 2015 observations. The VHE photon spectrum is soft and described by a power-law index of 4.2 ± 0.3. The H.E.S.S. data along with a detailed and contemporaneous multiwavelength data set provide constraints on the physical parameters of the emission region. The minimum distance of the emission region from the central black hole was estimated using two plausible geometries of the broad-line region and three potential intrinsic spectra. The emission region is confidently placed at r ≳ 1.7 × 1017 cm from the black hole, that is beyond the assumed distance of the broad-line region. Time-dependent leptonic and lepto-hadronic one-zone models were used to describe the evolution of the 2015 flare. Neither model can fully reproduce the observations, despite testing various parameter sets. Furthermore, the H.E.S.S. data were used to derive constraints on Lorentz invariance violation given the large redshift of 3C 279.


In this paper, we propose an adaptive algorithm called Adaptive REM (AREM) that improves the performance of random exponential marking (REM) in two ways. Firstly, it adaptively controls the parameter alpha to achieve fast response, and secondly, it introduces a new method to evaluate dropping/marking probability with each packet arrival to reduce the queue length jitter. We demonstrate by extensive simulation results that AREM maintains queue length stability independently of traffic loads, round trip propagation delay, and bottleneck capacity. We also demonstrate that AREM is robust to non-responsive UDP traffic and HTTP traffic, and it is effective for networks with multiple bottlenecks. Comparison with REM demonstrates the superiority of AREM in achieving faster convergence to queue length target, smaller queue length jitter, lower packet loss rate, and higher link utilization.


A survey of 21 physicians and clinic managers located in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and other under-served areas in Wisconsin found that to combat increasing costs, Medicare and Medicaid discounts, charity care demands and physician recruitment difficulty, several practices rely on outside sources of funding to remain financially viable. Also, the financial viability of physician practices in under-served areas of Wisconsin is threatened more by the reimbursement rates of Medicaid and Medicare than by the provision of charity care. Though few are limiting the number of Medicare and uninsured patients they will treat, many have begun implementing cost-containment measures, including more strict collection policies. There are also indications of restricted access for Medicaid patients at some sites.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of educational music therapy on illness management knowledge and mood in acute care psychiatric inpatients. A secondary purpose was to determine if there were between-intervention differences in songwriting and lyric analysis conditions. Participants (N = 98) were randomly assigned by cluster to one of three single-session group-based scripted conditions: educational lyric analysis, educational songwriting, or wait-list control. Results indicated significant between-group differences in the illness management knowledge measure in the songwriting and wait-list control conditions as well as in the vigor subscale measure in the lyric analysis and wait-list control conditions. Although not significant, both educational music therapy conditions tended to have slightly more positive mean scores than the wait-list control condition in measures of illness management knowledge, depression, vigor, confusion, tension, and fatigue. Single-session educational music therapy may be an engaging and motivating psychosocial treatment technique to improve illness management knowledge and mood in acute care psychiatric inpatients. This is the first randomized study to compare educational music therapy interventions and additional research is warranted to better understand idiosyncratic patient preferences and effects of various music therapy interventions. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.


In "Performative Metafiction: Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler, and The End of A Series of Unfortunate Events ," Sara Austin looks at the metafictional aspect of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, with particular emphasis on the series' final volume, The End. She explores the occasional uneasy relationship between the series narrator and "author," Lemony Snicket, and the actual author, Daniel Handler. Handler's entirely pseudonymous role in the publishing process creates a tension within the series' narrative authority, raising issues that, often, adults do not trust children to understand. The popularity of the series, particularly in the United States, belies assumptions that children will neither understand nor enjoy books that raise more questions about the plot and characters than they answer, or that utterly fail to offer the "happily-ever-after" convention that so dominates the worlds of children's publishing.


To analyze strategic interaction which may induce externalities, we designed Bathroom Games with frequency-dependent stage payoffs. Two people regularly use a bathroom, before leaving they can either clean up the mess made, or not. Cleaning up involves an effort, so this option always gives a lower immediate utility than not cleaning up. The immediate utility of using the bathroom depends on its condition: the cleaner it is, the higher the utility. The pollution at a certain point in time depends on how often the players did not clean up in the past. Furthermore, as the bathroom's condition deteriorates, cleaning up becomes more burdensome, leading to increasing disutilities. We follow the analysis of repeated games and find that if the agents are sufficiently patient, individually-rational rewards can be supported by (subgame perfect) equilibria involving threats. In almost every such equilibrium, the bathroom is cleaned up regularly.


During Oedipa Maas's first evening at the Echo Courts motel, where she meets with the lawyer Metzger, "On the doorsill," we read, "the Paranoids, as we leave milk to propitiate the leprechaun, had set a fifth of Jack Daniels" (40). J. Kerry Grant's Companion to The Crying of Lot 49 notes, "While Irish folklore is replete with tales involving the propitiation of leprechauns, I have been unable to find any specific reference to the leaving of milk for that purpose" (41). Grant has an ally of sorts in the Irish innkeeper, Tatie (J. M. Kerrigan), in the film The Luck of the Irish, who informs and admonishes the visiting American freelancer, Stephen Fitzgerald (Tyrone Power). When Fitzgerald returns downstairs from his room to retrieve some forgotten items, he observes Tatie taking a bottle from the bar and quietly, and somewhat drunkenly, placing it outside the front door.


Ship recycling is gaining attention in Indonesia due to the increase in end-of-life ships and uneconomical nationally flagged ships, and is considered a prospective source of economic development and employment opportunity, and yet conceivably poses a threat to the health and safety of workers and the environment. There are international and national regulations that govern ship-recycling activities to ensure that the hazardous impacts of the industry are minimized. We investigated the disparity between current ship-breaking practices in Indonesia and the requirements of related international and national regulations, with the findings intended for use as a stepping stone to proposing a strategy to establish a green and sustainable ship-recycling industry. A benchmark study of the world's leading ship-recycling countries was conducted, and a gap analysis was performed by comparing existing international and national regulations with current ship-breaking practices in Indonesia. We identified two types of ship-breaking practices in Indonesia: Conventional environmentally unfriendly ship-breaking method, conducted by most Indonesian ship-breaking yards, and a rather modern, more environmentally friendly method, conducted by ship-repair yards. However, neither of the practices met the requirements of the regulations, and improvements are therefore needed to make the ship-recycling industry more green and sustainable, and to gain international recognition.


Background A series of three composite case studies of cisgender men who presented to an emergency department for care after experiencing a sexual assault are presented. These cases show common assault characteristics including substance use, force, and multiple perpetrators. Methods We describe the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) findings and treatment and provide legal details of specific cases when available. Results These case reports highlight common challenges to help-seeking and the primary reasons these male victims overcame the barriers to seek care. Discussion SANEs are encouraged to provide consistent care to all sexual assault patients, regardless of gender. SANEs have an obligation to educate peers and broader society about sexual assault prevention and to advocate for policies that encourage help-seeking when a sexual assault has occurred.


Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are cost-effective remote sensing tools useful for generating very high-resolution (VHR) aerial imagery. Habitat maps generated from UAV imagery are a fundamental component of marine spatial planning, essential for the designation and governance of marine protected areas (MPAs). We investigated whether UAV survey altitude affects habitat classification performance and the classification accuracy of thematic maps from a tropical shallow water environment. We conducted repeated UAV flights at 75, 85, and 110 m, using a fixed-wing UAV on the Turneffe Atoll, Belize. Flights were ground-truthed with snorkel surveys. Images were mosaiced to form orthomosaics and transformed into thematic maps through semi-automatic object-based image analysis (OBIA). Three subset areas (4000 m2, 17000 m2 and 17000 m2) from two cayes on the atoll were selected to investigate the effect of survey altitude. A linear regression demonstrated that for every 1 m increase in survey altitude, there was a ~1% decrease in the overall classification accuracy. A low survey altitude of 75 m produced a higher classification accuracy for thematic maps and increased the representation of mangrove, seagrass, and sand. The variability in classified cover was driven by altitude, although the direction and extent of this relationship was specific to each class. For coral and sea, classified cover decreased with increased altitude. Mangrove classified cover was non-sensitive to altitude changes, demonstrating a lesser need for a consistent survey altitude. Sand and seagrass had a greater sensitivity to altitude, due to classified cover variability between altitudes. Our findings suggest that survey altitude should be minimised when classifying tropical marine environments (coral, seagrass) and, given that most fixed-wing UAVs are restricted to a minimum altitude of 70 m, we recommend an altitude of 75 m. Survey altitude should be a major consideration when targeting habitats with greater sensitivity to altitude variability


Proton-electron double-resonance imaging (PEDRI) has considerable value for study of the distribution and elimination pathways of nitroxide free radicals (NFRs). This has been illustrated by its use in studies of kidney function in the living rat in which the NFR proxyl carboxylic acid (PCA) has been employed as a `tracer'. The technique, at its present stage of development, can demonstrate location of PCA in enough detail to observe the passage through kidney cortex and medulla differentially, and to see the NFR within the major abdominal blood vessels. These studies are helping towards an understanding of the metabolic fate of PCA, as well as providing information about kidney performance after challenge with a nephrotoxin. In addition, nitric oxide complexes, formed in vivo by providing rats with a nitrite-rich diet, have been observed ex vivo using PEDRI and field-cycled DNP.


This article examines the exposure of Russian public to reports about ethnic groups in current mainstream Russian media by analyzing the amount of such reports today, as well as results of an online survey (n = 1040) aimed at revealing to what extent the public is indeed exposed to them by the respondents' own estimations. The survey showed that generally users tend to lack information about ethnicities in mainstream media and demonstrate a certain interest in learning more about other ethnic groups in Russia through media channels. We argue thus that the public's exposure to information about ethnic issues, although relatively high on a quantitative level (i.e., in terms of the actual number of reports), is lower on a qualitative one (i.e., the share of the respondents who actually come across such reports). The paper also reveals a number of tendencies from analyzing users' age groups and their regions of living. In general, we believe that singling out both specifics of the public's exposure to information about ethnicities and the connection between this exposure and the public's attitudes toward ethnicities (which is planned as the second stage of the current research project) may contribute to better understanding of the effects media can have on their audience in terms of agenda-setting and psychological influence. The current research can also be of interest when discussing the role mass media play in building harmonious relationships between representatives of different ethnic groups in a multiethnic society such as the Russian one.


This paper discusses combustion control using fuzzy logic for a sewage sludge melting furnace. The sewage sludge melting process is gaining attention as an effective method for reducing sludge volume. The slag from molten sludge is stable, causes no pollution, and can be used as a by-product. However, the operation of a sludge melting plant requires expert operators who have to deal with complex phenomena that take place in a melting furnace. In an effort to facilitate the operation, the authors have employed a control system which features the use of fuzzy logic for automatic combustion control in a cyclone type sewage sludge melting furnace. Confirmation was made that this fuzzy logic combustion control system functioned effectively for controlling the furnace temperature, O2 concentration in the furnace outlet flue gas, and concentration of NOx.


CD8+ T cells are central to the eradication of intracellular pathogens, but they can also act to limit inflammation and immunopathology. During primary respiratory viral infection CD8+ effector T cells release the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10, which is essential for host survival. Here we report that CD8+ T-cell–derived IL-10 is absent in a recall response. We show in mice that the lack of IL-10 is due to a persistent loss of IL-27 responsiveness in CD8+ memory T cells, caused by down-regulation of the common cytokine receptor, glycoprotein 130. CD8+ memory T cells secreted less IL-10 when activated in the presence of IL-27 than did naïve controls, and retroviral expression of glycoprotein 130 restored IL-10 and reduced IFN-γ production upon restimulation. We demonstrate that human CD8+ memory cells are also characterized by impaired IL-27 responsiveness. Our data suggest that CD8+ T-cell activation involves a persistent loss of specific cytokine receptors that determines the functional potential of these cells during rechallenge infection.


Q. We see a lot of patients who are physicians and do not require them
to pay co-pays. There are no enticements involved, but they do not have
any financial difficulties. At a seminar, I heard that you should collect
the co-pays but that you could choose not to collect the co-insurance. Therefore,
should we start charging the physicians their co-pays?


Worldwide rice productivity is being threatened by increased endeavours of drought stress. Among the visible symptoms of drought stress, hampered water relations and disrupted cellular membrane functions are the most important. Exogenous use of polyamines (PAs), salicylic acid (SA), brassinosteroids (BRs), glycinebetaine (GB) and nitrous oxide (NO) can induce abiotic stresses tolerance in many crops. In this time course study, we appraised the comparative role of all these substances to improve the drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Super-Basmati. Plants were subjected to drought stress at four leaf stage (4 weeks after emergence) by maintaining soil moisture at 50 % of field capacity. Pre-optimized concentrations of GB (150 mg l−1), SA (100 mg l−1), NO (100 μmol l−1 sodium nitroprusside as NO donor), BR (0.01 μm 24-epibrassinolide) and spermine (Spm; 10 μm) were foliar sprayed at five-leaf stage (5 weeks after emergence). There were two controls both receiving no foliar spray, viz. well watered (CK1) and drought stressed (CK2). There was substantial reduction in allometric response of rice, gas exchange and water relation attributes by drought stress. While drought stress enhanced the H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative membrane permeability, foliar spray of all the chemicals improved growth possibly because of the improved carbon assimilation, enhanced synthesis of metabolites and maintenance of tissue water status. Simultaneous reduction in H2O2 and MDA production was also noted in the plants treated with these substances. Drought tolerance was sturdily associated with the greater tissue water potential, increased synthesis of metabolites and enhanced capacity of antioxidant system. Of all the chemicals, foliar spray with Spm was the most effective followed by BR.


