This thesis tackles a pivotal commitment of post-apartheid South Africa. A country that still has to re-think the urgent demands of sociality and cohabitation on the ruins and the wounds of the past. The critical perspective here adopted is sceptical towards every unproblematic 'grand narrative' that celebrates the triumph of the 'Rainbow Nation'. It proceeds side by side with the recovery of Krotoa's traces, the Khoikhoi interpreter who was partially acculturated to Dutch customs and then abandoned and imprisoned in Robben Island until her death. After centuries of silence her traces emerged in 1950, when a politically committed archivist strove to undo the material and bio-political racist archive of apartheid. Such traces are here collected in the vibrant tissue of differently committed art works, which during the Transition period (1989 - 1995 ca.) focused on her figure. At the heart of this interrogation are not the historical documents: this research talks about the archive in order to reopen its conceptual dualisms and epistemological, philosophical premises, and to discuss again the "messianic" bind between memory, future and their spectres (Jacques Derrida, Mal d'archive. Une impression freudienne, 1995).
 Chapter I deals with the aporiae of forgiveness and testimony in the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (the court-like restorative justice body which collected hearings from the victims of the crimes of apartheid, granting amnesty to the perpetrators who confessed and repented). In the background, as if bearing witness, there is Krotoa in her role of "Mother Africa", whose iconic epistemic validity icon is here questioned. Chapter II offers a philosophical, genealogical and postcolonial research on the archive, which emerges as a 'forthcoming' promise, more bounded to the multiple possibilities of the present and the future than to commemoration and the past. Chapters III and IV are dedicated to the literary works that present Krotoa, commencing with the Dutch company's diaries and the incredibly violent prototype of colonial, racist and sexist discourse that appeared, after the interpreter's death, in the guise of an obituary in a Cape Town journal. Another paramount theoretical issue discussed in the fourth chapter deals with representation as well as with cultural and artistic translation in the Occidental scopic field. The latter is marked by the epistemic violence of conceptual binarisms which confine the 'black' woman to the margins of humankind. In chapter IV Jacques Lacan's theorization of the gaze as the desiring pulsion in the scopic field proves useful to approach an artistic-psychoanalytical querelle on the legitimacy of writing of Krotoa (as an object of personal scopic desires). In chapter V, more focused on the overcoming of perceptive and discursive limits through visual art and a meta-theoretical approach to translation. Here Krotoa lives on 'in-between', in the artistic network which draws on her figure to complicate further the myth of reconciliation, through the fractured horizons of the discursive structures which preceeds and exceeds every form of political hegemony.


Heavy lead exposure has been connected to cardiovascular disease, but modest exposures encountered in the general environment have not been associated previously with disease risk. The relationship between blood lead levels and blood pressures was examined using data from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A direct relationship was found between blood lead levels and systolic and diastolic pressures for men and women and for white and black persons aged 12 to 74 years. Blood lead levels were significantly higher in younger men and women (aged 21 to 55 years) with high blood pressure, but not in older men or women (aged 56 to 74 years). In multiple regression analyses, the relationship of blood lead to blood pressure was independent of other variables for men, but not for women. Dietary calcium and serum zinc levels were inversely related to blood pressure. ( JAMA 1985;253:530-534)


Abstract | Mexico City is one of the largest cities on the globe and a site where important transformations of nature reserves into urban areas have been taking place . This paper compared the southern part of Mexico City based on free images available (Landsat – 30m) and high-resolution imagery (RapidEye – 5m) from an explorative qualitative perspective in the logic of reliability and validity . We argue that the resolution of the free imagery available for the assessment of urban development on the structural level of land use is not sufficient to identify the development of specific parts of the city . Despite the fact that the general pattern of changes in land use is observable, changes within the urban structure are difficult to see with a resolution of 30 meters per pixel in the Landsat images . For validity, this analysis is merely graphic, and it shows a promising matching of urban development with environmental and land complaints, nevertheless, a numerical analysis is needed in the future.


The joining of dissimilar materials is an important process to produce a large production. In other words, the reliability of such a production is determined by the joining technique because the joint interface often becomes the weakest point against stress. In case of metals, welding and riveting are popular approaches for joining dissimilar materials. However, these techniques generally involve manual and complex operations; therefore, the production quality cannot be maintained, because the accuracy and efficiency of these operations strongly depend on the worker's skill. From this viewpoint, additive manufacturing (AM) can be useful to produce parts using a combination of dissimilar metals. Metal AM has attracted considerable attention from aerospace and automobile industries recently because of its flexibility and applicability in the production of various complex-shaped parts. Directed energy deposition (DED), one such metal AM method, forms a deposit of powder material and simultaneously irradiates a laser beam on the baseplate. DED can be applied to cladding and repairs as it can be conducted on the surface of the part. In particular, a combined part of dissimilar metals can be easily and directly produced from scratch by changing the powder material of the process. A graded material can also be produced by blending different powders and changing their ratios appropriately. In order to realize such applications of DED, the mechanical properties of the produced part must be evaluated in detail. In this study, a part combining a nickel-based superalloy (Inconel 625) and a stainless steel alloy (SUS316L) is produced using DED; the produced part is evaluated through a tensile strength test, Vickers hardness measurement, metal structure observation, and element distribution analysis. In addition, a graded material is also produced to evaluate the basic characteristics of the joint produced using DED. The experimental results show that the produced joint is sufficiently stiff against tensile stress and its hardness is increased because of the solid solution of niobium in the stainless steel area. The results of the elemental distribution analysis and the Vickers hardness test indicate that a graded joint of Inconel 625 and SUS316L can certainly be produced using DED.


Living lab projects – as a platform and methodology for technology testing and experimentation – are becoming common practice in (smart) cities around the world. As a relatively recent phenomenon, however, they are underresearched and lack a widely recognised definition and theoretical framework. The proliferation and growing importance of such technological projects that increasingly shape life in the city, demands a more thorough analysis and disentanglement of the practice and the concept. In order to address this need, the contribution first presents a living lab in practice – the Stratumseind Living Lab (part of the larger Stratumseind 2.0 project) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The Stratumseind Living Lab, a smaller project in a middle-sized and upcoming European city, which includes local and global technology companies and employs big data analysis, serves as an illustrative example of a living lab, its operation and its promises. The second part of this contribution examines academic literature on living labs and briefly analyzes the operation of the Stratumseind Living Lab project in view of its promises, particularly pertaining to big data. Based on the examination of theory and the practical example, the contribution concludes that such technological projects carry with them a wide range of social, political, ethical and legal concerns (including increasing surveillance in urban areas, issues connected to privacy and data security, a neoliberal form of city governance and the transformation of public space into quasi-public space), which the parties of such projects are either not aware of or simply do not take seriously enough. The pace of development and rollout of living lab (and smart city) technologies, which is proceeding well ahead of wider reflection, critique and regulation, is thus foolish and dangerous, requiring additional interrogation of the vision and implementation.


Understanding the motives of spectators to participate in a basketball match is important for increasing the number of spectators. Main purpose of this study was to analyze the selected variables that affect on spectators' participation in basketball matches. Supporters of two Turkish professional basketball teams formed the sample of the study (n = 259). Spectators' Participation Decision Scale was used to assess the factors that make participants decide to attend a match. Descriptive and Factorial MANOVA analyses were used in data analysis process and the analyses were conducted by IBM SPSS 22 package program. MANOVA results showed that there is a significant difference between attending type and factors (F (1, 212) = 2.83, p < .05), and two main effects were found between attending type variable and socialization opportunity (F (2, 215) = 7.19, p < .008). Results indicated that taking part in basketball organizations with friends is the most preferred attending type and spectators like to be with their friends in basketball matches. As a conclusion; in order to attract more spectators to the basketball venues, basketball managers should organize basketball venues in terms of spectators' needs.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the value of peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in measuring bone architecture and biomechanic properties.

METHODS
50 virgin female Wistar rats six months old were randomly divided into 4 groups: (1) 8 rats were killed as baseline group; (2) 8 rats underwent sham operation and then were killed 14 weeks after (sham operation group); (3) 16 rats underwent bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) without further intervention. Six and 14 weeks after the operation each 8 rats were killed (OVX group); and (4) 18 rats underwent OVX too. After the OVX 9 of the 18 rats were treated with 17beta-estradiol 20 micro g/kg/d IH and 9 rats were treated with estradiol valerate 800 micro g/kg/d po for 8 weeks respectively. Then the 18 rats were killed (OVX plus estrogen group, O + E group). The right tibiae of the rats were taken for histomorphometric analysis, and the right femora were prepared for pQCT scanning and bone biomechanical measurement with indentation test and three-point bending test.

