This paper looks at the experiences of agricultural input retailers in Malawi as a result of the Agricultural Input Subsidy Program. In particular, it focuses on the impact of excluding private sector retailers from participation in the subsidy program. Using a difference-in-difference approach to modeling fertilizer sales, it attempts to evaluate how retailers who were allowed to participate for part of the duration of the program but were then excluded experienced this policy change in comparison to retailers who were not allowed to participate at any point in the program. Furthermore, by looking at survey attrition over a two-year period, this paper looks at the evidence for and against the case that the subsidy program is driving private sector retailers out of business entirely. Due to known problems with the data and the results of testing done in the process of this research, this paper goes on to discuss the ideal methods that could produce the data needed to more accurately and comprehensively address the questions discussed in the first parts of the paper.


This paper extends existing work on terminology integration into Neural Machine Translation, a common industrial practice to dynamically adapt translation to a specific domain. Our method, based on the use of placeholders complemented with morphosyntactic annotation, efficiently taps into the ability of the neural network to deal with symbolic knowledge to surpass the surface generalization shown by alternative techniques. We compare our approach to state-of-the-art systems and benchmark them through a well-defined evaluation framework, focusing on actual application of terminology and not just on the overall performance. Results indicate the suitability of our method in the use-case where terminology is used in a system trained on generic data only.


The pitting corrosion of the passive films formed on the surface of sputter-deposited W-30Ti and W-53Ti alloys after immersion for 24 hours in alkaline 1 M NaOH soution at 25°C was studied by using the surface sensitive technique of the confocal scanning laser microscopic (CSLM) technique including corrosion tests and electrochemical measurements. The higher corrosion rate of the W-30Ti alloy (i.e., about 3x 10 -2 mm/y) than those of the W-53Ti and W-90Ti alloys (i.e., about 4-5 x 10 -3 mm/y) was mostly due to the deep type of pitting corrosion observed on the surface of the passive film formed on the W-30Ti alloy in 1 M NaOH solution. The shallow type of pits was developed on the surface of the passive film formed on the W-53Ti alloy, whereas no pitting corrosion on the titanium-rich W-90Ti alloy. Keywords: Pitting corrosion; Open circuit corrosion potential; Corrosion test; CSLM study Tribhuvan University Journal Vol. XXVI, No. 1, 2009 Page: 17-26


To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of Caspases-3 expressed by constructed eukaryotic vector on gastric cancer cell line SGC7901.PCR was employed to amplify the sequences of both small and large subunits of Caspases-3. Its products were separately cloned into the Sma I site of pBluescript KS+ to generate both plasmids pBS/SS and pBS/LS. The small subunit fragment was excised from plasmid pBS/SS with BamH I and then inserted into the BamH I site of plasmid pBS/LS preceding that of the large subunit to yield plasmid pBS/Rev-Caspase-3. Rev-Caspase-3 cDNA was excised with Kpn I+Xba I and then subcloned into plasmid pcDNA3.1 (+) to construct Rev-Caspase-3 eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA/Rev-Caspase-3, which was used to transiently transfect SGC7901 cell line. Cell count, MTT assay and electron microscopy were used to confirm the antiproliferation and apoptosis-inducing effect of Rev-Caspase-3 expression on gastric cancer cells.Plasmid pBS/Rev-Caspase-3 and eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA/Rev-Caspase-3 were successfully constructed. SGC7901 cells were transiently transfected by either pcDNA/Rev-Caspase-3 or pcDNA3.1 (+) for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h respectively. Cell growth was measured by cell count and MTT assay. In cell count assay, the cell numbers were 1.8times106, 1.55times106, 2.0times106, and 3.1times106 in the experimental group and 2.5times106, 3.1times106, 4.0times106, and 5.7times106 in the control group at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h respectively. The growth of SGC7901 cells was suppressed by Rev-Caspase-3 in a time-dependent manner (P<0.05). The results of MTT assay were similar to that of cell count (P<0.05). The characteristics of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation, crescent formation and margination were seen and more obvious with time in the given-experimental period in the experimental group, but not easily observed in the control group.The expression of Rev-Caspase-3 by the apoptosis of gastric cancer cell line SGC7901, which may exhibit a potential way in gastric cancer gene therapy.


Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.) and Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris Linn. var. mongolica Litv.) with dimension of 19.019.0450.0 mm were treated with two concentrations of amine copper quat-type D (ACQ-D) solutions (0.5%, 1.0%) respectively and post-treated with three different methods including humidity chamber, drying oven and hot water bath. The effects of these variables on copper leaching from ACQ-D treated wood were investigated according to the leaching test of AWPA E11. The results showed that post-treatment could improve the leaching resistance of ACQ-D treated wood effectively compared to the specimens those were leached immediately after impregnation. After some promising post-treatments, copper leaching from the treated wood was not only associated with the joint effects of retentions, wood species and different locations in the treated wood, but also influenced by the special fixation mechanisms in different post-treatments.


The success of the Semantic Web research is dependent upon the construction of complete and reliable domain ontologies. In this paper we describe an unsupervised framework for domain ontology enrichment based on mining domain text corpora. Specifically, we enrich the hierarchical backbone of an existing ontology, i.e. its taxonomy, with new domain-specific concepts. The framework is based on an extended model of hierarchical self-organizing maps. As being founded on an unsupervised neural network architecture, the framework can be applied to different languages and domains. Terms extracted by mining a text corpus encode contextual content information, in a distributional vector space. The enrichment behaves like a classification of the extracted terms into the existing taxonomy by attaching them as hyponyms for the nodes of the taxonomy. The experiments reported are in the "Lonely Planet" tourism domain. The taxonomy and the corpus are the ones proposed in the PASCAL ontology learning and population challenge. The experimental results prove that the quality of the enrichment is considerably improved by using semantics based vector representations for the classified (newly added) terms, like the document category histograms (DCH) and the document frequency times inverse term frequency (DF-ITF) weighting scheme.


The Guangzhou Twin Eye Study (GTES) is a population-based study of young twins residing in Guangzhou City. The major aim of GTES is to explore the impact of genes, environmental factors and gene-environment interactions on common eye diseases. From 2006, for more than 1,300 twin pairs, age 7–26 years old, progressive ocular phenotypes, such as refraction, ocular biometrics, weight, and height were collected annually, while non-progressive phenotypes such as parental refraction, corneal thickness, retinal fundus, intraocular pressure and DNA only collected at baseline. In the current study, we summarize the major findings on the etiology of myopia in recent decades.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
In the United States, approximately 60 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders and about 22 million Americans report substance dependence or use disorders annually. Sleep disturbances are common consequences of substance use disorders and are likely found in primary care as well as in specialty practices. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of the most frequently used substances-nicotine, alcohol, opioids, cocaine, caffeine, and cannabis-have on sleep parameters measured by polysomnography (PSG) and related clinical manifestations.

METHODS
We used electronic databases such as PubMED and PsycINFO to search for relevant articles. We only included studies that assessed sleep disturbances using polysomnography and reviewed the effects of these substances on six clinically relevant sleep parameters: Total sleep time, sleep onset latency, rapid-eye movement, REM latency, wake after sleep onset, and slow wave sleep.

RESULTS
Our review indicates that these substances have significant impact on sleep and that their effects differ during intoxication, withdrawal, and chronic use. Many of the substance-induced sleep disturbances overlap with those encountered in sleep disorders, medical, and psychiatric conditions. Sleep difficulties also increase the likelihood of substance use disorder relapse, further emphasizing the need for optimizing treatment interventions in these patients.

CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE
Our review highlights the importance of systematically screening for substance use in patients with sleep disturbances and highlights the need for further research to understand mechanisms underlying substances-induced sleep disturbances and on effective interventions addressing these conditions.


The future demands of energy production to balance more intermittent energy sources creates two main technical challenges for the hydro power production. Increased off-design operation, including both operation outside Best Efficiency Point and more starts and stops, are needed to facilitate use of more intermittent energy resources. In addition to this there is a demand for rapid change between storing and generating energy in pump storage power plants. There is therefore a need to improve the fundamental understanding of transient operation of the reversible pump turbine during different modes of operation. The present work investigates the four quadrant characteristics of a reversible pumpturbine. With focus on the fast transition between pump and turbine mode of operation. The research has consisted of both experimental work and transient simulation. A fast transition is described in this thesis as a method to change from pump to turbine mode of operation, using the head to change the direction of the pumpturbines rotational speed from pump to turbine direction. The procedure start in normal pump mode of operation and end at idle speed in turbine mode of operation, and the guide vanes are open during the whole transition. The most important contributions in this thesis is connected to the fast transition, where the field experiments is a proof of concept for the fast transition method. The pressure pulsations during the fast transition are also compared to a normal procedure of change from pump to turbine mode of operation. The fast transition is also simulated using a 1D numerical model capable of simulating both pump and turbine mode of operation. The laboratory characteristics have been important in comparison to the improved 1D simulation model. The numerical and measured results show a good correlation.


