Poly (D,L-latic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been used as the artificial scaffold for blood vessel formation. In order to hinder smooth muscle cell (SMC) angiogenesis, new scaffold design method of loading Epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (EGCG) on PLGA film was introduced. PLGA and EGCG were dissolved in acetone and film-shape scaffold was manufactured. Antiangiogenetic effect of EGCG released on scaffold was analyzed for SMC and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and method for selective inhibition from the difference of growth of SMC and HUVEC was suggested.


. The problem of entity resolution is central in the field of Digital Humanities. It is also one of the major issues in the Golden Agents project, which aims at creating an infrastructure that enables researchers to search for patterns that span across decentralised knowledge graphs from cultural heritage institutes. To this end, we created a method to perform entity resolution on complex historical knowledge graphs. In previous work, we encoded and embedded the relevant (duplicate) entities in a vector space to derive similarities between them based on sharing a similar context in RDF graphs. In some cases, however, available domain knowledge or rational axioms can be applied to improve entity resolution performance. We show how domain knowledge and rational axioms relevant to the task at hand can be expressed as (probabilistic) rules, and how the information derived from rule application can be combined with quantitative information from the embedding. In this work, we perform our entity resolution method on two data sets. First, we apply it to a data set for which we have a detailed ground truth for validation. This ex-periment shows that the combination of embedding and the application of domain knowledge and rational axioms leads to improved resolution performance. Second, we perform a case study by applying our method to a larger data set for which there is no ground truth and where the outcome is subsequently validated by a domain expert. Results of this demonstrate that our method achieves a very high precision.


This Thesis describes the synthesis and characterisation of novel metal-organic frameworks designed for proton conductivity applications. A new system for impedance measurements was constructed and tested, and the proton conductivity of a variety of MOFs was studied. Additionally, the effect of ligands with phosphonate functional groups, the strategic choice of metal ions and the use of proton carrier guests loaded in the pores of MOFs to obtain conducting materials was investigated.
Chapter 1 introduces the current challenges in energy sustainability and endorses fuel cells as an alternative energy source. A careful description of the proton exchange membrane (PEM), key component of fuel cells, with emphasis on the materials currently used in industry is discussed. The need to overcome the limitations of PEMs under the working conditions and understanding the molecular mechanism of proton conduction is crucial for the design of new materials with improved proton conductivity properties.
Recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been pointed as alternative candidates for proton conduction application. Their crystalline nature combined with the possibility to design their structures by choosing opportune functional groups and proton-carrier guests make them promising candidates as proton conducting materials.
Chapter 2 presents a brief introduction of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), the main technique used to evaluate the proton conductivity of the MOFs in Chapters 3, 4 and 5. An overview of the physical basis of EIS and the data analysis strategies are discussed. In the second part of Chapter 2 the newly designed experimental set up employed to measure the proton conductivity of MOFs is described with emphasis on the design of the conductivity cell, control of temperature and relative humidity, and sample preparation. The calibration of the experimental set up was performed using imidazole, a readily available linker with known conductivity.
In Chapter 3 the synthesis and structural characterisation of two new isostructural phosphonate-based MOFs,[Ni3(H3L1)2(H2O)10.5(DMF)3]and[Co3(H3L1)2(H2O)10.4(DMF)3](H6L1= benzene-1,3,5-p-phenylphosphonic acid), denoted as NOTT-500(Ni) and NOTT-500(Co), are described. X-ray structural analysis revealed that these materials have acidic phosphonate groups (P-OH) and water molecules coordinated to the metal ions (M-OH2) organised in an efficient proton-hopping pathway. TGA, VT-PXRD and solid-state UV-visible analyses showed a reversible structural phase transition associated with a marked change in colour upon dehydration-hydration of NOTT-500(Ni, Co). Proton conductivity measurements were performed exhibiting values of 1.11(03) x 10-4 S cm-1 and 4.42(06) x 10-5 S cm-1 forNOTT-500(Ni) and NOTT-500(Co) respectively, at 99 % RH and 25 o C. The activation energy of the proton transfer process for NOTT-500(Ni) was determined over the temperature range of 18-31 o C at 99 % RH, giving a value of 0.46 eV which indicates the proton conduction occurs through the combination of the Grotthuss and Vehicle mechanisms. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments on NOTT-500(Ni) under anhydrous conditions (0 % RH) suggested that the proton transfer in the hopping pathway (regulated by the Grotthuss mechanism) is well described by a "Spherical free diffusion" model, with an activation energy of 0.076 eV.
Chapter 4 introduces two novel approaches to enhance the proton conductivity of a new family of lanthanide MOFs, [M (HL2)] (H4L2= biphenyl-4,4'-diphosphonic acid ; M = La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Ho). The first method aims to increase the concentration of protons in a fixed volume of MOF by using the shorter version of the organic ligand, benzene-1,4-diphosphonic acid, H4L3, with subsequent improvement of the proton conductivity properties in [M(HL3)] (M = La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Ho). The second method to achieve better proton conductivity was carried out by substituting 3+ metal ions, Ln (III), with a 2+ metal, Ba (II), leading to the synthesis of an isostructural complex [Ba(H2L2)] with increased number of protons in comparison with [M(HL2)]. The proton conductivities of [M (HL3)] (10-4 S cm-1) and [Ba (H2L2)] (10-5 S cm-1) exhibited a significant increase when compared with [M (HL2)] (10-6 S cm-1) at 25 o C and 99 % RH. Extensive impedance studies at different temperatures and relative humidities were performed together with full characterisation of all the materials presented in this Chapter.
Chapter 5 describes a preliminary study of two new complexes synthesised through postsynthetic modification of the well-known MOF, NOTT-300(Al). The addition of imidazole (a proton carrier) into the 1D channels was performed using two different approaches; the vapour diffusion (d) and solvation methods(s). Impedance studies of the post-synthetically modified complexes, Im@NOTT-300(Al)-(d) and Im@NOTT-300(Al)-(s), both with formula {Al2(OH)2(C16O8H6)(Al2O3)(CH4O)2(C3N2H4)0.61}∞, were investigated. The experimental results showed that at 20 o C and 99 % RH the proton conductivity of Im@NOTT-300(Al)-(d) (2.39(11) x 10-5 S cm-1) and Im@NOTT-300(Al)-(s)(1.37(13) x 10-5S cm-1) is two orders of magnitude higher compared with NOTT-300(Al) (1.08(10) x 10-7 S cm-1). These preliminary studies suggested the postsynthetic modification of porous MOFs with proton-carrier guest molecules is a promising direction for further research in this area.
In Chapter 6 is summarised the work presented in this thesis.


Over the past 80 years an unresolved issue in rain-fed crop-pasture rotations by scientists and farm advisors has been whether to recommend sowing a perennial pasture either alone or with a cereal cover crop. Researchers and agronomists have typically advocated sowing pastures alone to improve pasture productivity, but a large proportion of farmers continue to sow pastures under a cover crop suggesting a perceived financial advantage with the latter establishment method. Whether there is a real financial benefit of establishing pastures under a cover crop presents a practical Farm Financial Risk problem. Our study is based on four years of field experiment results (2008 to 2012) along a 200 km transect running north and south of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. Analysis of these results with information on local weather and price variations using "The Intensive Farming (IF) model" (Hutchings et al, 2016), suggests the following: (1) sowing the pasture alone is a more reliable method of establishing lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pasture than sowing under a cover-crop; and (2) the additional costs of sowing a lucerne pasture alone are met in the majority of years by its increased productivity compared with pastures sown with cover-crops. Comparing median decadal cash balance values for pastures with stocking rates of 10, 15 and 20 dse/ha, our results show an advantage with direct-sowing for farms with high equity. Farms with low equity may not be helped by agronomic improvements, but find it best to focus on reducing debts.


Ecomaterial-type building materials are classified based upon 6 row×8 column eco-life-cycle matrix table combining 8 life-cycle stages of resources gathering, transportation, production, assembly/construction, in-service/maintenance and modernization, demolition, recycle/reuse/reproduction, and reduce/final waste with six eco-balance evaluation items of long service life, resources circulation, reduction of harmful substances, resources and environmental capacities, materials efficiency ,and health safety. Evaluation indicators other than life cycle inventory (LCI) are shown as methods of ecobalance performance. In each life stage, each ecomaterial is evaluated as radar chart by 5 step indices by six eco-balance evaluation item (multi eco-indicators).


in Anaesthesia III. Competency based Specialist Registrar years 1 and 2 training and assessment – A Manual for Trainees and Trainers, 2nd edn. London: Royal College of Anaesthetists, 2003. 4 Dykes MH, Ovassapian A. Dissemination of fibreoptic airway endoscopy skills by means of workshops utilizing models. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1989; 63: 595–7. 5 Ovassapian A, Yelich SJ, Dykes MH, Golman ME. Learning fibreoptic intubation: use of stimulators v. traditional teaching. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1988; 61: 217–20. 6 Ahmed FB, Mitchell V, Patel A. Advanced airway techniques – the North Thames Central experience (Abstract). Glasgow:DifficultAirwaySociety,2003. 7 Kiyama S, Muthuswamy D, Latto IP, Asai T. Prevalence of a training module for difficult airway management: a comparison between Japan and the United Kingdom. Anaesthesia 2003; 58: 571–4.


If we would like to find out a single and most important feature of individual political behaviour in Eastern and Central Europe in 1989, of course, it should be an unconventional political activity and direct political actions. Altogether, a marathon of referendums in 1992- 1996, instead of encouraging of participatory culture, stimulated the protest behaviour in Lithuania's politics, when citizens became politically active only if they have had an object to oppose certain decisions rather than they were interested to support positively one or another position, or discuss different political alternatives. In general, the basis of electoral mobilization was rather protest politics than politics of participation and support from the very beginning of re-democratization in Lithuania.