RESULTS
Histomorphometric analysis showed that the trabecular volume of proximal tibia (Cn-BV/TV) in the OVX group was 8.1 +/- 1.4%, significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (19.5 +/- 1.5%, P < 0.01). pQCT scanning showed that the femoral trabecular bone mineral content (Trab BMC) in the OVX group was 1.7 +/- 0.3 mg/mm, significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (3.2 +/- 0.5 mg/mm, P < 0.01) and the femoral trabecular bone mineral density (Trab BMD) in the OVX group was 158 +/- 32 mg/mm(3), significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (320 +/- 39 mg/mm(3), P < 0.01). The cancellous maximal load (Can load) of the distal shaft of femur in the OVX group was 12.5 +/- 2.5 N, significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (45.9 +/- 3.2 N, P < 0.01). The cancellous stiffness (Can Stiff) of the distal shaft of femur in the OVX group was 226 +/- 48 N/mm, significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (396 +/- 72 N/mm, P < 0.01). The Can load of O + E group was 21.8 +/- 3.7 N, significantly higher than that in the OVX group (P < 0.05). The Can Stiff of the O + E group was 382 +/- 54 N/mm, significantly higher than that in the OVX group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in cortical bone determined by pQCT as well as biomechanic properties in measured by three point test after OVX and estrogen treatment. A significant positive correlation was shown between Trab BMD and Cn-TV/BV and between Trab BMD and Tb N (r = 0.88 and 0.73, both P < 0.01). Similarly, both Trab BMC and Trab BMD of the femur were significantly correlated with the Can load and Can Stiff determined by indentation test (r = 0.47 - 0.68, all P < 0.01). There was also a significant correlation of parameters measured by pQCT in cortical bone with the maximal load and stiffness for the femur midshaft, and the best correlation was found between the maximal load of femur midshaft and Crt BMC and Crt A (both r = 0.76 and P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION
The geometric, densitometric and mechanical properties in cortical and trabecular bones of rat can be well described by pQCT.


A description is given of a gray-level threshold selection method for image segmentation that is based on the maximum entropy principle. The optimal threshold value is determined by maximizing the a posteriori entropy subject to certain inequality constraints which are derived by means of spectral measures characterizing uniformity and the shape of the regions in the image. For this purpose, the authors use both the gray-level distribution and the spatial information of an image. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by its performance on some real-world images. An extension of this method to chromatic images is provided. >


A torsional and translational vibration dynamics model for serial herringbone planetary gear train, which considers the effects of the time-varying errors and meshing stiffness as well as elastic coupling between two stage trains at the same time, was established by using lumped mass method. Time domain dynamic load excitation which derived from dynamics equation is taken as the input of steady-state response solution. The steady-state response of gear structure was solved with mode superposition method combined with external judgment program. The effects of rim thickness for thin wall herringbone planetary gear and single-stage internal gear were also analyzed. Through the comparison, the displacement and stress results of key locations on structure have reached the satisfying and disirable values when the rim thickness of planetary gear is greater than 4.0 mn and rim thickness of internal gear greater than 6.5 mn.


ABSTRACT Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies worldwide. Although significant progress has been made in oncology treatment, this refractory disease is still become intractable. Natural herb product diosgenin is described to exhibit vast range of pharmacological activities in preclinical studies, including anti-cancer activities. Accumulating data demonstrated that Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) as an oncogenic protein is over-expressed in various human cancers, including PC. However, the underlying mechanism has not been fully understood. In this study, we aim to investigate the anti-cancer properties and molecular basis of diosgenin in PC cells. Significant inhibition of cell proliferation was observed in diosgenin treated Patu8988 and Panc-1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Apoptotic cell death and G2/M phase arrest were also induced by diosgenin treatment in PC cells. Moreover, obvious inhibition of cell migration and invasive capacities was detected in diosgenin treated PC cells. Mechanistically, the expression levels of EZH2 and its target Vimentin were reduced, and PTEN was promoted after diosgenin exposure. Our results further supported that EZH2 signaling was closely associated with the anti-tumor characteristics of diosgenin in PC cells. Therefore, inhibition of EZH2 by diosgenin could be a promising therapeutic method for PC treatment.


Permafrost is a subsurface phenomenon that cannot be directly monitored with satellite remote sensing. A variety of indirect approaches are currently being developed which aim to measure permafrost-related processes and environmental variables. Results of these studies aid the planning of future satellite missions which will allow large-scale permafrost monitoring. This thesis contributes to this ongoing effort by assessing the potential of repeat-pass TerraSAR-X (TSX) time series for permafrost-related applications. For the first time, multi-year Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data with high temporal (11 days) and spatial (3 m) resolution was analysed for a region characterized by continuous permafrost in the Siberian Arctic. Extensive in situ data was collected during three summer and winter expeditions to validate and interpret remote sensing results. Three case studies were carried out: (i) the detection of land surface changes (e.g. ground freezing and thawing, surface wetness variations, snow cover onset and melt); (ii) monitoring bedfast lake ice and ice phenology (freeze-up, melt onset, break-up); and (iii) differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) for thaw subsidence monitoring. For the first two case studies, time series of both backscatter intensity and 11-day interferometric coherence (i.e. a measure of phase stability between two SAR images) were investigated. Backscatter intensity was generally shown to be insensitive to the land surface changes but responded to events that occurred at the time of TSX acquisition (rain, snow shower, melt/freeze crust on snow). Interferometric coherence decreased dramatically across the entire image upon snow cover onset and melt, permitting the possible use of coherence for the monitoring of these events. Backscatter intensity was found to be an excellent tool for the detection and monitoring of bedfast lake ice due in part to improved temporal resolution compared to previously used SAR systems. Ice phenology was mostly well tracked with backscatter intensity. Interferometric coherence was found to be sensitive to the lake ice grounding and to the onset of surface melt on the lakes with bedfast ice. The investigation of coherence was a useful preparative step for the following DInSAR analysis. For the third case study, coherent 11-day and 22-day interferograms were available only for one summer of the two-year TSX time series. The cumulative DInSAR displacement strongly underestimated the subsidence observed on the ground. In situ observations revealed high variability of subsidence, which likely caused errors in phase unwrapping. Conventional DInSAR processing might therefore not be suitable for the accurate representation of permafrost thaw subsidence. This study highlights the importance of field measurements for the quantification of thaw subsidence with DInSAR, which were mostly omitted in the previous studies. All in all, this thesis shows the limitations and potential of TSX time series to spatially and temporally monitor permafrost. It thus provides an important contribution to the methodological development of a long-term permafrost monitoring scheme.


The subject of this article is the genesis of the professional culture of personnel management. The last decades of the 20th century were marked by various revolutions - scientific, technical, democratic, informational, sexual, etc. Their cumulative effect has been mostly reflected in the professional revolution that shapes the professional society around the world. This social revolution has global consequences. In addition to its extensive parameters, it also has intensive ones related to the deeply-rooted structural changes in the ways of working and thinking, as well as in the forms of its social organization. The professional revolutions in the history of Modern Times stem from this theory. Employees' awareness and accountability shall be strengthened. The leader must be able to formulate and bring closer to the employees the vision of the organization and its future goal, to which all shall aspire. He should pay attention not to the "letter" but to the "spirit" of this approach.


Genetic circuits that control specific cellular functions are never fully insulated against influences of other parts of the cell. For example, they are subject to periodic modulation by the cell cycle through volume growth and gene doubling. To investigate possible effects of the cell cycle on oscillatory gene circuits dynamics, we modelled a simple synthetic genetic oscillator, the repressilator, and studied hallmarks of the resulting nonlinear dynamics. We found that the repressilator coupled to the cell cycle shows typical quasiperiodic motion with discrete Fourier spectra and windows in parameter space with synchronization of the two oscillators, with a devil's stair case indicating the Arnold tongues of synchronization. In the case of identical parameters for the three genes of the repressilator and simultaneous gene duplication, we identify two classes of synchronization windows, symmetric and asymmetric, depending on whether the trajectories satisfy a discrete three-fold rotation symmetry, corresponding to cyclic permutation of the three genes. Unexpectedly changing the gene doubling time revealed that the width of the Arnold tongues is connected to that three-fold symmetry of the synchronization trajectories: non-simultaneous gene duplication increases the width of asymmetric synchronization regions, for some of them by an order of magnitude. By contrast, there is only a small or even a negative effect on the window size for symmetric synchronization. This observation points to a control mechanism of synchronization via the location of the genes on the chromosome.


Solving a large sparse system of linear equations (SSLE) over the binary field is an important step in the general number field seive (GNFS) algorithm that is often used to factorize large integers used in the RSA algorithm. Block Lanczos method proposed by Montgomery is an efficient and reliable method for solving such systems. A number of implementations of Block Lanczos method on distributed systems have been proposed in past. This paper discusses the parallel Montgomery's Block Lanczos method for solving binary system of equations on shared multiprocessors (SMP). A simple experiment shows that the speed of convergence of this algorithm is dependent on a wise choice of initial guess for kick-starting the algorithm. A somewhat dense choice of the initial guess is suggested rather than a random choice for faster convergence. Devoid of any communication overheads of a loosely coupled system, the improved method gives good performance on SMP systems which can provide an able alternative to the more popular distributed systems. Details of implementation of this algorithm on SMP and experimental results are also provided in the paper.


Antarctica, the most pristine continent on earth is attracting increasing human presence in recent years owing to the rise in scientific activities and tourism. To investigate if there are any signals of anthropogenic footprint on the sea-ice, we chose a small area spanning about 100 sq km in Eastern Antarctica, in the Larsemann Hills where research stations from four countries (India, China, Russia, Romania) are located. The objective of the study was to investigate if there are any significant concentrations of personal care products, pharmaceuticals and pesticides in the frozen ocean in this region. Sampling was done in the austral summer between November 2017 and February 2018 spread across an area of 100 sq km. An LC-MS-MS method was developed and elution by SPE extraction for the detection of selected compounds. Out of the 24 target analytes investigated, five of them (paraxanthine, caffeine, nicotine, salicylic acid, triclosan and hydrocholorothiazide) were detected at the levels of nanogram per liter. Paraxanthine ranges from 0 to 18 ng L-1, caffeine ranges from 0 to 164 ng L-1, salicylic acid from 0 to 72ng L-1, triclosan from 0 to 17ng L-1 and hydrocholorothiazide from 0 to 1.7ng L-1. The most prominently noted stimulant was nicotine with concentrations upto 700 ng L-1. Their source could be from the wastewater effluents of the scientific research stations and the scientific ships visiting the area. This is the first reported study from the Larsemann Hills. Further investigations are needed to understand the effect of exposure of these compounds on the flora and fauna of this region.