In Kiswahili, the word safari simply means going on a journey. This article is about journeys begun, aborted and ended by two people with the matching names of Koos Prinsloo. Koos Prinsloo Senior used his handwritten memoir about his journeys and hunting adventures as a symbolic reference to his masculinity and frontiersman status in Kenya at the height of British colonialism. Koos Prinsloo Junior, his Kenyan-born grandson, who left Kenya as a youngster and lived in South Africa, embarks on journeys where his short stories explore, amongst other issues, matters of homosexuality and notions of the father, power and colonial nostalgia. Koos Prinsloo Junior uses excerpts from his grandfather's memoir, descriptive references to his parents' past and present homes, mementos and trophies from the erstwhile British colony to provide a critique on bravado and male inadequacy. Using Veracini's outline of circular and linear colonial narratives a contextual and historical background on Koos Prinsloo's grandfather's memoir and his hunting tales is provided by briefly examining settler life-writing from Kenya, the hunting safari and ideas of homecoming. Before turning to Prinsloo Junior's relevant short stories and examining his attempts to debunk ideas of colonial masculinity, patriarchy, nostalgia, and loss, the notion of going home, not feeling quite at home and homesickness are explored. Keywords: hunting, Kenya, Koos Prinsloo, life-writing, masculinity, memoir, narrative, nostalgia, safari, settler colonialism.


Abstract The aim of this paper is to introduce an organisational dimension to the discussion of knowledge flows and relatedness. We hypothesise that not only the degree of technological relatedness influence the extent of skill integration in a firm but also that familiarity with firm routines (intra-organisational proximity) should smoothen absorption. Longitudinal micro-data are used in pooled ordinary least square- and fixed effect models to estimate the impact on plant productivity growth of 18,051 labour flows within, and to, four large Swedish firms between 2003 and 2006. Our findings suggest that intra-regional related flows are economically beneficial. Their link to localised capabilities and community creates a weaker but more productive link between individuals than do organisational proximity, which generate too much similarity to allow for cognitively related inflows to impact productivity growth. Also, we find a positive relationship between unrelated flows and plant performance.


Eph receptors are the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases. Together with their ligands, the ephrins, they fulfill multiple biological functions. Aberrant expression of Ephs/ephrins leading to increased Eph receptor to ephrin ligand ratios is a critical factor in tumorigenesis, indicating that tight regulation of Eph and ephrin expression is essential for normal cell behavior. The 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of transcripts play an important yet widely underappreciated role in the control of protein expression. Based on the assumption that paralogues of large gene families might exhibit a conserved organization of regulatory elements in their 3'UTRs we applied a novel bioinformatics/molecular biology approach to the 3'UTR sequences of Eph/ephrin transcripts. We identified clusters of motifs consisting of cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements (CPEs), AU-rich elements (AREs) and HuR binding sites. These clusters bind multiple RNA-stabilizing and destabilizing factors, including HuR. Surprisingly, despite its widely accepted role as an mRNA-stabilizing protein, we further show that binding of HuR to these clusters actually destabilizes Eph/ephrin transcripts in tumor cell lines. Consequently, knockdown of HuR greatly modulates expression of multiple Ephs/ephrins at both the mRNA and protein levels. Together our studies suggest that overexpression of HuR as found in many progressive tumors could be causative for disarranged Eph receptor to ephrin ligand ratios leading to a higher degree of tissue invasiveness.


Because inbreeding, herbivory, and disease are common in plants and their separate impacts on fitness are well documented, investigators have begun to examine the consequences of inbreeding on plant-herbivore and plant-pathogen interactions. In this study, we examined the interrelationships among inbreeding, herbivory, and disease on reproductive output through both male (pollen production and pollen performance) and female (fruit and seed production and seed germination) functions. Inbred (selfed) and outbred plants from five families of a wild gourd (Cucurbita pepo ssp. texana) were grown in five 0.2-ha randomized blocks in an experimental garden. Half of the inbred and half of the outbred plants were sprayed weekly with a contact pesticide to control herbivores. The other half of the plants served as the controls (no-spray treatment). The spray treatment significantly reduced damage by cucumber beetles and aphid infestation levels, the two primary herbivores of the wild gourd. Moreover, because these herbivores are the sole vectors for the five most common viral diseases of cucurbits (Watermelon mosaic-2, Cu- cumber mosaic, Zucchini yellow mosaic, Papaya ringspot, and Squash mosaic), the spray treatment also significantly reduced the amount and severity of the symptoms of viral diseases. Our analyses reveal that (1) there is variation for resistance to herbivores and pathogens among the five families used in the study, indicating that there is broad-sense heritability for resistance; (2) inbred plants suffer greater herbivore damage and have more symptoms of viral infection than outbred plants, i.e., there is inbreeding depression for herbivore/pathogen resistance; (3) the impacts of insecticide applications and inbreeding on reproduction are mostly additive; (4) both male and female functions are significantly affected by the spray treatment and inbreeding; and (5) the adverse effects of both inbreeding and the increased exposure to herbivores/pathogens in the no-spray treatment are greater for female function than for male function, indicating that the impact of genetic and en- vironmental stress can differentially affect the two sexual functions. Together, these findings have important implications for the evolution of selfing, the conservation of small popu- lations, and the establishment and transmission of diseases within populations.


Manufacturing Execution System (MES) links plan management and workshop control in an enterprise, which is an integrative management and control system of workshop production oriented to manufacturing process. To overcome the difficulties of traditional software development method, development of MES based on component is adopted to prompt development efficiency and performance of MES, which can be more reconstructing, reuse, expansion and integration, and MES domain analysis driven by ontology is investigated in detail. MES domain analysis driven by ontology is feasible and efficient through developing a pharmaceutics MES which applied in a pharmaceutics manufacturing factory.


This study was carried out to identify SNP associated with fatness traits on pig chromosome 6. In total, 11,067 putative genomic variations were detected in 125 complete bacterial artificial chromosome sequences corresponding to the region between SW2098 and SW1881, which harbors multiple QTL affecting intramuscular fat content (IMF) and backfat thickness (BFT). Among 173 putative SNP validated by MassArray, 120 SNP were used in an association study on 541 offspring produced by a cross of Korean native pig and Landrace breeds. The significance level of each SNP was determined using single marker regression analysis. Further, significant threshold values were determined using a false discovery rate. Nine out of 120 SNP showed significant effects on BFT or IMF or both. Of the 9 significant SNP, 4 were significantly associated with IMF, 7 were significantly related to BFT, and 2 SNP (Kps8172 and Kps6413) showed significant effects on both traits. Moreover, multiple regression analysis considering all significant SNP was used to correct spurious false positives due to linkage disequilibrium. Consequently, only 1 SNP (Kps6413) was significant for IMF, whereas 4 SNP including Kps6413 showed significant effects on BFT. The significant SNP had generally additive effects and on average explained 1.72% of the genetic variation for IMF and 3.92% for BFT, respectively. These markers can potentially be applied in pig breeding programs for improving IMF and BFT traits after validation in other populations.


Sequential circuits are hard to test because they contain a large number of internal states that are difficult to control and observe. Scan design is often used to simplify testing; however, scan is not always applicable because of area and performance penalties. Recent advances in sequential circuit testing have led to techniques and tools that provide test sets with high coverage of single stuck-line (SSL) faults for nonscan circuits. However, these test sets contain a large number of patterns and require a tester with considerable pattern depth. We investigate the application of Huffman codes to pattern encoding. This allows the use of low-cost testers that do not require excessive memory. Our method is especially applicable to nonscan and partial-scan embedded core circuits. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach by applying it to SSL test sets for the ISCAS'89 benchmarks.


Background: Anemia is frequently encountered in critically ill children. Packed cell transfusion is a common therapeutic intervention in these children. The consequences of this on morbidity and mortality in children with septic shock are poorly defined and need to be explored. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of anemia and to explore the relationship of anemia and packed red blood cells transfusion to clinical outcomes in children with septic shock. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in pediatric intensive care unit between July 2013 and July 2014. Children between 1 month and 16 years of age with septic shock were enrolled in the study. The clinical profile including outcomes was noted in recruited patients. Results: The prevalence of anemia in children with septic shock was 63%. Among them, 13% were severely anemic. No significant differences were found in the Pediatric Risk of Mortality score, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, duration of inotropic requirement, hours of ventilation, and mortality rates between anemic and non-anemic children. Similar findings were observed between the transfused and non-transfused groups. However, the duration of inotropic requirement was longer among the transfused group (72 [6,120] vs. 48 [3, 72], p=0.025). A higher mortality rate was observed among transfused group with an odds ratio of 2.168 (95%, confidence interval [CI] 0.9–5) but was not statistically significant [p=0.08]. Conclusion: More than half of our children with septic shock were anemic at presentation. Anemia was not associated with increased mortality or morbidity. The transfused group had a higher mortality rate.


Assessing the external environment is an important component of organizations' survival and success. Unfortunately, a huge amount of information must be collected and processed in order to obtain a thorough and comprehensive representation of the environment. A decision support system can be very useful in helping decision makers to organize and analyze this information efficiently and effectively. This paper outlines a conceptual proposition helping to design such a system by presenting an ontology of the relevant information elements (actors, issues and needs) and a set of tools to analyze them. This paper also illustrates a prototype version of one of these tools which supports the analysis of the actors and issues perspectives.


During the first decade of the twenty-first century, a campaign developed and succeeded in establishing a new doctrine in international affairs called the 'Responsibility to Protect' which had a prevention and a rehabilitation dimension but was mostly focused on the rights and responsibilities of states to intervene in the domestic affairs of other states when the latter failed to protect their citizens from mass atrocities. Movements grew up around the doctrine to publicise it, analyse it, and ensure its implementation. An example of the latter is W2I, the 'Will to Intervene' which, unlike R2P, did not require UN authorisation for intervention as part of its platform. A key test of the doctrine was Darfur. Yet the study of the case indicates no likelihood of intervention even under the Obama regime that was committed to doing something about Darfur and has put multilateralism at the forefront of its foreign policy. The report concludes by contrasting the huge discrepancy between the rhetorical success in the adoption of R2P as an international norm and the absence of practices consistent with that sweeping victory. The paper suggests that advances in international norms are best indicated, not by the endorsement of general principles, but by the development of actual practices on the ground.


