We present Imagen Video, a text-conditional video generation system based on a cascade of video diffusion models. Given a text prompt, Imagen Video generates high definition videos using a base video generation model and a sequence of interleaved spatial and temporal video super-resolution models. We describe how we scale up the system as a high definition text-to-video model including design decisions such as the choice of fully-convolutional temporal and spatial super-resolution models at certain resolutions, and the choice of the v-parameterization of diffusion models. In addition, we confirm and transfer findings from previous work on diffusion-based image generation to the video generation setting. Finally, we apply progressive distillation to our video models with classifier-free guidance for fast, high quality sampling. We find Imagen Video not only capable of generating videos of high fidelity, but also having a high degree of controllability and world knowledge, including the ability to generate diverse videos and text animations in various artistic styles and with 3D object understanding. See https://imagen.research.google/video/ for samples.


We introduce MotioNet, a deep neural network that directly reconstructs the motion of a 3D human skeleton from a monocular video. While previous methods rely on either rigging or inverse kinematics (IK) to associate a consistent skeleton with temporally coherent joint rotations, our method is the first data-driven approach that directly outputs a kinematic skeleton, which is a complete, commonly used motion representation. At the crux of our approach lies a deep neural network with embedded kinematic priors, which decomposes sequences of 2D joint positions into two separate attributes: a single, symmetric skeleton encoded by bone lengths, and a sequence of 3D joint rotations associated with global root positions and foot contact labels. These attributes are fed into an integrated forward kinematics (FK) layer that outputs 3D positions, which are compared to a ground truth. In addition, an adversarial loss is applied to the velocities of the recovered rotations to ensure that they lie on the manifold of natural joint rotations. The key advantage of our approach is that it learns to infer natural joint rotations directly from the training data rather than assuming an underlying model, or inferring them from joint positions using a data-agnostic IK solver. We show that enforcing a single consistent skeleton along with temporally coherent joint rotations constrains the solution space, leading to a more robust handling of self-occlusions and depth ambiguities.


This paper examines how the past of desert landscapes has been interpreted since European explorers and scientists first encountered them. It charts the research that created the conceptual space within which archaeologists and Quaternarists now work. Studies from the 1840s–1960s created the notion of a 'Great Australian Arid Period'. The 1960s studies of Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes by Jim Bowler revealed the cyclical nature of palaeolakes, that changed with climate changes in the Pleistocene, and the complexity of desert pasts. SLEADS and other researchers in the 1980s used thermoluminescence techniques that showed further complexities in desert lands beyond the Willandra particularly through new studies in the Strzelecki and Simpson Dunefields, Lake Eyre, Lake Woods and Lake Gregory. Australian deserts are varied and have very different histories. Far from 'timeless lands', they have carried detailed information about long-term climate changes on continental scales.


The climate-smart agriculture (CSA) concept reflects the ambition to improve the integration of agriculture development and climate responsiveness. CSA aims to achieve food security and broader development goals under a changing climate and increasing food demand. CSA initiatives sustainably increase agriculture productivity, enhance resilience of agro-systems, and reduce/remove greenhouse gases (GHGs) from agriculture production, and require planning to address tradeoffs and synergies between these three pillars: productivity, adaptation, and mitigation [1]. While the concept is new, and still evolving, many of the practices that constitute CSA already exist worldwide and are used by farmers to different degrees to cope with various production risks [2]. Mainstreaming CSA requires a critical stocktaking of existing and promising agricultural production practices for the future, and of institutional and financial enablers for CSA adoption. This country profile provides a snapshot of a developing baseline created to initiate the discussion about entry points for investing in and scaling up CSA in Sri Lanka. P A


This thesis offers an in-depth analysis of the political project of 'food sovereignty'
within the Latin American regional institution of ALBA (Alianza Bolivariana para
los Pueblos de Nuestra America: Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America).
As a means of navigating ALBA's agrarian transformation, the thesis employs a
broadly historical materialist approach to the analysis of class struggle and sociopolitical
change in the context of realizing a new food sovereignty regime. Drawing
primarily on a neo-Poulantzian perspective, the analysis opens up the question of the
bureaucratic state itself – as a condensation of class relations and hegemonic
discourses – through the tripartite lens of rights, territory and sovereignty. Such
coordinates are key areas of contestation for food sovereignty protagonists, who not
only struggle against the power of landed capital but also the concentrated force of
state power. To ground these theoretical parameters, the empirical data draws upon
fieldwork carried out in Venezuela (the economic and ideological center of the ALBA
bloc). Through an examination of social movements, peasant producers and activists,
educational/pedagogical institutions promoting the practices of food sovereignty, and
workers within ALBA's rice producing factory network, the study offers a
multifaceted account of the complex and contradictory transition away from capitalist
agriculture and towards a new food regime embedded within structures of popular
empowerment. From this analysis, the thesis uncovers a number of critical findings
that are not often acknowledged within the ALBA literature; namely, that while the
role of the 'post-liberal' state has been a key actor in the improvement of social
wellbeing, popular classes find their greatest challenge in the form of the strong,
bureaucratic state. Such a contradiction – between state-as-ally and state-as-nemesis –
speaks directly to the Poulantzian problematic of 'democratic socialism', and the
challenge of engaging with state institutions in order to dissolve their very logic. The
study therefore offers important lessons with respect to the limits and prospects of
building 'socialism in the 21st century'.


Charge transfer complexes (CTC) can be readily introduced into materials by cohydrolysis-copolymerisation of bis-silylated ter-thiophenes as precursors with TMOS and TEOS in the presence of TCNQ. CTC formation is shown in the visible spectrum of the xerogel by the band at 850 nm characteristic of the TCNQ·- radical anion. Vibrational spectra have shown that strong vibration of C≡N bond at 2184, 2120 and 1595 cm-1 as peaks characteristics of CTC. The CTC bands are weak and the complex is easily destroyed by washing with acetone, which removes the TCNQ. The gelification effect of the charge transfer complexes on the hybrid materials of 2,5''- bis(trime thoxysilyl)terthiophene/TCNQ/ TMOS showed that the peak with distance of more than 11.68 Å, formed by precursors and matrices, as a lamellar structure. The birefringence of xerogel BTS3T in presence of alkoxysilane showed that the value is near the detection limit of 0.1 – 0.4 x 10-3, which is weaker than BTS3T / THF with the birefringence value of 4.5 x 10-3.


In integrated-services networks, both the arrival processes and the performance objectives can vary greatly from one packet stream to another. Either the network must be designed to meet the strictest performance requirements by every possible measure of performance, or traffic control algorithms are needed that differentiate traffic based on performance objectives, and adjust performance accordingly. There is therefore a need to evaluate and compare the performance of such traffic control algorithms including algorithms for admission control, transmission scheduling, and packet dropping. However, ATM integrated-services networks place great demands on simulation systems. This paper describes an efficient approach to the design of discrete-event simulations for these networks. It is used to evaluate several different traffic control approaches. Some sample results from the simulation are presented which compare these algorithms. It is shown that cost-based scheduling is the most effective of the scheduling algorithms simulated, but the priority token bank, which is simpler to implement, is close behind.


Hydrides based on magnesium and intermetallic compounds provide a viable solution to the challenge of energy storage from renewable sources, thanks to their ability to absorb and desorb hydrogen in a reversible way with a proper tuning of pressure and temperature conditions. Therefore, they are expected to play an important role in the clean energy transition and in the deployment of hydrogen as an efficient energy vector. This review, by experts of Task 40 'Energy Storage and Conversion based on Hydrogen' of the Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme of the International Energy Agency, reports on the latest activities of the working group 'Magnesium- and Intermetallic alloys-based Hydrides for Energy Storage'. The following topics are covered by the review: multiscale modelling of hydrides and hydrogen sorption mechanisms; synthesis and processing techniques; catalysts for hydrogen sorption in Mg; Mg-based nanostructures and new compounds; hydrides based on intermetallic TiFe alloys, high entropy alloys, Laves phases, and Pd-containing alloys. Finally, an outlook is presented on current worldwide investments and future research directions for hydrogen-based energy storage.


While it is generally perceived that ground motion duration will influence structural performance, previous research on the topic has produced mixed conclusions, which has led to the effect of duration being largely ignored in structural design practice. The believed reasons for the inconclusive results are the use of non-deteriorating structural models, attention not paid to behavior near collapse and the use of inefficient metrics to characterize duration. This paper summarizes preliminary results of a study that employs non-linear incremental dynamic analyses to assess the effect of ground motion duration on the estimated collapse risk of reinforced concrete bridge piers. Spectrally equivalent long and short duration record sets are used to isolate the effect of duration from that of other ground motion characteristics like response spectral amplitude and response spectral shape, and quantify its influence on estimated seismic collapse risk. Sensitivity of the effect of duration to model parameters is studied to help identify classes of structures most susceptible to long duration shaking. Preliminary findings and their implications on research and structural design practice are presented.


We present the outcome of a century of post-bottleneck isolation of a long-lived species, the little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii, LSK) and demonstrate that profound genetic consequences can result from protecting few individuals in isolation. LSK were saved from extinction by translocation of five birds from South Island, New Zealand to Kapiti Island 100 years ago. The Kapiti population now numbers some 1200 birds and provides founders for new populations. We used 15 microsatellite loci to compare genetic variation among Kapiti LSK and the populations of Red Mercury, Tiritiri Matangi and Long Islands that were founded with birds from Kapiti. Two LSK native to D'Urville Island were also placed on Long Island. We found extremely low genetic variation and signatures of acute and recent genetic bottleneck effects in all four populations, indicating that LSK have survived multiple genetic bottlenecks. The Long Island population appears to have arisen from a single mating pair from Kapiti, suggesting there is no genetic contribution from D'Urville birds among extant LSK. The Ne/NC ratio of Kapiti Island LSK (0.03) is exceptionally low for terrestrial vertebrates and suggests that genetic diversity might still be eroding in this population, despite its large census size.


