Sulfonated surface patches of poly(styrene)-based colloidal particles (CPs) were functionalized with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). The macrocycles served as recognition units for diphenyl viologen (DPV(2+)), a rigid bridging ligand. The addition of DPV(2+) to aqueous suspensions of the particles triggered the self-assembly of short linear and branched chainlike structures. The self-assembly mechanism is based on hydrophobic/ion-charge interactions that are established between DPV(2+) and surface-adsorbed CB[7]. DPV(2+) guides the self-assembly of the CPs by forming a ternary DPV(2+)⊂(CB[7])2 complex in which the two CB[7] macrocycles are attached to two different particles. Viologen-driven particle assembly was found to be both directional and reversible. Whereas sodium chloride triggers irreversible particle disassembly, the one-electron reduction of DPV(2+) with sodium dithionite causes disassembly that can be reversed via air oxidation. Thus, this bottom-up synthetic supramolecular approach allowed for the reversible formation and directional alignment of a 2D colloidal material.


This document studies Berlin Neukölln district pumping station, explains and demonstrates the background, habilitation, overview and renovation of the project. Based on that, analysis the spatial design methods it has been used as well as explore the renovation of its structure and material. Moreover, China remains many water plant buildings after the Reform, and can lend lots of good method to make good use of our own renovation of old industrial buildings. Thus, draw the final conclusion that showing the possibility of the latter as well as bringing back life to the former one can achieve a truly successful transformation.


Previous studies have demonstrated aberrant expression of serotonin in individuals with an eating disorder. Given this the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) is a strong candidate to contribute to the genetic component of the aetiology of eating disorders. To determine the role of this particular gene in the susceptibility to anorexia nervosa (AN) we have examined a tandemly repeated sequence close to the promotor region of the 5-HTT gene, which is represented by a long (L) and short (S) variant. Previous studies have shown that the transcriptional activity of the 5-HTT gene differs significantly between these two alleles. A group of 138 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria AN patients and 90 controls were genotyped at the 5-HTT gene linked polymorphism (5-HTTLPR). Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in allele or genotype frequencies between the two groups. These data suggest that there is no association between 5-HTTLPR genotype and susceptibility to AN, in our population. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:53-55, 2000.


For the recent GW100 test set of molecular ionization energies, we present a comprehensive assessment of different GW methodologies: fully self-consistent GW (scGW), quasiparticle self-consistent GW (qsGW), partially self-consistent GW0 (scGW0), perturbative GW (G0W0), and optimized G0W0 based on the minimization of the deviation from the straight-line error (DSLE-min GW). We compare our GW calculations to coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] reference data for GW100. We find scGW and qsGW ionization energies in excellent agreement with CCSD(T), with discrepancies typically smaller than 0.3 eV (scGW) and 0.2 eV (qsGW), respectively. For scGW0 and G0W0 the deviation from CCSD(T) is strongly dependent on the starting point. We further relate the discrepancy between the GW ionization energies and CCSD(T) to the deviation from straight line error (DSLE). In DSLE-minimized GW calculations, the DSLE is significantly reduced, yielding a systematic improvement in the description of the ionization energies.


Early leaf removal significantly alters the source-sink balance within grapevine shoots, leading to a reduction in fruit set. However, no research has previously examined the conditions controlling this process in terms of carbon allocation among major sink organs following defoliation. In this study, the impact of defoliation at bloom on the distribution dynamics of leaf assimilates among clusters and growing shoot apices was investigated on Vitis vinifera, cv. Pinot noir, grown in Michigan, a cool climate viticultural region. Three levels of defoliation: no leaves removed (LR-0); six leaves removed from six basal nodes (LR-6); and ten leaves removed from ten basal nodes (LR-10), were imposed at full bloom. A 13C pulsing was performed 1 week after the treatment application to the defoliated shoots. Single leaf gas exchange (Pn), diurnal changes of the leaf net CO2 assimilation rate, carbon distribution, fruit-set, yield, and fruit composition were measured. Higher Pn was recorded in diurnal measurements of gas exchange in leaf removal (LR) treatments compared to LR-0. The shoot apex of LR-10 experienced the highest 13C allocation (%) after 3 and 7 days following the carbon pulsing. LR-10 had lower percentage of 13C allocated to clusters, which decreased fruit set by 60%, compared to the control, and enhanced the concentration of phenolic compounds in fruit. Alteration of carbon portioning among shoot sink organs indicated that an increasing severity of leaf removal significantly reduced fruit set, and was linearly correlated to shoot apex sink strength, which occurred at the expense of the cluster.


This article highlights the rationale for Namibia's participation in three studies which were conducted under the auspices of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) during the period 1995–2007. The article provides some of the innovative ways in which the results of the first (SACMEQ I, 1995) and second (SACMEQ II, 2000) studies were disseminated throughout the country. It highlights the analysis of reading and mathematics achievement scores of grade 6 learners at three intervals (1995, 2000 and 2007), and explains how the Ministry of Education used the achievement results from the first two studies (1995 and 2000) to mobilise resources for targeted interventions which contributed to improvements in reading and mathematics achievement during the third SACMEQ study in 2007. The article concludes that participation in well-designed international assessment studies that take the local contexts into account can, when well managed, contribute to improvements in learning outcomes.


Predicting the rheological properties of emulsions is one of the most challenging and complicated problems in material and fluid sciences. Substantial complications in prediction of rheology arise due to the deformability and aggregation of emulsions. Thus a better understanding of deformation and aggregation of emulsions can lead to a better understanding of the shear thinning region of emulsions. Though numerous experimental and theoretical studies were performed to obtain rheological correlations of emulsions, their inability to visualize and understand the droplet deformation in the presence of large volume fractions has stagnated our understanding of the shear thinning behavior of emulsions. With the aid of a numerical tool, which can help in visualizing the droplet deformation and correlate it to rheological behavior of emulsions, we have made an attempt to understand the physics behind the shear thinning behavior and also predict its rheological characteristics for emulsions at different volume fractions. In this article, we try to obtain a theoretical understanding of the influence of deformation and de-aggregation of droplets on the emulsion rheology. Simulations performed in this article using a multi-component lattice Boltzmann model are used to quantify (a) relative viscosity of emulsions with change in shear rate, (b) relative viscosity of emulsions with change in time, (c) effect of deformation of droplets on the shear thinning region in emulsions, and (d) relative viscosity of emulsions with change in volume fraction.


Abstract Background. In disasters, paramedics often triage victims, including children. Little is known about obstacles paramedics face when performing pediatric disaster triage. Objective. To determine obstacles to pediatric disaster triage performance for paramedics enrolled in a simulation-based disaster curriculum. Design. We conducted a qualitative evaluation of paramedics' self-reported obstacles to pediatric disaster triage performance. The paramedics were enrolled in a pediatric disaster triage curriculum at one of three study sites. An individually administered, semi-structured debriefing was created iteratively, and used after a 10-victim, multiple-family house fire simulation. The debriefings were audio-recorded, and transcribed. Two investigators independently analyzed the transcripts. Using grounded theory strategy, the data were analyzed via 1) immersion and coding of data, 2) clustering of codes to generate themes, and 3) theme-based generation of hypotheses. While analyzing the data, we employed peer debriefing to determine emerging codes, groups, and thematic saturation. Systematically applied data trustworthiness strategies included triangulation and member checking. Results. A total of 34 participants were debriefed, with prehospital care experience ranging from 1 to 25 years of experience. We identified several barriers to pediatric disaster triage: 1) lack of familiarity with children and their physiology, 2) challenges with triaging children with special health-care needs, 3) emotional reactions to triage situations, including a mother holding an injured/dead child, and 4) training limitations, including poor simulation fidelity. Conclusion. Paramedics report particular difficulty triaging multiple child disaster victims due to emotional obstacles, unfamiliarity with pediatric physiology, and struggles with triage rationale and efficiency.


An overview of recent results obtained at the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is given. A work flow for predictive profile modelling of AUG discharges was established which is able to reproduce experimental H-mode plasma profiles based on engineering parameters only. In the plasma center, theoretical predictions on plasma current redistribution by a dynamo effect were confirmed experimentally. For core transport, the stabilizing effect of fast ion distributions on turbulent transport is shown to be important to explain the core isotope effect and improves the description of hollow low-Z impurity profiles. The L–H power threshold of hydrogen plasmas is not affected by small helium admixtures and it increases continuously from the deuterium to the hydrogen level when the hydrogen concentration is raised from 0 to 100%. One focus of recent campaigns was the search for a fusion relevant integrated plasma scenario without large edge localised modes (ELMs). Results from six different ELM-free confinement regimes are compared with respect to reactor relevance: ELM suppression by magnetic perturbation coils could be attributed to toroidally asymmetric turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the separatrix. Stable improved confinement mode plasma phases with a detached inner divertor were obtained using a feedback control of the plasma β. The enhanced D α H-mode regime was extended to higher heating power by feedback controlled radiative cooling with argon. The quasi-coherent exhaust regime was developed into an integrated scenario at high heating power and energy confinement, with a detached divertor and without large ELMs. Small ELMs close to the separatrix lead to peeling-ballooning stability and quasi continuous power exhaust. Helium beam density fluctuation measurements confirm that transport close to the separatrix is important to achieve the different ELM-free regimes. Based on separatrix plasma parameters and interchange-drift-Alfvén turbulence, an analytic model was derived that reproduces the experimentally found important operational boundaries of the density limit and between L- and H-mode confinement. Feedback control for the X-point radiator (XPR) position was established as an important element for divertor detachment control. Stable and detached ELM-free phases with H-mode confinement quality were obtained when the XPR was moved 10 cm above the X-point. Investigations of the plasma in the future flexible snow-flake divertor of AUG by means of first SOLPS-ITER simulations with drifts activated predict beneficial detachment properties and the activation of an additional strike point by the drifts.