To assess the chemical stability of sludges generated by neutralizing acid rock drainage (ARD) with alkaline reagents, synthetic ARD was treated with hydrated lime (batch and high-density sludge process), limestone, and two proprietary reagents (KB-1 and Bauxsol). The amorphous metal hydroxide sludge produced was leached using deionized water, U.S. EPA methods (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure, synthetic precipitation leaching procedure), and the new strong acid leach test (SALT), which leaches the sludge with a series of sulfuric acid extractant solutions; the pH decreases by ∼1 pH unit with each test, until the final pH is ∼2. Sludges precipitated by all reagents had very similar leachabilities except for KB-1 and Bauxsol, which released more aluminum. SALT showed that lowering the pH of the leaching solution mobilized more metals from the sludges. Iron, aluminum, copper, and zinc began to leach at pH 2.5-3, ∼4.5, ∼5.5, and 6-6.5, respectively. The leachability of ARD treatment sludges is determined by the final pH of the leachate. A higher neutralization potential (e.g., a greater content of unreacted neutralizing agent) makes sludges inherently more chemically stable. Thus, when ARD or any acidic metalliferous wastewater is treated, a choice must be made between efficient reagent use and resistance to acid attack.


This major research paper (MRP) examines the visual semiotics of Jean Paul Gaultier's "Le Male" fragrance for men and how this brand appeals to gay male audiences. It seeks to address the following questions: How do product packaging, print advertising, and video advertising use visual semiotics to appeal to gay male audiences? What image of masculinity is being communicated? And how is gay male desire being commoditized? To answer these questions the study examined three artefacts through a compositional interpretation and a visual semiotic analysis: the fragrance bottle, a print advertisement, and a video commercial. The research demonstrates that "Le Male" appeals to gay male audiences through three strategies: (1) sexual objectification of the male body; (2) use of gay iconography, especially depictions of homoeroticism among sailors and homage to the illustrated erotica of Tom of Finland; and (3) gay-coded visual polysemy. Furthermore, it depicts attractive men with ambiguous sexual orientation as objects of worship.
Jean Paul Gaultier's "Le Male" integrates the idealized male form into its cologne bottle design, print and video advertisements. Its carefully crafted homoerotic fantasies resonate with a queer aesthetic, but do so within a minimal set of superficial values reflected in the fleetingly beautiful body. This study is relevant to how professional communicators can weave a coherent, visual story through a deeper understanding of rhetorical signs and symbols that resonate with specific subcultures. Findings from this MRP will be discussed along with suggestions for the brand to retain its success among gay consumers. The study also initiates further research in the areas of empirical confirmation, feminist gaze theory, intercultural theory, and multi-sensory branding.


Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used to analyze data from the high throughput screening of an array of organometallic rhodium and iridium complexes as catalysts for the intramolecular hydroamination of 2-(2-phenylethynyl)aniline to give 2-phenylindole. The progress of the hydroamination reactions was monitored using UV-visible spectroscopy. The overlapped UV-visible spectra of the mixture of starting material, product and solvent in the samples taken at different times were deconvoluted using PARAFAC. Unique PARAFAC models led to close approximations of the actual UV-visible spectra of the compounds in the mixture. The performance of the catalysts was then compared by estimating the final concentration of the starting material and product using PARAFAC loadings. A library of 63 complexes generated in situ was examined in a single experiment using this methodology. The complexes were generated from combinations of seven ligands (bis(N-methyl2-imidazolyl)methane, bis(1-pyrazolyl)methane, 1,10-phenanthroline, N,N'-bis(p-tolyl)diazabutadiene, N,N'-bis(p-tolyl)1,2-dimethyldiazabutadiene, N,N'-bis(mesityl)1,2-dimethyldiazabutadiene and bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino)acenapthene) and nine metal precursors ([Ir(COD)Cl](2) (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene), [Ir(CO)(2)Cl](n), [Ir(COE)(2)Cl](2), [IrCp*Cl(2)](2) (Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadiene), [Rh(COD)Cl](2), [Rh(CO)(2)Cl](2), [Rh(COE)(2)Cl](2), [RhCp*Cl(2)](2) and [RhCpCl(2)](2)) (Cp = cyclopentadiene)). The proposed method can be used for the fast screening of arrays of metal complexes for identifying effective catalysts, providing information that can augment traditional methods used for the analysis of catalyzed reactions.


This position paper presents, we believe, a strong case for including in an undergraduate Computer Science (CS) program a required course in non-imperative programming. Such a course is motivated by the need to provide a uniform and adequate background for a course in Artificial Intelligence (AI). We make no claim about graduate AI courses. We survey the recommendations of the ACM-IEEE Joint Curriculum Task Force for an undergraduate course in AI and argue that some of the "dilemmas" of teaching introductory AI courses can be resolved by changes in the core CS curriculum. The argument for such a course is the focus of the paper; we also offer some ancillary remarks on other matters relating to teaching AI at the introductory level.


The results presented in this article are part of the research on fatigue life of various foundry alloys carried out in recent years in the Lukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Precision Mechanics and AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Foundry Engineering. The article discusses the test results obtained for the EN-GJS-600-3 cast iron in an original modified low-cycle fatigue test (MLCF), which seems to be a beneficial research tool allowing its users to evaluate the mechanical properties of materials with microstructural heterogeneities under both static and dynamic loads. For a comprehensive analysis of the mechanical behaviour with a focus on fatigue life of alloys, an original modified low cycle fatigue method (MLCF) adapted to the actually available test machine was used. The results of metallographic examinations carried out by light microscopy were also presented. From the analysis of the results of the conducted mechanical tests and structural examinations it follows that the MLCF method is fully applicable in a quick and economically justified assessment of the quality of ductile iron after normalizing treatment.


In this paper, we summarize our ongoing efforts to set up a comprehensive yet easily accessible toolbox for TEM observation of complex molecular fluids (CMFs) and discuss the future possibilities that TEM community can develop for these fascinating but challenging materials. Many simple molecular fluids can be described using hard-sphere models, and have direct phase transitions from isotropic liquid phases to crystalline phases. Some nonspherical molecules can form complex structures, for example, micelles, or more interestingly, intermediate phases (the so-called liquid crystals, LCs) with orientational order only (nematic mesophases) or both orientational and 1D (or 2D in some cases) positional orders (smectic mesophases).


UNC119, also known as human retinal gene 4 (HRG4), has been found to contribute to the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the role and mechanism of UNC119 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma has not been systematically investigated yet. Data from western blot and RT-qPCR assays showed that UNC119 was elevated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and tissues. Functional assays demonstrated that transfection with siRNA targeting UNC119 reduced cell viability and suppressed proliferation, invasion, and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Moreover, silence of UNC119 decreased the protein expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin while, on the other hand, increased the protein expressions of E-cadherin and zonula occludes-1 (ZO-1) to suppress epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The protein expressions of Axin2 and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) were up-regulated, while β-catenin and matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) were down-regulated by silence of UNC119 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. In conclusion, knockdown of UNC119 suppressed cell growth and metastasis, and repressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.


For hundreds of years there does exist a long term sustainability of economic and cultural systems in human societies. They are living as healthy and happy individuals in stable communities and caring families and have shown that it is possible to live in harmony with the natural world. This is possible because of indigenous system of education which established a human and natural ecology totally at one with each other. The native people love and respect the land as a mother, they believe that plants, animals, water, wind all are essential part of ongoing life cycles. Various ways includes direct instruction, stories, dances, ceremonies and art through which the beliefs and knowledge flows and pass down the generations. These all are part of indigenous approaches to education that link people to the land through culture and through culture to land. Knowledge about plants and animals, the functions of ecosystems and the way people use resources is taught mainly through science subject to school students who are the future nation builders. The science subject supports the prudent management of the encouragement and development for the daily survival and future development of humanity. In other words science helps in achieving sustainable development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Here teachers play very important role and are indispensable to changing pupils' attitude so that they develop the capacity to assess and address their sustainable development concerns. The most stimulating and engaging teaching and best learning occurs when science is brought to life and pupils are given the chance to conduct, record and evaluate their own investigation. Children construct knowledge better through their own exploration. While teaching science it should be kept in mind that methods of teaching science should be innovative. Constructivism is a theory which assists learners to construct knowledge of their own which in turn results in better learning and developing the confidence among students which plays an important role in understanding the key concepts related to sustainable development. The present paper deals with a study conducted to compare the effect of constructive teaching and traditional teaching on academic confidence of students. The objectives were to study the effect of constructive teaching approach in science teaching on secondary school students in terms of academic confidence for sustainable development. Various constructive teaching techniques were enlisted and some constructive strategies were developed. The sample of 200 students was raised randomly from schools of Jalandhar district. After administering the pre-test on the whole sample, the experimental group was taught with these constructive techniques and the control group was taught with traditional techniques. After the experiment the post-test was conducted on the whole sample. Data collected was tabulated and statistically analyzed. It was concluded that constructive teaching was better than conventional teaching. The paper explains how various constructive techniques can be used to minimize cramming and help students explore themselves. It can also be used to bring out the inhibit talent of student and increase his confidence. It was observed that students showed keen interest in the subject of science when taught with constructive teaching approach. It is suggested that constructive teaching strategies should be introduced as the part of curriculum of teacher training programs so that the students as well as teachers may play an effective role in achieving sustainable development in our knowledge based society.