A major task of engineering is the creation of innovative systems to solve societal problems. Yet many major corporations miss the delivery dates of their newly developed systems and exceed the originally estimated development cost. The likely reason for this is excessive reliance on experience and detailed analyses of sub-systems while ignoring the system-level design issues, especially the coupling of functional requirements FRs in the system architecture. A rigorous construction of system architecture and the use of a more formal, theory-based approach have led to systematic development and deployment of large complex systems at minimum cost within the allotted development time. In this paper, three case studies involving large, highly innovative systems are presented to demonstrate the power of rational design and system development: On-Line Electric Vehicle OLEV, Mobile Harbor MH, and Mixalloy. The three systems presented in this paper were designed and developed based on axiomatic design theory. OLEV and MH were designed and deployed in two years at KAIST. Mixalloy, a dispersion-hardened Cu/TiB2 alloy, was developed and commercialized in less than four years by MIT-connected colleagues near Boston; we created materials-processing techniques for the alloy, constructed the equipment and the factory for mass production, and sold the product. These three innovative systems were developed and deployed at minimum cost and on time because in each case the entire system was designed based on a firm theoretical foundation for system development and rigorous checking of the system architecture.


Introduction: Endobronchial Ultrasound guided Trans-bronchial Needle Aspiration, (EBUS-TBNA) is used for the diagnosis and/or staging of cancer and other disorders. A novel 19G EBUS-TBNA needle ([Olympus Respiratory America], Redmond, WA, USA) with a larger diameter was developed to collect larger samples. Aims and Objectives: Evaluations were done in patients to assess the performance of the new 19G EBUS-TBNA needle. Methods: Product performance evaluations were conducted in 4 countries by 13 physicians experienced with EBUS-TBNA from Sept 2015 to Nov 2015. Physicians in each country were provided with 20 needles and asked to evaluate their performance in patients by completing evaluation forms. The forms asked physicians to rate the needles9 absolute (stand-alone) and relative performance (with respect to their experience of using current commercially available 21G and 22G needles) in the areas of penetration, visibility, and sample collection. Eighty completed evaluation forms were returned and analyzed. Results: For relative performance, physicians rated the 19G needle as comparable or better on 97.5% of the forms for sample collection, 92.5% for penetration, and 95% for visibility. For absolute performance, physicians rated the ability of the device to collect samples, its penetration, and its visibility as acceptable 98.75%, 97.5%, and 97.5% of the time respectively. One subject in Poland experienced bleeding after puncturing of the right hilum. Conclusions: Product performance evaluations of the 19G needle suggest that its performance is equivalent to or better than currently commercially available needles. However, additional clinical evaluations are warranted.


The aims of this study were to determine the extent and distribution of an OSPAR priority habitat under current baseline ocean temperatures; to illustrate the prospect for habitat loss under a changing ocean temperature scenario; and to demonstrate the potential application of predictive habitat mapping in "future-proofing" conservation and biodiversity management. Maxent modelling and GIS environmental envelope analysis of the biogenic bed forming species, Modiolus modiolus was carried out. The Maxent model was tested and validated using 75%/25% training/test occurrence records and validated against two sampling biases (the whole study area and a 20km buffer). The model was compared to the envelope analysis and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Area Under the curve; AUC) was evaluated. The performance of the Maxent model was rated as 'good' to 'excellent' on all replicated runs and low variation in the runs was recorded from the AUC values. The extent of "most suitable", "less suitable" and "unsuitable" habitat was calculated for the baseline year (2009) and the projected increased ocean temperature scenarios (2030, 2050, 2080 and 2100). A loss of 100% of "most suitable" habitat was reported by 2080. Maintaining a suitable level of protection of marine habitats/species of conservation importance may require management of the decline and migration rather than maintenance of present extent. Methods applied in this study provide the initial application of a plausible "conservation management tool".


The aim of the paper was to identify the factors that constrain growth of street food enterprises in Ghana. The study achieved this by using panel data from two surveys to estimate the effect of constraints that are self-reported by street food vendors from Kumasi and Tamale metropolises of Ghana on growth of their businesses. Results of the study found inadequate managerial skills and financial constraints to negatively affect the gross margin ratio between the baseline and follow-up periods. In addition, vendors who reported complex regulatory and banking procedure as a constraint experienced a decrease in the rate of growth of their businesses with respect to average daily sales per person. The study recommends that policy interventions aimed at improving the street food sector should aim at addressing managerial constraints or financial constraints or both. Specific policies to address these constraints are presented.


Abstract In 1965 Lerch & Grossman produced a paper describing a 3-D algorithm based on graph theory which could be specifically applied to the optimization of open-pit mine designs. At the time, most computers were incapable of performing the large quantities of iterative calculations required by the method. A 2-D algorithm was also described which, though effective on sections, lost its optimized quality when sections were combined. The 3-D algorithm therefore remained the preferred option. In 1986 the Whittle 3-D open-pit optimization package was launched by Whittle Programming Ltd. This package utilized the Lerch-Grossman algorithm for the first time in a commercial software application. Since then the package has undergone a number of changes and improvements. The purpose of an optimization package is to produce the most cost effective and most profitable open-pit design from a block model of an orebody. It must be capable of rapidly analysing alternatives accurately; it must be able to carry out sensitivity analyses of different components to assess financial risk; it must allow frequent updates to take into account changes in costs etc. and it must allow the production of interim designs. In today's mining world, a hastily produced or non-rigorous design is financially unacceptable as the design determines the potential for profit or loss. To develop this further it is essential not just to make a profit but to maximize the return on investment. This paper appraises the ability of the Whittle 3-D package to satisfy this objective.


Thin (SiC/Ti3SiC2)n multi-layered coatings were deposited at 1100°C on ceramic substrates by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) methods. Each SiC sub-layer was classically processed from H2/CH3SiCl3. Each Ti3SiC2 sub-layer was obtained by reactive CVD (RCVD) from a H2/TiCl4 gaseous mixture reacting on each SiC solid sub-layer that was previously deposited. The growth of Ti3SiC2 by RCVD involves partial or total SiC consumption. The H2/TiCl4 ratio was chosen on the basis of a thermodynamic study. Using a sufficiently high H2/TiCl4 ratio and limiting the sub-layer thickness allowed the formation of TiC or binary titanium silicides to be avoided. By using a constant low gas pressure in the CVD reactor, it was possible to obtain nearly pure Ti3SiC2 sub-layers as thin as 0.8 μm. In that case, the ternary compound exhibits basal planes oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface. A way to obtain thinner sub-layers was the use of a pressurepulsed CVD method. In addition, the pressure-pulsed method allowed the preferential orientation to be prevented in the Ti3SiC2 coating.


