Very few have attempted to discuss interwar British colonial officials' intellectual interactions with the metropole in the early twentieth century. And yet such interactions are key if we are to really understand the way administrators understood race, imperial power and development. Where the ideas of colonial officials in interwar Africa have been examined, academics tend to coalesce around one of two arguments. Some believe that the British were cautious and conservative, which is said to account for the rise of the doctrine of 'indirect rule' and an aversion to the introduction of educational provision to thecontinent. Others, predominantly postcolonialists writing in the last twenty years or so, have argued that the British in Africa were ambiguous as to what their role was, because, they were attached to both ideas of the 'civilizing mission' and the 'noble savage.' In contrast to the first line of thinking, the British were in fact consistently interventionist, due to a moral universalism, a belief in the 'good' of the British, and an excited advocacy of the act of change. In contrast to the second line of thinking, the British genuinely felt that they were effecting coherent programmes of political, economic and social infrastructural development. The enthusiasm for change and a perception of Africa as robust and adaptable more than countered any sense of loss at the passing of a pre-colonial Africa that was usually depicted in negtive terms, especially when it was felt that what was good about 'traditional' African society could be preserved by indirect rule. The source of British confidence lay to a significant extent in the constant engagement of colonial officials with metropolitan ideas. Elite administrators, anthropologists and other commentators of the day all sanctioned the act of change. British conceptions of racial categories and imperial strength conjoined in such a way that officials felt that they were effecting coherent plans which blended both 'reform' and 'stasis' because both race and empire were felt considerably more robust than retrospective depictions of early-twentiethcentury fears over the validity of the 'civilizing mission' have deemed.


Genetic diversity is the basis for genetic improvement, providing genes for new cultivars. Stylosanthes scabra is a legume used in pastures, presenting economic importance in tropical and subtropical regions. Molecular markers are targeted in population studies, thus we evaluated the genetic diversity distribution of S. scabra in Brazilian semi-arid northeastern among and within populations, from molecular markers ISSR. Four natural populations of S. scabra located in the municipalities of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Floresta, Sertânia and Petrolina from Pernambuco state were used. We selected seven ISSR primers for amplification and analyzed 75 individuals. A total of 88 bands were amplified with a percentage of 95.27% polymorphism at the species level. AMOVA test revealed that 40.0% of the total genetic variation is within populations while 60.0% among populations. The population differentiation was 0.332 and the migrant's number per generation was 0.5. Grouping analysis confirmed a high level of differentiation among populations. The populations with the greatest variability were Santa Cruz do Capibaribe and Petrolina, and the ISSR markers were efficient for the genetic diversity quantification in S. scabra, which presented greater variability among populations than within populations. In short, this variability will be very useful in future breeding programs for this species


The concepts involved with the experimental techniques of Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic generation (EFISH), dipole moment measurement, and solvatochromism, are introduced with particular application to the properties of organic molecules. A number of organic chromophores are introduced, but emphasis is applied to the study of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) derivatives which are expected to possess large dipole moments (µ) and large hyperpolarisabilities (β). Furthermore, the behaviour of and with respect to the local environment of the molecule is discussed where a novel evolution is predicted from theoretical calculations. The measurement of µ, is discussed with particular reference to the geometry of the local field factor and the size of the molecule. Consequently, the choice of local field is found to be critical when dipole moments are large, as is the case with the TCNQ derivatives. The EFISH experimental technique is introduced where the calibration of the experiment is discussed. The measurement of the molecular figure of merit, µβ at 1.064 µm and 1.907 µm in chloroform and dichloromethane is presented for the TCNQ derivatives, again paying attention to the geometry of the local field factor. µβ is found to be moderate for most of the compounds, but β is found to be unexpectedly small. This is partly due to the fact that µ is large. A novel evolution of the transition frequency with solvent polarity is found for three of the chromophores under study, where the solvatochromic shift reverses. Solvatochromism experiments are conducted with binary solvent mixtures to ascertain the position of the cyanine limit (β=0) with respect to reaction field. It is found that the materials reside close to the cyanine limit in chloroform and dichloromethane. This is attributed as a reason for the low β measurements. Comparisons of µ and β are also made with Sum-Over-State calculations. A better correlation is found for ellipsoidal local field factors.


A power electronic switch-mode three-leg converter is a flexible converter and hence very useful for practical teaching of several disciplines within electric power engineering. It can be used as a half-bridge, full-bridge and three-phase converter, to mention a few, and enables the user to study many different power electronic topologies. The converter, controlled by a microcontroller, can also be used for teaching digital control of power electronics. Its output can be varied in frequency, magnitude and waveforms, and can also be measured by the microcontroller. The flexibility of the converter makes it possible to utilize it in drive circuits for a wide range of loads and can therefore also be used for teaching electric drive systems. This thesis shows a solution of how to design the switch-mode three-leg power electronic converter. The converter is designed and implemented on a printed circuit board (PCB) together with other necessary components. To meet the safety requirements of the problem description, the power rating is low, 12 A * 50 V, and the power circuit is isolated from the microcontroller on the PCB. The microcontroller chosen is the Texas Instruments PiccoloTM ControlCARD and pulse-width modulation and analog-to-digital conversion is implemented with real-time programming. This system developed is verified, except for the MOSFET drivers and measurement circuits. As time was limited, the laboratory work had to be ended in favor of writing the report. Unfortunately, this made it impossible to test the full system setup. A full description of the changes to be implemented for the whole system to be functioning and further tested is provided. A system for using the converter designed in a DC motor drive, by utilizing two of the bridge-legs as a full-bridge converter, is studied. The programming code is tailored for the specific purpose and speed measurements and control algorithms were added. Due to the converter not functioning, the testing of the DC motor drive could not be performed. However, full planning and controller implementation was done.


In their heyday, the English public schools inspired an astonishing effusion of novels and stories about school life, of which "Tom Brown's Schooldays" is perhaps still the best known, and was certainly the most influential. Continually counterpointing school life as it really was with its fictional image, Isabel Quigly discusses her chosen stories in relation to those themes which recur in the genre: the cult of games, the love story, the boarding school as a training ground for the Empire, schoolboy heroics and an extraordinary preoccupation with death. Her range is wide: from classics like "Stalky & Co", "Anstey's Vice Versa", and P.G. Wodehouse's school stories, to the schoolgirl tales of Angela Brazil: from nostalgic and snobbish accounts of Eton to Alec Waugh's daring and precocious novel, "The Loom of Youth". "The Heirs of Tom Brown" is an entertaining and original investigation into the literary, social and cultural history of the English school story. 'An excellent guide to this curious but interesting chapter in social and literary history' - John Rae, "Listener".


Background The HIV prevalence in Bangladesh remains low (< 1%) among FSWs. Since June 2008, with the funding supports from the Global Fund, Save the Children gradually scaled up essential services for approximately 28,600 FSWs in 51 districts through 100 Drop in Centers and 10 outreach offices. DICs provide FSWs with behavioural change education, free condoms, STI & general health service and effective referral services including voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and maternal & child health (MCH) services. Through the programme, a total of 28,712,708 condoms were distributed among FSWs for free and 37,318,497 condoms were purchased by FSWs through social marketing. Methods The Midterm Survey, 2012, a cross sectional study was conducted using robust multifarious analytical tools (both advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques) to assess the progress made by the Rolling Continuation Channel (RCC), Phase-I (Dec'09-Nov'12) implemented by Save the Children. A total of 1,729 FSWs (street, hotel and residence based) were interviewed for the survey. Results Overall, 85% FSWs had regular clients during the most recent week. Among them, 93% reported condom use during the last sex act with the client. on the other hand 77% of had new clients in last week among them, 93% reported use of condom during the last sex act with their new client. Combining all together, condom use rate has increased from 66.7% (Source: UNGASS Country Progress Report, 2008) to 95.5% in the Midterm Survey, 2012. Conclusion Condom use is vital to prevent HIV among FSWs. Although condom use rate is high among the FSWs, strong motivational activities including peer education should be continued for the FSWs to keep the current condom use rate.


Abstract — For disaster mitigation as well as for urban search and rescue missions, it is often necessary to place sensors or cameras into dangerous or inaccessible areas to get better situation awareness for the rescue personnel, before they enter a possibly dangerous area. Robots are predestined to this task, but the requirements for such mobile systems are demanding. They should be quick and agile and, at the same time, be able to deal with rough terrain and even to climb stairs. This paper presents the design and implementation of a feedback control system for an RF remote-controlled stair-climbing robot. The robot is controlled using PIC 16F877A.The paper presents a complete integrated control architecture and communication strategy for a system of reconfigurable robots that can climb stairs. Its mechanical design is suitable with back wheel to drive the robot over rubble, and large wheels in the front driven by dc motor for climbing stairs. The operator can monitor the robot operation by using video that are captured through a camera on the surface of the robot. The robot system is implemented by using MikroC and visual basic programs. Experimental trials showed that the implementation of the behavior control systems was successful.