As transistors continue to scale down into the nanometer regime, device leakage currents are becoming the dominant cause of power dissipation in nanometer caches, making it essential to model these leakage effects properly. Moreover, typical microprocessor caches are pipelined to keep up with the speed of the processor, and the effects of pipelining overhead need to be properly accounted for. In this paper, we present a detailed study of pipelined nanometer caches with detailed energy/power dissipation breakdowns showing where and how the power is dissipated within a nanometer cache. We explore a three-dimensional pipelined cache design space that includes cache size (16kB to 512kB), cache associativity (direct-mapped to 16-way) and process technology (90nm, 65nm, 45nm and 32nm). Among our findings, we show that cache bitline leakage is increasingly becoming the dominant cause of power dissipation in nanometer technology nodes. We show that subthreshold leakage is the main cause of static power dissipation, and that gate leakage is, surprisingly, not a significant contributor to total cache power, even for 32nm caches. We also show that accounting for cache pipelining overhead is necessary, as power dissipated by the pipeline elements is a significant part of cache power


Modern mobile platforms integrate hundreds of IP (intellectual property) cores from different vendors. Core vendors in turn outsource some of the hardware components, leading to a design hierarchy where parts of the hardware platform is open to numerous international vendors. To ensure correctness, design flows incorporate advanced testing and validation methodologies which guard against design bugs, random faults, and process-voltage-temperature variations. However, it is common practice to assume that hardware is trustworthy. Since multiple IP vendors and fabrication lines are involved in the product development process, it is becoming increasingly necessary to trust but verify the received devices both at production time and in the field. This paper presents a self-referencing hardware Trojan detection technique which does not depend on a trusted sample. Self-referencing is achieved using signal detection theory and band-limited nature of Trojan activity. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated through experiments on a commercial system-on-chip and SPICE simulations under variety of practical scenarios.


A comprehensive systematic monograph is presented for the genus Operculina Silva Manso (Convolvulaceae). Formerly included in tribe Merremieae D. F. Austin, now incertae sedis, recent systematic studies have clarified the phylogenetic relationships for Operculina and unequivocally demonstrated that it is monophyletic as currently circumscribed and that the unique operculate capsule is a synapomorphy for the genus. Other morphological characters useful for recognizing the genus are: large sepals forming a "pear-shaped" calyx that is broad at the base and tapers upward; calyx that is accrescent and persistent, often cupping the mature fruit; strongly spirally coiled anthers after dehiscence; and axial parts of the plant body (stems, petioles, peduncles, pedicels) that are often prominently winged. The current monograph accepts 13 species, including one variety and one purported hybrid; these taxa are distributed throughout the tropics globally. The hybrid is proposed to accommodate the extraordinary phenotypic variability and intermediacy among South Pacific populations of Operculina. The monograph provides detailed descriptions for all taxa, as well as an identification key, distribution maps, and summaries of ecology, phenology, vernacular names, and uses, with comments on synonymy, typification, variability, biology, and conservation, where appropriate. All names published or combined in Operculina (about 60 epithets) are accounted for as accepted names, synonyms, misapplied names, or uncertain names, or are excluded from the genus. New reductions to synonymy are proposed as follows: O. brownii Ooststr. becomes a synonym of O. codonantha (Benth.) Hallier f.; O. tansaensis Santapau & V. Patel becomes a synonym of O. ventricosa (Bertero) Peter. Lectotypes, neotypes, and epitypes are designated where necessary to stabilize names in current use. An index to numbered collections examined is provided to aid in specimen identification and herbarium curation.


With the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), came struggles and hardships that were not foreseen. One of these struggles was to maintain an adequate supply of medical equipment, medications, and other necessities to help protect individuals and communities. Proper hand hygiene is an important part of the response to COVID-19. Sanitizing and taking steps to prevent contraction of COVID-19 was a high priority and with the high demand, the availability of hand sanitizer was scare. In March 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a policy allowing pharmacists to temporarily compound alcohol-based hand sanitizer during the public health emergency. This provided the Purdue University Pharmacy the opportunity to provide this essential service to the Purdue and local community. In collaboration with the Purdue University Pharmacy, four pharmacists, two pharmacy technicians, and five pharmacy students compounded a total of 831.36 liters of hand sanitizer (approximately 220 gallons) during March and April 2020. They packaged the product into smaller bottles (i.e., two ounces) and labeled them according to FDA guidelines. This resulted in over 13,000 bottles of hand sanitizer that was safe for human use. Many of the bottles were donated to campus and community agencies including food pantries and transitional housing and shelters to assist those most in need. While the remaining bottles were sold (at cost) to campus and community members, police departments, fire departments, sanitation departments, funeral homes, libraries, and childcare centers, to name just a few. Pharmacy students reflected on the experience and commented that the initiative impacted them both personally and professionally and provided a way to work together and give back to the community during this challenging time. This community outreach initiative helped to protect community members and allowed the pharmacy students to continue to learn during this uncertain time.


We identify Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)-interacting protein (WIP) as a novel component of neuronal synapses whose absence increases dendritic spine size and filamentous actin levels in an N-WASP/Arp2/3-independent, RhoA/ROCK/profilinIIa-dependent manner. These effects depend on the reduction of membrane sphingomyelin (SM) due to transcriptional upregulation of neutral sphingomyelinase (NSM) through active RhoA; this enhances RhoA binding to the membrane, raft partitioning and activation in steady state but prevents RhoA changes in response to stimulus. Inhibition of NSM or SM addition reverses RhoA, filamentous actin and functional anomalies in synapses lacking WIP. Our findings characterize WIP as a link between membrane lipid composition and actin cytoskeleton at dendritic spines. They also contribute to explain cognitive deficits shared by individuals bearing mutations in the region assigned to the gene encoding for WIP.


Elevated Src kinase activity is linked to the progression of solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Src regulates HNSCC proliferation and tumor invasion, with the Src-targeted small molecule inhibitor saracatinib displaying potent anti-invasive effects in preclinical studies. However, the pro-invasive cellular mechanism(s) perturbed by saracatinib are unclear. The anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects of saracatinib on HNSCC cell lines were therefore investigated in pre-clinical cell and mouse model systems. Saracatinib treatment inhibited growth, cell cycle progression and transwell Matrigel invasion in HNSCC cell lines. Dose-dependent decreases in Src activation and phosphorylation of the invasion-associated substrates focal adhesion kinase, p130 CAS and cortactin were also observed. While saracatinib did not significantly impact HNSCC tumor growth in a mouse orthotopic model of tongue squamous cell carcinoma, impaired perineural invasion and cervical lymph node metastasis was observed. Accordingly, saracatinib treatment displayed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on invadopodia formation, extracellular matrix degradation and matrix metalloprotease 9 activation. These results suggest that inhibition of Src kinase by saracatinib impairs the pro-invasive activity of HNSCC by inhibiting Src substrate phosphorylation important for invadopodia formation and associated matrix metalloprotease activity.


This document contains the recent declaration adopted during the "Conference on Fostering Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations through Concrete and Sustained Initiatives" held in Rabat, Morocco from 14 to 16 June 2005. This international conference was convened by six co-sponsoring organizations: UNESCO, OIC, ISESCO, ALECSO, the Danish Centre for Culture and Development and the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, and with the participation of the Council of Europe as observer. It is of note that this event represents a unique international partnership initiative.


Abstract Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of low- and high-intensity early storybook reading (ESR) intervention workshops delivered to parents for promoting their babies language and social communication development. These workshops educated parents on how to provide a stimulating home reading environment and engage in parent–child interactions during ESR. Method: Parent–child dyads (n = 32); child age: 3–12 months, were assigned into two intervention conditions: low and high intensity (LI versus HI) groups. Both groups received the same ESR strategies; however, the HI group received additional intervention time, demonstrations and support. Outcome measures were assessed pre-intervention, one and three months post-intervention and when the child turned 2 years of age. Result: A significant time–group interaction with increased performance in the HI group was observed for language scores immediately post-intervention (p = 0.007) and at 2-years-of-age (p = 0.022). Significantly higher broader social communication scores were associated with the HI group at each of the time points (p = 0.018, p = 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively). Simple main effect revealed that both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in language, broader social communication and home reading practices scores. Conclusions: ESR intervention workshops may promote language and broader social communication skills. The HI ESR intervention workshop was associated with significantly higher language and broader social communication scores.


By employing the energy-Casimir method, a three-dimensional virtual pseudoenergy wave-activity relation for a moist atmosphere is derived from a complete system of nonhydrostatic equations in Cartesian coordinates. Since this system of equations includes the effects of water substance, mass forcing, diabatic heating, and dissipations, the derived wave-activity relation generalizes the previous result for a dry atmosphere. The Casimir function used in the derivation is a monotonous function of virtual potential vorticity and virtual potential temperature. A virtual energy equation is employed(in place of the previous zonal momentum equation) in the derivation, and the basic state is stationary but can be three-dimensional or, at least, not necessarily zonally symmetric. The derived wave-activity relation is further used for the diagnosis of the evolution and propagation of meso-scale weather systems leading to heavy rainfall. Our diagnosis of two real cases of heavy precipitation shows that positive anomalies of the virtual pseudoenergy wave-activity density correspond well with the strong precipitation and are capable of indicating the movement of the precipitation region. This is largely due to the cyclonic vorticity perturbation and the vertically increasing virtual potential temperature over the precipitation region.


