Species identification based on morphological characteristics has caused misidentifications and led to twisted views of abundances and roles of ctenophores. Based on extensive field studies from 2007 to 2010, the occurrence of the arctic ctenophore Mertensia ovum was genetically verified in the southern, central and northern Baltic Sea, and its egg production, distribution and abundance were studied in relation to physical factors. Genetic analyses indicate that M. ovum is by far the most abundant small ctenophore in the Baltic Sea. Specimens from a 20 yr old ctenophore collection were also genetically identified as M. ovum, contrary to their previous morphological identification as another ctenophore species, Pleurobrachia pileus. Thus, earlier reports on P. pileus in the Baltic Sea may actually refer to M. ovum. The abundance of M. ovum was regulated by both salinity and temperature, with highest abundances found in sea areas and water layers at temperatures 5.5 and oxygen levels >4 ml l-1. During summer, the highest abundances of ctenophores and their eggs were found near the halocline, while the distribution was more uniform throughout the water column during winter. Only ctenophores >3.5 mm (oral-aboral length) produced eggs in the experiments, with an average rate of 2.2 eggs ind.-1 d-1. Finally, comparison with published data from the 1980s (assuming that those data refer to M. ovum) indicates that the present-day ctenophore abundance is ~80% lower in the north and ~55% higher in the southern parts of the Baltic Sea, due to reasons yet to be established.


Currently, Web-based applications without personalization and developed with "ad hoc" practices are requiring substantial evolution. Particularly, e-commerce applications are implicitly bound to a fully customisable fashion, attending individual users or group of users needs. Hence, personalization is a leader performance feature of today's Web applications to capture users' attention. In this paper, we introduce a model-driven reengineering approach based on the object-oriented hypermedia design method (OOHDM) to personalize existent Web applications. We illustrate the proposal through a real non-personalized case corresponding to an international oil corporation.


Effect of epinephrine on alpha-methyl-D-glucopyranoside uptake in renal proximal tubule cells. Epinephrine has known to be a very important factor in the regulation of renal sodium excretion. However, the effect of epinephrine on Na+/glucose cotransporter was not fully elucidated. Thus, we examined effect of epinephrine on alpha-methyl-D-glucopyranoside (alpha-MG) uptake and its related signal pathways in the primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubule cells (PTCs). Epinephrine inhibited alpha-MG uptake in a time- and dose-dependent manner and also decreased SGLT1 and SGLT2 protein level. Both phentolamine and propranolol completely prevented epinephrine-induced inhibition of alpha-MG uptake. The epinephrine-induced inhibition of alpha-MG uptake was blocked by SQ-22536 or myristoylated PKA inhibitor amide 14-22 and epinephrine increased the intracellular cAMP content. In western blotting analysis, epinephrine increases phosphorylation of p44/42 and p38 MAPKs and PD 98059 or SB 203580 blocked the effect of epinephrine. In addition, epinephrine increased AA release and PGE2 production and effects of epinephrine on alpha-MG uptake and AA release were blocked by staurosporine and bisindolylmaleimide I or mepacrine and AACOCF3. Indeed, epinephrine translocated PKC or cPLA2 from cytosol to membrane fraction. In conclusion, epinephrine partially inhibits the alpha-MG uptake through PKA, PKC, p44/42, p38 MAPK, and cPLA2 pathways in the PTCs.


There is a pressing need to redress inequities in university completion rates and graduate outcomes. Students from low socio-economic status, regional, and Indigenous backgrounds have lower completion rates than their peers. Graduates from non-English speaking backgrounds and graduates with a disability have consistently worse employment outcomes. Despite these concerning trends, student equity remains marginal to most university employability strategies, including the provision of careers services. University careers services are a central resource for improving student employability. These services provide a range of activities such as careers education, job interview training, resumé preparation, and the sourcing of employment opportunities. Research suggests that students from equity groups underutilise careers services, despite often having the most to gain from them. We captured the professional perspectives and expertise of university careers specialists to explore: the role of careers services in improving employability and equity; and broader university strategies to redress inequitable graduate outcomes.


The unemployment rate is commonly assumed to measure labour availability, but this ignores the fact that potential workers frequently come from outside the current set of labour market participants, the so-called inactive. The UK Longitudinal Labour Force Survey includes information that can be used to predict impending employment transitions. Using this unique dataset, new measures of labour availability, and indicators based on the more familiar unemployment rate alternatives, can be constructed and are reported here. The micro and macroeconomic performance of these labour force availability measures is compared. Two simplified models, which include several categories of reasons for not working as well as demographic variables, perform particularly well in all of the tests. The implications of these preferred models are further studied in the context of regional regressions and comparisons with alternative data sources. These results together illustrate the important role that some groups of the inactive can play as a source of potential workers.


The current study was designed to explore the platelet aggregation activity of methanolic extracts of green gram, lentil, mash bean and soya bean. The extracts dose-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation initiated by arachidonic acid (AA) and platelet activating factor (PAF). Extract of green gram was effective only against AA mediated activity while mash bean and soya bean extracts were effective against both AA and PAF mediated activity. But lentil extract has no activity. The order of activity based on IC(50) value is, Mash bean > Soya bean > Green gram. This preliminary result suggests that legume seed extract may be taken as a candidate lead natural compound to be considered in the search for natural products with beneficial effects on aberrant platelet activation mediated cardiovascular disorders.


Background and purpose: Prevention of dental caries is one of the primary goals in dentistry. Application of fluoride decreased dental demineralization but the preventive ability of this fluoride is limited. Nowadays different investigations into dental erosion focused on the preventive effect of laser irradiation. The purpose of this applied study was to assess the effect of diode laser (λ = 810nm) and CO2 laser treatment in combination with NaF 2.26% varnish on deciduous enamel microhardness. Materials and methods: Seventy-two human mandibular deciduous incisors were polished and randomly allocated to the following treatments (n = 12): (1) NaF varnish (2.26% F); (2) NaF varnish + diode laser; (3) NaF varnish + CO2 laser; (4) CO2 laser; (5) diode laser; (6) control group (no treatment). Enamel alterations were determined using Vickers surface microhardness (VMH) testing after treatment and after erosion challenge. For the formation of artificial caries, the samples were immersed in hydrochloric acid, and then enamel alterations were determined again. The mean VMH were tested using analysis of variance and Tukey test. Results: All treatments except CO2 laser improved the hardening of enamel surface (P<0.05) and increased the resistance of samples against demineralization. The NaF + diode laser group had significantly higher surface microhardness value than the other groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between diode laser, NaF and CO2 laser + NaF groups in surface microhardness. Conclusion: The surface microhardness was the highest when both laser and fluoride were applied. Therefore, the effect appears to be synergistic; also, diode laser compared with CO2 laser was more effective in improving the hardening of enamel surface.


BACKGROUND
Lung cancer survivors are at risk of accelerated declines in physical functioning attributed to cancer treatment. However, it is unknown whether patients experience the same rate of functional decline and how symptoms may contribute to different trajectories.

OBJECTIVES
The aims of this study were to identify interindividual differences in the pattern and rate of change in self-reported functioning in lung cancer survivors and examine whether and how symptoms are related to physical functioning over time.

METHODS
This was a secondary data analysis in 72 lung cancer survivors. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate trajectories of self-reported physical functioning over 1 year and assess the relation between functioning, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and pain severity across time.

RESULTS
Within the sample, average physical functioning did not significantly decrease (coefficient, -0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.85 to 0.94) over time. However, among individual lung cancer survivors, baseline physical functioning varied significantly (SD, 20.76; 95% CI, 16.84-25.59) and changed at significantly different rates over 1 year (SD, 3.50; 95% CI, 2.13-5.68). Fatigue, assessed over 1 year, was the only significant symptom predictor of physical functioning changes over time (coefficient = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.79-1.27).

CONCLUSIONS
In this sample of lung cancer survivors, not all survivors experienced the same rate of self-reported functional decline and those with lower levels of fatigue reported better physical functioning.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Nurses should recognize that some lung cancer survivors may have faster rates of functional declines than others, which may be related to fatigue severity. Early identification and management of fatigue could help avoid or delay future disability.


To date no research has examined the effects of negative state on the perception of everyday injury risk. Instead, studies have focussed more broadly on the relationship between mood and self- reported optimism. The present study had two aims. Firstly, to assess the effect of incidental anxiety on implicit injury risk perception using a modified Implicit Association Test (IAT). Secondly, it sought to compare any effect with that on a conventional measure of risk perception (optimism). In line with previous research, anxious participants perceived more risk (were less optimistic). In contrast, there was no significant correlation between anxiety and the implicit perception of everyday injury risk. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


Objective. It has been hypothesized that a vision prosthesis capable of evoking useful visual percepts can be based upon electrically stimulating the primary visual cortex (V1) of a blind human subject via penetrating microelectrode arrays. As a continuation of earlier work, we examined several spatial and temporal characteristics of V1 microstimulation. Approach. An array of 100 penetrating microelectrodes was chronically implanted in V1 of a behaving macaque monkey. Microstimulation thresholds were measured using a two-alternative forced choice detection task. Relative locations of electrically-evoked percepts were measured using a memory saccade-to-target task. Main results. The principal finding was that two years after implantation we were able to evoke behavioural responses to electric stimulation across the spatial extent of the array using groups of contiguous electrodes. Consistent responses to stimulation were evoked at an average threshold current per electrode of 204 ± 49 µA (mean ± std) for groups of four electrodes and 91 ± 25 µA for groups of nine electrodes. Saccades to electrically-evoked percepts using groups of nine electrodes showed that the animal could discriminate spatially distinct percepts with groups having an average separation of 1.6 ± 0.3 mm (mean ± std) in cortex and 1.0° ± 0.2° in visual space. Significance. These results demonstrate chronic perceptual functionality and provide evidence for the feasibility of a cortically-based vision prosthesis for the blind using penetrating microelectrodes.