In this work, we have successfully developed a mild solution-based route to elaborate well-aligned MoO3 and MoO2 nanorods as the electrode active materials directly on metallic current collectors for the first time. Prior to nanostructure growth, an incubation layer, containing peroxomolybdate precursors is deposited on the selected Cu foil, which has been found to play a crucial role on the oriented alignment of molybdenum oxide nanorods. The nanorod arrays are generated on the pre-treated Cu substrate by initial heterogeneous nucleation and subsequent growth from an aqueous or ethanol solution of a peroxomolybdate precursor. A good electrical transport and interaction with nanorod–Cu metal contacts are revealed by the current–voltage characteristics in this work. While such molybdenum oxide array films adhering to copper foil were employed directly as an integrative working electrode, the capacitive behaviors indicate that both molybdenum oxide array electrodes possess high specific capacitance and excellent cycle retention for electrochemical supercapacitor applications, which are investigated in detail by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements at different current densities. Such enhancements are predominantly attributed to the direct lengthways electronic pathways, increased effective surface area and low contact resistance between the aligned nanorods and the Cu current collector junctions.


The students in class X of SMAN 10 Banjarmasin has the low of learning outcome for geography study due to the low motivation of students. CTL approach uses to increase the motivation and to increase the learning outcomes of students. The objective of study is to improve the students learning outcomes of geography using the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL). This study uses a quasi-experimental using both pretest and posttest control group design. The population in this study is a class X at SMAN 10 in Banjarmasin. Sampling technique is cluster sampling technique. Samples of research is class X-3 as the experimental class with the number of respondent is 34 students and class X-2 as the control class with the number of respondent is 36 students. Primary data collection technique use observation and test methods. Data is analyzed using the percentage of enforceability, the calculation of the gain, and the t-test. The results of research shows that the percentage of CTL implementation is 83% or the excellent category. The result of the gain calculation shows that there is a very significant in the experimental class, tcount= 23.326. Gain calculation of control class is 10.721. The result of experimental class is greater than the control class. The result of the calculation of the t-test is tcount = 6.246, degree of freedom (df) = 68, ttable at 1% significance level = 2.39, and ttable at the 5% significance level = 1.67. tcount is greater than ttable at significant level of 1% and 5% (6.246> 2.39> 1.67). The result of calculation shows that there is a difference of geography learning outcomes both experiment class and control class. Geography learning outcome using CTL is better than a conventional method. Keywords— CTL, Learning Outcomes, Geography


With the growth of social bookmarking a new approach for metadata creation called tagging has emerged. In this paper we evaluate the use of tag presentation techniques. The main goal of our evaluation is to investigate the effect of some of the different properties that can be utilized in presenting tags e.g. alphabetization, using larger fonts etc. We show that a number of these factors can affect the ease with which users can find tags and use the tools for presenting tags to users.


Leaf development in Oedipodium griffithianum was studied based on herbarium and living material, using microscopic observations of plants at different stages of development and series of sections. It turned out that the apical cell may lose its bifacial structure, thus the leaves develop the bilaterally symmetric areolation pattern, similar to that seen in Oedipodium protonemata. Young leaves never have zones of small, actively dividing cells in their basal parts, similar to those seen in leaves of most other mosses. Contrary to the common pattern of leaf forming by means of groups of 44, 48, 88 cells (descending from a single cell), the leaf development in Oedipodium has an opportunistic model of growth, where the cell divisions proceed randomly throughout the lamina, being not obviously correlated one with another in time, nor having a definite direction and position where it is performed. The leaves in Oedipodium are bito multistratose at very early stages of growth, not overlapping each other by their corners and only later develop the basal decurrency. The similarity and possible affinity of Oedipodium with the Upper Permian fossil mosses of Angaraland are discussed.


Social evolution is one of the most rapidly developing areas in evolutionary biology. A main theme is the emergence of cooperation among organisms, including the factors that impede cooperation. Although animal societies seem to have no formal institutions, such as courts or legislatures, we argue that biology presents many examples where an interaction can properly be thought of as an informal institution, meaning there are evolved norms and structure to the interaction that enable parties to reach mutually beneficial outcomes. These informal institutions are embedded in the natural history of the interaction, in factors such as where and when parties interact, how long and how close they stay together, and so on. Institutional theory thus widens the scope of behavioral ecology by considering not only why animals evolve to choose the strategies they choose, but also asking both why it is that they find themselves in those particular interaction setups and how these particular interactions can be sustained. Institutions frequently enable interacting parties avoid inefficient outcomes and support efficient exchange among agents with conflicting interests. The main thesis of this paper is that the organization of many biological interactions can properly be understood as institutions that enable mutually beneficial outcomes to be achieved relative to an unstructured interaction. To do this, institutions resolve or regulate the conflicts of interests among parties. The way conflicts of interests affect the outcome depends on the structure of the interaction, which can create problems of commitment, coordination and private information. Institutional theory focuses on how to address each of these issues, typically focusing on the development of social norms, rules, and other constraints on individual behaviors. We illustrate our thesis with examples from cooperative breed and genes as within-body-mechanism-design.


Function approximation from input and output data pairs constitutes a fundamental problem in supervised learning. Deep neural networks are currently the most popular method for learning to mimic the input-output relationship of a general nonlinear system, as they have proven to be very effective in approximating complex highly nonlinear functions. In this work, we show that identifying a general nonlinear function y = ƒ(x1,…,xN) from input-output examples can be formulated as a tensor completion problem and under certain conditions provably correct nonlinear system identification is possible. Specifically, we model the interactions between the N input variables and the scalar output of a system by a single N-way tensor, and setup a weighted low-rank tensor completion problem with smoothness regularization which we tackle using a block coordinate descent algorithm. We extend our method to the multi-output setting and the case of partially observed data, which cannot be readily handled by neural networks. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach using several regression tasks including some standard benchmarks and a challenging student grade prediction task.


This paper examines the evolution of regional development planning in Ethiopia and explores its future prospects. The main contention of the paper is that in the past, regional development, in line with the functional integration approach, was considered a national project. Four main problems have influenced regional policy areas, namely: a) the need for rapid growth and development, b) the need to industrialise, c) the need to develop water resources, and d) the need to develop resource frontiers and expansion of agricultural export. A concentration strategy and package programs; import substitution industrialisation; river basin development and commercial farms have been the regional policy responses to the above problems. These policies were not adequate to stimulate regional development and reduce the imbalances in the country. The current initiatives of regional policies are marked by decentralised planning systems, inter-regional allocation of resources; investment policies; regional capacity building; river basin planning and special area programs. The adequacy of each of these elements, however, indicates that there is room for improvement. In addition these policies are not implemented as part of an overall regional policy. The future orientation of regional policy should be based on the macro-economic development model of the country. Hence regional policy should derive from the policies of de. regulation, liberalisation, promotion of private investment, export-led growth and rural centred strategies. Similarly, the deepening of decentralisation should lead to more emphasis on local level development. Explicit concern with bringing regional equity should guide the resource allocation in future. It is recommended that the country should develop an explicit regional policy whose components should emphasise inter-regional co-operation; regional competitiveness; and regional resource mobilisation. Regional policies at regional levels should work towards achieving appropriate incentives/investment policy, participation of the people and generation of inter-sectoral plans.
 Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review (EASSRR) VOLUME XVI No. 1 January 2000, pp. 65-94


Title, date, subject note, and keywords provided by the photographer.
Credit line: The Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
Gift; Carol M. Highsmith; 2010; (DLC/PP-2010:089).
Forms part of the Carol M. Highsmith Archive.


INTRODUCTION
Data availability on nutrition status from vulnerable population groups is essential for the design and evaluation of interventions. The Ministry of Health from Argentina developed in 2004-2005 the National Survey of Nutrition and Health. Our objective is to describe the nutrition status of infants and preschool children (6-72 months), globally and by region and socioeconomic level.

POPULATION AND METHODS
A probabilistic, multistage sample was selected, representative at the national, regional and provincial levels. Anthropometric indices weight/age, height/age and weight/height, were estimated, according to WHO reference. Nutrient intake was estimated by a 24-hours recall, and hemoglobin, serum ferritin, retinol and vitamin D concentration were measured.

RESULTS
Prevalence of stunting, wasting and obesity were 8.0%, 1.3%, and 10.4%, respectively. Prevalence of anemia was 16.5% in children <6 years and 35.3% in children aged 6-23 months. Prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency in children of 2-5 years was 14.3%, and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Patagonia was 2.8% in children aged 6-23 months. Different nutrient intake inadequacies were observed. Infants and children at the lower socioeconomic level showed higher prevalence of nutrition inadequacies.

CONCLUSIONS
The coexistence of different nutrition deficiencies and overweight and obesity constitute the main characteristic of Argentinean infants and preschool children. Relevant differences exist according to socio-economic and geographic conditions.


Numerical and experimental results are presented for bulk 1.3 /spl mu/m-InGaAsP on InP subject to internal biaxial strain in the xy-plane (active layer, strain axis in growth or z direction) and/or external stress along the lateral, x direction. This uniaxial stress by an external force acting perpendicular to the built-in biaxial strain provides an additional degree of freedom for studying the strain dependence of electron states and, thus, of device properties. The material gain is calculated using a novel method for efficient Brillouin-zone integration. The maximum linear gain is parametrised as g(n)=a(n-n/sub l/) for TE- and for TM-polarised light, and the strain dependence of differential gain a and of transparency density n is calculated and discussed in terms of symmetry. The theoretical results compare well with measurements of threshold currents and emission-wavelength differences at TE-TM switching of ridge-waveguide laser diodes.