Experiments in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, provide direct evidence that large, free-ranging mammalian grazers accelerate nutrient cycling in a natural ecosystem in a way that enhances their own carrying capacity. Both nitrogen and sodium were at considerably higher plant-available levels in soils of highly grazed sites than in soils of nearby areas where animal density is sparse. Fencing that uncoupled grazers and soils indicated that the animals promote nitrogen availability on soils of inherently similar fertility and select sites of higher sodium availability as well as enhancing that availability.


This chapter introduces a holistic model of the coaching process, which was developed during a mixed-methods, longitudinal case study in international rugby union. Fundamentally, it shows that the coaching process is constituted of the interactions of a coach and their associates within a coaching context. Each of these personal, social and contextual influences on coaching practice are described and explored using practical examples. Numerous constraints and opportunities experienced by coaches in their complex work are highlighted and key considerations for practitioners in different contexts are raised. The holistic model is presented in order to help coaches from diverse backgrounds to think critically about the intricacies of their own coaching practice. More specifically and against the backdrop of this book's title, it is hoped that the holistic model will act as a framework for reflective practice and awareness building for readers who wish to be effective coaches. Moreover, we hope to stimulate further discussion about the coaching process as a sophisticated, holistic and contingent project, one imbued with interconnected idiosyncrasies, possibilities and challenges, as well as significant breadth and depth.


Police records in the Netherlands should be written as much as possible in the suspect's 'own words'. However, they show a curious mix of legal phrases and colloquialisms. They are drawn up as first person monologues, which obscures the interactional nature of the interrogation. This article sheds light on the interrelations between the interrogation and the recording of it, showing how the interaction in the interrogation affects what is written down, and how the recording activities affect the interaction in the interrogation. Moreover, it illuminates some of the discrepancies between actual practice and the recommendations in police manuals. What appears to have a significant effect on the interrogation is the practice of contemporaneous typing of the records. The resulting question-answer-typing format favors some interrogation and recording techniques over others. This may explain why it is often not the suspect's 'own words' that are recorded, but those of the interrogator.


Delirium is a neuropsychiatric sindrome characterized by acute onset, a fluctuating course, an altered level of consciousness, disturbances in orientation, memory, attention, thinking, perception and behaviour. One third of patients aged 70 or older were admitted to the general medical service of an acute care hospital experience delirium. The development of delirium is associated with worse outcome increased a 10-fold risk for death and a 3- to 5-fold risk for nosocomial complications, prolonged length of stay, and greater need for nursing home placement after discharge. Therefore patients with delirium have higher morbidity and mortality rates, higher re-admission rates, and a greater risk of long term institutionalization care, thereby having a significant impact on both health and social care expenditure. The cost of delirium to the health-care system is then substantial. Despite its clinical importance and health-related costs, it often remains under-recognized and inadequately managed. Recent evidence suggests that a better understanding and knowledge of delirium among health care professionals can lead to early detection, the reduction of modifiable risk factors, and better management of the condition in the acute phase.


This article aims to reassess F. Scott Fitzgeralds classic The Great Gatsby (1925), taking into consideration the myth-critical hypotheses of philosopher Rene Girard. Specifically, this essay will analyse the concepts of mimetic desire, resentment and reprisal violence as emotional components of myth, paying close attention to how the reinterpreted mythical pattern of the novel influences the depiction of such emotions as social traits of corruption. Finally, this article will challenge interpretations that have regarded Gatsby as a successful scapegoat-figure, examining instead how the mythical meanings and structures of the text stage an emotional crisis of frustrated desire and antagonism that ultimately offers no hope of communal restoration.


The development of financial sectoral accounts is high on the global policy agenda. These accounts have become a key part of the SNA Framework, drawing from the "traditional" description of real economic aggregates and augmented to present information on financial flows and positions. Several steps have been taken in recent years to refine some aspects of these statistics, with the ultimate goal of building "Integrated sectoral financial accounts". Such information can be instrumental in supporting financial stability analysis as highlighted during the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-09 and its aftermath. Further progress can be achieved by drawing on the "micro data revolution" currently underway, despite a number of challenges.


A new approach to the modelling of various nature phenomena such as predator and prey ecological system, heat transport, spreading of oil slick and traffic flow is introduced. Cellular automata (CA) are discrete dynamical systems whose behaviour is completely specified in terms of simple local relations. They are mathematical models of spatially distributed processes; however they can lead to an appropriate simulation of complex dynamic processes. Applications to heat transfer and problems of environmental simulations are done. A discrete automaton model with fuzzy rules to simulate one-way traffic flow is also described. Results of simulations are consistent with phenomena observed in reality. It gives a base to propose the cellular automata tool as an option in modelling and solving problems of complex (and some times, not completely known) nature.


ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 01 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) comprise an ever-expanding group of bacteria whose medical importance has emerged in the past decades. They have become one of the most frequent nosocomial pathogens isolated from blood cultures, often in association with intravascular devices and as a cause of deep-seated prosthetic implant infections (Parameswaran et al., 2011). These organisms isolated from clinical specimens with increasing frequency. So this study planned to isolate and antibiogram of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) bacteria in various clinical specimens at tertiary care teaching hospital at Jaipur. The present study was carried out on total 60 Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) were isolated from 400 different clinical samples like Urine, Blood, Pus, Sputum, High Vaginal Swab, Semen, Nasal Swab and ET Secretion etc. from all age's group. Conventional bacteriological methods were used for identification Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) and susceptibility testing was performed with the help of the Modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines 2014. This study comprises of 60 isolates of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) from total of 400 clinical specimens collected from in patients admitted to various departments during a period of 6 months. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common isolate (38.33%) while Staphylococcus saprophyticus (35%) was the second most common isolated followed by Staphylococcus haemolyticus (15%), Staphylococcus lugdanensis (5%), Staphylococcus schleiferi and Staphylococcus xylosis have same account (3.33%). Among all clinical samples Urine yield maximum isolates of CoNS i.e. 26 (43.33%) followed by Blood 10 (16.67%), Pus 9 (15%), Sputum 6 (10%), High Vaginal Swab 5 (8.33%) etc. Most sensitive drug against CoNS were Vancomycin (100%) followed by Linezolid (86.67%), Amikacin (71.67%). The most common species identified was Staphylococcus epidermidis. Resistance to Penicillin and Amoxyclav was high and none of the isolates showed resistance to Vancomycin. Early detection of MRCoNS and reduction in indiscriminate use of antibiotics like Vancomycin are the only suitable approaches to reduce the emergence of these drug resistant strains. K e y w o r d s


ABSTRACT To the Editor: —The lead editorial of the Sept 1 issue of The Journal (181:784) referred to an article on tonsillectomy and poliomyelitis by Dr. Ravenholt of Seattle which was published in the May, 1962, issue of the American Journal of Diseases of Children. In this study, Dr. Ravenholt fails to find any higher incidence of bulbar polio among those who have had their tonsils removed more than a month earlier than among those who still have their tonsils in situ. Your editorial states that Dr. Ravenholt "has presented convincing evidence that bulbar paralysis is not more frequent in tonsillectomized patients" and later that "Previous reports of this association were not supported by age-specific data."I do not know the origin of this editorial, but I am concerned about its inaccuracies and especially the inferences that would be drawn by one who read the editorial but not the original


Paulo Freire is the patron of education in Brazil. His main work - the Popular Education pedagogy - influences many educators all over the world who believe in education as a way of liberating poor oppressed people. One of the outcomes of Freire's work is a literacy method, developed in the 1960's. In this paper, we propose the adoption of elements of Freire's Literacy Method for use in a pedagogical pathway towards data literacy. After tracing some parallels between literacy education and data literacy, we suggest some data literacy strategies inspired on Freire's method. We also derive from it a definition for critical data literacy.


We study extended oscillatory systems that respond to uniform periodic forcing at one quarter of the forcing frequency. We find a new type of front instability where a stationary front shifting the oscillation phase by π decomposes into a pair of traveling fronts each shifting the phase by π/2. The instability designates a transition from standing two-phase patterns, involving alternating domains with a phase shift of π, to traveling four-phase patterns. A generalization of the instability to higher resonances is conjectured.


Rural Healthy People 2010 represented the first effort to specifically include small and rural communities in the Healthy People movement to improve the health of Americans. Rural Healthy People 2010 set rural-specific health priority areas, documented what is known about health in rural areas, identified rural best practice programs/interventions, and promoted rural health services research and researchers. Over the last decade Rural Healthy People 2010 has provided policy makers, rural providers, and rural communities with a valuable resource for planning and policy making. Sustaining the Rural Healthy People project in collaboration with the broader Healthy People 2020 effort will provide an important infrastructure for improving rural health.