Four commercial composts were added to soil to study their effect on plant growth, total rhizosphere microflora, and incidence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the rhizosphere of tomato plants. Three of the compost treatments significantly improved plant growth, while one compost treatment significantly depressed it. Compost amendments caused only small variations in the total numbers of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi in the rhizosphere of tomato plants. A total of 709 bacteria were isolated from the four compost treatments and the soil control to determine the percentage of PGPR in each treatment. The PGPR tests measured antagonism to soilborne root pathogens, production of indoleacetic acid, cyanide, and siderophores, phosphate solubilization, and intrinsic resistance to antibiotics. Our results show that the addition of some composts to soil increased the incidence in the tomato rhizosphere of bacteria exhibiting antagonism towards Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, Pythium ultimum, and Rhizoctonia solani. The antagonistic effects observed were associated with marked increases in the percentage of siderophore producers. No significant differences were observed in the percentage of cyanogens, whereas the percentages of phosphate solubilizers and indoleacetic acid producers were affected, respectively, by one and two compost treatments. Intrinsic resistance to antibiotics was only marginally different among the rhizobacterial populations. Our results suggest that compost may stimulate the proliferation of antagonists in the rhizosphere and confirm previous reports indicating that the use of composts in container media has the potential to protect plants from soilborne root pathogens.


Aim: To compare the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of oral and intramuscular (i.m.) phenyramidol in patients with low back pain. Materials and methods: Consecutive patients with low back pain were recruited and randomized (5:3) to treatment with either 800 mg oral or i.m. phenyramidol. Pain was assessed by visual analogue scale every 30 min for 2 h. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and every 15 min for 2 h. A 5-point verbal global evaluation scale was performed by both patients and physicians. In addition, the need for rescue analgesics after 2 h was noted. After the acute phase, patients were re-randomized (5:3) to receive either a placebo tablet or a 400 mg phenyramidol tablet 3 times a day for 7 days. Efficacy of the long term treatment was measured by the evaluation of both patients and physicians (with a 5-point verbal global evaluation scale) and by the daily amount of naproxen sodium consumed as the rescue analgesic drug. Results: Seventy-two patients (45F/27M) had a marked improvement in pain scores, with no significant difference between the groups. Sixty-one (39F/22M) patients completed the second phase, in which no difference in any parameter was noted. Seven of 38 patients in phenyramidol group had elevated liver enzymes at the end of the chronic treatment phase which normalized after 1 week. Only the Tmax pharmacokinetic parameter (Cmax, Tmax, t½, and AUC) was significantly but slightly different between the groups. Conclusion: Liver enzymes should be monitored in patients taking repeated dose of phenyramidol and should not be used in combination with analgesics bearing hepatotoxicity potential, such as paracetamol.


INTRODUCTION: Dengue is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease and one of the most serious infectious diseases worldwide. Infection by any of the serotypes of dengue viruses (DEN-1–DEN-4) may result in different severities ranging from a relatively benign fever, called dengue fever (DF), to fatal dengue shock syndrome. The pathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome is thought to be mediated by various host factors. Previous reports have suggested an involvement of immunoresponse mediators as well as apoptosis-related molecules in the severity of dengue infection. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to elucidate the cellular gene responses to dengue viral infection at the transcriptional level and to correlate expression levels with disease activity and/or clinical manifestation. METHODS: Expression levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8), IL-1β, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and Fas in peripheral blood cells were assayed for 10 children with DF, 10 children with DHF, and 5 healthy controls by using real-time reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Expression levels of IL-8, IL-1β, MMP-9, and Fas were higher in children who developed DHF than in those with DF. CONCLUSIONS: The messenger RNA expression levels of IL-8, IL-1β, MMP-9, and Fas were significantly elevated in children with DHF, which suggests that these mediators are involved in the pathogenesis. The messenger RNA expression level might serve as a predictor of dengue disease activity. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction has a potential to be another rapid and useful tool in assessing disease severity, leading to a proper therapeutic plan.


We report the detection of extended warm ionized gas in two powerful high-redshift radio galaxies, NVSS J210626-314003 at z = 2.10 and TXS 2353-003 at z = 1.49, that does not appear to be associated with the radio jets. This is contrary to what would be expected from the alignment effect, a characteristic feature of distant, powerful radio galaxies at z ≥ 0.6. The gas also has smaller velocity gradients and line widths than most other high-z radio galaxies with similar data. Both galaxies are part of a systematic study of 50 high-redshift radio galaxies with SINFONI, and are the only two that are characterized by the presence of high surface-brightness gas not associated with the jet axis and by the absence of such gas aligned with the jet. Both galaxies are spatially resolved with ISAAC broadband imaging covering the rest-frame R band, and have extended wings that cannot be attributed to line contamination. We argue that the gas and stellar properties of these galaxies are more akin to gas-rich brightest cluster galaxies in cool-core clusters than the general population of high-redshift radio galaxies at z ≳ 2. In support of this interpretation, one of our sources, TXS 2353-003, for which we have Hα narrowband imaging, is associated with an overdensity of candidate Hα emitters by a factor of ~8 relative to the field at z = 1.5. We discuss possible scenarios of the evolutionary state of these galaxies and the nature of their emission line gas within the context of cyclical AGN feedback.


High speed milling experiments are performed for hardened H13 die steel by using coated ball end milling cutter, the residual stress of the work-piece surface on the feed and cross feed direction are measured, and the distribution characteristics of residual stress is analyzed. The result shows that the residual stress presents gradient distribution on feed direction, and furthermore, the three-dimensional surface micro topography has no close relation with the residual stress. In addition, the cumulative effect is discussed for explaining the phenomena.


The contributions of school principals to the success of schools are well-recognized in both Germany and the U.S.A. However, attracting qualified candidates to become school principals is a challenging endeavor in both countries. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers that may be lessening the motivation of teachers to becoming school principals. Using exploratory factor analysis, survey responses of 159 German principals and 134 U.S.A. principals were analyzed. Using Vroom's Expectancy Theory of Motivation, the findings suggested that addressing teachers' concerns about increased job demands/time, relocations, needing specialized knowledge, handling circumstances beyond their control, and leaving satisfying work circumstances would increase the teachers' instrumentality and would therefore positively impact their motivation to become principals. Conclusions and implications of these findings were examined.


Abstract Horizontal wells can present special challenges for cementing operations. Extended-reach lateral sections, unconventional mineralogy, and high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) environments can cause failures during and after the cement job. The high clay content and ductility of these formations force operators to use oil-based mud (OBM) to drill the curve and lateral section. A narrow pore-pressure/fracture-gradient window and tight annular clearance create higher than usual equivalent circulating densities (ECDs) and can affect mud displacement efficiency and cement placement. As unconventional reservoirs become more prevalent, increased focus on the cementing process will be vital to the long-term success of the well. New theories and proper planning will help decrease the probability of an irregular cement job and increase the chances of having zonal isolation for the life of the well. In this paper, many aspects of the cement job design are discussed and recommendations are provided for horizontal cementing in unconventional reservoirs. New testing methods and additive composition help ensure the compatibility and thermal stability of the cementing fluids while creating more realistic wellbore hydraulic modeling and job optimization. Improved casing attachments and plug sets help increase displacement efficiency, while formation-specific cement designs increase effectiveness of the stimulation method. As multistage sliding-sleeves completion tools become more prevalent and increase efficiency, the cementing operation should align with the overall goal of the completion procedure. With the entire lateral section in one formation, it is not only critical to isolate the target formation from shallower zones but to also create a good annular seal between fracture stages. Without isolation, communication between stages can cause fracture treatments to migrate to unwanted areas. Modeling the expected temperatures, forces on the formation, displacement efficiency, and stress on the set cement sheath allows for a design that meets the expectations during the life cycle of the well. Complex temperature profiles create unfavorable design criteria, so accurate temperature determination is an important element to the cement design. With a renewed focus on the fundamentals of cementing, sufficient planning, and new technology, these unconventional reservoirs can become a manageable and sustainable resource for many years.


Bringing Nutrition Education Programs from Outside Sources into the Classroom: The Experience of New York City Public Elementary Schools Kathleen Joyce Porter, MS RD This study explored the initiation, implementation, and institutionalization of nutrition programs from outside organizations or sources (NEPOS) in New York City public elementary schools. Having NEPOS in schools may augment the nutrition education that is taught in health, science or other classes, and thus help to alleviate public health issues associated with poor eating habits, such as obesity and diabetes. However, very little is known about the design and distribution of NEPOS as well as school personnel's beliefs and actions that facilitate NEPOS initiation, implementation, and institutionalization in schools. The study employed mixed-methods to investigate how many and what types of these programs from outside organizations are available in New York City public schools; how these programs are distributed among schools; and why and how schools make these NEPOS "work." These phenomena were explored with data from: organizations with NEPOS that had been implemented in New York City public schools (n=20); elementary schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens (n=614); and school community members from a subset of schools with NEPOS (n=21). The primary data sources were surveys, publically available school and community-level data, and interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as inductive and deductive coding. Findings suggest that during the 2011-2012 School Year, overall NEPOS were in only 39% of all schools; in 40% (n=163) of schools with greater than 75% students eligible for free and reduced price lunch (highest economic need) and in 45% (n=58) of neighborhoods where over 23.1% of children were obese (highest health needs). NEPOS that had in their mission to reach "high needs schools" did reach proportionally more schools in areas of highest economic and health need than schools in areas with less need. While the distribution of NEPOS varied by some school-based factors, e.g., student attendance and average state test score, need-based factors were overall more important in determining the distribution of NEPOS. Analysis of interviews with key school community members from a subset of the sample indicate that schools in New York City experienced the same barriers to having NEPOS as those in other parts of the country. Schools identified eating/health, academic/learning, and community benefits to having NEPOS. A major contribution of this study is that it provides in-depth insight into how school community members shared common, specific, and transferable actions as they initiate, implement, and institutionalize NEPOS in their schools. These are that: schools have to have one or more driving motivations for NEPOS, schools go through a process to choose appropriate NEPOS, schools build their own capacity for effectively implementing NEPOS, and once schools have NEPOS for a while they find way to legitimize the NEPOS by integrating them into the fabric of the school. Taken together these four domains may be thought of as parts of a "Progressive Model for Integrating NEPOS into Schools." This model can inform school practices and policy and serve as a starting point for future research.