We study a transfer line design problem, in which there are several types of operations to be assigned to stations. If a station is assigned at least one operation of a certain type, it induces a type dependent cost. Precedence relations on the set of operations are given by an arbitrary digraph. The primary objective is to minimize the number of stations and the secondary objective is to minimize the total type dependent cost. An equivalent batch scheduling model is presented. Obtained results include computational complexity, heuristics, ILP formulations and computer experiments.


Training accurate intent classifiers requires labeled data, which can be costly to obtain. Data augmentation methods may ameliorate this issue, but the quality of the generated data varies significantly across techniques. We study the process of systematically producing pseudo-labeled data given a small seed set using a wide variety of data augmentation techniques, including mixing methods together. We find that while certain methods dramatically improve qualitative and quantitative performance, other methods have minimal or even negative impact. We also analyze key considerations when implementing data augmentation methods in production.


Analytical chemistry has often been a difficult subject to teach in a classroom or lecture-based context. Numerous strategies for overcoming the inherently practical-based difficulties have been suggested, each with differing pedagogical theories. Here, we present a combined approach to tackling the problem of teaching analytical chemistry, with particular emphasis on inherently practice-based cohorts such as pharmacists. A composite visual, interactive, didactic, and practical approach is presented, in which students are able to fully engage with the teaching/training materials within numerous contexts. From unit evaluations, student–staff liaison committee feedback, and an analysis of marks issued from virtual learning environment quizzes, the enthusiasm of the students for such an approach is found to correlate with their understanding of the topic. The broad outline of the course is included as an example.


This article describes the nutritional and developmental status of young children living in Baby Houses (orphanages for children ages 0-3 years) in Kazakhstan. In 2009/2010, 308 children under age 3 years living in 10 Baby Houses were measured for height/length and weight. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (N. Bayley, 2006) were used to assess mental and motor development. Blood was collected on a subsample to assess key nutritional factors. The World Health Organization growth charts were used to calculate Z-scores. Cut points for wasting (moderate to severe low weight for length/height growth), underweight (low weight for age), stunting (low length/height for age), development, and biomarkers used established guidelines. Most (n = 286) children had complete data on z-scores. Of these, 22.1% were experiencing wasting, 31.5% were underweight, and 36.7% had stunting. The nutritional status of the children, based on blood biomarkers, revealed that 37.1% of the children were anemic, 21.4% had low albumin, 38.1% had low vitamin D, 5.5% were iodine-deficient, and 2% had low serum zinc. One half had mild to significant mental and motor delays. Children living at these Baby Houses in Kazakhstan have substantial nutritional deficits and developmental delays. Focused attention is needed to provide a nutritionally enhanced diet and improved developmental opportunities to improve the long-term outcomes for these children.


What is Care? A word, a concept or a myth? In this paper we explore some of the key formulations of Care that should be considered if Care is to become instrumentalised in design. Primarily, we revisit that meaning of Care which could be of most value to design. After all, Care, at least to some, is the essence of what it means to be human. The goal of this paper is to prompt reconsideration of the many differing notions of Care and to stop for a moment to investigate one formulation of Care that contributes a way of clearly addressing the who in Who Cares? (WE human beings) and through this; to establish an alternative platform for 'responseible' future design; design that is based on Care, centred in Care and fundamentally is Care in action. We ask, Who Cares? ...all people do, but how


The structure and dynamics of dark matter halos, as predicted by the hierarchical clustering scenario, are at odds with the properties inferred from the observations at galactic scales. My Thesis addresses this problem by taking an evolutionary approach. I analysed in detail the many and different observational evidences of a discrepancy the predicted halo equilibrium state and the one inferred from the measurable properties of disk galaxies, as well as of the scaling relations existing between the angular momentum, geometry and mass distribution of the luminous and dark components, and realized that they all seem to point towards the same conclusion: the baryons hosted inside the halo, by collapsing and assembling to form the galaxy, perturb the halo equilibrium structure and made it evolve into new configurations. From the theoretical point of view, the behaviour of dark matter halos as collisionless systems of particles makes their equilibrium structure and mass distribution extremely sensitive to perturbations of their inner dynamics. The galaxy formation occurring inside the halos is a tremendous event, and the dynamical coupling between the baryons and the dark matter during the protogalaxy collapse represents a perturbation of the halo dynamical structure large enough to trigger a halo evolution, according to the relative mass and angular momentum of the two components. My conclusion is that the structure and dynamics of dark matter halos, as well as the origin of the connection between the halo and galaxy properties, are to be understood in in terms of a joint evolution of the baryonic and dark components, originating at the epoch of the collapse and formation of the galaxy.


While pavement design and management practices are based on static axle loads, the actual loads applied to pavements are dynamic, varying as the suspension responds to the unevenness in the pavement surface. Furthermore the accumulation of these dynamic loads for the mix of vehicles in the fleet does not generate a uniform distribution of load along the pavement. Both these factors are believed to influence the level of pavement wear that is generated by heavy vehicles. Over the twenty years since the 1980s many studies have investigated the relationships between aspects of dynamic loading by vehicles and pavement wear. This investigation, carried out in 1996-1997, reviews the sources of vehicle loading on pavements, assesses their effect on pavement wear, and interprets these results in terms of New Zealand pavements and vehicles. Having assessed the significance of the factors, the options for applying them to pavement management practices are evaluated. (a)


BACKGROUND: A correlation between deep anesthesia (defined as time with Bispectral Index (BIS) <45; TBIS <45) and death within 1 yr after surgery has previously been reported. In order to confirm or refute these findings, we evaluated TBIS <45 as an independent risk factor for death within 1 and 2 yr after surgery and also the impact of malignancy, the predominant cause of death in the previous report. METHODS: Mortality within 2 yr after surgery, causes of death and the occurrence of malignant disease at the time of surgery were identified in a cohort of 4087 BIS-monitored patients. Statistically significant univariate predictors of mortality were identified. In order to allow for comparison with previous data, the following multivariate analysis was first done without, and thereafter with, preexisting malignancy status, the predominant cause of death. RESULTS: One-hundred-seventy-four (4.3%) patients died within 1 yr and another 92 during the second year (totaling 6.5% in 2 yr). TBIS <45 was a significant predictor of 1- and 2-yr mortality when preexisting malignant disease was not among the co-variates (hazard ratio [HR] 1.13 [1.01–1.27] and 1.18 [1.08–1.29], respectively). Further exploration confined the significant relation between postoperative mortality and TBIS <45 to patients with preexisting malignant diagnoses associated with extensive surgery and less favorable prognosis. The most powerful predictors of 2-yr mortality in the model, including preexisting malignancy, were ASA physical score class IV (HR 19.3 [7.31–51.1]), age >80 yr (HR 2.93 [1.79–4.79]), and preexisting malignancy associated with less favorable prognosis (HR 9.30 [6.60–13.1]).When the initial multivariate regression was repeated using preexisting malignancy status among the co-variates in the model, the previously significant relation between 1, and 2-yr mortality and TBIS <45 did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Using a similar set of co-variates as in previous work, we confirmed the statistical relation between 1-yr mortality and TBIS <45, and we extended this observation to 2-yr mortality. However, this relation is sensitive to the selection of co-variates in the statistical model, and a randomized study is required to demonstrate that there really is a causal impact from and TBIS <45 on postoperative mortality and, if it does, the effect is probably very weak in comparison with co-morbidity as assessed by ASA physical score, the preexisting malignancy status at surgery and age.


The study assessed 54 advertisements of 145 different drugs, published over one year (from December 2011 to November 2012) in an Indian medical journal, circulated widely mainly among general practitioners (GPs). The ethical guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) for medicinal drug promotion were applied. The brand name was mentioned in all advertisements (100% compliance both with the WHO and OPPI criteria) and the names of the active ingredients were also mentioned in 128 (90.14%) advertisements. However, major adverse drug reactions were mentioned in only two advertisements (1.37%); precautions, contraindications and warnings in only two (1.37%); and major interactions in only one (0.68%). Only three advertisements (2.06%) were well substantiated with references. To ensure the ethical promotionof drugs among GPs, journals must introduce compulsory review and appraisal of promotional advertisements by a dedicated review board, including at least one member trained in pharmacology and one representative from the medical division of a pharmaceutical company.


In writing this paper my first objective has been to prove certain formulas on fixed points and coincidences of continuous transformations of manifolds. To this proof for orientable manifolds without boundary is devoted most of the second part, the remainder of which is taken up by a study of product complexes in the sense of E. Steinitz, as they are the foundation on which the proof rests. With suitable restrictions the formulas derived are susceptible of extension to a wider range of manifolds, but this will be reserved for a later occasion. It may be stated that our formulas include and completely generalize the early results due to Brouwer and whatever has been obtained since along the same line.f No such generality would have been possible without that powerful instrument, the product complex. The principle of the method is best explained by means of a very simple example. Let/(x) and <p(x) be continuous and uni-valued functions over the interval 0, 1, and let their values on the interval also he between 0 and 1. It is required to find the number of solutions of f(x) = <p(x), O^x^l. Graphically the problem is solved by plotting the curvilinear arcs y -/(*), y -*>(*), o** si, and taking their intersections. A slight modification of the functions may change the number of solutions, even make them become infinite in number. However, the difference between the numbers of positive and negative crossings of sufficiently close polygonal approximations to the arcs is a fixed number, their Kronecker index. Its determination is then a partial answer to the question, and indeed seemingly the only possible general answer.


Overview of Open Educational Resources and textbook alternatives at SCF Library and beyond. This guide is designed to help SCF faculty find, create, evaluate, and incorporate open educational resources and textbook alternatives for instruction.