The reproducibility of the plasma clearance of 99 Tcm DTPA was studied in 26 patients under standardized conditions with the subject fasting and at rest. The coefficient of variation of duplicate measurements in patients with glomerular filtration rates (GRF's) ranging from 11–103 ml min-1 was 8%. Mean GFR following a breakfast containing 670 kcal and 31 g protein was increased significantly from 40.7±28.1 ml min-1 to 43.6±30.8 ml min-1. When fasted but permitted free exercise there was no consistent trend in GFR but the coefficient of variation of duplicate estimates increased significantly to 12.1%. It is recommended that routine GFR measurement should be carried out fasting or following a light diet with restricted activity.


As a predicted result of increasing population worldwide, improvements in the breed- ing strategies in agriculture are valued as mandatory. The natural resources are limited, and due to the natural disasters like sudden and severe abiotic stress factors, excessive floods, etc., the production capacities are changed per year. In contrast, the yield poten tial should be significantly increased to cope with this problem. Despite rich genetic diversity, manipulation of the cultivars through alternative techniques such as mutation breeding becomes important. Radiation is proven as an effective method as a unique method to increase the genetic variability of the species. Gamma radiation is the most preferred physical mutagen by plant breeders. Several mutant varieties have been suc- cessfully introduced into commercial production by this method. Combinational use of in vitro tissue culture and mutation breeding methods makes a significant contribution to improve new crops. Large populations and the target mutations can be easily screened and identified by new methods. Marker assisted selection and advanced techniques such as microarray, next generation sequencing methods to detect a specific mutant in a large population will help to the plant breeders to use ionizing radiation efficiently in breeding programs.


Health authorities increasingly recommend a more plant-based diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts, low in red meat and moderate in dairy, eggs, poultry and fish which will be beneficial for both health and the environment. A systematic review of observational and intervention studies published between 2000 and January 2020 was conducted to assess nutrient intake and status in adult populations consuming plant-based diets (mainly vegetarian and vegan) with that of meat-eaters. Mean intake of nutrients were calculated and benchmarked to dietary reference values. For micronutrient status, mean concentrations of biomarkers were calculated and compared across diet groups. A total of 141 studies were included, mostly from Europe, South/East Asia, and North America. Protein intake was lower in people following plant-based diets compared to meat-eaters, but well within recommended intake levels. While fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), folate, vitamin C, E and magnesium intake was higher, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake was lower in vegetarians and vegans as compared to meat-eaters. Intake and status of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and bone turnover markers were generally lower in plant-based dietary patterns compared to meat-eaters. Vegans had the lowest vitamin B12, calcium and iodine intake, and also lower iodine status and lower bone mineral density. Meat-eaters were at risk of inadequate intakes of fiber, PUFA, α-linolenic acid (ALA), folate, vitamin D, E, calcium and magnesium. There were nutrient inadequacies across all dietary patterns, including vegan, vegetarian and meat-based diets. As plant-based diets are generally better for health and the environment, public health strategies should facilitate the transition to a balanced diet with more diverse nutrient-dense plant foods through consumer education, food fortification and possibly supplementation.


For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, classical researchers have sought to understand the political and military history of imperial Rome in far greater depth than the situation of its populace. In particular, scholarly inquiry into the Roman economy has tended to focus on extensive, or aggregate, economic growth at the imperial level. While these studies indicate that the scale of the Roman economy peaked roughly during the 1st century AD, the effects of this growth on the average person remain uncertain. Recently, scholars have attempted to answer this question using housing data from the western empire, arguing that house size can be a reasonable proxy for wealth. However, similar studies in the eastern empire have yet to be undertaken. This paper addresses the economic impact of Rome on the eastern empire, specifically in the region of Asia Minor. In order to do this, I have amassed and analyzed archaeological housing data from Anatolia. Specifically, I have observed trends in the distribution of house sizes. After compiling a corpus of housing data from Pre-Roman, Roman, and Post-Roman eras, I recorded the changing trends in median house size and the distribution of house sizes. The data reveal that though median house size decreases over time, the largest houses actually underwent significant growth. This suggests a corresponding rise in economic inequality. Essentially, while little changed for the majority of Romans, the richest segment of the population experienced disproportionate benefit. Understanding such trends in per-capita wealth is crucial in developing a more comprehensive view of the economic and material well-being of Roman citizens. As a result, it provides one contribution towards developing a more comprehensive understanding of the Roman Empire as a whole.


Purpose

A review of current initiatives to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) achievement among American youth and young adults reveals the presence of "IQism". That is, whether such interventions are directed toward low-income minorities and/or the disproportionate number of higher-income youth who have selected liberal arts majors over an STEM major, the country has reserved STEM as a field for "the best and the brightest". Utilizing the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, this article argues that STEM content is accessible to all students including those whose first language is informal rather than formal English. Based upon these premises, this conceptual paper aims to introduce the framework of Teaching STEM as a Second Language as a strategy for elevating STEM achievement among students who would otherwise be excluded from the STEM movement.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilizes a review of both classic and current literature on second language acquisition to identify strategies that can be adopted by STEM instructors to increase STEM achievement among youth and young adults who are viewed as "average" and/or "below-average" academic performers.

Findings

Using quotes that confirm the thesis that STEM subject matter has been historically viewed as the domain of those whose cognitive skills place them among the "best and the brightest", the second language acquisition (SLA) strategy of "scaffolding" is introduced as a pedagogy for producing "comprehensible output" when STEM content is taught to students whose first language is informal English. Constructivism, a concept currently used to guide the teaching of STEM contents is introduced as a framework that merges best practices in STEM and SLA. Using Cummins' (1991) Common Underlying Proficiency Model, other strategies are also proposed for exporting SLA pedagogies and approaches to elevate equity in the quest to improve STEM achievement levels among youth and adults in the USA.

Originality/value

SLA theories and concepts have not been applied as a potential tool for teaching STEM. This is a unique and powerful lens that can be used to more effectively support the needs of underrepresented populations.


: It is clear that regulation of genetic expression of cells need not involve alterations of the basic DNA structure. Between the production of messenger RNA and enzyme degradation there are a number of steps, any of which can be modulated by hormones and other factors to yield cellular abnormalities associated with malignancy. It is important to identify the exact step at which a carcinogen operates and to discover how this alteration is transmitted to the progeny of malignant cells.


Growing urbanization and rapid development of the cities create conflict situations between development of building areas and natural areas. A built environment represents a high level of intervention in the ecosystem, altering the landscape and disturbing the natural processes. In an urbanized society, urban green areas are important as a place for contact with nature. The main purpose of the presented study were to review the present situation concerning the management and condition of naturalistic forest landscapes in urban areas and to study the attitude of professionals towards naturalistic forest landscapes in the urban area of Riga city, Latvia. The survey includes the opinions of representatives of different fields from Riga municipality and other institutions related to ecological, practical, planning and conservation activities, and also private working landscape architects. The statistical analysis and data's empirical distribution showed that professionals in Riga city recognize the values and benefits of naturalistic forest landscape. However, environmental preferences may depend more on affective reactions than on ecologically-based logical operations. Key-Words: Landscape perception, naturalistic forest landscape, formal landscape, Riga city


In a previous article, 1 we reported an investigation showing the effect of various purin-free diets on the daily excretion of uric acid. The diets used were a high protein, a high fat and a high carbohydrate, which were continued over periods varying from two to four days. It was found that the high protein purin-free diet resulted in the largest excretion of uric acid in the urine. This result confirmed the reports of other investigators, 2 who have demonstrated that the ingestion of food free from purin precursors, especially the proteins, may markedly raise the level of endogenous uric acid excretion. In discussing this fact, we stated at that time, that: While a high protein diet is a factor in the increased elimination of uric acid, it cannot be regarded as a quantitative one, for the protein ingestion in Case 2 was almost four times as much as that


This paper investigates the feasibility of Tomlinson-Harashima precoding when transmitting over multiple-antenna radio interfaces. In particular, we focus on the robustness of adaptive methods with respect to channel estimation errors. Two approaches are investigated to obtain predictions of the channel impulse response required to select the precoding parameters: Kalman filtering and particle filtering. Kalman filtering exhibits good performance but requires knowledge of the transmitted symbols in advanced. The particle filtering method considered in this work, on the other hand, is a blind technique that provides higher spectral efficiencies with a small loss in performance


universal and will require significant long-term support both within and outside the health service if the diet and health status of the British population is to be improved. MONTAGUE, SUE, Healthy Eating and the NHS': A Review of the Development and Implementation of Local Food and Health Policies in Britain. Food Policy Research, University of Bradford. November 1985 (UK Price £5.00 inc p & p). NACNE ad hoc Working Party (1983). A Discussion Paper on Proposals for Nutritional Guidelines for Health Education in Britain. Health Education Council, London. Department of Health and Social Security (1984). Diet and Cardiovascular Disease. Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 28. HMSO. London.