In the investigation of the imaging performance of a high-N.A. deep ultraviolet lens for submicrometer lithography, a ghost image was detected that was displaced from the main image. The origin of the ghost was traced to periodic variations in the index of refraction of a fused-silica beam splitter in the optical column. Several different beam splitters exhibited the ghost aberration; each had small but detectable index striations, presumably related to the manufacturing process. The measurement of the diffraction efficiency of the resulting phase grating showed a strong wavelength dependence. The relatively large diffraction efficiency at 248 nm produced secondary ghost images of ~2% relative intensity.


The effect of temperature on the action of the vagus nerve on the heart was studied in the toad Bufo marinus. Experiments were performed on two groups of toads, in one the heart was perfused at a constant rate with oxygenated Ringer's solution and in the other the circulation was left intact. In all toads there was a linear relationship between pulse interval (PI) and the frequency of vagal stimulation (fv) at any one temperature. The slope of this relationship changed with temperature, the effectiveness of the vagus (delta PI/delta fv) increasing with decreasing temperature. At low temperatures the vagus nerves of intact toads were more effective than in those with perfused hearts. It is suggested that, in intact toads at low temperatures, cardiac output decreases and the consequent accumulation of acetylcholine leads to increased vagal effectiveness.


Over the last decade, the use of BIM methodology, both in terms of technology and process,
has experienced a rapid growth in the construction industry, there is a worldwide increase
trend on the use and investment in this new technologies. Although, the benefits associated
with the use of BIM in the construction industry, the literature has been demonstrated that
BIM as a digital collaborative environment between construction stakeholders is here to stay.
However, some aspects of the technology are still unfamiliar within the industry, several
problems associated with BIM application and adaptation has been surfaced. Unsurprisingly
when new technologies are used, such of these problems will appear, this is because BIM
approaches represent new concepts and untested in construction industry. Therefore the
challenge to overcome problems facing a using BIM, and identify the key risk factors
becomes tangible more than any time before.
From this perspective, the aim of this study is to identify the emerging risk that influence
BIM use in the projects, investigate these risks based on the perception of academics and
professionals from the Western world. In this research was to identify 128 of the risk factors
based on a review of previous literature, these factors have been categorized into five key
clusters (contractual, legal, technical, managerial, application and security). The study
employs an online survey, which was sent to 426 respondents. The respondents were drawn
from websites and professional networks. The statistical techniques of descriptive statistics,
reliability analysis, ANOVA analysis, and analysis of variance were used for data analysis.
The analysis findings show that four contractual risks were assessed to be important: LC2
"Trades on site may not be working from the model", LC1"Unclear how to deal with BIM
documents' precedence", and LC5 "Misplaced assumptions that the design team, with a
"push of a button" is able to produce a perfectly coordinated series of documents through
BIM". In the legal risk cluster, the respondents agreed on the importance of L.IPR1 "Lack of
clarity of the ownership of the BIM objects"; LD4 "Lack of knowledge of the missing data"
and likewise, LP1 "Modelling participant does not meet the standard of care required" risk
factors. The research findings also indicate that four technical risks will have an influence on
BIM usage: TC1 "Complexity of transferring modelling data between programs from one
program to another", TI2 "Lack of understanding of BIM for the different software
platforms", TI3 "Interoperability shortcomings", TQ9 "Failure to discover errors in the
model", and TI1 "Risks of different software platforms". The results appear to show that the
respondents thought ten managerial risk factors are of relevance: MX5 "Lack of understanding of the expectations from BIM modelling"; MX4 "Lack of experience and
skilled personnel"; MC4 "Lack of clarity on integration BIM with the current business
practice"; MS1 "Conflict due to dissimilar expectations from BIM"; MS4 "Lack of
collaborative work processes and standards"; MX7 "Lack of understanding of BIM
processes"; MX6 "Lack of understanding of modelling behaviors"; MX8 "Lack of expertise
within the project team"; MX9 "Lack of expertise within the organizations"; and MS3 "Lack
of criteria for BIM project implementation". Only three application risks were deemed
important: PS6 "Implications of amendments are unclear or not defined"; PT10 "Lack of
updating the designed model to incorporate the BIM changes made during construction"; and
PT11 "Model not updated along with progress reviews" risk factors. The results showed that
the respondents strongly agreed that eight out of ten BIM security risks are relevant in BIM
application and are very likely to emerge: S9 "Disclosure of confidential information that
need to integrate with BIM programs"; S6 "Lack of understanding or ignoring security
policies"; S3 "Disclosure of BIM data"; S10 "Unauthorised access and remote access"; S5
"Weakness in technical controls"; S4 "Weakness in security procedures"; S8 "Corporate
surveillance"; and S7 "Opening non-trusted e-mail" risk factors. The ANOVA analysis results
revealed a variety of interrelationships between the identified risks based on respondents'
profiles, affect in adapting with application and the use of BIM, this requires to be considered
by BIM stakeholders, and developing an international standard for BIM risk management,
finding optimal solutions for such these identified factors, in addition to further studies and
researches in this field.
This thesis investigates the emerging risks from BIM application and delivers an original
contribution to knowledge in the form of identifying and classifying BIM application risks,
which will enhance the level of stakeholder awareness and avoid any risks associated with
usage of BIM in the future projects and assist in the maturity of BIM usage.


In a previous study, the assay method was developed for determining easily and precisely whether cigarette beetles are knocked down by phosphine fumigation. In the study, it was shown that knockdown times and mortalities of adults exposed to phosphine fumigation were closely correlated to each other. However, it is important, for successful fumigation, to evaluate the susceptible level of eggs in the beetles' population beforehand because eggs are the least susceptible stage to phosphine of all the life stages of the beetle. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between the lethal concentration (LC) of eggs and the knockdown time (KT) of adults. The susceptible level to phosphine was investigated by a mortality test and a knockdown test for 15 strains. The correlation between the log LC of eggs and the log KT of adults was shown by the following logistic function showing a correlation coefficient of 0.933: log LC 0.370 (2.743 0.370) / [1 exp{ 2.155 (log KT 2.521)}]. It was suggested that the substitution of the value of log KT99.9 into the above logistic function yielded sufficient information for determination of the most appropriate phosphine concentration for successful fumigation.


Europe is currently struggling to implement coherent coexistence regulations on genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops in all EU Member States. We conduct simulations with the software ArcView® on a GIS dataset of a hypothetical case of GM herbicide tolerant oilseed rape cultivation in Central France. Our findings show that rigid coexistence rules, such as large distance requirements, may impose a severe burden on GM crop production in Europe. These rules are not proportional to the farmers' basic incentives for coexistence and hence not consistent with the objectives of the European Commission. More alarming, we show that in densely planted areas a domino-effect may occur. This effect raises coexistence costs and even adds to the non-proportionality of rigid coexistence regulations. Instead, we show that flexible measures would be preferable since they are proportional to the incentives for coexistence and, hence, less counterproductive for European agriculture.