Signalment, tumor sites, clinicopathologic, radiographic, and ultrasonographic features, as well as treatment protocols and survival information, were evaluated for 10 dogs with a histologic diagnosis of giant cell variant of malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Common clinical findings included subcutaneous masses, weight loss, anorexia, and lethargy. Laboratory abnormalities included anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and high concentrations of serum hepatic enzymes. Radiography and ultrasonography were useful in staging the extent of metastasis. Seven dogs had tumor metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Two other dogs developed evidence of metastasis during the course of treatment. The most common sites of tumor involvement were subcutaneous tissues, lymph nodes, liver, and lungs. Treatment protocols included surgical resection, intraoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Median survival time of all dogs was 61 days. Median survival time of the 6 treated dogs was 161 days. Findings on necropsy revealed metastasis with multiple organ involvement. The giant cell variant of malignant fibrous histiocytoma was determined to be a highly metastatic neoplasm in dogs, which may be responsive to surgical excision, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy.


A novel nickel nanocomposite electrode supported by 3D ordered silicon microchannel plates (MCP) had been reported and its electrocatalytic toward the oxidation of glucose for sensor had been studied. The 3D ordered Si MCP electrodes were first fabricated by electrochemical etching and then Nickel nanoparticles were deposited onto the sidewall of the MCP via electroless deposition followed by annealing at 300°C for 300 s under argon to stabilize the structure. The morphology of the Ni/Si-MCP electrode was characterized by Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical methods were employed to investigate the Ni/Si-MCP materials. The Ni/Si-MCP nanocomposites exhibit superior electrocatalytic properties towards glucose electro-oxidation in alkaline solutions, in addition to showing excellent long-term stability and good reproducibility.


Immunization against infectious diseases has saved innumerable lives and contributed to today's increased life expectancy. In spite of these impressive results, there is still considerable potential for improved vaccines. New strategies to achieve safe and effective immunization are under investigation. Many vaccination guidelines call for multiple dosing schedules. Reduction of injection frequency, by having controlled release, peroral or nasal vaccine delivery systems could lead to better immunological protection of the population and might facilitate in eradication of some infectious pathogens. Some aspects of safety are closely related to the route of administration, such as granuloma formation or allergic reaction at the injection site and storage conditions. Serious failures of smallpox and measles immunizations have resulted from inadequate refrigeration. New vaccine delivery systems have shown to possess greater effectiveness, improved adjuvanticity, in vitro and in vivo stabilization of antigens, safety from risk of infections and side effects. Furthermore, results obtained by delivering the new subunit vaccines against diseases such as Hepatitis B, HIV, malaria by novel delivery systems have shown encouraging results. Biodegradable micropheres made up of PLGA, liposomes, nanoparticles, immunostimulating complexes and nonionic surfactant vesicles have been reviewed here and these have found to be promising modes of vaccine delivery.


In recent years, packet filtering firewalls have seen some impressive technological advances (e.g., stateful inspection, transparency, performance, etc.) and widespread deployment. In contrast, firewall and security management technology is lacking. We present Firmato, a firewall management toolkit, with the following distinguishing properties and components: (1) an entity relationship model containing, in a unified form, global knowledge of the security policy and of the network topology; (2) a model definition language, which we use as an interface to define an instance of the entity relationship model; (3) a model compiler translating the global knowledge of the model into firewall-specific configuration files; and (4) a graphical firewall rule illustrator. We demonstrate Firmato's capabilities on a realistic example, thus showing that firewall management can be done successfully at an appropriate level of abstraction. We implemented our toolkit to work with a commercially available firewall product. We believe that our approach is an important step towards streamlining the process of configuring and managing firewalls, especially in complex, multi firewall installations.


This briefing note has been prepared to provide a quick overview of the evaluation process, from preparation of the contract to finalization of the evaluation. The purpose of this note is to help evaluation consultants to form a clear picture of the different steps of the evaluation and assist consultants in preparing to undertake the evaluation.


As exemplified by the MDGs' adoption in 2000, it was recently thought that poverty alleviation, hunger reduction and environmental conservation should be tackle simultaneously. For that purpose, forests people had to intensively exploit and to commercialize the wild resources (NTFPs) they usually foraged from the nature for their self-consumption and for marginal trade. After a first wave of optimism, most studies have however concluded that such outcome was dubious, i.e. , that foraging was not able to sustain economic development. We consider a theoretical framework and provide an economic analysis explaining such result. We identify four cases, according to two distinctions. First, foraged wild resources can be used either for self-consumption or traded on the market. Second, foraging can be either an exclusive mode of production or be combined with farming. However, an economic development based on the intensive exploitation of wild resources (through specialized foraging and trade) is not sustainable in the long-term. When considered as an economic system, the persistence of foraging wild resources is only consistent with self-consumption or with marginal trade. Intensive foraging dedicated to trade and market extension lead to the disappearance of sharing (or cooperation) between foragers; wild resources as well as most foragers are likely to get worse in such situation even though some counter-examples can be identified.


Abstract. At the Hungarian Meteorological Service, two experiments were accomplished with the REMO5.0 regional climate model: (1) a simulation of a past period from 1961 to 2000, driven by the ECMWF ERA40 re-analysis data, and (2) a transient run from 1951 to 2100 driven by the ECHAM5/MPI-OM global coupled atmosphere-ocean model using SRES A1B forcing. The integration domain covers continental Europe with 25 km horizontal resolution in both experiments. Present article is dedicated to the investigation of the simulation results for the past period. The results for 1961–1990 were compared on the one hand with observations, and on the other hand, with each other and the corresponding global fields in order to assess the impact of the different lateral boundary conditions on the results focusing on the area of our interest, i.e., Hungary. The evaluation indicated that the re-analysis driven experiment provides warm and in summer dry past climate over the Carpathian Basin, whereas lower temperature and higher precipitation values are obtained when the lateral boundary information is derived from a global climate model. Based on the validation, it is concluded that the temperature characteristics in the simulation-driven case outperformed the experiment forced by quasi-perfect (i.e., re-analysis) data, however, similar apparent conclusion cannot be drawn for precipitation. This paper is undertaking to give deeper insight into the details and possible reasons for these outcomes.


To develop urban stormwater management effectively, characterization of urban runoff pollution between dissolved and particulate phases was studied by 12 rainfall events monitored for five typical urban catchments. The average event mean concentration (AEMC) of runoff pollutants in different phases was evaluated. The AEMC values of runoff pollutants in different phases from urban roads were higher than the ones from urban roofs. The proportions of total dissolved solids, total dissolved nitrogen, and total dissolved phosphorus in total ones for all the catchments were 26.19%–30.91%, 83.29%–90.51%, and 61.54–68.09%, respectively. During rainfall events, the pollutant concentration at the initial stage of rainfall was high and then sharply decreased to a low value. Affected by catchments characterization and rainfall distribution, the highest concentration of road pollutants might appear in the later period of rainfall. Strong correlations were also found among runoffs pollutants in different phases. Total suspended solid could be considered as a surrogate for particulate matters in both road and roof runoff, while dissolved chemical oxygen demand could be regarded as a surrogate for dissolved matters in roof runoff.


Hydrophilic surface chemistries can strongly bind water to produce surfaces that are highly resistant to protein adsorption and fouling. The interfacial bound water and its distinct properties have intrigued researchers for decades, yet the relationship between the water three-dimensional structure and function in antifouling coatings remains elusive. Here, we use hydrophilic, epoxy organosilane modified silica nanoparticles to demonstrate cheap, robust, and practically applied coatings that we discover have broad-ranging, ultralow fouling properties when challenged by various proteins, bacteria, and fungal spores. To understand their excellent antifouling properties, frequency modulation-atomic force microscopy is used to directly observe the interfacial water structure at subatomic resolution, which we validate using all-atom molecular dynamic simulations that strikingly predict similar structures of water layers on the original and ultralow fouling surfaces. The convergence of experimental and modeling data reveals that suitably spaced, flexible chains with hydrophilic groups interact with water molecules to produce a connective, quasi-stable layer, consisting of dynamic interfacial water, that provides a basis for antifouling performance of ultrathin, hydrophilic surface chemistries.


There is a general consensus that the new world order gathered steam in response to World War II. Major institutions like the United Nations, NATO, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all fortified the common belief that economic, social, and political interdependence is unavoidable. This international framework in which both domestic and foreign policies have far-reaching and unclear implications is not well understood. Important debates concerning economic and military intervention in developing countries, the scope and enforceability of human rights, and the role of international governing bodies are far from settled. This raises an important question for the United States: What ought to be the values that define American foreign policy given these highly contentious circumstances? More specifically, should the United States rely primarily on its military strength as leverage? Can the U.S. maintain its superpower status? What might this look like in the future and is this desirable? These are the questions that will guide a discussion between Thomas Visco and Alex Zimmerman.