Background: Targeted therapy with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has improved the field of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treatment. Higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lower relative lymphocyte counts as inflammatory indicators and associated with worse overall survival and progression free survival (PFS) in several tumor types. Few studies focused on these inflammation markers in context of TKIs eras. Methods: Patients with advanced EGFR mutation NSCLC treated with TKIs were included. Pre-treatment NLR means neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio measured in peripheral blood within one week before treating with TKIs. The baseline clinical characteristics of each group were compared by chi-square and t tests. Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate prognostic value of peripheral blood parameters on progression free survival (PFS). All prognostic factors were explored with multivariable regression. Results: We retrospectively analyzed 221 patients with metastatic NSCLC harboring exon 19 deletion, 21 L858R or rare mutation and receiving TKIs. Finally, a total of 190 patients were analyzed. The optimal cutoff values for pretreatment absolute lymphocyte count (Lym), lymphocyte percentage (Lym%), absolute neutrophil count (Neu), the percentage of neutrophil granulocytes (Neu%) and NLR were 1.625 B, 18.8%, 3.675a, 51.8% and 4.965, respectively. Patients with high neutrophil percent (13.0 months vs 18.8 months, P=0.003), absolute neutrophil counts (12.0 months vs 14.5 months, P=0.014) and NLR (7.0 months vs 15.2 months, P<0.001, one-year PFS Rate, 55.3%, respectively) had worse PFS. In contrast, patients with high absolute lymphocyte counts (13.0 months vs 16.5 months, P=0.012) and lymphocyte percent (8.8 months vs 15.3months, P<0.001) had a better PFS. Besides, tumor location was also an important factor for prognosis (11.6 months vs 14.3 months, P=0.003). On multivariate analysis, NLR and primary tumor location were both identified as independent and significantly risk indicators for worse PFS. Conclusion: NLR and primary location are both independent prognostic factors for PFS in patients with metastatic EGFR mutated lung tumor. Whether or not NLR and primary location could be usefulmarkers in efficacy prediction of TKIs in advanced NSCLC calls for further investigation.


Background : Anemia and tuberculosis (TB) are major public health problems worldwide. The prevalence and characteristics of anemia in TB differ in various studies. The prevalence, type and predictors of anemia in newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and correlation between anemia and various variables concerning PTB were studied. Methods : In this observational, cross-sectional study, 1769 presumptive patients with tuberculosis attending a tertiary care hospital in Uttarakhand, India, were investigated and 242 newly diagnosed (109 sputum-positive and 133 sputum-negative) patients with PTB were selected for further work-up for anemia. Results : Anemia was seen in 72.7% patients and was mild in 44.2%. Anemia of chronic disease was seen in 58.5%, iron deficiency anemia in 26.7%, megaloblastic anemia in 12.5% and dimorphic anemia in 2.2% patients. Both anemia and its severity had significant associations with body mass index (BMI) (p 0.05 each). BMI (r=0.705, p<0.0001) and age (r=0.135, p=0.017) correlated significantly with hemoglobin levels but only BMI was an independent predictor (p<0.0001) of hemoglobin levels. Conclusion : Anemia is common in new patients with PTB and occurs mostly due to chronic disease. It correlates with age and BMI but is only BMI-dependent.


A global trend in declining island populations is causing severe accessibility challenges for rural archipelago residents. Since waterways often provide the only viable connection between islands, the planning of ferry routes and capacities relative to prevailing population patterns is critical. In this paper, we present a case study of Pargas, a rural archipelago region in Southwestern Finland, which in many ways provides a typical example of current depopulation trends in archipelago regions. Owing to high maintenance costs, changing population patterns and transportation needs, the ferry network of Pargas has recently attracted attention in terms of planning and a perceived need to reduce costs. Still, compared to in-land transportation, few academic studies have explored this issue. Using methods adapted from urban and land-based transport studies and diverse datasets, we aim at identifying spatial discrepancies between population patterns and transport options in the peripheral archipelago and at determining how well the ferry network meets the needs of the permanent and seasonal population of the islands. Our results show that although the existing ferry network in general functions relatively well in relation to the population, spatial mismatches between transport opportunities and population patterns in some of the prominent islands are nevertheless evident. Because the economic vitality of the region depends on a well-functioning transportation network, this study offers suggestions for improving transportation services in the study area.


A green manure (GM) is a crop used primarily as a soil amendment and a nutrient source for subsequent crops. Green manure approaches to crop production may improve economic viability, while reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture. However, such approaches are complex because they depend on interactions between the GM, the environment, and management. We suggest that the research and management techniques developed for synthetic inputs are not adequate for effective GM use. This review provides a conceptual framework to more critically evaluate GM use, and we discuss a limited number of key examples involving GM adaptation and growth, effects on soil organic matter, N release and availability for future crops, and pest control. We explore the deficiencies in our current understanding of GM approaches and argue that economic justification of GM requires provision of multiple services (such as nutrient supply, pest and weed control, and increase of soil organic matter). We propose that future research efforts make improved use of whole systems and participatory strategies to better address both the complexity of GMbased cropping systems and the obstacles preventing farmer adoption of GM approaches. D


Marketing researchers and analysts, confined in classical transactional marketing paradigms where customer knowledge was limited to sample based surveys and panels, have somehow been overwhelmed by the avalanche of behavioral data coming from new digital and relationship marketing techniques. This occurred up to a point where a part of what belonged to their core competencies has been overtaken by computer scientists. The relatively recent open-source solutions that form an ecosystem around the most elegant statistical system, R and the distributed computation system Hadoop (some kind of Linux for computer clusters) democratize BigData calculations and offer excellent opportunities to marketing analysts to operate huge computing factories. An illustration of the implementation of the evoked solutions will be presented, applications to customer data base predictive modeling using RFM variables will be developed and performance gains will be tested.


The various chapters of this volume emphasize different periods of development. There is an argument for the creativity of children, another for adolescence, and another for adulthood. Continuities and discontinuities across the life span are described, as are numerous developmental issues, such as the role of knowledge and experience, and the relationships between creativity, play, and deviance. Why development and creativity? One reason is that developmental issues cut across many other topics in studies of creativity. The biological underpinnings of creativity, for example, probably exert their influence in different ways at different points in development, and the cognitive and emotional mechanisms of creative thinking vary in different chronological stages. Even more obvious are the educational implications of developmental theories of creativity. The conclusion to this volume suggests that we must understand the development of creativity or we will not really understand creativity itself. This is the 72nd issue of the journal series "New Directions for Child Development".


Security devices can reveal critical information about the cryptographic key from the power consumption of their circuits. Differential power analysis (DPA) is one of the most effective power analysis techniques. In recent years numerous countermeasures against the DPA attack of hardware implementations of security algorithms have been proposed. In this paper, we investigate the random delay insertion (RDI) countermeasure. Previous research has evaluated RDI for microprocessor implementations; however, its security properties in relation to hardware implementations have not been investigated in detail. We prove both theoretically and practically that it is an effective technique on FPGA devices and we propose a set of critical parameters that can be utilized to optimize a security algorithm design with RDI in terms of area, speed and power. In this work, we implement the first hardware security architecture with RDI on an FPGA device, and attack it using DPA. It is shown that RDI is an efficient countermeasure technique on FPGA in comparison to other countermeasures.


Spindle movement, including spindle migration during first meiosis and spindle rotation during second meiosis, is essential for asymmetric divisions in mouse oocytes. Previous studies by others and us have shown that microfilaments are required for both spindle migration and rotation. In the present study, we aimed to further investigate the mechanism controlling spindle movement during mouse oocyte meiosis. By employing drug treatment and immunofluorescence microscopy, we showed that dynamic microtubule assembly was involved in both spindle migration and rotation. Furthermore, we found that the calcium/CaM/CaMKII pathway was important for regulating spindle rotation.


The acquisition of vocabulary items constitutes a major bulk of second language learning. The studies investigating the most appropriate method of presenting and teaching vocabulary have proliferated in recent years. However, the effect of proverbs on the acquisition of lexical items has not been explored yet. This investigation attempted to explore the influence of learning vocabulary through proverbs and to find out whether proverbs can be used to improve vocabulary learning through time. In addition, the study explored to what extent the visual organizers and picture cues can facilitate the learning of lexical items and their retention. To this end, 90 pre-intermediate EFL learners were assigned to two experimental and one control groups. The first experimental group was instructed through proverb whereas the second experimental group was instructed via proverbs accompanied by pictures in five different sessions. Results indicated that the proverb plus picture and the proverb group outperformed the control group in the immediate perception and production tasks. Additionally, the proverb plus picture had the highest gain of word and retention in the delayed tasks. The study reveals the effectiveness and higher rate of retention of learning lexical items through proverbs especially via pictures compared to the traditional method.


While regional science has produced significant results within Eastern and Central European social sciences, a broad survey of its origins, development and results is still to be undertaken. Recent publications with a special thematic focus were published about the state of spatial research in some countries, and a summary about the state of social geography was prepared in the framework of a research investigating the state and results of Eastern European social sciences, where we find ample references to spatial research. Nonetheless, no comparative analysis has been performed as yet about the development of the complex institutional system of Eastern and Central European regional science. The present study evaluates the regional research capacities of the countries of the former socialist block. It provides a picture of the historical antecedents of spatial research, the specifics of regional tasks to be resolved, the characteristics of the institutionalisation of regional science and its publication forums. As a conclusion, it summarises the presence of various criteria of regional science in the individual countries.


