Social media is a mean to connect people through information sharing. It has been helping to use in various domains like education, business and human resource management. Healthcare domain however can be considered as one of the most potential domain to benefit from the social media participation in its different sub-domains like clinical observation, medications, professional training, patient education, home care and personalize care. However, there has always been a debate about contents' trust worthiness. Nevertheless, social media is totally discouraged to be considered in healthcare due to fear of open and unauthenticated contents. With all these reservations, the importance of information shared through social networks can never be ignored. This paper investigates the role of social media in patient centric healthcare. It highlights the special and active contribution of the social technologies in the domain of Decision Support System (DSS). The outcomes of this work will results in improved architecture for Smart CDSS system which is under development at UC Lab (Ubiquitous Computing Research Lab Kyung Hee University, South Korea).


In this paper, we propose a novel collaborative filtering approach for predicting the unobserved links in a network (or graph) with both topological and node features. Our approach improves the well-known compressed sensing based matrix completion method by introducing a new multiple-independent-Bernoulli-distribution model as the data sampling mask. It makes better link predictions since the model is more general and better matches the data distributions in many real-world networks, such as social networks like Facebook. As a result, a satisfying stability of the prediction can be guaranteed. To obtain an accurate multiple-independent-Bernoulli-distribution model of the topological feature space, our approach adjusts the sampling of the adjacency matrix of the network (or graph) using the clustering information in the node feature space. This yields a better performance than those methods which simply combine the two types of features. Experimental results on several benchmark datasets suggest that our approach outperforms the best existing link prediction methods.


In the standard Kroll process reaction between the TiCl4 and Mg is at the reactor wall interface that limits the potential to design a continuous process. Many alternatives have been investigated over the past 70 years to engineer a continuous process utilizing metallothermic reduction of TiCl4. Approaches utilizing burner type architectures for continuous processing result in unacceptable very fine Ti powder. A unique process that operates continuously and produces controlled size powder that can be directly utilized in standard powder metallurgy, rapid manufacturing, or substituted for sponge will be discussed.


Liver is the largest vital organ in human body and plays a major role in various metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics within the body. Liver dysfunction is a foremost health problem that challenges not only health care professionals but also the pharmaceutical industry as more than 900 drugs are implicated in case of liver injury. Hepatotoxicity is caused by various toxic substances and certain pharmaceutical drugs which produce liver injury such as-carbon tetrachloride, thioacetamide, high doses of acetaminophen, anti-tubercular drugs, few chemotherapeutic agents etc. The existing modern synthetic drugs to treat liver disorders in this condition also cause furthermore liver damage/complications. Therefore, many herbal drugs from natural origin have become increasingly popular and their use is wide spread. These herbal medicines have been used in the treatment of liver diseases for a long time because of their antioxidants properties and tissue protective nature. Extensive researches have been carried out on medicinal plants; however, only few herbal plants have attracted the interest of researchers, to evaluate them for better protective/therapeutic agents for hepatoprotective against chemical induced liver toxicity. Various preclinical investigations have proved that the efficacy of medicinally important plants in the treatment of liver diseases/disorders. Hence, this article provided valuable evidence to the knowledge of investigated medicinal plants; especially those medicinal plants are suitable for hepatoprotective and therapeutic nature against liver toxicity.


Disease epidemics with climate links can worsen social inequality by increasing gender gaps in educational attainment through raising the direct and opportunity costs of investing in girls, particularly in poorer countries in the tropics. We investigate this hypothesis by examining the effects of sudden exposure to the 1986 meningitis epidemic in Niger on the gender gap in education. We document a significant reduction in years of education for school-aged girls relative to boys following the epidemic. We explore several channels underlying the results and find evidence highlighting income effects of epidemics on households and increased early marriage of girls.


Eighteen cases of disseminated lupus erythematosus were verified by postmortem study in a series of 19,242 autopsies. Shortness of breath was the most common complaint and occurred in 16. Fourteen of this number had definite cardiac pathology. All 16 had definite pulmonary pathology. Fourteen cases had abnormal urinalysis. Of these cases, 7 had elevated blood nonprotein nitrogen values of over 40 mg., and only 4 had hypertension. However, 14 cases had abnormal pathologic renal findings. Fifteen of the 18 cases had a skin lesion; 11 of the 15 were definitely of the lupus type. Hypochromic anemia was present in 17, leukopenia in 14, elevated sedimentation rate in all cases recorded and an elevated serum globulin in 9. The diagnosis is made by summation of the clinical findings; namely, shortness of breath, joint pains, skin rash, fever, pulmonary, cardiac, and renal abnormalities, and by the laboratory findings of hypochromic anemia, albuminuria, increased sedimentation rate, elevated serum albumin, presence of lupus erythematosus cells, and by a positive skin biopsy.


: 45 patients underwent urinary diversion by caecocystoplasty following simple or radical cystectomy with or without prostatectomy. The immediate postoperative course of such a major operation was surprisingly simple both in terms of the gastrointestinal tract (due to the use of automatic sutures) and in terms of the urinary tract. Micturition and diurnal continence were perfect. The few cases of incontinence related to high caecal pressure were controlled by perineal reeducation and/or the prescription of oxybutynin. A Peniflow apparatus controls the inevitable enuresis of these neobladders when the trigone has not been preserved. The upper tract is perfectly protected. The authors consider that the caecal reservoir warrants a place of choice in bladder replacement after cystectomy.


In this study, a pairwise comparison matrix is generalized to the case when coefficients create Lie group $G$, non necessarily abelian. A necessary and sufficient criterion for pairwise comparisons matrices to be consistent is provided. Basic criteria for finding a nearest consistent pairwise comparisons matrix (extended to the class of group $G$) are proposed. A geometric interpretation of pairwise comparisons matrices in terms of connections to a simplex is given. Approximate reasoning is more effective when inconsistency in data is reduced.


It is regularly claimed that Communism and Confucianism shape gender-related norms, practices, and institutions in Vietnam. Some scholars emphasize the ongoing relevance of Confucian traditions, while others hold that Communist rule led to more gender-equal norms, practices, and institutions. By contrast, I suggest that broader socioeconomic modernization processes should be considered. I use data from the World Values Survey to investigate the question of the relative influence of Communism, Confucianism, and modernization processes on gender attitudes. The results show that modernization is a crucial factor in understanding gender attitudes, but that Communism and Confucianism likewise have an influence.


Obesity is a risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer. Elevated estrogen levels are thought to be a growth factor associated with this relationship. However, there is increasing evidence that factors produced directly in adipose tissue, adipokines, specifically adiponectin and leptin, impact breast cancer development. Serum adiponectin levels are reduced in women diagnosed with breast cancer and in vitro studies using human breast cancer cell lines have shown antiproliferative action of adiponectin. In contrast, elevated serum leptin levels were associated with breast cancer in some studies. In mice which lack the leptin receptor or are leptin deficient oncogene-induced mammary tumors were not detected while leptin enhanced proliferation of breast cancer cell lines, particularly those that express estrogen receptors. Of particular interest, one recent study reported that the adiponectin:leptin ratio was reduced in women with breast cancer. Here we speculate that the ratio of these adipokines may be more important in breast cancer than their absolute concentrations. Additionally, we propose strategies to alter this ratio and thus provide protection against the development of breast cancer.


Abstract Using panel data from Ethiopia and Malawi, we investigate how youth migration affects household labour, hired labour demand, and income, and whether these effects vary by migrant sex and destination. Labour shortages arise from the migration of a head's child. However, the migration of the head's sons produces a greater burden, particularly on female heads/spouses (in Ethiopia) and brothers (in Malawi). Gains from migration in the form of increased total net income justify the increased labour efforts in Ethiopia. Weaker evidence suggests households in Malawi substitute hired for migrant family labour at the expense of total household net income.


A variety of native Western Australian legumes produced root clusters in sand culture confirming field and published observations. In general, these legumes grew equally well when supplied with organic or inorganic sources of phosphorus. The nitrogen content of shoots and roots varied little among treatments for all species, however, phosphorus content was always greater in plants supplied with inositolP. The plasticity of root growth in response to localized placement of organic and inorganic sources of phosphorus was demonstrated using a simple 'split root' technique. Total root dry weight was, on average, more than doubled in P-amended sand when compared with non-amended sand. Root clusters tended to be produced in areas of relatively high phosphorus concentration and nodules in areas of low phosphorus concentration. Levels of phosphorus in lateral roots grown in P-amended sand were significantly different from lateral roots grown in the corresponding non-amended sand. Growth increases averaging 70% for white sand to over 100% for yellow sand indicated a large degree of 'plasticity' in roots under conditions of heterogeneous supply of phosphorus. Spatially exclusive development of organs for the acquisition of nutrients is discussed in relation to requirements for carbon in organ production and maintenance.


Abstract 58 species of decapod crustacean were identified (1 Dendobranchiata, 14 Caridea, 5 Thalassinidea, 14 Anomura, 24 Brachyura) on soft substrates of the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey. Samples were collected from 60 sampling sites along the Turkish Aegean shore (eastern Aegean Sea) between July 2000 and September 2000 with dredge and a van Veen grab at bottom depths of 7 to 150 m. Different species dominated in each ecological zone with the anomuran squat lobster, Galathea intermedia Lilljeborg, 1851, being the most dominant species across the whole sampling area, comprising 11.71% of the individuals collected. This report represents the first published investigations into soft-sediment decapod communities in the coastal waters of the Turkish Aegean Sea.