In the summer of 2000, Bashar al-Asad inherited the presidency of Syria from his father, the long-ruling Hafiz al-Asad. This Paper evaluates the capacity of the new leadership to meet growing societal, economic, political and foreign policy demands. Halfway through Bashar al-Asad's first term, Syria finds itself in a rapidly changing regional environment. The country is undergoing a process of economic change which, in the long run, may add up to a full transformation from étatism to a market economy. Political factors, however, limit the reach and impact of economic reform. The new generation of leaders has a much deeper understanding of the country's reform needs, but they are not willing to risk their own hold on power. It is unlikely, therefore, that Syria's authoritarian structures will be dismantled in the near future. On the foreign-policy front, the first years of Bashar al-Asad's tenure coincided with the breakdown of the Middle East peace process, the Iraq war and that conflict's regional repercussions. The regional geopolitical situation has not made the task of reformers easier - rather, renewed tension in the Middle East has strengthened the hand of conservative elements in the regime.


cancer patients in view of its effect as a stimulator of prolactin release. Unfortunately, a suitable alternative agent may be difficult to find as the phenothiazine derivatives, which include prochlorperazine, are also known to stimulate lactation and to raise serum prolactin levels. It is possible that for susceptible patients we may have to return to the uFe of older remedies such as pyridoxine.-I am, etc., J. S. BUNTING Department of Radiotherapy, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading


Thank you for inviting us to comment the review article entitled " Use of robotics in liver donor right hepatectomy " by Chen PD et al . (1), published on HBSN journal. In their interesting paper, the authors stated that despite the fact that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been documented with safety and feasibility in complex liver surgery the progress has been slow in regard to the application of MIS in donor graft hepatectomy.


: Yellow pages advertisements of 252 hospitals in 13 geographically separated metropolitan areas are content analyzed. Nearly 2,000 content items are classified into 13 categories and approximately 60% of them deal with specific hospital services. Discrepancies between some of the hospitals' advertisement contents and previously identified hospital attributes favored by consumers are discovered. Recommendations regarding hospitals' use of this promotional media are made.


This is an environmental and social impact assessment of the Airport Development Project for Egypt, which increases the landside and airside capacities at Cairo International Airport and the landside capacity at Sharm El Shaikh Airport. It details expected adverse environmental impacts and mitigation measures, the majority of which will be incorporated in the project design. Further mitigation measures to dispose of construction waste; and minimize hazards to workforce and resident populations during construction include the following: Use good site practices, construct temporary noise barriers, relocate equipment, reduce number of plant items and limit equipment operating time, and require workers to wear protective gear to reduce noise impacts. Dust suppression measures include regular watering of exposed areas, site access and egress control, development of a haulage route, restriction of vehicle speed and exhaust, locating stockpiles far away from sensitive areas and using impervious sheeting as covers, or spraying with water or a suppression chemical. Maintain evaporation ponds in site drainage to manage surface run off, lock storage tanks to prevent spilled fuel oils, empty and clean oil interceptors to prevent release into the storm water drainage system, dispose of waste materials at an approved storage site, use portable chemical toilets and sewage holding tanks, and only handle and store contaminants in designated areas and ensure that a spill management plan is in place. To control excavated waste, construction waste, and general refuse, use a waste management plan that minimizes waste generated, reuses on-site materials, segregates and recycles waste, and treats and disposes of waste according to relevant regulations outlining procedures for handling, collecting, removing, and disposing of waste. Ensure that chemical waste is properly stored and contained, using impervious, corrosive-free vessels (in capsulated barrels with cement), in well ventilated areas and removed by licensed waste collectors and transported to licensed waste facilities. Ensure public safety by gating access to the construction site, reducing interaction between construction and airport traffic during morning and afternoon peak periods, and fencing to prevent accidental or unauthorized entry. Parking and pedestrian movements will be monitored to assess the need for added measures. Reduce traffic congestion by using signage, enforcing illegal parking rules, and completing a feasibility study to evaluate different options, if needed.


Anthropological theory has privileged consideration of the regularities of everyday life and has paid far less attention to irregular events that disrupt the social order. In this article, I contribute to ongoing theoretical attempts to redress this imbalance. While I acknowledge the potential historical importance of irregular and extraordinary events, I do not see them as entirely free-floating. Here I concur with Marshall Sahlins, who convincingly shows how people order unusual events through mythopraxis and also how social structures facilitate individual agency. I contemplate a third possible relation between structure and event, namely, "framing." Drawing on my fieldwork in Bushbuckridge, South Africa, I show how people located and framed unfortunate and destructive events in zones that stood apart from everyday life. This process provides insight into witchcraft and homicide, topics that can no longer be understood only in terms of systemic agency.


In this essay, the author studies the so-called third use of the law in the Heidelberg Catechism, as a representative creed in the Calvinistic confession. In the introduction several current problems surrounding the normative use of the law are investigated, which leads to the research question: How can this use in the Heidelberg Catechism contribute to current theology of renewal? The structures of this catechism and the interpretative framework for the treatment of the law are first described, this is followed by an assessment of how the third use of the law in this catechism functions according to its own theological structures. It becomes clear that the treatment of the Ten Commandments differs from the theological framework. While the structures of the Heidelberg Catechism guarantee spiritual liberty for the treatment of the Ten Commandments, in the practical functioning of the law this liberty is weakened. This is confirmed by the treatment of the law in the theological framework of the balanced relationship of mortification and quickening. The third use of the law for a current theology of renewal is then revisited and it is suggested that the discovery of the eschatological aspect of Christology can be applied to soteriology, which opens up the possibility of speaking about the fulfillment of the law by the Spirit in the hearts and lives of believers as an earnest of the future glory. In this way the joy of the law can function in a theological framework.


We present a near-infrared imaging survey of compact HII regions in the direction of the Cygnus X complex, for which no previous observations at those wavelengths have been published so far. The targets have been selected from a catalog of sources in that region having a thermal spectral energy distribution between 408 and 4800 MHz (Wendker et al. 1991), and an inferred angular size smaller than 5 arcmin across. We present images in the JHK lters, color-magnitude, and color-color diagrams for each region. We also suggest and apply a method for estimating the distance by comparing the dereddened H-band flux from all the stars in the area of the HII region and the radio-continuum flux. Many of the regions imaged are clearly associated with stellar aggregates with dierent degrees of concentration, whose components show varying amounts of extinction. Some objects are often found in the region of the (J H), (H K) diagram indicating excess emission of circumstellar nature. A detailed discussion on each object is provided in the context of existing published observations at dierent wavelengths, in particular regarding the existence of ultracompact components. A number of ultracompact HII regions are found to have clearly visible unresolved or nearly unresolved K-band counterparts characterized by very red H K colors, suggesting that the extinction may be low enough in their direction so as to allow the direct observation of the star ionizing the ultracompact component.


In 2015, Generation Investment Management celebrated the successful 10-year track record of its flagship Global Equity Fund, which outperformed its benchmark index by over 500 basis points per year. A mainstream investment firm whose founders included former United States Vice President Al Gore and former head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management David Blood, Generation integrated qualitative sustainability factors such as environmental, social, and governance issues with traditional financial equity analysis. Along the way, Generation proved to skeptics that it was capable of building a mission-driven investment firm that prioritized returns and delivered superior results.

Generation faced a significant challenge to its long-term investment focus during the global financial crisis in 2008. One of its largest holdings, the Irish industrial panel manufacturer Kingspan Group, saw its equity price drop almost 65 percent in one year. Confronted with this precipitous drop, the Global Equity Fund team decided that it needed to revisit its analytical process and question what, if anything, it had missed.

This case provides an overview of Generation's philosophy, culture, and organizational structure. It includes an in-depth look at the Global Equity Fund's qualitative and quantitative investment process that utilizes the Kingspan Group investment as an example. Optional Excel spreadsheets are available to enable students to analyze Generation's valuation methodology in greater detail.
Learning Objective
Students will explore how investment firms can achieve superior performance by considering sustainability and other qualitative factors as an integral part of the investment process. Students will also examine the concept of sustainable capitalism as a potential competitive advantage and how organizational structure and culture contribute to long-term investment success.


Fermented dairy foods such as yoghurt and cheese are commonly found in the Mediterranean diet. Recent landmark research has confirmed the effect of the Mediterranean diet on reducing the CVD risk, but the relative contributions of fermented dairy foods have not been fully articulated. The present study provides a review of the relationship between fermented dairy foods consumption and CVD risk in the context of the whole diet. Studies show that people who eat healthier diets may be more likely to consume yoghurt, so there is a challenge in attributing separate effects to yoghurt. Analyses from large population studies list yoghurt as the food most negatively associated with the risk of weight gain (a problem that may lead to CVD). There is some suggestion that fermented dairy foods consumption (yoghurt or cheese) may be associated with reduced inflammatory biomarkers associated with the development of CVD. Dietary trials suggest that cheese may not have the same effect on raising LDL-cholesterol levels as butter with the same saturated fat content. The same might be stated for yoghurt. The use of different probiotic cultures and other aspects of study design remain a problem for research. Nevertheless, population studies from a range of countries have shown that a reduced risk of CVD occurs with the consumption of fermented dairy foods. A combination of evidence is necessary, and more research is always valuable, but indications remain that fermented dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are integral to diets that are protective against CVD. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Tapsell, L. C. (2015). Fermented dairy food and CVD risk. The British Journal of Nutrition: an international journal of nutritional science, 113 (Suppl. S2), s131-s135. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/2896


Aim: This study aimed to investigate the experience of retirement for retired nursing professors. Design: The descriptive phenomenological qualitative method, developed by Giorgi, was used to conduct this study, through the lens of Continuity Theory and Carper's Ways of Knowing Theory. Methods: Data were collected from four eligible participants in the form of written descriptions e-mailed to the researchers and analyzed using Giorgi's analysis-synthesis process. Results: The results showed that retired nursing professors felt satisfied with what they had achieved over their careers. They experienced a positive and rewarding life post-retirement and had positive perceptions of many aspects of their retirement. Conclusion: The retired nursing professors continued with many pre-retirement activities and maintained productivity. They used their past and new knowledge to shape their daily life experiences in ways that enhanced their own well-being and quality of family and community connections. Their continued involvement in organizations post-retirement included many academic and professional activities such as presenting at conferences, supervising students, reviewing articles, and volunteering in other scholarly activities.