In this paper, we explore the links between polygyny and female labour supply in Senegal using a nationally representative survey. In a reduced-form approach, we first measure the impact of polygyny on participation using a joint model of spouse participation. The identification of the impact of polygyny relies on the use of district-level variables as instruments. We find a positive impact of polygyny on female labour force participation. Turning to a structural approach based on the collective household model, we examine the possibility that men within couples use polygyny as a threat to influence the distribution of resources in their favour. The results are less conclusive regarding the role played by the risk of polygyny as an effective distribution factor.


'Since 1990, at least 18 violent conflicts have been fuelled by the exploitation of natural resources such as timber, minerals, oil and gas. Sometimes this is caused by environmental damage and the marginalization of local populations who fail to benefit economically from natural resource exploitation. More often it is caused by greed' (Ban Ki-Moon). This is also known as the 'resource curse'. The resource curse can not only trigger conflict as individuals and groups scramble to control the resource in question but also in the aftermath of conflict, cause a relapse into conflict if the resources are not managed sustainably at the post-conflict peacebuilding stage. Such resource pressures can cause violent or armed conflict which in turn can cause devastating damage to the environment and negatively disrupt the socio-economic livelihoods of those affected. This is of course inimical to sustainable development and sustainable investment in natural resources in particular plays a key role in ensuring that such natural resources are managed effectively for the benefit of the State in question and its population both at pre- and post-conflict stages. International law (international natural resources law, international investment law, sustainable development and state responsibility) governing such resources tend to fragmented. Using the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) as a case study, this chapter explores the possibility of utilising the overarching concept of sustainable development and its relevant substantive principles to integrate the current legal framework governing such resources. The concept of sustainable development generally refers to development or the process of improving the quality of life of the present generation without compromising the future generations. This article thus reviews the limits of natural resources management within the current legal framework and argues that a more integrated approach of international natural resources law, international investment law, state responsibility and sustainable development may ensure more sustainable investment in such natural resources, which in turn could contribute towards preventing or mitigating natural resources-related conflict.


Phototherapy represents an attractive route for treating a range of challenging dermatological diseases. Existing skin phototherapy modalities rely on direct UV illumination, although with limited efficacy in addressing disorders of deeper tissue and with requirements for specialized illumination equipment and masks to shield unaffected regions of the skin. This work introduces a skin‐integrated optoelectronic device that incorporates an array of UVA (360 nm) light emitting diodes in layouts that match those of typical lesional plaques and in designs that couple to biocompatible, penetrating polymer microneedle light waveguides to provide optical access to deep skin. Monte Carlo simulations and experimental results in phantom skin suggest that these waveguides significantly enhance light delivery to deep skin, with a >4‐fold increase for depths of >500 µm. In ex vivo human skin, the devices show reduced measures of phototoxicity compared to direct illumination and enhanced modulation of gene expression relevant to sclerosing skin diseases. These systems are also compatible with design principles in soft, skin‐compatible electronics and battery‐powered wireless operation. Collectively, the favorable mechanical and light delivery properties of these devices expand possibilities in targeting of deep skin lesions beyond those attainable with clinical‐standard UV light therapy approaches.


The objective of this study was to compare personal exposure to particulate matter (fine and ultrafine particles) in commuters using different transport modes (bicycle, bus, car and subway) in a busy, assigned route in downtown Santiago, Chile. Volunteers carrying personal samplers completed scheduled commutes during the morning rush hours, while central site measurements were conducted in parallel. A total of 137 valid commutes were assessed. The impact of central site, traffic and other variables was explored with regression models. PM2.5 personal concentrations were equal to or slightly above central site measurements, while UFP personal concentrations were above them. Regression models showed impacts of both background levels and traffic emissions on personal PM2.5 and UFP exposure. Traffic impacts varied with transport modes. Estimates of traffic impacts on personal PM2.5 exposure were 2.0, 13.0, 16.9 and 17.5 μg m(-3), for car, bicycle, subway and bus, respectively; while for UFP exposure were 8400, 16 200, 25 600 and 30 100 counts per cm(3), for subway, car, bicycle and bus, respectively. After controlling the central site and transport mode, higher temperatures increased PM2.5 exposure and decreased UFP ones, while the wind direction affected UFP personal exposure. In conclusion, we found significant impacts of both central site background measurements and traffic emissions on personal exposure of volunteer commuters in an assigned route in Santiago, with impacts varying with transport modes.


Describes research work directed towards the development and application of a design methodology to determine the optimal configuration of a powered upper-limb orthosis. The design objective was to minimize the orthosis complexity, defined as the number of degrees of freedom, while maintaining the ability to perform specific tasks. This objective was achieved in three stages. First, potential users of a powered orthosis were interviewed to determine their priority tasks. Secondly, the natural arm motions of able-bodied individuals performing the priority tasks were profiled using a video tracking system. Finally, a kinematic simulation algorithm was developed and employed in order to evaluate whether a proposed orthosis configuration could perform the priority tasks. The research results indicate that task functionality is overly compromised for orthosis configurations with less than five degrees of freedom, plus prehension. Acceptable task performance, based on the specific priority tasks considered, was achieved in the simulations of two different orthosis configurations with five degrees of freedom. In the first design option, elevation (rotation about a horizontal axis through the shoulder) and radial/ulnar deviation are fixed, while in the second option wrist flexion and radial/ulnar deviation are fixed. A prototype orthosis is currently being developed using the first design option. >


Type II secretion systems (T2SS) of Gram-negative bacteria are multi-component apparatuses that secrete proteins into the extracellular milieu. These systems have homology to type IV pili, competence systems of Gram-positive bacteria and archaeal flagella. Although the systems are only involved in the translocation step over the outer membrane, most components are located in or attached to the inner membrane. Here we describe our studies into the main T2SS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the Xcp system. This system consists of 12 proteins, named XcpA and XcpP to XcpZ. Of these, only XcpQ is located in the outer membrane. It is thought to form a pore in this membrane through which other proteins are secreted. The components XcpT to XcpX, named pseudopilins, are believed to form a pilus-like structure, called pseudopilus, that pushes the secreted proteins through the pore. The pseudopilins are matured by the prepilin peptidase XcpA. The pseudopilus is believed to be assembled on top an inner membrane platform, consisting of the inner membrane proteins XcpS, XcpY and XcpZ and the cytoplasmic protein XcpR. Of these, XcpR presumably generates the energy required for the secretion process. XcpY and XcpZ mutually stabilise each other, and XcpY docks XcpR to the inner membrane. A last protein, XcpP, is believed to link XcpQ in the outer membrane to the inner membrane platform. We have studied the inner membrane protein XcpS. This is a highly conserved protein, of which the function is still unknown. XcpS has three membrane spanning domains. Its N terminus is located in the cytoplasm, whereas the C terminus is located in the periplasm. Investigations into its multimeric state showed that it preferentially trimerises. Furthermore, indications for higher oligomeric forms were obtained. Purified negatively stained XcpS was visualised with electron microscopy as ring-like structures, which seemed to contain a central cavity. XcpS was also demonstrated to interact with the major pseudopilin XcpT. When these two proteins were simultaneously introduced in an artificial lipid bilayer, evidence was found for pore-formation by XcpS. When XcpS and XcpT were co-produced in Escherichia coli, this induced a growth defect and a Psp response; both indications for stress. This further demonstrated the putative pore-forming capacities of XcpS upon interaction with XcpT. Additional experiments indicated that an XcpR-XcpY-XcpZ complex can block the XcpS pore, which explains how pore formation by XcpS does normally not lead to toxic effects in vivo. Other experiments showed that XcpS is N-terminally processed. This procedure was found essential for the functioning of the T2SS. A region in the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain important for this event was identified. This domain is also found in many homologues of XcpS, suggesting that processing of XcpS-like proteins occurs in all T2SSs. A last experimental chapter provides evidence for the polar localisation of the Xcp system and type II secretion. Altogether these results have been integrated into a new model for type II secretion, which basically explains the reason for pore-formation by multimeric XcpS. Thus, our results provide novel insights in the functioning of T2SSs.


Proposed is an optimised Linux swap system, called SGBI, where the Linux kernel manages the flash memory-based swap area directly without FTL. This approach not only introduces an efficient swap-aware garbage collection policy to reduce its cleaning cost and improve the degree of wear-levelling, but also adopts an efficient swap-in read-ahead scheme to delay the execution of garbage collection. Swap I/O traces from the Linux kernel have been collected and trace-driven simulations performed, which show that the proposed approach greatly outperforms existing Linux swap systems.


