The use of evidence to achieve sound medical diagnoses and optimal treatment plans is considered a standard of practice for healthcare providers. Indeed, failure to do so is prima facie evidence of malpractice. Health and medical care managers have begun espousing a similar philosophy: to make decisions that are data-driven rather than based on logic, intuition, personal preference, or last experience. Unfortunately, regulatory policies and practices in patient care are not always founded upon strong evidence. As a result, unintended consequences often surface after the passage of legislation or the adoption of policies by nongovernmental entities. These dysfunctions might be avoided if policymakers embraced evidence-based protocols commonly found throughout medicine and its management. This paper reviews the dilemmas that unfold when policy is formed without giving sufficient attention, in advance, to "hard" evidence.


This article deals with a documented research in order to create a pedagogical framework for the application of a supplementary distance learning program in the field of environmental education for pupils of primary education, in remote and multi-grade schools of Greece. This prospect has been considered as an interesting idea with multilateral, socio cultural and democratic dimensions, as it could enrich the school and learning environment of children of the outermost regions. In this paper, there are described the planning criteria and the development of a polymorphic pedagogical material for distance learning, under the title: 'Captain SOS, His Bunch and the Moving Island', the needs according to the characteristics of the target group, the choice of learning theories and the determination of the teaching techniques, the specific teaching techniques and the teaching methodology, the structure of the learning material, the characteristics and the structure of the educational software, the categorization of activities, the supplementary learning material. Moreover, there are described the pilot application and the ways of the evaluation.


The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2015)  established 17 targets — such as "no hunger," "clean water" and "climate action" — to unite humanity in pursuit of a shared, prosperous future. These diverse global goals provide a universal agenda to enlist today's learners in creatively ensuring our collective well-bring throughout their careers. How can higher education foster effective, intentional learning across courses and curricula to prepare our students to realize these global goals? George Mason University has established a diverse set of over 130 "green leaf" courses, along with regular co-curricular activities, to help our students develop their sustainability skills and practical expertise. These span a new 18-credit "sustainability pathway" through our Mason Core general education requirements and a score of undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Together, these curricula – and others Mason faculty might opt to deliver — permit students to move from first year through accelerated graduate programs while continuously building their sustainability understanding, reflection and intentionality. Meanwhile, co-curricular activities like Mason Earth Month, organic food gardening and Patriot Green Fund projects provide students opportunities to develop and apply "critical doing" skills far beyond the classroom as well.


The clinical target of this study is intrauterine patch coverage of fetal myelomeningocele. We propose a new surgical robotic system for intrauterine fetal surgery with patch-stabilizer and laser manipulator. The target disease of the fetal surgery is spina bifida or myelomeningocele, which is incomplete closure in the spinal column and one of the common fetal diseases. In the fetal surgery, the collagen patch is supposed to be stabilized onto the fragile fetal tissue during the laser fixation process. In this study, a prototype of the patch-stabilizer using wire driven mechanism has been developed for precise force control on the patch without damaging fetal tissue. The diameter of the patch-stabilizer's shaft is 2.4 mm. The patch-stabilizer including one ball joint and wire driven mechanism is able to bend through 40 degrees. The stabilizing part holds collagen patch with diamond shape mechanism using wire driven. In this paper, we showed that the patch-stabilizer was developed with the stabilizing force control using the torque control of ball joint by the driven wires tension control. Results of the experiment showed that the torque of ball joint was controlled at 0.3 N mm, that the stabilizing force was controlled at 0.15 kPa to stabilize the collagen patch onto the lesion surface without the damages of fetal tissues and the change of fetal attitude in the uterus.


Intense Raman scattering by pyridine molecules adsorbed on silver or gold aqueous sol particles of dimensions comparable to the wavelength is reported. The degree of intensity enhancement is strongly dependent on the excitation wavelength, with a sharp resonance Raman maximum for excitation at the wavelength of the Mie extinction maximum of the metal particles, and for the silver sols the Raman maximum is shown to follow the extinction maximum to longer wavelengths with increase in particle size. A new resonance Raman phenomenon is thus proposed which is the Raman component of resonant Mie scattering, and in which the polarizability of the metal particles is modulated by the vibrations of the adsorbed molecules. These observations confirm that surface plasma oscillations are involved in the intense Raman scattering already reported for molecules adsorbed at roughened silver surfaces. The metal dielectric function requirements for resonant Mie scattering enable the optimum excitation wavelength for plasma resonance-enhanced Raman studies at the surface of other metals to be estimated.


Both the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and alpha7beta1 integrin have critical roles in the maintenance of muscle integrity via the provision of mechanical links between muscle fibres and the basement membrane. Absence of either dystrophin or alpha7 integrin results in a muscular dystrophy. To clarify the role of alpha7 integrin and dystrophin in muscle development and function, we generated integrin alpha7/dystrophin double-mutant knockout (DKO) mice. Surprisingly, DKO mice survived post-natally and were indistinguishable from wild-type, integrin alpha7-deficient and mdx mice at birth, but died within 24-28 days. Histological analysis revealed a severe muscular dystrophy in DKO mice with endomysial fibrosis and ectopic calcification. Weight loss was correlated with the loss of muscle fibres, indicating that progressive muscle wasting in the double mutant was most likely due to inadequate muscle regeneration. The data further support that premature death of DKO mice is due to cardiac and/or respiratory failure. The integrin alpha7/dystrophin-deficient mouse model, therefore, resembles the pathological changes seen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and suggests that the different clinical severity of dystrophin deficiency in human and mouse may be due to a fine-tuned difference in expression of dystrophin and integrin alpha7 in both species. Together, these findings indicate an essential role for integrin alpha7 in the maintenance of dystrophin-deficient muscles.


We describe an approach that links the density-matrix theory for electron transport and relaxation with the density-functional theory for electronic structure. Our analysis of the electron dynamics at Si100 reveals an unanticipated phonon bottleneck between bulklike and surface states. The fastest relaxation process observed in recent two-photon photoemission experiments is in good agreement with the calculated phonon-mediated intrasurface-band scattering.


To improve indoor coverage and network capacity, the use of hierarchical macro/femto cell networks is regarded as the most promising approach. We present an efficient handoff algorithm to support the inbound mobility from macro cells to femto cells under the consideration of large asymmetry in the transmit power of the cells. Numerical analysis reveals that the proposed algorithm yields a higher probability that the user will be correctly assigned to the femto cell while maintaining the number of handoffs at the same level.


DOI: 10.7764/RDLC.16.2.189 A new proposal to represent the in-plane non-linear structural behavior of masonry walls is presented. The proposal has the ability to represent unreinforced, reinforced and confined masonry, considering different configurations. The wall configurations can take into account different dimensions for the wall and sizes for bricks and joints. Additionally, the model is able to consider different bricks, mortar and interface brick-mortar material properties. The most important point in the proposal is the implementation of the joint model. The joint model is defined as a special connection considering two non-linear springs (one longitudinal and one transversal to the joint connected in parallel) and one contact element (connected in series with the springs). This configuration is able to simulate almost all the failure possibilities in the joint. The bricks are implemented considering solid finite elements, taking into account a non-linear material behaviour. The main result of the model implemented in ANSYS is the capacity curve of the wall (top displacement versus base shear). The model was used to simulate the structural behaviour of a group of walls previously tested in laboratory at the University of La Serena and the University of Chile. The results obtained with the proposed model have a good agreement with those obtained in the laboratory tests.


UNLABELLED
The 3-in-1 (Group 1) and fascia iliaca compartment (Group 2) blocks, two single-injection, anterior approach procedures used to simultaneously block the femoral, obturator, and lateral femoral cutaneous (LFC) nerves, were compared in 100 adults after lower limb surgery. Pain control, sensory and motor blockades, and radiographically visualized spread of local anesthetic solution were studied prospectively. Both approaches provided efficient pain control using 30 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine and 0.5% bupivacaine and 5 mL of contrast media (iopamidol). Complete lumbar plexus blockade was achieved in 18 (38%) Group 1 and 17 (34%) Group 2 patients (n = 50 patients per group). Sensory block of the femoral, obturator, genitofemoral, and LFC nerves was obtained in 90% and 88%, 52% and 38%, 38% and 34%, and 62% and 90% of the patients in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.05). Sensory LFC blockade was obtained more rapidly for the patients in Group 2 (P < 0.05). Concurrent internal and external spread of the local anesthetic solution under the fascia iliaca and between the iliacus and psoas muscles was noted in 62 of the 92 block procedures analyzed radiographically. Isolated external spreads under the fascia iliaca and over the iliacus muscle were noted in 10% and 36% of the patients in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.05). The local anesthetic solution reached the lumbar plexus in only five radiographs. We conclude that the fascia iliaca compartment block is more effective than the 3-in-1 block in producing simultaneous blockade of the LFC and femoral nerves in adults. After both procedures, blockade was obtained primarily by the spread of local anesthetic under the fascia iliaca and only rarely by contact with the lumbar plexus.

IMPLICATIONS
In adults, the two anterior approaches, 3-in-1 and fascia iliaca compartment blocks, provide effective postoperative analgesia. The fascia iliaca compartment technique provides faster and more consistent simultaneous blockade of the lateral femoral cutaneous and femoral nerves. Sensory block is caused by the spread of local anesthetic solution under the fascia iliaca and only rarely to the lumbar plexus.