INTRODUCTION
The burden of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) is large. Surgery is an important management option but the factors that shape patients' surgical decisions are not well understood. As prior reviews have explored only single data types or conditions, a mixed methods appraisal across the musculoskeletal spectrum was undertaken.

METHODS
A mixed-methods systematic, convergent segregated approach was used, with PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINHAL), Embase and PsycINFO searched to identify studies of adult patients' decisions about whether to undergo surgery. A narrative synthesis was conducted, with identified themes integrated across quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies.

RESULTS
Forty-six studies were included (24 quantitative, 19 qualitative and three mixed methods), with four decision-making themes identified (symptoms, sociodemographic and health factors, information and perceptions). Decision-making involves a complex interaction of individual sociodemographic, health and symptom information, integrated with individual perceptions of candidacy and surgical expectations. While most studies investigated hip and knee surgery, across all included conditions, patients are more likely to favour surgery if symptoms and/or dysfunction are higher, and if perceptions of surgical candidacy and processes (outcomes, inconvenience, and risk) are favourable. Other factors including age, general health, race, financial context, professional and non-professional communication, and information sources also impact decision-making but exert a less consistent impact upon the propensity to prefer surgery.

CONCLUSION
Patients are more likely to choose surgery for MSD when they have higher levels of symptoms or dysfunction and positive perceptions of surgical suitability and expectations. Other factors important to individuals, have a less consistent impact upon the propensity to prefer surgery. These findings have potential to aid the efficient referral of patients to orthopaedics. More research is needed to validate these findings across the spectrum of MSD.


Governments play a significant role in determining how markets function and use a variety of policies for this purpose, including economic regulation, trade policy and antitrust. Some of these policies (i.e. trade policy and antitrust) in principle promote competition directly, but sometimes are too intrusive, while others pursue other general interest objectives and in so doing restrict competition, sometimes beyond what is strictly necessary. While in the last few decades antitrust scholars and practitioners have thoroughly emphasized the role of incentives in achieving optimal economic outcomes, even though actual antitrust enforcement has not always been coherent in this respect, such an understanding does not play a similar role in other policy domains. This paper, by discussing selective, but relevant examples, shows how economic regulation, trade policy, intellectual property and antitrust laws have been applied in recent years without considering the compatibility with proper incentive schemes. Some policy changes and legislation reforms are discussed and suggested.


The effect of shear stress on strain development and pore water accumulation resulting from principal stress rotation tests on intact Hangzhou soft clay using a Zhejiang University hollow cylinder apparatus (ZJU-HCA) is reported. Different types of tests were designated, including a shearing test along the fixed principal stress direction, a pure rotation test, and both clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation tests. The mean principal stress was kept constant in all tests. The intermediate principal stress coefficient (b) was set to 0.5. The pore pressure coefficient, deduced using a double yield surface theory, revealed that the volume yield surface function was not affected by the rotation of the principal stress axes. The pore water pressure in the fixed principal stress direction test and in the pure rotation test was shown to be mainly controlled by the shear stress level. As the results revealed that the anti-clockwise rotation would have a higher effect on pore water pressure than clockwise rotation, the pore water pressure generated in the clockwise rotation test was relatively small. Because b was set to 0.5, the radial strain was very small. The development of the axial strain was symmetrical to the circumferential strain, which coincided with the horizontal symmetry of the axial stress and circumferential stress. Both the shear stress level and rotation angle have a pronounced effect on strain development. When soil subjected to pure principal stress rotation under the conditions of high stress levels, large strains would be expected and any underestimation will lead to insecurity. If the specimen experienced a preceding rotation, its influence on the strain development in the subsequent rotation was significant. The variation of octahedral shear stiffness Goct with rotation angle also demonstrated the deterioration of the preceding rotation in the following rotation.


Üçer, İbrahim Halil, "From Identity to Representation: Ibn Sına on the Identity of Knower and Known in the Human Rational Soul ", Nazariyat Journal for the History of Islamic Philosophy and Sciences 4/2 (May 2018): 1-55. dx.doi.org/10.12658/Nazariyat.4.2.M0054en Abstract: The question of the human rational soul's relation with its objects of thought over the course of actual intellection is one of the major problems in Ibn Sīnā's epistemology. Concerning this issue, Ibn Sīnā inherited a wide range of interpretations around the theory of the intellect and the intelligible's identity that was introduced in De Anima 3.4 by Aristotle.This study seeks to determine Ibn Sīnā's final position on this theory. However, there are certain difficulties in determining his original view and final position on this issue. In his early work al-Mabdaʾ wa al-maʿād, he accepts the position of identity. And yet in his later al-Shifāʾ/al-Nafs and al-Ishārāt, he sharply refutes a similar stance that he attributed to Porphyry – his real opponent remains unacknowledged – and holds fast to the opinion of the immaterial representation of the intelligibles. Yet again, he uses a language of identity (ittiḥād) in the works that come after al-Shifāʾ/al-Nafs. To solve this apparent inconsistency and determine his real view, this article offers an aporetic reading of relevant passages in his works. Accordingly, Ibn Sīnā held the view of identity in al-Mabdaʾ, in which he made no distinction between direct self-awareness and indirect self-intellection. However, after al-Shifāʾ/al-Nafs, in which he laid the ground for this distinction, he moved on to the theory of representation and adhered to it consistently in his later works. The questions of the place of Ibn Sīnā's theory of representation in the history of this problem and the possible identity of the real opponent(s) to whom he attributed the Porphyrian position form the body of this article.


Design of permanent magnet synchronous machines becomes more of an issue for all systems lately. There are many parameters that have influence for machine design. Each parameter should have optimized and their effects on the system should be determined. Any desired pre-design have been done for machine design except a few paper and it only showed by of Finite element analysis (FEA). In this article, analytical method is used in permanent magnet synchronous machine design and the effects of geometric on the performance of machine are presented. Magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model is used as numeric method. It is observed that the proposed MEC model is pertinent to Speed PC-BDC model and FEA. Besides proposed MEC model provides to calculate performances of the machines which have the desirable slot/pole combinations correctly. Proposed model is applied on the recently increased fractional slot direct drive synchronous generators.


ABSTRACT
 A 3-yr field survey was carried out in France, from 2002 to 2005, to study honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony health in relation to pesticide residues found in the colonies. This study was motivated by recent massive losses of honey bee colonies, and our objective was to examine the possible relationship between low levels of pesticide residues in apicultural matrices (honey, pollen collected by honey bees, beeswax) and colony health as measured by colony mortality and adult and brood population abundance. When all apicultural matrices were pooled together, the number of pesticide residue detected per sampling period (four sampling periods per year) and per apiary ranged from 0 to 9, with the most frequent being two (29.6%). No pesticide residues were detected during 12.7% of the sampling periods. Residues of imidacloprid and 6- chloronicotinic acid were the most frequently detected in pollen loads, honey, and honey bee matrices. Several pairs of active ingredients were present concurrently within honey bees and in pollen loads but not in beeswax and honey samples. No statistical relationship was found between colony mortality and pesticide residues. When pesticide residues from all matrices were pooled together, a mixed model analysis did not show a significant relationship between the presence of pesticide residues and the abundance of brood and adults, and no statistical relationship was found between colony mortality and pesticide residues. Thus, although certain pesticide residues were detected in apicultural matrices and occasionally with another pesticide residual, more work is needed to determine the role these residues play in affecting colony health.