A particulate glucokinase was recovered in the Golgi-rich fraction of rat liver prepared by the method of Morré [Methods Enzymol. (1971) 22, 130-148], thus extending the demonstration by Berthillier et al. [Biochim. Biophys. Acta (1973), 293, 370-378] of particulate glucokinase activity in a microsomal subfraction that showed enrichment in Golgi characteristics. The purity of this fraction was examined and it was then subjected to several treatments, the action of Triton X-100, freezing and thawing, and sonication to establish the topographical location of the glucokinase activity thus solubilized. The evidence suggests that the glucokinase activity is either soluble in the lumen of the Golgi apparatus or loosely associated with the inside of the Golgi membranes.


Demands for using different complexity level algorithms to deliver multimedia content delivery over portable devices are increasing thanks to advanced battery technology. This work describes a novel complexity aware motion estimation for H.264 based on pixel representation of different bit-depth and a simple scene change detection module. The experimental results show that with identical searching complexity, improvement on averaged PSNR is more than 0.2 dB for 4-bit representation and more than 2 dB for 1/2-bit representation as compared to the conventional bit-truncation method.


Selective sequential extraction techniques that partition soil selenium (Se) into different particulate-bound fractions have been developed to provide information regarding the geochemical and soil processes controlling Se transformation, dynamics and bioavailability within the soil environment. However, none of these earlier extraction techniques considered the fraction of Se bound to metal-organic complexes, a very physicochemically reactive soil component. The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the distribution of particulate-bound Se fractions (including Se bound to metal-organic complexes) within selected soil profiles developed on undifferentiated glacial till parent material in the major soil zones of Saskatchewan and currently used in agricultural production; and (2) relate the occurrence and distribution of the particulate bound Se fractions to a Se bioavailability index (SBI). Concentrations of total Se and the SBI in the soil profiles studied ranged from 0.263 to 1.295 mg kg" soil and 0.006 to 0.047 mg kg" soil, respectively. Total soil Se was partitioned into seven particulate-bound fractions: water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate-bound, metal-organic complex-bound, amorphous mineral colloid-bound, organic-bound and residual. The percent recovery of total Se ranged from 86.8 to 112.2%, with an average value of 96.8%. The water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate bound, and amorphous mineral colloid-bound Se fractions accounted for 1.0 to 3.9%, 0.3 to 4.4%, 3.0 to 4.6%, and 0.5 to 4.0% of the total soil Se, respectively. The metal organic complex-bound, organic-bound and residual Se fractions accounted for 7.4 to 37.5%,6.8 to 20.7%, and 44.2 to 77.4% oftotal soil Se, respectively. Thus, the results indicated that metal-organic complex-bound Se accounted for a significant proportion of total soil Se. Further, the results have provided the first information pertaining to the distribution of particulate-bound Se fractions in Canadian soils. Water soluble, metal-organic complex-bound and organic-bound Se fractions were significantly correlated with the SBI; thus, any of these three Se fractions could potentially contribute to bioavailable Se. Because water soluble Se accounted for a small proportion of total soil Se and was much less than the SBI in the vast majority of the soil horizons of the solums, the results suggest that metal-organic complex-bound Se could playa relatively significant role in contributing to bioavailable Se.


This article comprehensively examines the performance, investment behavior, and co-movement of minimum-volatility, low-volatility, and low-beta strategies in international markets. First, the authors identify the significant overweighting of non-cyclical stocks from the consumer staples and utilities sectors, relative to the market, as one of the main, industry-specific return drivers of all low-risk strategies. Second, minimum-volatility, low-volatility, and low-beta strategies produce similarly substantial and statistically significant CAPM and three-factor model alphas in the segments of developed markets and emerging markets over the complete sample period, before and after the recent financial crisis. However, during the crisis, there was no significant outperformance, though low-risk strategies could keep risk down. All low-risk strategies share general commonalities with small-cap and value strategies, except in the European market, where they resemble growth strategies. Third, minimum-volatility, low-volatility, and low-beta strategies generally exhibit large and significant co-movements across and within markets. The authors do not find compelling evidence that one strategy generally dominates another. They conclude that minimum-volatility, low-volatility, and low-beta strategies are equally beneficial for participating in low-risk investing around the world.


Meeting the needs of an ageing population, particularly in the global South, is increasingly an issue for WASH service provision. An ageing-related issue for women, warranting specific attention from the WASH sector, is the perimenopause, but this is often not discussed publicly. Drawing on data from the UK and Ghana, this paper provides recommendations for meeting the additional WASH needs of women as they experience the perimenopause (the transition period to menopause). Finding these 'hidden' needs involved a UK-based phenomenological review and mixed feminist methods in two low-income urban communities in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. The hidden WASH needs of perimenopausal women included understanding the perimenopause, menstrual hygiene management, urine incontinence management, bathing, and laundry. Community awareness, engagement and empowerment, and ensuring good perimenopausal health can begin to address these needs. Infrastructural measures for perimenopausal women include a continuous water supply, user-friendly bathing and laundry infrastructure, and gender-sensitive, accessible toilets with discrete sanitary disposal bins. High-absorbency sanitary products are important for managing heavy menstruation. A better understanding of the needs of perimenopausal women and training on how to meet these would benefit the WASH sector in ensuring that perimenopausal women are not left behind in efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.


Objective To assess the prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in older adults using the head impulse test (HIT) and to assess the independent influence of HIT abnormalities on gait speed and fall risk in older individuals. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Patients Fifty community-dwelling individuals age 70 and older. Interventions HIT (abnormal HIT defined as right or left HIT abnormality), visual acuity, monofilament testing, and grip strength. Main Outcome Measures Gait speed on a 4-meter walk and a history of falls (including number of falls) in the last 1 and 5 years. Results The participants' mean age was 77 years (range, 70–95 yr); 52% were female subjects. Fifty percent of participants had an abnormal HIT. An abnormal HIT was significantly associated with a 0.23 m/s reduction in gait speed (p = 0.042), 0.44 more falls in the last 1 year (p = 0.047), and a 5-fold increase in the odds of falling in the last 5 years (p = 0.024) in multivariate analyses adjusted for age, sex, and other balance and fall risk factors. Conclusion We observed that half of the community-dwelling older individuals in our study had evidence of vestibular dysfunction, which was significantly associated with gait speed and fall risk in adjusted analyses. Screening for vestibular impairment using the simple HIT and directing targeted vestibular therapy may be important to reduce gait impairment and fall risk in older individuals.


The recrystallization behaviour of near-alpha titanium alloy IMI834, which is primarily used for high temperature aerospace compressor disc applications, has been investigated at hot working temperatures. The latest results of a finite element model, developed using the commercial code DEFORM-3D with constitutive equations adapted from available literature, will be presented. Model development and validation involved the hot compression of specimens with an initial bimodal alpha+beta microstructure at temperatures of 1000°C-1100°C, strain rates of 0.01s 1-1s 1, and varied post-deformation annealing times. The characterization of microstructure through quantitative metallography revealed beta grain refinement achieved primarily through static/metadynamic recrystallization. The beta recrystallization kinetics were subsequently predicted through an Avrami-type relationship.


CD26, acting as a co-stimulator of T cell activation, plays an important role in the immune system. However, the role of CD26 in the differentiation of T cell subsets, especially of new paradigms of T cells, such as Th17 and Tregs, is not fully clarified. In the present study, the role of CD26 in T cell differentiation was investigated in vitro. CD26 expression was analysed in the different subsets of human peripheral blood T lymphocytes after antigen stimulation. Here, the percentage of CD4+ cells significantly increased and most of these cells were co-expressed with CD26, suggesting a close correlation of CD26 expression with the proliferation of CD4+ cells. Subsequently, after antigen stimulation, CD26 high-expressing cells (CD26high) were separated from CD26 low-expressing cells (CD26low) by magnetic cell sorting. We found that the percentages of cells secreting Th1-typical cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ), Th17-typical cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, IL-22) or expressing Th17-typical biomarkers (IL-23R, CD161, CD196) in the CD26high group were markedly higher than in the CD26low group. In addition, a co-expression of CD26 with IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23R in lymphocytes was demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy. These results provide direct evidence that the high expression of CD26 is accompanied by the differentiation of T lymphocytes into Th1 and Th17, indicating that CD26 plays a crucial role in regulating the immune response.


Genetic characterization requires knowledge of genetic variation that can be effectively measured within and between populations. It is considered as an important tool for sustainable management or conservation of a particular population. Presence of limited diversity may hamper the possibility of populations to adapt the local environment in the long term, but loss of genetic diversity can also more immediately lead to decrease fitness within populations. In this paper, genetic diversity of more than 120 domestic goat populations found in various parts of the world has been summarized. The paper is limited only to the diversity study conducted by microsatellite loci. In all the goat populations reviewed, the within population genetic diversity is extremely higher than between population variation which might be due to the uncontrolled and random mating practiced among the breeding flock. However, the technical as well as statistical data management deficiencies, like selection of microsatellites and other sampling biases, observed in the reports could have their own influences on the limited and weak variations obtained within and among populations. The genetic distance among populations is very narrow especially populations found within states. In general, goats are the most transported animals during the lengthy commercial and exploratory journeys took place in the old world long time ago. This contributed the goat to have narrow genetic differentiation compared to other ruminant livestock. The technical fissures observed in the past efforts on identification and structure analyses of the goat populations might also demand further works to design appropriate conservation and breeding management programs.