This article explores the shapes taken by joking among the Trumai Indians and other groups of the Xinguan Indigenous Park (Mato Grosso, Brazil). This social practice often opposes persons who are in open-ended relationships, and can thus be defined as the default mode of relation: while it occurs prototypically between male cross-cousins, it is also common with Indian or non-Indian outsiders. Contrarily, one demonstrates both shame and respect toward real affines. Identifying this system of attitudes gives no account, however, of either the pragmatic properties of joking, nor its specific social efficacy. Joking, in particular, is remarkable by its inescapable ambivalence, both moral and functional. This characteristic is closely linked to the frame of interaction that joking is built upon, which manages, in the same time, to both follow highly conventional patterns and produce deep destabilization. This paper thus tries to explain the paradox of what could be called a predictable uncertainty and convey, partly from my own experience, what it is like to be part of such a play where the opposition between the failure and success of an interaction becomes blurred.


The classification according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) includes numerous challenges in contrast with the previously applied water qualification standards. The most important element of the ecological status, the biological one, is based on five groups of living organisms: phytoplankton, phytobenthon, macrophytes, macro-invertebrates and fish. The results of a three-year research project financed by the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) are reported in this work. The objective of the project was the elaboration of a proposal for biological classification according to the WFD for the related groups of living organisms. In the course of the project the biological characteristics to be measured were selected for each of the above listed groups which served as the basic data for Biological Quality Elements (BQEs). In the BQEs we estimated the type-specific reference values for most of the Hungarian surface water types. Then we created the structure of the qualification system for these groups, including specification of class boundaries between the five classes for the Environmental Quality Ratio (EQR) values on the basis of expert estimation. A Non-Taxonomic Periphyton Index (NTPI, not included in the WFD) was also developed and tested for qualification. The elaborated classification systems were tested on the basis of existing scarce data for numerous Hungarian water types.


. Based on the survey responses of over 1000 attendees of growing and 1000 attendees of declining Mainline Protestant churches in Canada, this research examines patterns of denominational switching and the characteristics of switchers from both groups. Based on previous Canadian research we hypoth-esized, among other predictions, that the majority of our Mainline Protestant congregants would never have switched denominations and, of those who had, a plurality would indicate that their previous church was part of another Mainline Protestant denomination. These hypotheses were supported when the responses of growing and declining church attendees were combined but when the responses of the growing church congregants were tabulated separately they were not supported. We show how the switching patterns of the growing Mainline Protestant church congregants are more akin to those of Canadian Conservative Protestant church congregants and we offer explanations as to why this may be the case.


This study was undertaken to determine how photosynthesis tolerates desiccation in an intertidal alga Fucus vesiculosus L. and a terrestrial sunflower Helianthus annuus L. Photosynthetic O2 evolution generally was inhibited at low water potentials (psiw) but more in sunflower leaves than in Fucus fronds at the same psiw. As psiw decreased, less carbon accumulated in an organic carbon store in Fucus. The inhibition of photosynthesis appeared to be mostly biochemical because it could not be prevented by supplying additional CO2 or by supplying CO2 from the internal organic carbon store. The inhibition of photosynthesis and carbon storage occurred after turgor disappeared and thus when solute concentrations were increasing in the cells. Solute concentrations were much higher in Fucus than in sunflower. After desiccation to the air-dry state (psiw below - 10 MPa), photosynthesis could not recover in sunflower but it recovered rapidly when Fucus was exposed to seawater. The lack of recovery in sunflower was associated with inability to recover turgor probably because of breaks in cell membranes. The ability to recover in Fucus was gradually lost during 1.5 d of desiccation at 45% relative humidity. At lower humidities, recovery was lost sooner as small amounts of water were removed. We conclude that photosynthesis tolerated desiccation more in Fucus than in sunflower because of differences in the molecular environment around the photosynthetic enzymes. Important aspects of this environment were features that prevented membrane breakage but promoted the retention of small amounts of water that were critical for viability.


Abstract Hypercholesterolemia has a major contribution to the occurrence and progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Recent studies report the involvement of branched-chain amino acids in cholesterol methabolism. The aim of this research was to evaluate the role of valine, leucine and isoleucine on the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis in rats receiving hypercholesterolic diet. Material and methods: 50 male Wistar rats distributed into five groups with the following type of diets: group I (control) received standard diet; group II - cholesterol; group III - cholesterol and valine; group IV - cholesterol and leucine; group V - cholesterol and isoleucine. The experimental study was conducted over a period of 2 months. The animals were evaluated for the serum levels of total cholesterol at the beginning of the experiment, after 1 month and after 2 months. The collected tissue fragments of heart and aorta were prepared for the examination by optical microscopy in order to identify the atherosclerotic changes. Results: The most increased values of serum cholesterol were recorded in rats from group II (p=0.001), for the second and third evaluation. The histological examination showed early histopathological lesions on the vascular intima for the groups treated with cholesterol, valine, leucine, and isoleucine. These early changes (the occurrence of some superficial endothelial erosions, adhesion of erythrocytes and platelets) were correlated with the degree of the arterial wall damage, of the leukocytes adhesion to the arterial intima, and the discontinuities of the internal elastic lamina. Conclusion: The comparative study of the effects of the three essential amino acids revealed that valine induced a faster response than leucine and isoleucine on the improvement of biochemical parameters, but there were no significant differences between the three amino acids in terms of their protective ability, demonstrated by the histopathological lesion assessment.


Abstract Recently bulk Randall-Sundrum theories with the gauge group SU(2)L × SU(2)R × U(1)B−L have drawn a lot of interest as an alternative to electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. These models are in better agreement with electroweak precision data since custodial isospin symmetry on the IR brane is protected by the extended bulk gauge symmetry. We comprehensively study, in the S/Z2 × Z2 orbifold, the bulk gauge and fermion fields with the general boundary conditions as well as the bulk and localized mass terms. Master equations to determine the Kaluza-Klein (KK) mass spectra are derived without any approximation, which is an important basic step for various phenomenologies at high energy colliders. The correspondence between orbifold boundary conditions and localized mass terms is demonstrated not only in the gauge sector but also in the fermion sector. As the localized mass increases, the first KK fermion mass is shown to decrease while the first KK gauge boson mass to increase. The degree of gauge coupling universality violation is computed to be small in most parameter space, and its correlation with the mass difference between the top quark and light quark KK mode is also studied.


Simulation games can be a catalyst for understanding manufacturing systems concepts among engineering students. Integrating manufacturing simulations with virtual reality (VR) allows students to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data. This paper discusses the use of simulation to teach manufacturing concepts. We developed five physical simulation games for the different manufacturing environments (i.e., craft production, mass production, lean production, mass customization, and personalized production). We then developed corresponding digital simulations and integrated them with virtual reality technology. This paper focuses on the development of a virtual reality simulation for craft production. Manufacturing concepts such as inventory planning, production scheduling, and process improvement (Lean and Six Sigma methodologies) will also be considered. By comparing physical simulations with virtual reality environments, this paper provides insights into the applicability of virtual reality technologies in the education domain. Research activities will be integrated into undergraduate courses on manufacturing systems to support problem-solving skill development among students.


Twenty college students were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Dependent variables were presses on a touch screen, reaction time, and number of errors during training. An index of consistent responding to comparison stimuli during testing for equivalence was calculated. The subjects were also presented with a postexperimental task in which they sorted symbols used in the experiment. The main finding was that the many-to-one training structure was superior in producing equivalence outcome as compared to the one-to-many structure. There are indices that the 2 groups did not differ with respect to naming strategies. Reaction time measures differed in the 2 groups during the mix training but not during equivalence trials.


Specific beta-adrenergic receptors present in membrane preparations of frog erythrocytes were identified by binding of (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol, a potent competitive beta-adrenergic antagonist. The (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites could be solubilized by treatment of a purified erythrocyte membrane fraction with the plant glycoside digitonin but not by treatment with a wide variety of other detergents. The binding sites appeared to be soluble by several independent experimental criteria including (a) failure to sediment of 105,000 X g for 2 hours; (b) passage through 0.22-mu Millipore filters; (c) chromatography on Sepharose 6B gels; and (d) electron microscopy. The soluble receptor sites retained all of the essential characteristics of the membrane-bound sites, namely rapid and reversible binding of beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists; strict stereospecificity toward both beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists; appropriate structure-activity relationships; saturability of the sites at low concentrations of ligand; no affinity for alpha-adrenergic drugs, nonphysiologically active catechol compounds, and catecholamine metabolites. Based on gel chromatography in the presence of detergent, the molecular weight of the soluble receptor is estimated to be no greater than 130,000 to 150,000. Equilibrium binding studies indicated a KD for the soluble receptor of 2 nM. Hill coefficients (nH) of 0.77 and curved Scatchard plots suggested the presence of negatively cooperative interactions among the solubilized receptors in agreement with previous findings with the membrane-bound sites. Kinetic studies indicated an association rate constant K1 = 3.8 X 10(6) M-1 min-1 and a reverse rate constant k2 = 2.3 X 10(-3) min-1 at 4 degrees. The kinetically derived KD (k2/k1) of 0.6 nM is in reasonable agreement with that determined by equilibrium studies. The soluble receptors were labile at temperature greater than 4 degrees but could be stabilized with high concentrations of EDTA. Guanidine hydrochloride and urea produced concentration-dependent losses of binding activity which were partially reversible upon dialysis. Trypsin and phospholipase A both degraded the soluble receptors but a variety of other proteases and phospholipases as well as DNase and RNase were without effect. Experiments with group-specific reagents indicated that free lysine, tryptophan, serine, and sulfhydryl groups may be important for receptor binding. These studies suggest that the receptor is probably a protein which requires lipids for functional integrity. Data obtained with the solubilized binding sites are consistent with the contention that these sites represent the physiologically relevant beta-adrenergic receptors which have been extracted from the membranes with full retention of their properties.