Using satellite altimetry data, we have observed a series of anticyclonic eddies as they form at the Big Island of Hawaii and have tracked them as they move away from the island. While similar eddies have been observed near the Hawaiian Islands in previous studies, the fate of the anticyclonic eddies has previously been unclear. The eddies that we observed initially propagated to the southwest but consistently changed propagation direction to the northwest later in their lifetimes. This was intriguing to us, as theoretically, the decay of isolated anticyclonic eddies on a β plane should cause them to continually move toward the southwest. Such isolated eddy dynamics are unable to account for the observed change to northwestward eddy propagation, and the presence of the westward flowing North Equatorial Current turns out to be important to the Big Island eddy dynamics. The eddies are not passively advected by the North Equatorial Current; rather, the mean flow changes the propagation characteristics of the eddies. An existing theory that includes meridionally varying, purely zonal mean flow is shown to account for the observed propagation of the Big Island eddies if the zonal variation of the mean flow is considered.


Welcome to the Information Boutique! Here you will find an list of offerings designed and provided by the NYIT Libraries for NYIT faculty and staff.


This article examines the role of the mental health sector evidence in international crimes prosecutions. Specifically, recent trials are examined with a view to assess the scope and limits of psychiatric evidence in relation to war crimes defences. Scrutinizing fully the origins and triggers of individual criminal responsibility, serves the interests of justice and enhances trial rights. This study also tries to illustrate the undesirable but extensive use of hearsay evidence in international criminal courts and the ways in which psychiatric evidence is used frequently to validate inconsistent testimonies and hearsay accounts of presumed victims and witnesses but not to enable defendants to form defences. The article concludes that defence trial rights would be better protected if relevant legal lacunae and ambiguities regarding the admissibility of psychiatric evidence are clarified and if the amount of such evidence required to satisfy certain defences, such as duress, is quantified with greater specificity.


This paper describes process and device simulation results of SiC floating junction Schottky barrier diodes (Super-SBDs). Two-dimensional process simulation of a SiC device is implemented using the customized ISE's process simulator "DIOS". The simulation results reproduce the experimentally observed buried floating junction structure of a SiC Super-SBD. The device simulation method using the anisotropic impact ionization coefficients is formulated. The effect of anisotropic avalanche breakdown field on termination structures of SiC SBDs is examined. Finally, by the device simulation we have shown that the trade-off between the on-state resistance and the breakdown voltage of the super-SBD that contains two drift layers exceeds that of the conventional SBD.


Linking health and security has become a mainstream approach to health policy issues over the past two decades. So much so that the discourse of global health security has become close to synonymous with global health, their meanings being considered almost interchangeable. While the debates surrounding the health–security nexus vary in levels of analysis from the global to the national to the individual, this article argues that the consideration of health as a security issue, and the ensuing path dependencies, have shifted in three ways. First, the concept has been broadened to the extent that a multitude of health issues (and others) are constructed as threats to health security. Second, securitizing health has moved beyond a rhetorical device to include the direct involvement of the security sector. Third, the performance of health security has become a security threat in itself. These considerations, the article argues, alter the remit of the global health security narrative; the global health community needs to recognize this shift and adapt its use of security-focused policies accordingly.


ABSTRACT Peer feedback benefits students' learning at the university level. However, how it makes an impact on students' learning and which defining factors in its design wield more significant influence are aspects that continue to require further analysis. This study is dedicated precisely to analyse how different feedback conditions impact students' perception of their learning. Through a questionnaire administered to a sample of 410 university students, we inquire about how the different conditions under which the feedback is designed – such as privacy (anonymous or not), contact (personal or virtual), delivery channel (oral, written or mixed) and consensus (individual or in a group) – impact the improvement of learning tasks and the development of the students' inter- and intrapersonal skills. The results reveal that students perceive that they learn more when they give feedback than when they receive it, and that there are certain conditions that are better suited to others for absorbing what has been learnt. The study reveals that in order to maximise its effects, the instructional design of peer feedback must offer spaces to carry it out face-to-face – anonymously – with a mixed channel of delivery (complementing written comments with oral feedback) and that the feedback be agreed upon in a group, both when it is given and when it is received.


A great deal of theoretical discussion exists in the literature regarding authenticity in leadership. However, empirical studies attempting to resolve data-driven factors operationalizing the construct of authenticity in leadership are scarce. In this article, the authors introduce a discussion pertaining to Chinese leadership styles and relevance to existing authenticity in leadership theories. The vast theoretical arguments regarding authenticity in leadership are synthesized into a 49-item instrument, which was introduced and piloted with 200 Chinese university students. The Leadership Authenticity Rating Scale (LARS) achieved high reliability with Cronbach's alpha of .84. Data were factor analyzed using exploratory analysis, resulting in two factors contributing to the authenticity construct with reliability measures of .82 and .75 respectively. While cultural differences exist between Eastern and Western notions of leadership, evidence supporting the theory of authentic leadership as a part of the Chinese view of leadership is supported, indicating high potential for a common definition of authenticity regardless of ethnic orientation.


In 1993 Roger Ellis warned that 'University Teachers should get a grip on quality assurance
before it gets a grip on them' (p.16). Despite this warning, a decade and a half later, academics
in the United Kingdom are well and truly in the grip of Quality Assurance (QA). In the intervening
period, a large body of scholarship has grown up around the culture of QA. Several scholars
have examined in detail how quality can be, and is, variously discursively formed and framed
(see Harvey & Green 1993; Barnett 1992) and many others use the problematic nature of
defining 'quality' as a point of departure for their further analysis (see for instance Vidovich
2001; Kohler 2003; Yorke 1999). Many of these scholars agree that the QA discourses which are
'retrospective' and 'outcome oriented', and therefore focussed on accountability and auditing,
are those which have come to prevail in the UK (see for instance Harvey & Knight 1996).
As Miliken & Colohan (2004) argue, "teaching and learning appears to be stultified by
government attempts to benchmark and assess teaching quality regardless of the impact on
professional autonomy" (p.386). John Biggs (2001) agrees, observing that many QA procedures
can be 'two-edged' in that they can have a negative impact on the student learning experience.
In his analysis, Biggs makes specific mention of the procedures for course and module
validation, arguing that they have a particularly stifling effect on teaching improvisation and
innovation. While this stifling effect is certainly having a negative impact on traditional face-toface
teaching strategies, we are concerned that it is even more acute in the case of eLearning.
Our showcase paper argues that the stifling nature of 'retrospective' QA strategies is having a
detrimental impact on the emergence of sustainable communities of practice in institutions in
the UK in the field of eLearning. It will begin by considering the requirements for validation, as
outlined by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and will then undertake a comparative analysis
of the discourses used to describe traditional face-to-face and virtual learning environments. We
illustrate our argument with some recent examples of documentation used for the validation of
both modules and courses. Our conclusions not only demonstrate how the QAA requirements
for validation are hindering the adoption of eLearning in the UK but also show how describing
eLearning in these documents puts the problematic nature of the whole validation procedure into
sharper relief.
As recent legislative changes start to take effect in Australia and New Zealand, our findings
offer some warnings for leaders in institutions in these countries to help them get a grip on the
discourses of quality before it gets its grip on them.


Findings from research in educational and cognitive psychology have shown that metacognition, defined as the awareness, monitoring, and evaluation of one's knowledge and cognitive processes, exerts substantial influence on individual performance. The majority of this research, however, has only examined metacognitive skill as it applies to academic settings, and has largely overlooked its applications to other contexts, such as cross-cultural performance. To better understand the role of metacognition in cross-cultural contexts, as well as the means by which it should be assessed, two studies were conducted that jointly explored the construct validity of a well-established self-reported measure of metacognition (i.e., the Metacognitive subscale of the Cultural Intelligence Scale; CQS), as well as its relative utility in predicting cross-cultural performance. Results from Study 1 indicated that self-reported metacognition (as measured by the CQS) is distinct from personality, but highly correlated with the other subfacets of self-reported cultural intelligence. Analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) further revealed that peers (n = 206) were more accurate in rating participants' cultural intelligence than were participants themselves (n = 206). Results from Study 2, which explored the criterion-related validity of the Metacognitive subscale of the CQS, in particular, demonstrated that self-reported metacognition did not predict international students' adaptation (n = 50). These findings are discussed in light of other research that has called into question the validity of self-reported measures of metacognition, in general.


Two or more dispersed wave trains each with constant amplitude will interfere giving a resultant
wave train which is amplitude modulated, if the individual waves have their principal
energies in a common frequency band and if the trains arrive with time separations small
compared to their total length. The dispersive characteristics of the trains need not be the
same. If the component trains are of comparable magnitude, the modulation due to interference
becomes significant and a "beat" phenomenon occurs. Multiple trains of dispersed
seismic surface waves may occur because of a temporal and/or spatial distribution at the
source or because of multipath propagation. Each of these causal mechanisms influences the
amplitude and phase spectra of the resultant wave train; derived properties such as phase
velocities and amplitude ratios are also influenced. In the case of multipath propagation,
wavelength dependent time delays may occur. Two cases of twin earthquakes are analyzed,
and the significant features of interference are demonstrated. In one case, estimates are obtained
for the amplitude ratio and time delay of the second shock with respect to the first.
The interpretation of seismograms and spectra influenced by multiple events is discussed.