Sparse signal representation from overcomplete dictionaries have been extensively investigated in recent research, leading to state-of-the-art results in signal, image and video restoration. One of the most important issues is involved in selecting the proper size of dictionary. However, the related guidelines are still not established. In this paper, we tackle this problem by proposing a so-called sub clustering K-SVD algorithm. This approach incorporates the subtractive clustering method into K-SVD to retain the most important atom candidates. At the same time, the redundant atoms are removed to produce a well-trained dictionary. As for a given dataset and approximation error bound, the proposed approach can deduce the optimized size of dictionary, which is greatly compressed as compared with the one needed in the K-SVD algorithm.


The present work introduces a stable, semi-implicit, one stage integration scheme for rigid multibody systems subject to mixed holonomic and nonholonomic constraints as well as dry frictional impacts and contacts. A stable direct-iterative splitting scheme to solve the latter is also presented, and is shown to be suitable for real-time simulation of large multibody systems, such as those used for 3D graphics, simulation-based training systems. We use a Lagrangian framework in conjunction with the discrete-time D'Alembert's principle to introduce physically motivated singular perturbations which regularize and stabilize the numerical method. Lower bounds on the perturbations which guarantee numerical stability are provided, and their physical validity is demonstrated at the numerical level. The theoretical formulation uses massless ghost particles in the Lagrangians of mechanical systems. The coordinates and velocities of these converge strongly to Lagrange multipliers for holonomic and nonholonomic constraints, respectively, in the singular limit of zero relaxation. The ghost formulation allows for the systematic treatment of non-ideal, dissipative, constitutive laws such as Coulomb friction. A variational model for the latter is constructed and proven to be solvable in discrete time. Several splitting schemes are investigated mathematically and compared at the numerical level. Nonvergence and non-convergence properties of these are demonstrated mathematically and numerically.


For emerging market regulators, shadow banking represents an activity which they must control. For businessmen in economies like Russia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, shadow banking represents an important business opportunity. By extending credit to risky (but promising) activities through shadow banking, financiers in these economies can earn far higher returns for excess-cash than placing it in cash management accounts. In this brief, we describe ways that cash-rich individuals and companies can use shadow banking activities to help themselves (by earning more money) and help the economy (by extending credit in these traditionally credit-starved economies). Some of these activities include issuing debt which shadow bankers use as collateral, chopping project-lending into privately-placed share offerings, investing in trade, real estate and insurance securities as well as centring shadow banking activities in regulation-friendly jurisdictions.


This article uses revealed preferences of consumers to study the consumer benefits from rBST-free and organic labeled milk. The article specifies and estimates a quadratic AIDS demand system model for different milk types using U.S. supermarket scanner data. The introduction of rBST-free and organic milk is used to estimate consumer benefits that are decomposed into two components, competitive and variety effects. Results show significant consumer benefits from organic milk and to a lesser extent from rBST-free milk. Based on the findings, we explore implications for present U.S. labeling standards.


We consider the nonlinear operator equation in a Banach space. We make use of nonlinear projections on finite dimensional spaces to produce the finite dimensional discretization of the nonlinear equation. Using Newton's method we then prove the mesh-independence principle for this problem. Our results cover and extend previous results involving linear projections on finite dimensional spaces.


Background Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury can encounter several barriers to treatment, including limited access to care and low engagement with therapy. Furthermore, most treatment approaches focus on alleviating distress rather than cultivating positive experiences that could facilitate trauma recovery. A potential way to address these issues is through moral elevation: feeling uplifted and inspired by others' virtuous actions. Objective This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel, web-based moral elevation intervention for veterans with PTSD symptoms and moral injury distress (Moral Elevation Online Intervention for Veterans Experiencing Distress Related to PTSD and Moral Injury [MOVED]). This mixed methods study also examined potential changes in PTSD symptoms, moral injury distress, quality of life, and prosocial behavior. Methods In this pilot trial, 48 participants were randomized to a MOVED or control condition (24 participants per condition). Both conditions included 8 sessions and lasted 1 month. The MOVED intervention and all survey components across both conditions were administered online. Participants completed self-report measures that assessed PTSD symptoms, moral injury distress, quality of life, and prosocial behavior at baseline and follow-up. Veterans in the MOVED condition also completed individual qualitative interviews at follow-up. We coded qualitative responses to interviews and identified emergent themes. Results Findings suggest the MOVED intervention was largely feasible, with evidence for moderate-to-high levels of participation, engagement, and retention in MOVED sessions. Both quantitative and qualitative results suggest veterans found MOVED to be acceptable and satisfactory at the overall treatment level. Furthermore, participants reported high scores for helpfulness and engagement at the session level. Veterans who completed MOVED reported large within-person decreases in PTSD symptoms (Cohen d=1.44), approximately twice that of veterans in the control condition (Cohen d=0.78). Those in MOVED also reported medium-sized increases in physical (Cohen d=0.71) and psychological domains of quality of life (Cohen d=0.74), compared with no meaningful changes in the control condition. Unexpectedly, MOVED veterans reported no decrease in moral injury distress, whereas veterans in the control condition endorsed a medium-sized decrease in the total score. There were no changes in prosociality for either condition. Qualitative feedback further supported high levels of perceived acceptability and satisfaction and positive treatment outcomes across a range of domains, including behaviors, cognitions, emotions, and social functioning. Veterans also recommended adaptations to enhance engagement and maximize the impact of intervention content. Conclusions Overall, findings indicate that veterans with PTSD and moral injury distress were interested in an intervention based on exposure to and engagement with experiences of moral elevation. After further research and refinement guided by future trials, veterans may benefit from this novel approach, which may enhance treatment outcomes and increase treatment accessibility for those in need of additional trauma-focused care.


With the development of permeabilization techniques in flow cytometry and the availability of various monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that specifically bind with cell surface and intracellular antigens, it is now possible to use flow cytometric assay to identify dengue virus (DEN) infected cells in peripheral blood. Blood samples were analyzed using phycoerythrin (PE) labeled anti-CD3, anti-CD14, anti-CD16, and anti-CD19 antibodies and Alexa Fluor 488 labeled anti-flavivirus monoclonal antibody (MAb) 6B6C-1. The predominant DEN-infected cells were CD19+ in this study. There was dim partial to moderately bright partial expression of CD19 positive cells in the blood samples tested. Virus isolation and serotype-specific RT-PCR revealed the cells were infected with dengue serotype 3 (DEN3). Our results suggest B cells may play an important role in DEN1 and DEN3 replication, and dissemination in vivo.


This paper identifies and discusses certain key issues which must be recognized and resolved as part of the process of planning drug abuse treatment efforts. It is emphasized that the approach which is ultimately adopted must be tailored to the specific needs which prevail in a particular locale, at a particular time. It is urged that the addict population be viewed as the most significant of all critics in assessing the appropriateness of the therapeutic services which are provided.


In this paper, finite volume method (FVM) is adopted to simulate complex irregular aluminum profile extrusion process. The basic theory of FVM, the materials model, friction model, and a computer aided optimization (CAO) model based on orthographic experiments, artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) are presented. A complex aluminum profile extrusion is simulated and optimized. The results show FVM simulation is a good way for the description of material flow, and mesh distortion could be avoided effectively. Optimal values of multi parameters are also obtained. Experiment shows good fit among the simulation, optimization and the experimental results.


Objective: To highlight a case in which a patient had extensive treatment for chronic pain but not sufficient diagnostic evaluation to determine the underlying cause of symptoms.
 Background: To our knowledge, this is the first case report of pain being the presenting symptom of primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
 Methods: Case Report
 Results: We present a case of a 32 year old female with a benign past medical history presenting for a multitude of chronic pain complaints and back pain. Prior to visiting our neurology clinic, patient had been to several different pain physicians and turned away due to suspicion of narcotic seeking behavior. She described her pain as being a constant throbbing and sharp bilateral pain. The pain started to effect her balance and her grip ability. She had followed with a pain physician who had prescribed her narcotics and various neuropathic pain medications which did not help as her condition worsened. When she finally arrived to neurology clinic she was noted to be hyper reflexic with diminished proprioception. An MRI cervical spine was performed which demonstrated multiple foci of increased T2 signal noted throughout the brain cervical cord, and thoracic cord, with suggestion of focal areas of cord atrophy, suggestive of demyelinating disease. CSF analysis was consistent with oligoclonal bands and IgG Index providing our patient with the likely diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis
 Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of taking a diagnostic approach to pain via a good neurologic exam. Our patient suffered through years of pain and increasing debility and finally coming to a diagnosis gave her a great sense of relief and prognostication. Disclosure: Dr. Kaveeshvar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zahoor has nothing to disclose. Dr. Loomba has nothing to disclose.