Year‐round variability in the Ross Gyre (RG), Antarctica, during 2011–2015, is derived using radar altimetry. The RG is characterized by a bounded recirculating component and a westward throughflow to the south. Two modes of variability of the sea surface height and ocean surface stress curl are revealed. The first represents a large‐scale sea surface height change forced by the Antarctic Oscillation. The second represents semiannual variability in gyre area and strength, driven by fluctuations in sea level pressure associated with the Amundsen Sea Low. Variability in the throughflow is also linked to the Amundsen Sea Low. An adequate description of the oceanic circulation is achieved only when sea ice drag is accounted for in the ocean surface stress. The drivers of RG variability elucidated here have significant implications for our understanding of the oceanic forcing of Antarctic Ice Sheet melting and for the downstream propagation of its ocean freshening footprint.


[reaction: see text] Ligand-free Pd(OAc)(2) can be used as a catalyst in the Heck reaction of aryl bromides as long as the amount of catalyst is kept between 0.01 and 0.1 mol %. At higher concentrations palladium black forms and the reaction stops. The actual catalyst is monomeric. Palladacycles merely serve as a source of ligand-free palladium in Heck reactions of aryl bromides.


Gingival recession is the migration of the free gingival margin apical to the cementoenamel junction. There are various factors contributing toward gingival recession apart from periodontal disease that include faulty tooth brushing, tooth position or malaligned teeth, high muscle or frenal attachment, alveolar bone dehiscence, orthodontic forces, and iatrogenic factors leading to problems of esthetics, hypersensitivity, and root caries. Several periodontal plastic surgical techniques have been introduced in the previous literature aiming to correct marginal tissue recessions, the predictability of which depends upon careful evaluation of the defect type, presence of attached gingiva, keratinized tissue width, and presence of single or multiple gingival recessions. The use of free gingival graft (FGG) and subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) in root coverage is indicated for the treatment of single or multiple gingival recessions. Although both FGGs and SCTGs provide significant reduction in recession depth and clinical attachment gain for Miller's Class I and II gingival recession defects, SCTG seems to offer root coverage with a better color match between donor and recipient site tissue rendering better esthetics. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of FGG and SCTG in root coverage procedures, the following case reports describe the clinical results using FGG by Miller's technique, and using SCTGs by technique of Langer and Langer, and Zabalegui tunnel technique for the treatment of gingival recession.


: Five strains of hitherto unknown arbovirus designated Chim by the place of primary collection of ticks was isolated from Ixodid and Argasid ticks collected in the Uzbek SSR in burrows of great gerbils. The virus has no antigenic relationships with arboviruses previously isolated from ticks, its size varies from 100 to 220 nm, it contains RNA and has a lipid-containing envelope. Chim virus is pathogenic only for suckling mice by the intracerebral route and exerts cytopathic effect in continuous L, Rh, BHK cell lines.


We present a dynamic modelfor access control mechanism used in
computer communication network applied to MPEG video transmission
over Internet. This modelis different fromthosedeveloped
inthe previous works related to this topic. In our
model, token buckets supported by data buffersare used to shape
incoming traffic and one multiplexor, serving all the token
pools, multiplexes all theconforming
traffic. The model is governed by a system of discrete nonlinear
difference equations. Weuse neural network as the feedback
controller which receives at its input (measurable) available
information and provides at its output the optimal control. The
simulated annealing algorithm isusedto optimize the system
performance by adjusting the weights. For illustration, we
presentnumerical results which show that the system performance
of MPEG video server can be improved by using neural network and
simulated annealing approach.


Ad hoc networks are a new wireless paradigm for mobile hosts. Unlike traditional mobile ad hoc networks, ad hoc do not rely on any fixed infrastructure. The mobile ad hoc networks suffer from security attacks and privacy issues which dramatically impede their applications. To cope with the attacks, a large variety of intrusion detection techniques such as authentication, authorization, cryptographic protocols and key management schemes have been developed. A mobile node would be capable of moving to a particular position to establish network connectivity, provided it knows its current position and positions of other mobile node. Clustering methods allow fast connection, better routing and topology management of mobile ad hoc networks (MANET). This paper, we have introduced new mechanism called Secure Clustering and Energy Efficient Protocol (SCEEP) is to divide the MANET into a set of 2-hop clusters where each node belongs to at least one cluster. The nodes in each cluster elect a leader node (cluster head) to serve as the IDS for the entire cluster. To balance the resource consumption weight based leader election model is used, which elected an optimal collection of leaders to minimize the overall resource consumption and obtaining secure communication using diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol. Keywords— Security attacks, Clustering, SCEEP


Low-molecular-weight alkyl amines are reactive organic nitrogen compounds that are important precursors in secondary aerosol formation. Atmospheric aerosols have direct and indirect effects on Earth's climate system. Alkyl amines are emitted from marine and terrestrial ecosystems, agricultural activities and other anthropogenic sources. In terrestrial ecosystems, the quantities in the different parts of an ecosystem and formation processes are not well understood. Alkyl amine soil concentration and biosphere–atmosphere exchange measurements are scarce. The main focus of this thesis is to determine concentrations of alkyl amines in ambient air in boreal forest and urban area, and further identify possible sources and reservoirs of alkyl amines in boreal forest. The main results presented in the thesis consist of a timeseries of gasphase concentrations of alkyl amines measured over several months, concentrations of alkyl amines in the soil and fungal biomass, and an emission estimation based on the measured concentrations. Alkyl amines were studied in two northern latitude environments: in a boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forest at the SMEAR II station in Hyytiälä and in an urban background area at the SMEAR III station in Helsinki. To quantify ambient air concentrations of alkyl amines in these environments, sample collection and analytical methods were developed. Ambient air concentrations of alkyl amines were measured from May to October 2011 in the forest site and from May to August 2011 in the urban site. The effect of the measured ambient air concentrations of alkyl amines on the local air chemistry was also assessed together with aromatic hydrocarbons and terpenoids. To assess boreal forest soil as a source of alkyl amines, a pot-scale experiment was set up. In the experiment Scots pine seedlings were grown on humus soil collected from the forest site, and the effects of Scots pine and soil organic matter (SOM) degrading enzymes on alkyl amine soil concentrations were studied. In addition, fungal strains common in boreal forest soils were cultured, and the alkyl amine concentrations in the grown fungal biomass were quantified. The role of boreal forest soil as a source or as a sink of atmospheric alkyl amines was studied using a gradient-diffusion approach. In the approach, the soil–atmosphere exchange of selected alkyl amines was estimated. This was done by describing dissolution/volatilisation on water and transport processes, and utilizing the quantified soil and ambient air gas-phase concentrations of the selected alkyl amines found in the studied boreal forest. The gas-phase concentrations of alkyl amines in ambient air were found to be higher in the forest site than in the urban site. In the forest site, the atmospheric concentrations appeared to be linked to soil and vegetation activity based on the seasonal course of the measured alkyl amines. Litterfall, a phenological event, coincides with the concentration maxima of some of the measured alkyl amines. In the pot-scale experiment, the SOM degrading enzymes were found to have no effect on the soil concentrations of alkyl amine while the presence of Scots pine was found to have an effect on the concentrations of some of the measured alkyl amines. The soil concentrations of alkyl amines were found to be lower than those measured from the fungal biomass. The most abundant fungal groups (ectomycorrhizal and saprotrhopic fungi) in the forest soil contained the highest quantities of alkyl amines revealing that fungal biomass may be an important reservoir of alkyl amines in boreal forest soil. Based on the flux estimate, the boreal forest soil was found to act as both a source and a sink of alkyl amines. The direction of the flux was dependent on the studied alkyl amines and environmental conditions in the forest site. Soil pH was found to be one of the most critical factors determining the direction of the flux between the soil and the atmosphere.


Background: Chronically homeless individuals have high rates of hospitalization and death, and they may benefit from the completion of advance directives. Aim: To determine the rate of advance directive completion using a counselor-guided intervention, identify characteristics associated with advance directive completion, and describe end-of-life care preferences in a group of chronically homeless individuals. Design: Participants completed a survey and were offered an opportunity to complete an advance directive with a trained counselor. Participants: A total of 205 residents of a shelter in Canada for homeless men (89.1% of those approached) participated from April to June 2013. Results: Duration of homelessness was ⩾12 months in 72.8% of participants, and 103 participants (50.2%) chose to complete an advance directive. Socio-demographic characteristics, health status, and health care use were not associated with completion of an advance directive. Participants were more likely to complete an advance directive if they reported thinking about death on a daily basis, believed that thinking about their friends and family was important, or reported knowing their wishes for end-of-life care but not having told anyone about these wishes. Among individuals who completed an advance directive, 61.2% named a substitute decision maker, and 94.1% expressed a preference to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiorespiratory arrest if there was a chance of returning to their current state of health. Conclusion: A counselor-guided intervention can achieve a high rate of advance directive completion among chronically homeless persons. Most participants expressed a preference to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiorespiratory arrest.