GEOLOGY
The climate of the Eocene (57.8 to 36.6 million years ago) was so warm that deciduous conifers lived in the Arctic. Despite this warmth, it is unclear what other environmental conditions prevailed to allow coniferous forests to survive through 4 months of continuous daylight during the summer and 4 months of uninterrupted darkness during the winter. Jahren and Sternberg measured the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of the cellulose from a suite of astoundingly well-preserved fossilized Metasequoia trees that grew 45 million years ago at latitudes of 80°N, near what is now Nunavit, Canada. This allowed them to determine local Eocene atmospheric moisture levels. They also estimated mean annual surface air temperatures by determining the oxygen isotopic composition of secondary carbonates in the fossilized wood. Eocene atmospheric moisture levels were 20 to 120% higher than modern Arctic values, and the mean annual temperature was more than 13°C. These warm temperatures could have increased moisture delivery to high latitudes, and high water vapor levels would have helped to maintain the warmth, particularly through the dark polar winters. These paleotemperatures and relative humidity values are like those of the spring climate of the seasonal rainforests of the North American Pacific Northwest, where relatives of these ancient Metasequoia now grow.— HJS

Geology 31 , 463 (2003).


Photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) and actinometry studies were used to determine the enthalpies and volumes of reaction for the production of a transient intermediate, Mo(CO)(5)-alkane, and for its subsequent reaction with tetrahydrofuran (THF). Both the enthalpy and the volume of reaction contribute to the photoacoustic signal and have been resolved by changing the solvent thermal expansion properties with a series of linear alkanes. The enthalpies for substitution of CO on Mo(CO)(6) by an alkane and of coordinated alkane on Mo(CO)(5)(alkane) by THF are 30 and -14 kcal/mol, respectively. Likewise, the volumes of reaction are 18 and -1 mL/mol. From available data for the Mo--CO bond energy, these results allow the calculation of the Mo-alkane and Mo-THF bond energies (11 and 25 kcal/mol, respectively). The Mo-alkane result is 7 kcal/mol less than that from our previous PAC study, which ignored the volume of reaction, and is in better agreement with the results of kinetic studies. The large absolute difference in the reaction volumes for each step is partially attributed to a void volume created during the formation of the Mo--THF bond. In general, the volume of reaction cannot be neglected in the calculation of enthalpies of ligand substitution from PAC studies. The quantum yields for photosubstitution of Mo(CO)(6), in contrast to Cr(CO)(6), were found to be insensitive to the chain length of the alkane solvent.


Clostridium ljungdahlii sp. nov. strain ATCC 49587T (T = type strain) was isolated from chicken yard waste for its ability to produce ethanol from synthesis gas. This gram-positive, motile, sporeforming rod's metabolism was primarily acetogenic. C. ljungdahlii grew with carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, ethanol, pyruvate, arabinose, xylose, fructose, or glucose. Methanol, ferulic acid, lactate, galactose, and mannose did not support growth. The G+C content was 22 to 23 mol%. C. ljungdahlii is the first acetogen in clostridial 23S rRNA homology group I.


ABSTRACT This article examines analytical and historical relationships between the topics of state capacity building and public management policy change. It does so by presenting an instrumental case study of Brazil in Action, a program that became the hallmark of the first presidential term of Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The development of the program is explained on the basis of institutional processual meta-theories of policy and organizational change. The operation of the program is considered in terms of the clinical analysis of organizational practices. Implications for research on innovative administrative practice, public management policy change, and state capacity building are considered.


Prostatic calculi can be common but are usually found incidentaly. In most cases, they are asymptomatic; however, they have been associated with various symptoms, some of which are well documented. We report a case of an 85-year-old male who initially presented with dyspnea but also a complaint of urinary retention, and was found to have prostalithiasis after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The association of prostatic calculi, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and urinary tract infection has been reported but not well documented in the literature. Although they are discovered in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) or those being evaluated with prostate cancer, no well etiology or other risk factors have been researched. World J Nephrol Urol. 2015;4(1):186-188 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/wjnu208w


SUMMARY: Earthquake Engineering is facing an extraordinarily challenging era, the ultimate target being set at increasingly higher levels by the demanding expectations of our modern society. The renewed challenge is to be able to provide low-cost, thus more widely affordable, high-seismic-performance structures capable of sustaining a design level earthquake with limited or negligible damage, minimum disruption of business (downtime) or, in more general terms, controllable socio-economical losses. The Canterbury earthquakes sequence in 2010-2011 has represented a tough reality check, confirming the current mismatch between societal expectations over the reality of seismic performance of modern buildings. In general, albeit with some unfortunate exceptions, modern multi-storey buildings performed as expected from a technical point of view, in particular when considering the intensity of the shaking (higher than new code design) they were subjected to. As per capacity design principles, plastic hinges formed in discrete regions, allowing the buildings to sway and stand and people to evacuate. Nevertheless, in many cases, these buildings were deemed too expensive to be repaired and were consequently demolished. Targeting life-safety is arguably not enough for our modern society, at least when dealing with new building construction. A paradigm shift towards damage-control design philosophy and technologies is urgently required. This paper and the associated presentation will discuss motivations, issues and, more importantly, cost-effective engineering solutions to design buildings capable of sustaining low-level of damage and thus limited business interruption after a design level earthquake. Focus will be given to the extensive research and developments in jointed ductile connections based upon controlled rocking & dissipating mechanisms for either reinforced concrete and, more recently, laminated timber structures. An overview of recent on-site applications of such systems, featuring some of the latest technical solutions developed in the laboratory and including proposals for the rebuild of Christchurch, will be provided as successful examples of practical implementation of performance-based seismic design theory and technology.


Online Guessing attacks on Password Based Systems are inevitable and commonly observed against Web Applications. Server Verifies User Name from the Cookie of the User's Machine, System IP, Catcha, Password of the User, Number of Failure Attempts by the User, Web Browser. This Process of Verification is called as Automated Turing Tests (ATT). Authentication of User will start by asking Secret Questions which was answered during the Registration Phase.Brute force and dictionary attacks on password-only remote login services are now widespread and ever increasing. Enabling convenient login for legitimate users while preventing such attacks is a difficult problem. Automated Turing Tests (ATTs) continue to be an effective, easy-to-deploy approach to identify automated malicious login attempts with reasonable cost of inconvenience to users. Inadequacy of existing and proposed login protocols designed to address large scale online dictionary attacks .we propose a new Password Guessing Resistant Protocol (PGRP), derived upon revisiting prior proposals designed to restrict such attacks. While PGRP limits the total number of login attempts from unknown remote hosts to as low as a single attempt per username, legitimate users in most cases can make several failed login attempts before being challenged with an ATT. We analyze the performance of PGRP with two real-world datasets.


This study explores four African diasporic texts against a backdrop of the African dream of America, diasporic experience, post-colonialism and racism in the U.S. as portrayed in the writings of Ama Ata Aidoo's The Dilemma of a Ghost (1971), Chimamanda Adichie's Americanah (2014), and Teju Cole's Open City (2012) and Every Day Is for the Thief (2014). I argue that the African dream of America is different but also exemplary of the American experience and therefore a privileged lens for understanding "America." During the course of this research project, I found that while the writings of Adichie and Aidoo are primarily about diaspora experience, the writings of Cole focus more on the global experience of modernity and capitalism, and their disappointing realities not only for African diaspora communities but other racial groups in the U.S. and globally. That is, the emphasis of this study is on post-colonialism and African diaspora experience in Aidoo and Adichie's works. To illustrate, while the characters in Aidoo and Adichie's writings, in particular Eulalie and Ifemelu, are migrating from America iii to Ghana and Nigeria to America respectively, in search of the American and African dreams, and to reconnect to their African homelands, characters in Cole's writings are being alienated, dehumanized and silenced by the devastating reality of global modernity and capitalism, exemplified by America but not exclusive to it. I unmask the construction of diaspora experience in these diaspora African fictional narrative and their ramifications for African diaspora communities. The study is informed by the theories and methods of race studies, African studies, colonial and post-colonial studies. Employing a post-colonial literary criticism, this study offers new ways of thinking about the relationship between African dreams of America, diaspora experience, race, post-colonialism and "modernity." I analyze the depiction of the African dream of America and the diaspora experience in fiction produced by African diaspora writers, exploring fictions' ability to do justice to diasporic Ghana and Nigerian experience. The literature I consider in this project addresses the historical specificity of the African diaspora experience but of equal importance it critically engages and exemplifies the American experience and global modernity.


In this paper, we demonstrate that an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like behavior is induced by the coupling of two magnetic resonances in a planar terahertz (THz) metamaterial structure, which consists of a U-shaped split ring (USR) as one bright resonator and a cut wire pair (CWP) as one dark resonator. It is found that the EIT-like spectral response is insensitive to the lateral distance between the two magnetic resonators, whereas an on-to-off modulation of the amplitude of the transparency window can be achieved by moving the USR vertically along the CWP. The underlying physical mechanism is mainly attributed to magneto-inductive excitation of the CWP. This investigation may provide an insight of the role of magnetic coupling in achieving EIT-like effect, inspiring interest in the developments of magnetically tunable transparency metamaterial for a wide range of optical devices with switching and modulation capabilities.


The Real World Computing Partnership (RWCP) has developed a local area system network (LASN) called RHiNET-1 (RWCP High-performance NETwork, version 1) using 1.33-Gbps optical interconnections for high-performance computing using personal computers distributed in an office or laboratory environment. The network interface, RHiNET-1/NI, uses a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) based protocol controller to provide an easy evaluation platform for various protocols. It fits in a 32-bit/33-MHz PCI bus. The switch, RHiNET-1/SW, consists of a single-chip CMOS switch and external SRAM. It provides low-latency, reliable communication with a flexible topology design. We are currently evaluating protocols on RHiNET-1. RHiNET-1 will enable a new form of high-performance computing environment. We are also developing the second implementation, RHiNET-2. RHiNET-2/NI will support a 64-bit/66-MHz PCI bus. RHiNET-2/SW is an 8-Gbps/port 8/spl times/8 single-chip ASIC switch. The aggregate bandwidth of RHiNET-2/SW is 64 Gbps.