Introduction: Adequate pain control remains a major challenge after ambulatory surgery. Midazolam as adjunct to local anaesthetics in caudal epidural analgesia has been found effective with minimal adverse effects. Objective: The study was carried out to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of caudal bupivacaine and midazolam in children undergoing genitourinary surgeryfor post operative analgesia and to study the side effects and complications of bupivacaine and midazolam. Subjects and methods: Sixty children, aged2-12 were randomly selected from routine cases of pediatric genitourinary surgery in NSCB Medical college and Hospital, Jabalpur.Group B receive 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5ml/kg [n=30] and group BM receive combination of 0.25% bupivacaine 0.5ml/kg with 50 microgm/kg midazolam[n=30].Throughout the study period heart rate,arterial BP, respiratory rate were monitored. Postoperative pain was assessed by MODIFIED TODDLER PRESCHOOLER POST OPERATIVE PAIN SCALE [TPPPS].Rescue analgesia was given when pain score was 4 or more than 4. Sedation was evaluated by four point sedation score. Results: Lowest pain score were observed in BM group. The mean duration of postoperative analgesia in group B was 7.6+1.5hrs and in group BM was 10.43+0.95 hrs' which was statistically significant[p<0.05]. There was no significant changes in HR,BP and respiratory rate in both groups. The incidence of nausea and vomiting were equal in both groups. No respiratory depression,motor paralysis or urinary retention in both groups during the period of study. European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine ISSN 2515-8260 Volume 08, Issue 04, 2021 1735 1735 ConclusionCaudal administration of bupivacaine , midazolam mixture prolongs postoperative analgesia compare to bupivacaine alone without causing any adverse effects and complications. Key words; analgesia,bupivacaine,midazolam,TPPS. Study Design: Observational Study.


This article is the publication of a stela from Abydos that will be exhibited in the Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza (CG 20394/JE 15108). The stela can be dated to early in the first part of the Thirteenth Dynasty, probably in the reign of King Ameny-Qemau, on the grounds of its stylistic, phraseological, iconographic, and epigraphic details. It is the only monument that records the names of Queen Nofret, who may have been the wife of Ameny-Qemau and their daughter Princess Hatshepsut. It documents the marriage between Hatshepsut and the stela's owner, the 'tw n tt ha', Commander of the [Ruler's] Crew, Nedjesankh/Iew. It also depicts their children, and the children of another woman called Nebuemwakh who may have been a secondary wife of Nedjesankh/Iew. The author describes the stela, deals with its individual idiosyncrasies, texts, and focuses on the genealogy of its individuals.


Experimental perforations of the tympanic membrane in the guinea-pig have been examined electron microscopically. The perforation site became filled with maturing granulation tissue, covered on its external (meatal) and internal (middle ear) surfaces by cells derived from the epithelia of the respective surfaces of the normal membrane. The fibrils and interfibrillar matrix of the normal tympanic membrane in this species have a unique ultrastructure. The fibrils are quadrangular, apparently composed of four subunits, and the surrounding matrix is more electron-dense than in most connective tissues. During repair this type of fibril and matrix was not reconstituted within the 6 month period examined. In its place were formed fibrils of varying diameter, probably collagenous, and differing from those of normal membrane both in size and in the lack of characteristic interfibrillar matrix. The fibroblasts of the wound site, even if of local origin, thus do not appear to be capable of synthesizing the local type of connective tissue.


The developmental maturation of the Na(+)-H+ exchanger present in the proximal tubular luminal membrane of the rat was investigated. An overshoot of 1 mM Na+ uptake was evident in brush-border membrane vesicles derived from the renal cortex of 7- and 21-day-old and adult rats in the presence of an outwardly directed H+ concentration ([H+]) gradient [intravesicular pH (pHi) = 5.5; extravesicular pH (pHo) = 7.5]. Na+ uptake was amiloride sensitive at all ages examined. Significantly higher initial rate (3 s) Na+ uptake and peak accumulation (60 s) in the presence of a [H+] gradient were found in vesicles from 7-day-old rats compared with adult animals. Significantly enhanced initial rate Na+ uptake by neonatal vesicles was also evident under pH-equilibrated conditions (pHi = pHo = 7.5). An age-related decrease in amiloride-sensitive Na+ accumulation by vesicles was found. Kinetic analysis of Na(+)-H+ exchange in voltage-clamped vesicles, in the presence of dimethylamiloride (DMA), and calculating 5-s Na+ uptake values showed a maturational decrease in capacity (decreasing Vmax) coupled with a maturational increase in affinity (decreasing Km) of Na(+)-H+ antiport. These data suggest that an enhanced amiloride-inhibitable Na(+)-H+ exchange activity due to increased capacity of exchange exists in the proximal tubular luminal membrane of the neonatal rat. This increased Na(+)-H+ exchange may potentially contribute to positive Na+ balance in the growing organism and may rapidly dissipate the electrochemical Na+ gradient across the luminal membrane necessary for Na(+)-solute contransport, thereby contributing to glycosuria and aminoaciduria of early life.


This short position paper draws from two contrasting projects involving the authors in which reproduction technologies—both digital and analogue—were used in collaborations with artists. The paper compares a very traditional analogue process with a current digital form of art re-production.

In the first study artists were recruited to participate in iPad painting workshops and to collaborate on digital prototype development. The second discusses the first author's use of the earliest print technology: woodblock printing. Coloured inks, rollers and wooden spoons were used for "pulling" limited edition prints by hand from blocks of wood. Thirteen editions were made with the late painter Ken Kiff during the 90s.

The paper briefly considers how the inherent material degradation of traditional print re-production processes—which make the prints collectable and valuable—are conditions to which digital processes might aspire.


The identification of novel tumour‐associated antigens (TAAs) is pivotal for progression in the fields of tumour immunotherapy and diagnosis. In the present study, we have developed, based on flow cytometric evaluation and use of a mini‐library composed of specific antibody clones linked to different antibiotic resistance markers, methods for positive and subtractive selection of phage antibodies employing intact cells as the antigen source. An scFv phage library (2.7 × 107) was constructed from a primate (Macaca fascicularis) immunised with pooled human colon carcinomas. This library was selected for 3 rounds by binding to Colo 205 colon adenocarcinoma cells and proteolytic elution followed by phage amplification. Several antibodies reactive with colon carcinomas and with restricted reactivity to a few epithelial normal tissues were identified by immunohistochemistry. One clone, A3 scFv, recognised an epitope that was homogeneously expressed in 11/11 of colon and 4/4 pancreatic carcinomas studied and in normal tissue restricted to subtypes of epithelia in the gastrointestinal tract. The A3 scFv had an apparent overall affinity approximately 100‐fold higher than an A3 Fab, suggesting binding of scFv homodimers. The cell surface density of the A3 epitope, calculated on the basis of Fab binding, was exceptionally high, approaching 3 million per cell. We also demonstrate efficient T‐cell‐mediated killing of colon cancer cells coated with A3 scFv fused to the low MHC class II binding superantigen mutant SEA(D227A). The identified A3 molecule thus represents a TAA with properties that suggest its use for immunotherapy of colon and pancreatic cancer. Int. J. Cancer 87:559–568, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We theoretically develop a hybrid architecture consisting of photonic integrated circuit and plasmonic nanoantennas to fully control optical far-field radiation with unprecedented flexibility. By exploiting asymmetric and lateral excitation from silicon waveguides, single gold nanorod and cascaded nanorod pair can function as component radiation pixels, featured by full 2π phase coverage and nanoscale footprint. These radiation pixels allow us to design scalable on-chip devices in a wavefront engineering fashion. We numerically demonstrate beam collimation with 30° out of the incident plane and nearly diffraction limited divergence angle. We also present high-numerical-aperture (NA) beam focusing with NA ≈0.65 and vector beam generation (the radially-polarized mode) with the mode similarity greater than 44%. This concept and approach constitutes a designable optical platform, which might be a future bridge between integrated photonics and metasurface functionalities.


The aim of this demonstration of e-Learning technique by paddling through computerized video analysis, carried out on the ergosim type equipment by the junior rowers.
This scientific approach has led to organizing a research of an experimental study using the following methods:
1. Analysis of methodical-scientific literature. 2. Video recording of gymnastics exercises. Use of computerized programs: "Pinnacle Studio", "Kinovea" and "Physics ToolKit". 3. Postural method of movement orientation. 4. Statistical method, by means of "KyPlot" computerized program.
In this pedagogic experiment there has been included a number of six athletes from the Olympic Youth Center, Snagov, Romania. In this stage the athletes trained by running ,using an ergometer, weightlifting in the gym and rowing on the water.
Results. Demonstration and identification of kinematic and dynamic rowing motion on the ergometer performed by the junior rowers 16-18 of age , on the basis of biomechanical video analysis, the trajectories of body segments (CGG, shoulder and Fist) and the resultant linear speed and force showing their influence on different phases of the ideal technical rowing motion.
Conclusions. The correlative analysis between parameter technical training and performance results in competitions of junior rowing 16 to 18 years point out significant correlations in the attack phase, in the initial position between the speed of the wrist using the performance achieved in the competition, with the other biometric indicators of the rowing movement phases, the performance achieved in the three contests. These correlations are insignificant at P 0.05 >, highlighting the values of speed and force at shoulder and wrist level.
The use of e-learning in improving the technique of rowing has allowed the development of a training program to help increase performance in competitions on rowing machines and the athlete recruitment for rowing on water.


In this paper, a systematic analysis of native oxides within a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) diode is carried out, with the goal of determining their practicality for incorporation into a nanoscale Rectenna (Rectifying Antenna). The requirement of having a sub-10nm oxide scale is met by using the native oxide, which forms on most metals exposed to an oxygen containing environment. This, therefore, provides a simplified MIM fabrication process as the complex, controlled oxide deposition step is omitted. We shall present the results of an investigation into the current-voltage characteristics of various MIM combinations that incorporate a native oxide, in order to establish whether the native oxide is of sufficient quality for good diode operation. The thin native oxide layers are formed by room temperature oxidation of the first metal layer, deposited by magnetron sputtering. This is done in-situ, within the deposition chamber before depositing the second metal electrode. Using these structures, we study the established trend where the bigger the difference in metal workfunctions, the better the rectification properties of MIM structures, and hence the selection of the second metal is key to controlling the device's rectifying properties. We show how leakage current paths through the non-optimised native oxide control the net current-voltage response of the MIM devices. Furthermore, we will present the so-called diode figures of merit (asymmetry, non-linearity and responsivity) for each of the best performing structures.