Context This quality improvement project as performed in a large District General Hospital, Children's Emergency Department (CED). It reviewed the 'Wheeze Pathway' used to treat children presenting with acute exacerbations of wheeze. These children initially receive "burst therapy" – 10 puffs of a Salbutamol inhaler via a spacer device every 20 min for 1 h. Problem A previous audit of the 'Wheeze Pathway' highlighted only 79% of children recieving burst therapy had their inhalers at the correct intervals and only 89% had appropriate observations. In a serious adverse event a child was transferred to the in-patient ward without a post burst therapy assessment, which necessitated eventual escalation to IV therapy and HDU admission. Within a busy CED it was difficult to easily establish which children were following the 'Wheeze Pathway' and at what time their inhalers, observations and assessments were due. Assessment of problem and analysis of its causes Wheeze is a very common presentation to CED. Following the serious adverse event, nursing staff and doctors were consulted regarding the issues they felt contributed to the problems described. Intervention Following a consultation process a 'Pathway Checklist' was developed (Figure 1). The checklist is a timeline of all treatments and assessments (medical and nursing) during the first 4 h of the 'Wheeze Pathway'. It was also decided children had to remain in the CED during this time to ensure a complete assessment with timely escalation of treatment if necessary and stability prior to transfer to a definitive care bed. Abstract G547(P) Figure 1 Wheeze pathway checklist Strategy for change The 'Pathway Checklist' was developed with significant input from the nursing team to ensure strong support for the change. Upon implementation both the Pathway and Checklist were publicised to all staff and education provided at team meetings. Measurement of improvement A snap shot review of the 'Wheeze Pathway' and 'Pathway Checklist' was undertaken over a 10-day period in 2014 and 39 consecutive sets of patient notes were reviewed. Abstract G547(P) Table 1 Key Changes Pre 'Pathway Checklist' Post 'Pathway Checklist' Burst at correct intervals 30/38 (79%) 37/39 (95%) Observations after burst 34/38 (89%) 39/39 (100%) The implementation achieved a near perfect number of children receiving burst therapy at the correct intervals and 100% having complete observations as well as 37 (95%) cases having timely medical reviews. Abstract G547(P) Table 2 'Pathway Checklist' Use Time interval 'Pathway Checklist' completed During burst therapy 34 87% Hour 2 29 74% Hours 3 and 4 9 23% Effects of changes As a consequence of its implementation there have been no further adverse incidents as children are now transferred to definitive care beds when stable and with clear plans. There is also now an unquantifiable improvement in how the department has a feeling of control and knowledge of all the children on the 'Wheeze Pathway', which has improved overall care of these patients. There is an allocated nurse to give all burst therapy and to provide education to families. There is also improved awareness amongst the nursing and medical teams regarding the need for escalation and which children we have greater concern for, leading to early identification of these patients. Lessons learnt Implementation requires buy-in and consensus of the whole team. Next time I would provide more regular feedback of the success of change to ensure continued motivation of users and highlight areas for improvement. Message for others An extremely simple intervention can help to improve efficiency and have a positive effect on patient care safety by prompting key points in patient management, especially in a busy environment.


Abstract: We review the taxonomic status of Oligodon arnensis (Shaw 1802) after examining all the name-bearing types of its synonyms, and evaluating morphological and biogeographic evidence. Oligodon arnensis sensu lato is widely distributed throughout Peninsular India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. We demonstrate that southern, eastern, and western populations in India represent three distinct species. Oligodon arnensis sensu stricto described from Arnee (now Arani), Tamil Nadu, southern India, is distributed in southern India up to 1500 m above sea level. Oligodon albiventer Günther 1864 and Simotes russellii var. ceylonensis Müller 1887 described from Sri Lanka closely match O. arnensis sensu stricto, and hence we treat them as junior synonyms. We resurrect Coluber russelius Daudin 1803 from the synonymy of O. arnensis, designate a lectotype, and restrict its type locality to Vizagapatam (now Visakhapatnam), Andhra Pradesh, eastern Peninsular India. Based on morphological differences we describe a new species from Kurduvadi, in the Deccan plateau of western India representing the western Indian population of O. arnensis sensu lato. We provide redescriptions for O. arnensis sensu stricto and O. russelius comb. nov. based on museum specimens, as both were named based on illustrations (iconotypes). Based on our update of the currently confirmed localities for O. arnensis, O. russelius comb. nov. and the new species, we discuss their biogeography and conservation status.


Communication is an essential part of human interaction. Aphasia is an acquired speech disorder that disrupts communication, and depending on the type, it can affect reading, writing and even speech comprehension. With the help of technology, patients suffering from this condition can have an easy and reliable way to complement their therapy. Currently there are two different prototypes available in Portuguese medium, which will be used as a baseline for this project. They already include a raw implementation of the required functionalities, however, they will need to be re-engineered to comply with current trends of software architectures and also suit today's mobile user experience. The objective of this project is to build an Android mobile application for patients with aphasia (the target audience would be composed mainly by elderly people), so the application developed is user-friendly, responsive, and adaptable to different screen sizes.


Transplantation of immediately vascularized grafts across species barriers in which preformed cytotoxic antibodies exist, otherwise known as discordant combinations, has uniformly resulted in hyperacute rejection. We studied how well plasma exchange and perfusion through organs removes preformed immunoglobulin M cytotoxic antibodies and prolongs survival of a porcine heart heterotopically transplanted into a rhesus monkey. With the use of plasma exchange or absorption of antibodies by porcine kidney perfusion with or without immunosuppression, graft survival was prolonged, although antibody-mediated rejection ultimately occurred. In one case in which plasma exchange, kidney perfusion, and immunosuppression were combined, a functioning pig heart survived in a rhesus monkey for 8 days without evidence of rejection. The animal was killed on day 8 according to protocol because of a wound dehiscence. With this animal we were able to demonstrate that circulating antibodies against graft endothelium had bound to the graft endothelium without inducing rejection, a process referred to as accommodation. In this case, despite the presence of antiendothelial antibodies, complement did not appear to be activated, and fibrin thrombi did not form. Although we have achieved this rejection-free survival only in one animal, this case suggests that it may be possible to maintain xenotransplants in discordant species without rejection if preformed antibodies are appropriately lowered or altered during the initial period of graft implantation.


Over the past three decades, the achievement of waves of American students with high intellectual potential has declined as a result of inequity in educational treatment. This inequity is the result of an extreme form of egalitarianism within American society and schools, which involves the pitting of equity against excellence rather than promoting both equity and excellence, anti-intellectualism, the "dumbing-down" of the curriculum, equating aptitude and achievement testing with elitism, the attraction to fads by schools, and the insistence of schools to teach all students from the same curriculum at the same level. In this article we provide recommendations for creating positive change—recommendations that emphasize excellence for all, that call for responsiveness to individual differences, and that suggest basing educational policies on well-grounded research findings in psychology and education. Educational policies that fail to take into account the vast range of individual differences among students—as do many that are currently in use—are doomed to be ineffective.


BACKGROUND
The rehabilitation of an anterior tooth space presents a confronting situation. Several modalities are presently available to address the challenge of an immediate replacement of a missing anterior tooth. These include a removable temporary acrylic prosthesis or resin-bonded bridges. Fibre-Reinforced Composite (FRC) bridges are preferable if they are fixed and if a cost-effective tooth replacement is desired. Also, they provide an aesthetic and a conservative treatment choice as the abutment teeth require a minimal or no preparation.

METHODS
This article is describing two cases with an immediate replacement of the maxillary incisor teeth by a single visit technique, with the use of FRC Resin (Ribbond) bridges and natural tooth crowns as pontics.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
The procedure was completed at the chair side, thereby avoiding the laboratory costs. A two year follow up of the cases has shown a successful outcome. Creating an adhesive FRC bridge by using a natural tooth pontic is a successful treatment option for the direct aesthetic replacement of missing anterior teeth.


The lionfish species Pterois miles and P. volitans are popular aquarium fishes that have
gained recent notoriety as invasive species along the east coast of the United States and the Bahamas.
The two species can usually be identified using dorsal and anal fin ray counts as well as geographic
origin, but neither meristics nor geography are always definitive, and their taxonomic status as separate
species has been questioned. Analyses of two mitochondria-encoded cytochrome b sequence data sets
resolved specimens of P. miles and P. volitans in distinct monophyletic clades. There was also a .4%
difference in the maximum intraspecific and minimum interspecific sequence divergences between
specimens of the two species. These results are comparable to those of other analyzed Pterois and
Dendrochirus sister species, and support their recognition as separate species. The cytochrome b analyses
also show that Dendrochirus and Pterois are not reciprocally monophyletic as currently circumscribed,
and that a comprehensive study is needed to resolve the taxonomy of Pteroinae genera


In recent years the prisoner's dilemma has become a paradigm for the study of the emergence of cooperation in spatially structured populations. Such a structure is usually assumed to be given by a graph. In general, the success of cooperative strategies is associated with the possibility of forming globular clusters, which in turn depends on a feature of the network that is measured by its clustering coefficient. In this work we study the dependence of the success of cooperation on this coefficient for regular networks. Additionally, for both stochastic and deterministic dynamics we show that there is a strong dependence on the initial composition of the population. This hints at the existence of several different mechanisms that could promote or hinder cluster expansion. We have studied in detail some of these mechanisms by concentrating on completely ordered networks (large clustering coefficient) or completely random networks (vanishing clustering coefficient).


Near-range portrait photographs often contain perspective distortion artifacts that bias human perception and challenge both facial recognition and reconstruction techniques. We present the first deep learning based approach to remove such artifacts from unconstrained portraits. In contrast to the previous state-of-the-art approach \cite{fried2016perspective}, our method handles even portraits with extreme perspective distortion, as we avoid the inaccurate and error-prone step of first fitting a 3D face model. Instead, we predict a distortion correction flow map that encodes a per-pixel displacement that removes distortion artifacts when applied to the input image. Our method also automatically infers missing facial features, i.e. occluded ears caused by strong perspective distortion, with coherent details. We demonstrate that our approach significantly outperforms the previous state-of-the-art both qualitatively and quantitatively, particularly for portraits with extreme perspective distortion or facial expressions. We further show that our technique benefits a number of fundamental tasks, significantly improving the accuracy of both face recognition and 3D reconstruction and enables a novel camera calibration technique from a single portrait. Moreover, we also build the first perspective portrait database with a large diversity in identities, expression and poses.