We have examined an experienced chemistry teacher's pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of teaching with practical work in China. Based on the well-known PCK model by Magnusson S. J., Krajcik J. and Borko H., (1999), Nature, sources, and development of pedagogical content knowledge for science teaching, in Gess-Newsome J. and Lederman N. G. (ed.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge: the construct and its implications for science education, Boston: Kluwer, pp. 95–132, we focused on how the participant's teaching orientations and relevant contextual factors shaped his practical knowledge of teaching with practical work. Data from multiple sources were collected and analysed over one semester (four months), including interviews, direct classroom observation, textbooks and lesson plans. Three conclusions were drawn from this study: (1) the participant held multidimensional and mixed science teaching orientations, (2) the participant's science teaching orientations shaped his knowledge and beliefs about students' learning and the instructional strategies related to practical work, and (3) contextual factors exerted great influence on his PCK.


We examine how one industry's productivity is affected by the IT capital of its customers and how this effect depends on industries' relative concentration. These customer-driven IT spillovers result from customers' IT investments in various information systems that reduce transaction costs through information sharing and coordination and lead to more efficient production and logistics upstream. The magnitude of IT spillovers depends on relative industry concentration because customers in more concentrated industries relative to those of their suppliers are better able to retain the benefits from their IT investments. We model customer-driven effects based on production theory and empirically test the model using two industry-level data sets covering different and overlapping time periods (1987--1999 and 1998--2005), different scopes of the economy (manufacturing only versus all industries), and different levels of industry aggregation. We find that, given an increase in a downstream industry's IT capital, there is a significant increase in downstream industry output as well as significant increases in upstream industry output. Moreover, the magnitude of IT spillovers is related to relative industry concentration: A 1% decrease in a customer's relative industry concentration increases spillovers by roughly 1%. Thus, further increases in IT capital can be justified along the supply chain, and an industry's relative concentration---which can reflect market power---in part determines the distribution of productivity benefits.


Objective Neuropathic pain (NP) is a debilitating condition caused by nervous system injury and chronic diseases. LncRNA H19 is upregulated in many human diseases, including NP. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) aggressively worsens inflammatory action and nerve damage to cause severe NP. Phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) is detrimental to nerves and promotes NP progression. Herein, aim of our study was to assess the mechanism of lncRNA H19. Methods The NP rat model was established using chronic constriction injury (CCI). Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) tests and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) tests were performed. Then, small interfering (si)RNA against H19 was intrathecally injected into rats to suppress H19 expression. Schwann cells were isolated from NP rats and transfected with siRNA-H19 or a lentivirus (LV)-based vector expressing H19. Inflammatory factors and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect CDK5/p35 and p-CREB expression. Finally, H19, CDK5 and CREB phosphorylation were tested with the combination of the CDK5 inhibitor roscovitine and transfection of LV-H19 and siRNA-H19. Finally, we investigated the binding relationships between H19 and miR-196a-5p and between miR-196a-5p and CDK5 and detected the mRNA expression of miR-196a-5p and CDK5 in rats with H19 knockdown and in Schwann cells with H19 knockdown. Results Highly expressed H19, CDK5/p-35 and p-CREB were observed in NP rats, accompanied by obviously decreased PWT and PWL, upregulated inflammatory factors and GFAP levels, and reduced 5-HT2A and GABAB2 expression. siRNA-H19 restored NP-related indexes and downregulated CDK5/p35 and p-CREB phosphorylation. siRNA-H19, together with the CDK5 inhibitor roscovitine, reduced CDK5 and p-CREB expression in Schwann cells isolated from NP rats. Binding sites between H19 and miR-196a-5p and between miR-196a-5p and CDK5 were identified. Silencing H19 upregulated miR-196a-5p expression and downregulated CDK5 levels. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that silencing H19 inhibited NP by suppressing CDK5/p35 and p-CREB phosphorylation via the miR-196a-5p/CDK5 axis, which may provide new insight into NP treatment.


The paper expounded the impact of coal gangues on environment. Also it deals with the feasibility of making polymeric aluminum and ferric chloride (PAFC) using coal gangue. Through orthogonal test, the paper explores such factors as roasting temperature, roasting time, hydrochloric acid concentration, reaction temperature and grain size influence on the making process, and give the best operation conditions: roasting temperature is 700°C, roasting time is 1.5~3.5h, hydrochloric acid concentration is 25%~30%, reaction temperature is 120°C and grain size is 60 mesh. At last, the qualities of products are analyzed and the conclusion is given: it is feasible to make PAFC from coal gangue and it should be popularized.


3. BACKON J. Use of a novel thromboxane synthetase inhibitor in thromboxane inhibition. Medical Science Research 1987; 15: burns. Burns 1987; 1 3 253-4. 1078. 4. BACKON J. Ginger and carbon dioxide as thromboxane 6. BACKON J. Possible utility of a thromboxane synthetase synthetase inhibitors: potential utility in treating peptic inhibitor in preventing penile vascular changes and impotence ulceration. Gut 1987; 28: 1323. BACKON J. Antidepressant activity of cimetidine: relevance of during aging. Archives of Andrology 1988; 20: 101-2. 5.


The advent of artificial intelligence has brought many changes in people's lives, and because of the rise of artificial intelligence, the city has gradually become a smart city. Smart City, as defined in Wikipedia, is an urban area that uses different types of electronic data collection sensors to supply information which is used to manage assets and resources efficiently. It is evident that the city cannot function without water, electricity and air. Especially electricity, due to the development of technology and the internet, has been the most important origin of resource in the city. Under such resources, two important groups are generated: the sharing of people and the resources of electricity. People represents the grouping benefits, which made the sharing economy more rationalized and creative because of the internet platforms. As stated in Wikipedia, sharing is to fully utilize resources for more efficient use, so to raise up the overall efficiency of the resources. So as solar energy, a natural resource, has existed on the earth for a long time like the air. These will be the most important components in a smart city. However, with the current Internet technology platform, the artificial intelligence, AI, will be a tool under the system we are already familiar with. Artificial intelligence such as AI uses the knowledge that the machine obtains from the use of input data and information. It's a way to let machine learn from the data first and then allows the machine to automatically calculate and judge the corresponding results. Such artificial intelligence is applied in the computing system of many industries, it reduces many possible errors, and relatively improves the efficiency of problem solving, and significantly increased the efficiency of obtaining new messages and information to users. Both supervised and unsupervised learning methods will be applied to the case study of this study. How to make the relationship between platform and consumer supervised, let AI artificial intelligence because supervised learning is only given some training samples of the machine, and inform the sample category, allowing AI judge automatically the conclusion of the samples, and accurately pass it to create information on the shared solar business platform. Consumer psychology is also the focus of this research. Investors' transparency and simplicity in the application of goods, as well as the most important investment rewards and independency of consumers, will also be a discussion focus of this study. In this paper, the smart city of AI artificial intelligence allows the solar energy to create a business-style analysis of the economy, design, finds a platform model to establish Internet sharing, and achieve a large circulation and sharing of demanders and suppliers. This article uses the traditional field of goods, combined with the needs of multiple resources sharing and co-creation, combined to solve the existing information shortage and cross-domain strangeness. Utilizing the case study of solar energy company's discussion method, the smart city solar energy will create a commercial business entity, so that people can participate and identify with such industry, and then find more business models to create and share, and the realization of smart cities as a sharing platform mechanism all people shall be involved.


This paper examines how homeownership evolves in old age and around the time of death, using detailed data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to assess the extent to which housing wealth held by older Americans might be used to complement Social Security in the provision of retirement income. Critical components of the analysis include the use of rich information on medical diagnoses, functional status, and bequest intentions in a competing-risks proportional hazard model of the likelihood of making a tenure transition out of homeownership, where death is the competing risk.

The paper found that:
• The age profile of homeownership falls to under 10 percent among the oldest old, which
in past studies has been a sufficient statistic for life-cycle behavior.
• For a baseline sample of homeowners, roughly half transition to renting before death; the
other half die as homeowners.
• Health shock and bequest intentions play important roles in explaining why the elderly
fail to spend housing wealth via tenure transitions.
The policy implications of the findings are:
• Along with entitlements to Social Security and employer-provided pensions, housing is
the most important asset in elderly portfolios, so that housing might supplement the
retirement income of future retirees.
• The annual flow of housing bequests is about 4 percent of the aggregate housing value
held by older Americans.
• About 80 percent of aggregate housing wealth of those 62 and older may be available to
support consumption in retirement net of intended bequests.


Researches shown for this scientific study has been performed in the Norway spruce forests in the Vitoroga region of the Republic of Srpska. Nine stands located at altitudes from 1190 to 1685 meters were included in the study. We studied the site conditions and stand condition. Geological base consists of limestone and the soil types are kalkomelanosol, kalkokambisol and luvisol. The area is characterized by per-humid, mountain climate, that is, by high precipitation and cold winters with long laying snow. Dominant influence on the area climate has a maritime climate. The researched stands belong to the forest associations of Abieti – Piceetum subalpinum, Piceo–Abieti–Fagetum, Piceetum–Abietis montanum and Sorbo–Piceetum subalpinum. The stands are classified in three major types. In these basic types there are various structural forms: the stands close to selection structure and uneven-aged stands (two – floor and multi – floor ones). The largest structural difference can be found at the basic type II, where we found a stand with (close to) selection structure, an uneven-aged two – floor stand, as well as an unevenaged multi – floor stand. In all these basic types, according to the number of trees and volume, the spruce predominates in relation to other tree species. The number of trees in the researched stands ranges from 481 to 984 per hectare. The volume value ranges between 400 m3/ha to 882 m3/ha.