This work is due to the need to focus, from a legal point of view, the institution of "urbanistic equalization".
Equalizing modalities take place, within some Municipalities, in order to
overcome the intrinsic discrimination, typical of planning processes.
To enforce this kind of technique, as a matter of fact, means to overtake, respect to the owners, an undifferentiated condition with regard to the characterizing effects deriving from discretional choices of territorial functional zoning.
The thesis, then, examines the matter of urbanistic equalization, starting from a complete investigation of the sources and origins, with the intent to specify institutions and remarkable legal problems, with regard to a new relationship between public administration and private ownership.
The Law n. 1150/1942 (Art.7), provides that town planning is based on a master-plan. This implies a land-zoning in which each "zone" is characterized by a specific function.
The result is the creation of inequalities between the owners of properties benefited by building rights and those owners whose properties are subjected to expropriation.
This happens because all the involved owners are equally subjected to support the duties connected to the construction of public works and services but it's unavoidable that these works grant privileges to subjective situations.
Several attempts to change the town-planning laws were undertaken, in the past, but they all failed.
For instance the so-called "Progetto Sullo", the Law n. 765 (year 1997) or the Law n. 10 (year 1977).
Step by step, a different outlook grew up; thanks to the Constitution principles and to an ever more pointed out demand (even from the E.U.), the need to remark the ethical value of equity has been noticed.
This requirement, within the urbanistic laws, is pursued to protect the citizens' private property from the power granted to the public authorities.
In comparison with the Legislative gap, the first effords to overtake a change developed straight on the territory, in those Municipalities where concrete attempts of equalization techniques' application are pursued.
Regional provisions occurred, later, but they have to do with rules which don't work out a specific regulation; they mostly are just principles statements.
As a consequence, into practice, different patterns have been carried out, connected to the needs of the land where they have been applied.
Some general indications came out in the variegated outline.
It's necessary to make some principles clear.
The "equalization" may be:
-"of values", if obtained through strictly financial operations, like fiscal reductions to indemnify the owner for the lost building suitability on his property;
-"of volumes", if building suitability, which may be accomplished only on a different land respect the one where it was originally settled, is assigned (within predetermined areas);
-"a priori", if building rights are not negotiable, since they are recognized to the land as an implicit potential, apart from the planner's choices, but concerning the condition "in fact and in law" in which the area is standing.
- "a posteriori", if all the foreseen building rights are distributed between the lands involved by the plans - independently of the future lands' function - so that their negotiation with the public authority is allowed;
-"generalized or partial", according to its being extended either to all the conversion areas or to some circumscribed areas. In both cases, the mechanism provides for the public authority to allot to each area the same building suitability, after having classified the lands according to the "in fact and in law" conditions; later, the public authority establishes the "landing areas" (where building activity will really be possible) and the "take-off areas" (where public services and works will rise). In case some subjects wanted to build, they'll have to buy the "volume" from the take-off areas' owners.
-"by compartment", based on the determination of specific zones in which the same building suitability is recognized to the owners, apart from the future function of the single areas; the subjects will be able to deal the building rights but just between areas localized in the same compartment.
-"by expanded compartment", if the building rights can be dealed even between owners of lands localized out of the compartment;
-"compensative", if private owners transfer certain areas to the public authority, directly realizing works of public interest.
Troubles came out whereas some Municipalities tried to use the term "equalization" to mask expropriation processes without compensation.
Nevertheless, the Administrative Jurisprudence intervened.
The main difficulty remains connected to the purpose that the foreseen mechanisms are realized. The risk is to leave the so-called "public town" un-realized, with the following costs for the whole community.
Just recently (Law 244/2007 - art. 1 comma 258/259, Law 133/2008 and, even more significant, the s.c. "Development Decree" n. 70 of 2011) the urbanistic equalization is expressly mentioned.
Nevertheless, also in these cases, the legislator lost the opportunity to make this matter clear.
The reasons which justify the application of equalization mechanisms are:
- equality between the subjects interested in the planning;
- a different idea of public administration, devoted to a greater involvement of private owners, even in the land matters;
- the shortage of financial resources for the municipalities;
- the need to justify and indemnify the expropriation bounds.
Authoritative acts are always possibile but they have to be considered as extreme drastic measures.
Having made these preliminary statements clear, we faced the main theme concerning the legal institutes which the different equalization mechanisms can be referred to.
To carry this out, we need to consider that "equalization" implies a split between theoretical building rights and jus aedificandi.
This way, it's believed that a specific deal is generated, where the authority is called to establish the rules and watch over the correct course, through holding proper auctions.
The Decree n. 70 of 2011 provides that are subjected to registration (according to civil code art.2642) even the contracts which transfer, settle or modify the building rights however denominated.
The importance of this rule is represented by the protection of the "assurance" requirement within the rights circulation but not clearing up their nature.
The formulation, then, should identify the equalization mechanism as an agreement between the public administration and the private owners, provided by the Law n. 241 of 1990, art. 11.
If the subjects, whatever pattern of equalization is chosen, perceive the adherence as "economically convenient", even the doubts connected to the possible violation of the s.c. "minimum content of the stated right of ownership" (Constitution, Art. 42) would be overcome.
The equalization presents criticality which, still, can be limited by the pre-eminent role that the public administration must have, within the management of the building rights.
Everything, anyway, starts from the concept of "urbanistic equalization" as a public-private agreement.
With the present work, we tried to point out the problems connected to the urbanistic equalization choices as well as the attempts that have been made to resolve them.


Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by a hyperandrogenic state and frequently develops skeletal muscle insulin resistance. We determined whether testosterone adversely affects insulin action by increasing serine phosphorylation of IRS-1636/639 in differentiated rat skeletal muscle myotubes. The phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR, and S6K, downstream targets of the PI3-kinase-IRS-1 complex were also studied. Methods Primary differentiated rat skeletal muscle myotubes were subjected to insulin for 30 min after 16-hour pre-exposure to either low (20 ng/ml) or high (200 ng/ml) doses of testosterone. Protein phosphorylation of IRS-1 Ser636/639, Akt Ser473, mTOR-Ser2448, and S6K-Thr389 were measured by Western blot with signal intensity measured by immunofluorescence. Results Cells exposed to 100 nM of insulin had increased IRS-1 Ser636/639 and Akt Ser473 phosphorylation. Cells pre-exposed to low-dose testosterone had significantly increased insulin-induced mTOR-Ser2448 and S6K-Thr389 phosphorylation (p<0.05), and further increased insulin-induced IRS-1 Ser636/639 phosphorylation (p = 0.042) compared to control cells. High-dose testosterone pre-exposure attenuated the insulin-induced mTOR-Ser2448 and S6K-Thr389 phosphorylation. Conclusions The data demonstrated an interaction between testosterone and insulin on phosphorylation of intracellular signaling proteins, and suggests a link between a hyperandrogenic, hyperinsulinemic environment and the development of insulin resistance involving serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 Ser636/639. These results may guide further investigations of potential mechanisms of PCOS-related insulin resistance.


This chapter examines leader-led Islamist militancy (a.k.a. "jihad") in Pakistan. While it is often believed that Pakistan's utilization of militants dates to the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan, in fact Pakistan began doing so in the founding months of the state. Therefore, Pakistan's militant groups have been active in and from Pakistan for decades and represent a long-standing facet of national power, whose deployment has been increasingly enabled by Pakistan's nuclear umbrella. A comprehensive assessment of "leader-led" jihad in Pakistan is beyond the modest length of this present effort. The empirics of the Pakistan comprise a case of state-led jihad as a form of leader-led jihad. Most of the jihadi leaders and groups in Pakistan are themselves - to varying degrees - led, mobilized or supported by the Pakistani state. Ostensibly, the "leadership" lending strategic guidance and direction to Pakistan's militant groups is Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Interservices Intelligence Directorate (ISI), and the Pakistan Army. These agencies may be more important than any given individual leader, who serves at the behest of these agencies, because these agencies provide important resources for arming, recruiting, training and ultimately conducting operations. This chapter will focus upon one of the most lethal and effective militant group operating from Pakistan: the Lashkar-e-Taiba or LeT. (LeT regrouped under the name of Jamaat-ul-Dawa when LeT was banned in 2002. For this reason, after 2002, I use the terms JuD and LeT interchangeably). Because LeT differs substantially from other groups operating in Pakistan, this chapter first briefly lays out the key features of the contemporary militant landscape in Pakistan. Next, this chapter provides key details about the organization and leadership. Third and most important, this chapter provides an account of what is perhaps LeT's most audacious attack to date: the November 26, 2008 coordinated attack on numerous targets throughout Mumbai, which lasted some 60 hours and killed 172 people while receiving full media coverage on Indian and international media. The chapter concludes with a discussion the policy implications that emerge from this analysis.