The electrochem. properties of IrO2 nanoparticles deposited on a synthetic boron-doped diamond surface (BDD/IrO2) were investigated. After a description of the prepn. procedure by thermal decompn. technique, the morphol. characterization of the samples by SEM and TEM was discussed. The electrochem. behavior of the redox system 1,4-benzoquinone/hydroquinone (Q/H2Q) was studied on BDD electrodes with a different IrO2 loading. The kinetics parameters such the transfer coeffs. a and b and the reaction rate const. k0 were calcd. Oxygen evolution and oxidn. of org. compds. were investigated on both BDD and BDD/IrO2 electrodes by voltammetric measurements and preparative electrolysis. A phenomenol. model is proposed to explain the behavior of electrodes. [on SciFinder (R)]


encephalitis, I have also seen as complications staphylococcal septicaemia, a grangrenous lesion of the anterior abdominal wall giving rise to peritonitis, and a few severe cases of pneumonia. I also know of a colleague who had a case in which perforation of the oesophagus occurred with fatal results. Even uncomplicated chicken-pox in the adult is generally quite an unpleasant experience, and in the female there is the risk of a residual facial scar being regarded as a disfigurement. I feel, therefore, that the doctor advocating indiscriminate and avoidable exposure to chicken-pox might ultimately find himself in difficulties.-I am, etc.,


We commonly think of Dubai as a city built from scratch. This general assumption, though, is not completely accurate, as often happens when a city is described with a simple and generic statement at first glance. This idea tends to overlook all the non-material forces that are at the very origin of any urban settlement. By focusing on a particular formal structure, we tend to forget the cultural and political substrata embodied in a particular physical reality, as well as the visions and ambitions that drove its construction. When we look at urban patterns, we are usually fascinated by their formal qualities; we see them as fabrics, as systems, as shapes and images, as landscapes and skylines. But the visual analysis runs the risk of overlooking deeper roots. The new global city of Dubai is no exception; it is the result of a political vision driven by the ruling family, the Maktouns, that has turned into a massive economic and financial operation. The city has become the interface in which the global economy has landed in the city and, through a relation of mutual benefit, has created the city we know today. Thus, Dubai's political and economic system over the last few decades has run in parallel with the urban image envisioned by its rulers, in a process that has merged urban planning, investment opportunities and real estate speculation with the creation of a new city imagery. The New Dubai has been based mainly on three strategies: the planning and construction of a huge infrastructural network; the creation of Free Zones; and the accumulation of marks of distinction and symbolic power.


Critical infrastructure systems provide for the circulation of people, goods, services and information upon which health, safety, comfort and economic activity of a society depend. In this study, we analyse data from 541 organisations affected by the 2010-2011 Canterbury, New Zealand, earthquake to understand how disruption of critical infrastructure services translates into disruption for businesses and other organisations affected by the loss of infrastructure services. The paper proposes metrics for assessing the relevance and criticality of infrastructures for organisations. In this context, relevance refers to organisations' perceived reliance on infrastructure services and criticality refers to the impact that infrastructure service outage might have on organisations, as a function of the infrastructure relevance for the same organisations and of the duration of infrastructure service outage. The metrics and procedures proposed in this paper provide a much-needed contribution towards enhancing understanding of the private sector's vulnerability to infrastructure disruption. The study findings can be used to qualitatively assess the vulnerability of industry sectors to infrastructure disruption, and can support the estimation of potential impacts induced by infrastructure service outages, at organisation and industry sector level. This can inform and foster public and private sector investments to enhance infrastructure resilience.


Shoulder adornment, as a colorful flower among traditional Chinese costume, is known for its totem-rich patterns, exquisite embroidery skill and unique decorative application. In this paper, the modeling and structure of the shoulder adornment arts were discussed and explained. The direct, indirect and re-creation application method of artistic representations were applied into the design of cheongsam, sweater and evening dress to create innovative effect. These clothes not only kept the charm of Chinese shoulder adornment, but also represented the characteristics of modern fashion design. Modern women clothes with the characteristics of luxury, graceful and Chinese traditional could be designed on the basis of the combination of unique shoulder adornment styles with modern fashion style, which embodied great artistic value and unique creativity of shoulder adornment in traditional Chinese costume culture and represented the culture implication of the unity of heaven and man.


Microbial activity measurements (oxygen transfer rate, OTR, carbon dioxide transfer rate CTR and respiratory quotient, RQ) are used to monitor and control biological processes. In this study, the digestion of activated sludge in microaerobic conditions was evaluated. The changes of biological activity during digestion were monitored by respiration activity. The sludge mixtures used were primary plus activated sludge, and baker's yeast plus activated sludge. The biological activity was triggered during the experiments by feeding sugar to the mixtures. The results show that increased activity by adding sugar to digested sludge can be monitored by OTR and CTR, whereas RQ can not be used as an indicator.


Ca2+ sparks are short lived and localized Ca2+ transients resulting from the opening of ryanodine receptors in sarcoplasmic reticulum. These events relax certain types of smooth muscle by activating big conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels to produce spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) and the resultant closure of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. But in many smooth muscles from a variety of organs, Ca2+ sparks can additionally activate Ca2+-activated Cl− channels to generate spontaneous transient inward current (STICs). To date, the physiological roles of Ca2+ sparks in this latter group of smooth muscle remain elusive. Here, we show that in airway smooth muscle, Ca2+ sparks under physiological conditions, activating STOCs and STICs, induce biphasic membrane potential transients (BiMPTs), leading to membrane potential oscillations. Paradoxically, BiMPTs stabilize the membrane potential by clamping it within a negative range and prevent the generation of action potentials. Moreover, blocking either Ca2+ sparks or hyperpolarization components of BiMPTs activates voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, resulting in an increase in global [Ca2+]i and cell contraction. Therefore, Ca2+ sparks in smooth muscle presenting both STICs and STOCs act as a stabilizer of membrane potential, and altering the balance can profoundly alter the status of excitability and contractility. These results reveal a novel mechanism underlying the control of excitability and contractility in smooth muscle.


When the issue of race is approached one is either for retaining race consciousness or for working toward its abolition. There are various ways people choose to retain racial categories and various definitions and meanings of race. As well, abolitionists take on a range of stances on when and how to eliminate racial categories. Nonetheless, that one must take a stance and advocate either retention or abolition seems to be required when studying race theory or discussing racial identities in terms of questions of justice. These two positions are understood as contradictory as well as the only two options available. Using Fanon, and debates surrounding White Skin, Black Masks on this very question of race consciousness, this paper argues against expecting or requiring a clear stance on the issue or even posing it as a dilemma. Reading Fanon as employing an existential phenomenological methodology allows us to see how he exposes injustice by writing about experience and projecting a future shared community of hope and freedom without clear indication of the role our group identities might play. The paper will then show the importance of rethinking the question of perpetuating racial categories, particularly through Fanon, by analyzing three potentially liberatory projects, Critical Whiteness Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Development Studies , demonstrating how the endeavors of many practitioners who claim to already know what various identities will (should) or will not (should not) mean for us truncates these projects.


We analyze the properties of the ACOT scheme for heavy quark production and make use of the MS massless results at NNLO and NLO for the structure functions F2 and FL in neutral current deep-inelastic scattering to estimate the higher order corrections. For this purpose we decouple the heavy quark mass entering the phase space from the one entering the dynamics of the short distance cross section. We show numerically that the phase space mass is generally more important. Therefore, the dominant heavy quark mass effects at higher orders can be taken into account using the massless Wilson coefficients together with an appropriate slow-rescaling prescription implementing the phase space constraints. Combining the exact ACOT scheme at NLO with these expressions should provide a good approximation to the missing full calculation in the ACOT scheme at NNLO and NLO.


This paper analyzes how the popular stories of Severino Reyes have been translated into various forms of media. After Gilda Cordero-Fernando translated the story into English in 1997 for Tahanan Books, Lola Basyang stories became even more a part of children's literature. On the other hand, the publication of Lola Basyang picture books in 2004-2005 and 2007 paved the way for the stories to be adapted for dance, theater, television, and radio. Each of these media required different ways of adapting the classic stories.