The interaction of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets with the dense media into which they are launched promote the growth of local hydrodynamic instabilities along the jet boundary. In a companion paper we study the evolution of hydrodynamic (unmagnetized) jets, finding that mixing of jet-cocoon material gives rise to an interface layer, termed jet-cocoon interface (JCI), which contains a significant fraction of the system energy. We find that the angular structure of the jet + JCI, when they reach the homologous phase, can be approximated by a flat core (the jet) + a power-law function (the JCI) with indices that depend on the degree of mixing. In this paper we examine the effect of subdominant toroidal magnetic fields on the jet evolution and morphology. We find that weak fields can stabilize the jet against local instabilities. The suppression of the mixing diminishes the JCI and thus reshapes the jet's post-breakout structure. Nevertheless, the overall shape of the outflow can still be approximated by a flat core + a power-law function, although the JCI power-law decay is steeper. The effect of weak fields is more prominent in long GRB jets, where the mixing in hydrodynamic jets is stronger. In short GRB jets there is small mixing in both weakly magnetized and unmagnetized jets. This result influences the expected jet emission which is governed by the jet's morphology. Therefore, prompt and afterglow observations in long GRBs may be used as probes for the magnetic nature at the base of the jets.


The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been constructed at CERN (Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire, Geneva, Switzerland), and recently started up. The LHC beams, currently accelerated to 3.5 TeV, are meant to reach the nominal energy of 7 TeV, and a total stored energy, in nominal conditions, of 360 MJ per beam [1, 2]. The contrast between the huge stored power and the delicate cryogenic environment calls for a sophisticated collimation system [3]. For overcoming the limitations of the actual collimation system, different upgrade solutions have been considered [4, 5, 6]; this Ph.D. work gives a first performance evaluation of a crystal-enhanced collimation system by analytical, experimental and simulation investigations. In this work, two crystal collimation experiments are described: the T980 (Tevatron, Chicago, U.S.) and the UA9 (SPS, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland). The data are analyzed and actual crystal performances are measured. These experimental results and their cross-check with dedicated simulations constitute the foundations of a weighted, critical prediction for the LHC. Different scenarios for a possible LHC crystal-enhanced collimation system have been simulated. Here the results are described and optimal parameters for a possible crystal collimator are proposed.


We develop a general correspondence between a family of loss functions that act as surrogates to 0-1 loss, and the class of Ali-Silvey or f -divergence functionals. This correspondence provides the basis for choosing and evaluating various surrogate losses frequently used in statistical learning (e.g., hinge loss, exponential loss, logistic loss); conversely, it provides a decision-theoretic framework for the choice of divergences in signal processing and quantization theory. We exploit this correspondence to characterize the statistical behavior of a nonparametric decentralized hypothesis testing algorithms that operate by minimizing convex surrogate loss functions. In particular, we specify the family of loss functions that are equivalent to 0-1 loss in the sense of producing the same quantization rules and discriminant functions.


From the financial crisis of 2008, international investors have addressed their attention to new investment and expansion opportunities and have acquired millions of hectares of land in various parts of the world. Developing Countries are the main target for such Large-Scale Land Acquisition (LSLA). While the adverse effects of these land grab are well known, their implications on food security have been less studied. In the context of an increasing disequilibrium between local food needs and international investors goals, the examining the potential adverse effects of LSLA on food security become an increasingly pressing matter. The paper illustrates an in-depth analysis on the impacts of LSLA on food security in Ethiopia. The results indicate that if the entire area of the acquired land is assumed to be used for domestic food production, it could feed around 7.1 million people.


Antrochoanal polyp (ACP) is a benign unilateral polyp, originating from the maxillary sinus and expanding through the accessory or natural ostia into the nasal cavity and choanae. It has a 2: 1 male predominance and is more common in children and young adults. The exact pathophysiology is unclear, and it is thought to have less of the inflammatory reactions as opposed to typical bilateral nasal polyps which are commonly seen in diffused chronic rhinosinusitis. The presenting symptoms of ACP are unilateral nasal obstruction and rhinitis. Epistaxis, pain, and foul-smelling secretions are not typically seen and point towards a different etiology. Diagnosis is mainly clinical via endoscopic examination and supported by Computed tomography (CT) imaging. In CT images the three components of the polyp can be identified; an intramaxillary portion, intranasal and choanal components. Treatment is surgical, where Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is the main technique used with other assisting approaches to reach the more challenging anterior and inferior areas of the maxillary sinus. Successful resection depends on complete removal of the intramaxillary component of the polyp to avoid polyp regrowth. The typical histologic characteristics are cyst formation, fibrosis and squamous metaplasia that are significantly more common in ACP than diffused nasal polyps.


The objective of the research is to develop a reliable production rates database for
precast construction works. It is due to no formal database for the production rates of
precast construction in Malaysia. This research is mainly a starting point towards
developing a new database in construction industry.
These projects will mainly focusing on three of the industrialized construction systems
provided byCIDB that areprecast concrete framing, panel andbox system, precast steel
framing system, precast blockwork system.
The main method used within the project is the Survey Research Method where
questionnaires and interviews are the tools used in order to obtain the full information
needed various respondents. Questionnaires designed based on its suitability with the
respondent general needs and preference. The study sample is chosen as such, as it is
rather convenient in terms of distance for the author to conducts research within that
particular area and it is two of the most developing state in Malaysia. The research
implemented in the project shall be in the form of survey research method, which
utilized questionnaire and interview methods.
Questionnaire has been submitted to selected contractors and IBS manufacturer (by
means of random sampling) located within Peninsular Malaysia and the responds
received has been compiled and analyzed.


Seven years of autumnal ground‐based observations (September–November 2002–2008) at the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement North Slope of Alaska site have been analyzed for addressing the occurrence frequency and macrophysical and microphysical properties of Arctic mixed‐phase clouds (AMC), as well as the relationship between environmental parameters and AMC properties. In September and October, AMC occurrence frequency is 20–30% lower during a southerly wind when compared to the other wind directions; in November, the variation of AMC occurrence frequency with wind direction is small. The mean liquid water path in November is about half of that in October and September. When the surface is snow free, temperature (T) and specific humidity (q) profiles during a northerly wind are warmer and moister than those for the southerly wind. Northerly wind profiles have a higher relative humidity to ice (RHi) and lower atmosphere stability. Furthermore, the AMC occurrence frequency has a positive relationship with RHi and a negative relationship with stability. These two points may explain the lower AMC occurrence frequency during a southerly wind. During a northerly wind, AMCs have larger radar reflectivity, wider spectrum width, and larger Doppler velocity signatures. The stronger precipitation for AMC during a northerly wind is possibly due to the cleaner air masses from the ocean (north). With the same amount of q, the radar spectrum width has a higher frequency in the larger bins during a northerly wind. Both T, q, and radar reflectivity, radar spectrum width profiles show evidence of deposition in the sub‐cloud layer in September and October.


Participation is a little discussed or researched concept in the social sciences, despite its importance in understanding activism. This article presents some theoretical and methodological considerations for promoting social participation and agency for disabled people through the work of psychologists associated with Brazilian public policies. This article takes the form of a discursive study, based on the dialogue between: a) Brazilian legislation on disability; b) Bader Sawaia's Ethical-Political Psychology; and c) Disability Studies. Based on the assumption that psychological practices should promote participation and agency for disabled people, we present the elements that hinder or control participation. We then present theoreticalmethodological contributions to build practices that promote participation and agency, highlighting: a) critiques of moral and biomedical models of disability; b) understandings of disability from intersectional perspectives that incorporate it as a category of analysis; c) including disabled people in the construction of research and professional practices disabled people and d) the rupture with ableism, which blocks the participation of disabled people. Participation has shown to be a multidimensional concept that covers a spectrum of aspects – from the practice of activism to the constitution of subjectivity in disabled people.


We present ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles that reveal the sedimentary architecture of an esker deposited during a surge-associated outburst flood at the Bering Glacier, Alaska. The wide, up-flow end of the esker contains a transition from large backset beds to large foreset beds interpreted to reflect composite macroform development in an enlarged part of the conduit. By contrast, the narrow, down-flow portion of the esker is dominated by plane beds interpreted to have been deposited where the conduit was constricted and the flow was faster. A previously studied outburst esker at Skeidararjokull, Iceland, has a similar morphology and stratigraphic architecture. This suggests that outburst floods generate distinct depositional signatures in eskers, both in terms of morphology and sedimentary architecture. Identification of these distinct signatures in ancient eskers will help assess the paleohydraulic conditions under which ancient eskers formed and, by extension, the nature of meltwater drainage systems beneath the Laurentide and Eurasian ice sheets.