Like many western boundary currents, the East Australian Current (EAC) extension is projected to get stronger and warmer in the future. The CMIP5 multimodel mean (MMM) projection suggests up to 5°C of warming under an RCP85 scenario by 2100. Previous studies employed Sverdrup balance to associate a trend in basin wide zonally integrated wind stress curl (resulting from the multidecadal poleward intensi fi cation in the westerly winds over the Southern Ocean) with enhanced transport in the EAC extension. Possible regional drivers are yet to be considered. Here we introduce the NEMO ‐ OASIS ‐ WRF coupled regional climate model as a framework to improve our understanding of CMIP5 projections. We analyze a hierarchy of simulations in which the regional atmosphere and ocean circulations are allowed to freely evolve subject to boundary conditions that represent present ‐ day and CMIP5 RCP8.5 climate change anomalies. Evaluation of the historical simulation shows an EAC extension that is stronger than similar ocean ‐ only models and observations. This bias is not explained by a linear response to differences in wind stress. The climate change simulations show that regional atmospheric CMIP5 MMM anomalies drive 73% of the projected 12 Sv increase in EAC extension transport whereas the remote ocean boundary conditions and regional radiative forcing (greenhouse gases within the domain)


Over the last years EU energy policy has strongly focused on the development of renewable energy, also through the adoption of a dedicated 2020 target. But is the EU currently on track to meet this target? With this article, FEEM energy analysts Manfred Hafner and Simone Tagliapietra aim to provide a quick overview on the issue, looking at both the EU-wide and the national levels of analysis.


Deaf children born to hearing parents are exposed to language input quite late, which has long-lasting effects on language production. Previous studies with deaf individuals mostly focused on linguistic expressions of motion events, which have several event components. We do not know if similar effects emerge in simple events such as descriptions of spatial configurations of objects. Moreover, previous data mainly come from late adult signers. There is not much known about language development of late signing children soon after learning sign language. We compared simple event descriptions of late signers of Turkish Sign Language (adults, children) to age-matched native signers. Our results indicate that while late signers in both age groups are native-like in frequency of expressing a relational encoding, they lag behind native signers in using morphologically complex linguistic forms compared to other simple forms. Late signing children perform similar to adults and thus showed no development over time.


This report contains an account of the origin of the views and fundamental principles underlying the construction of German airplanes during the war. The report contains a detailed discussion of the aerodynamic principles and their use in determining the strength of airplanes, the analysis of the strength qualities of materials and in the construction, the calculated strength of air flows and a description of tests made in determining the strength of airplanes.


Commercial agency agreements benefit from a specific competition law regime with regards to the application of Article 81 of the Treaty of the European Communities (hereinafter Article 81). Although they may contain clauses that can produce anticompetitive effects, such as minimum price fixing, these are generally found outside the scope of Article 81 paragraph 1 [hereinafter Article 81(1)]. In comparison, if a franchise or selective distribution agreement contains resale price maintenance clauses, Article 81(1) may apply. The existence of a distinct competition law regime for commercial agency agreements constitutes a paradox, as from an allocative efficiency perspective it makes no sense to distinguish between the two situations. By adopting a new-institutional economics perspective, this study will provide a justification for this specific competition law regime. The agency agreements exception will be considered as a specific form of the single entity defense that operates in situations of hierarchy. Other vertical restraints are mainly organizational mechanisms used in situations of network forms of organization. The distinction established between these agreements could thus be theoretically defended. More generally, the comparative institutional analysis of vertical restraints will provide a useful insight to delimit the boundaries of Article 81(1).


The ultrasonic technology is a tool for indoor positioning systems (IPSs) and has been extensively used in many applications. In ultrasonic IPSs (UIPSs), the use of a chirp signal (in which the frequency varies with time) is widespread due to its capability to obtain high-range resolution through its time-frequency characteristic. It also provides an opportunity to design effective waveform diversity which has always been the key to mitigating multiple-access interference (MAI) in multi-user UIPSs. To explore this, we analyze the chirp signal from the signal design perspective, with the goal of developing a precise and efficient UIPS for multi-user environments. To achieve this, three waveform diversity design schemes are proposed in which all the benefits of the classical chirp, such as high-range resolution, are retained while all the transmitters can transmit chirp signals simultaneously. In each scheme, a linear chirp is divided into two linear sub-chirps with diverse durations and/or bandwidths. This process is optimized by selecting the concatenated sub-chirps that generate a waveform which has a high-range resolution and relatively low interference in the same scheme. Initially, the effectiveness of the proposed schemes is evaluated for five simultaneous excitation signals using several metrics and experimental results are then presented for the ultrasonic indoor positioning.


Collaborative Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (C-SLAM) is a vital component for successful multi-robot operations in environments without an external positioning system, such as indoors, underground or underwater. In this paper, we introduce Swarm-SLAM, an open-source C-SLAM system that is designed to be scalable, flexible, decentralized, and sparse, which are all key properties in swarm robotics. Our system supports inertial, lidar, stereo, and RGB-D sensing, and it includes a novel inter-robot loop closure prioritization technique that reduces communication and accelerates convergence. We evaluated our ROS-2 implementation on five different datasets, and in a real-world experiment with three robots communicating through an ad-hoc network. Our code is publicly available: https://github.com/MISTLab/Swarm-SLAM


High voltage transmission system availability and system security are key performance criteria for electricity utilities worldwide. System disturbances need to be cleared quickly and accurately in order to minimise the impact of faults and to facilitate speedy system restoration. It is therefore of paramount importance that protection relay performance is at its best. Protection relay performance analysis is normally done using the relay algorithms that represents the impedances measured in the so-called positive sequence domain. In the quest for best protection performance, this article will focus on the analysis of relay performance using a loop measurement analysis. This article aims to shown that with the loop domain method of relay operation analysis, a higher degree of accuracy pertaining to impedance relay operation and relay comparison can be made.


This article presents the latest developments in regulatory status and standardization initiatives in the field of TV white space cognitive communication systems. Updates on recent movements of regulatory bodies such as the U.S. FCC, U.K. OFCOM, European CEPT, Japanese MIC, and Singapore IDA in TV white space communications are first presented. The response of the industrial community toward these new regulations is then discussed, focusing on the activities in the IEEE 802 standards association. The latest developments of IEEE 802.11, 802.22, 802.15, 802.19, and DySPAN SC are described. Considerations on system design including PHY/MAC layer design in these standards are then listed and discussed. Lastly, potential usage models of cognitive communications in TV white spaces are presented, with emphasis on required parameters as guiding references to corresponding system design.


In a period of about 30 years, the Cubans dramatically improved their well-being and attempted to develop the ultimate humanitarian society, one where people's actions are mainly motivated by the well-being of humanity, without support of individual material incentives. An analysis is made of their efforts to keep sight of the well-being of humanity as their ultimate goal and to arrange cultural contingencies that generate behavior compatible with that goal. It is argued that (a) such a humanitarian society will not evolve randomly without the intervention of cultural designers; (b) natural contingencies often generate behavior incompatible with the well-being of humanity; therefore, the development of a humanitarian society requires the design and implementation of performance-management contingencies; (c) a society geared to the well-being of humanity must not be confused with a society free of aversive control; and (d) to use money as an incentive in addition to moral incentives does not necessarily counteract the development of a humanitarian society, the important issue is the contingent relationship between performance and incentives.


Phenomena that can compromise power systems operation need to be carefully analyzed in order to evaluate their impact on the security and reliability levels of the electrical networks. The real-time assessment of the system's security and reliability levels, especially under unforeseen contingencies, is known as online power system security analysis. For complex networks this process requires large computational efforts whereas computation times should be less than a few minutes for the information to be useful. To address this problem a distributed architecture based on the Web is proposed. The architecture integrates a network of remotely controlled units distributed in the most critical sections of the electrical network for fields data acquisition and safety check violations, a distributed solution engine for the online analysis of the system security, and a Web-based interface for graphical synoptic and reporting development. The results obtained from an intensive experimentation demonstrate the validity of the architecture and stimulate the enhancement of the solution engine through the use of a computational grid able to dynamically acquire the needed resources.


Self-medication is a common type of health care behaviour across the world. However, the practice and pattern of selfmedication varies from country to country and region to region. Therefore, this study was designed to analyse selfmedication practice and pattern in the socio-cultural context among the students of University of Sindh Jamshoro. The nature of this socio-cultural analysis of self-medication was explanatory. Data were analysed on SPSS. By the purposive sampling method, 103 respondents were hand-picked for this research. The structured-questionnaire was self-administered among the students of University of Sindh, Jamshoro. The results show prevalence of self-medication was high among the students. Quick relief is found to be reason for students practicing self-medication. Furthermore, the perceived gender was related to students' knowledge concerning selfmedication. There was no relationship between religious belief and self-medication. On the basis of results, it is recommended for parents and teachers should promote responsible self-medication as well as highlight health hazardous related to irresponsible self-medication.


A simple but effective technique to refract keratoconus patients is presented. The theoretical objection to these methods are discussed. In addition, a formula to calculate lenticular astigmatism is presented.