This paper attempts to formulate the behavioral pattern of smart homes user activities. Smart homes depend on effective representation of residents' activities into ubiquitous computing elements. User activities inside a home follow specific temporal patterns, which are predictable utilizing statistical analysis. This paper intended to develop a temporal learning algorithm to find out the time difference between residents' activities in smart homes. A temporal algorithm is proposed to incrementally construct a temporal database, which is used to predict the time of next activity of the residents employing central limit theory of statistical probability. The algorithm exhibits 88.3% to 95.3% prediction accuracies for different ranges of mean and standard deviations when verified by practical smart home data. Further stochastic analyses prove that the time difference between the residents' activities follows normal distribution, which was merely an assumption previously.


Critical literacy is a pedagogy that serves to mediate social justice issues and educate for transformative social action. We present a systematic review of how critical literacy has been incorporated in Canada's provincial/territorial curriculum documents since the late 1990s and integrated in K-12 classrooms in the last decade. Our analysis shows that critical literacy has been addressed with varying degrees of explicitness in curricula, and there is an imbalance of studies on critical literacies among provinces and territories. We discuss implications and encourage stakeholders in education to explicitly embed critical literacy into curricula and promote critical literacy practices in the classroom.


In a multiprocessor system, a limited number of resources need to be uniformly distributed so that all processor nodes can have equal access to these resources. This is referred to as the resource placement problem. In a perfect t--placement each nonresource node is at a distance of t or less from exactly one resource node. Here, we first find all perfect t-placements in the infinite square and triangular grids. That information is then used to show that translates of earlier sets are the only perfect t-placements in Gaussian and EJ interconnection networks.


Objective: The child welfare practice of concurrent planning attempts to shorten children's stays in foster care. There is very little quantitative research on concurrent planning's effects. This study examines the influence of concurrent planning practice elements (reunification prognosis, concurrent plan, full disclosure, and discussion of voluntary relinquishment) on reunification and adoption. Method: Using a sample of 885 children, an observational design, and statistical controls, children who received concurrent planning elements were compared to those who did not. Results: Findings show discussion of voluntary relinquishment to be positively associated with adoption and full disclosure to be negatively associated with reunification. Conclusions: Concurrent planning's benefits may require more intensive services to be fully realized. Care should be taken to ensure activities achieve their intended effects.


Despite the concern that has been expressed about potential method biases, and the pervasiveness of research settings with the potential to produce them, there is disagreement about whether they really are a problem for researchers in the behavioral sciences. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to explore the current state of knowledge about method biases. First, we explore the meaning of the terms "method" and "method bias" and then we examine whether method biases influence all measures equally. Next, we review the evidence of the effects that method biases have on individual measures and on the covariation between different constructs. Following this, we evaluate the procedural and statistical remedies that have been used to control method biases and provide recommendations for minimizing method bias.


A balanced incomplete block design or BlBD is defined as an arrangement of v objects in b blocks, each block containing k objects all different, so that there are r blocks containing a given object and lambda blocks containing any two given objects. In this note we shall extend a method of Sprott [2, 3] to obtain several new families of BIBD's. The method is based on the first Module Theorem of Bose [1] for pure differences. We shall frequently be concerned with collections in which repeated elements are counted multiply, rather than with sets. If T1 and T2 are two such collections then T1 & T2 will denote the result of adjoining the elements of T1 to T2, with total multiplicities retained. We use the brackets, { }, to denote sets and square brackets, [ ], to denote collections of elements which may have repetitions. See [5] for results using these concepts. Disciplines Physical Sciences and Mathematics Publication Details Jennifer Seberry Wallis, A note on BIBDS, Journal of Australian Mathematical Society, 16, (1973), 257-261. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/infopapers/949


The paper presents how the use of multispectral LiDAR intensity data for classification has high potentials to increase land classification accuracy. Traditionally, classification of LiDAR data refers to the separation of terrain from other objects based on elevations (range data). Up to about 70% of overall accuracy can be achieved using intensity data only. Land classification accuracy, of about 80%, can be achieved by incorporating both the geometric and radiometric record of LiDAR data. Range and scan/incidence angle have prominent effect on the radiometric correction of intensity data. Radiometric correction of LiDAR intensity data is required for potential use of the LiDAR intensity in land cover classification and radiometric correction can be achieved day or night with similar good results. Current research involves the use of image segmentation and object oriented classification techniques to improve the classification results. The increased number of wavelengths in a sensor has the effect of increasing the information content that can be derived from the target surface and allowing surveying professionals to address many more applications using a single-sensor solution. The complementary information of multispectral LiDAR data may greatly improve the classification performance, especially in the complex urban areas. Use of a minimum of three intensity images from a multi-wavelength laser scanner and 3D information included in the digital surface model (DSM) has the potential for land cover and land use classification. Over 90% of overall accuracy is achieved via using multispectral LiDAR point clouds for 3D land cover classification.


In this paper we address the issue of connecting abstract task definitions at a mission level with control functionalities for the purpose of performing autonomous robotic missions using multiple heterogenous platforms. The heterogeneity is handled by the use of a common vocabulary which consists of parametrized tasks such as fly-to, take-off, scan-area, or land. Each of the platforms participating in a mission supports a subset of the tasks by providing their platform-specific implementations. This paper presents a detailed description of an approach for implementing such platform-specific tasks. It is achieved using a flight-command based interface with setpoint generation abstraction layer for vertical take-off and landing platforms. We show that by using this highly expressive and easily parametrizable way of specifying and executing flight behaviors it is straightforward to implement a wide range of tasks. We describe the method in the context of a previously described robotics architecture which includes mission delegation and execution system based on a task specification language. We present results of an experimental flight using the proposed method.


Response actions associated with oil spills often have significant impacts on ecological communities. During the 87 d long Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the State of Louisiana (USA) released vast quantities of Mississippi River water into 2 estuarine basins (Barataria Bay and Black Bay/Breton Sound) in response to the approach of oil. We assessed the impact on subtidal oyster populations of this novel oil spill response action using 3 independent methods: (1) comparison of fisheries-independent post-spill densities to a pre-spill temporal baseline; (2) comparison of oyster density collected during natural resource damage assessment sampling between the area of maximal freshwater impact and reference areas in the 2 basins; and (3) estimation from a doseresponse model derived from an analysis of an in situ mark and recapture study conducted in 2010 to assess the relationship between salinity and oyster mortality. A substantial portion of both basins (483 km2 of Barataria Bay and 362 km2 of Black Bay/Breton Sound) experienced prolonged periods of very low (<5 ppt) salinity in 2010 that lasted at least 1 mo longer than the average duration of low salinity between 2006 and 2009. The 3 approaches all indicate that dramatic losses occurred in the number of market-sized (>75 mm) oysters as a result of a system-wide lowering of salinities, with an estimated 1.16 to 3.29 billion market-equivalent oysters lost. The efficacy of the large-scale response action of altering hydrographic conditions during the summer oyster growth period should be examined in light of the major perturbation to oyster communities.


Retinoids exhibit chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive activities, possibly due to their ability to modulate cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. These effects are thought to be mediated by nuclear retinoic acid (RA) receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors, each of which includes three subtypes ( a, b, and g) that act as transcription factors. To determine whether RARs play a role in mediating the effects of RA on human esophageal cancer (HEC) cells, we analyzed the effects of RA on: (a) the growth, differentiation, and apoptosis in seven HEC cell lines; ( b) receptor expression; (c) receptor modulation by RA; and (d) expression of receptors in 20 surgical HEC specimens. RA inhibited the growth of five of seven cell lines and also the constitutive expression of the squamous differentiation markers cytokeratin 1 and transglutaminase I in all cell lines. The growth inhibition by RA was due to the induction of apoptosis in the five cell lines. All seven cell lines expressed RARa and RAR-g, and four cell lines showed some changes by RA, but not associated with apoptosis. In contrast, RAR-b was expressed in five of seven cell lines and up-regulated by RA in these five cell lines, which were associated with apoptosis. Two cell lines that failed to express RARb showed no growth inhibition or apoptosis and no RAR-b inducibility. Interestingly, only these two cell lines were able to form colonies in soft agar. RARa, RAR-b, and RAR–g mRNAs were expressed in all 20 adjacent normal esophageal tissues. The expression of RARa and RAR-g remains positive in HEC specimens, but RAR-b expression was detected in only 6 of 20 HEC specimens. These data suggest that the expression of RARb is associated with response of HEC cells to RA and that the loss of RARb expression may be associated with HEC development.