ABSTRACT I outline a proposal for an analysis of antiblackness grounded by the Marxist critique of the fetishistic forms of capitalist society. Traditionally, Marxist accounts of antiblackness turn, not to Marx's theory of fetishism, but rather to dynamics of class formation under capitalist development, and hence to the ways that class formation motivates types of racism, including antiblackness. But accounts like these do not explain the distinctive features of modern antiblackness. Turning to the Marxist critique of fetishism, I argue for an account of the distinctive features of modern antiblackness, by bringing into conversation: (a) comments by Fanon on negrophobia and the relations between antiblackness and antisemitism; and (b) work by Postone on the fetishistic nature of modern antisemitism. I argue that antisemitism and antiblackness afford a pair of devices for falsely concretising the structure of alienation that produces the apparent opposition of labour and capital. These devices present the pathologies of modernity as stemming not from capitalist social relations but rather from the apparently essential powers of antisocial races: the Jew of antisemitism, caricatured as cunning will without productive bodily expenditure, and the Black of antiblack racism, caricatured as biological energy that lacks self-governing will.


Iteration over opaque, generic data structures is an important feature of many C++ libraries. Aggressive compiler optimization and inlining enables generic C++ iterators to iterate over complex data structures with performance comparable to that of hand-tuned code with C-language (raw) pointers. In this paper, we describe the sparse matrix iterators in the current draft of the C++ GraphBLAS API, their support for a variety of backend data formats, and implementation strategies we have considered. We compare performance of these iterators to that of hand-tuned iteration with raw pointers, showing that our iterators introduce minimal overhead. We consider extensions to our iterator design for interoperability with the draft C++ Graph Library proposal and to support different semantics for iterating over sparse matrices (by row, by column, by specific diagonals, etc.).


A refined continuum model has been proposed, based on the bond-strength consideration between cations and anions in the film, to address the effect of sintering additives on the behavior of intergranular glassy films (IGFs) in silicon nitride ceramics. The refined model indicates that the incorporation of additive ions in the film will modify the attractive van der Waals and repulsive steric forces. The model also implies that the charge and size of the ions, which determine the bond strength between cations and anions, and the amount of ions are important parameters to the force balance and behavior of the IGFs. Experimental evidence for (i) the effect of sintering additives on the thickness of IGFs in Si3N4 ceramics and (ii) the occurrences of the "squeezing out" of IGFs in hot-pressed Si3N4 under a moderate external pressure (e.g., 25 MPa) are discussed, to confirm the validity of the present model.


This thesis examines the processes of the formation and re-formation of folk cultures in north-eastern Scotland. Focusing on the area surrounding Aberdeen, I am interested in the historical and contemporary relationships between Highland and north-eastern versions of Scottishness. During the 1990's, a burgeoning north-eastern regional and cultural self-awareness, centred on the "Doric" dialect, was evidenced in the founding of the Elphinstone Research Institute at the University of Aberdeen, and in the founding of an annual Doric Festival. This institutionalisation has taken place in a situation in which Scottish national traditions have remained popular in the region and the Scottish nation has experienced a greater degree of political autonomy. The continued reproduction of both Scottishness and north-easternness is resultant of the ways in which culture and language have been mobilised, politicised and legitimised through the erection and operation of institutional frameworks. The role of expert and enthusiast knowledges in the propagation of cultural trends is analysed here through an exploration of the spectacularisation and banalisation of tradition. In particular, I unpack the tensions that claims for authenticity create with regard to the ballad and literary traditions of the north-east, and to the Highland Games and Gatherings of the same region. Exploring joint actions and knowledges, I demonstrate the efficacy of performative language and embodied practice in communicating, stabilising and normalising rhetorical ideas concerning Scottish cultures. As the contingent factors that give language and practice variable meanings become fixed through citation, the formation of dominant readings is enabled. The normalisation of spectacular events is crucial in the communication of authenticity and the establishment and recreation of national or regional identities. As perceived authenticity substitutes for objectivity in the popular imagination, everyday apprehensions of Scottishness and north- easternness are both made more durable and infused with a strong legitimacy by their very performance and naming.


—Private browsing mode is a privacy feature adopted by many modern computer browsers. With the increased use of mobile devices and escalating privacy concerns for mobile users, browser applications on mobile devices have also started incorporating private browsing mode. Even so, the use of private browsing mode is limited to the browser applications and cannot be applied directly on other third-party mobile applications. In this paper, we propose PrivateDroid, which provides a private browsing mode for third-party applications on the Android plat- form. First, we discuss three possible approaches of implementing mobile private browsing mode: code instrumentation, an extra sandbox, and a Linux container approach. Then, we implement PrivateDroid, which creates a new sandbox for every application in private mode and destroys the sandbox once the application is closed. After that, we evaluate usability, efficiency and security of the system with 25 popular Android applications. Our design considerations, implementation details, evaluation results, and challenges lay a foundation of private browsing mode on mobile platforms.


This paper reports that an aluminum and boron carbide cermet was evaluated for possible application as a neutron absorbing material where structural strength and rigidity will be required. The boron carbide/aluminum composite possessed unique continuous interconnected ceramic and metal phases. Traditional boron containing neutron absorbing materials have relied upon dispersions of particles in metal or polymeric matrices. The dispersion of boron carbide particles placed restriction on the B10 concentration, introduced areal inhomogeneities, and necessitated the use of cladding to achieve desired strength. Utilization of two continuous phases allowed for considerable strength properties without having to include cladding. Boron concentrations in excess of 60 v/o were obtained in the cermet, a level that only hot pressing could surpass. Also, the boron carbide particle distribution could be adjusted to optimize strength and/or improve homogeneity of B10 within the materials. A material with these characteristics will be ideal for demanding applications such as shipping casks and storage racks. The higher boron content provides for improved areal densities, thus reducing the shielding volume. Space can be conserved without sacrificing structural strength. This material can be fabricated in plates ranging in thickness from 0.076 to over 2.540 cm. Curved or complex shapes are also possible.more » The cost of this cermet can be expected to be much lower than hot-pressed boron carbide material. The evaluation was made on the basis of physical performance of the boron carbide/aluminum cermet. Properties were measured over a range of loadings and particle distributions of the boron carbide. A semi-guided bend test was performed on 0.254 cm thick plates to measure the ability of the cermet to withstand deformation. The B10 density was measured by neutron attenuation methods.« less


In several ancient and modern Indo-European languages, the partitive-genitive may be used in place of the accusative to encode the second argument of two-place verbs. In Ancient Greek the two types of object encoding can alternate with change-of-state verbs, alternation being viewed as connected with degrees of patient affectedness: the partitive-genitive encodes partially affected objects. Alternation also extends to experiential verbs, which are typically characterized by a low degree of transitivity and do not imply any change of state of the object-stimulus. Rather than concentrating on the implications of case alternation on the construal of the object, I consider the effects of variation on the whole construction, and argue that genitive vs. accusative marking of the object (NomGen vs. NomAcc constructions) reflects the construal of the subject-experiencer. While the different construal of the experiencer in terms of degrees of control cross-linguistically often results in non-nominative encoding of the experiencer, in Ancient Greek it is object encoding that affects the construal of the experiencer and reflects a scale based on possible control. The distribution of constructions with experiential verbs shows that NomAcc is typical of verbs of sight, thought, intellectual knowledge and emotions connected to sight and awareness, such as wonder and fear. NomGen is connected with touch, smell, taste, memory, forgetfulness, care and desire. In the in-between area, verbs of hearing, learning and verbs of affection may feature both accusative and genitive encoding, thus constituting a fuzzy transition area. The connection between sight and other experiential verbs that feature accusative encoding reflects an embodied conceptualization of experiential situations.


In this article, Maxwell fluid over a flat plate for convective boundary layer flow with pressure gradient parameter is considered. The aim of this study is to compare and analyze the effects of the presence and absence of λ (relaxation time), and also the effects of m (pressure gradient parameter) and Pr (Prandtl number) on the momentum and thermal boundary layer thicknesses. An approximation technique namely Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM) has been used with an implementation of Adam and Gear Method's algorithms. The obtained results have been compared for zero relaxation time and also pressure gradient parameter with the published work of Fathizadeh and Rashidi. The current outcomes are found to be in good agreement with the published results. Physical interpretations have been given for the effects of the m, Pr and β (Deborah number) with λ. This study will play an important role in industrial and engineering applications.


This paper addresses the problem of learning multiple spoken language understanding (SLU) tasks that have overlapping sets of slots. In such a scenario, it is possible to achieve better slot filling performance by learning multiple tasks simultaneously, as opposed to learning them independently. We focus on presenting a number of simple multi-task learning algorithms for slot filling systems based on semi-Markov CRFs, assuming the knowledge of shared slots. Furthermore, we discuss an intradomain clustering method that automatically discovers shared slots from training data. The effectiveness of our proposed approaches is demonstrated in an SLU application that involves three different yet related tasks.


Silicon photonics is a promising solution for next generation of short-range optical communication systems. Silicon modulators have driven an important research activity over the past years, and many transmission links using on-off keying modulation format (OOK) were successfully demonstrated with a large diversity of modulator structures. In order to keep up with the demand of increasing bitrates for limited bandwidths in Datacom applications, higher modulation formats are explored, such as quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) or 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4). However, driving the modulators to generate PAM-4 signals commonly require expensive and power-hungry electronic devices such as digital-to-analog converters (DACs) for pulse-shaping and digital signal processors (DSP) for nonlinearity compensation. Lastly, new solutions were studied to overcome this issue, including new driving methods based on the use of two different input binary sequences applied directly on the modulator. While most of the reported works are focused on the C-band of communication, the O-band can present a definitive advantage due to the low dispersion of standard single-mode (SSMF) fiber. For those reasons, we demonstrate the generation of a 10-Gbaud DAC-less PAM-4 signal in the O-band using a depletion-based silicon traveling wave Mach-Zehnder modulator (TWMZM). An open eye diagram was obtained, and a bit error rate (BER) of 3.8×10-3 was measured for a received optical power of about -6 dBm.