Abstract Background Angiogenesis is critical to colorectal cancer (CRC) growth and metastasis. Phase I/II studies have demonstrated the efficacy of nintedanib, a triple angiokinase inhibitor, in patients with metastatic CRC. This global, randomized, phase III study investigated the efficacy and safety of nintedanib in patients with refractory CRC after failure of standard therapies. Patients and methods Eligible patients (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0–1, with histologically/cytologically confirmed metastatic/locally advanced CRC adenocarcinoma unamenable to surgery and/or radiotherapy) were randomized 1 : 1 to receive nintedanib (200 mg twice daily) or placebo (twice daily), until disease progression or undue toxicity. Patients were stratified by previous regorafenib, time from onset of metastatic disease to randomization, and region. Co-primary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by central review. Secondary end points included objective tumor response and disease control by central review. Results From October 2014 to January 2016, 768 patients were randomized; 765 were treated (nintedanib n = 384; placebo n = 381). Median follow-up was 13.4 months (interquartile range 11.1–15.7). OS was not improved [median OS 6.4 months with nintedanib versus 6.0 months with placebo; hazard ratio (HR), 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86–1.19; P = 0.8659]. There was a significant but modest increase in PFS with nintedanib versus placebo (median PFS 1.5 versus 1.4 months, respectively; HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.49–0.69; P < 0.0001). There were no complete or partial responses. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 97% of 384 nintedanib-treated patients and 93% of 381 placebo-treated patients. The most frequent grade ≥3 AEs were liver-related AEs (nintedanib 16%; placebo 8%) and fatigue (nintedanib 9%; placebo 6%). Conclusions The study failed to meet both co-primary end points. Nintedanib did not improve OS and was associated with a significant but modest increase in PFS versus placebo. Nintedanib was well tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02149108 (LUME-Colon 1).


An area within precision dairy farming is automation for milking and feeding cattle. Robotic milking systems are becoming more common worldwide, with rapid growth taking place throughout the USA. In addition, more farms are installing computerized automated feeders that can feed whole milk, milk replacer, or combinations of whole milk and milk replacer to individual calves in a controlled manner according to a predefined feeding plan. This automation technology also commonly provides individual animal data that can be used to more precisely manage the herd. Various aspects related to housing and management are critical for the success of these technologies on the dairy farm such as sanitation, feeding practices, animal training, barn design, animal grouping, animal health monitoring, and equipment maintenance.


There is a consensus on the relationship between Malaria Prevalence (MP) and Environmental Factors (EF); however, there is a dearth of published data providing this evidence in a quantifiable way. This community based study was undertaken to identify the magnitude of the relationship between MP and key environmental factors in Okelele, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. A multi-staged sampling procedure was adopted for the selection of 501 children from 200 households. Children under the age of 14 years in the selected households were sampled to obtain baseline MP using malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT) kit. Key household informant interviews and structured questionnaire were used. Relevant socio-demographic characteristics of the households, EF and non EF were determined. Acquired data was analyzed using statistical tools to determine the relationship between various independent variables and mRDT. Variables were also entered into a multiple regression equation for the generation of a mathematical model. Ethical consent was obtained from the parents before samples were taken.The study showed that EF contributed to MP in the study area.  Integrated waste management system, and regular environmental sanitation were recommended.


respectively ( P =0.05; number needed to treat=8.5). Adverse event rates within 30 days of study drug discontinuation were similar between groups (serious adverse events: varenicline 11.9%, placebo 11.3%; major adverse cardiovascular events: varenicline 4.0%, placebo 4.6%). Conclusions —Varenicline, initiated in-hospital following ACS, is efficacious for smoking cessation. Future studies are needed to establish safety in these patients.


Introducing circular holes in carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates by drilling is a typical process involved in making composite airframes. It is a complex process owing to materials heterogeneity, configuration, sharpness and feeding rates of drills, and to the fact that reinforcements and debris are very abrasive. CFRP laminates are prone to drilling-induced damage that comprises delamination and edge chipping. Drills of different configurations have been developed for practical usage, though current studies on drilling performance and integrity were mostly focused on twist drills. Examination of processing parameters on drilling quality and integrity is critical for assessment of integrity of holes and the tool life. In this study, drilling performance and integrity of circular holes in CFRP laminates for making the flat panel of a commercial aircraft were investigated using drills of three different configurations, Dagger drill, drill Reamer and twist carbide drills by employing drilling speeds of 500, 1000 and 2000 rpm and different back support. Several output responses such as thrust force and torque are measured. Quantification of quality and integrity of holes is conducted by evaluating surface roughness, heat distribution, roundness, chip size, and damage factor defining delamination at hole edge, which provide some guidelines for optimisation of machining parameters for introducing circular holes in practical operation.


Adaptation is driven by the selection for beneficial mutations that provide a fitness advantage in the specific environment in which a population is evolving. However, environments are rarely constant or predictable. When an organism well adapted to one environment finds itself in another, pleiotropic effects of mutations that made it well adapted to its former environment will affect its success. To better understand such pleiotropic effects, we evolved both haploid and diploid barcoded budding yeast populations in multiple environments, isolated adaptive clones, and then determined the fitness effects of adaptive mutations in 'non-home' environments in which they were not selected. We find that pleiotropy is common, with most adaptive evolved lineages showing fitness effects in non-home environments. Consistent with other studies, we find that these pleiotropic effects are unpredictable: they are beneficial in some environments and deleterious in others. However, we do find that lineages with adaptive mutations in the same genes tend to show similar pleiotropic effects. We also find that ploidy influences the observed adaptive mutational spectra in a condition-specific fashion. In some conditions, haploids and diploids are selected with adaptive mutations in identical genes, while in others they accumulate mutations in almost completely disjoint sets of genes.


Two-phase thin solid films consisted of Au nanoparticles imbedded in an amorphous matrix were prepared via a series of galvanic replacement reactions between chloroauric acid solution and reducing metals. The Au nanoparticles were in situ crystallized from the amorphous films rather than precipitated from solution directly. Amorphous films with partly crystallized Au nanoparticles only existed stably in dilute chloroauric acid solution. The higher concentration of chloroauric acid evidently promoted the strain-induced crystallization process and accelerated the crystallization of amorphous films into Au nanoparticles with many stacking faults, twins and dislocations. The coexistence of amorphous and crystalline Au nanoparticles makes it possible to synthesize two-phase nanostructured films.