In classical physics the energy density of a field is always positive. However this does not hold true for quantum physics where the energy density of a field can be locally negative. There are limits on the weighted average of this negative energy density called the quantum inequalities. Recently this author has provided a number of examples which show that the quantum inequalities are not valid. In this paper we will examine a previously published proof of the spatial quantum inequality for a zero mass scalar field in 1-1 dimensional space-time. It will be shown that there is a possible problem with this proof due to an ambiguity associated with point split regularization and the definition of the Hadamard form for the two point function.


For the first time considered contribution of scientists and doctors of Don region -К. S. Agadzhanyants, Z.N. Grzhebin, М.М. Gardashyan, P.P. Kovalenko, who were working at Rostov State Medical University and made a contribution in development of medicine and health science of different Black Sea regions Crimea, Turkey, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria. Obtaining of knowledge and experience in medical activity, they were working and teaching not only in Warsaw and Don universities, but also in Sophia and Constantinopolitan universities, defended Crimea and Sevastopol during the Great Patriotic War.After Russian revolution in 1917 psychiatrist, neurologist, professor, doctor of medicine, graduate of the medical faculty of the Imperial Military Medical Academy of St. Petersburg K. S. Aghajanyants emigrated to Turkey for reasons of policy. Student of V. Bekhterev participated in the IX Pirogov Congress with report on the role of psychotherapy in dermatology, trained in Lisbon, Berlin, was a consultant on nerve diseases of the Southern (Caucasian) Front, worked in the Red Cross, taught at University of Constantinople and Sofia University. Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Z.N. Grzhebin was known in the USSR as a dermatovenereologist, he worked in Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, and Crimea. A graduate of the medical faculty of Kazan University, during the First World War, he as K.S. Aghajanyants, was on the Caucasian front, trained in Berlin. Professor Z.N. Grzhebin was a member of the board of the All-Union Society of Dermatovenerologists, dealt with problems of syphilis, skin lesions with poisonous substances, and the treatment of skin diseases in resort of Sochi-Matsesta. He took part in work of the expert commissions of the Ministry of Health of the USSR, held the posts of the dean and deputy director of Rostov Medical Institute, was head of the dermatological clinic and scientific part of the scientific research balneological institute of Sochi. Together with him worked native of present-day Turkey, the director of the Rostov Medical Institute M.M. Gardashian, whose fate was still classified in the state archives of Russia and the Rostov region after unreasonable political repression. Having headed work of Rostov Medical Institute, while holding the post of director, as well as an associate professor of the department of surgery faculty, in 1936 under his leadership a number of students of the "Fiery Release" of 1941 who during the Great Patriotic War rendered medical assistance to inhabitants of Crimea, defending Sevastopol, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Novorossiysk. P.P. Kovalenko, graduate of the Fiery Release, after the war, headed the Department of General Surgery, became a Rector of Rostov Medical Institute, was first in the USSR to organize a regional tissue bank that provided donor tissues to the hospitals of Crimea and the North Caucasus, and represented the USSR in Romania in exchange of experience. Studies of the fate of doctors and Don scientists who made a significant contribution to the development of medicine and health in the regions of the Black Sea region are interdisciplinary and international. They reflect the development of the internal and foreign policy of the USSR, the difficult period of political repression, forced emigration, and the exchange of medical experience of the universities of Black Sea region.


A major challenge in molecular systems biology is to understand how proteins work to transmit external signals to changes in gene expression. Computationally reconstructing these signaling pathways from protein interaction networks can help understand what is missing from existing pathway databases. We formulate a new pathway reconstruction problem, one that iteratively grows directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) from a set of starting proteins in a protein interaction network. We present an algorithm that provably returns the optimal DAGs for two different cost functions and evaluate the pathway reconstructions when applied to six diverse signaling pathways from the NetPath database. The optimal DAGs outperform an existing k-shortest paths method for pathway reconstruction, and the new reconstructions are enriched for different biological processes. Growing DAGs is a promising step toward reconstructing pathways that provably optimize a specific cost function.


The paper presents a Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) system, which can fast and accurately recognize traffic signs of different sizes in images. The system consists of two well-designed Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), one for region proposals of traffic signs and one for classification of each region. In the proposal CNN, a Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) with a dual multi-scale architecture is proposed to achieve scale invariant detection. In training the proposal network, a modified "Online Hard Example Mining" (OHEM) scheme is adopted to suppress false positives. The classification network fuses multi-scale features as representation and adopts an "Inception" module for efficiency. We evaluate the proposed TSR system and its components with extensive experiments. Our method obtains $99.88\%$ precision and $96.61\%$ recall on the Swedish Traffic Signs Dataset (STSD), higher than state-of-the-art methods. Besides, our system is faster and more lightweight than state-of-the-art deep learning networks for traffic sign recognition.


BACKGROUND
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common condition in children in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where it is associated with poor outcomes. Diagnosis of CHD in SSA depends essentially on echocardiography, which is available only in few urban referral centers. Our aim was to assess time changes in the pattern of referral for pediatric echocardiography and the subsequent diagnosis of structural CHD in a major SSA city.

METHODS
All pediatric echocardiography performed between 2004 and 2013 at the echocardiography laboratory of the Yaounde General Hospital were reviewed. The primary indication of the study and the presence of structural CHD were recorded.

RESULTS
Between 2004 and 2013, 9,390 echocardiograms were performed and 834 (8.9%) children aged 1 day to 15 years underwent echocardiography at the center, and 227 (27.2%) cases of definite structural CHD were diagnosed, with 123 (54.2%) in boys. The most frequent indications for echocardiography were heart murmurs (40%) and the suspicion of CHD (37.4%). The commonest CHD was ventricular septal defect (VSD) (30%) with tetralogy of Fallot being the most frequent cyanotic heart lesion (5.3%). The proportion of pediatric echocardiography decreased from 13.3% in 2004-2005 to 6.1% in 2012-2013 (P=0.001) but not in a linear fashion (P=0.072 for linear trend).The diagnosis of structural CHD increased from 25.1% in 2004-2005 to 27.1% in 2012-2013. This increase however was non-significant (P=0.523) and did not follow a linear trend (P=0.230).

CONCLUSIONS
The pattern of referral for pediatric echocardiography at this center has changed over time, but diagnosis of structural CHD has remained the same. Improving access to this diagnostic procedure and subsequent treatment of diagnosed CHD will help improving the outcome of the disease in this setting.


T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment, currently operating in Japan, built to precisely measure the mixing angle θ13, using the electron neutrino appearance channel, and to refine the measurement of the atmospheric parameters using the muon neutrino disappearance channel. An intense high purity muon neutrino beam, produced at the J-PARC facility, is directed toward the Super-Kamiokande (SK) water Cherenkov detector, located 295 km away. The off-axis near detector, ND280, measures the neutrino beam properties and the neutrino interaction cross-section and kinematics before the oscillation, in order to predict the neutrino flux and the relevant neutrino interactions at SK.
This thesis work provides a strategy for selecting muon neutrino-induced charged current quasi-elastic (CCQE) interactions in ND280. The results of the analysis with real data and a comparison with the NEUT Monte Carlo (MC) prediction are provided. A brief qualitative study on the impact of proton final state interactions (FSI) on the selection is also presented.
Different CCQE topologies, depending on whether only the muon or both the muon and the proton have been reconstructed and on the detectors crossed by the selected tracks, have been studied. The relevant detector systematic uncertainties have been estimated for each selected sample. A total of 11026 CCQE candidate events have been selected in the real data sample (corresponding to a total of 1.58 e20 protons on target): 7629 events correspond to the one-track sample; 3397 events correspond to the two-track samples. The number of selected events predicted by the MC for the one-track sample is slightly higher than that obtained when the study was performed on real data. On the other hand, the MC prediction is slightly lower than the data result for the two-track samples. These results, together with the study on the impact of proton FSI on the selection, suggest discrepancies between the FSI simulation in NEUT and real data, causing the proton produced in the neutrino-nucleus interaction to escape from the nucleus less frequently in the MC than in data.
The results of this thesis work have been used to extract a CCQE cross- section on Carbon.


Visual scenes are extremely rich in diversity, not only because there are infinite combinations of objects and background, but also because the observations of the same scene may vary greatly with the change of viewpoints. When observing a visual scene that contains multiple objects from multiple viewpoints, humans are able to perceive the scene in a compositional way from each viewpoint, while achieving the so-called ``object constancy'' across different viewpoints, even though the exact viewpoints are untold. This ability is essential for humans to identify the same object while moving and to learn from vision efficiently. It is intriguing to design models that have the similar ability. In this paper, we consider a novel problem of learning compositional scene representations from multiple unspecified viewpoints without using any supervision, and propose a deep generative model which separates latent representations into a viewpoint-independent part and a viewpoint-dependent part to solve this problem. To infer latent representations, the information contained in different viewpoints is iteratively integrated by neural networks. Experiments on several specifically designed synthetic datasets have shown that the proposed method is able to effectively learn from multiple unspecified viewpoints.