Engineering models generally find that most consumers are unwilling to adopt energy efficient appliances, even though the financial returns are positive. It is commonly thought that this is either due to market imperfections such as an incomplete credit market, very high intertemporal consumer discount rates, or irrational behavior. This paper presents a more sanguine explanation based on a model of rational dynamicchoice in an uncertain environment. A random utility model (RUM) with consumer preferences that depend on the quality mix of energy-using appliances predicts that under plausible conditions - including the consumer's intertemporal discount rate equal to the real market rate of return on risk free investments ? it may well be optimalfor consumers never to adopt an energy efficient appliance. Essential modelparameters include purchase prices of new appliances, periodic costs of use, including energy, failure rates for appliances per period, quality mixes of the service flows generated by different appliance types, consumers' permanent incomes and other demographic variables, and the random components of the RUM preferences. Empiricalimplementation of this model is straightforward with a McFadden andTrain mixed multinomial logit econometric model using grouped time series, cross-sectional, or panel data.


CONTEXT
Measurement of plasma cortisol by immunoassay after ACTH₁₋₂₄ stimulation is used to assess the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS) has greater analytical specificity than immunoassay and equilibrium dialysis allows measurement of free plasma cortisol.

OBJECTIVE
We investigated the use of measuring total and free plasma cortisol by LCMS and total cortisol by immunoassay during an ACTH₁₋₂₄ stimulation test to define HPA status in pituitary patients.

DESIGN AND SETTING
This was a case control study conducted in a clinical research facility.

PARTICIPANTS
We studied 60 controls and 21 patients with pituitary disease in whom HPA sufficiency (n = 8) or deficiency (n = 13) had been previously defined.

INTERVENTION
Participants underwent 1 μg ACTH(1-24) intravenous and 250 μg ACTH₁₋₂₄ intramuscular ACTH₁₋₂₄ stimulation tests.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Concordance of ACTH₁₋₂₄-stimulated total and free plasma cortisol with previous HPA assessment.

RESULTS
Total cortisol was 12% lower when measured by immunoassay than by LCMS. Female sex and older age were positively correlated with ACTH₁₋₂₄-stimulated total and free cortisol, respectively. Measurements of total cortisol by immunoassay and LCMS and free cortisol 30 minutes after 1 μg and 30 and 60 minutes after 250 μg ACTH₁₋₂₄ were concordant with previous HPA axis assessment in most pituitary patients. However, free cortisol had greater separation from the diagnostic cutoff than total cortisol.

CONCLUSIONS
Categorization of HPA status by immunoassay and LCMS after ACTH₁₋₂₄ stimulation was concordant with previous assessment in most pituitary patients. Free cortisol may have greater clinical use in patients near the diagnostic threshold.


Recent advances in Transformer-based large language models (LLMs) have led to significant performance improvements across many tasks. These gains come with a drastic increase in the models' size, potentially leading to slow and costly use at inference time. In practice, however, the series of generations made by LLMs is composed of varying levels of difficulty. While certain predictions truly benefit from the models' full capacity, other continuations are more trivial and can be solved with reduced compute. In this work, we introduce Confident Adaptive Language Modeling (CALM), a framework for dynamically allocating different amounts of compute per input and generation timestep. Early exit decoding involves several challenges that we address here, such as: (1) what confidence measure to use; (2) connecting sequence-level constraints to local per-token exit decisions; and (3) attending back to missing hidden representations due to early exits in previous tokens. Through theoretical analysis and empirical experiments on three diverse text generation tasks, we demonstrate the efficacy of our framework in reducing compute -- potential speedup of up to $\times 3$ -- while provably maintaining high performance.


Objective. To evaluate the accuracy in the diagnosis of aneuploidies of a quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) assay on trophoblastic cells recovered from transcervical cells samples (TCCs) collected by intrauterine lavage (IUL). Study Design. DNA analysis was performed on cells of seemingly trophoblastic origin isolated from IUL samples collected prior to first trimester termination of pregnancy. The analysis was performed by multiplex QF-PCR, using a panel of 29 polymorphic short tandem repeats (STRs) for the chromosomes X, Y, 21, 13, and 18. Results. The QF-PCR analysis on placental samples revealed that among the three cases studied there were two cases of trisomy 21 and one case of monosomy X; the comparison of peak profiles obtained from IUL, placental, and maternal samples confirmed the diagnosis of aneuploidy in all three cases. Conclusion. This study suggests that the detection of chromosomal aneuploidies in micromanipulated TCC samples can be achieved by QF-PCR amplification of selected highly polymorphic and chromosome specific markers. With respect to standard karyotype, QF-PCR analysis has the limitation that only numerical abnormalities of selected chromosomes can be detected but retains the advantages of being quicker, less expensive, and less lab demanding.


Decision-making is a very complex process, as it requires complete knowledge and analysis of the business happenings. Large organisations are using data warehouse for analysis of their business because of its specialised properties. But, these organisations bear high maintenance cost, if operational sources are changed. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cannot afford development and maintenance cost of data warehouse therefore their decision quality suffers. In order to equip these enterprises with data warehousing functionalities, key-properties of DW are analysed and decision-support (analytical) requirements of SMEs are collected. Based on the analysis, semi-star schema is proposed and evaluated for its advantages. In our study, we have found that semi-star schema can be used for fulfilling operational and analytical requirements of SME.


Dropout and other feature noising schemes control overfitting by artificially corrupting the training data. For generalized linear models, dropout performs a form of adaptive regularization. Using this viewpoint, we show that the dropout regularizer is first-order equivalent to an L2 regularizer applied after scaling the features by an estimate of the inverse diagonal Fisher information matrix. We also establish a connection to AdaGrad, an online learning algorithm, and find that a close relative of AdaGrad operates by repeatedly solving linear dropout-regularized problems. By casting dropout as regularization, we develop a natural semi-supervised algorithm that uses unlabeled data to create a better adaptive regularizer. We apply this idea to document classification tasks, and show that it consistently boosts the performance of dropout training, improving on state-of-the-art results on the IMDB reviews dataset.


There has been a significant surge of interest recently around the concept of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), where the goal is to produce an interpretation for a decision made by a machine learning algorithm. Of particular interest is the interpretation of how deep neural networks make decisions, given the complexity and `black box' nature of such networks. Given the infancy of the field, there has been very limited exploration into the assessment of the performance of explainability methods, with most evaluations centered around subjective visual interpretation of the produced interpretations. In this study, we explore a more machine-centric strategy for quantifying the performance of explainability methods on deep neural networks via the notion of decision-making impact analysis. We introduce two quantitative performance metrics: i) Impact Score, which assesses the percentage of critical factors with either strong confidence reduction impact or decision changing impact, and ii) Impact Coverage, which assesses the percentage coverage of adversarially impacted factors in the input. A comprehensive analysis using this approach was conducted on several state-of-the-art explainability methods (LIME, SHAP, Expected Gradients, GSInquire) on a ResNet-50 deep convolutional neural network using a subset of ImageNet for the task of image classification. Experimental results show that the critical regions identified by LIME within the tested images had the lowest impact on the decision-making process of the network (~38%), with progressive increase in decision-making impact for SHAP (~44%), Expected Gradients (~51%), and GSInquire (~76%). While by no means perfect, the hope is that the proposed machine-centric strategy helps push the conversation forward towards better metrics for evaluating explainability methods and improve trust in deep neural networks.


We investigate the efficacy of a sector rotation strategy that utilizes an easily observable signal based on monetary conditions. Using 33 years of data, we find that the rotation strategy earns consistent and economically significant excess returns while requiring only infrequent rebalancing. The strategy places greater emphasis on cyclical stocks during periods of Fed easing, and overweights defensive stocks during periods of Fed tightening. Interestingly, the benefits from the rotation strategy accrue predominantly during periods of poor equity market performance, which is when performance enhancement is most valued by investors. Specifically, during restrictive monetary periods, returns to the strategy are nearly twice that of comparable investments, yet the strategy assumes less risk. Overall, our results suggest that investors should consider monetary conditions when determining their portfolio allocations


In this study a nonlinear procedure for analysis of a membrane element of a FRP strengthened concrete beam-column joint is proposed based on softened truss model. The procedure employs three equations for equilibrium, three for compatibility and six equations for the constitutive laws of materials. The model is capable of analysing nonlinear behaviour of RC beam-column joints under cyclic loading and has three major attributes including nonlinear association of stress and strain in the presence of FRP, contribution of concrete damage by means of softening coefficient and consideration of the bond effect between steel, FRP and concrete. The proposed model is applied to some previously tested, strengthened beam-column joints and shows good predictions of shear strength of these joints. The effect of various parameters on response of reinforced concrete beam-column joint, such as column axial load, FRP reinforcement amount and FRP properties has been studied on parametric manner. It is observed that even a low quantity of FRP can enhance the shear capacity of the joint significantly. Also, it is observed that the axial load increases the confinement of the joint care, which in turn increases the shear capacity of the joint.


Methods: In 65 patients, uterine cavity studies were performed by a senior observer using a 2D ultrasound and by a junior observer using a 3D ultrasound. The ultrasonographic findings were compared with pathology and/or diagnostic hysteroscopy (Gold standard). Results: A normal uterine cavity was revealed in 39 (60%) cases of 65 using pathology or histeroscopy as reference of standard. In the 26 (40%) remaining cases the diagnosis were: Endometrial polyps (11), uterine malformation (5), myoma (4), endometrial hyperplasia (4) and endometrial cancer (2). Diagnosis with 2D ultrasonograpy was concordant in 58 (89.2%) cases while in 60 cases by using 3D ultrasonography (92.3%). The two endometrial cancer were diagnosed with both techniques. Five normal uterine cavities were diagnosed as 4 polyps and 1 hyperplasia respectively by 2D ultrasound. Four normal uterine cavity were diagnosed as polyps (3) and myoma (1) by 3D ultrasound. In the remaining cases the pathology was not recognized in any exploration. Conclusions: The use of a 3D ultrasound allows to store images digitally that can be analyzed after the patients explorations, facilitating the training in ultrasonography. In addition, the 3D ultrasound, handled by junior physician, reaches almost the same interpretative results as those reached using 2D ultrasonography by a senior physician.