This volume brings together a series of studies concerned with aspects of the archaeology of burial in early medieval England and Wales during the period c. A.D. 400-1100. The demographic composition of cemeteries, burial rites and mortuary behaviour are considered alongside the political and landscape context of burial, all topics which are recent developments in the field of burial archaeology in Britain. Students and researchers will find the theoretical and methodological approaches of use to their own studies, whilst those seeking an understanding of the trajectories of change in patterns of burial through the Anglo-Saxon period will find it the first summary of its kind. Besides offering individual studies, the volume reviews the early medieval burial archaeology of Britain and identifies areas of future research.


Cadmium selenide, CdSe nanomaterials were synthesized in microhetergenous media consisting of water-in-oil type microemulsions using the surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and cyclohexane as the oil, under two different experimental conditions. In one set of experiments, the synthesis was carried out by normal chemical route at room temperature, named as green chemistry route. In another set, the synthesis was carried out through radiation-chemical route using 7 MeV electron beam using a linear electron accelerator (LINAC). In the previous case, the shape of CdSe nanomaterials was found to evolve from isotropic spherical to anisotropic rod like structures in lower w0 microemulsions with time. Similar observations were obtained in the case of CdSe nanomaterials synthesized via electron beam irradiation. The photoluminescence was found to be different in the CdSe nanomaterials formed by these two different routes. In the former case, the band gap photoluminescence was observed from the immediately produced nanomaterials, however with aging after a day there were two distinct band gap photoluminescence as well as trap state photoluminescence observed at room temperature. On the contrary, in the case of electron beam induced CdSe nanomaterials the trap state photoluminescence was always dominating irrespective of the aging. Copyright © 2013 VBRI press.


The kinetics of the dark-adapted salamander rod photocurrent response to flashes producing from 10 to 105 photoisomerizations (Φ) were investigated in normal Ringer's solution, and in a choline solution that clamps calcium near its resting level. For saturating intensities ranging from ∼102 to 104 Φ, the recovery phases of the responses in choline were nearly invariant in form. Responses in Ringer's were similarly invariant for saturating intensities from ∼103 to 104 Φ. In both solutions, recoveries to flashes in these intensity ranges translated on the time axis a constant amount (τc) per e-fold increment in flash intensity, and exhibited exponentially decaying "tail phases" with time constant τc. The difference in recovery half-times for responses in choline and Ringer's to the same saturating flash was 5–7 s. Above ∼104 Φ, recoveries in both solutions were systematically slower, and translation invariance broke down. Theoretical analysis of the translation-invariant responses established that τc must represent the time constant of inactivation of the disc-associated cascade intermediate (R*, G*, or PDE*) having the longest lifetime, and that the cGMP hydrolysis and cGMP-channel activation reactions are such as to conserve this time constant. Theoretical analysis also demonstrated that the 5–7-s shift in recovery half-times between responses in Ringer's and in choline is largely (4–6 s) accounted for by the calcium-dependent activation of guanylyl cyclase, with the residual (1–2 s) likely caused by an effect of calcium on an intermediate with a nondominant time constant. Analytical expressions for the dim-flash response in calcium clamp and Ringer's are derived, and it is shown that the difference in the responses under the two conditions can be accounted for quantitatively by cyclase activation. Application of these expressions yields an estimate of the calcium buffering capacity of the rod at rest of ∼20, much lower than previous estimates.


We derive explicit distance bounds for Stratonovich iterated integrals along two Gaussian processes (also known as signatures of Gaussian rough paths) based on the regularity assumption of their covariance functions. Similar estimates have been obtained recently in [Friz-Riedel, AIHP, to appear]. One advantage of our argument is that we obtain the bound for the third level iterated integrals merely based on the first two levels, and this reflects the intrinsic nature of rough paths. Our estimates are sharp when both covariance functions have finite $1$-variation, which includes a large class of Gaussian processes. Two applications of our estimates are discussed. The first one gives the a.s. convergence rates for approximated solutions to rough differential equations driven by Gaussian processes. In the second example, we show how to recover the optimal time regularity for solutions of some rough SPDEs.


Much of the debate on climate policy in the USA focuses on the gain or loss to the macroeconomy of alternative policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the economy is made up of multiple individuals, not a single representative agent. This article reports the results of alternative ways of distributing emissions allocations across citizens. Macroeconomic effects interact with the policy for distribution, but the distributional weights are more important for the welfare of individual agents than the economy-wide effects of the emissions reductions. Egalitarian distributions of the emissions allowances have the potential to increase the welfare of most people, even if significant emissions reductions are mandated. Focusing on the distribution of emissions allowances (or the revenues generated from an emissions tax) rather than on aggregate GDP may provide guidance in identifying and implementing politically viable solutions to the climate change mitigation problem.


In this study, six plant growth promoting bacterial strains were tested against eggplant root rot disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani. The bacterial strains were evaluated for their ability to promote growth and control R. solani in eggplant under greenhouse conditions. The results of antagonistic activity of the bacterial strains against R. solani showed that the tested strains controlled the radial growth of R. solani ranging from 24.66 to 40.33 mm, of these, Bacillus subtilis was the most promising strains which recorded 24.66 mm. Results of the treatment eggplant seeds with the bacterial suspension of the six strains showed that all tested strains significantly increased the percentage of seeds germination as compared to control treatment, B. subtilis strain was the best which recorded 92.16% as compared to 69.56% for control treatment. The greenhouse experiment revealed that the plants treated with B. subtilis recorded maximum (Shoot length, root length, fresh and dry weight of plant, rate of fruits weight, plant productivity). All these parameters were increased by 93.83 cm, 26.50 cm, 589.30 g/ plant, 163.03 g/ plant, 101.63 g, 1180 g/ plant respectively, also the results showed B. subtilis significantly decreased disease incidence and severity of eggplant infected by R. solani which recorded 34.06, 0.23 respectively as compared to both positive without pathogen and negative with pathogen control treatment (4.4 %, 77.33), (0.07 %, 0.71) respectively.


of mental rn-health between two similar populations living in different environments. It is tempting to conclude that in making comparisons with the national average the earlier study was employing the wrong denominator. In both Croydon populations there was a marked association between different aspects of ill-health. People with poor mental health were more likely to have poor physical health, and they also more often expressed dissatisfaction with their neighbourhood, A tantalizing finding was a significant association between mental ill health and a past history of concussion and of certain infectious diseases. One important deduction to be drawn from this work is that a structured questionnaire administered by carefully selected, trained and supervised lay interviewers provides a powerful epidemiological tool which has not yet been fully exploited. This volume may serve as a guide and encouragement to those who are deterred from tackling urgent questions by the chronic shortage of professional research workers.


Since its inception in Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of the California, the duty to protect third parties imposed on mental health professionals (MHPs) has been the subject of considerable scrutiny. Clinicians and legal scholars alike derided the original duty to protect "anyone foreseeable" as unworkable—undermining the therapeutic relationship and placing MHPs in the impossible position of having to predict their patients' violent future. Over time, case law and legislation narrowed the duty to something less problematic: a "duty to warn" identifiable victims who face imminent threat of serious harm. However, Volk v. DeMeerleer, reset the duty for Washington MHPs to its original expansiveness, and arguably broadened the basis for imposing the duty. The decision effectively marries the duty to the mere presence of a therapeutic relationship, and divorces it from a patient's dangerousness—the objective criteria this Article argues is an implicit and necessary component of the duty. Dangerousness is not only a reasonable basis upon which to trigger the duty to protect, it also embodies the crucial development in mental health law that a mentally ill person's rights cannot be curtailed absent due process. This Article argues that Volk effectively denies the need for objective criteria to trigger the duty and, as a result, is legally unsupportable as well as practically unworkable. Worst of all, Volk undermines the legalist approach to mental health laws which arose in response to the repugnant presumption that a mentally ill person necessarily threatens the public's safety. This Article first traces the rise of rights-based mental health laws and the role of dangerousness, as well as the origin of the duty to protect. Second, it reviews trends in the duty to protect case law and legislation to identify the implicit role that dangerousness played in limiting Tarasoff. It further reflects on how dangerousness, although flawed, represents the best option for mediating the tension between honoring the rights of mentally ill persons and protecting society. Finally, this Article sets out the facts and rulings of Volk, concluding with a call for legislative reform. Absent a course correction, the decision invites a return to the false notion that mentally ill persons are inherently dangerous.


In December 1992, the Cadbury Committee published their Code of Best Practice. The recommendations, which largely reflected perceived best practice at the time, included separating the roles of CEO and chairman, having a minimum of three non-executive directors on the board and the formulation of audit committees. The Code also advocated that a more active role be taken by institutional investors in the promotion of good practice in corporate governance. This paper discusses how agency problems may be (partially) resolved by corporate governance, reviews the evidence on compliance with the Cadbury Code and examines the relationship between board structure and firm performance, looking for evidence that the Code has enhanced board performance. While there is no empirical evidence of an association between board structure and firm value, there is some evidence that compliance with the Cadbury recommendations enhances board oversight with respect to the manipulation of accounting numbers and the discipline of the top executive.