. The continuing spread of drug-resistant malaria emphasizes the need for new antimalarial drugs. Ato- vaquone is a broad-spectrum antiprotozoal drug with a novel mechanism of action, via inhibition of parasite mito-chondrial electron transport, and a favorable safety profile. Early studies with atovaquone alone for treatment of malaria demonstrated good initial control of parasitemia but an unacceptable rate of recrudescent parasitemia. Parasites isolated during recrudescence after treatment with atovaquone alone were resistant to atovaquone in vitro. The com- bination of atovaquone and proguanil is synergistic in vitro, and clinical studies demonstrated enhanced efficacy of the combination compared to either drug alone for treatment of malaria. Malarone (cid:121) , a fixed-dose combination of 250 mg of atovaquone and 100 mg of proguanil hydrochloride, is available in many countries for treatment of acute, uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. At the recommended dose (in adults, four tablets once a day for three days), the overall cure rate was (cid:46) 98% in more than 500 patients with falciparum malaria. In four randomized, controlled clinical trials, treatment with atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride was significantly more effective than mefloquine (Thailand), amodiaquine (Gabon), chloroquine (Peru and the Philippines) or chloroquine plus pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine (Philippines). In clinical trials where the comparator drug was highly effective, treat- ment with atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride was equally effective. Parasites isolated during recrudescence after treatment with the combination of atovaquone and proguanil were not resistant to atovaquone in vitro. The most commonly reported adverse events in clinical trials (abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cough-ing) occurred with similar frequency in patients treated with a comparator drug. Malarone is a safe and effective new agent for treatment of malaria.


Previous reviews of wildfires where a fatal firefighter burnover occurred have found that the incidents usually share similar characteristics in terms of the fire environment, such as steep slopes and complex topography (e.g. box canyons). Despite these similarities, systematic identification and communication of the locations where these conditions prevail are rare. In this study we used a presence-only machine-learning algorithm (Maximum Entropy, MaxEnt) coupled with spatial location information from past fatal firefighter burnovers to identify and characterise the environmental variables that are likely to produce conditions suitable for a fatal burnover. Southern California was chosen to conduct the analysis as it has a well-documented history of past fatal firefighter burnovers and a complex fire environment. Steep, south-west-oriented slopes located in canyons with a shrub fuel type were found to be the most dangerous locations for firefighters. The relative danger to firefighters from a fatal burnover is described and summarised at both the 30-m pixel and local watershed scale.


A low-cost rigid foam-based concentrator technology development program was funded by the DOE SunShot Initiative to meet installed cost goals of $75/m^2 vs. current costs of ∼ $200–250/m^2. Phase 1 of the project focused on design trades and cost analyses leading to a cost-optimized self-powered autonomous tracking heliostat concept with a mirror surface area in the 100m^2 range. In Phase 2 30-year accelerated testing of the mirror modules based on ReflecTec film with 94% specular reflectivity bonded on composite foam substrate were initiated and completed in Phase 3. The tests with 15 coupons showed optical performance degradation of less than 5% in specular reflectance following 30-year equivalent UV testing and other abuse testing such as acid rain, bird dropping, thermal cycling, etc. A small scale prototype (3m×2m) heliostat design based on modular truss elements with removable mirror modules was developed in detail. In this phase components such as the dual-axis actuators were sized and selected based on wind load requirements and pointing accuracy demands were completed. Finite Element analyses for the mechanical structure with mirror modules were performed using three separate commercial codes — ANSYS, COMSOL and SolidWorks to validate the optical errors induced by wind loads on the structure up to 35 mph. Results indicated that the RMS deflections contributed to less than 0.4 mrad pointing error. Dynamic response of the heliostat indicated that the first 5 eigenmodes were in the 17–20 Hz range. The individual structure elements such as the trusses and c-rails were fabricated locally and assembled with the mirror facets in the lab for initial fit check and testing. The nine mirror facet surface errors were characterized using photogrammetry and verified using Reverse Hartmann techniques and showed to be in the order of 1 mrad or less. A three-level controller (main, gateway and heliostat) was architected and built. Tracking of the sun is done using NREL's Sun Tracking Algorithm implemented in the gateway controller. Target-pointing vectors are calculated for each heliostat and conveyed wirelessly to the individual heliostat controllers for actuating the azimuth and elevation motors. The power subsystem consisting of solar panels and a battery provide 24V for the actuators and controller boards. The system was sized to provide adequate power for a period of 5hrs of operation when power is not available. Initial calibration will be performed with on-site camera tracking the sun's image on a target located approximately 52m from the heliostat. Testing of the heliostat pointing under calm and windy conditions will be done to demonstrate overall performance that meet DOE targets of 4 mrad under 27 mph winds. Commercialization efforts are underway to transition the design to the commercial sector. The project is well on its way to approaching overall cost targets and current estimates are approximately S90–110/m^2 and lower costs can be achieved with alternates to the film we have identified.


For Herbert Gintis, the "rational actor," or "beliefs, preferences, and constraints (BPC)," model is central to his unifying framework for the behavioral sciences. It is not argued here that this model is refuted by evidence. Instead, this model relies ubiquitously on auxiliary assumptions, and is evacuated of much meaning when applied to both human and nonhuman organisms. An alternative perspective of "program-based behavior" is more consistent with evolutionary principles.


We introduce and establish the convergence of a distributed actor-critic method that orchestrates the coordination of multiple agents solving a general class of a Markov decision problem. The method leverages the centralized single-agent actor-critic algorithm of and uses a consensus-like algorithm for updating agents' policy parameters. As an application and to validate our approach we consider a reward collection problem as an instance of a multi-agent coordination problem in a partially known environment and subject to dynamical changes and communication constraints.


Writing on a small island in the Firth of Forth in the 1440s, Walter Bower set out to tell the whole story of the Scottish nation in a single huge book, the Scotichronicon--'a history book for Scots'. It begins with the mythical voyage of Scota, the Pharaoh's daughter, from Egypt with the Stone of Destiny. The land that her sons discovered in the Western Ocean was named after her: Scotland. It goes on to describe the turbulent events that followed, among them the wars of the Scots and the Picts (begun by a quarrel over a dog); the poisoning of King Fergus by his wife; Macbeth's usurpation and uneasy reign; the good deeds of Margaret, queen and saint; Bruce's murder of the Red Comyn; the founding of Scotland's first university at St Andrews; the 'Burnt Candlemas'; and the endless troubles between Scotland and England. Weaving in and out of the events of Bower's factual history, like a wonderful pageant, are other subjects that fascinated him: harrowing visions of hell and purgatory, extraordinary miracles; the exploits of knights and beggars, merchants and monks; the ravages of flood and fire; the terrors of the plague; and the answers to such puzzling questions as what makes a good king, and why Englishmen have tails. In 1998 Donald Watt and his team of scholars completed the first modern edition and translation of Scotichronicon in nine volumes. It has been described as 'a massive achievement for Scottish cultural history' (Sally Mapstone) and 'an open invitation to join a voyage of discovery' (Books in Scotland). This selection from the whole of Scotichronicon puts Bower's epic of Scotland into the hands of the general reader. It is a marvellous and unforgettable story. Perhaps its importance is best summed up by Bower himself, who wrote at the end of it: Non Scotus est Christe cui liber non placet iste--Christ! He is not a Scot who is not pleased with this book! A History Book for Scots is selected from the complete edition of Scotichronicon by Walther Bower, edited by D.E.R. Watt and a team of scholars, in nine volumes.


: Viral antibody studies were done on laboratory dogs in an epizootic of gastrointestinal disease. Increased hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers to a parvovirus (PV) antigenically related to feline panleukopenia virus were found in convalescent serum specimens of 78% (20/26) of the affected dogs and in 83% (5/6) of apparently healthy dogs. With one exception, all dogs tested had significant levels of hemagglutination-inhibition antibody to this PV. Similar increased antibody titers were found to feline panleukopenia virus. Also, neutralizing antibody responses were detected to the canine coronavirus in 24% (6/25) and canine herpesvirus in 45% (10/22) of the affected dogs. However, antibody titers did not increase to canine distemper virus, infectious canine hepatitis virus, canine parainfluenza virus, or minute virus of canines. Subsequent serotesting of the colony provided evidence that additional PV infections occurred in pups from each of 8 litters born 3 to 8 months after the epizootic. These findings indicated the continued presence of the PV for more than 1 year in the infected colony. Of 19 laboratory personnel who worked with the affected dogs, none, including 4 with a concurrent diarrheal disease, developed or had antibodies to the PV or canine coronavirus.