This paper is aimed at assessing the present system of waste management development to protect the water resources in terms of methods of disposal, recycling, suitability and waste management practices in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria with a view of identifying the obstacles to its efficiency and proffer alternatives towards effective utilization of waste materials for employment and wealth generation as a means of sustainable development. A sample of five out of seven states of the region is used for the assessment. A survey method using questionnaire and personal interview of the key operators in waste management, in various states and local government area was employed. It is found that in all the states, the waste management practice was to collect, transport and dump the waste material, either in a borrow pit or in a river thereby contaminating the water resources in the Niger Delta Region in Nigeria. It is also found that in the main obstacles that militated against the management and development of waste materials were absence of legal framework; lack of political will and non availability of modern technological infrastructure and expertise. It is recommended that government or through its environmental agencies or indirectly through partnership with private sector in major towns in their state establish recycling, incinerating companies/plants with modern technological expertise to take care of waste materials. It is also recommended that state governments through its state executive councils and its legislative arms should enact laws to oversee the success of these plants in relation to conversion of waste to value added product. In conclusion, when these recommendations are considered and put in practice this will lead to a more viable economy, cleaner, healthier, and aesthetic surrounding thereby providing a sustainable waste Water and Society 221


BACKGROUND
Ten to 22% of lower gastrointestinal bleedings require emergency surgery. The overall mortality of the procedure is 22%.

AIM
To report our experience in the management of patients with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Retrospective analysis of 20 patients (10 male) aged 19 to 79 years old, with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

RESULTS
Nine patients were operated on after the bleeding stopped and 11 were operated while still bleeding. In ten, the cause of bleeding was diverticular disease or angiodysplasia. In four, the bleeding originated in the small bowel and in 7 it was of vascular origin. Two patients with a torrential bleeding, were operated on without prior study. Colonoscopy, done in 18 patients, identified the bleeding site in 66% of cases. Scintigraphy was performed in 7 patients and it was positive in five without operative mortality. Selective angiography was done in four patients and was positive in three. A partial intestinal resection was performed in 15 patients and a total colectomy in five without operative mortality. Six patients had major postoperative complications and mean hospital stay was 18 days. Patients have been followed for 9 to 144 months and six have died. Eleven patients were reassessed and all have complete fecal continence.

CONCLUSIONS
In this series, the main causes of massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding were diverticulosis and angiodysplasia. In a high percentage of patients, the bleeding originated in the small bowel.


This is the proceedings of the workshop on recent developments in ergodic theory and dynamical systems on March 2011 and March 2012 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The articles in this volume cover several aspects of vibrant research in ergodic theory and dynamical systems. It contains contributions to Teichmuller dynamics, interval exchange transformations, continued fractions, return times averages, Furstenberg Fractals, fractal geometry of non-uniformly hyperbolic horseshoes, convergence along the sequence of squares, adic and horocycle flows, and topological flows. These contributions illustrate the connections between ergodic theory and dynamical systems, number theory, harmonic analysis, probability, and algebra. Two surveys are included which give a nice introduction for interested young or senior researcher to some active research areas. Overall this volume provides a very useful blend of techniques and methods as well as directions of research on general convergence phenomena in ergodic theory and dynamical systems.


This article takes Durkheim's Le suicide as a conceptual testing ground for an ongoing field inquiry into assisted suicide in Switzerland. It tackles the question of the extent to which a Durkheimian approach to the social facticity of human practices can adequately grasp the ethico-pragmatic variation in which people give form to their lives, especially under heavily constrained circumstances. The article makes two interventions: it first draws out the conceptual significance of the asymmetry in the architecture of Le suicide, namely, of Durkheim's explicit refusal to elaborate a fourth type of suicide (fatalistic suicide). It then presents the blind spot, and asymmetry, as constitutive of his normative scientific posture: that social science, in its modern modalities, has the means to identify the normative ends toward which social life should aim, to the detriment of a more pluralist ethical and anthropological postulate through which to grasp and understand the multiplicity of moral forms pertaining to suicide, of which assisted suicide in Switzerland provides the test case.


The uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (UTD) is extended so that it can be used to calculate the scattering from an object buried in a lossy medium. First, the accuracy of this high frequency method is examined by comparing numerical results for the scattering by a polygonal cylinder in a lossy medium of infinite extent with calculations based on a method of moments (MoM) solution. Next, the more difficult scattering problem of a polygonal cylinder in a lossy half space is treated. The UTD solution for the unbounded region is employed together with the fields of rays introduced by the interface between air and the lossy medium to obtain expressions for the scattered field in air and in the lossy medium.


Introduction Ergonomics has always been concerned with the study of systems and has developed over the course of fifty or so years a range of methods which allow systems to be described and analysed (Edwards and Lee, 1974; Kleiner and Hendrick, 2002; Wilson, 2014). However, we would argue that perennial problems relate to the study of systems that change with time and to systems which have many interacting components. These issues, of dynamics and complexity, becoming increasingly relevant to contemporary concerns with large-scale transport, safety-critical or medical systems, but are equally applicable to smaller systems. Consequently, there is a need to develop and extend methods which allow analysts to describe, analyse and make predictions about complex, dynamic systems. Such a concern is not new, however, and its roots can be traced back to the cybernetics movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Human Factors shares these roots and associated concerns with the notion of 'system' but has either lost touch with some of the quantitative approaches that developed from cybernetics, or has failed to grasp the implications of new analysis techniques that have developed from the studies of complex systems in other domains.


Of the 256 patients with diabetes mellitus and purulent surgical infection, in 20.7%, the complications were revealed: those caused by the course of diabetes mellitus, systemic, caused by progressing of the purulent infection and sepsis. The factors of risk of the development of these complications are considered, the characteristics of immune and hormonal status of the patients is given. The measures directed at prevention and treatment of complications are suggested.


Innovation is the source of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship is the value embodiment of innovation, and the two are inseparable. At a time when dividends such as population, reform and opening up, and resources and environment are gradually disappearing, China urgently needs to accelerate scientific and technological innovation to support economic development, incubate scientific and technological enterprises, and ease labor market pressure with technological progress and efficiency improvement. This paper focuses on China's high-tech industry, which is dominated by scientific and technological innovation. Starting from the overall, local, and regional perspectives, it organically integrates the traditional DEA, similar SFA, Malmquist index decomposition, chain multiple intermediary effect, and other multilevel research through cross-level analysis. Based on the research foundation of innovation efficiency after eliminating environmental and random factors, it deeply discusses the action path and impact mechanism of "double innovation" and provides targeted policy recommendations for the government and relevant local departments. The research confirms that the total effect of innovation on entrepreneurship is always positive, i.e., promoting "people-to-people innovation" is conducive to promoting "mass entrepreneurship" whether it is analyzed from the whole or from the part.


Abstract The change from rifting to drifting is generally signified by a characteristic end-rift, or break-up, unconformity. In the Rio Muni Basin, two such unconformities bound an Aptian-Cenomanian transitional sequence of allochthonous carbonates and clastics considered unique among the South Atlantic passive margins. The transitional sequence comprises allochthonous thin-skin 'rafts', up to 2500 m thick, of shallow water carbonate and clastic sediment emplaced in a relatively deepwater setting along shallow detachments. A new model for the rift to drift development of the Rio Muni Basin interprets the raft tectonics as a response to a combination of end-rift-early post-rift uplift of the basin margins and deep off-shore bathymetry c. 1800 m. Seismic interpretations reveal spectacular hanging wall geometry in the rafts as a consequence of their movement across a geometrically complex, ramp-flat basal detachment. In places, the hanging walls of the rafts display an 'eggbox' topography of closely spaced anticlines, often with four-way dip closure. Information from wells and analogy with adjacent basins indicates potential source rocks in the Aptian and Turonian. Several migration paths are identified, including the juxtaposition of hanging wall reservoirs with the source-bearing stratigraphy across transverse fault zones. Raft tectonics has considerable isostatic and thermal consequences, with attendant implications for predicting the timing of potential source rock maturity. Modelling maturity at variously located wells and pseudowells indicates the principal effect of the raft tectonics to have been a very rapid episode of burial in the basin centre and isostatic rebound of the unloaded margins.


Significant enhancement in the performance of solar energy conversion devices has historically been achieved through optimized device scaling. Scaling trends will be extremely difficult to maintain unless new materials and device structures are discovered. Herein, sub-100 nm TiO2 tubular architectures were synthesized, for the first time, via galvanostatic anodization. The fabricated nanotubes are partially crystalline with high photoactivity towards water splitting and solar-to-electric conversion. Mott–Schottky, transient photocurrent and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) analyses indicate a faster electron transfer at the nanotube/electrolyte interface. The sub-100 nm tubes showed a maximum conversion efficiency of 9.3% upon their use in dye-sensitized solar cell devices. The concept of short nanotubes should be useful for the future use of the material in various applications.


In this thesis I investigate the impact of ecological factors on the costs and benefits of group living in a population of banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, and test several of the theoretical predictions generated by reproductive skew models. Despite two earlier studies of this species, this represents the first comparative study examining the effects of ecological (food availability, predation pressure, potential for dispersal) and social factors on survival and reproduction. Breeding in the banded mongoose is egalitarian, with offspring raised communally. By assessing the effect of pack size on individual variation in body condition, reproduction and probability of dispersal, I show that optimal pack size varied with the differing costs and benefits of sociality in males and females. Males were competing more for mates, whilst females benefited from the availability of helpers. Individuals were more likely to disperse from large packs and animals were more likely to emigrate in groups rather than alone. Dominance rank did not affect the survival or reproduction of either sex and there was no evidence of reproductive suppression. These findings support the prediction of reproductive skew models which states that low skew within groups is expected when there are no substantial differences between fighting abilities of group members. Although predation risks were not different for individuals in large and small packs, the vigilance system was more costly for individuals living in small packs. The effect of temporal variation in food resources on reproduction and survival was limited, but varied according to the type of prey available. Large packs consistently had better access to richer food resources. They were also able to forage more efficiently when food abundance was low due to the advantages of co-operative foraging.