This study was designed to confirm the appropriateness of the dose setting for a Japanese phase III study of rivaroxaban in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), which had been based on model simulation employing phase II study data. The previously developed mixed-effects pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model, which consisted of an oral one-compartment model parameterized in terms of clearance, volume and a first-order absorption rate, was rebuilt and optimized using the data for 597 subjects from the Japanese phase III study, J-ROCKET AF. A mixed-effects modeling technique in NONMEM was used to quantify both unexplained inter-individual variability and inter-occasion variability, which are random effect parameters. The final PK and PK-PD models were evaluated to identify influential covariates. The empirical Bayes estimates of AUC and C(max) from the final PK model were consistent with the simulated results from the Japanese phase II study. There was no clear relationship between individual estimated exposures and safety-related events, and the estimated exposure levels were consistent with the global phase III data. Therefore, it was concluded that the dose selected for the phase III study with Japanese NVAF patients by means of model simulation employing phase II study data had been appropriate from the PK-PD perspective.


A second order in space accurate implicit scheme for time-dependent advection-dispersion equations and a discrete fracture propagation model are employed to model solute transport in porous media. We study the impact of the fractures on mass transport and dispersion. To model flow and transport, pressure and transport equations are integrated using a finite-element, node-centered finite-volume approach. Fracture geometries are incrementally developed from a random distributions of material flaws using an adoptive geomechanical finite-element model that also produces fracture aperture distributions. This quasistatic propagation assumes a linear elastic rock matrix, and crack propagation is governed by a subcritical crack growth failure criterion. Fracture propagation, intersection, and closure are handled geometrically. The flow and transport simulations are separately conducted for a range of fracture densities that are generated by the geomechanical finite-element model. These computations show that the most influential parameters for solute transport in fractured porous media are as follows: fracture density and fracture-matrix flux ratio that is influenced by matrix permeability. Using an equivalent fracture aperture size, computed on the basis of equivalent permeability of the system, we also obtain an acceptable prediction of the macrodispersion of poorly interconnected fracture networks. The results hold for fractures at relatively low density.


By using φ-mapping topological current theory and gauge potential decomposition, we discuss the self-dual equation and its solution in the SU(N) Dunne-Jackiw-Pi-Trugenberger model and obtain a new concrete self-dual equation with a δ function. For the SU(3) case, we obtain a new self-duality solution and find the relationship between the soliton solution and topological number which is determined by the Hopf index and Brouwer degree of φ-mapping. In our solution, the flux of this soliton is naturally quantized.


To test the hypothesis that binding site regulation is the primary process controlling the responsiveness of the rat's myometrium to oxytocin during pregnancy, I have studied the effects of oxytocin on longitudinal and circular strips of myometrium in vitro throughout pregnancy. Longitudinal muscle was as sensitive on day 10 of pregnancy (EC50 = 1.6 nM) as it was at term (EC50 = 1.3 nM) and there was no significant change in the mean maximal force developed in response to the hormone (2.1 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.3 N cm-2). Circular muscle on the other hand was essentially refractory to the hormone until day 21 of pregnancy at which time its sensitivity and the maximum response were similar to those of longitudinal muscle. These results indicated that regulation of oxytocin sensitivity in the two muscle layers was temporally different, and they suggested different mechanisms. The effect of oxytocin on longitudinal muscle was not compatible with the hypothesis that changes in binding site number regulate the responsiveness of the tissue, whereas the effect on circular muscle was.


Freedom is an abstract concept which is more understandable by its limitations. The question is that, is there a comprehensive concept of freedom in western idealism? For this purpose, this study created some conceptual research in the poles of western idealism. Accordingly, freedom in framework of Socratic philosophy had no context except virtue orientation. Then, it was reduced to security and property in the new period. The present study used the discourse analysis of freedom to show why and how the concept of freedom has an underlying and philosophical concept in old and new schools. Thus, a single and undeniable attitude to freedom in western idealism is non-scientific and non-historical. The present study selected the analytical comparative method to discuss the concept of freedom discourse in western political thought in old and new periods, indicating why and how freedom is a discourse concept; or at least belongs to its specific community, and cannot be necessarily compared in a generalized, universal way.


Movement of the symbiont-bearing foraminiferan Marginopora vertebralis and photo physiological response to diurnal fluctuations in irradiance were investigated in field and laboratory experiments. The abundance of M. vertebralis from both light-exposed and sheltered habitats was determined 5 times during the day, from pre-dawn to post-dusk. M. vertebralis abundance was significantly higher in sheltered compared to exposed habitats at midday under high irradiance, and this movement enabled the algal symbionts to avoid excessive photoinhibition. The diurnal changes in photosynthetic efficiency were not consistent with the typical midday solar maximum downregulation of photosystem II observed in other photoautotrophs and was likely due to the negatively phototactic capacity of the foraminifera. To confirm the light-dependent movement of foraminifera, individuals in exposed and sheltered habitats were exposed to the photosynthetic inhibitor 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) in the laboratory. The lack of movement in DCMU-exposed specimens confirmed light-dependent movement and subsequent disruption of signalling between the host foraminiferan and the algal symbionts. Analysis of chlorophyll and xanthophyll pigments, as well as symbiont density, indicated that under high irradiance, foraminiferal symbionts have the capacity to reduce light stress by activating photoprotective mechanisms. The negatively phototactic behaviour prevented chlorophyll degradation, symbiont loss and bleaching, suggesting that it is the primary mechanism for controlling light exposure in these foraminifera. This behaviour provides a competitive advantage over other sessile organisms in avoiding photoinhibition and bleaching by moving away from over-saturating irradiance, towards less damaging light fields.


Purpose: Gene therapy of severe retinal dystrophies directly affecting photoreceptor is still a challenge in terms of clinical application. One of the main hurdles is to generate high transgene expression specifically in rods or cones. In the present study, we are investigating the possibility to drive hPDE6b expression in the Rd10 mouse retina using a specific sequence of the human PDE6b promoter.
Methods: Two 5' flanking fragments of the human PDE6b gene: (-93 to +53 (146 bp) and -297 to +53 (350 bp, see Di Polo and Farber, 1995) were cloned in different plasmids in order to check their expression in vitro and in vivo. These elements drove the activity of either luciferase (pGL3 plasmids) or EGFP (AAV2/8 backbone). Then, an AAV2/8 vector carrying the PDE6b cDNA was tested with subretinal injections at P9 in the Rd10 eyes. Eye fundus, OCT, ERG recordings and histological investigations were performed to assess the efficacy of the gene transfer.
Results: The short PDE6b promoter containing 146bp (-93 to +53) showed the highest activity in the Y-79 cells, as described previously (Di Polo and Farber, 1995). Subretinal administrations of AAV2/8-PDE6bpromoter-EGFP allowed a rapid expression specifically in rods and not in cones. The expression is faster than a vector containing the CMV promoter. The AAV2/8-PDE6bpromoter-PDE6b and the control vector were injected at P9 in the Rd10 mouse retina and investigated 5 weeks post-injection. Out of 14 eyes, 6 presented an increased rod sensitivity of about 300 fold, and increased a- and b-wave responses in ERG recordings. Flicker stimulations revealed that cones are also functional. OCT images and histological analyses revealed an increased ONL size in the injected area. The retina treated with the therapeutic vector presented 4-6 rows of photoreceptors with outersegments containing PDE6b. In the control eyes, only 2-4 rows of photoreceptors with almost no OS were observed .
Conclusions: The 146 bp promoter sequence (-93 to + 53) is the shortest regulatory element described to date which allows to obtain efficient rod-specific expression in the context of somatic gene transfer. This first result is of great interest for AAV vector design in general allowing more space for the accommodation of transgenes of interest and good expression in rods. Moreover we showed the proof of principle of the efficacy of AAV2/8-PDE6bp-PDE6b vector in the Rd10 mouse model of severe photoreceptor degeneration without using neither AAV mutated capsids, nor self-complementary vectors.


Parental involvement among Latino migrant families is hindered by their unique lifestyle. Teachers should develop strategies that facilitate their partnership with migrant parents. Teachers must become aware of their own personal beliefs and biases and of the migrant family lifestyle and its challenges, which are compounded when a child has disabilities. Appropriate information must be provided in the families' native language to enhance their opportunity to navigate and participate in the educational system while eliminating feelings of intimidation. This is especially important for parents of children with disabilities as they must be involved in the decision-making process for their child's appropriate educational placement and program planning. Since migrant workers work long hours and often lack transportation, their participation in school activities can be facilitated by scheduling activities on evenings and weekends, providing childcare and transportation, promoting home visits, and celebrating school activities within the migrant community. Teachers can ease the feelings of isolation experienced by migrant families by acting as a liaison between families-and community resources; working with agricultural industries to enhance families' knowledge of their new environment; providing social skills education in class; incorporating migrant students' cultures, values, and experiences into the curriculum; and observing the migrant community's festivities and historical events. Migrant families' high mobility rate can be addressed by developing a welcoming unit to facilitate student integration into the group and by keeping an academic portfolio. (Contains 12 references.) (TD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Partnering with Latino Migrant Families of Children with Disabilities: A Challenge, a Mission


A general top-down algorithmization for the Well-Founded MKNF Semantics --a semantics for combining rules and ontologies --was recently defined based on an extension of SLG resolution for Logic Programming with an abstract oracle to the parametric ontology language. Here we provide a concrete oracle with practical usage, namely for EL+ which is tractable for reasoning tasks like subsumption. We show that the defined oracle remains tractable (wrt. data complexity) so that the combined (query-driven) approach of non-monotonic rules with that oracle is tractable as well.