The Classic Period Maya (300 CE to 900 CE) built many of their cities away from standing, flowing, or subterranean water resources. Because of this, scholars have suggested that one key manifestation of ancient Maya ritual and political authority was the control and management of water housed in large central‐site reservoirs, rectilinear excavated features that were lined with stone and coated with plaster or clay to catch and store rainfall runoff. This research assesses those arguments by using remote sensing data to map residential reservoirs—smaller versions of the monumental reservoirs in city centers—from the intensively investigated city of Caracol, Belize. The Caracol Maya were entirely dependent on rainfall and built monumental and residential reservoirs throughout their city. Using a 200‐square kilometer Digital Elevation Model created from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data, research uncovered the extent of ancient water capture at Caracol. Analysis of the LiDAR data reveals a conservative count of 1590 reservoirs at Caracol; this is more than 25 times the number of reservoirs identified by traditional ground survey methods. These data demonstrate how the people of Caracol were able to successfully harness the water available in their environment. In addition, the decentralized nature of Caracol's reservoirs suggests that elite power, at least in this ancient city, was not based on control of water resources due to the ubiquity of residential reservoirs throughout the site. WIREs Water 2016, 3:885–897. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1171


We show that the QCD vacuum (without dynamical quarks) is a dual superconductor at least in the low-energy region in the sense that monopole condensation does really occur. In fact, we derive the dual Ginzburg-Landau theory (i.e., dual Abelian Higgs model) directly from the SU(2) Yang-Mills theory by adopting the maximal Abelian gauge. The dual superconductor can be on the border between type II and type I, excluding the London limit. The masses of the dual Abelian gauge field is expressed by the Yang-Mills gauge coupling constant and the mass of the off-diagonal gluon of the original Yang-Mills theory. Moreover, we can rewrite the Yang-Mills theory into an theory written in terms of the Abelian magnetic monopole alone at least in the low-energy region. Magnetic monopole condensation originates in the non-zero mass of off-diagonal gluons. Finally, we derive the confining string theory describing the low-energy Gluodynamics. Then the area law of the large Wilson loop is an immediate consequence of these constructions. Three low-energy effective theories give the same string tension.


Retroviral capsids in their native form Capsid proteins of retroviruses form protective lattices around viral RNA molecules. The precise molecular details of how individual, full-length capsid proteins assemble to shield the viral genome; however, are not well understood. Obal et al. and Gres et al. now report high resolution crystal structures of the full length capsid proteins from Bovine Leukemia Virus and HIV-1, respectively. The two studies complement each other to reveal the dynamic nature of capsid protein assembly and of how individual capsid proteins interact in the lattice. The findings may have relevance for drug design. Science, this issue p. 95; see also p. 99 Crystal structures of native retroviral capsid proteins reveal how these large protein structures assemble and interact. Retroviruses depend on self-assembly of their capsid proteins (core particle) to yield infectious mature virions. Despite the essential role of the retroviral core, its high polymorphism has hindered high-resolution structural analyses. Here, we report the x-ray structure of the native capsid (CA) protein from bovine leukemia virus. CA is organized as hexamers that deviate substantially from sixfold symmetry, yet adjust to make two-dimensional pseudohexagonal arrays that mimic mature retroviral cores. Intra- and interhexameric quasi-equivalent contacts are uncovered, with flexible trimeric lateral contacts among hexamers, yet preserving very similar dimeric interfaces making the lattice. The conformation of each capsid subunit in the hexamer is therefore dictated by long-range interactions, revealing how the hexamers can also assemble into closed core particles, a relevant feature of retrovirus biology.


We consider resonant triad interactions of gravity‐capillary waves and investigate in detail special resonant triads that exchange no energy during their interactions so that the wave amplitudes remain constant in time. After writing the resonance conditions in terms of two parameters (or two angles of wave propagation), we first identify a region in the two‐dimensional parameter space, where resonant triads can be always found, and then describe the variations of resonant wavenumbers and wave frequencies over the resonance region. Using the amplitude equations recovered from a Hamiltonian formulation for water waves, it is shown that any resonant triad inside the resonance region can interact without energy exchange if the initial wave amplitudes and relative phase satisfy the two conditions for fixed point solutions of the amplitude equations. Furthermore, it is shown that the symmetric resonant triad exchanging no energy forms a transversely modulated traveling wave field, which can be considered a two‐dimensional generalization of Wilton ripples.


The production of mango and marketing in Kenya is hampered by several challenges: inadequate gender involvement in production and marketing, pest and diseases attack, high cost of inputs, poor market infrastructure, and e.t.c leading to lower productivity, decreased profitability and reduction in household income. The objective of this study is to analyze the gender roles in mango production, mango fruit fly control, and marketing in Kilifi County and also to identify constraints affecting men and women involved in mango production, mango fruit fly control and marketing. The study will further assess intra house hold resource allocation and its impact in mango production, mango fruit fly control, marketing and general household well being. Mango productivity in the dominant coastal varieties such as apple, ngowe, boribo, batawi, dodo and the local varieties will be assessed Concern for gender equality in development is now sufficiently well recognized as a prerequisite for poverty reduction, food security and sustainable development .It's against this background that analysis of gender in mango production and marketing needs to be looked at. The study will use purposive sampling method and structured questionnaires will be administered to 500 randomly selected mango growing farmers in Kilifi County. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression and correlation analysis .Gender analysis tools such as Harvard analytical framework, Moser gender planning framework and cooperative and non cooperative household models will also be employed. From the problems identified and conclusions made, recommendations for appropriate policies and interventions will be made on best way to involve gender in mango productivity, mango fruit fly control and marketing in Kilifi County and Kenya in general.


It is demonstrated in three independent ways that the Special Relativity Theory (SRT) describes an effect derived from a misinterpreted thought experiment, i.e. an effect not existing and therefore is disproved. Time remains absolute and there is no necessity of a space-time continuum. The best known effects modelled by the SRT until now are described by classical Newtonian physics.


BACKGROUND
Little is known about whether a woman's risk of transmitting HIV perinatally increases over time and whether the infection outcome of a previous child affects the risk of transmitting HIV to subsequent children.

METHODS
We analyzed data from 114 prospectively followed women who gave birth to at least 2 children after becoming infected with HIV to determine the risk for perinatal HIV transmission to these sibling pairs.

RESULTS
The median interval between sibling births was 19 months. HIV infection occurred in 19 (17%) older siblings and 20 (18%) younger siblings (P = 0.87). Two (11%) of the 19 children with infected older siblings were infected compared with 18 (19%) of the 95 children with uninfected older siblings (P = 0.86). The risk for transmission to younger siblings was not associated with the interval between deliveries of the two siblings.

CONCLUSIONS
These data do not demonstrate that an HIV-infected woman's risk of transmitting HIV perinatally increases with time, although the observed interpregnancy interval was relatively short. The risk for perinatal transmission does not appear to be affected by the infection outcome of previous children. These findings may be useful for counseling HIV-infected women about their risk of transmitting HIV perinatally.


Writing and dance have been positioned by scholars in a contraposed play throughout the chronological period from the Renaissance to today: dancing begins when writing stops. Scholars have accused dance of ephemerality and have attempted to salvage it through notation. In postmodern and contemporary dance, some choreographers challenge traditional assumptions about the primacy and stability of text and documentation. They 'write' with dance in both conceptual and alphabetic ways, some exploring the dimension of race. This study tests theories by Mark Franko and André Lepecki through analysis of dance reenactment strategies and interventions by choreographers Trisha Brown and Christopher-Rasheem McMillan.


Join queries involving many relations pose a severe challenge to today's query optimisation techniques. To some extent, this is due to the fact that these techniques do not pay sufficient attention to structural properties of the query. In stark contrast, the Database Theory community has intensively studied structural properties of queries (such as acyclicity and various notions of width) and proposed efficient query evaluation techniques through variants of Yannakakis' algorithm for many years. However, although most queries in practice actually are acyclic or have low width, structure-guided query evaluation techniques based on Yannakakis' algorithm have not found their way into mainstream database technology yet. The goal of this work is to address this gap between theory and practice. We want to analyse the potential of considering the query structure for speeding up modern DBMSs in cases that have been traditionally challenging. To this end, we propose a rewriting of SQL queries into a sequence of SQL statements that force the DBMS to follow a Yannakakis-style query execution. Through first empirical results we show that structure-guided query evaluation can indeed make the evaluation of many difficult join queries significantly faster.


Areas of Permian salt dissolution associated with 15 large alkaline lake basins on and adjacent to the Southern High Plains of west Texas and eastern New Mexico suggest formation of the basins by collapse of strata over the dissolution cavities. However, data from 6 other alkaline basins reveal no evidence of underlying salt dissolution. Thus, whether the basins were initiated by subsidence over the salt dissolution areas or whether the salt dissolution was caused by infiltration of overlying lake water is conjectural. However, the fact that the lacustrine fill in Mound Lake greatly exceeds the amount of salt dissolution and subsidence of overlying beds indicates that at least Mound Lake basin was antecedent to the salt dissolution. The association of topography, structure, and dissolution in areas well removed from zones of shallow burial emphasizes the susceptibility of Permian salt-bed dissolution throughout the west Texas–eastern New Mexico area. Such evidence, combined with previous studies documenting salt-bed dissolution in areas surrounding a proposed high-level nuclear-waste repository site in Deaf Smith County, Texas, leads to serious questions about the rationale of using salt beds for nuclear-waste storage.