Bryophytes play a key role in peatland ecosystems; they participate directly in the constitution of peat and in the maintenance of these ecosystems. Nevertheless, the knowledge of this group is highly limited, specifically for liverworts. Therefore, we present a key to determine liverworts, restricted to peatland habitats and swamp forests of Tepualia stipularis (Hook. & Arn.) Griseb. of Isla Grande de Chiloe (Chile). This key includes the main reported taxa for these ecosystems and it is based on vegetative characters to facilitate identification. Fifty-two species and 28 genera are included. These taxa belong to 19 families. The best represented families are: Lepidoziaceae, Lophocoleaceae, Plagiochilaceae, and Aneuraceae. Chiloscyphus, Plagiochila, and Riccardia are the richest genera. A separate key for each group with similar characters and alphabetical taxa list are provided


This paper discusses the managerialist approach to developing and implementing systems for flexible delivery of educational systems in the Australian university sector. Rapid advances in communication technologies have enabled the education sector to provide greater flexibility and diversity in the traditional areas of mixed delivery and distance education. Notes that educational policy is being shaped by neo‐liberal ideology, leading to systems of flexible delivery in which a concern with economic worth and efficiency can override the purpose of such systems. Asserts that, in order to develop effective online flexible learning systems, universities need to plan for, and invest heavily in, adequate programs to train academic staff in all aspects of the delivery of courses in the online flexible learning systems and to provide incentives to academics to become e‐moderators and managers of online flexible learning systems.


Sound propagation over the ground is greatly influenced by the sound‐speed profiles and the atmospheric turbulence, and there exist a number of models taking these effects into account. However, for practical outdoor sound propagation studies, it appears to be unrealistic to measure the effective sound‐speed profiles (SSP) and turbulence index 〈μ2〉 to obtain acoustical predictions. For a complete prediction model, these parameters should therefore be estimated from general atmospheric conditions. To fulfill the needs of acoustical prediction models, a meteorological model was developed to estimate SSP and 〈μ2〉. This model is based on estimations of the roughness length and the Monin–Obukhov length, which define the shape of the wind‐speed profiles, temperature profiles, and the index of turbulence [Panofski and Dutton, Atmospheric Turbulence (Wiley, New York, 1984)]. The roughness length is estimated according to the surface of the site, and the Monin–Obukhov length using an empirical relation proposed by...


This paper describes the participatory video (PV) method as a means of engaging children in remote Aboriginal communities as participants in health research. The PV method was piloted in two remote communities in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. There was widespread community acceptance of this approach and preliminary findings are discussed with reference to the key themes of perspectives on health, benefits to participants and benefits to communities. The PV method has a number of strengths, including flexibility to respond to community priorities, a lack of dependence on verbal or written data collection and the capacity to generate immediate benefits for participants. While not without methodological problems, these pilot projects suggest that the PV method is well suited to the remote Aboriginal communities who participated. The ethical implications of the PV method are discussed with specific reference to published ethical guidelines.


: The study was aimed to ascertain a possible pollution by allergenic Mites in 15 samples of leather dust belonging to occupational environments of 4 Italian shoes factories. All dosages were both performed by a quantitative immunologic and ELISA method (Indoor Biotechnology Lmd) and a semi-quantitative colorimetric method (Aclotest Lofarma) and the results were compared according to a five steps risk-evaluation. In all factories allergenic components of Mites were documented. The highest concentration of Der p1 and Der f 1 in dust was 15,4 mcg/g, while allergens prevailed around the working-places, where discards of leather usually were collected. Moulds were studied in 29 samples of 9 shoes factories, adopting specific cultures. In all but one occupational environment moulds were present and taxa of Alternaria, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium were prevalent, spores of them have known allergenic propert. Besides the identification, quantitative levels were not planned in this study. Dermatophytes were absent, while four taxa of Keratinophylic non allergenic moulds were observe. When leather dust are disperded in occupational environments a risk due to allergenic agents as secondary contamination must be carefully considered. Such a risk, according to our results, may be classified as "intermediate for allergenic Mites" and temptatively "light for allergenic moulds". Such a risk might be carefully considered for legal and preventive purposes and also monitored by occupational healthcare professionals.


In ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), it is possible to obtain single chain forming single crystals, where chains are adjacently re-entrant. Depending on the heating rate, it is feasible to melt these crystals either by simple consecutive detachment of chain stems from the crystalline substrate or by cluster melting, where several chain stems are involved. The consecutive detachment of chain stems occurs at the melting point predicted from the Gibbs–Thomson equation, whereas the cluster melting at much higher temperatures. Melting by the consecutive detachment of chain stems from the crystal substrate and their diffusion in the melt ultimately result in a new melt state having a heterogeneous distribution of physical entanglements, which invokes differences in local mobility. With combined DSC, rheology and solid-state NMR studies, it is concluded that the disentangled domains present within the entangled matrix possess higher local mobility than the entangled domains, ultimately causing lower elastic modulus. The fraction of the entangled and disentangled domains is maintained at higher temperatures, leading to a thermodynamically non-equilibrium melt state. In contrast, in cluster melting, where several chain stems (initially disentangled) can simultaneously adopt the random coil state, entanglements that are formed are homogeneously distributed in the melt. The paper invokes the influence of the topological differences present in the amorphous phase of the semi-crystalline polymer on the melting kinetics of crystals. The reported findings have implications for the melting behaviour and the resulting melt state of polymers in general.


For many people who speak more than one language,their language proficiency for each of the languagesvaries. We can conjecture that people who use onelanguage (primary language) more than another wouldshow higher language proficiency in that primary language.It is, however, difficult to observe and quantifythat problem because natural language use is difficultto collect in large amounts. We identify Wikipedia asa great resource for studying multilingualism, and weconduct a quantitative analysis of the language complexityof primary and non-primary users of English,German, and Spanish. Our preliminary results indicatethat there are indeed consistent differences of languagecomplexity in the Wikipedia articles chosen by primaryand non-primary users, as well as differences in the editsby the two groups of users.


Despite decades of research and huge investment, remote monitoring of the state of fresh and sea-water using all but the simplest sensors remains prohibitively expensive. As water metering and charges are increasingly implemented across Europe, can the ordinary person expect to obtain devices that can enable them to independently check the quality of their drinking water? Will citizens be able to share this data, and access other data related to their environment, like air quality? The signs are that they will, but the path forward is not straightforward. In this lecture I will discuss the current status of autonomous sensors for environmental monitoring, and speculate on the key breakthroughs that could drive a sensor 'revolution', which has the potential to place a vast amount of environmental information in the public domain.


In vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) broadcasting is considered as the critical area of research. The vehicles are connecting in an ad hoc manner to create a network of a wider range. In an intelligent transport system (ITS), with vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication in the VANET is used to support the network backbone and which the accident prevention technique has been deployed for ensuring the road safety. The major reason for the road accident is the abnormal driving behavior of human drivers. The movement pattern of the vehicle is the main factor of the network topology so that the impact of human driving pattern influences the performance and behavior of the network. Driving behavior can be classified as reckless, normal, drunken, and fatigue driving. During driving, the behavior of human drivers was predicted in this paper, thereby providing the performance analysis on the mobility of the network. For the improvement of a driver behavior, the hybridized mega‐trend diffusion (MTD) with optimized deep belief network–sunflower optimization (DBN‐SFO) is used. Here, the network performance of the adaptive deer hunting Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (ADHOLSR) is analyzed in NS2 simulation platform.


The progressive closure of the Neotethys Ocean had a profound impact on the oceanclimate system during the Cenozoic. In this perspective, Turkey represents a key area for studying the climate evolution during the Eocene, because it was located at the gateway between the Neotethys and the Atlantic Ocean. Here, we present a high-resolution integrated magnetobiostratigraphic record of a new middle Eocene sedimentary section from the Elazığ Province, eastern Turkey. The continuous, undisturbed, and undeformed sedimentary record, together with preserved geomagnetic signal and fossil assemblages, allows the establishment of a detailed age model, which spans from the upper part of chron C19n.1r to the base of chron C17n.1n (42.4–37.8 Ma). Field observations and paleontological and paleomagnetic data show that the section has not been affected by the widespread tectonic deformation that characterizes the region. We suggest that the magnetostratigraphically and biostratigraphically calibrated Baskil section represents a new, outstanding shallowto deep-marine sequence where paleoceanographic and paleogeographic studies can be conducted to understand the middle Eocene climate evolution.


With the increasing availability of moving-object tracking data, trajectory search is increasingly important. We propose and investigate a novel query type named trajectory search by regions of interest (TSR query). Given an argument set of trajectories, a TSR query takes a set of regions of interest as a parameter and returns the trajectory in the argument set with the highest spatial-density correlation to the query regions. This type of query is useful in many popular applications such as trip planning and recommendation, and location based services in general. TSR query processing faces three challenges: how to model the spatial-density correlation between query regions and data trajectories, how to effectively prune the search space, and how to effectively schedule multiple so-called query sources. To tackle these challenges, a series of new metrics are defined to model spatial-density correlations. An efficient trajectory search algorithm is developed that exploits upper and lower bounds to prune the search space and that adopts a query-source selection strategy, as well as integrates a heuristic search strategy based on priority ranking to schedule multiple query sources. The performance of TSR query processing is studied in extensive experiments based on real and synthetic spatial data.


How does hospitality look and feel at a performed hanging? On a nightly basis, Japanese performance artist Hangman Takuzō would hang himself in his Tokyo garden. For a small fee, audience members witnessed the hangings, but were also welcomed as guests, invited to share refreshments, eroding the border between morbid performance ritual and everyday gestures of fellowship.