A novel 2,8-disubstituted-1,5-naphthyridine hit compound stemming from the open access Medicines for Malaria Venture Pathogen Box formed a basis for a hit-to-lead medicinal chemistry program. Structure-activity relationship investigations resulted in compounds with potent antiplasmodial activity against both chloroquine sensitive (NF54) and multidrug resistant (K1) strains of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In the humanized P. falciparum mouse efficacy model, one of the frontrunner compounds showed in vivo efficacy at an oral dose of 4 × 50 mg·kg-1. In vitro mode-of-action studies revealed Plasmodium falciparum phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase as the target.


The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) is a hybrid extensive air shower array in Sichuan, China, at an altitude of 4,410 m above the sea level. KM2A is one of the major sub-arrays of LHAASO. It consists 5195 Electromagnetic particle Detectors (ED) and 1171 Muon Detectors (MD), covering an area of about 1.36 ${\rm km}^{2}$. KM2A could detect cosmic rays from 10 TeV to 100 PeV with good element discrimination ability. It will enrich the measurement of the large-scale anisotropy of cosmic rays. This will throw light on the origin of the large-scale anisotropy of cosmic rays, as well as on the cosmic ray origin. The construction of detectors is underway and a part of KM2A array has been operated with 33 EDs since February 2018. In this work, we report the preliminary observation of the large-scale anisotropy using the data collected by the partial KM2A array during 2018.


Wireless networks are created by the communication links between a collection of radio transceivers. The nature of wireless transmissions does not lead to arbitrary undirected graphs but to structured graphs which we characterize by the polynomially bounded growth property. In contrast to many existing graph models for wireless networks, the property of polynomially bounded growth is defined independently of geometric data such as positional information.
 On such wireless networks, we present an approach that can be used to create polynomial-time approximation schemes for several optimization problems called the local neighborhood-based scheme. We apply this approach to the problems of seeking maximum (weight) independent sets and minimum dominating sets. These are two important problems in the area of wireless communication networks and are also used in many applications ranging from clustering to routing strategies. However, the approach is presented in a general fashion since it can be applied to other problems as well.
 The approach for the approximation schemes is robust in the sense that it accepts any undirected graph as input and either outputs a solution of desired quality or correctly asserts that the graph presented as input does not satisfy the structural assumption of a wireless network (an NP-hard problem).


Mixing of passive scalars in compressible turbulence does not obey the same classical Reynolds number scaling as its incompressible counterpart. We first show from a large database of direct numerical simulations that even the solenoidal part of the velocity field fails to follow the classical incompressible scaling when the forcing includes a substantial dilatational component. Though the dilatational effects on the flow remain significant, our main results are that both the solenoidal energy spectrum and the passive scalar spectrum assume incompressible forms, and that the scalar gradient essentially aligns with the most compressive eigenvalue of the solenoidal part, provided that only the solenoidal components are consistently used for scaling. A slight refinement of this statement is also pointed out.


Excerpt] During 2016, employment in the EU finally returned to the same level as before the global financial crisis. The recovery that began in 2013 has resulted in the net creation of eight million new jobs. Most of this net new employment has been created in services, but there has also been a marked rebound in manufacturing employment, with around 1.5 million new jobs. This, the sixth annual European Jobs Monitor report, looks in more detail at recent shifts (from the second quarter (Q2) of 2011 to 2016 Q2) in employment at Member State and aggregate EU levels. Part 1 of the report applies a 'jobs-based approach' to describe employment shifts quantitatively (how many jobs were created or destroyed and in what sectors) and qualitatively (what kinds of jobs they were, primarily in terms of average hourly pay). Part 2, a more analytical section, discusses the role that occupations play in structuring European wage inequality, and to what extent the observed patterns of job polarisation and upgrading have contributed to wage inequality trends in the last decade.


There are strong associations between standard of living, and energy and material use in the society. In fact, a higher "consumption" of energy and materials is often regarded as synonymous with human wellbeing. To make this fit in with the ideas of the sustainable society, it is important to assure that the industrial systems are designed in an energy and material efficient way, and to enhance the understanding of which barriers or bottlenecks we must do something about to become even more efficient in the future. The MIND method (Method for analysis of INDustrial energy systems) has been developed to model different types of industrial energy systems. The method can also be used to model and analyse other aspects of industrial systems, not only the energy issues. The system to be analysed with the method is represented as a network of process nodes, and nodes representing auxiliary units, connected by energy and material flows. The MIND method is based on Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP), meaning that relationships in the system are normally described as linear functions. The potential of the MIND method is that it enables a simultaneous representation of the total industrial system, a production site, or several aggregated production sites. By focusing on the larger system, the centre of attention can be drawn from optimisation of the production processes one by one, as in traditional process development. Instead, it is possible to focus the analysis on the flexibility and the most favourable interactions between different parts of the system. Examples on industrial systems for material production, which have been modelled using the MIND method, are pulp and paper production and steelmaking. Both types of material production involve several processing steps with a high degree of heat and material management. Another likeness is that both materials can be produced from recycled materials and that the recycling rates from the society are among the highest, compared to other materials. The MIND method has shown grand potentials for analysis of these productions system, and also for other systems, such as food manufacturing and chemical industries. It can also be used for analysis of possible synergies between neighbouring industries, or between an industry and the nearby society. In this paper the methodology will be described and references will be made to projects where MIND has been used in pulp and paper production and steelmaking.


This paper examines several types of WH-questions in Japanese and their interaction with Speech Act
Phrase, which is a projection hosting discourse participants (the speaker and the hearer) argued for by
scholars such as Speas & Tenny (2003) and Haegeman & Hill (2013). Miyagawa (2012) analyzes Japanese
WH-questions in terms of Speech Act Phrase, suggesting that the obligatory presence of the politeness
marker in matrix WH-questions means that the hearer plays an important role. Yokoyama
(2013) provides grammatical matrix WH-questions lacking the politeness marker such as conjectural
questions and rhetorical questions. I argue that Yokoyama's examples are not damaging evidence for
Miyagawa's approach but they constitute supporting evidence for it by showing that in these questions
it is the speaker, which is also a discourse participant, that plays an important role. I also suggest a
slight modification of typology of WH-questions offered by Littell, Mathewson & Peterson (2010),
which reveals a type of WH-questions, namely quizmaster questions, whose behavior also supports
Miyagawa's analysis.


The paper describes our experience in the application of biological monitoring of occupational exposure to benzene, toluene, xylene, styrene, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene. The importance of adequate selection of indicator, matrix and sampling time is pointed out. Own results are compared with the existing biological exposure indices. The need for actual and strict application of biological exposure indices is emphasized from the point of view of workers' health protection.


The effects of demand characteristics and relevant personality variables on the use of touching were explored. Half of the 32 male and 32 female subjects received instructions discussing touching as one method of expressing emotions. All subjects pretended that an assistant was a friend with whom they roleplayed six emotional feelings. Subjects completed the Mosher Sex-guilt Scale and the Body Accessibility Questionnaire. Those subjects given additional instructions touched more but felt less comfortable with the assistant. Sex of the subject, sex of the assistant, amount of sex guilt, and degree of body accessibility did not have significant effects on touching. However, differential touching was produced by different emotional cues. The results contradict previous suggestions that touching is a function of a stable personality characteristic. Also, unlike clinical literature which suggests that touching produces intimacy and comfort, these findings suggested that instructional set can increase touching but decrease comfort.


This article analyses the role of cultural shift, as defined by Inglehart, in the major change in Israeli foreign policy embodied in the Oslo Accords. Aside from providing an empirical explanation, it also analyses the Oslo case from a general theoretical perspective concerning the relationship between cultural change and foreign policy change. It argues that a cultural shift towards Postmaterialism led to the rise of a new generation on the Israeli Left with a more Liberal outlook. It was this `Liberal Left' that was primarily responsible for conceiving, initiating and enacting the Oslo Accords. In broader terms, this study provides a new way of examining the relationship between cultural change and foreign policy change. As such, it provides a solid basis for the comparative analysis of the role of a substantive, worldwide cultural trend on foreign policy.


The present paper reports a study entitled 'Cultural Practices and Well-being among Tamil Brahmin Students'. India has a rich culture and heritage. That too the Vedic culture of India is something note worthy. The aims of the research include unfolding the rich cultural heritage of Vedic Brahmins belonging to Tamil community and to see how this rich tradition influences their general well-being and intelligence. Culture represents the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving (Hofstede,1997). Culture is the backbone of every society. Culture has either a direct or indirect influence on all the activities of the society. It ranges from day to day activities to deeper traits. The practices, rituals and even habits of the society are largely dependent upon the culture. The subjects of the study, Tamil Brahmins stay in separate settlements called AGRAHARAMS and follow a typical lifestyle. Some of them still follow a socially secluded life, restricting themselves within the walls of their cultural practices. The sample consists of 90 subjects, belonging to Tamil Brahmin community and it is divided into three groups 1) 30 people with regular practices 2) 30 people with occasional practices and 3) 30 people with no practice at all. The following tools are used to collect the data 1) cultural practices checklist (prepared by the researchers) 2) PGI General Wellbeing Measure by R.Anitha and P. Sareena. The parametric statistics was applied to analyze the obtained data. Well-being is generally considered as a subjective feeling of contentment, happiness, and satisfaction with life's experiences. The results show that there is a significant correlation between the cultural practices existing among Tamil Brahmins and their well-being. The study throws light upon the influence of various cultural practices on well-being. It also helps to know how much cultural practices decide the wellbeing of persons living in the particular society. The study reminds us of our rich cultural practices and how the learning of Vedas could be embedded into the present education system to improve the general well-being of the students. The paper thus presents not just psychological perspectives, but anthropological and sociological factors as well.