The large conduit arteries of the thorax and abdomen are elastic while those in the arms and legs are muscular. Alterations in wall properties of elastic arteries occur over time and are usually permanent in nature; acute changes can, however, occur is response to a change in transmural pressure. Chronic alterations in properties of muscular arteries are minimal but changes (e.g vasoconstriction, vasodilation or tone) do occur in response to smooth muscle cell (SMC) stimulation. In general an increase in arterial stiffness (and wave reflection) increases systolic blood pressure (BP) and is detrimental while a decrease is beneficial. The augmentation in systolic BP increases left ventricular (LV) mass, wasted energy, tension-time index (TTI) and myocardial oxygen demand while the fall in diastolic BP decreases coronary artery perfusion causing a mismatch in ventricular/vascular coupling and an imbalance in the myocardial oxygen supply/demand ratio. Cardiovascular hormones such as renin, angiotensin, aldosterone, parathormone, sympathomimetic amines and endothelin induce vasoconstriction and increase arterial stiffness while insulin, thyroxine, testosterone, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), estrogen and nitric oxide (NO) have the opposite effect. The undesirable effects can be reversed with selected blocking agents. Vasodilator drugs have little direct active effect on large elastic arteries and unaugmented BP but can markedly reduce wave reflection amplitude and duration and augmentation index by decreasing stiffness of the muscular arteries and reducing transmission velocity of the reflected wave from the periphery to the heart. This decrease in amplitude and increase in travel time (or delay) of the reflected wave causes a generalized decrease in systolic BP, arterial wall stress, wasted LV energy and TTI.


Synthetic manganeous Layered Double Hydroxides of the Hydrotalcite- and Shigaite- type were prepared by the coprecipitation method. The thermal behaviour of two compounds, [Mn6Al3(OH)18] [(SO4)2Na·12H2O] and [Mn6Al3(OH)18] [Cl·4H2O] was investigated by several experimental techniques. Thermal analysis and in-situ X-ray diffractometry show several dehydration stages of the synthesis products in the temperature range of 25 < T < 170°C followed by decomposition at temperatures above 200°C.


: Specialists of the AIDS Centre distributed questionnaires, specially developed by them, among a group of students of the Pedagogical University. The questionnaire contained 35 questions; of these, 21 questions were intended to find out what information on HIV infection and AIDS the students had and 14 questions dealt with their sexual history and their attitude to the problem. The answers to the questionnaires distributed among 100 students (68% were females and 32% were males) showed that 58% of the respondents had previous sexual experience. 68.5% of the respondents had sexual intercourse after taking alcohol, 7.4% always used condoms, 38.8% seldom and 53.7% never used condoms. The behavior of 68.8% of the respondents was not influenced by information on HIV infection they received, 16% reduced the number of casual sexual partners, 8.6% started using condoms, 6.5% reduced the number of sexual partners.


This essay argues that critical representation lies at the heart of understanding (and finding potential for) reclaiming landscape—an emerging practice of landscape design that will occupy significant acreage in the western United States by the year 2200. The western landscape is presented as a unique and dynamic region being reclaimed through the interests of mining and energy resource producers, federal and public land use controls, and population migration. These conditions are presented as entrenched frameworks guiding western landscape development. This essay argues that rather than deny their authority and ability to persist, these systems can be worked with opportunistically to create a future for the West whereby one imagines new dispersals of reclaimed federal domain land, and reclaimed private land, with inventive post-mined ecologies and programmatic uses. Speculation about a new western landscape demands fresh ways of seeing, imagining and designing its potential future. Envisioning how reclaimed landscapes are designed opens new dialogues for redirecting how culture thinks about reclamation. The work presented uses a wide array of graphical agents to represent reclaiming through cartographies, mappings, and images. Each representational system is explored as a unique language that reveals the emerging reclaimed landscape.


An improved optimization method on the material mixture ratio of ship stern bearing is proposed. During the optimized experiment of ship stern bearing material mixture ratio, uniform design and partial least-squares regression are used to extract the regression function between the optimization object factors (including friction coefficient of the stern bearings, abrasion loss in unit time)which can evaluate the performance of ship stern bearing material mixture ratio and the other experimental factors(including the material mixture ratios of stern bearing components, stern bearing processing temperature).The total optimization object function is composed by the proper weighting to these obtained regression functions.The optimized material mixture ratio will be attained when the comprehensive evaluation index which is the value of the total optimization object function gets its optimum value. Through an analytical comparison with existing optimization method , the improved optimization method can greatly reduce testing times and the experimental cost, shorten the experiment period in the allowed precision range. Based on the experimental analysis of a technology simulation model of related ship stern bearing, it shows that the improved optimization method is practicable and effective.


Background Recent evidence indicates that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) exerts vasculoprotective activities by promoting activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), leading to down-regulation of TLR-induced inflammatory responses. SLE is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk not explained by the Framingham risk score. Recent studies have indicated oxidised HDL as a possible contributor. We investigated the potential mechanisms by which lupus HDL may lose its anti-inflammatory effects and promote immune dysregulation. Methods and results Compared to control HDL, SLE HDL activates NFKB, promotes inflammatory cytokine production, and fails to block TLR-induced inflammation in control macrophages. This failure of lupus HDL to block inflammatory responses is due to an impaired ability to promote ATF3 synthesis and nuclear translocation. SLE HDL-induced pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages are dependent on its binding to lectin-like oxidised low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX1R), which promotes suppression of ATF3 activity in a ROCK1/2 kinase-dependent manner. This inflammation can be modulated in vivo as lupus-prone mice exposed to the HDL mimetic ETC-642 show improved ATF3 induction and significant abrogation of pro-inflammatory cytokines Conclusions Lupus HDL promotes pro-inflammatory responses, increased NFκB activity and decreased ATF3 synthesis and activity, in a LOX1R- and ROCK1/2 kinase-dependent manner. ETC-642 inhibited both in vitro and in vivo SLE HDL-induced inflammation. Acknowledgements Funded by Intramural Research Program at NIAMS and by Lupus Research Institute.


1. The sodium effluxes between the blood and the medium have been studied in Blennius pholis in 10, 40 and 100% s.w. and in transfer from 40 to 100% s.w. under equilibrium conditions with the isotope 24 Na. In addition the sodium influxes have been studied in 40 and 100 % s.w. in a similar manner. 2. The total flux in 100% s.w. has been found to be 100 mM. Na/l. blood/hr., and in 40 and 10% s.w. it has been found to be 20 mM. Na/l. blood/hr. 3. The results are interpreted as showing that the presence or absence of exchange diffusion does not alter the estimation of the active sodium efflux across the gills in 100% s.w. 4. The efflux experiments showed that the animal had a rapid adaptive ability to osmo-regulate upon transference from 40 to 100% s.w. 5. The electric potential differences between the blood and external medium have been measured in animals adapted to 10, 40, 100 and 150% s.w. and the blood serum concentrations of sodium and chloride ions have been measured in these media. 6. The mean potential differences ± standard deviation in 10, 40, 100 and 150% s.w. have been found to be -3±4.5 mV., +23±4 mV., +23 ±3 mV. and +29.5±5 mV. respectively (external medium taken as reference). 7. The results are interpreted as showing that there is active outward excretion of chloride ions in animals adapted to 150, 100 and 40% s.w. and active inward absorption of chloride ions in 10% s.w. and of sodium ions in animals adapted to 40 and 10% s.w. 8. The drinking rate in 100% s.w. has been calculated to be 27 mM. Na/kg. fish /hr. or 6% body weight/hr.


Transmission of multimedia data in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network is challenging. Packet loss, delay, jitter, etc. highly degrade the performance of the network. Hence more robust techniques are required to provide better level of service quality. One crucial parameter to measure service quality is packet loss. The objective of this paper is to analyze the impact of packet loss and identify proper codec techniques for VoIP traffic. We used a packet analyzer tool (wireshark) to analyze the voice traffic. We found that wireshark could serve as an effective tool for packet loss analysis. It helped us in identifying the proper codec technique that should be used for an enhanced performance in a VoIP network.


Adolescents are considered vulnerable and exposed to different threats to health group, making it necessary discussion about ethical aspects related to their participation in research and clinical practice. The employed methodology was an integrative literature review and it was selected studies that approached the subject "bioethical matters related to vulnerability of adolescents" within the last fifteen years. Nine articles included the pre-established criteria to the study, grouped into three categories: 1) works that mentioned the psychological-cognitive comprehension of adolescent to participate in scientific research; 2) works emphasizing aspects related to medical decisions; and 3) studies approaching the issue of sexuality in adolescence. The analysis of selected studies found out it is not possible to reach a valid consensus to all situations involving adolescents in research and clinical practice.


Noradrenergic signaling in the amygdala is important for processing threats and other emotionally salient stimuli, and β-adrenergic receptor activation is known to enhance neuronal spiking in the lateral amygdala (LA) of juvenile animals. Nevertheless, intracellular recordings have not yet been conducted to determine the effect of β-adrenergic receptor activation on spike properties in the adult LA, despite the potential significance of developmental changes between adolescence and adulthood. Here we demonstrate that the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (15 μM) enhances spike frequency in dorsal LA principal neurons of juvenile male C57BL/6 mice and fails to do so in strain- and sex-matched adults. Furthermore, we find that the age-dependent effect of isoproterenol on spike frequency is occluded by the GABAA receptor blocker picrotoxin (75 μM), suggesting that β-adrenergic receptors downregulate tonic inhibition specifically in juvenile animals. These findings indicate a significant shift during adolescence in the cellular mechanisms of β-adrenergic modulation in the amygdala. NEW & NOTEWORTHY β-Adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) in amygdala are important in processing emotionally salient stimuli. Most cellular recordings have examined juvenile animals, while behavioral data are often obtained from adults. We replicate findings showing that β-ARs enhance spiking of principal cells in the lateral amygdala of juveniles, but we fail to find this in adults. These findings have notable scientific and clinical implications regarding the noradrenergic modulation of threat processing, alterations of which underlie fear and anxiety disorders.