Abstract : Systematic exploration is an approach to finding race conditions by deterministically executing every possible interleaving of thread transitions and identifying which ones expose bugs. Current systematic exploration techniques are suitable for testing user-space programs, but are inadequate for testing kernels, where the testing framework's control over concurrency is more complicated. We present Landslide, a systematic exploration tool for finding races in kernels. Landslide targets Pebbles, the kernel specification that students implement in the undergraduate Operating Systems course at Carnegie Mellon University (15- 410). We discuss the techniques Landslide uses to address the general challenges of kernel-level concurrency, and we evaluate its effectiveness and usability as a debugging aid. We show that our techniques make systematic testing in kernel-space feasible and that Landslide is a useful tool for doing so in the context of 15-410.


Commons-based peer-production (CBPP), as exemplified by community-based open source software (OSS) development, has been posited by Yochai Benkler as an alternative to hierarchies and markets for organizing the production of information goods. This study seeks to conceptualize viable CBPP through an Activity Theoretic analysis of 524 peer-reviewed OSS research artifacts. The analysis reveals the reliance of peer-production communities on complex systems of interrelated tools, rules, and roles as mediating components enabling communities to (i) exploit the two theorized advantages of CBPP (resource allocation and information processing) and (ii) overcome the two theorized challenges associated with this mode of production (motivation and organization). The study clarifies and extends extant understanding of CBPP in several significant ways, and concludes that in order for CBPP to be viable, participants must operate in a sustainable fashion that both enhances the commons and leaves the community intact.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity and toxicity of a tirapazamine (TPZ)/cisplatin drug combination in patients with stage IV or recurrent cervical cancer. The chemotherapy was administered for a maximum of eight cycles every 21 days. TPZ was administered intravenously at 330 mg/m2 over a 2-h infusion, followed 1 h later by cisplatin intravenously at 75 mg/m2 over 1 h on day 1. All patients received antiemetics including dexamethasone, ondansetron, and lorazepam. Subsequent doses were unchanged, reduced, or omitted according to observed toxicity and protocol guidelines. Response evaluation was performed every two cycles. Thirty-six patients with stage IV or recurrent cervical cancer were treated. Ninety-four percent of patients had prior radiotherapy. Two patients had prior chemotherapy. There were two complete responses and eight partial responses (27.8%). An additional 11 patients (30.6%) had stable disease as their best response. Response rate was greater in tumors outside of the previously radiated field (44.4% vs 11.1%). The median time to progression was 32.7 weeks. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events were nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, which occurred in 30.6%, 25%, and 22% of subjects, respectively. Anemia was the most frequent grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicity at 8.3%. We conclude that the combination of cisplatin and TPZ was reasonably well tolerated in patients with recurrent or advanced cervical cancer. Further evaluation of this drug combination may be warranted.


One of the restrictions for uncertain biological systems is that there are uncertain parameters which are not measurable with non-invasive instrument. A problem of interest is that proposing a method which estimates this parameter from measurable outputs of system. By declining homotopy parameter the initial problem which has the form of a high gain observer gradually transforms to a parameter estimation problem. With the gradual transform to the main problem provide the ability of finding the global value of uncertain parameter. This approach is applied for the model of cancer to illustrate the effectiveness of the homotopy method to achieve the best estimate for uncertain parameters by finding the minimum of a proposed optimization problem.


The B subunit of cholera toxin, which is multivalent and binds exclusively to a specific ganglioside, GM1, was mitogenic for rat thymocytes. When exposed to the B subunit, the cells proliferated, as measured by 3H-labeled thymidine incorporation. Mitogenesis depended on the direct interaction of the B subunit with GM1 on the surface of the cells. This demonstrates that endogenous plasma membrane gangliosides can mediate proliferation in lymphocytes.


We discuss a novel strategy for training neural networks using sequential Monte Carlo algorithms and propose a new hybrid gradient descent/sampling importance resampling algorithm (HySIR). In terms of both computational time and accuracy, the hybrid SIR is a clear improvement over conventional sequential Monte Carlo techniques. The new algorithm may be viewed as a global optimisation strategy, which allows us to learn the probability distributions of the network weights and outputs in a sequential framework. It is well suited to applications involving on-line, nonlinear and non-Gaussian signal processing. We show how the new algorithm outperforms extended Kalman lter training on several problems. In particular, we address the problem of pricing option contracts, traded in nancial markets. In this context, we are able to estimate the one-step-ahead probability density functions of the options prices. i


High-magnitude forcing events like earthquakes and severe storms greatly influence regional landslide activity. Here, we investigate geomorphic factors contributing to slope instability prior to, during, and after four extremeforcing events: the 2008 MW 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake, China, the 2003 MW 7.2 Fiordland Earthquake, New Zealand, the 2007 MW 6.9 George Sound Earthquake, New Zealand, and typhoon Morakot (2009) in Taiwan. Regional scale landslide interpretation was carried out using a 13-year record of global forest change developed by Hansen et al. 2013. Unsupervised clustering of treeloss points is used to delineate individual landslides, and subsequent landslide density analysis allows to determine the extent of the study area. While this satellite-based catalogue allows the identification of shallow landslides in vegetated mountain areas, we cannot account for slope instability on non-vegetated slopes. Nonetheless, the satellite-based treeloss catalogue offers unique insight into temporal and spatial patterns of slope stability, making it also possible to account for landslide reactivations. We consider the occurrence of earthquake and rainfall-induced landslides relative to a number of common geomorphic factors, including distance from river channels, slope, aspect and curvature. Moreover, new topographic measures for landscape sensitivity were developed, combining topographic roughness and local erosion potential. In order to account for spatial distributions as a result of high-magnitude forcing, annually allocated landslide locations are normalized against an annual set of randomly distributed points, which were seeded using a weighted probability distribution within 0.9x0.9 km moving average windows. While we observe that coseimically induced landslides in Fiordland follow normal trends in elevations of landslides observed throughout all years, the Wenchuan earthquake and typhoon Morakot alter elevation patterns, with retrogressive slope failure in Wenchuan and progressive slope failure in Taiwan in the years following the events. Interestingly, we find that coseismically induced landslides follow normal trends with respect to slope gradient, whereas slope failures during typhoon Morakot preferentially occurred on steeper slopes than during weak typhoons. In the regions of the 2003 and 2007 earthquakes in Fiordland, as well as in the region of the Wenchuan earthquake, landslide orientation does not suggest enhanced susceptibility due to topographic amplification of oblique incoming seismic waves, and may instead reflect the dependence of weathering and soil production on slope aspect. Slope aspect preference is highly variable in Taiwan, and dependent on wind directions during typhoons. While we cannot account for correlations between sensitivity and landslide occurrence during heavy rainfall events, we identify a noticeable increase in landslide occurrence with increasing sensitivity during seismic shaking. Additionally, landslide rates were found to remain elevated for 1 year, 2 years and 5 years, after typhoon Morakot, the 2003 Fiordland earthquake and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, respectively. However, further research needs to be carried out on this newly developed technique of identifying and analyzing slope failures using a global treeloss catalogue.


Within the past eight years, RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful experimental tool for gene function analysis in mice. Reversible control of shRNA mediated RNAi has been achieved by using a tetracycline (tet)-inducible promoter. In the presence of the inductor doxycycline (dox), shRNA mediated gene silencing is initiated, whereas RNAi mechanism is blocked in the absence of dox. To achieve spatially and temporally regulated RNAi, the tet inducible system was combined with a Cre/loxP based strategy for tissue specific activation of shRNA constructs. To this end, a loxP-flanked "promoter inhibitory element" (PIE) was placed between the proximal (PSE) and distal sequence element (DSE) of a dox inducible promoter such that promoter function is completely blocked. Re-activation can be achieved through Cre mediated excision of PIE. To allow for gene silencing in a selected tissue, Cre expression can be regulated by a tissue-specific promoter. In mouse ES cells, the system mediated tight regulation of shRNA expression upon Cre mediated activation and dox administration, reaching knockdown efficiencies of >80%. Unexpectedly, the system showed a limited activity in transgenic mice when applied for conditional silencing of two different targets, LacZ and Sirt2. Sirt2 is a member of the sirtuin family which has considerably gained attention in vitro for its possible role in many physiological processes, including adipogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases. To investigate the function of Sirt2 in vivo, the unmodified dox-responsive and tet-inducible promoter was further used for conditional RNAi in transgenic mice. Inducible shRNA expression resulted in efficient silencing of Sirt2 (>90%) in all tissues which have been analyzed. Suppression of Sirt2 during embryogenesis resulted in offspring consisting of equal ratios of wild type and transgenic pups, indicating that Sirt2 is not indispensable for development. In adult animals, glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and energy balance appeared to be unaffected by Sirt2 deficiency. Likewise, expression of PPARγ, a downstream target of Sirt2, was not found to be altered upon Sirt2 inhibition. Finally, Sirt2 silencing was induced in an experimental model of Parkinson disease (PD). Data from Rotarod performances to study motor behaviour did not provide any evidence for a role of Sirt2 in PD pathogenesis as suggested by previous in vitro studies. Taken together, conditional Sirt2 silencing in vivo does not support speculation concerning a central role of Sirt2 in physiological processes, embryogenesis and in a mouse model of Parkinson disease.


This paper presents the findings of a theoretical investigation into the association between organizational culture and stakeholder management. With an aspect focused on international construction projects, the study explores the relationship between the cultural origin of key stakeholders and the cultural context in which projects are realized. Emphasis is placed on the examination of project outcomes and the factors that influence cultural domain. Secondary data suggests stakeholder management and corporate culture are critical areas that decide an organization's success. The importance of these areas will inevitably grow in the future as projects continue to be procured in a global economy. Identifiable theoretical associations between the constructs have been found that provide early evidence that stakeholders and culture influence project life-cycles. Stakeholders—organizations and their representatives—must be informed of the distinct types of cultures and success criteria to ensure they manage them efficiently alongside traditional and long-accepted project variables.