After landing safely back at the airport with a fire on board, no exit was opened for 23 minutes and 301 people inside perished. Investigations into the causes of aircraft accidents often focus on what happened and who did it - but very rarely on why, which is the question the author addresses in this book. He propounds that the cause should be sought deeper inside human beings who make simple human errors rather than simply "pilot error". David Beaty analyzes not only human error flying accidents, but also the latest predisposing errors made by management and government. This book was recommended in a House of Lords debate on aircraft safety.


Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a widely planted perennial forage legume grown throughout temperate and dry subtropical regions in the world. Long breeding cycles limit genetic improvement of alfalfa, particularly for complex traits such as biomass yield. Genomic selection (GS), based on predicted breeding values obtained using genome‐wide molecular markers, could enhance breeding efficiency in terms of gain per unit time and cost. In this study, we genotyped tetraploid alfalfa plants that had previously been evaluated for yield during two cycles of phenotypic selection using genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS). We then developed prediction equations using yield data from three locations. Approximately 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used for GS modeling. The genomic prediction accuracy of total biomass yield ranged from 0.34 to 0.51 for the Cycle 0 population and from 0.21 to 0.66 for the Cycle 1 population, depending on the location. The GS model developed using Cycle 0 as the training population in predicting total biomass yield in Cycle 1 resulted in accuracies up to 0.40. Both genotype × environment interaction and the number of harvests and years used to generate yield phenotypes had effects on prediction accuracy across generations and locations, Based on our results, the selection efficiency per unit time for GS is higher than phenotypic selection, although accuracies will likely decline across multiple selection cycles. This study provided evidence that GS can accelerate genetic gain in alfalfa for biomass yield.


We compute the effects of excluded volume on the probability for double-stranded DNA to form a loop. We utilize a Monte Carlo algorithm for generation of large ensembles of self-avoiding wormlike chains, which are used to compute the J factor for varying length scales. In the entropic regime, we confirm the scaling-theory prediction of a power-law drop off of -1.92, which is significantly stronger than the -1.5 power law predicted by the non-self-avoiding wormlike chain model. In the elastic regime, we find that the angle-independent end-to-end chain distribution is highly anisotropic. This anisotropy, combined with the excluded volume constraints, leads to an increase in the J factor of the self-avoiding wormlike chain by about half an order of magnitude relative to its non-self-avoiding counterpart. This increase could partially explain the anomalous results of recent cyclization experiments, in which short dsDNA molecules were found to have an increased propensity to form a loop.


Previous work by Mattikalli et al. (1993) considered the stability of assemblies of frictionless contacting bodies with uniform gravity. A linear programming-based technique was described that would automatically determine a single stable orientation for an assembly (if such an orientation existed). In this paper, we give an exact characterization of the entire set of stable orientations of any assembly under uniform gravity. Our characterization reveals that the set of stable orientations maps out a convex region on the unit-sphere of directions. The region is bounded by a sequence of vertices adjoined with great arcs. Linear programming techniques are used to automatically find this set of vertices, yielding a precise description of the range of stable orientations for any frictionless assembly.<<ETX>>


Waveguides systems have been used to obtain measurements for the complex permittivity of human blood in the frequent range 29-90 GHz. The data are reported and analysed in conjunction with lower frequency work, in particular that of Wei. There are two distinct regimes of behaviour in the spectra obtained: a high-frequency relaxation process in parallel with a lower frequency fractional power-law response.


The aim of this paper is to extract and describe recent social initatves in food consumpton and distributon in Poland and indicate their characteristcs related to sustainable consumpton, sharing economy and collaboratve consumpton and to indicate the processes, mechanisms and future development optons. Food is among areas that seem to adapt to those ideas more easily which means that individual consumers seem to see value in behaving in a more responsible way. In Poland, social awareness is rather limited and responsible behavior happens on a minor scale for the moment, but more internatonal research shows the great potental of sharing economy. Food is being wasted therefore it consttutes a good ground for changing consumpton habits. The paper presents four chosen social initatves in Poland that refer to a sustainable consumpton philosophy and collaboratve consumpton. Those mini case studies are backed by a thorough analysis of relevant literature, theme contents on websites, and results of secondary research studies dedicated to the issues discussed in the paper. Due to the qualitatve character of the study, it shall be followed by more quanttatve research to allow for more general insights and conclusions.


We try to apply a constituent quark model (a variety chiral constituent quark model) and the resonating group approach for the multi-quark problems to compute the effective potential between the NN̄ in S-wave (the quarks in the nucleons N and N̄, and the two nucleons relatively as well, are in S wave) so as to see the possibility if there may be a tight bound state of six quarks as indicated by a strong enhancement at threshold of pp̄ in J/ψ and B decays. The effective potential which we obtain in terms of the model and approach shows if the experimental enhancement is really caused by a tight S-wave bound state of six quarks, then the quantum number of the bound state is very likely to be I = 1,JPC = 0−+.


The effects of administration of yohimbine, an aphrodisiac on some functional parameters of rat liver and kidney were investigated. White male albino rats weighing between 200-250g were grouped into two such that one group was orally administered with 14mg/kg body weight on daily basis for 15days while the control received an appropriate volume of sterile distilled water on daily basis for the same period. Bilirubin concentration in the test showed a significant decrease (P<0.01) when compared with the control, with an interruption of a significant increase only on day 5 of administration (P<0.01). Sodium ion concentration showed significant increase only on the first and the last days when compared with the control (P<0.01). The serum albumin content and K+ displayed significant increase throughout the experimental period (P<0.01) while serum content of urea and creatinine decreased significantly throughout the period of administration (P<0.01). The results suggest that yohimbine administration has adverse affect on the functional capacities of the liver and the kidney. Key words : Functional parameters, Kidney, Liver, Yohimbine


The type of hapten linkage to a carrier protein can play an important role in determining the nature of the resulting antibody response. Generic haptens using three types of linkers were synthesized (a monocarboxylic acid, an unsaturated hydrocarbon and a carboxamido spacer). These haptens were conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and used as immunogens to produce broad-specificity monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). Three-dimensional (3D) structures of hapten-lysine conjugates were optimized using molecular modeling (MM) to mimic conformations of hapten-BSA conjugates. The results from MM studies revealed a change of the 3D conformation and electrostatic potential of hapten 1 when the monocarboxylic acid linker was coupled to lysine. This result was consistent with the observed high-cross-reactivity of the corresponding MAb-H1 for the OPs. The competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on MAb-H1 is ideally suited to be used as a screening method for OP contaminants.


Molecularly directed self‐assembly has the potential to become a nanomanufacturing technology if the critical factors governing the kinetics and yield of defect‐free self‐assembled structures can be understood and controlled. The kinetics of streptavidin‐functionalized quantum dots binding to biontinylated DNA origami are quantitatively evaluated and to what extent the reaction rate and binding efficiency are controlled by the valency of the binding location, the biotin linker length, and the organization, and spacing of the binding locations on the DNA is shown. Yield improvement is systematically determined as a function of the valency of the binding locations and as a function of the quantum dot spacing. In addition, the kinetic studies show that the binding rate increases with increasing linker length, but that the yield saturates at the same level for long incubation times. The forward and backward reaction rate coefficients are determined using a nonlinear least squares fit to the measured binding kinetics, providing considerable physical insight into the factors governing this type of self‐assembly process. It is found that the value of the dissociation constant, Kd, for the DNA–nanoparticle complex considered here is up to seven orders of magnitude larger than that of the native biotin–streptavidin complex. This difference is attributed to the combined effect that the much larger size of the DNA origami and the quantum dot have on the translational and rotational diffusion constants.


We provide a checklist of new seed plant species (Angiosperms and Gymnosperms) in Brunei Darussalam with detailed information. The plant database for Brunei, extracted from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) was compared with the existing plant checklist for Brunei and plant holdings of the UBD herbarium (UBDH). 215 species of seed plants, belonging to 59 families, were found in the GBIF list that were absent in both the Brunei checklist and UBDH collections. The plant family that recorded the highest number of new plant species was Orchidaceae, but overall, tree species dominate the list. Only 8% of the new species were IUCN Red-List evaluated. Most new species collections came from Tutong district, but the highest number of new species was from Temburong district. Almost all new species collections came from areas with easy access such as near roads and around the Kuala Belalong Field Study Centre. As much of the Brunei rainforest remains unexplored, new discoveries are likely to occur.


Trade in Food systematises and explores the evolution of the European Union's regulation of food within the broader framework set out by the WTO Agreements. Its main purpose is to provide readers keen to deepen their knowledge of the field with easy access to the EU and WTO food laws accompanied by a critical explanation and commentary. The book is suitable for legal practitioners, judges, policy-makers, officials of international organizations as well as post graduate students of international trade law and policy, international and European economic law, global administrative law and risk regulation.