THE SPAHLINGER TREATMENT. Silt,---Though Dr. C. E. Jenkins denies that lie lhas impugned the good faith of the Science Committee he does not withdraw his assertion that the report issued by the committee, professedly in support of the proposed trial of the Spahlinger treatment, is " drawni up with the object of discrediting the whole matter." Inideed, he emphasizes this accusation when he writes (BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, June '12th, p. 1012) that the committee is " hostile2" evidently meaning by this term that at heart the committee is opposed to the proposal wlhich it pretends to support. He quotes no sentenice or plhrase to justify this concluision but relies upon what he calls the " tonie " of the report and " the attitude of mind displaved by the committee." It is upon tlhese vague and intangible existences that he rests his charge that the real object of the committee is subtly to discredit wlhat it professes openly to favour. And yet he protests, " I have not impugned the good faith of the Science Committee." I must, of course, allow him the virtue of sincerity. But when I lhave done so, how can I escape the alternative conclusion that in a debate between " good faith " and " bad faith" hiis capacity, for judgement is sadly to, seek? Dr. Jenikins provides yet another illustration of the practice of assertion without proof. " Nobody," he writes, " could read that article -[thc committee's report] without forming the opinion that the committee is hostile." He will be surpr ised, therefore, to hear, otlher evidences apart, that one of the most ardenit advocates of the Spahlinger treatment has already expressed a cordial and unqualified appreciation of the report and of the 'attitude adopted by the committee. Dr. Jenkins ought to know that a universal negative is a perilous proposition to attempt, and perhaps some day he may learn that to accuse -a committee of feigning to advocate a cause which inl reality it desires to discredit, is, at least among plain folk, a charge of insincerity and of bad faith.-I am, etc., London, WiA, June 12th. C. 0. HAWTHORNE.


: Our study was conducted in patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea and adenoid cystic carcinoma (191) (radical surgery--90; combined treatment--101). The former pathology was relatively more aggressive. Combined treatment proved more effective as compared with surgery alone (5- and 10-year survival after surgery was 79 and 64%; combined treatment--92 and 79%, respectively).


Catalan Studies are basically focused on national/linguistic identity, but recent debate on Catalan identity triggered by the current pro-independent process in Catalonia, may help reshape this academic field. A more diverse approach to Catalan culture should consider sexuality, which has traditionally been banished from literary analysis as a 'private' matter. Here, we discussed how queer theory can reframe Catalan Studies mainly by building a specific LGBT literary tradition, identifying queer episodes and characters in the canon, questioning received meanings, promoting interdisciplinary analysis of Catalan culture and exploring the role of queer subjectivity in history.


To date, the requirement that a plaintiff prove causation has hampered the success of tort-based claims against corporate greenhouse gas emitters. The need for an alternative approach to causation is clear. In recent years, courts and academics have engaged with the task of finding viable alternatives to the dominant "but for" test for causation. This article adds to that endeavour by proposing a new line of inquiry, grounded in approaches to causation that have emerged in scientific disciplines. It argues that the demise of deterministic theories of causation in science, and the rise of indeterministic and probabilistic alternatives, could be of interest to lawyers seeking a new approach to causation in law that is better tailored to the challenges of climate change. The article contends that courts' rigid application of the "but for" test is rooted in a Newtonian assumption that all things have a determinate cause. It advocates instead for a probabilistic approach, drawing on Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd as evidence of its feasibility. Such an approach, it is argued, creates a real prospect of success for climate change litigants.


Abstract The details of making technology of porous permeable material with use of wire are allowed to carry out the analytical research of structure and structural characteristics of wire winding body. Its permit for prognostication the final properties of material, that is produced by the following deformation treatment (diameter reduction). Due to the regular organized arrangement of wire, the coil of winding body is considered as a multispan continuous beam, but a contact of coils - as interaction of two cylinders. Possibility of exactly calculation of the contacts between coils is allowed to go over the single fragment displacements into deformation of whole winding body. During research of deformation processes in regards of winding body geometry and used wire mechanical properties, the structural characteristics of porous permeable wire material are expected. The optimal number of winding layers, eliminating the distortion of organized final structure, is established. The material pressure-compactness relation is obtained in order to control the technological conditions of winding and drafting for guarantee the product required properties.


The population of Polish Red (PR) cattle systematically decreases because of its low milk production. However, there are farmers, who are interested in keeping PR cows in the suckling system. The aim of the study was to evaluate different forms of milk and beef production (combination of factors e.g. fattening bulls, heifers raising, milk or beef production) characterizing farm production from the rural economy point of view and to point out the most effective forms of cattle production based on the data of PR cattle. The research was carried out on the example of the farm keeping PR cattle in suckling system. Linear programming method was used. The economic effectiveness of beef and milk production was examined by optimizing different rearing forms. The goal of the optimization was to maximize the net farm income. Parameters (all data necessary for the calculation of the demand for forage, people and machine work) were established on the basis of The Catalogue of Standards and Norms by Klepacki [1999] and records from farms keeping PR cows for beef and milk production. It was found, that the participation of direct payments in total revenue in case of forms assuming milk production and beef production is 28 and 44%, respectively. Cattle production is responsible for 60% of total revenues in milk production, whilst for 36% in beef production. In the case of the latter, the highest net farm income is possible to achieve in the form, which provides heifers rearing for farm's own needs and for sale (including fattening bulls sold at the age of 24 months). In the case of milk production, the highest net farm income is possible to achieve in the form, which assumes heifers raising only for farm's own needs (excluding fattening bulls). Net farm income amounts to 25 409 E and 28 470 E, respectively,


The technical challenges of large-scale integration of rooftop solar PV systems is a major concern for distribution network service providers (DNSPs) due to bidirectional power flow and voltage regulation issues. Energy storage devices have the potential to mitigate these adverse effects by storing excess energy during the day and providing peak shaving support at peak load. This paper presents a two-level dual-objective model predictive control (MPC) based algorithm to control DNSP owned community energy storage devices in LV residential distribution feeders. The proposed control method considers the feed-in tariff, spot price of energy and storage system operational costs. Both the economics of the system and voltage regulation are addressed. The individual modes of operation are activated by a high-level controller and a low-level controller provides the optimized charging/discharging rates according to the predefined objective cost functions. A case study 300m 4-wire LV feeder from NSW, Australia is used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control method through a time series power flow simulation.


Among the many active materials in use today, piezoelectric composite patches have enabled notable advances in emerging technologies such as disturbance sensing, control of flexible structures, and energy harvesting. The macro fiber composite (MFC), in particular, is well known for its outstanding performance. Multiscale models are typically required for smart-structure design with MFCs. This is due to the need for predicting the macroscopic response (such as tip deflection under a transverse load or applied voltage) while accounting for the fact that the MFC has microscale details. Current multiscale models of the MFC exclusively focus on predicting the macroscopic response with homogenized material properties. There are a limited number of homogenized properties available from physical experiments and various aspects of existing homogenization techniques for the MFC are shown here to be inadequate. Thus, new homogenized models of the MFC are proposed to improve smart-structure predictions and therefore improve device design. It is notable that current multiscale modeling efforts for MFCs are incomplete since, after homogenization, the local fields such as stresses and electric fields have not been recovered. Existing methods for obtaining local fields are not applicable since the electrodes of the MFC are embedded among passive layers. Therefore, another objective of this work was to find the local fields of the MFC without having the computational burden of fully modeling the microscopic features of the MFC over a macroscale area. This should enable smart-structure designs with improved reliability because failure studies of MFCs will be enabled. Large-scale 3D finite element (FE) models that included microscale features were constructed throughout this work to verify the multiscale methodologies. Note that after creating a free account on cdmhub.org, many files used to create the results in this work can be downloaded from https://cdmhub.org/projects/ernestocamarena.First, the Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG) was extended to provide a rigorous analytical homogenization method. The MFC was idealized to consist of a stack of homogeneous layers where some of the layers were homogenized with existing rules of mixtures. For the analytical model, the electrical behavior caused by the interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) was approximated with uniform poling and uniform electrodes. All other assumptions on the field variables were avoided; thus an exact solution for a stack of homogeneous layers was found with MSG. In doing so, it was proved that in any such multi-layered composite, the in-plane strains and the transverse stresses are equal in each layer and the in-plane electric fields and transverse electric displacement are constant between the electrodes. Using this knowledge, a hybrid rule of mixtures was developed to homogenize the entire MFC layup so as to obtain the complete set of effective device properties. Since various assumptions were avoided and since the property set is now complete, it is expected that greater energy equivalence between reality and the homogenized model has been made possible. The derivation clarified what the electrical behavior of a homogenized solid with internal electrodes should be—an issue that has not been well understood. The behavior was verified by large-scale FE models of an isolated MFC patch. Increased geometrical fidelity for homogenization was achieved with an FE-based RVE analysis that accounted for finite-thickness effects. The presented theory also rectifies numerous issues in the literature with the use of the periodic boundary conditions. The procedure was first developed without regard to the internal electrodes (ie a homogenization of the active layer). At this level, the boundary conditions were shown to satisfy a piezoelectric macrohomogeneity condition. The methodology was then applied to the full MFC layup, and modifications were implemented so that both types of MFC electrodes would be accounted for. The IDE case considered nonuniform poling and electric fields, but fully poled material was assumed. The inherent challenges associated with these nonuniformities are explored, and a solution is proposed. Based on the homogenization boundary conditions, a dehomogenization procedure was proposed that enables the recovery of local fields. The RVE analysis results for the effective properties revealed that the homogenization procedure yields an unsymmetric constitutive relation; which suggests that the MFC cannot be homogenized as rigorously as expected. Nonetheless, the obtained properties were verified to yield favorable results when compared to a large-scale 3D FE model. As a final test of the obtained effective properties, large-scale 3D FE models of MFCs acting in a static unimorph configuration were considered. The most critical case to test was the smallest MFC available. Since none of the homogenized models account for the passive MFC regions that surround the piezoelectric fiber array, some of the test models were constructed with and without the passive regions. Studying the deflection of the host substrate revealed that ignoring the passive area in smaller MFCs can overpredict the response by up to 20%. Satisfactory agreement between the homogenized models and a direct numerical simulation were obtained with a larger MFC (about a 5% difference for the tip deflection). Furthermore, the uniform polarization assumption (in the analytical model) for the IDE case was found to be inadequate. Lastly, the recovery of the local fields was found to need improvement.