Abstract Supramolecular capsules can be used to change the activity and selectivity of a catalyst through the influence of the second coordination sphere, reminiscent of how enzymes control the selectivity of their processes. In enzymes, this approach is used to also control the enantioselectivity of reactions in which the active catalytic site is often not chiral but the second coordination sphere is. We are interested in the possibility to generate a chiral second coordination sphere around an otherwise achiral transition metal complex for asymmetric catalysis. In this paper we show that the ligand template approach can be used to generate a chiral second coordination sphere around a rhodium complex, which is used in asymmetric hydroformylation.


The role of property theory as a framework for analysis and regulation of body parts has become a debate of topical importance because of the emergence of biomedical technologies that utilise body parts, and also because the application of the concept of property, even with respect to historically and traditionally accepted forms of property, raises serious challenges to the property analyst. However, there is another reason for the topicality of property in relation to body parts: a proprietary approach confers on a claimant the advantage of continuing control that is tellingly lacking in non-property frameworks underpinned, for instance, by consent, negligence, privacy and unjust enrichment rules. In some circumstances, such as an unauthorised blood test performed on a blood sample obtained with consent, the continuing control provided by property law might be the only chance a claimant has to obtain a remedy. Economy of space, however, requires that only a prolegomenon on body parts and property theory is given below. Thus, the analysis begins by providing in outline a framework for comprehensive analysis of body parts within the realm of property theory; thereafter, the author engages with the normative question of whether body parts or rights exercisable over body parts could be admitted into the category of property.


This article reports on research into Chinese students' perceptions of a pilot key skills' communication course introduced in three vocational education institutions in China. The course was based on key skills' criteria formulated in 2004 by China's Vocational Qualification Appraisal Committee and produced in response to the changing demands of employers operating in a global environment of growth and competition. Intrinsic to the initiative, was the use of student‐centred learning as opposed to the more didactic methods traditionally used in Chinese education. Through institutional case studies, focus groups, class observations and interviews, data was gathered to reveal views and underlying perceptions of the new course. The findings reported here focus on Chinese students' understanding of communication key skills and their changing attitudes to student‐centred learning. The development of the students' self‐awareness and self‐confidence as a result of the new programme is examined and analysed.


Major engineering accidents are often caused by seemingly minor failures propagating through complex systems. One example of this is an accident involving a Bell 206 Rotorcraft where a fuel pump failure led to the severing of the tail boom. Cataloguing and communicating the knowledge of potential failures and failure propagations is critical to prevent further accidents. The need for effective failure prevention tools is not specific to rotorcrafts, however. Failure reporting systems have been adopted by various industries to aid and promote failure prevention. The catalogued failures usually consist of narratives describing which part of a product failed, how it failed, and the circumstances behind the failure. While this information is vital to learning from past mistakes; often, the narratives are designed simply to report the events, not to use the data for product improvements or new designs. Therefore, more effective systems for cataloguing and utilizing corporate memory of recorded failure events are needed. This paper presents the design of a computational database to support the failure prevention tool, the function based failure propagation (FFP) method. FFP promotes failure prevention by identifying failure propagation paths through a system as early as the conceptual phase of product design, where impacts of failure prevention are greatest. It uses a database populated by historical failure information to present specific paths that potential failures might take as they propagate through a system. The information communicated by the FFP method is the potential location of and likelihood failure propagations.


The proton gradient established by the pH difference across a biological membrane is essential for many physiological processes, including ATP synthesis and ion and metabolite transport. Currently, ionophores are used to study proton gradients, and determine their importance to biological functions of interest. Because of the lack of an easy method for monitoring the proton gradient across the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts (ΔpHenv), whether the concentration of ionophores used can effectively abolish the ΔpHenv is not proven for most experiments. To overcome this hindrance, we tried to setup an easy method for real-time monitoring of the stromal pH in buffered, isolated chloroplasts by using fluorescent pH probes; using this method the ΔpHenv can be calculated by subtracting the buffer pH from the measured stromal pH. When three fluorescent dyes, BCECF-AM [2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester], CFDA-SE [5(6)-Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester] and SNARF-1 carboxylic acid acetate succinimidyl ester were incubated with isolated chloroplasts, BCECF-AM and CFDA-SE, but not the ester-formed SNARF-1 were taken up by chloroplasts and digested with esterase to release high levels of fluorescence. According to its relatively higher pKa value (6.98, near the physiological pH of the stroma), BCECF was chosen for further development. Due to shielding of the excitation and emission lights by chloroplast pigments, the ratiometric fluorescence of BCECF was highly dependent on the concentration of chloroplasts. By using a fixed concentration of chloroplasts, a highly correlated standard curve of pH to the BCECF ratiometric fluorescence with an r-square value of 0.98 was obtained, indicating the reliability of this method. Consistent with previous reports, the light-dependent formation of ΔpHenv can be detected ranging from 0.15 to 0.33 pH units upon illumination. The concentration of the ionophore nigericin required to collapse the ΔpHenv was then studied. The establishment of a non-destructive method of monitoring the stromal pH will be valuable for studying the roles of the ΔpHenv in chloroplast physiology.


On the basis of 20 years' experience, the authors present the immediate and long-term results of operative treatment of Zenker's diverticulum. Comparison of two methods of surgery - diverticulopexia (in 21 patients) and excision (in 16), both associated with upper esophageal sphincter myotomy - shows good immediate and longterm results (from 1 to 19 years), with disappearance of symptoms (dysphagia) in all patients. There was no perioperative mortality. Postoperative complications were most commonly of pulmonary origin and were observed in a third of patients in both groups. In two patients from the group treated with excision, a leak from the suture line occurred, which healed spontaneously. These two patients had transient dysphagia in the postoperative period. On the basis of this analysis, the authors conclude that diverticulopexia is a safer surgical procedure than excision, giving less complications and a very good long-term functional result.


Objectives. To study the prevalence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients with stable and unstable conditions of coronary artery disease (CAD). Design. Forty patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 50 patients with stable angina and angiographically verified CAD (SA) and 50 clinically healthy controls were included. Monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood and CMV-RNA expression was determined by a nested RT-PCR assay. CMV IgM and IgG antibodies, interleukin-(IL)-6, IL-10 and CRP were measured in serum. Results. The prevalence of active CMV infection was significantly higher in patients with ACS (15%) and in patients with SA (10%) compared with controls (2%) (p<0.001). The presence of an active CMV infection was associated with increased serum concentrations of IL-6. Conclusions. Active CMV infection was found to a larger extent in CAD patients than in healthy controls. The data indicate that CAD patients are more susceptible to reactivation of CMV and put new focus on the role of CMV in atherosclerosis.


AbstractTo evaluate the predictive and prognostic significance of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in a large cohort of gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy.Assessing a patient's immune and nutritional status, PNI has been reported as a predictive marker for surgical outcomes in various types of cancer.We retrospectively reviewed data from a prospectively maintained database of 7781 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy from January 2001 to December 2010 at a single center. From this data, we analyzed clinicopathologic characteristics, PNI, and short- and long-term surgical outcomes for each patient. We used the PNI value for the 10th percentile (46.70) of the study cohort as a cut-off for dividing patients into low and high PNI groups.Regarding short-term outcomes, multivariate analysis showed a low PNI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.505, 95% CI = 1.212–1.869, P <0.001), old age, male sex, high body mass index, medical comorbidity, total gastrectomy, and combined resection to be independent predictors of postoperative complications. Among these, only low PNI (OR = 4.279, 95% CI = 1.760–10.404, P = 0.001) and medical comorbidity were independent predictors of postoperative mortality. For long-term outcomes, low PNI was a poor prognostic factor for overall survival, but not recurrence (overall survival: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.383, 95% CI = 1.221–1.568, P < 0.001; recurrence-free survival: HR = 1.142, 95% CI = 0.985–1.325, P = 0.078).PNI can be used to predict patients at increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Although PNI was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival, the index was not associated with cancer recurrence.


Lactoferrin is an iron-binding protein that is bactericidal against Streptococcus mutans and several other microorganisms. In this study, the influence of several physical conditions as well as the metabolic state of S. mutans on lactoferrin susceptibility were investigated. After exposure to lactoferrin, a 15-min lag period occurred before the initiation of killing, indicating that a two-step process is involved in lactoferrin killing. Cultures harvested during the early exponential phase were very sensitive to lactoferrin, whereas cultures harvested in the early stationary phase were markedly more resistant. The rate of killing was dependent on temperature; there was no loss of viability at 2 degrees C. Killing occurred at pH 5.0 to 6.0 in water and 20 mM glycine, but did not occur at any pH in 50 mM sodium phosphate or N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer. Addition of exogenous ferrous or ferric ions did not reverse or prevent lactoferrin killing, nor did addition of 1 mM magnesium chloride.


Transferrin binding protein (TfBP), a glycoprotein, is originally purified from the chicken oviduct. Recently, TfBP has been revealed as a novel transferrin binding protein, structurally related to the chicken heat shock protein 108. The physiological function of this protein, however, has not yet been established. Antiserum to TfBP was found to stain selectively transferrin- and iron-rich oligodendrocytes of the normal chicken brain, suggesting a role for this protein in connection with transferrin and iron storage in these cells. In this study, we further demonstrate a TfBP-immunoreactivity in the chicken respiratory tract mucosa, where transferrin is known to be present and have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. A strong TfBP immunoreactivity was revealed in certain regions of the respiratory tract. In the trachea and bronchi, TfBP-immunoreactive product was localized specifically to the mucous gland cells, whereas ciliated epithelial cells were negative. In the lung, TfBP immunoreactivity was mostly confined to the parabronchi and atria. The immunoreactive products were found in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells lining the parabronchial and atrial walls. These findings suggest that the presence of TfBP in the airway mucosa may be a necessary condition for transferrin concentration in the extracellular milieu of the respiratory tract.