Skeletal dysplasias are a heterogeneous group of bone growth disorders with different fetal outcomes. Prenatal sonographic examination is an excellent method for discovering fetal skeletal dysplasias. However, it is not always possible to differentiate TD from others skeletal dysplasias by ultrasonography alone and molecular genetic analysis of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (fgfr3) gene is useful for prenatal diagnosis of TD. Therefore definitive diagnosis should always be accomplished by a comprehensive postnatal evaluation, including clinical, radiological, pathological, biochemical and molecular genetic examination. Thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) is the most common form of platyspondylic lethal skeletal dysplasias and TD 1 is characterized by short limbs, a narrow thoracic cage, straight femora, with or without a cloverleaf skull. In this report, one fetus with TD 1 was diagnosed by 3D ultrasound and MRI in the second trimester, and molecular analyses of the fgfr3 gene confirmed the postnatal diagnosis.


The neuroanatomic study of the callosomarginal artery was performed by simple and careful dissection in 52 human brains. The observation was made with stereoscopic magnifying glass. The results were the following: the callosomarginal artery was present in 36.6% (19/52) of the cases on the right hemisphere and 29% (15/52) on the left hemisphere; unilateral absence on those hemispheres was of 17.3% (9/52) and 25.0% (13/52), respectively; bilateral absence was of 46.1% (24/52). The register of the presence or absence of the artery was based on proposed criteria by Moscow and col. With regard to phylogenetic signification one has considered the hypothesis that the development of the callosomarginal artery possibly was closely related with a structural and physiological expansion of the neocortex in man.


In the commencement of the new century, Celebrity brand endorsement is very prominent across the globe. Bollywood and Cricket are two most important components that unite the entire Indian population. The Hindi Film Stars (HFS) from Bollywood, Mumbai and the Indian Cricketers (IC) enjoy huge admiration and fan following among the Indian population. The primary objective of this study is aimed at understanding the impact of Bollywood Celebrities and Indian Cricketers as brand endorser among respondents of different demographic profile in Kolkata. The study is conducted with ten Bollywood Celebrities and ten Indian Cricketers. Primary research is conducted by applying cross sectional research design in this study. The sample size comprised of 400 male and female respondents randomly selected by applying cluster sampling method and data was collected by administering a structured questionnaire. Independent sample t-test was conducted and SPSS was used for analyzing the data. The findings of the study clearly highlight the fact that the Hindi Film Stars (HFS) from Bollywood Mumbai are having a greater impact in generating brand recall and brand preference compared to the India Cricketers (IC) among both male and female respondents in Kolkata. The present piece of work is expected to make a humble contribution to the existing body of knowledge in the academic front and also provide valuable insight to advertiser and their advertising agencies while selecting a celebrity for connecting with their target audience in Kolkata.


The results of lattice-Boltzmann simulations of the flow field through a random packing of spheres are compared with NMR velocimetry and propagator measurements. Flows are investigated for Peclet (Pe) and Reynolds (Re) numbers in the range 182<Pe<350 and 0.4<Re<0.77, respectively. An MRI visualization of the 3-D packing of spheres for which NMR data are obtained is used as the matrix for the simulation, thereby enabling a direct assessment of the ability of the lattice-Boltzmann method to quantitatively predict flow phenomena within porous media of complex geometry. By introducing normalized parameters, hydrodynamical dispersion over normalized displacement lengthscales extending over nearly four orders of magnitude is investigated and is shown to be dominated by mechanical dispersion over most of this range. At the largest lengthscales studied holdup may play a significant role in the hydrodynamics characteristic of the porous medium. Quantitative agreement between NMR measurements and the predictions of the lattice-Boltzmann simulation is obtained in all cases.


Knitted elastomeric fabrics can be made to vibrate as a speaker by laminating them with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) strips to form a curved arch clamped at the ends. The tightly knitted structure of the elastomeric knitted fabric, which is void of pores, makes it an ideal membrane suited for a speaker. The PVDF strip would vibrate due to the piezoelectric effect when a 200 Vrms voltage is applied. In this work a two-dimensional analytical prediction model is created based on the principles of stress and strain behaviour of a curved laminated arch. The model predicts the radial displacement of the arch with respect to the frequency of the excitation voltage of the PVDF strips. The sound propagation level (SPL) at a particular point from the arch surface is modelled as a simple sound source in an infinite baffle. The acoustic pressure is then linked with the radial displacement in the model. Simulation and experiments are then carried out on structural properties of the elastomeric knitted fabrics to discern the resonance region of the speaker vital for active noise control to reduce automotive interior noise.


IP networks, and particularly the Internet, were proposed to be a simple and robust support for homogeneous communications. This implies that only basic control mechanisms have to be performed by network elements. Communication management has to be performed by the terminals. However, the integration of new services and the increasing need for QoS require the network to be increasingly more flexible and adaptive. New algorithms and protocols have been proposed by many research teams to address these issues, but these new algorithms tend to make network management and control more flexible. Thus, manual configuration of such flexible and adaptive network architectures is very complex, if not impossible. Self‐management is then a good opportunity to address this new complexity, and then to integrate more easily new services into the network. However, this self‐management requires the equipment to carry much more knowledge and information than the actual control and management planes do. Global knowledge management schemes are therefore necessary to achieve this, including new policies for knowledge gathering, computing, sharing and providing. To address this particular need for knowledge management, several studies have proposed building a new plane, called the 'Knowledge Plane' (KP). This paper studies different propositions for this KP, and presents an original vision of what this KP should be. Our vision of the KP relies on the paradigm of situatedness. This paradigm was developed by research studies in the field of multi‐agent systems, which tend to solve complex problems using collaborative and autonomous agents (multi‐agent technology has been largely described in Artificial Intelligence literature). These agents in our proposition are embedded within the network elements themselves. Their role is to share local and situated knowledge composing the global KP. We have also developed, as an illustration, a distributed intrusion detection system (IDS) based on the local IDS Snort. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Coronary angiography has proved beyond doubt that complete coronary occlusion is the rule in the very early hours of infarction. The 60% to 80% rate of coronary recanalization after thrombolytic therapy has proved that thrombosis is a major component of the occlusion at the time when the procedure is performed a few hours after the onset of symptoms. However, the trigger for coronary thrombosis and the causes of failure of thrombolytic therapy are still a matter of speculation. The relatively rare occurrence of acute coronary occlusion in the life of an individual with even severe coronary disease can be explained on the basis of the necessity of either extremely powerful isolated stimuli, which only occurs rarely, or the casual simultaneous presence in one coronary arterial segment of multiple unfavorable events, such as plaque fissuring, enhanced reactivity of coronary smooth muscle to constrictor stimuli and displacement of the thrombotic-thrombolytic equilibrium toward thrombosis. Coronary artery constriction possibly caused by vasoconstrictor substances released by thrombus, represents the potential element of a vicious cycle causing persistent coronary occlusion and reocclusion when reflow occurs with thrombolysis.


Through INSTRON1304 electric hydraulic servo fatigue testing machine, the fatigue experiment of soil-cement is done, and the ultrasonic velocity of soil-cement under dynamic loading is obtained. The results show the ultrasonic wave velocity through the cemented soil samples free surface obviously attenuates as the cycles of the dynamic loading increases. Based on the damage variable defined by the ultrasonic wave velocity, the evolution equation of soil-cement accumulated fatigue damage is established. The equation indicates that the fatigue damage of soil-cement l under dynamic loading can obviously be divided into three stages: the initial rapid decay of the initial state, stability decay and rapid damage close to the destruction. The experiment results provide an important reference for non-destructive testing of soil-cement under dynamic loading.


Community-based aquaculture founded on the principles of common interest groups working together regardless of sex and age has been an effective tool for implementing scientific aquaculture programs in India. Water bodies that do not interest villagers are targeted for use to avoid communal problems. Farmers who share common interests are identified and organized and a team leader chosen among them. An inventory of resources using the SWOT analysis is made. A participatory approach to identify major problems, socioeconomic and biophysical constraints is used and appropriate interventions are planned. This process is then evaluated and the results of the impact assessment are provided to research/extension/policy planners for setting directions and priorities for further improvement. The potential for expanding community aquaculture for generating self-employment and improving food security of the rural poor as well as improving the environmental conditions of the villages in India can be further tapped.


In response to Resolution No. 7 of the Fifth Caribbean Health Minsters Conference of February 1973, the Executive Secretary convened a meeting of a stering committee comprising members of staff of CFNI, the Faculty of Medicine, U.W.I., PAHO, WHO and FAO. Arising from this, it was decided to produce the Strategy and Plan of Action of Combat Gastroenteritis and Malnutrition in children under two years of age. The implementation of that programme was launched in Jamaica in January 1976 by Dr. A.W. Patterson, the Principal Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health and Environmental Control. This preliminary report deals with observations of progess made in the field and the hospitals from the time of initial launching of the programme in Jamaica. Observation covers the time peroid from April 12, to July 27, 1976; and compares favourably with the situation as it exists in the country of Nigeria. Based upon observations, discussions, site visits and data collected, the following preliminary report provides implications for the implementation of strategies related to the SPACGEM PROJECT and the ultimate reduction of malnutrition and gastroenteritis among children under two years old in Jamaica.