UTSA Library was one of 9 pilot partners who tested Archivematica hosted in DuraCloud over several months in the Fall/Winter of 2014/2015. The purpose of the testing was to launch the first open-source, OAIS digital preservation service in March 2015. Pilot testers communicated via discussion lists and a group wiki, sharing their use cases and workflows. Artefactual and DuraSpace, the developers behind Archivematica and DuraCloud, respectively, offered training, workflow consulting, system support and enhancements, and scalability strategies. This panel will discuss the pilot from the administrative, processing and developer perspectives, with a focus on the UTSA experience and the changes that had to be made to the software to allow for large-scale processing and hosting.


This paper discusses the role of the colleges in applied research in the context of Canada's capability for innovation in a globally competitive arena. The analysis focuses upon issues around an expanded mandate related to applied research. To explore the state of readiness of the college sector, it draws upon the results of a survey distributed to 150 college and institute presidents in Canada, as well as upon other recent studies. The discussion ends with suggested policy avenues to maximize the effectiveness of this sector's contribution to the nation's innovation agenda.


Crazy Camping Challenge: The design process of a social product that offers adolescents a better camping experience

Ruben Pot, Bachelor Industrial Design, University of Twente, the Netherlands

Team4Animation is a company that provides animation services to camping sites. None of their services are targeted at adolescents even though it imparts benefits such as a higher chance of recurring guests and camping sites being able to distinguish themselves from competition (Pot, 2017). The main research question is: "how can the camping experience of an adolescent be improved with a product?".

During the research a human-centered design approach is applied. To determine the desires of adolescents on holiday, literary desktop research is combined with an inquiry and a co-design session during an animation training organized by Team4Animation to educate new employees. This preliminary research stipulates that supporting social behaviour will improve the camping experience of adolescents. When regarding social behaviour, being with friends is ranked as most important. Furthermore, the co-design session proposed that a smartphone is the optimal product to appeal to adolescents at present. Based on this, a conceptual smartphone gaming app called Crazy Camping Challenge was devised. The main idea of this game is to bring the target audience together and encourage them to undertake action. The game provides a player with three challenges that have to be executed within a given deadline: A public challenge which is the same for all players, a team challenge that has to be carried out with other players and finally a unique personal challenge. A player uploads evidence of the execution which is, in order to receive points, assessed by the other players.

The product is playtested using a Whatsapp-based paper prototype during the summer of 2017 at a camping site in France. Predominantly to determine in what ways the concept could be improved and alternately to discover whether the product will be successful. The most important indicator of success is that friendships were established through the Crazy Camping Challenge. With the results and findings of the test a design document is constructed. This document provides a description and visual design of the eventual product in such a way that it is clear for a programmer how to develop the app.

The research has shown that the camping experience of an adolescent can be improved by supporting social behaviour. This is accomplished by the current product by lowering the threshold to break the ice between adolescents and providing them with motives to undertake actions together. As the product is successful, the advice for Team4Animation is to produce it and thereby adding a service to their current assortment. To further substantiate the realization of the product an estimation of the earnings indicate that the service will be profitable within three years (Pot, 2017). However, additional development is required before the product can be made. The main issue that is essential to excogitate concerns the underlying game mechanics which are currently unsuitable for use. Additionally, there are several other aspects that demand improvements. Therefore, the recommendation is to let a student further develop the product before introducing this product to camping sites. Suitable candidates are students of Creative Technology at the University of Twente, as they possess the necessary skillset.

References:

Pot, R. (2017). Crazy Camping Challenge: Het ontwerpproces van een sociaal product dat adolescenten een betere kampeerervaring geeft (pp. 9, 42). Enschede: Universiteit Twente.


Over the past decades, domestic violence, violence against women and child abuse has received much attention, both in the media, in political discourse and in social research. Abuse of the elderly however, arouses limited interest. Both in government action against domestic violence and in police guidance manuals the elderly receive little attention. Regarding abuse in close and familial relationships many of the same problems arise for the elderly as for younger people. The pain associated with being pestered and bothered over time by someone close to you is probably not so different across the various age groups. The older part of the population seems however to be particularly vulnerable to abusive relationships – taking age, health, and dependency on assistance into consideration. The ability to secede and reestablish decreases with increasing age. The elderly are also often dependent on help from the abuser. In addition, the elderly are exposed to abuse from their own children and grandchildren. For many victims it is almost impossible to detach oneself from the relationship with one's own children, and in general it is probably more difficult than detachment from one's own spouse. Ties to children are particularly strong. This is probably a central reason why abuse of the elderly is one of the most hidden and difficult forms of violence in the population.


We propose an image feature extraction method based on the thermal theory for high noise PET images. The PET imaging, which records physiological activities of tissues, is broadly used to provide diagnostic information for investigating clinical disorders. To extract desired regions of interest (ROIs) from noisy PET images for clinical applications is an important issue. The proposed method hypothesizes an image as a pseudo-object, and each pixel with different intensity in the image is defined as different pseudo-substance and has its specific heat capacity. Observing physical thermodynamic phenomenon, the pseudo-substances those have similar specific heat capacity characteristics will be fuse by heating and cooling the pseudo-object over and over. That is, image pixels with similar intensity will converge to closed level, and the desired image features can be extracted. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, a set of normal FDOPA-PET images and three different abnormal cases include AVM, NPC and brain tumor PET images are used in this study. As results, the difference between the extraction regions obtained from presented method and the RO is drawn manually by clinical physician is less than 1% in average. Furthermore, the method also features automatic extraction procedure and short processing time.


ABSTRACT This article investigates the genesis of a new model of religious education in the history of Jews using as an example Jews in Galicia during its autonomous period (1867–1918). At that time, it became necessary to organize instruction in Mosaic religion in public schools. No relevant experience had been previously acquired, and the vast majority of Galician Jews sent their children to cheders, where the curriculum was dominated by religious education that spanned several years and was conducted every day. There were relevant questions on how to fit the very rich curriculum of Jewish religion into only two hours a week of religion classes in public schools, the person(s) who would organize the timetable and curriculum for this new subject, and who would teach Jewish children their religion. Moreover, it had to be decided how the instruction should be organized; there were even more important issues to consider,namely those of textbooks for the new subject and of the role of Hebrew in the religion lessons. All of these problems are discussed in this article. The multifaceted and complex process of shaping instruction in Jewish religion in public schools against the background of sociocultural changes in Galicia in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century is presented. The description of this process was based on hitherto unknown printed sources and archive records.


This paper reports a quasi-experimental study carried out with two social technologies in order to support and enhance collaborative knowledge construction among doctoral students discussing research papers. We conducted a fine-grained investigation of discourse in both systems by using three coherent theories of collaborative learning to guide three different methods of analysis. We started our investigation by analyzing the content of discussions in search for active meaning making. Then, we examined the interaction processes to identify new cognitions emerged from interacting individuals. We completed our investigation by evaluating the positive interdependence of distributed competencies in each group. Results indicate that the anchored discussion system seems to be particularly suited for theory-oriented collaborative processing of research papers.


A commonly accepted framework of mass disaster evacuation postulates dependency on resilience and on exposure of the risk posed to groups by a threat. Resilience relates to the material and conceptual resources available within reach or through the larger community. Exposure varies with such factors as location relative to the threat agent's pathway, magnitude, and scope over time. Also commonly accepted is the chronic lack of resources and the dependence on public means that afflict disenfranchised segments of a population. Clearly, to mitigate the disparities in evacuation risk across social boundaries, it becomes imperative that the community at large make available tangible and intangible resources to its disenfranchised segments. A risk analysis helps agencies assess who faces the risks, where the risks are faced, which resources are lacking to cause facing of the risks, and what risks are being faced; the analysis thus eases derivation of a future scheme for the allocation of resources. This study ranks and compares the risks posed by hurricanes to the coastal towns of Rhode Island. To this end, it proposes a conceptual framework for assessing risk under hurricane threat. It then assesses a hurricane risk index that uses the social predictors of resilience prevailing within the hurricane evacuation zones in each coastal town. It gleaned the empirical data necessary for this assessment from disaster-related literature, emergency management agencies, and readily available GIS databases. This paper, in essence, exposes the social inequities that result in disparities in resilience among towns within the hurricane evacuation zones of coastal Rhode Island.


The nature of cadastral data in the United States is dynamic from a temporal perspective and measurement-based from a spatial perspective. The fundamental characteristics have been comparatively ignored in the development of early parcel-based land information systems (LISs). Functional requirements with respect to the characteristics are investigated based upon interviews of professionals in six target groups: (1) surveyors; (2) title insurance workers; (3) the register of deed office; (4) property assessors; (5) planners; and (6) geographic information system application developers and users. The investigation ended up with six major functional requirements: (1) incorporation of measurement data including measurement data retrieval, automatic coordinate update, and spatial data consistency checking; (2) identification of spatial discrepancy; (3) retention of historical data; (4) temporal topology; (5) snapshot; and (6) incorporation of document image data. The writer presents the preceding functional requirements in order to extend the capability of current parcel-based LISs and to support more users' needs.