The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relevance of recent empirical research on interest rate determination, in which focus is mainly placed on a Keynesian formulation and the more recent theories on the term structure of interest rates, a subject much discussed in economic literature. Despite the volume of literature on the structure of interest rates, very little significant statistical work appears to have been undertaken; at least, the percentage of material that could be described as statistical is very small indeed. In spite of the existence of an extensive literature, stretching at least as far back as Marshall, no really unified, formal, theoretical framework for discussion of the structure of interest rates is available. Ever since the publication of Keynes' «General Theory», economists have been fascinated by the concept of «liquidity preference» and Keynes' new inter-pretation of the forces that determine, to his mind, the long-term rate of interest. Recent contributions on «liquidity-preference» have dealt with both its theoretical and empirical aspects. Very recently, a tendency is becoming apparent to take account of liquidity in a much broader sense. The presence of financial intermediaries outside the commercial banking system has brought this about. An attempt at elaborating on the influence of non-bank-financial intermediaries, via their holding of financial assets in general, on the long-term rate of interest has been made by J. L. Ford and T. Stark. They used the simple Keynesian interest rate determination function substituting the stock of money with weighted liquid assets.


The Internet has been widely applied in various fields; more and more network security issues emerge and catch people's attention. However, adversaries often hide themselves by spoofing their own IP addresses and then launch attacks. For this reason, researchers have proposed a lot of trace back schemes to trace the source of these attacks. Some use only one packet in their packet logging schemes to achieve IP tracking. Others combine packet marking with packet logging and therefore create hybrid IP trace back schemes demanding less storage but requiring a longer search. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid IP trace back scheme with efficient packet logging aiming to have a fixed storage requirement for each router (under 320 KB, according to CAIDA's skitter data set) in packet logging without the need to refresh the logged tracking information and to achieve zero false positive and false negative rates in attack-path reconstruction. In addition, we use a packet's marking field to censor attack traffic on its upstream routers. Lastly, we simulate and analyze our scheme, in comparison with other related research, in the following aspects: storage requirement, computation, and accuracy.


Abstract The incidence of mental and somatic sequelae has been shown to be very high in people who survived the Holocaust. In the current study, 80 Holocaust survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder were examined based on evaluation of their complete record (medical reports, clinical history, medical statements, and handwritten declarations of patients under oath). These survivors were compared with subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder caused by traumata other than the Holocaust. The data were analyzed for the presence of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and orthopedic diseases that developed in the time between the earliest medical report (expert opinion) and the latest expert opinion. Analysis revealed an increase in myocardial infarction, chronic degenerative diseases, and cancerous changes in the second expert opinion. No differences between the groups were seen with regard to sex, age at traumatization, or age at examination. Several implications of the data are discussed, including the implication that the survivors examined in this study may comprise a highly resilient group, inasmuch as they had reached an advanced age.


Failure to complete high school has a direct impact on a person's earning potential and quality of life. Higher levels of education are associated with better health. Because of this association, it is important for children and adults to have access to quality education. The percentage of adults who have successfully pursued higher education in Southern Nevada is lower than the peer Mountain West metropolitan areas and the national average. Nevada high school graduation rates are the lowest in the nation. High school graduation rates and dropout rates vary by race/ethnicity in the Clark County School District. High school graduation rates for the Class of 2010 were the lowest for Native American/Alaskan Native, Black and Hispanic students. The highest graduation rates were for Asian and White students. Clark County ranks last in per pupil spending in Nevada. Clark County School District experienced budget cuts due to the economic recession. Cuts have resulted in increased pupil/teacher ratios. Southern Nevada has nine public and private universities or colleges and six career and technical institutions to support adult higher education and career development.


To date, not much has been known regarding the role of CD80 and CD86 molecules in signaling of B cells. The CD28/CTLA4 ligands, CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2), are expressed on the surface of freshly isolated splenic B cells, and their expression is up-regulated by lipopolysaccharides. In the present study, we have investigated whether signaling via CD80/CD86 could alter the proliferation and immunoglobulin synthesis of B cells. Splenic B cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharides in the presence of anti-B7-1 (16-10A1) and anti-B7-2 (GL1) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Exciting features observed during the study were that cross-linking of CD86 with GL1 enhanced the proliferation and production of IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes. In contrast, anti-B7-1 (16-10A1) mAb could efficiently block the proliferation and production of IgG1 and IgG2a. Furthermore, GL1 mAb could also induce the secretion of IgG isotypes from B cell lymphomas. Importantly, 16-10A1 could retard the growth of lymphomas and favored the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic molecules caspase-3, caspase-8, Fas, FasL, Bak, and Bax and down-regulation of antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-x(L). In contrast, GL1 augmented the level of anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-w and Bcl-x(L) and decreased the levels of pro-apoptotic molecule caspase-8, thereby providing a novel insight into the mechanism whereby triggering through CD80 and CD86 could deliver regulatory signals. Thus, this study is the first demonstration of a distinct signaling event induced by CD80 and CD86 molecules in B cell lymphoma. Finally, the significance of the finding is that CD80 provided negative signal for the proliferation and IgG secretion of normal B cells and B cell lymphomas. In contrast, CD86 encouraged the activity of B cells.


Colonic epithelial secretion is an important host defense mechanism. We examined whether a bout of colitis would produce long-lasting changes in epithelial function that persisted after resolution of mucosal inflammation. Colitis was induced in rats with intracolonic trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. Six weeks later, colonic damage and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression and activity were measured. Segments of distal colon were mounted in Ussing chambers for measurement of permeability and responsiveness to secretory stimuli. Basal electrolyte transport parameters and permeability were not different from untreated controls. Despite normal macroscopic and histological appearance, secretory responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS), isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), and carbachol were significantly depressed (by 60-70%) relative to controls. iNOS mRNA expression and enzyme activity were significantly elevated. Dexamethasone reversed epithelial hyporesponsiveness and significantly reduced iNOS mRNA expression. A selective iNOS inhibitor normalized the secretory responses to EFS and IBMX but not to carbachol. These data suggest that ongoing synthesis of nitric oxide by iNOS contributes to chronic suppression of epithelial secretory function after episodes of colitis.


This article examined an intergenerational interaction from a popular television show in two ways. First, a detailed textual analysis illustrated (a) the salience of age in the interaction, (b) (counter-) stereotypical elements of the older adults' portrayal, (c) intergenerational connections achieved within the interaction, and (d) the use of age stereotypes in the script's humorous punch line. The punch line featured the previously alert older adult showing signs of confusion—here termed lurking incoherence. Second, an experimental study showed that the punch line of the clip influenced specific evaluations of the older person in the show, but did not influence general attitudes towards older adults. It was also shown that individuals with more positive general attitudes towards older adults evaluated the older character particularly negatively when they were exposed to the punch line. The ways in which viewers actively process media portrayals of intergroup communication are discussed.


Accumulating epidemiological and clinical evidence shows that inflammation is an important risk factor for gastrointestinal diseases. Glycyrrhiza glabra, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to safely suppress gastric cancer; however, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms in gastric tumorigenesis have been poorly investigated. Therefore, this study is committed to demonstrate the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA), the main active component of G. glabra. The lymphocytes and macrophages were heavily infiltrated in the transgenic mice that highly expressed cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES)-1; however, a significant reduction was observed after treatment with GRA. In addition, GRA downregulated the protein levels of COX-2, GαS, EP2, and β-catenin, which were involved in the arachidonic acid pathway. In conclusion, our study showed the potential protective effects of GRA against inflammatory environment that might be involved in gastric tumorigenesis in vivo through the PGE2-EP2 receptor-mediated arachidonic acid pathway.


Background : Disease surveillance identifies prevention targets and provides information to monitor growth. Malaria eradication in Africa was a high priority within the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. This work aimed to accentuate the status of malaria in Dschang amid rigorous interventions. Materials and Methods : In a cross-sectional study, 515 persons, comprising 300 pupils in six primary schools and 215 individuals living around a municipal lake, were screened for malaria using standard parasitological methods. A questionnaire was administered for relevant epidemiological information. Results : Seventy-nine (15.3%) persons positive for Plasmodium were all asymptomatic; 71 (13.8%) cases had Plasmodium falciparum, and 8 (1.5%) Plasmodium malariae; Loa loa and Mansonella perstans (0.2% each) were also identified. There was a significant negative correlation between age and infection (r = -0.82). The parasite density ranged from 60 to 22590 parasites/mm 3 of blood, mean 1014.68 p/mm 3 , with 3 (0.6%) severe cases (> 5000 p/mm 3 ). Children aged 0-4 years were most vulnerable, Plasmodium index (PI)-33.3%. The PI was higher in pupils' resident on the semi-rural swampy outskirts conducive for mosquito development. Distance from the lake had no influence on PI. Parasitemia increased significantly in August. Dschang was established mesoendemic for malaria with a low density. Increasing urbanization, health promotion, good drainage and sanitation, the use of mosquito nets, chemoprophylaxis for pregnant women, treating children up to five years free, and the use of insecticides to kill adult mosquitoes seemed to reduce malaria transmission and its fly vectors. Conclusion : Scaling up, greater efficiency, and equitable delivery of malaria control initiatives would be fruitful.