This study describes the types of taboo words used by the Acehnese people in Aceh, Indonesia. Ten language informants in the district were interviewed for this qualitative study. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed prior to analysis. The data were then analysed by the procedures of condensation, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings of the research reveal that the most common taboo types used by Acehnese speakers are taboos of vulgarity or obscenity, epithet, and the taboo of disease. This implies that calling people bad names, talking about sex, mentioning incurable or 'repulsive' diseases are among the most taboo discussions in Acehnese society. Taboo words related to religion are found the least in the data, which could imply that these words are small in number because the Acehnese people embrace their religion strongly and thus minimise verbal abuse related to it.


We present a modern C++17-compatible thread pool implementation, built from scratch with high-performance scientific computing in mind. The thread pool is implemented as a single lightweight and self-contained class, and does not have any dependencies other than the C++17 standard library, thus allowing a great degree of portability. In particular, our implementation does not utilize OpenMP or any other high-level multithreading APIs, and thus gives the programmer precise low-level control over the details of the parallelization, which permits more robust optimizations. The thread pool was extensively tested on both AMD and Intel CPUs with up to 40 cores and 80 threads. This paper provides motivation, detailed usage instructions, and performance tests.


Background Caffeine, a commonly consumed food constituent, is known to exert beneficial physiological effects in human. There is a lack of comprehensive population data for effect of caffeine intake on urate metabolism. Objectives The aim of this study was whether coffee, tea, and caffeine intake influences serum uric acid and the risk of hyperuricemia in the Korean Multi-Rural Communities Cohort. Methods A total of 9400 subjects were enrolled in this study. Assessment of various dietary intakes such as coffee and tea was performed using food frequency questionnaire. The content of caffeine was calculated from coffee (74 mg/cup) and tea (15 mg/cup) intake over the past year. Multivariate logistic regression models, multiple linear regression models, and analysis of covariance were applied to identify association of dietary intakes with serum uric acid level or the risk of hyperuricemia. Results No trends for coffee, tea, and caffeine intakes according to each quintile to serum uric acid were found in males, although there were weak marginally significant trends between content of coffee and caffeine intake and serum uric acid level in females (p=0.07 of both). Tea intake in males and caffeine intake in females were significantly different between non-hyperuricemia and hyperuricemia, (p=0.04 and p=0.04, respectively). Significant association of serum uric acid level with tea intake in males (b =0.0006, p=0.02) and with tea intake and caffeine intake in females (b =0.0003, p=0.04 and b =0.0006, p=0.02, respectively) were observed. There was no effect of coffee, tea, and caffeine intake on the risk of hyperuricemia in both males and females. Conclusions This study suggests that caffeine consumption might have an effect on serum uric acid in females. However, coffee, tea, and caffeine intakes were not associated with the risk of hyperuricemia. Acknowledgements This research was supported by a fund (2004-E71004-00, 2005-E71011-00, 2006-E71009-00, 2007-E71002-00, 2008-E71004-00, 2009-E71006-00) by Research of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2181


This paper unpicks the assumption that because social networks underpin social capital, they directly create it – more of one inevitably making more of the other. If it were that simple, the sheer quantity of networks criss-crossing a defined urban space would be a proxy measure for the local stock of social capital. Of course the interrelationships are more complex. Two kinds of complication stand out. The first is specific: networks have both quantitative and qualitative dimensions, but the two elements have no necessary bearing on each other. The shape and extent of a network says nothing about the content of the links between its nodes. Certainly the line we draw between any two of them indicates contact and potential connection, but what kind of contact, how often, how trusting, in what circumstances, to what end…? Reliable answers to these questions need more than surface maps or bird's eye accounts of who goes where, who speaks to whom. The second complication is a general, not to say universal, difficulty. We are stuck with the fact that sociological concepts - networks, social capital and trust included - are 'only' abstractions. They are ways of thinking about the apparent chaos of people behaving all over the place – here, to make it worse, in multi-cultural urban environments - but none of them is visible to be measured, weighed or quantified. This does not make the concepts 'untrue', and it should not stop them being useful. My hope is that we can find a nuanced perspective which will at least make the complications intelligible. At best, a multi-layered model will account for diversity in the nature of trust; and for variations in the way social capital is hoarded or distributed within and across ethnic boundaries. It would be contribution enough if we were able to specify the conditions which cause social capital, as Puttnam formulates it, to be exclusionary or inclusionary in its effect.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the species and distribution of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne arboviruses in Yuncheng city of Shanxi province, China.

METHODS
Mosquito samples were collected in 19 collection sites from Linyi county and Yongji city in Yuncheng city, in August, 2012. After identification and classification, all the specimens were homogenized and centrifuged to acquire supernatant before being inoculated to both C6/36 and BHK21 cells for viral isolation. Positive isolates were identified with arbovirus species-specific primers under RT-PCR, for further sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

RESULTS
A total of 10 455 mosquitoes of 7 species in 4 genuese were collected. The predominant mosquito species in Linyi county was Culex pipens pallens (91.96%, 3 911/4 253), but the one in Yongji city was Culex tritaeniorhynchus (72.85%, 4 518/6 202). A total of 23 strains of viruses were isolated from the mosquito pools. 15 strains from Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex pipens pallens were identified as genotype I Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Four strains from Culex pipens pallens were identified as Culex flavivirus (CxFV). Three strains from Culex pipens pallens were identified as Culex pipiens pallens densovirus (CppDNV). One strain from Armigeres subalbatus and Aedes albopictus was identified as Getah virus (GETV).

CONCLUSION
Four kinds of arboviruses were isolated from the mosquito pools, including GETV and CxFV, which were isolated and documented in Shanxi province for the first time. In the city of Yuncheng, Culex tritaeniorhynchus had been the predominant species and major vector for transmitting JEV. Genotype I JEV remained the major JEV circulating in the local natural environment.


Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) contains approximately 20,000 bases of positive-sense ssRNA, encapsidated by a coat protein of approximately 25,000 Mr that has previously been reported to consist of at least two size variants, cp1 and cp2. In the present study, a cDNA library of the T36 isolate of CTV was prepared in a protein expression vector and screened with a polyclonal antibody against the coat protein. Five immunopositive clones produced proteins in Escherichia coli that reacted with monoclonal as well as polyclonal antibodies to the CTV coat protein. Nucleotide sequence analysis of a region common to the five clones revealed the presence of a 669 nucleotide open reading frame flanked by numerous in-frame termination codons. The encoded protein has a predicted Mr of 24,909 and an amino acid composition consistent with that previously reported for the CTV coat protein. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of the coat protein with the amino-terminal sequences of cp1 and cp2 indicated that these coat protein species arise from the same primary translation product, as a result of post-translational proteolysis at sites approximately 12 to 15 and 26 amino acids from the amino terminus respectively. These results are the first reported cloning and sequencing of a CTV gene and provide evidence that CTV may be translated using subgenomic RNA.


DNA-sequence-based approaches such as single nematode PCR and sequencing have been successfully used in nematode species diagnostics. Here, we use SSU rDNA sequences generated from an artificially-assembled community of nematodes of known identity and relative abundance to assess a relationship between nematode species and operationally clustered taxonomic units (OCTUs). OCTUs that formed at 95% similarity underestimated species richness by ca 30%, and all expected species were recovered only at 99% OCTU similarity. Although the number of OCTUs formed at 99% similarity was considerably higher than the actual number of nematode species, a pattern of the distribution of OCTUs within each species allowed an assignment of OCTUs to specific species. The pattern was highly predictable and helped to discern rather than obscure species recognition. The patterns and parameters that emerged from the control nematode dataset were then used to test our approach on environmental samples of nematodes obtained from a tropical rainforest in Costa Rica.


State-of-the-art information shows that the incidence of diabetes mellitus will expand via the 12 months 2030, where as much as 50% increase neuropathy and about a quarter will strengthen neuropathic pain. The purported immunocompromised diabetic state makes them additionally prone to various infections, for illustration, herpes zoster illness. Presented on this record is a case of a sixty three-12 months ancient Filipino with painful diabetic neuropathy and who due to this fact developed publish herpetic neuralgia. A pain regimen with pregabalin at the start at one hundred fifty mg/day ultimately attaining 600 mg/day decreased pains, however needed an augmentation with lidocaine patch (5%) utility, and tramadol plus paracetamol fixed dose mixture as rescue medication, for higher manipulate.


Objective: To correlate time to loss of ambulation (LoA) and different truncating DMD gene mutations in a large, prospective natural history study of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), with particular attention to mutations amenable to emerging molecular treatments. Methods: We analyzed data from the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group Duchenne Natural History Study for participants with DMD single- or multi-exon deletions or duplications with defined exon boundaries (n = 186), or small mutations identified by sequencing (n = 26, including 16 nonsense point mutations). We performed a time-to-event analysis of LoA, a strong indicator of overall disease severity, adjusting for glucocorticoid treatment and genetic modifiers. Results: Participants with deletions amenable to skipping of exon 44 had later LoA (median 14.8 years, hazard ratio 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.14–0.69, p = 0.004). Age at LoA did not differ significantly in participants with deletions amenable to exon 45, 51, and 53 skipping, duplications, and small rearrangements. Nonsense mutation DMD also showed a typical median age at LoA (11.1 years), with a few outliers (ambulatory around or after 16 years of age) carrying stop codons within in-frame exons, more often situated in the rod domain. Conclusions: As exon 44 skipping–amenable DMD has a later LoA, mutation-specific randomization and selection of placebo groups are essential for the success of clinical trials.