The article examines strategic culture as phenomenon which impacts on states' nuclear policy. This impact is examined in the article within the framework of Iranian nuclear policy. The article analyzes cultural, historical and mental factors which form strategic culture of Iran and influence on political decision making related to the development of Iranian nuclear program. Basing on the analysis of strategic culture of Iran the article makes prognosis on the future development of Iranian nuclear program.


The objective of this study was to determine the interactions between alfalfa hay and corn grain particle sizes on nutrient intake, milk yield, milk composition, chewing activity, and ruminal pH of dairy cows. Alfalfa hay was chopped either at 4 cm (long; L) or 1 cm (short; S) theoretical length of cut. Particle size of corn grain was obtained by grinding either at 1 mm (coarse; C) or less than 1 mm (fine; F) mean particle size. Four lactating multiparous Holstein cows were assigned in a 4×4 Latin Square design in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 21-day periods. Intakes of DM (DMI) and NDF (NDFI) were not different among treatments averaging 23.6 and 10.6 kg/d. Similarly, yields of milk and milk protein were not different among treatments averaging 22.8 and 0.75 kg/d, respectively. However milk fat yield tended to be higher for C (0.82 kg/d) than F (0.73 kg/d) corn grain. An interaction trend was observed between particle sizes of alfalfa hay and corn grain for milk protein percentage where it tended to be higher for SC (3.31%) compared to SF (3.23%). Chewing activity was not affected by any treatment. Ruminal pH was higher at 9 h of post-feeding for both SF (6.50) and SC (6.36) compared to LF (6.06) and LC (6.17). The data indicate that particle size of alfalfa hay had no effect on milk yield and any milk composition but diets containing C corn grain resulted in a higher milk fat yield.


Abstract This paper examines the composite lithic artifacts of the ancient Maya commonly termed "mirrors." Typically flat, shiny objects with polished iron-ore polygons fitted in a mosaic pattern onto a slate backing, we assess these plaques for the technological, spatiotemporal, and functional contexts of their manufacture. Data from over 500 archaeological specimens, from dozens of Maya sites in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras, were examined as part of this study. We also consider the iconography, epigraphy, and possible symbolism of these curious artifacts. Based on this analysis, we conclude that ancient Maya mosaic mirrors were employed in rituals, often by elite individuals, as both symbols of authority but also, importantly, as possible mystical devices for divinatory "scrying." They were highly valued, often beautifully made, reflective ceremonial objects whose possible use for prognostication in shamanic rites likely has great antiquity in Mesoamerica.


1Department of Urology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium; 2Department of diagnostic and interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium Purpose: To evaluate potential associations between 4 nephrometric scoring systems, namely the PADUA (preoperative aspects and dimensions used for anatomical classification), RENAL (radius endophytic/exophytic nearness anterior posterior location), ABC (arterial-based complexity), and MAP (Mayo adhesive probability) scores and their individual components, with surgical and oncological outcomes of patients undergoing a partial nephrectomy. Materials and Methods: A consecutive, monocentric cohort of partial nephrectomy patients was retrospectively analyzed. PADUA, RENAL, ABC and MAP nephrometry scores were determined from preoperative axial images. Unadjusted and adjusted associations between overall scores, individual components, surgical approach, complications and oncological outcomes were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Results: A total of 189 partial nephrectomies were performed in 181 patients, via an open or a laparoscopic approach. Among scoring systems, only the MAP classification, which assesses adherent perinephric fat, was associated with severe surgical complications as well as with operative time (p<0.05). Among all components of the PADUA and RENAL scores, only proximity of the tumor to the collecting system was associated with overall surgical complication rates, while the diameter of the tumor influenced the operative time (p<0.05). The ABC score was not relevant. Male gender, antiplatelet therapy, and a laparoscopic approach were associated with higher overall surgical complication rates (p<0.05). The number of oncologic recurrences during follow-up was too low to run statistical analyses. Conclusion: Nephrometry scores could be simplified to predict surgical complications after partial nephrectomy. In this framework, adherent perinephric fat seemed to be strongly associated with an increased risk of surgical complications.


The Ctr family is an essential part of the copper homeostasis machinery and its members share sequence homology and structural and functional features.
Higher eukaryotes express two members of this family Ctr1 and Ctr2.
Numerous structural and functional studies are available for Ctr1, the only high affinity Cu(I) transporter thus far identified. Ctr1 holigotrimers mediate cellular copper uptake and this protein was demonstrated to be essential for embryonic development and to play a crucial role in dietary copper acquisition.
Instead very little is known about Ctr2, it bears structural homology to the yeast vacuolar copper transporter, which mediates mobilization of vacuolar copper stores. Recent studies using over-expressed epitope-tagged forms of human Ctr2 suggested a function as a low affinity copper transporter that can mediate either copper uptake from the extracellular environment or mobilization of lysosomal copper stores.
Using an antibody that recognizes endogenous mouse Ctr2, we studied the expression and localization of endogenous mouse Ctr2 in cell culture and in mouse models to understand its regulation and function in copper homeostasis.
By immunoblot we observed a regulation of mCtr2 protein levels in a copper and Ctr1 dependent way. Our observations in cells and transgenic mice suggest that lack of Ctr1 induces a strong downregulation of Ctr2 probably by a post-translational mechanism.
By indirect immunofluorescence we observed an exclusive intracellular localization in a perinuclear compartment and no co-localization with lysosomal markers.
Immunofluorescence experiments in Ctr1 null cells, supported by sequence analysis, suggest that lysosomes may play a role in mCtr2 biology not as resident compartment, but as a degradation site.

In appendix a LC-mass method for analysis of algal biotoxins belonging to the family of PsP (paralytic shellfish poisoning) is described.


Examples of superconducting-silicon quantum devices. (left) A superconducting loop interrupted at two points by junctions can form a superconducting flux qubit or a superconducting quantum interference device, or SQUID. Currents flowing in the loop can be used to measure the strength of a magnetic field threading the loop. The currents (flowing in either direction) can also be used to constitute a qubit. (middle) Separating the superconducting wires by an insulator, in this case pure, crystalline silicon, forms a Josephson junction. (right) Precisely placed, highly doped regions within the semiconductor form the superconducting wires. Credit: LPS


Background Despite advances in combined modality therapy, outcomes in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) remain dismal with five-year overall survival rates of less than 50%. Prognostic biomarkers are urgently needed to identify patients with a high risk of death after initial curative treatment. Methylation status of the paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 2 (PITX2) has recently emerged as a powerful prognostic biomarker in various cancers. In the present study, the clinical performance of PITX2 methylation was validated in a HNSCC cohort by means of an independent analytical platform (Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, Illumina, Inc.). Methods A total of 528 HNSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were included in the study. Death was defined as primary endpoint. PITX2 methylation was correlated with overall survival and clinicopathological parameters. Results PITX2 methylation was significantly associated with sex, tumor site, p16 status, and grade. In univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, PITX2 hypermethylation analyzed as continuous and dichotomized variable was significantly associated with prolonged overall survival of HNSCC patients (continuous: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.19 [95%CI: 0.04–0.88], p = 0.034; dichotomized: HR = 0.52 [95%CI: 0.33–0.84], p = 0.007). In multivariate Cox analysis including established clinicopathological parameters, PITX2 promoter methylation was confirmed as prognostic factor (HR = 0.28 [95%CI: 0.09–0.84], p = 0.023). Conclusion Using an independent analytical platform, PITX2 methylation was validated as a prognostic biomarker in HNSCC patients, identifying patients that potentially benefit from intensified surveillance and/or administration of adjuvant/neodjuvant treatment, i.e. immunotherapy.


Genotypic or phenotypic factors affect the growth of trees which can change the palatability of plants to herbivores. In a self-regenerating clear-cut forest stand in eastern Finland, we compared the growth of four boreal deciduous tree species that were browsed by moose with those which had been left unbrowsed. Diameter growth of young sapling trees of Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Salix caprea and Sorbus aucuparia was studied based on the width of the annual growth rings. Moderately browsed B. pendula showed higher radial growth than unbrowsed trees. Heavily browsed S. aucuparia and S. caprea initially had higher radial growth than unbrowsed trees although the radial growth increment decreased after consecutive years of repeated browsing. Moose browsing resulted in reduced height and stunted growth of the studied tree species. The results suggest that moose selects fast growing individuals and trees characterised by slow growth may have a higher probability of remaining unbrowsed.