In this thesis we want to introduce the first steps towards realising a new method to investigate the cosmological parameters and conduct a detailed analysis of the galaxy cluster MACS J0416. Toward this end, we use the current model from Grillo et al. (2015) as a template and the publicly available lensing code Lenstool. This code has previously been used by Jauzac et al. (2014), Richard et al. (2014), Jauzac et al. (2015) and Caminha et al. (2016) to model MACS J0416 (Grillo et al. (2015) used GLEE). We created $10$ different models to cover a reasonable set of different approaches. In addition to the replication of the Grillo et al. (2015) models, with two cluster scale halos and 175 circular cluster member mass-density profiles, we created models using elliptical mass-density profiles for the cluster members and models where we optimize the cluster member scaling relation slopes. In order to investigate the viability of using the projected total mass estimate from different cosmological models to estimate the cosmological parameter values, we created 49 models each representing a different set of cosmological parameters.


In a prospective controlled trial, we studied the effect of tight metabolic control on the outcomes of 102 gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pregnancies compared with outcomes of 102 matched nondiabetic control pregnancies. Women with GDM were treated to achieve and maintain a blood glucose concentration of <130 mg/dl at 1 h after breakfast. Treatment consisted of a diet low in oligosaccharides and fat and, if necessary, once daily insulin. By the end of gestation, 88 of the 102 women with GDM received insulin at a mean dose of 18 U/day. Duration of insulin therapy ranged from 3 to 32 wk with a median of 11 wk. Perinatal outcome of GDM pregnancies under this management equaled that of control pregnancies. The full spectrum of excess morbidity from GDM was prevented, and normal distribution of birth weight and normal rates of macrosomia, dystrophy, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hyperbilirubinemia, fetal acidosis, and low Apgar scores were achieved. No mortality was observed. In addition to the two main study groups, we also studied a third group of 24 women with GDM whose treatment lasted ≤5 wk due to late diagnosis. This suboptimally treated group demonstrated a significant (P < .05) increase of macrosomia and umbilical artery acidosis compared with the well-treated GDM group. The study reported herein demonstrates that excess mortality and morbidity typically observed in GDM can be prevented by early institution of tight metabolic control, which required insulin in 86% of our patients.


This paper employs firm-level panel data of 57 incumbent and entrant firms for 23 European countries in the decade from 2003 to 2012. We examine the impact of serviceand facility-based competition on firm level investment as well as the strategic effects underlying infrastructure investment decisions. At the same time we explicitly model the structural dynamics of broadband investment using dynamic panel estimation techniques. We find that facility-based competition exerts a positive and significant impact on both incumbents and entrants implying that incumbents' and entrants' investment decisions are strategic complements. Moreover, this strategic complementarity is much more pronounced with respect to the entrants. Finally, we show that service-based competition appears to have no significant impact on the investment decision of incumbents and entrants and that there is no supportive evidence for the so-called "ladder of investment" hypothesis. With respect to the later phase of market regulation, service-based competition exerts a negative impact on entrants' investment. JEL classification: L43, L52, L96.


Objectives: Impulsive spending is listed as a possible symptom in the diagnostic criteria for a manic episode. However no research has examined whether those with bipolar disorder believe that their mental health and finances are related. Methods: Qualitative data was obtained from two sources: qualitative questionnaire responses (n=44) and a focus group (n=6). These were thematically analysed by 2 independent reviewers. Results: Seven key themes and 3 sub-themes were identified. Clients spoke of over-spending, impulse shopping and being excessively generous with money when elated in mood and this having a detrimental effect on finances. Participants reported experiencing severe anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, regret and guilt when recovering from a hypomanic/manic episode and realising the extent of their financial difficulties. During episodes of depression, participants reported comfort spending and avoiding dealing with their financial situation as a means to cope. Participants reported that having bipolar made maintaining employment difficult, resulting in taking on a less stressful role or being reliant on benefits. Finally, participants reported a vicious cycle with financial difficulties driving mental health and vice versa. Conclusions: The present findings provide evidence in support of the impulsive spending diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder. The research has identified a number of possible psychological mechanisms such as impulsivity, self-critical thoughts and avoidance behaviours. It may be that psychological interventions can help tackle these variables and reduce the impact of poor mental health on finances and vice versa in those with bipolar disorder.


This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study which uncovered and described Postpartum Depression and its contributing factors among Rajbansi mothers in Nepal. Methodology: quantitative tools semi-structured questionnaires, check lists used covering 375 samples of Morang, Jhapa and Sunsari districts of Nepal. Findings: Prevalence of Postpartum Depression (PPD) was 12.27% in Rajbansi mothers. PPD was associated with sleeplessness (p= <0.0001) in the study. Mental stress was associated with sleeplessness (p= <0.0001). Habit of alcohol use by husband was associated with sleeplessness in wife or mothers (p= <0.0001). Habit of tobacco use or smoking by husband was associated with sleeplessness in wife or mothers (p= 0.005). Conclusion: Economic conditions, education, habits of husband were associated with mental stress in mothers and mental stress in mothers was also associated with Postpartum Depression of mothers in Rajbansi was statistically significant. Mothers with labour occupation or very poor, uneducated and those wives of alcohol taking and smoking husbands were vulnerable to PPD. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/researcher.v1i1.8374 Researcher: A Research Journal of Culture and Society Vol.1(1) 2013


Synonymous mutations, which do not alter the protein sequence, have been shown to affect protein function [Sauna ZE, Kimchi-Sarfaty C (2011) Nat Rev Genet 12(10):683–691]. However, synonymous mutations are rarely investigated in the cancer genomics field. We used whole-genome and -exome sequencing to identify somatic mutations in 29 melanoma samples. Validation of one synonymous somatic mutation in BCL2L12 in 285 samples identified 12 cases that harbored the recurrent F17F mutation. This mutation led to increased BCL2L12 mRNA and protein levels because of differential targeting of WT and mutant BCL2L12 by hsa-miR-671–5p. Protein made from mutant BCL2L12 transcript bound p53, inhibited UV-induced apoptosis more efficiently than WT BCL2L12, and reduced endogenous p53 target gene transcription. This report shows selection of a recurrent somatic synonymous mutation in cancer. Our data indicate that silent alterations have a role to play in human cancer, emphasizing the importance of their investigation in future cancer genome studies.


The proposed wideband shorted planar inverted cone antenna (SPICA) has been described as a two element antenna array in this paper. The two element array by this antenna with proper phase of excitation and spacing between the elements provide superdirective array characteristic. This array gives peak endfire directivity from 3.502 dBi to 10.3 dBi and radiation efficiency above 98% in the operating frequency band. Also in radiation pattern characteristic, the farfield pattern of the array is more directional than single element array. Thus the proposed SPICA is suitable for wideband antenna array applications.


Endometrial diagnostic techniques available to the family physician for office use have a high degree of accuracy in identifying intrauterine pathology. Recent refinements in endometrial sampling devices have made their use cost-effective and complication rates minimal. These methods can be utilized annually for screening asymptomatic women at high risk of developing uterine cancer. Detection of endometrial hyperplasia has improved with the newer samplers. Patient acceptance is excellent, especially with the cytologic devices.


This study focuses on an improvement in medical storage, which is one of the major expenses in a hospital. Based on a real case study of a medium-sized private hospital in Thailand, the study is conducted in two steps. The first step classifies medical (drug) items into three classes using the ABC analysis. Then, in the second step, a simulation-based optimization method using ARENA with the OptQuest Optimization tool is developed. The method optimizes the inventory policy's parameters, to minimize the total relevant costs of keeping the drug items by combining the ordering and holding costs. We have applied four inventory policies to all samples of the drug items in class A, which contains the highest usage values. Then, a comparison is made with the hospital's current practice to find possible savings. From the findings, cost savings of nearly 50% from the case of current practice can be achieved. The proposed methodology can assist and provide the best decisions in managing the medical inventory of this hospital under an uncertain environment of customer demand and supply lead time.


This paper addresses the question of whether the increased occurrence of central Pacific (CP) versus Eastern Pacific (EP) El Niños is consistent with greenhouse gas forced changes in the background state of the tropical Pacific as inferred from global climate change models. Our analysis uses high‐quality satellite and in situ ocean data combined with wind data from atmospheric reanalyses for the past 31 years (1980–2010). We find changes in background conditions that are opposite to those expected from greenhouse gas forcing in climate models and opposite to what is expected if changes in the background state are mediating more frequent occurrences of CP El Niños. A plausible interpretation of these results is that the character of El Niño over the past 31 years has varied naturally and that these variations projected onto changes in the background state because of the asymmetric spatial structures of CP and EP El Niños.


Paternal postpartum depression (PPD) within the first postpartum year is estimated to occur in 4% to 25% of new fathers. Paternal PPD occurs later postpartum in men than in women, and results in father/infant bonding issues, may lead to long term effects for the child, and has detrimental effects on the couple's relationship. Risk factors of paternal PPD include the mother having PPD, the father having a history of depression, being under 25, and being unmarried. Recent evidence suggests that paternal PPD may be related to sensitivity to low testosterone in some men. Childbirth professionals have the opportunity to raise awareness of this issue through pre and postnatal education of both parents.