Remote laboratories have been in use for 25 years now. Whereas several learning oriented meta-analyses exist, validated and agreed-upon tools for assessing the user experience are not readily available. The present paper fills this gap by designing and evaluating a questionnaire focused on the needs of remote labs developers and educators using them. Building from pre-existing tools, a first version of the User eXperience Questionnaire (UXQ version 20190308) was designed to contain four scales, usability, utility, satisfaction and immersion. A total of 180 completed responses were collected from two different remote labs (VISIR and FPGA), in different campuses and in different courses to evaluate the questionnaire. The questionnaire was analyzed in terms of reliability, using Cronbach's alpha and McDonalds' omega, and validity of construct, through factor analysis. The reliability of the questionnaire and its four subscales is acceptable, but its validity should be improved. Accordingly, the questionnaire was redesigned to obtain the User eXperience Questionnaire (UXQ version 20191126), which includes three scales: usability, utility and immersion, and three questions per scale. This questionnaire was assessed using the same data. Reliability coefficients are above 0.7 and construct validity is satisfactory. A new questionnaire to evaluate the user experience in remote laboratories has been designed and validated. The questionnaire, now renamed as UXQ4RL v. 1.0, is presented and made available in this paper.


Microwave, as a clean and efficient energy, can solve growing levels of pollution and energy problems. But In the process of industrial production, the use of high-power microwave will cause hot spots, thermal runaway, or even explode. Therefore we need to achieve intelligent control of microwave, to ensure the safe and efficient use of microwave energy. Accurate temperature information is the basis for intelligent control, and there are many methods to monitor temperature in microwave oven, for example, optical fiber and infrared temperature measurement and ultrasonic thermometry. But these methods suffer from high attrition rate locality, or difficulty in installation problems. To solve the problems, we propose a temperature monitoring approach using image processing and colorimetric technique. To evaluate the proposed approach, we established a microwave heating system with camera and fiber, developed temperature measurement software to monitor temperature, and visualized the temperature field for the heating object in the microwave oven. The experiments show that the proposed approach is non-contact with low cost, easy to installation, and accurate on the reconstruction of temperature field.


Natural convection in an annulus with a discrete heat source on the inner cylinder is studied numerically. The outer cylinder is isothermally cooled at a fixed low temperature, and the top wall, the bottom wall and unheated portions of the inner cylinder are thermally insulated. For low applied heat flux through the heater, as measured non-dimensionally by a Grashof number, Gr, the flow in the annular gap consists of a single-cell overturning meridional flow driven by the radial temperature gradient between the heater on the inner cylinder and the cold outer cylinder. In this regime, the flow is very weak and heat is transported primarily via conduction. The flow structure does not change until Gr ∼ 104, although the flow strength steadily increases with Gr. As the nonlinear convection terms become more important, the meridional circulation sweeps the isotherms from being almost vertical near the outer cylinder to almost horizontal near the bottom wall. By the end of the transition from the conduction-dominated regime (Gr < 104) to the convection-dominated regime (Gr ∼ 106), the flow becomes segregated into three distinct regions: (i) for vertical levels below that of the bottom of the heater, an essentially cold stagnant pool develops, with the heat flux through the outer cylinder dropping to zero. (ii) At vertical levels between the bottom and the top of the heater, most of the region in between the two cylinders is stably stratified with a relatively weak radial flow from the cold to the heated cylinder. The horizontal isotherms adjust to the temperatures on the cylinders in thin buoyancy boundary layers which drive fluid down the cold cylinder and up the heated cylinder segment. The boundary layer on the heater is about half as thick as that on the cold cylinder, but about twice as intense. (iii) The third region is above the heater top. The boundary layer flow from the heater continues upward where it meets the top endwall and bounces off of it. A wavy jet bounces on its way radially outward between the top insulated wall and the stably stratified region below. Flow separation on the top wall leads to the formation of a recirculation zone there. The vast majority of the heat flux through the outer cylinder occurs at this upper level, and is heavily concentrated near the very top. Geometric factors, such as the radius ratio of the cylinders and the heater placement, have quantitative effects, which are described, but the overall qualitative picture remains unchanged.


The purpose of this study was to determine whether the training responses observed with low-load resistance exercise to volitional fatigue translates into significant muscle hypertrophy, and compare that response to high-load resistance training. Nine previously untrained men (aged 25 [SD 3] years at the beginning of the study, standing height 1.73 [SD 0.07] m, body mass 68.9 [SD 8.1] kg) completed 6-week of high load-resistance training (HL-RT) (75% of one repeti-tion maximal [1RM], 3-sets, 3x/wk) followed by 12 months of detraining. Following this, subjects completed 6 weeks of low load-resistance training (LL-RT) to volitional fatigue (30% 1 RM, 4 sets, 3x/wk). Increases (p < 0.05) in magnetic resonance imaging-measured triceps brachii and pectorals major muscle cross-sectional areas were similar for both HL-RT (11.9% and 17.6%, respectively) and LL-RT (9.8% and 21.1%, respectively). In addition, both groups increased (p < 0.05) 1RM and maximal elbow extension strength following training; however, the percent increases in 1RM (8.6% vs. 21.0%) and elbow extension strength (6.5% vs. 13.9%) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower with LL-RT. Both protocols elicited similar increases in muscle cross-sectional area, however differences were observed in strength. An explanation of the smaller relative increases in strength may be due to the fact that detraining after HL-RT did not cause strength values to return to baseline levels thereby producing smaller changes in strength. In addition, the results may also suggest that the consistent practice of lifting a heavy load is necessary to maximize gains in muscular strength of the trained movement. These results demonstrate that significant muscle hypertrophy can occur without high-load resistance training and suggests that the focus on percentage of external load as the important deciding factor on muscle hypertrophy is too simplistic and inappropriate.


The aim of this thesis is to present some striking applications of Number Theory, essentially based on the powerful machinery of Elliptic Modular Functions and Class Field Theory. One of these applications is the explicit determination of all imaginary quadratic fields with class-number one, famous as the 10th discriminant problem. In my discussion of this problem, I have followed the work of K. Heegner and others, based on the results of H. Weber found in his "Lehrbuch der Algebra". I have presented the results of Weber adopting up to date methods, since Weber's proofs were rather computational using complicated, lengthily presented properties of theta functions. For this purpose I have been rescued by Group Theory, which has been used throughout to prove the critical results of Weber. Thus, I have shortened the ground work which I needed for further exploration. A second application very closely related to the above is the identification of elliptic curves with infinitely many rational points, or, what is essentially the same thing, cubic equations with infinitely many rational solutions. In the first part of this work I have provided a systematic development of a pertinent background for the objectives outlined above.


: Professional scribes apply to the position expecting to do this very task, with the goals of learning from the doctor-patient interaction, deepening their medical knowledge, and becoming comfortable in a clinical setting.


The years 1904–5 seemed to mark the birth of neo-Calvinist political economy in the Netherlands. It was then that three jurists affiliated with the Free University of Amsterdam, an institution founded by the theologian Abraham Kuyper, published their first economic writings. This article deals with the rise of neo-Calvinist political economy, which mirrored the emergence of Catholic economic thought that took place in precisely the same period, and seeks to explain where the ideal of this religious approach to economics came from. It describes the awakening of a socioeconomic commitment in Dutch Réveil circles, the influence of Thomas Chalmers's Christian political economy on the antirevolutionary statesman Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, and the place of economics in Kuyper's neo-Calvinist worldview. It is shown that Groen van Prinsterer's desire to infuse economic science with biblical views was eventually replaced by Kuyper's vision of formulating a full-fledged Calvinist alternative to mainstream economics. Despite some attempts at Calvinist political economy at the dawn of the nineteenth century, this project never really got off the ground.


Bacteria are well-known to form biofilms on biomaterials and implanted medical devices and cause serious infections that are incurable by conventional antibiotics. Consequently, such infections can lead to explantation and, in severe cases, amputation or even death. To address this unmet challenge, we developed a new method for noninvasive treatment of device-associated biofilm infections. We demonstrate that antibiotic tolerant biofilm cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus can be effectively killed by electromagnetically induced direct current generated wirelessly using a remote power source, which was further enhanced through synergy with conventional antibiotics. Electrochemical analyses attributed the cidal effects to DC-generated reactive oxygen species. The treatment conditions were found safe to the epithelial and fibroblast cell lines. On the basis of these findings, a prototype device was engineered and demonstrated for effective killing of biofilm cells using both ex vivo and in vivo models. With the capability to kill bacteria without using a directly connected power source, this platform technology has possible applications in noninvasive treatment of biofilm infections associated with cochlear, orthopedic, and other implanted medical devices.