The switch cost (the disadvantage of performing a new task vs. a repeated task) has been attributed to lack of preparation for the switched task or priming of the repeated task. These sources were examined by manipulating foreknowledge of task transition (repeat or switch), response-to-stimulus interval (RSI), and practice level. Regardless of foreknowledge, the cost decreased with RSI and practice. The reduction was greater with foreknowledge than with no foreknowledge, and the amount of switch cost did not depend on foreknowledge. These results suggest that the switch cost with foreknowledge may consist of both inadequate preparation and repetition benefit but the switch cost with no foreknowledge may reflect repetition benefit only. An ACT-R (adaptive control of thought-rational) model was proposed, accommodating both preparation and priming effect with 2 independent processes: conflict resolution among productions and decay of chunk activation.


Introduction: Anaemia is multi factorial with widespread negative consequences on health. It is more common in developing countries. It has a negative influence on the social and economic development of country.
Materials and Methods: This study included 211 anaemic and 174 non anaemic subjects. Age, gender, socio economic status, dietary habits and education was enquired about and haematological parameters were analysed. Data was analysed using appropriate tests.
Results: 54.8% patients attending OPD's were found to be anaemic. It was higher in females (65%) than males (41.2%). As per WHO classification mild, moderate and severe anaemia was present in 54.98%, 37.91% and 7.11% subjects respectively. 63.99% anaemic subjects belonged to upper to middle class and 36.01% belonged to lower middle and lower class. Anaemia was higher in subjects belonging to middle to lower classes and those belonging to low education class like high school to illiterate class. Not much difference was found on the basis of dietary preferences. However the percentage of anaemic subjects with mixed dietary habits was slightly higher.
Conclusion: On the basis of study it may be concluded that amongst OPD patient's gender, socioeconomic status and education play role directly or indirectly in anaemia.

Keywords: Anaemia, Socio economic, Education, Diet, Gender, OPD's.


: This report describes a patient who was normocalcemic prior to treatment with lithium for manic-depressive psychosis, and documents progressive hypercalcemia ensuing over the subsequent six years of therapy. Elevated parathyroid hormone levels were found and neck exploration revealed a parathyroid adenoma. Unlike the usual case of hyperparathyroidism, the hypercalcemia was associated with a very low urinary excretion of calcium. The literature is reviewed and possible pathogenetic mechanisms discussed. Serum calcium should be determined before and periodically during lithium therapy. In susceptible individuals, hypercalcemia may occur due to the unmasking or development of parathyroid adenoma.


In many high-income economies, the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented declines in women's employment. We examine how the forces that underlie this observation play out in developing countries, with a specific focus on Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. A force affecting high- and low-income countries alike are increased childcare needs during school closures; in Nigeria, mothers of school-age children experience the largest declines in employment during the pandemic, just as in high-income countries. A key difference is the role of the sectoral distribution of employment: whereas in high-income economies reduced employment in contact-intensive services had a large impact on women, this sector plays a minor role in low-income countries. Another difference is that women's employment rebounded much more quickly in low-income countries. We conjecture that large income losses without offsetting government transfers drive up labor supply in low-income countries during the recovery.


The cellular mechanism of active chloride secretion, as it is manifested in the intestine and trachea, appears to possess the following elements: (1) NaCl co-transport across the basolateral membrane; (2) Claccumulation in the cell above electrochemical equilibrium due to the Na+ gradient; (3) a basolateral Na+-K+ pump that maintains the Na+ gradient; (4) a hormone-regulated Clpermeability in the apical membrane; (5) passive Na+ secretion through a paracellular route, driven by the transepithelial potential difference; and (6) an increase in basolateral membrane K+ permeability occurring in conjunction with an increase in Na+-K+ pump rate. Electrophysiological studies in canine trachea support this model. Adrenalin, a potent secretory stimulus in that tissue, increases apical membrane conductance through a selective increase in Clpermeability. Adrenalin also appears to increase basolateral membrane K+ perme ability. Whether or not adrenalin also increases paracellular Na+ permeability is un clear. Some of the testable implications of the above secretion model are discussed.


ABSTRACT This study aimed to characterize the dynamics, structural changes and floristics of a Northern Minas Gerais Seasonally Deciduous Forest tree community, in a 5 year interval. In 2005, 10 (20 x 20m) plots were allocated. All trees (CBH ≥ 10 cm) were tagged and measured. A second census was carried out in 2010 in order to measure surviving, new recruits and dead trees. In 2005, 46 species were recorded, moving to 45 in 2010. No significant differences were found for Shannon - diversity (H' = 2.62 nats ind-1 in 2005; H' = 2.60 nats ind-1 in 2010) and Pielou eveness (J = 0.683 in 2005; J = 0.682 in 2010) in the interval. A total of 57 dead records (rate of 1.64% year-1) were found whereas 18 trees were recruited (rate of 0.53% year-1). Despite the higher mortality as compared to recruitment, the results suggest that the community remained stable in both structural and diversity terms in the interval considered.


In a honey bee population of 150 colonies, the development of an introduced Varroa destructor mite population was monitored in swarming and non-swarming colonies for two years in a Nordic climate. The results demonstrated a reduced mite population as a result of swarming only for the first swarm season studied. In the second swarm season, there were much higher mite levels (based on debris counts of mites) and fewer colonies swarmed, but there was no significant difference in infestation levels of adult bees in the fall between swarming and non-swarming colonies. This result was interpreted as an effect of host-parasite interactions, where the detrimental influence from the infestation prohibited growth (and swarming) in some colonies, but allowed better mite reproduction opportunities (and swarming) in others. Surprisingly, the mite infestation levels of swarms in the late fall were not significantly different from those of swarming colonies the same year, indicating that swarm survival may be almost as much affected by V. destructor, as intact, swarming colonies. No horizontal mite transfer through robbing was observed. The results suggest that, horizontal mite transfer may not be as important in a Nordic climate where many bee colonies die over winter along with their mites, as it is in warmer climates. Varroa destructor / Apis mellifera / swarming / survival / nordic climate / population dynamics


Lung cancer remains the leading cause of death by cancer worldwide. Considering the severity and the spread of this type of cancer, researchers have considered research as a priority to identify a more effective treatment. In this short review it was presented the need for new treatment in advanced lung cancer identified by the unsatisfactory results obtained with chemotherapy, which reached a plateau in the first decade of the 3rd millennium. The understanding of molecular and immune mechanism in lung cancer allowed discovering target therapy and immunotherapy. At the moment, immunotherapy is represented by vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors. In this article there are described the main agents used in immunotherapy especially for non-small cell lung cancer: ipilimumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab. In the same time, there are presented the new immune agents which are waiting to be introduced into current therapy.


We propose a multi-plane display based on polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) Liquid Crystal. The idea of a multi-plane display has shown progress in solving the vergence-accommodation conflict with the eye-brain system. Nowadays new emerging technologies such as the Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) share that problem. VR and AR wearable displays, work using stereoscopic 3D glasses, which push the vergence-accommodation conflict. The advantage of the UV-curing method to create a polymer network is the ease to use it on normal lab environments. This method can achieve acceptable response time for a transparent-scattered state on a LC cell, which is needed for a multi-plane display. On this work, we are explaining the fabrication process to create such PSCT LC cell.


Sanjoy Ganguly and his company, Jana Sanskiti (Badu, West Bengal), operate a mode of training that works with individuals, groups and communities to develop cognitive, motoric and affective agency. This enables them to become fully involved participants in the collective refashioning of their political and social situation. Their work involves the acknowledgement and activation of bodies and their performative, relational and agential capacities. It draws on Boal's use of theatre games and exercises and extends this by the addition of aspects of Indian folk practice, and the precise operation of a sequential strategy across time that embodies successive phases of recognition and analysis by means of different modalities of interactive work: the acquisition of skills and techniques, ways of drawing on performance knowledges, institution of co-creativity and collaborative scripting, and the extension of these capacities to community activism. This article will trace these dimensions of Jana Sanskriti's work and relate them to understandings of forms of embodied knowing.


Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is considered the most important citrus disease around the world. HLB was first reported in the Dominican Republic in September 2008. As a result, the National Committee for an Integrated Management of HLB has been created to take action to mitigate and reduce the spread of the disease around the country. All actions taken for mitigation are based on four important aspects: (1) diagnosis of the disease using polymerase chain reaction (PCR); (2) education opportunties for citrus growers, nurserymen, and private and official technicians; (3) quarantine or regulation of the movement of citrus plants without healthy certification to eliminate and eradicate infected plants; and (4) monitor and control the psillid population. Under this program, more than three thousand trees have been sampled and analyzed by PCR, and more than 50 thousand trees have been scouted in the field. HLB has been found in at least 12 out of 32 provinces of the country, with the highest incidence around 24% in the Puerto Plata area, where the disease was found for the first time. It has allowed eliminating or eradicating more than 20 thousand infected trees. Illustrative, informative materials have been used to increase the general understanding about the HLB, such as poster, brochures, and other kinds of materials.


We performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations on binary and ternary oxo/fluoro crystals of the geochemical twin pair zirconium and hafnium to evaluate and compare their stabilities. This is the first DFT study on bulk ZrF4 or HfF4, as well as on a hypothetical ZrOF2 or HfOF2 bulk crystal. For α-MO2, β-MF4 and MOF2, we have found significantly higher cohesive energies for the respective hafnium species. This suggests a considerable gap in affinity toward fluorine and oxygen between the twin pair in the solid state. In agreement with experimental findings, this gap is slightly more pronounced for fluorine. This study is also the first to evaluate the theoretical, endothermic mono-hydroxylation of the respective fluorides or oxyfluorides to model the difference in affinity toward fluoride versus hydroxide. For these, we could also find a slight energetic preference for the hafnium compound.