In embedded applications that use neural networks (NNs) for classification tasks, it is important to not only minimize the power consumption of the NN calculation, but of the whole system. Optimization approaches for individual parts exist, such as quantization of the NN or analog calculation of arithmetic operations. However, there is no holistic approach for a complete embedded system design that is generic enough in the design process to be used for different applications, but specific in the hardware implementation to waste no energy for a given application. Therefore, we present a novel framework that allows an end-to-end ASIC implementation of a low-power hardware for time series classification using NNs. This includes a neural architecture search (NAS), which optimizes the NN configuration for accuracy and energy efficiency at the same time. This optimization targets a custom designed hardware architecture that is derived from the key properties of time series classification tasks. Additionally, a hardware generation tool is used that creates a complete system from the definition of the NN. This system uses local multi-level RRAM memory as weight and bias storage to avoid external memory access. Exploiting the non-volatility of these devices, such a system can use a power-down mode to save significant energy during the data acquisition process. Detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in electrocardiogram (ECG) data is used as an example for evaluation of the framework. It is shown that a reduction of more than 95% of the energy consumption compared to state-of-the-art solutions is achieved.


The corpus of late-medieval Japanese fiction contains various stories about the benefits and favors obtained through devotion to the bodhisattva Kannon. One of these stories is Hachikazuki, which features a young heroine who, following her parents' prayers, is conceived through the divine intervention of Kannon. The girl loses her mother at an early age, is stigmatized by a bowl that her mother has placed inverted upon her head, and undergoes a series of hardships and sufferings. Eventually, the bowl miraculously falls off, and the story culminates in the heroine's happy marriage and the universal recognition of her virtues. I discuss the significance of the bowl as a narrative trope in Hachikazuki in order to illuminate its function as a physical symbol of Kannon's active compassion and divine protection. Kannon seems to be largely absent throughout the narrative, especially in the episodes where the heroine overcomes her suffering thanks to the saving power of the bowl. I argue that the bowl indicates Kannon's benevolent presence throughout the entire story. Therefore, the bowl not only serves as a regenerative space where Hachikazuki can overcome the trauma of her early childhood loss, but it also bridges the gap between orthodox doctrinal and popular vernacular representations of Kannon. KEYWORDS: otogizoshi-Hachikazuki-mamako mono-setsuwa-Kannon-bowl- compassion-divine protection (ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) The story Hachikazuki ... (The bowl bearer) is the tale of a young girl who suffers various hardships because she is stigmatized by a bowl that has become firmly attached to her head.1 In the end, however, it is through the bowl that she achieves fame, fortune, and aristocratic status. Hachikazuki is one of some four hundred works of short Muromachi fiction that together constitute the literary genre known today as otogizoshi ..., or "companion booklets."2 According to Ichiko Teiji's classification of otogizoshi by subject matter and theme, Hachikazuki falls into the category of kuge mono ... (aristocratic tales) under the subdivision of mamako mono ... (step-child tales), because the narrative deals with the ill fortune, suffering, and happy ending in the life of a stepchild (Ichiko 1968, 17). This subject has a long tradition which dates back to thirteenth-century collections of setsuwa ... such as Uji shui monogatari ... (Collection of tales of Uji), and to late tenthcentury romances such as Ochikubo monogatari ... (Tale of the sunken room), Utsuho monogatari ... (Tale of the hollow tree), and Sumiyoshi monogatari ... (Tale of Sumiyoshi). In these stories, a stepmother torments the stepdaughter out of jealousy and expels her from home. As a result, the stepdaughter experiences hardship and suffering, but in the end, through the divine intervention of a deity, she marries a noble suitor and lives happily ever after. In addition, Hachikazuki is also classified under shomin mono ... (tales of commoners) because it resembles many of the success stories in volume sixteen of the twelfth-century setsuwa collection Konjaku monogatari shu ... (Collection of tales of times now past), particularly those associated with the mercy of the bodhisattva Kannon (Kanda and Nishizawa 2002, 865).3 Konjaku monogatari shu is believed to have been compiled by a Buddhist lay monk of aristocratic rank who was familiar with the classic literary tradition and the life of commoners. Although we do not know much about the size, type, or location of the audience for these tales, the reappearance of themes from Konjaku monogatari shu in collections from subsequent eras- such as the miracle tales of the Hasedera Kannon'in. Muromachi-period otogizoshi like Hachikazuki-attests to their popularity and transmission to later generations (Shimura 1974, 42). Hachikazuki begins by introducing the heroine's parents,who, after ardent prayers to the Hasedera Kannon, miraculously conceive a daughter. …


Multimode signal transmission concept is employed in this paper to increase the channel capacity of a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) interconnect. In order to generate two uncoupled channels without adding an additional physical link, TE10 and TE20 modes of an SIW interconnect are harnessed as signal carriers. To excite these two orthogonal modes simultaneously, a multimode double launcher is proposed and characterized. It is shown that the performance of the launcher is limited by the coupling between the two mode launchers (transitions). Therefore, a method for improving port isolation is suggested, which results in increasing the channel bandwidths. A balun structure based on an SIW is presented and included in the multimode waveguide in order to efficiently excite the TE20 mode. Ultimately, the multimode waveguide with the optimized transitions is used in a parallel data transmission system demonstrating excellent transmission quality for the data rate of a 1-Gb/s/channel.


Abstract Issues of communication, isolation, and education are part of our everyday lives, whether private or professional. The behaviour of the young generation at school and at home has different forms. It demonstrates their actions, way of thinking and feeling. Furthermore, their behaviour expresses their future tendencies. These forms of behaviour are strongly influenced by a lack of communication. As a result, the educational process is made harder, sometimes even impossible. Many experts in ethics, pedagogy and psychology have been paying attention to this issue and have started to evaluate its impact on the young.


As Islam's visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities is the first book to analyse this relationship through a pluralist lens, exploring the questions it raises about contemporary Islam, globalisation, and the challenges faced by (in particular young) Muslims in negotiating their place in global society.

With contributions from Muslim and non-Muslim authors, the book approaches an array of contemporary issues, from the role of sport in gender, youth and political identities in Islam and Muslim societies to sport policy in Muslim countries, sport's role among Muslim minorities and sport marketing's relationship to Muslim cultures.

Drawing on sociology, anthropology, political science, Islamic studies and sport studies, Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities not only examines the significance of sport in Islam, but helps to draw wider conclusions on religious identity in sporting settings and the interplay between sport, gender, political ideology and consumer culture.


The 7th conference of the Italian Association of University Language Centres (AICLU) took place in Bressanone-Brixen from 7 to 9 July 2011. The papers in Italian, English and Spanish cover various issues such as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), multilingualism and internationalization, new tendencies in using new technologies in language learning at universities and give an insight into the state of the art of language teaching and learning in Italian and European institutions in higher education.


Background Increasing pressure on the emergency care system contributes to delays in patient handover from ambulances to emergency departments. The impact of these delays includes ambulance queues, sub-optimal care for patients, staffing and operational challenges, and (in England) financial penalties. New models of care have the potential to reduce handover delay. We surveyed ambulance services across England and Wales to produce a snapshot of initiatives under development or being trialled in order to address problems associated with handover delay. Methods During 2014, we carried out semi-structured telephone interviews with R&D leads in all 11 independent ambulance service trusts in England and Wales. We asked respondents about initiatives taking place within their area, what evaluation was taking place, and what they believed to be the challenges to evaluation. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and analysed using the Framework approach. Results Initiatives fell into three groups: prehospital; at the ED; and whole system. Prehospital initiatives comprised clinical decision support tools (n=6); alternative pathways (n=6); hospital capacity monitoring (n=3); automated data transfer (n=3). Initiatives at ED included handover screens (n=8); rapid access models (n=7); hospital ambulance liaison officers (n=6); corridor care (n=3). Whole system approaches included new models of collaborative working (n=2); service review (n=2). Challenges to implementing and evaluating change included the lack of standardised approaches to handover across multiple hospital trusts within an ambulance service area; many of the reported initiatives took place only in a small part of the ambulance service's operational area. Only five respondents reported evaluation of handover initiatives, and of these two were described as informal evaluation only. The need to report and comply with performance targets was reported as a more immediate pressure than evaluation of new developments. Conclusions While there is a range of activity taking place across England and Wales to address handover delays, there is little formal evaluation and there are missed opportunities for transferable learning.


Headcount extreme poverty in Bangladesh has been declining since 2000, but how has the profile and income distribution of the poorest changed and what do these mean for intervention design and directions for innovations? Using national and BRAC datasets, we find important changes among the extreme poor over time including their income distribution, which has become more dispersed with a stronger positive skew. The overall economic progress seems to be lifting all boats. However, most of the extreme poor remain trapped in chronic poverty. Long-term escape out of extreme poverty, even for well-designed and well-executed programmes such as BRAC's Targeting the Ultra Poor (TUP) programme, remains modest, though the overall impact is extremely positive. We suggest a few directions for future design to accelerate progress. This will require a bolder knowledge partnership between researchers working on rigorous evidence using experimental methods and behavioural insights, and practitioners.