ABSTRACT When the demand for either a region of airspace or an airport approaches or exceeds the available capacity, miles-in-trail (MIT) restrictions are the most frequently issued traffic management initiatives (TMIs) that are used to mitigate these imbalances. Miles-in-trail operations require aircraft in a traffic stream to meet a specific inter-aircraft separation in exchange for maintaining a safe and orderly flow within the stream. This stream of aircraft can be departing an airport, over a common fix, through a sector, on a specific route or arriving at an airport. This study begins by providing a high-level overview of the distribution and causes of arrival MIT restrictions for the top ten airports in the United States. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the frequency, duration and cause of MIT restrictions impacting the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) from 2009 through 2011. Then, machine-learning methods for predicting (1) situations in which MIT restrictions for ATL arrivals are implemented under low demand scenarios, and (2) days in which a large number of MIT restrictions are required to properly manage and control ATL arrivals are presented. More specifically, these predictions were accomplished by using an ensemble of decision trees with Bootstrap aggregation (BDT) and supervised machine learning was used to train the BDT binary classification models. The models were subsequently validated using data cross validation methods. When predicting the occurrence of arrival MIT restrictions under low demand situations, the model was able to achieve over all accuracy rates ranging from 84% to 90%, with false alarm ratios ranging from 10% to 15%. In the second set of studies designed to predict days on which a high number of MIT restrictions were required, overall accuracy rates of 80% were achieved with false alarm ratios of 20%. Overall, the predictions proposed by the model give better MIT usage information than what has been currently provided under current day operations. Traffic flow managers can use these predictions to identify potential MIT restrictions to eliminate (e.g., those occurring during low arrival demand periods), and to determine the days in which a significant number of restrictions may be required.


ABSTRACT Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). While progressive resistance training (PRT) has been shown to reduce fatigue in persons with MS, it is not clear why these reductions occur. One hypothesis is that PRT may induce functional changes to the caudate, a region highly implicated in MS fatigue. The aim of the current study was to study the effects of PRT on overall fatigue impact and resting-state functional connectivity of the caudate in persons with MS reporting severe fatigue. Participants were semi-randomly assigned to either a 16-week home-based PRT (n = 5) or stretching control (n = 5) condition. Both groups demonstrated reductions in overall fatigue impact (main effect of time: F = .84, d = .65). Significant group × time interactions were found, with the PRT group demonstrating post-training increases in functional connectivity between the caudate and left inferior parietal (F = 66.0, p < .001), bilateral frontal (both p < .001), and right insula (F = 21.8, p = .002) regions compared to the stretching group. Furthermore, greater post-training increases in functional connectivity between the caudate and left inferior parietal region were associated with greater decreases in cognitive fatigue (r = −.52) specifically. This study provides initial evidence for the caudate as a potential neural substrate for the beneficial effects of PRT on fatigue in persons with MS.


An energy-saving design for hydraulic cylinder reciprocating seal is proposed in this paper to improve using efficiency of seal, and reduce environmental pollution and energy consumption caused by oil leakage. HOQ of QFD is utilized to translate customer requirements into technical design requirements controlled by environmental factors, and the conflicts between technical requirements are obtained. TRIZ theory is used to resolve the conflicts, and gets energy-saving design solutions. The energy consumption compare between before and after improving seal is presented to illustrate the validation of the methods.


The effects of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonists nimodipine, nitrendipine, and nisoldipine were studied on K+-induced and angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced aldosterone secretion from isolated calf adrenal glomerulosa cells. These drugs were more effective inhibitors of K+-induced secretion than ANG II-induced secretion. However, when the ANG II-induced release of intracellular calcium was blocked by prior treatment of cells with dantrolene, then nitrendipine was equally as effective in blocking ANG II- as K+-induced secretion. On the other hand, the dihydropyridine agonist, BAY K8644, was found to enhance K+-induced secretion to a greater extent than ANG II-induced secretion when the latter was studied in either the absence or presence of dantrolene. It is concluded that K+ and ANG II mobilize calcium from different sources for stimulus-response coupling in these cells and that there is no difference in the sensitivity to nitrendipine of the plasma membrane calcium channels operated by these two different agonists.


Abstract 836 PD-1 is a potent inhibitor of T cell proliferation and can compromise anti-viral and anti-tumor T cell responses. PD-1 inhibits expression of Glut1 via which T cells uptake glucose, which is utilized to generate energy by glycolysis. Recently, we determined that CD4+ primary human T cells receiving PD-1 signals are blocked at the G1 phase and do not progress to the S and G2/M phases. Although PD-1-stimulated T cells did not proliferate, they remained viable at levels comparable or even better than T cells stimulated by CD3 and CD28. Here, we sought to determine whether T cells receiving PD-1 signals remain metabolically active and to identify the mechanisms via which PD-1 might lead to generation of energy and promotion of cell survival. We used primary human CD4+ T cells and magnetic beads conjugated with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD3 and CD28 with or without agonist mAb against PD-1. Stimulation of T cells via TCR/CD3 and CD28 resulted in prominent upregulation of Glut1 by 48 hours, which remained elevated for five days of culture and gradually declined. In contrast, T cells receiving signals via TCR/CD3, CD28 and PD-1 did not upregulate Glut1 at any time point. T cells stimulated via TCR/CD3 and CD28 but not those receiving PD-1 signals displayed glucose uptake as determined by incorporation of 14C(U)}-deoxy-D-glucose. To determine whether T cells receiving PD-1 signals were metabolically active, we examined mitochondrial homeostasis by assessing membrane potential using the potentiometric dye TMRE. At all time intervals of culture, mitochondrial membrane potential was comparable between T cells stimulated via TCR/CD3/CD28 and T cells stimulated via TCR/CD3/CD28 and PD-1. Thus, despite the lack of glucose uptake, T cells receiving PD-1 signals were metabolically active. In other cell types glucose deprivation activates AMPK (AMP activated protein kinase), which is a key energy sensor and regulates cellular metabolism to maintain energy homeostasis. The substrate of AMPK that connects energy sensing to cell survival during starvation is Ulk1, the mammalian homologue of the yeast kinase ATG1, which has an essential role in autophagy, survival and longevity under limited nutrient supplies. AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of Ulk1 is required for Ulk1 activation and initiation of autophagy, thereby maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and cell survival during starvation. Because by suppressing glucose uptake PD-1 induces a state of glucose starvation in T cells, we examined whether PD-1 might induce AMPK activation. In CD4+ T cells activated via TCR/CD3 and CD28, AMPK activation was transient and insignificant. In contrast, T cells receiving PD-1 signals displayed robust and sustained activation of AMPK, which mediated a prominent phosphorylation of Ulk1 on the AMPK-specific site Ser555. Furthermore, T cells receiving PD-1 signals displayed robust phosphorylation of Raptor on Ser752, an AMPK-specific site, leading to inactivation of mTORC1. These biochemical events were in complete contrast to those observed in T cells receiving TCR/CD3 and CD28-mediated signals without PD-1, which displayed no AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of Ulk1 or Raptor and had increased mTORC1 activity. Because mTORC1-mediated phosphorylation of Ulk1 disrupts Ulk1-AMPK interaction and prevents Ulk1 activation we examined whether PD-1 induced differential AMPK-Ulk1 interaction and Ulk1 activation. Immunoprecipitation with AMPK-specific mAb revealed a prominent Ulk1-AMPK interaction and Ulk1 activation in T cells stimulated via TCR/CD3, CD28 and PD-1 but not in T cells stimulated via TCR/CD3 and CD28 in the absence of PD-1 signals. To determine the biological consequences of these signaling events we examined whether, via AMPK-Ulk1 activation, PD-1 might induce autophagy in T cells. During autophagy, carboxy-terminal lipid modification of LC3 is a well-characterized phenomenon required for autophagosome formation which can be readily detected by an increased electrophoretic mobility (LC3-II). PD-1 ligation induced a prominent increase of LC3-II, whereas no LC3-II increase was observed during stimulation via TCR/CD3 and CD28. These results uncover an unexpected biochemical mechanism coupling glucose starvation, autophagy and survival downstream of PD-1 and suggest that therapeutic targeting of AMPK might be a novel approach to modulate PD-1-mediated signaling. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


OBJECTIVES
This pilot study aimed to quantify the magnitude and type of tooth movement occurring in short time intervals within the regular monthly orthodontic visits for patients with fixed appliances and undergoing maxillary canine retraction. Additionally, this pilot study aimed to provide a descriptive evaluation for the accuracy and reliability of the Dental Monitoring (DM)-captured scans to those of an iTero digital scans in an extraction space closure model.

SETTINGS AND SAMPLE POPULATION
3D intraoral photographic scans (DM) for 12 patients with maxillary first premolar extractions in a single-centre academic institution.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twelve patients treated with fixed appliances and undergoing space closure for maxillary premolar extraction(s) were included. Nickel-titanium (200 g) closing coil springs were used for canine retraction. At initiation of space closure (T1), iTero scans were acquired, and patients were instructed to take DM scans every 4-5 days until their next visit in 4-5 weeks (T2). At T2, a final iTero scan in addition to a DM scan was taken. The number of patients who did the scans regularly as instructed declined as time elapsed. Stereolithography (STL) files generated from the DM scans were superimposed with the STL files from the iTero scans using GOM Inspect software to determine the accuracy of the DM 3D models. To assess rate, type and direction of tooth movement, each of the 3D image STL files generated from the DM scans, taken every 4-5 days by each patient, was superimposed on the previously captured scan. The rate of tooth movement for the maxillary molars and canines was calculated in the 3 planes of space (X, Y, Z) at each time point, until the end of the experiment.

RESULTS
Preliminary results indicated that the maxillary canines appeared to be displaced the greatest amount in the first 4-5 days with initial distolateral movement. As time elapsed, the rate of tooth movement decreased, and the tooth started moving distolingually.