Million years ago, the island of Mindoro separated from mainland Asia. Its geologic origin led to many species distinct from Asia and the other islands of the Philippines. In this study, two lowland mountain forests – Mt. Malasimbo (MM) in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and Mt. Siburan (MS) in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro – were surveyed for myxomycetes. The combined opportunistic sampling in the field and the setting up of 1,260 moist chamber cultures retrieved a total of 1,007 fruiting body collections representing 50 species from 17 genera. A relatively higher number of taxa (49 species) was recorded in Mt. Siburan than in Mt. Malasimbo (36). Seventeen species were classified as rare with only four taxa that were widely distributed in both study sites, namely, Arcyria cinerea, Perichaena pedata, Diderma hemisphaericum, and Lamproderma scintillans. Higher species diversity and richness were noted for Mt. Siburan than Mt. Malasimbo, but a clear similarity in species composition (CC = 0.80) and abundance (PS = 0.72) can be observed between forest sites. This suggest that lowland natural forest habitats of Mt. Malasimbo and Mt. Siburan are hotspots of myxomycete diversity. This research represents the most comprehensive survey of myxomycetes in Mindoro Island.


This study reports on research into the significant social and economic costs of the 2003 bushfires across the Gippsland and North East Regions for both the short and medium terms. It reveals that the bushfires are expected to have considerable direct and indirect effects on these regions for the long term (i.e. the next two to five years). The loss of income and production in the Shires of Alpine, East Gippsland, Indigo and Towong from the time of the fires to May 2003 is estimated conservatively to exceed $120 million. The monograph provides an ethnographically rich assessment of the social and economic impacts of the fires and presents data for the various shires and industries. The study concludes by offering recommendations on how to address the issues identified by the research team so as to improve bushfire preparedness and emergency response management in ways which bring all stakeholders into the process of planning and implementation.


This paper confronts two questions: How is it possible to be free if causal determinism is true?; and relatedly, How then is the practice of holding persons responsible for their actions to be justified? On offer here is a compatibilist account of freedom, tying it to control; the relation – argued to be a necessary connection – is considered in some detail. Then the question of ability to 'do otherwise' is discussed, which has held a fascination for many in regard to free choice. Our ability to learn to choose rationally is key here, to becoming able to choose well and (hence) freely, freedom being understood realistically. A developed rationality is necessary for maximal free choice, and (as argued here) is also key to the justification of the practice of holding persons responsible for their actions – a practice which is both necessary (socially indispensable) and capable of being justified, on both moral and pragmatic grounds. There is nothing in determinism that threatens that justification, but rather enables it.


Objective: Inmates often experience reduced levels of psychological and physiological well-being. A higher level of stress, depression, drug addiction, suicide risks and insecurity about future prospects are just a few potential consequences which the inmates are exposed to during imprisonment. Additionally, young offenders are likely to repeat serious crime in adulthood and also two times more likely to be problem-inmates than adult ones. Present studies about the health status of young inmates indicate that interventions for inmates have to improve. The current study is dealing with the experienced well-being of young prisoners and how this relates to their basic needs of the self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Additionally, the general definition of well-being and happiness is evaluated and personal needs and wishes regarding an adequate intervention by young prisoners are examined.
Methods: In this study multiple methods were used to investigate the main research question regarding how the experienced well-being of young prison inmates relate to their basic needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. The multiple method approach involves the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in one study and aims to explore the current data. The current data involves semi-structured interviews with 15 young German inmates, who varied in age, total time of imprisonment, type of crime, IQ and family background. Participants were interviewed by a psychologist, who works in this prison. The 17 interview questions were conducted in different ways, there were both, open and closed questions. Additionally, there were two interview questions, whereas the researchers had prepared thirteen cards with words of potential answer domains. These domains were based on literature and the knowledge of two psychological experts. The participants had to choose out of them and also had the choice to write own domains on one blank card. To answer the main research question, selectively interview questions were evaluated and subordinated to the following sub-research-questions about: (1) what well-being and happiness mean for them, (2) how they evaluate their level of autonomy, competence and relatedness, (3) how they evaluate their well-being before, during and after incarceration, and (4) what they think would enhance their level of well-being and what needs and targets regarding a well-being and happiness training are. The data was coded independently by one coder using an iterative process, which combined deductive and inductive coding.
Results: The meaning of well-being and happiness among the young prisoners does not differ much from those of the general population: Relationships to others, especially to family and friends seem to be most important regarding the understanding of well-being and happiness. According to the results of this study, especially the relationships to people outside the prison, are positively influencing the experienced level of well-being and happiness during imprisonment. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the prisoner´s level of well-being show that most of the prisoners experienced a lower level of well-being before, than during imprisonment and they expect a significantly higher level of well-being after the imprisonment. Furthermore, this study show that institutionalization possibly influence the level of well-being by impairing the autonomy of the prisoners. Additionally, the basic needs relatedness and competence are experienced as very important factors in the prisoners´ lives and despite incarceration, mostly experienced as present. Finally, the appraisal of the questions about a possible well-being and happiness training show that the majority of the participants indicated to be interested to participate in a well-being and happiness training, whereas especially the following topics should be approached: Intrinsic satisfaction, objectives and values, study and education, meaning of happiness and being happy.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that promoting mental health among young men is necessary, including preventing crime and recidivism. Due to the current study, especially important to enhance the experience of well-being are the relationships to people outside, as well as inside the prison and the promotion of prisoner´s autonomy. The current exploratory study provides important information regarding the personal needs and experienced well-being of young prisoners and show insights in the development of interventions for this kind of target group.


Major mergers of galaxies are considered to be an efficient way to trigger Active Galactic Nuclei and are thought to be responsible for the phenomenon of quasars. This has however recently been challenged by observations of a large number of low luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei at low redshift (z ≲ 1) without obvious major merger signatures. Minor mergers are frequently proposed to explain the existence of these Active Galactic Nuclei. In this paper, we perform nine high resolution hydrodynamical simulations of minor galaxy mergers, and investigate whether nuclear activities can be efficiently triggered by minor mergers, by setting various properties for the progenitor galaxies of those mergers. We find that minor galaxy mergers can activate the massive black hole in the primary galaxy with an Eddington ratio of fEdd > 0.01 and > 0.05 (or a bolometric luminosity >1043 and >1044 erg s−1) with a duration of 2.71 and 0.49Gyr (or 2.69 and 0.19Gyr), respectively. The nuclear activity of the primary galaxy strongly depends on the nucleus separation, such that the nucleus is more active as the two nuclei approach each other. Dual Active Galactic Nuclei systems can still possibly be formed by minor mergers of galaxies, though the time duration for dual Active Galactic Nuclei is only ∼ 0.011 Gyr and ∼ 0.017 Gyr with Eddington ratio of fEdd > 0.05 and bolometric luminosity >1044 erg s−1. This time period is typically shorter than that of dual Active Galactic Nuclei induced by major galaxy mergers.


TiO2 thin films for the dye sensitized solar cell have been deposited by the electrophoresis method using the ultra fine particles of TiO2. To adsorb much dye molecules on the TiO2 film, electrophoresis method and vacuum impregnation have been tried. The quality of TiO2 thin film and the amount of the dye molecules adsorbed on the thin film affect the energy conversion efficiency of the dye sensitized solar cell. The condition to adsorb large amounts of dye molecules on the TiO2 film was discussed. The values of open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current increased using both vacuum impregnation and electrophoresis method to adsorb dye molecules.


As the world begins to feel the effects of climate change, the frequency of droughts is increasing in the Horn of Africa. In Kenya, the drought and food crisis affect welfare through two main channels. The first channel is the increased mortality of livestock in drought-affected areas, which are home to 10 percent of the country's population. The second channel is by exacerbating increases in food prices, which are largely driven by worldwide price trends. Considering these two channels, this note identifies four broad policy changes that can reduce Kenya's future vulnerability to such shocks: (i) investment in people in the arid and semiarid lands; (ii) reform of Kenya's maize policy; (iii) review of the East African Community grain trade policy; and (iv) formulation of a unified social protection system.


This work is based on 18-months field research I carried out among Eritrean and Ethiopian Pentecostals in Rome (Italy). One of the topics of my work focused on the meaning they give to the evil: I collected different illness narratives and various cases. In this paper, I would like to shed light upon some dimensions of the sickness that go beyond the disease itself. By proposing a case of a woman who became sick during her high school period, because of a witchcraft attack, I will try to analyze the various stakes we can find in the interpretation of the evil, in the etiology of the sickness and in her illness narratives. The various issues will be also analyzed by putting them in the wider picture of the conflict between Pentecostalism and local "tradition", represented, in this case, by the local Orthodox (tewahdo) Church and its therapeutic practices, considered by Pentecostals to be devilish. Key words : Ethiopia - Illness Narratives - Migration - Pentecostalism


A novel learning algorithm for blind source separation of post-nonlinear convolutive mixtures is proposed. The proposed mixture model characterises both convolutive mixture and post-nonlinear distortions of the sources. A novel iterative technique based on a maximum likelihood approach is developed where the expectation-maximisation (EM) algorithm is generalised to estimate the parameters in the proposed model. In the E-step of the proposed framework, sufficient statistics of the posterior distribution of the source signals are estimated while the model parameters are optimised through these statistics in the M-step. The post-nonlinear distortions, however, render these statistics difficult to express in a closed form, and hence, this causes intractability in the M-step. A computationally efficient algorithm is further proposed to facilitate the E-step tractable and the self-updated multilayer perceptron is developed in the M-step to estimate the nonlinearity. The theoretical foundation of the proposed solution has been rigorously developed and discussed in detail. Both simulations and real-time speech signals have been used to verify the success and efficacy of the proposed algorithm. Remarkable improvement has been obtained when compared with the existing algorithm.