Particular features were studied of the time course of changes in biochemical parameters characterizing endogenous intoxication in severe craniocerebral injury in patients greater than 45 years old. In group 1 patients displaying high values for endotoxicosis, there has been noted lowering of the above values after enterosorption over the immediate twenty-four hours following the injury, accompanied by regression of neurological symptomatology. In group 2 those who had sustained the injury and had normal or moderately elevated values for endotoxicosis on the first day, the latter were found to be on the increase in the time course of acute period of the injury. This necessitated including enterosorption into the therapeutic complex to be inaugurated in all those patients having sustained severe craniocerebral injury, within the above age bracket.


Recent works by trans and nonbinary poets, including Oliver Baez Bendorf, Jos Charles, jayy dodd, Joshua Jennifer Espinoza, Paige Lewis, and Danez Smith, gesture to a new mode of trans-confessional poetry. Trans poets practice naming as a form of self-indulgence, and trans names and pronouns are a form of poetry—following Audre Lorde's articulation—read into the world to give it new shape. In trans naming practices and poetry, self-indulgences are also demands made of another, a new name or unexpected pronoun asking for an affirmative repetition, a performative reflection: mirror restaging. Gender, like self-indulgence, is never accomplished alone. It relies on an audience that either affirms and repeats—or refuses—one's request to be seen and understood in a way that breaks from expectation. I closely read two poems, by Oliver Baez Bendorf and Richard Siken, whose shared centering of names articulate a relational self-indulgence in their proposed call-and-response.


Background/objecives: Micro nutritional malnutrition is a global public health problem contributing directly and indirectly to morbidity and mortality of billions of peoples worldwide. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are widespread, affecting one third of the global population. The general objective of the study was assessment of average Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) in selected adult urban population. Subjects and methods: In this study 300 subjects of which 150 male and 150 female were studied. Among 300 subjects 100 were hostel student, 100 were non hostel student and 100 were slum people with ranges were 18-30 years of age. The Study was conducted in an urban area of Dhaka. Pre-structured questionnaire was developed with relevant information's. The food intake patterns of the subjects were recorded by 24 hours recall method and used nine food groups for IDDS information. IDDS was calculated according to Low IDDS ( 6 Food groups). Results: Our Results showed that 150 male out of 300 participants IDDS and FCS were 4.15 ± 0.88, 6-2, 9.88 ± 1.88, 15-5. On the other hand, among 150 female their IDDS and FCS were 4.28 ± 1.2, 7-2, 9.43 ± 2.38, 15-4. P value of IDDS and FCS were 0.064 and 0.069. Education was the highly significant (p<0.001) associated with Food Consumption Score (FCS) and sex was significant (p<0.03) with Food Consumption Score (FCS). Conclusion: Academic qualification of the family is associated with Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) and Food Consumption Score (FCS).


The fungus Monosporascus cannonballus Pollock and Uecker infects melon (Cucumis melo L.) roots and causes root rot/vine decline disease, which has reduced productivity of commercial muskmelon and honeydew cultivars in South Texas. To assess the impact of the fungus on several root traits, two greenhouse experiments were carried out over two seasons. A comparison of inoculated vs. control root systems was carried out with four melon cultivars representing both susceptible ('Magnum 45' and 'Caravelle') and tolerant types (Deltex' and 'Doublon'). The sand medium was inoculated with 50-60 colony forming units (CFUs) per gram of the severe Monosporascus strain, TX90-25. After a 30-day growth period, the control and inoculated root systems were carefully cleaned and evaluated. Roots were scanned by a computer and the data were analyzed by the Rhizo Pro 3.8 program. The traits of interest included total root length, average root diameter, number of root tips, number of fine roots (0-0.5 mm), and number of small roots (0.5-1 mm). Significant differences existed between the two tolerant cultivars and the two susceptible ones for four of the traits. Total root length, fine and small root length, and root tip number were greater for Deltex' than for both susceptible cultivars and greater for 'Doublon' than for Caravelle', The results suggest that tolerance to this pathogen is closely linked to the integrity of the root structure. The potential for improving root vigor to combat root rot/vine decline merits further investigation.


In this paper we provide first systematic evidence on the gender disparities in the labor market in Swaziland, drawing on the country's first two (2007 and 2010) Labor Force Surveys. We find that even though the global financial crisis had a less severe effect on the labor market outcomes of women than those of men, women continue to have lower employment and labor force participation rates. Utilizing the Heckman probit selection model shows that while women account for a disproportionate share of the self-employed, they are more often than men involved in low-productivity activities and rely less on formal finance. We conclude with policies that could help Swaziland – and other middle income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – narrow these disparities and embark on a more inclusive growth path.


Neurons are often probed by presenting a set of stimuli that vary along one dimension (e.g. color) and quantifying how this stimulus property affect neural activity. An open question, in particular where higher-level areas are involved, is how much tuning measured with one stimulus set reveals about tuning to a new set. Here we ask this question by estimating tuning to hue in macaque V4 from a set of natural scenes and a set of simple color stimuli. We found that hue tuning was strong in each dataset but was not correlated across the datasets, a finding expected if neurons have strong mixed selectivity. We also show how such mixed selectivity may be useful for transmitting information about multiple dimensions of the world. Our finding suggest that tuning in higher visual areas measured with simple stimuli may thus not generalize to naturalistic stimuli. New & Noteworthy Visual cortex is often investigated by mapping neural tuning to variables selected by the researcher such as color. How much does this approach tell us a neuron's general 'role' in vision? Here we show that for strongly hue-tuned neurons in V4, estimating hue tuning from artificial stimuli does not reveal the hue tuning in the context of natural scenes. We show how models of optimal information processing suggest that such mixed selectivity maximizes information transmission.


The book Maupassant (1976), which is devoted to an analysis of Maupassant's short story "Two friends", is one of A. J. Greimas' most important works. In it he tried out the semiotic tools he had developed up to that point, tested models for narrative analysis, and anticipated future perspectives in the development of semiotic theory. We discuss how the book puts forward the principle of immanent analysis, and how the "closed" text – the object of semiotic analysis – is constructed. The article reveals that while Greimas declares, in the book's Foreword, that he is distancing from context – the literary sociocultural universe – within the analysis itself he is forced to recognize certain contextual elements. Greimas recognizes the importance of acknowledging contextual facts such as the French concept of patrie and does not attempt to hide certain subjective interpretive elements. Yet at the same time Greimas attempts to suppress context's invasion of his interpretation. He recognizes the semantic isotopies generated by context to the extent to which they suit the coherence of his analysis, considering them auxiliary in terms of the syntactic and discursive structures of the text. Nevertheless, a contextual isotopy – based on intertextual ties to a Biblical parable – becomes the main one. We come to the conclusion that the principle of immanence in Maupassant is not a negation, but a problematization that demonstrates how relevant contextual material can be integrated into a semiotic analysis.


Given values of a piecewise smooth function $f$ on a square grid within a domain $\Omega$, we look for a piecewise adaptive approximation to $f$. Standard approximation techniques achieve reduced approximation orders near the boundary of the domain and near curves of jump singularities of the function or its derivatives. The idea used here is that the behavior near the boundaries, or near a singularity curve, is fully characterized and identified by the values of certain differences of the data across the boundary and across the singularity curve. We refer to these values as the signature of $f$. In this paper, we aim at using these values in order to define the approximation. That is, we look for an approximation whose signature is matched to the signature of $f$. Given function data on a grid, assuming the function is piecewise smooth, first, the singularity structure of the function is identified. For example in the 2-D case, we find an approximation to the curves separating between smooth segments of $f$. Secondly, simultaneously we find the approximations to the different segments of $f$. A system of equations derived from the principle of matching the signature of the approximation and the function with respect to the given grid defines a first stage approximation. An second stage improved approximation is constructed using a global approximation to the error obtained in the first stage approximation.


The characteristics of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accompanying chronic liver disease (CLD) were investigated in ICH patients hospitalized between 1998 and 2008 divided into the CLD group (55 ICHs in 49 patients) and the idiopathic group without CLD (668 ICHs in 648 patients). The CLD group included a subgroup with liver cirrhosis (LC). Age, sex, history of hypertension, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission, and hematoma locations were reviewed. Outcomes on discharge and causes of in-hospital death were also studied. Factors associated with life prognosis in CLD patients were investigated using uni- and multivariate analyses. History of hypertension and deep cerebral hemorrhage were less frequent in the LC subgroup compared to the idiopathic group. Distributions of GCS scores on admission were not significantly different, but incidence of in-hospital death was significantly higher in the CLD group than in the idiopathic group. LC was an independent prognostic factor for CLD patients, but hematoma enlargement was not. Death primarily due to ICH was less frequent in the CLD group than in the idiopathic group. In conclusion, hemostatic disorders seemed to be related to site of hemorrhage, but not to life prognosis in the CLD group. Prognosis was mainly worsened by non-neurological complications.


This study is an investigation of communicative effectiveness and attitudes in relation to deviation from Standard English in an international church in Stockholm. This church is an English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) setting as the congregation consists almost entirely of people who use English as a means of communication with people who do not share their own first language. The study is based on empirical data from both qualitative and quantitative methods. The spoken language was investigated by analyzing one transcribed sermon and through interviewing two speakers of American English. Also a survey was done with 26 members of the church, obtaining quantitative data as well as several comments from the respondents on their view of the usage of English in the sermons and in the church in general. The results from the study showed as expected that there were a number of deviations from Standard English when ELF was used in the sermon. However, these caused little irritation and were judged not to cause much misunderstanding. The deviations that did cause some irritation among the respondents from the church were when the wrong word was used as well as when a word was pronounced incorrectly. The results indicated that there was little disturbance regarding the communicativeness and attitudes in connection to the spoken English in this ELF setting.