CONCLUSIONS
Dental monitoring software provides a high-tech platform to monitor tooth movement in a 'real-time' approach. Accuracy of the photographic scans in relationship to the intraoral scans appears promising. There seems to be some evidence that the greatest amount of movement occurs initially in the first few days after activation, dropping thereafter to become a slower constant rate of tooth movement.


We review structural aspects of the Bechgaard and Fabre salts in relationship with their electronic, magnetic and superconducting properties. We emphasize the role of bond and charge modulations of the quarter filled organic stack in the various instabilities and ground states exhibited by these salts. A special consideration is also devoted to the influence of anions and methyl groups in these processes. In particular we point out the importance of the anions in achieving the inter-stack coupling by either direct or indirect (via the polarization of the methyl group cavities) interactions with the donors. In this framework we discuss the role of anions and methyl group disorders in the inhibition of the divergence of the high temperature bond order wave instability of the Bechgaard salts. We analyze the modulation in the magnetic ground states by considering explicitly the coupling of the magnetization with structural degrees of freedom. We consider the role of the anions and methyl groups in stabilizing the charge ordering pattern in the Fabre salts. We also discuss the spin-Peierls transition of the Fabre salts in relation with the charge ordering transition and the adiabaticity of the phonon field. We review the anion ordering transitions by considering more particularly the influence of the ordering process on the electronic structure and on the ground states which results. In this framework we show that the texture of the anion ordered structure has direct consequences on the superconducting properties of (TMTSF)2ClO4. Finally we conclude on the essential implication of the structural degrees of freedom on the generic phase diagram of the Bechgaard and Fabre salts.


This letter studies the robust design of downlink precoding for cloud radio access network (C-RAN) in the presence of asynchronism among remote radio heads (RRHs). Specifically, a C-RAN downlink system is considered in which nonideal fronthaul links connecting two RRHs to a baseband unit (BBU) may cause a time offset, as well as a phase offset, between the transmissions of the two RRHs. The offsets are a priori not known to the BBU. With the aim of counteracting the unknown time offset, a robust precoding scheme is considered that is based on the idea of correlating the signal transmitted by one RRH with a number of delayed versions of the signal transmitted by the other RRH. For this transmission strategy, the problem of maximizing the worst-case minimum rate is tackled while satisfying per-RRH transmit power constraints. Numerical results are reported that verify the advantages of the proposed robust scheme as compared to the conventional nonrobust design criteria as well as noncooperative transmission.


Abstract In this paper we present a set of wave flume experiments for a solitary wave reflecting off a vertical wall. A particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique is used to measure free-surface velocity and the velocity field in the vicinity of the moving contact line. We observe that the free surface undergoes the so-called rolling motion as the contact line moves up and down the vertical wall, and fluid particles on the free surface almost always flow toward the wall except at the end of the reflection process. As the contact line descends along the wall, wall boundary layer flows move in a downward direction and therefore the boundary layer acts like a conduit through which the surface-rolling-induced flow escapes from the meniscus. However, during the last phase of the reflection process flow reversal occurs inside the wall boundary layer. An approximate analytical solution is developed to explain the flow reversal feature. Very good agreement between the approximate theory and measured data is obtained. Because of the flow reversal, boundary layer flows collide with the surface-rolling-induced flows. The collision gives rise to a jet ejecting from the meniscus into the water body, which later evolves into a small eddy. It is noticed that the fluid particles in different regions such as the free stream, the free-surface boundary layer and the wall boundary layer, can be transported to other regions by passing through the meniscus.


Abstract Polyamidoxime (H2L) and its transition metal complexes have been synthesized using 1,4-bis(5-aminobenzimidazole)butane, which has been obtained from 1,4-bis(5-nitrobenzimidazole)butane and (E, E)-dichloroglyoxime in absolute ethanol. Nickel(II), cobalt(II) and cobalt(III) complexes of H2L have a metal:ligand ratio of 1:2 and the ligand coordinates through the N atoms, as most of the (E, E)-dioximes. [Co(HL)2(L′)C1] has been prepared with L′ = pyridine, 2,6-dimethylpyridine, 2-mercaptopyridine, triphenylarsine and thiophene, together with a chloride ions as axial ligands. The structures of the polyamidoxime metal complexes have been characterized by 1H-NMR, IR and elemental analysis data.


The Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Credit Crisis of the 2000s had similar causes but elicited strikingly different policy responses. It may still be too early to assess the effectiveness of current policy responses, but it is possible to analyze monetary and fiscal policies in the 1930s as a 'natural experiment' or 'counterfactual' capable of shedding light on the impact of recent policies. We employ vector autoregressions, instrumental variables, and qualitative evidence for a panel of 27 countries in the period 1925-1939. The results suggest that monetary and fiscal stimulus was effective - that where it did not make a difference it was not tried. The results also shed light on the debate over fiscal multipliers in episodes of financial crisis. They are consistent with multipliers at the higher end of those estimated in the recent literature, consistent with the idea that the impact of fiscal stimulus will be greater when banking system are dysfunctional and monetary policy is constrained by the zero bound.


This chapter takes recent historical reconsiderations of 70 CE as a significant but not ultimately or universally disruptive event as a basis from which to reconsider the rhetorical crafting of the destruction of the Temple/Jerusalem as the event that "made all the difference." It argues that such a recrafting began among early Christians primarily in the wake of the Bar Kochba revolt. Justin Martyr, in particular, seems to have taken the lead in using a range of biblical texts to cast the events of 70, in conjunction with the aftermath of the Bar Kochba revolt, as a direct consequence of Jesus' crucifixion. The chapter suggests that the Christian construction of 70 becomes a shadow partner of the producers of the Mishnah and later rabbinic literature in conceptualizing what it means for Jews to be God's people. Keywords:early Christians; Jerusalem Temple; Jews; Justin Martyr; rabbinic literature


This paper presents a model of a behavior to merge onto an interstate for an autonomous vehicle. This autonomous vehicle exists in a virtual environment of a microscopic traffic simulation system. The merge behavior model constitutes a part of a complete set of behaviors that represent the overall activities exhibited by a realistic and reactive vehicle in a driving simulation virtual environment. The merge behavior is an interesting behavior since the autonomous vehicle has to satisfy multiple (conflicting) conditions in order to perform a successful merge into a congested interstate. This paper presents a brief description of the overall vehicle behavior model and then describes the merge behavior model in detail.


This paper presents a robust diagnosis technique by iteratively analyzing the pattern of multiple fault signatures in a motor current signal. It is mathematically and experimentally proved that the proposed diagnosis algorithm provides highly accurate monitoring performance while minimizing both false detection and miss detection rate under high noise and nonlinear machine operating condition. These results are verified on a digital-signal-processor-based motor drive system where motor control and fault diagnosis are performed in real time.


We describe our submission to the Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge (BraTS) at MICCAI 2012, which is based on our method for tissue-specific segmentation of high-grade brain tumors [3]. The main idea is to cast the segmentation as a classification task, and use the discriminative power of context information. We realize this idea by equipping a classification forest (CF) with spatially non-local features to represent the data, and by providing the CF with initial probability estimates for the single tissue classes as additional input (along-side the MRI channels). The initial probabilities are patient-specific, and computed at test time based on a learned model of intensity. Through the combination of the initial probabilities and the non-local features, our approach is able to capture the context information for each data point. Our method is fully automatic, with segmentation run times in the range of 1-2 minutes per patient. We evaluate the submission by crossvalidation on the real and synthetic, highand low-grade tumor BraTS data sets.


SUMMARY
This article explores an indigenous Hawaiian perspective on health that accords nature the status of healing agent. It reemerged in the Native Hawaiian decolonization struggle of the 1990s where it provided an explicit critique of Western sociocultural and political–economic forces, particularly of the effects these had on the bodies and souls of the colonized and neocolonized Hawaiians. This understanding of healing derives from the ancestors of present-day indigenous Hawaiians, as well as from the enduring ways of knowing and being that survives the onslaught of colonial power. Lying at the core of such understandings—expressed through the Polynesian principle of mana—are ideas about the interdependency between human beings and the earth. Thus, this article asks, how does mana become a basis for resistance? Can it be best understood by contrast to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic theology of dominion? While mana stresses interconnectedness with, love for, and dependence on nature, the biblical text (of Genesis 1:28) posits, in contrast, the separateness from and dominance over nature—a theology at the root of the 20th century, which this article concludes amounts to a politics of human dispossession and environmental degradation.


Abstract Who will win the next French presidential election? Forecasting electoral results from political-economy models is a recent tradition in France. In this article, we pursue this effort by estimating a vote function based on both local and national data for the elections held between 1981 and 2007. This approach allows us to circumvent the small N problem and to produce more robust and reliable results. Based on a model including economic (unemployment) and political (approval and previous results) variables, we predict the defeat, although by a relatively small margin, of the right-wing incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round of the French presidential election to be held in May 2012.


New compounds of N(4-substitution phenyl carbamothioyl) biphenyl-4-carboxamide derivatives have been prepared by first making biphenyl carbonyl isothiocyanate from ammonium thiocyanate and biphenyl carbonyl chloride, and then treating this products with primary amine to give products monothiourea, N- (phenylcarbanothioyl) biphenyl 4-carboxamide (1); N(p – tolylcarbmothoyl) biphelyl – 4 – carboxamide ( 2 ) and bisthiourea; N, A…ƒ(1,4- phenylenebis (azanediyl) bis (thioxo methylene) dibiphenyl-4-carboxamide(3)and N,A…ƒ(1,2-phenylene bis (azanediyl) bis (thioxo methylene) dibiphenyl-4-carboxamide (4). The structures of these compounds was characterized spectroscopy, theoretically and biological activity; the anti-bacterial activity indicated that compounds possessed a broad spectrum of activity.