Cellular aging can result in deterioration of electrical coupling, the extension of the action potential duration, and lower excitability of the cell. Those factors are introduced into the Greenberg—Hastings cellular automaton model and the effects of the cellular aging on the dynamics of spiral waves are studied. The numerical results show that a 50% reduction of the coupling strength of aging cells has a little influence on spiral waves. If the coupling strength of aging cells equals zero, the ability for the medium to maintain spiral waves will be reduced by approximately 50% when the aging cell ratio increases from 0 to 0.5, where the reduction of cell excitability plays a major role in inducing disappearance of spiral waves. When the relevant parameters are properly chosen, the cellular aging can lead to the meandering of spiral waves, the emergence of the binary spiral waves, and even the disappearance of spiral waves via the stopping rotation or shrinkage of wave. Physical mechanisms of the above phenomena are analyzed briefly.


Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease and one of the major causes of permanent blindness. Since it does not show initial symptoms, early diagnosis is important to limit its progression. This paper presents an automatic optic nerve characterization algorithm for glaucoma diagnosis based
 only on retinal fundus images. For optic cup segmentation, we used a new method based on the stochastic watershed transformation applied on the YIQ colour space to extract clinical indicators such as the Cup/Disc ratio, the area Cup/Disc ratio and the ISNT rule. Afterwards, an assessment between
 normal and glaucomatous fundus images is performed. The proposed algorithm was evaluated on 6 different (private and public) databases containing 723 images (377 normal and 346 glaucomatous images) which achieved a specificity and sensitivity of 0.674 and 0.675, respectively. Moreover, an
 F-score of 0.770 was obtained when evaluating this method on the publicly available database Drishti-GS1. A comparison of the proposed work with other state-of-the-art methods demonstrates the robustness of the proposed algorithm; because it was tested using images from different databases
 with high variability, which is a common issue in this area. Additional comparisons with existing works for cup segmentation, that use the publicly available database Drishti-GS1, are also presented in this paper.


As suggested by the conservation of resources theory, in contemporary societies time is considered as a limited resource in the same way as money and energy. In the current paper, a novel daily rhythm approach related to motility is presented, in order to highlight the effects of life acceleration on family life management and other professional, leisure, and consumption activities. The analysis is based on a qualitative survey involving 20 families (40 interviewees) that include long-distance commuters living in the suburban areas of Voiron and Thionville in France. These families are composed of an active couple and at least two children under 18 years of age, and the couple commutes at least 60 km every day between home and work. Based on this particularly stressful daily configuration, the qualitative survey deals with the modalities of managing daily time between and within these couples. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the corpus of interviews shows first, a very high daily rhythm, and second, the diversity of strategies that lead to a typology of resources used to deal with daily time pressures. The results suggest that forms of time-related vulnerabilities depend on social, economic, and temporal resources, while confirming the importance of rhythms analysis in the daily mobility field and in the resource theory.


This paper discusses the problem of generating efficient coverage paths for a mobile robot in an adversarial environment, where threats exist that might stop the robot. First, we formally define the problem of adversarial coverage, and present optimization criteria used for evaluation of coverage algorithms in adversarial environments. We then present a coverage area planning algorithm based on a map of the probable threats. The algorithm tries to minimize the total risk involved in covering the target area while taking into account coverage time constrains. The algorithm is based on incrementally extending the coverage path to the nearest safe cells while allowing the robot to repeat its steps. By allowing the robot to visit each cell in the target area more than once, the accumulated risk can be reduced at the expense of extending the coverage time. We show the effectiveness of this algorithm in extensive experiments.


Design techniques which enable the performance of subcarrier multiplexed FM broadcast optical networks to be optimized at the planning stage are described. At the transmitter node, criteria for maximizing the subscriber carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) are presented. At the subscriber node, it is shown that under the majority of circumstances, the optimum direct detection receiver consists of a low-noise III-V avalanche photodiode and high-impedance front-end preamplifier. Sensitivities approaching -40 dB (1 mW) for 16.5 dB CNR in 36 MHz subscriber bandwidth are predicted for a 60-channel system. Preliminary experimental tests on an optical-feedback subcarrier receiver showed -34 dB (1 mW) sensitivity at 1.55 mu m from 16.5 dB CNR in a 36 MHz bandwidth centered on 1.2 GHz with a 12% modulation index single-channel FM test signal. >


IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC) is one of the most common extra-pancreatic manifestation of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and is clinically distinct from primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). IgG4-RD is an increasingly recognized immune-mediated fibroinflammatory systemic disease, mostly affecting middle-aged and older male populations that can affect multiple organs. The presence of extra-biliary clinical manifestations of IgG4-RD, such as parotid and lacrimal swelling, lymphadenopathy, autoimmune pancreatitis, and retroperitoneal fibrosis, if present could provide important clues to diagnosis. High serum IgG4 levels, characteristic radiological (e.g., sausage-shaped pancreas or periaortitis) or biopsy findings (high percentage of IgG4+ plasma cells, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, storiform fibrosis, or obliterative phlebitis) in the setting of these features is diagnostic of this disease process. However, isolated IgG4-SC might be a diagnostic challenge, and the distinction is important as management of this disorder is vastly different from other causes of cholangitis such as PSC. Systemic corticosteroid therapy is the mainstay of therapy.


This paper describes case study based research on the use of innovative computer-based decision support systems introduced into corporate lending processes in a major UK bank. It describes how the new technology was implicated in shifting boundaries: within the sector as a whole and in specific organizational delayering; between local/global dimensions of the loans process; and in the status of expertise and personal/professional risk. The case study is connected to broader debates in IS and social transformation through an analysis which relates aspects of the empirical material to themes from social theories of reflexive modernization. Some implications and conclusions are drawn for both the banking sector and IS research.


This research aimed to develop paper from oil palm empty fruit bunch (Fb), oil palm mesocarp (M), and paper mulberry (P), with chitosan coating, to be used as single-use paper bag for dry food products. The optimal conditions for pulp preparation of Fb, M, and P fibers were cooking in 30, 25, and 15% NaOH solution at 170, 170, and 100°C, for 3 hours, respectively. The optimal H2O2 concentrations for bleaching of Fb, M, and P pulps were 40%, 40%, and 0.2% respectively. The obtained pulps were then used to prepared papers with the basis weight of 109 g/m2. The papers consisted of Fb, M, and P pulps at ratios of 70:0:30 (FbP), 0:70:30 (MP), 35:35:30 (FbMP). It was found that FbP paper showed superior physical and/or mechanical characteristics than those of MP and FbMP. FbP papers were then applied with chitosan solutions (0.2-0.6%) to further improving their mechanical properties and reducing their water absorption characteristics. The optimal concentration of chitosan was 0.4%. This study showed that all three types of pulps could be used to produce papers that had equal or superior mechanical- and water adsorption properties as compared to commercially available paper bags made from wood pulp.


A method of modeling trans-shipment-inventory systems is proposed in an attempt to describe systems where many kinds of items are ordered to be transported, stored and delivered to the customers. The system consists of a number of supply, trans-shipment and demand nodes. However, the problem considered in this study is totally different from the traditional trans-shipment problem in terms of linear programming. Firstly, any number of different kinds of items can be treated for analysis. Secondly, any size of transportation trucks can be specified to transport items for any number of the two-node combinations. In other words, the capacity of the transportation truck is to be specified in building a simulation model. In addition, any number of supply, transshipment and demand nodes can be specified in a simulation model. Thirdly, the order by a demand node is made toward the associated trans-shipment node, based on the inventory policy at the demand node, and the so-called the "pull system" is adopted in the demand-supply environment. An efficient module-based modeling method is proposed to generate simulation models for the above-mentioned trans-shipment-inventory systems. The proposed method is applied to the actual system. It is found that the time to build simulation models could be drastically reduced. Furthermore, the proposed method is found to be both practical and powerful.


Since publication of the first volume of Stochastic Modeling and Geostatistics in 1994, there has been an explosion of interest and activity in geostatistical methods and spatial stochastic modeling techniques. Many of the computational algorithms and methodological approaches that were available then have greatly matured, and new, even better ones have come to the forefront. Advances in computing and increased focus on software commercialization have resulted in improved access to, and usability of, the available tools and techniques. Against this backdrop, Stochastic Modeling and Geostatistics Volume II provides a much-needed update on this important technology. As in the case of the first volume, it largely focuses on applications and case studies from the petroleum and related fields, but it also contains an appropriate mix of the theory and methods developed throughout the past decade. Geologists, petroleum engineers, and other individuals working in the earth and environmental sciences will find Stochastic Modeling and Geostatistics Volume II to be an important addition to their technical information resources.


We develop a unified and generally applicable theory of solvation of small and large apolar species in water. In the former, hydrogen bonding of water is hindered yet persists near the solutes. In the latter, hydrogen bonding is depleted, leading to drying of extended apolar surfaces, large forces of attraction, and hysteresis on mesoscopic length scales. The crossover occurs on nanometer length scales, when the local concentration of apolar units is sufficiently high, or when an apolar surface is sufficiently large. Our theory for the crossover has implications concerning the stability of protein assemblies and protein folding.