A procedure for constructing and calibrating a detailed model of a freeway by using VISSIM is presented and applied to a 15-mi stretch of I-210 West in Pasadena, California. This test site provides several challenges for microscopic modeling: a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane with an intermittent barrier, a heavy freeway connector, 20 metered on-ramps with and without HOV bypass lanes, and three interacting bottlenecks. Field data used as input to the model were compiled from two separate sources: loop detectors on the on-ramps and main line (PeMS) and a manual survey of on-ramps and off-ramps. Gaps in both sources made it necessary to use a composite data set, constructed from several typical days. FREQ was used as an intermediate tool to generate a set of origin-destination matrices from the assembled boundary flows. The model construction procedure consists of (1) identification of important geometric features, (2) collection and processing of traffic data, (3) analysis of the main-line data to identify recurring bottlenecks, (4) VISSIM coding, and (5) calibration based on observations from Step 3. A qualitative set of goals was established for the calibration. These were met with relatively few modifications to VISSIM's driver behavior parameters.


In natural language processing, text needs to be transformed into a machine-readable representation before any processing. The quality of further natural language processing tasks greatly depends on the quality of those representations. In this survey, we systematize and analyze 50 neural models from the last decade. The models described are grouped by the architecture of neural networks as shallow, recurrent, recursive, convolutional, and attention models. Furthermore, we categorize these models by representation level, input level, model type, and model supervision. We focus on task-independent representation models, discuss their advantages and drawbacks, and subsequently identify the promising directions for future neural text representation models. We describe the evaluation datasets and tasks used in the papers that introduced the models and compare the models based on relevant evaluations. The quality of a representation model can be evaluated as its capability to generalize to multiple unrelated tasks. Benchmark standardization is visible amongst recent models and the number of different tasks models are evaluated on is increasing.


The spatial scaling of place specific activity in the rodent hippocampus varies systematically from the septal pole (high spatial resolution) to the temporal pole (low spatial resolution). In principle, this variable scaling permits the read-out of spatial proximity relationships from spatial population vector correlations over much larger spaces than would be possible from a fixed scale encoding scheme such as might be inferred from the majority of in vivo hippocampal recordings, which have been conducted only in the septal portion of the hippocampus. Decoupling movement in space from ambulatory motion, by having the animal activate and ride on a mobile platform, results in marked attenuation of the amplitude of the local theta rhythm and a corresponding enlargement of the spatial scale factor in the dorsal hippocampus. These results lead to the hypothesis that the self-motion signal is embodied in the theta rhythm, whose gain may vary systematically along the septo-temporal axis of the hippocampus.


In the present study, the incorporation of graphene into blends of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer with polypropylene (ABS/PP) was investigated focusing on the improvement of their thermomechanical characteristics and the effect on their rheological behavior. The blends were prepared by melt mixing in a twin-screw extruder and were characterized by measuring the MFI as well as by performing DSC, TGA and mechanical tests. The addition of graphene to ABS/PP blends tends to increase their melt viscosity, due to the confinement of polymer chains motion. Also, graphene causes an increment of the crystallization temperature (Tc), especially in blends with higher PP content, because of the reduction of surface energy of PP nucleation, which is a consequence of the attachment of PP chains to the surface of graphene through the intermolecular CH-π interaction. Moreover, the above nanofiller improves the thermal stability of PP and increases the residue of thermal degradation at all the investigated compositions of blends, due to the thermal isolation effect and the mass transport barrier effect. Regarding the mechanical properties, the addition of graphene improves the elastic modulus, because of its intrinsic mechanical characteristics and its rigidity, and this effect is particularly strong in the case of pure PP. Keywords—Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer, blends, graphene, polypropylene.


One of the five basic factors in the Lengyel-type pyramid model – institutions and social capital – is essential in the economic growth of the region. Economic success however, does not only depend on participants in the economy, but on social factors such as the roles played by local authorities, including their functions, operation and organisational culture, all of which are crucial factors. Based on the results obtained regarding organisational culture it can be stated that performance orientation, dominant motivation based on calculated risk, forward planning and regular feedback are expected values at local authorities in all three counties. All local authorities emphasise the importance of the need for forecasting. Respondents find it important that organisations encourage and reward individual action and contributions as expected values. The degree of human orientation expected by local authorities reflects the fact that respect for colleagues and attention to their well-being should be at the highest level. Reinforcing these organisational culture values (dimensions) is the basis for the efficient and successful operation of organisations (local authorities). The study examines the organisational culture of local authorities in the Northern Great Plain, looking for any relationships it might have with the competitiveness of the region. This study is an element of the wider research into organisational culture. We used the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness) survey, which had been successfully applied in the research programme In Competition with the World at the Corvinus University of Budapest. Koopman, Den Hartog, Konrad et al. (1999) examined the culture variables of 21 European countries in organisations. Based on Hungarian and international literature it can be stated that a similar survey of local authorities has not yet been conducted.


Remote sensing is playing an increasingly important role in the monitoring and management of coastal regions, coral reefs, inland lakes, waterways, and other shallow aquatic environments. Ongoing advances in algorithm development, sensor technology, computing capabilities, and data availability are continuing to improve our ability to accurately derive information on water properties, water depth, benthic habitat composition, and ecosystem health. However, given the physical complexity and inherent variability of the aquatic environment, most of the remote sensing models used to address these challenges require localized input parameters to be effective and are thereby limited in geographic scope. Additionally, since the parameters in these models are interconnected, particularly with respect to bathymetry, errors in deriving one parameter can significantly impact the accuracy of other derived parameters and products. This study utilizes hyperspectral data acquired in Hawaii in 2000–2001 and 2017–2018 using NASA's Classic Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer to evaluate performance and sensitivity of a well-established semi-analytical inversion model used in the assessment of coral reefs. Analysis is performed at several modeled spatial resolutions to emulate characteristics of different feasible moderate resolution hyperspectral satellites, and data processing is approached with the objective of developing a generalized, scalable, automated workflow. Accuracy of derived water depth is evaluated using bathymetric lidar data, which serves to both validate model performance and underscore the importance of image quality on achieving optimal model output. Data are then used to perform a sensitivity analysis and develop confidence levels for model validity and accuracy. Analysis indicates that derived benthic reflectance is most sensitive to errors in bathymetry at shallower depths, yet remains significant at all depths. The confidence levels provide a first-order method for internal quality assessment to determine the physical extent of where and to what degree model output is considered valid. Consistent results were found across different study sites and different spatial resolutions, confirming the suitability of the model for deriving water depth in complex coral reef environments, and expanding our ability to achieve automated widespread mapping and monitoring of global coral reefs.


Blood plasma protein fractures of the acute phase of inflammation are thought to be a sensitive test for diagnosing the activity of the inflammatory process. Their indicators can be used for control of therapy and in prognosing of the appearance of adhesive disease in the patient after recovery from peritonitis.


Systematic reports of antidepressant use in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) first appeared in the medical literature three decades ago. Recent meta-analyses of the cumulative controlled experience confirm the efficacy of antidepressants in IBS and other functional gastrointestinal disorders: only 3–4 patients require treatment to demonstrate a benefit over placebo—numbers indicating a solid treatment effect.1–3 Although many of the earlier reports would be considered scientifically flawed by today's standards, the effects are consistent across studies. Odds ratios of treatment over placebo for primary study outcome, global (or syndromic) response, and pain exceeded 4.0 for each determination in one analysis, and the effect sizes of antidepressant treatment on continuous outcome measures were large.3 These observations in conjunction with reported open label experience and general clinical success have given antidepressants an important position in the therapeutic armamentarium for IBS.4

Most studies have employed tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), medications that appear to have benefits not necessarily shared across the antidepressant class. Daily dosages of TCAs (25–125 mg/day) that are below the psychiatric range for antidepressant effect typically are effective in IBS, producing at least a moderate response in more than 85% of patients in open label use.5 With the TCAs, onset of action is rapid, effects appear sustained without tachyphylaxis, and the benefits are unrelated …


2,4′-Dihydroxyacetophenone dioxygenase (DAD) is a bacterial non-heme enzyme responsible for the oxygenative cleavage of the aliphatic C–C bond, which catalyzes the conversion of 2,4′-dihydroxyacetophenone to 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and formic acid. On the basis of the crystal structure and studies on two synthesized biomimetic model compounds, two possible reaction pathways that involve a dioxacyclic or alkylperoxo intermediate have been previously suggested. However, little is currently known about the mechanistic detail and the proposed intermediates have not been experimentally confirmed yet. To elucidate the reaction mechanism at the atomistic level, on the basis of the recently obtained crystal structure, the reactant enzyme–substrate complex has been constructed, and the reaction details have been studied using a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach. Our calculations reveal the triplet of the iron(III)-superoxide radical complex as the ground state, but the quintet state which is higher than the triplet by 11.2 kcal mol−1 corresponds to a lower energy barrier in the first step. Thus, the reactant complex may firstly undergo a triplet–quintet crossing to initiate the reaction and then the subsequent chemistry mainly occurs on the quintet state surface. The previously proposed key dioxacyclic or alkylperoxo intermediate was calculated to be energetically unreachable, and the corresponding mechanism has been revised, which contains eight elementary steps, and the key C–C bond cleavage is accompanied by an insertion reaction of the adjacent oxygen radical. Two elementary steps are calculated to be possible rate-determining steps. Our results may provide useful information for further understanding the cleavage mechanism of the aliphatic C–C bond catalyzed by DAD and other dioxygenase enzymes.