: Cold stress and cold adaptation were studied for their effect on the activity and substrate specificity of the monoamine oxidase A and B and on the Km of serotonin deamination in the rat brain mitochondria and supernatant. Mitochondrial monoamine oxidase Km with serotonin is established to increase more than twice under cold stress and decrease considerably in cold adapted rats. The lowering of the mitochondrial monoamine oxidase A activity is accompanied by the appearance of serotonin and the glucosamine deaminating activity in supernatant. The data suggest that decrease in the monoamine oxidase activity under cold stress may be caused by both release of the enzyme from mitochondrial membrane and changes in its catalytic property alteration.


Satellite observations of the total column dry‐air CO2 (XCO2) are expected to support the quantification and monitoring of fossil fuel CO2 (ffCO2) emissions from urban areas. We evaluate the utility of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO‐2) XCO2 retrievals to optimize whole‐city emissions, using a Bayesian inversion system and high‐resolution transport modeling. The uncertainties of constrained emissions related to transport model, satellite measurements, and local biospheric fluxes are quantified. For the first two uncertainty sources, we examine cities of different landscapes: "plume city" located in relatively flat terrain, represented by Riyadh and Cairo; and "basin city" located in basin terrain, represented by Los Angeles (LA). The retrieved scaling factors of emissions and their uncertainties show prominent variabilities from track to track, due to the varying meteorological conditions and relative locations of the tracks transecting plumes. To explore the performance of multiple tracks in retrieving emissions, pseudo data experiments are carried out. The estimated least numbers of tracks required to constrain the total emissions for Riyadh (<10% uncertainty), Cairo (<10%), and LA (<5%) are 8, 5, and 7, respectively. Additionally, to evaluate the impact of biospheric fluxes on derivation of the ffXCO2 enhancements, we conduct simulations for Pearl River Delta metropolitan area. Significant fractions of local XCO2 enhancements associated with local biospheric XCO2 variations are shown, which potentially lead to biased estimates of ffCO2 emissions. We demonstrate that satellite measurements can be used to improve urban ffCO2 emissions with a sufficient amount of measurements and appropriate representations of the uncertainty components.


ABSTRACT Question: The vegetation in a polder after partial tidal restoration does not resemble the targeted salt-marsh vegetation. Is this difference in vegetation due to lack of dispersal or unsuitable abiotic conditions ? What could be done for a better restoration of the site? Location: Northwestern France. Methods: Seeds were trapped at the single inlet of the polder with a 200-μm mesh net to estimate inputs of seeds from the bay. In parallel, seed dispersal was studied in the polder by placing Astroturf® seed traps on the surface of the sediment at three different elevations in three distinct areas. Abiotic conditions such as flooding frequency, water table level and soil salinity were monitored. Results: All but one species from the adjacent salt marshes were trapped at the inlet. Not all of these species were on the seed traps inside the polder. Seed dispersal was not homogeneous in the polder and seed trap content mostly discriminated in function of their elevation. Salinity and water logging at the bottom of the slope were very high compared to tolerance of most halophytes but decreased rapidly higher up the slope. Conclusions: The development of salt marsh target species is highly restricted by limited hydrochory inside the polder but also by unfavourable soil conditions induced by the actual hydrological regime. Halophytes are excluded at the bottom of the slope by abiotic conditions and out-competed by subhalophytes higher up. In order to restore salt marsh vegetation inside the polder, a larger opening should be induced in order to increase the flooded surface, and diminish water logging and flooding frequencies.


This thesis investigated reading comprehension levels amongst Maltese bilingual students. A total of 428 participants, aged between 8 and 13, from state schools across Malta, were tested and the results of five studies presented. The primary purpose underlying the research was to inform the development of assessment procedures that can be used in the identification of children who have specific difficulties in reading within the Maltese context. Initially, the suitability of reading comprehension measures currently used in Malta was assessed. Given the potential problems identified with these measures for the dominant Maltese language population in state schools in Malta, passages and comprehension questions were developed in Maltese appropriate for this population. Conclusions from this work argue for the need for assessment tools, particularly targeting reading comprehension, that incorporate linguistic and cultural aspects of the cohorts targeted by the tools - recommendations for practice, therefore, were a focus of the discussion of the work presented. The developed reading comprehension measure focused on reading aloud to allow reading accuracy and rate to be included in assessment procedures, and the evidence from the work reported in this thesis suggested that this procedure would show similar results to a silent reading comprehension measure. A further aim of the thesis was to investigate cognitive/linguistic predictors of reading comprehension in normally developing Maltese readers and also in Maltese-speaking children with dyslexia. These data argued for younger or less experienced readers (those with dyslexia) to show greater influences of word level processes on reading comprehension than older able readers, who mainly showed influences of language processes, such as syntactic awareness, vocabulary and listening comprehension. These latter findings were considered in terms of theoretical views on the development of reading comprehension across orthographies and to inform procedures designed to identify underlying reasons for particular performance characteristics in literacy assessments.


"Objective – The issue of bankrupt of company is very actual topic not only in Slovakia but also in abroad. The reason is that many companies have problem with the question of their probability of default or bankrupt and also with their financial health as a whole. This paper deals with the issue of prediction models and captures the applicability of these models in the Slovak conditions. Methodology/Technique – In this paper are applied eight selected prediction models in the sample of 74 companies from Slovak Republic. In addition, this paper calculated one financial ratio from the category of company´s indebtedness. Based on this calculation is done the comparison between results of predictions models and results of indebtedness financial ratio. Findings – They tested eight different prediction models and their findings present that best results were achieved by Fulmer, Poznanski and Zmijewski model. Weak results achieved IN05, CH-index and Sharita model. Novelty – This paper provides explanatory ability and success of individual prediction models in Slovak conditions."


Abstract The influence of grinding on colour and particle-size properties of talc and smectite from a white bentonite were studied and compared with a fine-grained calcite from a chalk. Grinding decreased the grain size of all three minerals. The crystallite size and structure of smectite was not affected but the crystallite size of talc decreased. The Si-O-Mg and Mg-O bonds of talc were disrupted and cation exchange capacity increased with increasing grinding. Delamination of talc crystallites was observed in the initial stages of grinding, whereas with more intense treatment, amorphous material was formed. Comminution improved the colour properties of all three minerals, namely brightness, L* (lightness) and ΔE*ab (deviation from perfect white diffuser). Grinding time exerts greater influence on the reflectance from calcite surfaces than from clay minerals. This difference is attributed to continuous formation of progressively smaller diffuse reflection units forming a smoother calcite surface. Decrease of grain size does not form considerably smaller diffuse reflection units in clay minerals unless delamination takes place. With prolonged grinding, amorphization forms additional diffuse reflection units and a smoother surface due to comminution.