The spread of neuroimaging technologies around the world has led to diverse practices of forensic psychiatry and the emergence of neuroethics and neurolaw. This article surveys the neuroethics and neurolegal literature on the use of forensic neuroimaging within the courtroom. Next, the related literature within medical anthropology and science and technology studies is reviewed to show how debates about forensic neuroimaging reflect cultural tensions about attitudes regarding the self, mental illness, and medical expertise. Finally, recommendations are offered on how forensic psychiatrists can add to this research, given their professional interface between law and medicine. At stake are the fundamental concerns that surround changing conceptions of the self, sickness, and expectations of medicine.


Botulinum toxin type A (BT/A) is commonly used nowadays in the treatment of patients with localised muscle spasticity. The toxin, in therapeutic doses, is considered to be effective and safe.' Systemic adverse effects are rare and include flu-like symptoms, anaphylactic reactions, and excessive fatigue. Generalised clinically detectable muscle weakness has not been reported in patients treated with BT/A. Similarly, changes on conventional EMG in muscles distant from the site of the toxin injection have not been reported,2 although single fibre EMG abnormalities have been previously documented.3 We report two patients in whom treatment with therapeutic doses of BT/A resulted in a generalised muscle weakness with widespread EMG abnormalities which were typical of botulism. Patient 1 was a 67 year old woman with longstanding spastic paraparesis due to multiple sclerosis. Four years after diagnosis the patient presented with painful spasticity of her hip adductors and "scissoring' of her gait. These symptoms responded well to intermittent obturator nerve blocks with 50% alcohol. However, she started to develop severe spasticity of the hamstring muscles for which she was referred for treatment with BT/A. She had moderately severe spastic paraparesis. Muscle tone was greatly increased in the hamstring muscles of the left leg. However, the patient was able to stand independently and walk indoors with a gutter frame rolater, although she could not fully extend her left knee in stance. The patient was treated with a total of 250 units BT/A Dysport which was divided between the medial and lateral hamstring muscles of the left leg. Four days after the injections she complained of sudden onset of hoarseness of her voice, inability to walk, and to hold her head up. Neurological examination confirmed severe flaccid paraplegia, severe weakness of neck flexors, dysphonia, and right partial ptosis. The rest of the physical examination was unremarkable. Routine investigations including a full blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and urine culture were normal. An EMG showed evidence of denervation in the left hip adductors, biceps femoris and flexor carpi radialis. Single fibre EMG confirmed the increase in jitter values and blocking. The jitter values ranged from 92-6 to 408 ps (normal value < 57 ,us) and blocking ranged from 14% to 36%. The lower limb and neck muscle weakness improved gradually and four weeks later the findings on clinical examination and functional assessment were similar to those before treatment with BT/A. EMG studies were not repeated. Patient 2 was a 34 year old woman with multisystem atrophy who developed mild dysphagia, neck pain, and stiffness. Over the next few months her chin started to progressively turn to the left. She had dysarthria, intention tremor of both hands, ataxic broad based gait, a right extensor plantar response, and spasmodic torticollis. Serum copper studies were normal and there were no acanthocytes on a blood film. Brain MRI showed brain stem and cerebellar atrophy. A trial of anticholinergic drugs was unsuccessful. The patient was then treated with BT/A; 250 units of Dysport were injected into the right sternomastoid and left splenius capitis muscles and 500 units into the left midtrapezius. The neck pain resolved and the neck posture improved considerably for about two months. No adverse effects were reported. The injections were repeated every two to three months using the same protocol and dosage schedule each time. One week after the third treatment session the patient developed transient dysphagia lasting 10 days. There were no further adverse effects until five years later when, three weeks after the injection, the patient presented with dysphagia, severe dysarthria, diplopia, and generalised, moderately severe weakness involving the neck, trunk, and limb muscles. Conventional intramuscular EMG of the right quadriceps femoris, tibialis anterior, first dorsal interosseous, and biceps muscles confirmed widespread denervation. Similarly, single fibre EMG of the right extensor digitorum communis was abnormal with very prolonged jitter values and increased blocking. The patient's neurological symptoms and signs gradually improved over the next weeks and four months later her condition was similar to that before the botulinum toxin injection. A repeat conventional intramuscular EMG was normal. The patient declined to have single fibre EMG studies. The two patients reported here developed a syndrome which resembles botulism after intramuscular injections of therapeutic doses of BT/A drawn from two different batches of the drug. In the first patient these symptoms occurred after only one dose, whereas in the second they developed after five years of regular treatment with the toxin. Clinically detectable weakness was present in the extraocular, bulbar, trunk, and limb muscles and EMG changes were recorded in all muscles tested. The muscle weakness and EMG changes resolved a few weeks later. Generalised muscle weakness has not been reported previously in patients treated with BT/A. Anderson et al4 have described a patient with longstanding paralytic polio who reported deterioration in pre-existing lower limb muscle weakness after the injection of BT/A (Botox) into his neck muscles for spasmodic torticollis. However, muscle weakness was not confirmed on physical examination. Some patients treated with BT/A had prolonged jitter values and increased blocking on single fibre EMG recorded from muscles distant from the site of injection.3 This suggests spread of the toxin to distant muscles even though the patients did not exhibit objective weakness in these muscles or have abnormalities on conventional EMG. The co-occurrence of generalised muscle weakness and abnormalities on conventional EMG in our patients may be an indication of the severity of the neuromuscular transmission block. It is difficult to explain the generalised botulism-like syndrome in our patients given that the great majority of patients do not show such an effect. The total dose of the toxin given per session did not exceed 1000 units of Dysport, which is well below the maximum recommended dose. Since the toxin is supplied in 500 unit vials, a dispensing error could not have resulted in a total dose higher than 500 units in patient 1 or 1000 units in patient 2. The use by some authors5 of up to 5000 units Dysport was not associated with adverse effects. It is unlikely, therefore, that the generalised muscle weakness resulted from an overdose. An increased sensitivity to the toxin seems unlikely to be present intermittently (patient 2) and it is possible that some of the toxin was inadvertently injected directly into the vascular capillaries. The findings reported here suggest the need for regular long term monitoring of patients treated with BT/A. The absence of adverse effects at the commencement of treatment should not be relied on as evidence that a future injection would not cause an adverse response. A M 0 BAKHEIT University Rehabilitation Research Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK C D WARD University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK D L MCLELLAN University of Southampton, Southampton, UK


Metastatic brain tumors continue to be a clinical problem, despite new therapeutic advances in cancer treatment. Brain metastases (BMs) are among the most common mass lesions in the brain that are resistant to chemotherapies, have a very poor prognosis, and currently lack any efficient diagnostic tests. Predictions estimate that about 40% of lung and breast cancer patients will develop BM. Despite this, very little is known about the immunological and genetic aberrations that drive tumorigenesis in BM. In this study, we demonstrate the infiltration of mast cells (MCs) in a large cohort of human BM samples with different tissues of origin for primary cancer. We applied patient-derived BM cell models to the study of BM cell–MC interactions. BM cells when cocultured with MCs demonstrate enhanced growth and self-renewal capacity. Gene set enrichment analyses indicate increased expression of signal transduction and transmembrane proteins related genes in the cocultured BM cells. MCs exert their effect by release of mediators such as IL-8, IL-10, matrix metalloprotease 2, and vascular endothelial growth factor, thereby permitting metastasis. In conclusion, we provide evidence for a role of MCs in BM. Our findings indicate MCs' capability of modulating gene expression in BM cells and suggest that MCs can serve as a new target for drug development against metastases in the brain.


Electronic structure calculations are employed in order to investigate the cohesive properties (lattice parameter, enthalpy of formation, and bulk modulus) of random Fe-Cr alloys as a function of composition and magnetic state, as well as to derive the chemical and magnetic exchange interactions of the constituent atoms. The calculations predict certain anomalies in the cohesive properties of ferromagnetic alloys at a concentration of about $7\text{ }\text{at}\text{ }%$ Cr; these anomalies may be related to the changes in Fermi-surface topology that occur with composition in this alloy system. The obtained interatomic interactions are used as parameters in the configurational (Ising) and magnetic (Heisenberg) Hamiltonians for modeling finite-temperature thermodynamic properties of the alloys. We discuss the approximations and limitations of similar modeling approaches, investigate the origin of existing difficulties, and analyze possible ways of extending the theoretical models in order to capture the essential physics of interatomic interactions in the Fe-Cr or similar alloys where magnetism plays a crucial role in the phase stability.


check list of this type is no substitute for an intimate knowledge and familiarity with one's equipment. However, I agree that if a circle system is to be used, a general leak test should be performed at a flow well below 5 1 min-'. I use a 'collapsing bag (in bottle)' technique, with the flow meters turned off, which is very sensitive. Whilst a more complex check procedure could have been produced, we were well aware that compliance with such a test would be poor. Mayor and Eaton's [4] spot survey last year showed that despite over 80% of anaesthetists believing that a pre-operative machine check would improve safety, only about 40% could in fact be bothered to perform one. A recent survey by Barthram and McClymont [5] has shown that the Association's test took about 9 min to complete. The length of time can be reduced considerably by removing most (if not all) of the 'spare' cylinders and the extra vaporizers from a machine before testing. Professor Adams' pictorial guide [6] is even quicker to follow than the written sheet. If a check is performed at the beginning of each list, and provided that any noteworthy, but noncritical, problems are noted in a log book hanging visibly from the machine (and not lying under a pile of suction catheters in a bottom drawer), the risk of machine failure can be significantly reduced. I sympathise with those attempting a check on an integrated 'anaesthesia workstation'. However, any complaints should be levelled at the purchaser, not the Association's checklist.