One third of the world's population is estimated to be infected with M. tuberculosis, a pathogen which causes more human death and misery than any other bacterial disease. Whilst treatment is available, resistance to commonly used antimicrobials is a growing problem. Thus there is an urgent need to identify new compounds that can kill drug resistant isolates and are able to potentiate the activity of currently available antibiotics.
The plant kingdom is a rich source of antibacterial compounds and a plant which has attracted particular interest is Humulus lupulus, more commonly known as the hop, which has been used as an antibacterial in beer for hundreds of years. Its antibacterial properties are thought to be due to the combined action of alpha and beta acids and polyphenols such as xanthohumol although the precise nature of their interactions and relative importance has yet to be determined.
An optimised agar antimicrobial assay was developed and employed based on Mycobacterium smegmatis, to characterize the antibacterial activity of fifty commercially available hop varieties with a view to identifying novel antibacterial compounds.
Surprisingly, no correlation was found between alpha and beta acid content and antibacterial activity. Chemical analysis of the most (Citra) and least (Galena) active hop variants using a combination of bioactivity based thin layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and HPLC revealed differences in the relative amounts of antimicrobial compounds such as humulone (alpha acid), lupulone (beta acid) and xanthohumol but failed to identify the presence of novel antibacterial compounds.
Whilst no new antimicrobial compounds were identified, the Citra hop extract was able to potentiate the activity of the antibiotics imipenem and ciprofloxacin against clinical isolates of M. abscessus, a fast growing member of the mycobacterium family which infects individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis. The Citra hop extract also inhibited the growth drug resistant isolates of M. abscessus suggesting that it may have activity against other antibiotic resistant mycobacteria such as M. tuberculosis
With regards to the mode of action, scanning electron microscopy revealed distinct changes to the outer cell structure of the bacteria, suggesting that hops contain compounds that interact with the bacterial cell membrane and/or cell wall. These changes were more profound in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of imipenem, a compound which also targets the cell wall.
Overall hops were shown to contain compounds which inhibited the growth of mycobacterium and were able to potentate the activity of antibiotics currently used to treat these pathogens. These findings suggest hops may be a fruitful source from which to isolate next generation compounds with which to treat increasingly drug resistant strains of mycobacteria.


Cycling is a way for older adults to be physically active and remain healthy. This descriptive epidemiological study investigated the role of sociodemographic, biological, behavioral, and psychological correlates associated with cycling among community-dwelling older adults in Japan. This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2010, included 1,938 communitydwelling older adults aged 65 to 74 years, from three cities in Japan: Bunkyo City (urban area) and Fuchu City (suburban area) in Tokyo, and Oyama City in Shizuoka (rural area). Participants were randomly selected from resident registries and a questionnaire was mailed to each one (response rate of 75.7%). All data was self-reported, including cycling time. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cycling. The proportion of men and women who cycled was 30.1% and 28.3%, respectively. Cycling was strongly associated with residential area: in men, Fuchu (suburban) (ORs = 3.15, 95% CIs = 2.20-4.52), Oyama (rural) (0.14, 0.08-0.25); in women, Fuchu (suburban) (4.15, 2.80-6.16), Oyama (rural) (0.21, 0.11-0.40), compared to Bunkyo (urban). Moreover, cycling was inversely associated with being underweight (0.26, 0.08-0.80) in men; for women, it was inversely associated with living alone (0.51, 0.29-0.90) and with not working (0.56, 0.38-0.84), and positively associated with not driving often (2.81, 1.47-5.40), and with not possessing a driver's license (2.16, 1.23-3.79). The prevalence of cycling among older adults is relatively high in Japan. However, it varies greatly depending on residential area. Differences in residential areas may be taken into account to promote effective strategies for cycling.


Tropomyosin is the most potent allergen of shrimp that can cause severe food allergy. However, to date, an effective approach to eliminate this allergenicity is still lacking. Glycation is a promising approach that can reduce the allergenicity of shrimp tropomyosin by destroying the epitopes; however, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are also generated during glycation, which can function as neoallergens to strengthen the allergenicity; therefore, it is hard to tell how the glycation of an allergen with different saccharides affects the allergenicity via epitope loss and neoallergen generation. This study was aimed at the elucidation of how the glycation of tropomyosin (TM) with saccharides of different molecular sizes (glucose, maltose, and maltotriose) affected the allergenicity through epitope loss and the generation of neoallergns that belonged to advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Saccharides of higher molecular sizes (maltotriose) could lead to higher glycated TM than saccharides of smaller molecular sizes (glucose and maltose). Compared with TM, the TM glycated by glucose (TM-G) and maltotriose (TM-MTS) had lower allergenicity and contributed to weaker mouse allergy symptoms; on the other hand, the TM glycated by maltose (TM-M) had no significant impact on the allergenicity due to the generation of AGE-related neoallergens, which might offset the glycation-induced epitope loss. The glycation of TM by maltotriose led to lower generation of AGE neoallergens (e.g. CML) than that in the cases of glucose and maltose; therefore, maltotriose could be applied to desensitize TM-induced food allergy through glycation, and this could be a potential immunotherapy for shrimp allergy patients.


Background and Objectives: Patients with pre-existing cardiac disease have a higher prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA has been associated with an increased risk of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmia. We screened subjects with implanted pacemakers and automated implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICD) for OSA with the Berlin Questionnaire and compared the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) firing between high and low OSA risk groups. Materials and Methods: We contacted 648 consecutive patients from our arrhythmia clinic to participate in the study and performed final analyses on 171 subjects who consented and had follow-up data. Data were abstracted from the electronic health record for the incidence of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF) and AICD firing and then compared between those at high versus low risk of OSA using the Berlin Questionnaire and multivariate negative binomial regression. Results: The average follow-up period was 24.2 ± 4.4 months. After adjusting for age, gender and history of heart failure, those subjects at high risk of OSA had a higher burden of NSVT vs. those with a low risk of OSA (33.4 ± 96.2 vs. 5.82 ± 17.1 episodes, p = 0.003). A predetermined subgroup analysis of AICD recipients also demonstrated a significantly higher burden of NSVT in the high vs. low OSA risk groups (66.2 ± 128.6 vs. 18.9 ± 36.7 episodes, p = 0.033). There were significant differences in the rates of VT, VF or AICD shock burden between the high and low OSA risk groups and in the AICD subgroup analysis. Conclusions: There was increased ventricular ectopy among pacemaker and AICD recipients at high risk of OSA, but the prevalence of VT, VF or AICD shocks was similar to those with low risk of OSA.


Multihorizon temporal relationships between stock returns are complex due to confounding sources of return premia, microstructure effects, and changes in the relationship over various horizons. We find the relation to be further complicated by the sign and consistency of the past return that also varies, somewhat sensibly, with the season and the tax environment. Accounting for these additional effects using a parsimonious technical trading rule generates surprisingly large abnormal returns, despite controlling for microstructure effects, transaction costs, and date-snooping biases. The documented variation in profits across stock characteristics, season, and tax environment appears inconsistent with existing theory, but may point to future explanations for the relation between past and expected returns.


This paper analyzes the joy of giving bequest motive in which the utility obtained from leaving a bequest depends only on the size of the bequest. It exploits the fact that this formulation can be interpreted as a reduced form of an altruistic bequest motive to derive a relation between the value of the altruism parameter and the value of the joy of giving parameter. Using previous discussions of an a priori range of plausible values for the altruism parameter we then derive plausible restrictions on the joy of giving parameter. We demonstrate that this parameter may well be orders of magnitude larger than assumed in the existing literature.


The opportunistic and efficiency views of the forecasts undertaken by managers are
completely different. In the efficiency approach, it is believed that by providing accurate
forecasts, management provides correct information to the market, thereby restricting them
to do earnings management. Therefore forecasts are truthful. In contrast, the opportunistic
view of forecasts is that management s forecasts consist of biased signals. Managers will
use earnings and Forecasts Management (FM) as tools to create positive earnings surprises
that will lead to temporary stock price appreciation or preventing stock price depreciation.
This research shows that as indicated by the companies growth capabilities the Analysts
Recommendations (AR) can explain the difference in behaviours of managers under these
two views. This research highlights the managers decision in reporting pessimistic forecast
to produce positive Forecasts Errors (FEs) when a company s shares are recommended to
sell (hereafter called sell companies), and generate optimistic forecast when a company s
shares are recommended to buy (hereafter called buy companies).
Previous researches show that buy (growth) companies conduct income increasing earnings
management in order to meet forecasts and generate positive forecast Errors (FEs). This
behavior however, is not inherent in sell (non-growth) companies. By referring to the
existing framework in the literature, this research hypothesizes that since sell companies are
pressured to avoid income increasing earnings management, they are more capable and
inclined to pursue income decreasing FM in order to produce positive FEs.
IV
Using a sample of 2576 firm- years of companies that are listed on the NYSE on
years 2009 and 2010, the study discovers that sell companies conduct income decreasing
FM to produce positive FE. However, the frequency of positive FEs of sell companies is
not higher than that of buy companies. In addition, in the sell companies group, the
companies that have positive forecasts errors issue higher pessimistic forecasts. Such
pessimistic forecasts lead to higher positive forecasts errors. However, in the buy
companies group, the companies that have positive forecasts errors do not issue higher
pessimistic forecasts. Such pessimistic forecasts do not lead to higher positive forecasts
errors. Consistent with the efficiency perspective, the study suggests that even though buy
and sell companies are highly motivated to avoid negative FEs, they exploit different but
efficient strategies in order to meet their respective forecasts.
The findings of this research adds to the previous researches by proving that not only the
buy companies (which are supposed to be growth companies) engage in income increasing
earnings management to realize positive forecast error, but sell (non-growth) companies
engage in negative forecast management to accomplish similar goals. Furthermore, the
findings help us understand the complexities behind informative and opportunistic forecasts
that fit under efficiency versus opportunistic theories in the literature.