ABSTRACT It is increasingly recognized that many industrial and engineering experiments use split-plot or other multi-stratum structures. Much recent work has concentrated on finding optimum, or near-optimum, designs for estimating the fixed effects parameters in multi-stratum designs. However, often inference, such as hypothesis testing or interval estimation, will also be required and for inference to be unbiased in the presence of model uncertainty requires pure error estimates of the variance components. Most optimal designs provide few, if any, pure error degrees of freedom. Gilmour and Trinca (2012) introduced design optimality criteria for inference in the context of completely randomized and block designs. Here these criteria are used stratum-by-stratum to obtain multi-stratum designs. It is shown that these designs have better properties for performing inference than standard optimum designs. Compound criteria, which combine the inference criteria with traditional point estimation criteria, are also used and the designs obtained are shown to compromise between point estimation and inference. Designs are obtained for two real split-plot experiments and an illustrative split–split-plot structure. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.


The establishment of plantations of Milicia excelsa has been constrained by the gall-forming psyllid Phytolyma lata Walker (Scott) that causes extensive damage to young plants. We present findings of an experiment aimed at preventing Phytolyma attack on Milicia seedlings in the nursery using chemical control and physical barrier (screen house). Ninety, 6-month old seedlings of uniform growth were selected from a population of potted seedlings obtained from the same seed source. Thirty seedlings were placed in a screen house (SHS), while thirty seedlings (TRT) were placed in the open nursery under direct sunlight and treated fortnightly with a low concentration (0.05%) of water-based insecticide (Lambda-Cyhalothrin). As control (UNT), 30 seedlings were placed in the open nursery without any treatment. The survival, height and collar diameter of the seedlings were measured fortnightly for 24 weeks. After 10 weeks, the untreated seedlings were attacked by Phytolyma with evidence of leaf gall formation. Though, all UNT seedlings were attacked by the insect no, mortality was recorded during the study, while no gall formation occurred in the TRT and SHS seedlings. There was no significant difference in the collar diameter growth with 90.71%, 97.73%, and 115.48% increase in UNT, TRT and SHS seedlings, respectively. On the other hand, there were significant differences in the total height with 21.98%, 58.19%, increase in TRT and SHS, respectively; while UNT seedlings experienced a negative height growth of -0.27%. The provision of a physical barrier proved to be the most effective management strategy to prevent Phytolyma infestation, while chemical control was a successful alternative. Key Words: Iroko, gall formation, screen house, Lambda-Cyhalothrin, Phytolyma


Internet on-demand video traffic has seen explosive growth in recent years. This brings a number of challenges in deploying video-on-demand services at large scale. The first challenge has to do with the enormity of the video catalog size. Traditionally, content providers replicate the entire video library in different locations, but this is wasteful and non-scalable as the video catalog size expands. The second challenge comes with the increase in video quality, which calls for efficient utilization of the scarce network bandwidth resources that continue to be economically expensive to expand. The emergence of different device modalities, including smart-phones, high-definition and 3D TV, tablets and etc poses another challenge in designing efficient systems and algorithms that cater to all device characteristics and user needs.In this dissertation, we aim to present a general approach to designing, optimizing and architecting a video-on-demand system. Our approach considers the practical constraints of disk space, network link bandwidth, and node connection degree bound. In general, the joint optimization problem is combinatorially difficult. To tackle this, we first design a simple fractional storage architecture, which uses a class of regeneration codes that fluidifies the content, thereby enabling a distributed content placement and link rate allocation algorithm. We show that by storing only a fractional of the entire catalog everywhere, the system is able to fully support user demand at large scale. Second, we develop a Markov approximation technique to solve the problem of topology selection under node degree bound using a simple distributed algorithm. We prove that our algorithm achieves close-to-optimal solution, which we verify using extensive realworld trace simulations.On the system side, we show extensive results to test the algorithm's scalability and robustness to changes in user dynamics and demand patterns. We show that our solution achieves high utilization of cache nodes storage and bandwidth resources, and automatically learns and caches the video according to the demand patterns. We observe that there exists a complex interplay between disk space, network bandwidth and node degree bound. We also present guidelines to important practical design choices including caching update intervals, demand prediction and provisioning. We also demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of our design choice by building and experimenting a prototype system at Berkeley.


A code clone is a code portion in source files that is identical or similar to another. Since code clones are believed to reduce the maintainability of software, several code clone detection techniques and tools have been proposed. This paper proposes a new clone detection technique, which consists of the transformation of input source text and a token-by-token comparison. For its implementation with several useful optimization techniques, we have developed a tool, named CCFinder (Code Clone Finder), which extracts code clones in C, C++, Java, COBOL and other source files. In addition, metrics for the code clones have been developed. In order to evaluate the usefulness of CCFinder and metrics, we conducted several case studies where we applied the new tool to the source code of JDK, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Linux, and many other systems. As a result, CCFinder has effectively found clones and the metrics have been able to effectively identify the characteristics of the systems. In addition, we have compared the proposed technique with other clone detection techniques.


A basal level of proteinuria is about 30-100 mg/day, the upper limit of basal proteinuria does not exceed 150 mg/day which is considered non-pathology. Albumin accounts approximately 15 % of basal protein in the urine, other plasma proteins (immunoglobulins, β-2 microglobulin, Tamm-Horsfall mucoprotein) comprise the remaining 85 % of total quantity non-pathology proteinuria. Persistent proteinuria present for more than three months already meets the definition of chronic kidney disease independently of the stage of the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Patients are classified as A1-A3 based on the level of albuminuria. Examination of the albumin in the urine is one of the single sensitive indicators of chronic kidney disease. Proteinuria is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, overall mortality and end stage renal failure both in general population and in population with chronic kidney disease. Presence of the urinary protein is associated with a higher mortality rate in critically ill patients. The degree of proteinuria after kidney transplantation predicts graft and patient survival in this population. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments that attenuate proteinuria have been associated with better prognosis of kidney disease.


An arithmetic approach to extract the potential physical defects from the specific circuit layout of an integrated circuit is proposed. The defects subsequently are transformed into circuit faults and weighted according to their likelihood of occurrence. Based on these open and short faults extracted from CMOS layouts, an automatic test pattern generator is implemented. The test synthesis of some combinational CMOS benchmark circuits illustrates the superiority of the CMOS fault models and their application to test pattern generation as compared with the classical stuck-at fault models. >


Electrical measurements under increasing hydrostatic pressure (1–4000 [bar]) have shown that electrical conductivity is closely related to the iodine doping rate (0–14%) of polyacetylene (PA) films. In pristine PA, conductivity increases with pressure while in 14% iodinedoped PA it decreases. A most important result is noticed for an intermediate doping rate (1.5%). In fact, for sweeping of the range of pressure, conductivity decreases in the beginning and then increases with pressure augmentation. This change is located at a critical pressure Pc. An empirical formula was proposed to describe this behaviour. The aim of this work is to contribute to the greater understanding of the pressure effect on the transport mechanism and/or the nature of charge carriers.