The main idea and the driver of further research in the area of face recognition are security applications and human-computer interaction. Face recognition represents an intuitive and non-intrusive method of recognizing people and this is why it became one of three identification methods used in e-passports and a biometric of choice for many other security applications. The goal of this book is to provide the reader with the most up to date research performed in automatic face recognition. The chapters presented use innovative approaches to deal with a wide variety of unsolved issues.


In the popular science fiction horror drama TV series "The X-Files", two FBI agents (Mulder and Skully) investigate unsolved case files relating to emerging paranormal phenomena and possible alien life. Many explanations and conspiracy theories abound. Although the intrepid investigators struggle to put the disparate pieces together, they believe that "the truth is out there".

Search-based software engineering has attracted much research attention recently and many theories also abound relating to the application of metaheuristic search techniques to software engineering problems. Some 15 years since the term `search-based software engineering' was suggested, it is perhaps timely to reflect on some of these emerging phenomena in the field of search-based software engineering and examine some of the theories, fallacies and facts in a wider software engineering context. Is there truth out there?

This presentation suggests some possible fallacies of search with respect to software engineering, before reviewing some more established facts about the progress of search-based software engineering, 15 years on. The application of search-based software engineering techniques within different phases of the software engineering life cycle is discussed, with a particular emphasis on agile development methodologies. Finally, attempts are made to put the disparate pieces together to speculate on areas of future industrial adoption of search-based software engineering.


Abstract. In the presented paper, reverse push-out test method was put forward and applied in the ultimate bearing capacity experiments of studs with concrete slab in tension. Ultimate bearing capacity experiments were carried out on 22 reverse push-out specimens composed of C50 or C40 concrete, 14MnNbq steel girder and Φ22studs. Results showed that ultimate bearing capacity of studs, pu, in tensile concrete slab is controlled by concrete failur, concrete strength, studs arragement and reinforcement ratio are the main influence factors of pu. Compared with that in compressive concrete, pu of Φ22 studs in tensile concrete is reduced about 30% averagely. According to the test results, a fitted load-slip relationship curve and a regression formula of pu for studs in tensile concrete were put forward, calculated results were in good agreement with the test results.


Introduction Mood is a constant in our daily life and can permeate all levels of cognition. We examined whether and how mood influences the processing of discourse content that is relatively neutral and not loaded with emotion. During discourse processing, readers have to constantly strike a balance between what they know in long term memory and what the current discourse is about. Our general hypothesis is that mood states would affect this balance. We hypothesized that readers in a positive mood would rely more on default world knowledge, whereas readers in a negative mood would be more inclined to analyze the details in the current discourse. Methods Participants were put in a positive and a negative mood via film clips, one week apart. In each session, after mood manipulation, they were presented with sentences in discourse materials. We created sentences such as "With the lights on you can see..." that end with critical words (CWs) "more" or "less", where general knowledge supports "more", not "less". We then embedded each of these sentences in a wider discourse that does/does not support the CWs (a story about driving in the night vs. stargazing). EEG was recorded throughout. Results The results showed that first, mood manipulation was successful in that there was a significant mood difference between sessions. Second, mood did not modulate the N400 effects. Participants in both moods detected outright semantic violations and allowed world knowledge to be overridden by discourse context. Third, mood modulated the LPC (Late Positive Component) effects, distributed in the frontal region. In negative moods, the LPC was sensitive to one-level violation. That is, CWs that were supported by only world knowledge, only discourse, and neither, elicited larger frontal LPCs, in comparison to the condition where CWs were supported by both world knowledge and discourse. Discussion These results suggest that mood does not influence all processes involved in discourse processing. Specifically, mood does not influence lexical-semantic retrieval (N400), but it does influence elaborative processes for sensemaking (P600) during discourse processing. These results advance our understanding of the impact and time course of mood on discourse.


This paper introduces the concept of distributed neural networks over a computer network. Each layer in the neural network can be run as a separate application on different computers or on the same computer. The paper emphasizes the advantages of such an architecture over classical ones in terms of issues such as large neural networks and large input data. To test this new architecture, we use images from some automated optical inspection machinery, hoping to improve the results.


"Global Civilization" emerged from a series of conversations between two peace advocates of Japanese and Iranian origin. It covers the encounters between Buddhist and Islamic civilizations from the 7th century to the present. For all their cultural differences, Buddhism and Islam share a surprising number of intrinsic similarities. The topics discussed include such diverse subjects as the nature of religious faith today, global ideological terrorism, religious fanatacism and universal human rights. Ikeda and Tehranian, two important representatives of their respective faiths, propose dialogue as the most effective method of conflict resolution at interpersonal, intra-national and international levels. It is a call for tolerance, for dialogue and for peace.


Haemoglobin genotypes are very important in the sub-Saharan African, it aids in assessing the health of an individual. About 85 million people are carriers of different Hb genotype variants in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study is to establish the echelon of haemoglobin genotype variants in Anambra state Southeast Nigeria from 2005 to 2019. A total number of 50,169 retrospective records of haemoglobin genotype results were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. The study showed that 74.65% were Hb genotype AA, 23.16% were Hb genotype AS, 0.26% were Hb genotype AC, 1.84% were Hb genotype SS and 0.09% were Hb genotype SC. The female subjects had higher frequency distributions in Hb genotype AA, AS, and SC, than the male. The Hb genotype AA ranked the highest Hb genotype variants, followed by Hb genotype AS, SS, AC and lastly SC in Anambra state, Southeast Nigeria.


Mass media has had a significant role in today's Iranian society. The presence of active artists and their features is also very important in this era. Presently, the presence of women as actresses or film producers has been a significant factor in the Iranian cinema. Throughout the pre-revolution era, cinema had treated women more like an objects or commoditiesy, and because of this, they disappeared from cinema during the few years following the revolution. The role of women before the revolution was very limited and unnoticeable and they merely played the role of a mother or wife. A comparison of their role back in those years with the roles that they play presently is quite worthy of mention. The importance of women in Iranian cinema can be traced to various cultural and social circumstances, which are known also as: (a) The social, economical, political and developmental programs in Iran have enhanced the educational and didactic levels, and the public are more literate than before, hence, social knowledge has increased. This has been among the issues considered after the Islamic revolution. (b) Because of the enhancement of the level of religious teachings following the revoution, women are now more able to participate in social affairs and fewer prohibitions are enforced on their presence in social arenas. This has made it easier for them to perform their roles as social actors in the religious cinema and films made on the Iran-Iraq war, commonly called the "Sacred Defense," and to face fewer negative reactions from their families. Thus, they have had an equal chance as compared to their male counterparts to perform in these films. (c) The present article studies the position of women and the attitudinal changes that have occurred in Iranian cinema following the revolution (especially the cinema during war). The method used in this study is based on the competence of women's presence in Iranian films throughout time. For this purpose, the women presentation's level the level of presentations made of women, their roles, and the disputes and negotiations that have been made throughout time has been compared with mens (since the Islamic Revolution). This article has made a comparison among a few two movies, with. The results have proven demonstrating that women have appeared emerged as active participants in this art form after a period of silence and estrangement from cinema and the Fajr (war) movies (war movies). This reproducing of role creation has transformed the religious cinema and movies on the sacred defense and also the political ones. In other words, Iranian women have had an opportunity to prove themselves in the religious and epic cinema as well as in the social and family centered cinema, where as in both the marginal and the central roles.