The history of computers is full of underestimation: 640 kilobyte, 2-digit years, and 32-bit Internet addresses. IPv6 was invented to overcome the latter as well as to revise other drawbacks and security vulnerabilities of its predecessor IPv4. Initially considered the savior in terms of security because of its mandatory IPsec support, it turned out not to be the panacea it was thought to be. Outsourcing security to IPsec but eventually removing it as well as other design decisions led to a number of vulnerabilities. They range from the already known spoofing of answers to link-layer address requests to novel possibilities regarding node tracking. In an effort to fix them, a vast amount of updates have been introduced. In this paper, we discuss security and privacy vulnerabilities with regard to IPv6 and their current countermeasures. In a second step, vulnerabilities and countermeasures are systematized by the appliance of an extendible common language for computer security incidents. Our evaluation shows that a large part of vulnerabilities can be mitigated but several security challenges remain. We deduce three main research challenges for IPv6 security, namely address assignment and structure, securing local network discovery, and address selection for reconnaissance.


Reciprocal interaction between plant and soil (plant-soil feedback, PSF) can determine plant community structure. Understanding which traits control interspecific variation of PSF strength is crucial for plant ecology. Studies have highlighted either plant-mediated nutrient cycling (litter-mediated PSF) or plant-microbe interaction (microbial-mediated PSF) as important PSF mechanisms, each attributing PSF variation to different traits. However, this separation neglects the complex indirect interactions between the two mechanisms. We developed a model coupling litter- and microbial-mediated PSFs to identify the relative importance of traits in controlling PSF strength, and its dependency on the composition of root-associated microbes (i.e. pathogens and/or mycorrhizal fungi). Results showed that although plant carbon: nitrogen (C : N) ratio and microbial nutrient acquisition traits were consistently important, the importance of litter decomposability varied. Litter decomposability was not a major PSF determinant when pathogens are present. However, its importance increased with the relative abundance of mycorrhizal fungi as nutrient released from the mycorrhizal-enhanced litter production to the nutrient-depleted soils result in synergistic increase of soil nutrient and mycorrhizal abundance. Data compiled from empirical studies also supported our predictions. We propose that the importance of litter decomposability depends on the composition of root-associated microbes. Our results provide new perspectives in plant invasion and trait-based ecology.


There are few reports from Greece about the epidemiological and clinical features of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which were mainly evaluated in retrospective studies with data collection from hospital registries. We aimed to determine the epidemiological profile and clinical features as well as to detect any differences between patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), based on retrospectively-prospectively collected data from a cohort of IBD patients followed in daily clinical practice.

 Patients with biopsy-confirmed IBD aged 10–90 years old were included in the study. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to collect data on each site visit from July 2018 until March 2022. Logistic regression analysis and chi-squared test were used to compare the frequency of epidemiological and clinical characteristics between patients with UC and CD.

 We collected 300 patients diagnosed with IBD (180 with CD, 113 with UC, and 7 with indeterminate colitis). The median age of IBD patients was 42 years. The onset of disease in CD group was observed between 17 and 40 years of age in the majority of patients (58%). Ileocolonic location of CD was present in 70% of CD patients; 39% had stricturing behavior and 29% had perianal disease (abscesses and fistulas). CD patients developed more often aphthous stomatitis (34%) than patients with UC (13%, OR 3.45; 95% CI: 1.76-6.78; P< .001). Patients with CD had a 20-fold increased risk to undergo a surgical procedure (OR 19.87; 95% CI: 6.03-65.48; P< .001), mainly enterectomy (26%), as shown in table 1. At study entry, C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation was more frequently present in CD compared to UC patients (OR 1.93; 95% CI: 1.04-3.59; P< .05). Most patients with UC had extensive colitis (56%). Mesalamine was predominantly used in UC patients (81% vs 46% in CD, P< .005), and sulfasalazine and thiopurines in CD patients (60-70% vs 9-13% in UC, P< .005), as shown in table 2. The most commonly used anti-TNF agent was Infliximab, mainly in CD patients (24% vs 4% in UC, OR 0.12; 95% CI: 0.04-0.34; P< .001). Adalimumab was used in 12% of IBD patients and Vedolizumab in 8%. Around 4% of patients with complicated CD received Ustekinumab. Tofacitinib was used in 2% of patients with severe complicated UC and extraintestinal manifestations. Enteral diet (Modulen®) was used in 6% of CD patients and in only 2% of UC patients with severe UC pancolitis.

 In this retrospective-prospective cohort study of 300 patients with IBD, CD patients had a significantly higher risk of developing aphthous stomatitis and increased levels of CRP. CD patients also required more often treatment with anti-TNF agents and immunosuppressants, and a surgical procedure, mainly enterectomy.


Cooperative satellite cells and terrestrial wireless communication networks (comprising macrocells, picocells, and the Internet) are much anticipated access technologies to enable users to seamlessly access rich multimedia content (e.g., TV broadcasting, VoD streaming, and other services) on their devices. Furthermore, context awareness has become popular to accompany these services not only to enhance the users' perceived service quality but also to improve the overall utilization of such cooperative networks. However, delivering context-aware multimedia content through these cooperative networks is associated with a significant research challenge due to the inherently different satellites and terrestrial networks technologies. For example, to provide context-specific TV programs to a user, a satellite needs to adopt unicast-style delivery. This may be an expensive operation since satellites are intrinsically useful for broadcasting or multicasting services to a wide audience. In contrast, terrestrial communication networks can be better suited to perform unicast-based context-aware content delivery. In this article, we address these challenges, and propose a dynamic bandwidth allocation method to effectively utilize the satellite and terrestrial networks for providing context-aware contents to many users. Computer-based simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method.


Direct liquid crystal templating from non-ionic polyoxyethylene surfactants has been
utilised to produce well-defined birefringent films of nanostructured cadmium telluride with
mesoporous architectures of extended spatial periodicities. The template mixtures and films were
characterised by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and polarising optical
microscopy to ascertain the presence of a regular nanostructure. UV-VIS reflectance
spectroscopy was employed to investigate the films' optical properties.


This article views spatial analysis as a research paradigm that provides a unique set of
specialised techniques and models for a wide range of research questions in which the prime
variables of interest vary significantly over space. The heart of spatial analysis is concerned
with the analysis and modeling of spatial data. Spatial point patterns and area referenced data
represent the most appropriate perspectives for applications in the social sciences. The
researcher analysing and modeling spatial data tends to be confronted with a series of
problems such as the data quality problem, the ecological fallacy problem, the modifiable
areal unit problem, boundary and frame effects, and the spatial dependence problem. The
problem of spatial dependence is at the core of modern spatial analysis and requires the use of
specialised techniques and models in the data analysis. The discussion focuses on exploratory
techniques and model-driven [confirmatory] modes of analysing spatial point patterns and
area data. In closing, prospects are given towards a new style of data-driven spatial analysis
characterized by computational intelligence techniques such as evolutionary computation and
neural network modeling to meet the challenges of huge quantities of spatial data
characteristic in remote sensing, geodemographics and marketing. (author's abstract)


By using Fourier optics a theoretical analysis of the rainbow holographic process is made. The monochromatic and the polychromatic point spread functions, the monochromatic and the polychromatic transfer functions are derived. From these functions the real resolution (including monochromatic resolution and color blur) of the rainbow holographic image for different limiting apertures and the cutoff spatial frequency of the transfer function are calculated. These calculations are less laborious in contrast to the tedious evaluation of the diffraction theory. The formulas are general and applicable to the conventional hologram. The imaging plane hologram is first explained as a specific case of the rainbow hologram in this paper.


The aim of this work was to test fertilizers, liming, and levels of a soil conditioner produced from leonardite, composed by humic and fulvic acids on "iceberg" lettuce growth characteristics. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 5×3×2 factorial scheme, with 5 levels of soil conditioner (0, 20, 40, 100 and 200 L ha-1), 3 fertilizers [chicken manure, plant compost (plant residues and cattle manure) and mineral], in limed and unlimed soil, with five replicates. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse. Total shoot fresh and dry weight, shoot commercial fresh and dry weight, plants height, circumference, and number of leaves were evaluated as well as final soil pH and nutrient levels in leaves. Chicken manure rendered the greater circumference and shoot fresh commercial weight. Lettuce produced with chicken manure presented higher content of P, Ca, and Mg in leaves. Soil conditioner, in general, did not influence plant growth, except in its height, in the highest applied dose. With absence of lime, soil conditioner caused an increase of lettuce height with mineral fertilizers, and a decrease with plant compost.

 Key words: Humic substances, Lactuca sativa L., chicken manure, compost.