The legend of Lucretia is a story that appears in literature, poetry and artwork dating from approximately 500 BC, and more recently musically,in Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia (1946). In my thesis I aim to explore the transformative power of mythology and legend, as a reflection of historical and religious attitudes towards gender and rape, in the case of Lucretia. I will compare the historical-poetic accounts of Lucretia according to Livy, Ovid, St Augustine, Chaucer and Shakespeare, and then alongside Duncan's preparation of and Britten's setting of the libretto. This will encourage a discourse concerning developing attitudes towards the nature and faith of the raped Lucretia, whilst also exploring Britten's musical construction of such features for a reduced orchestral force.

Britten's The Rape of Lucretia remains one of the composer's lesser-known and infrequently performed operas. Critics and scholars, who have focused on issues of faith, gender and rape, in the score and libretto, have attributed this unpopularity to the opera's combination of pagan and Christian faiths. Whilst the opera concerns the pagan-Roman Lucretia, Britten and librettist Ronald Duncan adopt a Christian framework, by which the pagan narrative and moral message is destabilised.

In scholarship on Britten's opera, critics such as Patricia Howard, Claire Seymour and Philip Brett have concluded that the blend of pagan and Christian faiths through harmony and orchestration results in an incohesive faith-narrative: where Lucretia is praised by pagans for her virtue, she is deplored by Christians for her supposed guilt. I intend to explore Britten's narrative through a historical-poetic approach. As such, my source texts epitomise attitudes towards the raped Lucretia from pagan, Christian, and political viewpoints. This will lead to a detailed musical analysis of key sections, exploring musical constructions of gender, faith and rape.

In the legend, Lucretia's Otherness, created by her proclaimed chastity, is the object that Tarquinius wishes to defeat. However, beyond this narrative, the legend of Lucretia was adapted, manipulated, and subverted throughout history, often to serve a religious or political purpose beyond the narrative itself. I demonstrate that a historical-poetic understanding of the legend may provide depth to the discourse surrounding Britten and Duncan's intentions within and beyond the opera's narrative. This understanding will be used to examine external factors that inform the compositional and textual process of Lucretia as a metaphor, where an examination of only the score and libretto may not suffice.


BACKGROUND
Forearm fractures are common in the paediatric age group. Closed reduction and casting are the primary means of treatment in over 90% of these fractures. Resultant deformities are usually a product of indirect trauma involving angular loading combined with rotational deformity and fragment displacement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Retrospectively, 48 patients aged between 4 to 12 years with forearm fractures, were treated conservatively with closed reduction and a cast during a 2-year period. Functional outcomes were measured in terms of pronation and supination.

RESULTS
All fractures united before the final visit. Most forearm bone fractures were complete fractures at the mid shaft. Eighty-six percent of the patients had excellent functional outcomes and none had poor outcomes. There were significantly reduced angles of deformities before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Radiographically, in the frontal plane, 57.1% of radius and 73.9% of ulnar fractures achieved perfect reduction (i.e. a degree of deformity of less than 5 degrees). However, in the lateral plane, there were fewer perfect reductions for the radius and ulna, at 14.6% and 54.3%, respectively. All except for one patient were satisfied with the outcomes. The level of fracture did not influence the outcomes.

CONCLUSION
Conservative treatment is still an acceptable form of treatment especially for stable forearm fractures in children achieving excellent outcomes (Tab. 1, Fig. 7, Ref. 20).


This paper uses a structural vector autoregression model to analyse the relationship between migration flows, housing construction and house prices in New Zealand. It shows that a net immigration flow equal to one percent of the population is associated with an approximately 10 percent increase in house prices. This size of this relationship, which has existed since the 1960s, is an order of magnitude larger than would be expected from the average change in the population and house prices in the long term. One explanation is that migration flows occur at times when locals are changing their demand for housing because of revised expectations about future income growth. A second explanation is that migrant flows have a destabilising effect on agents expectations about the fundamental value of houses. While the paper cannot satisfactorily distinguish between these two options, the results suggest that monetary policy can still be used to dampen the house price changes that occur at times when migration flows are unusually large.


Disease prevention is operationally defined in this research as the measures taken to avoid contact with disease pathogens. The indicators of disease prevention measures investigated in this study include: the knowledge and practice of regular hand washing, brushing of teeth, care of the nails and general body cleaning. Maintaining regular hand washing, brushing of teeth, care of the nails and general body cleanliness formed the dependent variables investigated while the habitats of urban and rural settings are the independent variables of the study. The study investigated if the habitat divide of urban and rural settings will have influence on students' knowledge and practice of cleanliness as disease prevention measure. The sample of the study was 140 Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students from an urban school and another 140 SS2 students from a rural school making a sample total of 280 SS2 students. Questionnaire containing items indicating understanding of the link between cleanliness and disease prevention using the aforementioned indices was the data collection instrument. The instrument was developed by the researchers and pilot tested; PPMCC of 0.83 indicated that the instrument was reliable. One research question and one hypothesis were posited for the study. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research question while t-test was used to test the hypothesis at p < 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that urban participants in comparison to rural participants demonstrated a better understanding of the link of cleanliness to disease prevention and were also better in the practice of cleanliness. It was therefore recommended that rural schools should intensify the teaching of personal hygiene as well as provision of facilities that will encourage personal hygiene.


A scale of indicators for the Integration of Knowledge (IOK) is developed to evaluate the accomplishment of IOK among academics at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The function of the study is to identify and validate the dimensions or constructs in the scale that will reflect the IOK at IIUM. From the literature and focus group discussions there are seven notable constructs namely i) academics insights on IOK; ii) IOK in the content of a subject matter, iii) IOK integration in teaching and learning process; iv) IOK in the evaluation of coursework; v) resource person for IOK integration; vi) academic products of IOK; and vii) overall student's improvement. The study adopted self-constructed instrument. The validation and reliability of the instrument involved pilot study and also panel of experts at the Institute of Education. The study employs a survey to collect data from a purposive sample of academics from different faculties at IIUM. A sample of 306 academics was involved in the study. RASCH analysis was used to calibrate the items as well as providing statistics such as item difficulty, fit statistics and reliability. The findings from RASCH analysis show that i) all items on the scale are the same as the construct being examined; ii) there are sixty five items (65) with fit item that estimates seven variables namely, agreement with the IOK, the practice of IOK in the content, the practice of IOK in the teaching and learning strategies, the practice of IOK in the assessment, the resource person for IOK, the outcome of IOK based on the product, and the emphasis of positive student's development; iii) there are five items B6-5 (my product of IOK is book),itemB3-17 (in my teaching and learning process, I integrate IOK through games), item B3-13 (in my teaching and learning process, I integrate IOK through patching), item B6-6 (my product of IOK is proceeding), item B4-4 (in the evaluation of my coursework, the IOK is emphasized in Colloquium). While the easiest item is item B1.1 (I believe that IOK is an important mission of IIUM). The study suggests two versions of the scale of indicators of IOK as practiced by academics as to reflect the undergraduate and post graduate programme and curriculum.


Background Recently, there is an increasing interest in examining sports injuries among participants of recreational sports. However little data is available about injury rate in Futsal as a popular recreation Worldwide.1–4 Objective The purpose of this study was to analyseanalyze the incidence and characteristics of injuries recorded in a large recreational centre over a 1-year period. Methods In a prospective design, all injuries in a total of 88 matches of recreational Futsal in 2014–2015 were recorded. A standard questionnaire on injury characteristics was filled for each injured player. Injury rate was calculated as the total number of injuries divided by total player-time (/hour-player). The average time of each match was 90 minutes in duration. Continuous variables were presented in mean (SD) and countable ones were summarised as numbers (percentage). Results A total of 14 injuries (in 13 individuals) were reported in 1185 player records during 88 matches. The injury rate was estimated 1 in 12500 hour-player. Mean and SD of the age and BMI of injured players were 30.38 (9.1) and 25.09 (4.3) respectively. In total of 13 players, 5 (38.5%) were left leg dominant. On site of injury, 4 (28.6%) of injuries were in upper extremity, 9 (64.3%) in lower extremity and 1 (7.1%) in chest wall. About the type of injury, 5 (35.7%) were abrasion or contusion and the rest were more serious injuries including dislocation, fracture, ligament tearing, sprains and strain. Further analysis showed that 10 (71.4%) did not have a history of previous injury at the same site. To address the mechanisms of injury, 12 (85.7%) of injuries were traumatic while the others were overuse injuries; also 7 (53.8%) were due to player-player and 3 (23.1%) were due to player-ground contact. Finally overall missed playing days due to injury was 16 (17.02) days among injured participants. Conclusion Findings showed that injuries were not uncommon among Futsal recreational sport participants. Expectedly the lower extremity was the most likely site of injury followed by upper extremity and trunk. Unfortunately these injuries may be usually grave in nature. Furthermore, most of recreational sport injuries were related to traumatic contacts with opponent players. Finally our data indicated that recreational sport injuries could lead to missing opportunities for participation in recreational activities. Acknowledgment This study was funded and supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences & health Services grant [Grant No. 88-03-53-9298]. References Finch C, Cassell E. The public health impact of injury during sport and active recreation. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 2006;9:490–497. Grimmer KA, Jones D, Williams J. Prevalence of adolescent injury from recreational exercise: an Australian perspective. Journal of adolescent health 2000;27:266–272. Mummery W, Schofield G, Spence J. The epidemiology of medically attended sport and recreational injuries in Queensland. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 2002;5:307–320. Mummery WK, Spence JC, Vincenten JA, et al. A descriptive epidemiology of sport and recreation injuries in a population-based sample: results from the Alberta Sport and Recreation Injury Survey (ASRIS). Canadian journal of public health= Revue canadienne de sante publique 1997;89:53–56.