Aim: To investigate the use of fluoride glass slow-release devices (FGSRD) for the prevention of dental erosion of human dental enamel in vitro.
Methods: Human teeth (permanent and primary) were used for this study. Enamel slabs were randomly allocated to four study groups: Group 1: 24 permanent enamel slabs with FGSRD, Group 2: 24 permanent enamel slabs with placebo non-FGSRD, Group 3: 20 primary enamel slabs with FGSRD, Group 4: 20 primary enamel slabs with placebo non-FGSRD. The glass slow-release devices were randomised into two groups. Test and placebo groups were coded until the end of the study. The enamel slabs were dipped in a citric acid solution for two minutes five times daily for 28 days and brushed twice a day. This was to create the erosive environment for this in vitro study. The slabs were kept in artificial saliva and stored in an incubator at 37oC. The glass slow-release devices (fluoride and non-fluoride) were present in all containers. The surface profile was measured at baseline using surface profilometry and after 14 and 28 days of the cycling regime.
Analysis: Simple t-tests were used to compare the permanent and primary teeth groups with 0.05 as the significance level and an ANOVA t-test with a Bonferroni correction to compare: primary and permanent teeth. Daily fluoride release of the FGSRD's was measured.
Results: For enamel of primary teeth, after 14 days 40% less erosion was observed in the F group which decreased to 31% at the end of the study period, i.e., 28 days. This was highly statistically significant (p<0.001) at both time points. For permanent enamel, no significant differences were observed (p=0.091).
Conclusion: FGSRD's have great potential for protection of primary human enamel against erosive challenge in addition to a number of other uses.


ABSTRACT Deposition of the banded silica and iron formations, which are typical of the middle "Huronian" rocks of the Lake Superior district, can be accounted for as follows. The region was in a very mature stage of geomorphic development, and the climate of the region was sub-tropical to warm-temperate, with moderate to high rainfall. Iron and silica were the principal products of weathering, being derived alternately during the cooler and warmer parts of the year. The environment of deposition was a large fresh-water lake, low in nutrients and thus having a relatively low organic productivity, and it was of sufficient depth to permit development of density stratification of the water during the summer. The lower water layer, in summer, was isolated from the atmosphere and had a slightly redu ing and acid condition; iron was kept in solution in a reduced state but silica was deposited. During the winter the entire column of water in the lake circulated and it was oxidizing and alkaline, causing precipitation of the iron. Any of the iron minerals common to the banded iron formations could be deposited in this environment, because the stability fields of these minerals include the ranges of Eh and pH which occur in this type of lake.


anti-inflammatory drugs.2 These same authors showed that sulindac does not inhibit frusemide-induced renin release or natriuresis. If it is confirmed that sulindac exerts unique differential inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase in contrast to the renal enzyme system, large-scale clinical studies should be performed to determine whether sulindac does indeed have a role in those patients who have compromised renal function or in whom diuretic therapy is required. Older patients are particularly at risk and it is in this age group that a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug without renal prostaglandin inhibition would be most welcome. ANDREI CALIN


It is believed that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Therefore,
there is an urgent need to research and develop new treatments and one of the recent areas of cancer
research has targeted components of mitosis, mainly the mitotic kinases. This research project has
focused on the Aurora kinases, a family of serine/threonine kinases which play a central role in
chromosome segregation and cell division during mitosis.
It has recently been demonstrated that Coenzyme A (CoA) is a highly selective ATP-competitive
inhibitor of Aurora A kinase. However, the pharmacokinetic properties of CoA, in particular its poor
cell permeability, need improvement. The aim of this PhD is to design and synthesise analogues of CoA
that are more "drug-like", whilst conserving the features that lead to the selective inhibition.
Three series of compounds have been synthesised during the course of this research. The first,
conserved the pantothenamide tail and focused on replacing the adenosine moiety of CoA with a
heteroaromatic head group based around VX680 – a known inhibitor of the Aurora kinases. During the
synthesis of this series, a problematic key step was optimised using a Design of Experiment (DoE)
approach. The second series focused on replacing the pyrophosphate group of CoA with known
literature mimics to improve the overall drug likeness of the compound before starting to investigate
the structure activity relationship (SAR) around the tail region of CoA. The final series of compounds
were synthesised to investigate the possible location of the pantetheine tail within the Aurora A binding
site – believed to be important for selectivity towards Aurora A. These analogues conserved the
structure of CoA and attached affinity labels to the terminal –SH with the capability of covalently
interacting with residues within the active site of the kinase.


Machines for manufacturing large scale flat displays are enlarging as the size of glasses increases. This work develops porous materials with a low thermal expansion coefficient and a high Young's modulus. SiC and LiAlSiO4 were used for a positive and a negative thermal expansion materials, respectively. Compositions of powders for porous materials were determined to obtain a desirable Young's modulus and thermal expansion coefficient by using SiC-VBM-LiAlSiO4 phase diagram at 20 % of porosity. The empirical values of Young's modulus and a thermal expansion coefficient are close to the theoretical values by using the diagram. Fabricated porous material had high enough Young's modulus of 87 GPa, and low enough thermal expansion coefficient of 2 x 10-6 K-1 at temperatures ranging from -17 °C to 190 °C with 22 % of porosity.


Energy efficiency subject has been gaining importance in maritime sector. The compressed air is a valuable energy source in operational manner, by the reason of intrinsic lack of efficiency in pressurization process. Operational pressure and leakage rate are the major variables which affect operational efficiency of the system. This study aims to reveal potential energy saving for the compressed air system. To this end, several pressure ranges, 29-30 bars to 14-18 bars, and different leakage rates 2.4% to 45% are evaluated. After the data was obtained from ships, thermodynamic calculations had been carried out. Optimization of pressure saves 47.3% in daily power requirement, 58,2% in compressed air unit cost, 18.4 and 57.4 tons of reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in a year respectively. High leakage rates can cause 2.7 times more power and fuel consumption. Finally, operating load, as an important indicator of compressor, makes imperfections identifiable.


Research is required to determine the key variables that have a positive relationship with customer loyalty in the independent financial adviser environment. Knowledge of the factors that could assist in fostering customer loyalty might help independent financial advisers firstly in maintaining their client base, and then secondly, to strategise with them over the long term to behave more financially responsible, achieve their saving goals, and become financially independent. Therefore, the primary aim of this article is to explore the relationship between key variables and customer loyalty within the independent financial adviser environment in Gauteng. The population was defined as all the clients of independent financial advisers in the Gauteng region. A convenience non-probability sampling technique was applied and self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the clients in Gauteng who matched the sampling frame. A total of 123 questionnaires were completed and could be used in the analysis. Descriptive and standard multiple regression analysis as well as the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique was used to analyse the results. Trust and commitment can be viewed as predictors of customer loyalty within the independent financial adviser environment in Gauteng and must form part of the core of the financial adviser's relationship building strategies. It is therefore important for independent financial advisers to ensure that their clients have confidence in their ability to provide sound financial advice. Clients must be convinced that financial advisers have their best interest at heart and as such, should remain committed to their practices.


A complete numerical solution for the micro thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of planetary gearing in wind turbine gearbox is obtained with taking roughness effects and characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids into account. The oil film pressure profile, film shape and the trend of equivalent temperature rise in planetary gearing in special meshing points are drawn. Through comparing with lubrication performance in different surface morphology between Ra=0.8μm and 0.2μm, the results show that the film thickness ratio of ring gear and planetary gears with Ra=0.8μm is greatly smaller than 1.5. From the relationship between tooth surface damage and film thickness ratio, these gears are in abnormal lubrication state, surface damage, when Ra=0.8μm, can theoretically reach more than 15%. However, the surface damage ratio with Ra=0.2μm has been greatly deceased, so as to that it provides a theoretical basis of reliable lubrication analysis for wind turbine gearbox.


The digital implementation of the integral operator is a delicate part in electrical drives. Many solutions are available in the literature, which avoid the well-known output drift of ideal digital integrators when a spurious DC offset is present at their input. Such solutions try to extend the integration accuracy toward the zero frequency as well, aiming to broaden their usability range for real applications (low-speed region of electrical machines, for example). So far, very few investigations have been performed as regards to the performances of driftfree integrators for cases where the integration is used within estimation and conditioning monitoring algorithms. This paper aims to investigate different known digital offset-free integrals, in terms of their output accuracy with respect to DC and multitone input signals, for a specific application where they could be exploited for condition monitoring. Simulation and experimental results are presented as well.


In the present study, PIM process has been employed to produce sintered specimens with the various porosities from the initial stage of sintering and to the stage of nearly full density. A series of tensile tests has been conducted on these specimens at room temperature to elucidate the effect of a wide range of porosity. The material used in this study was 17-4 PH stainless steel. Based on the results of tensile tests on PIMed specimens with the various porosity, a new approach to predict the strength and the elongation of sintered materials has been carried out and a new framework combining neck growth model and ideal pore model has been established. By applying this new model to not only the results obtained in this study but also to previously published data, its generality and validity were sufficiently verified.


The Potrillo Basalt field is situated principally in southwestern Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Strata ranging from Paleozoic to Holocene are exposed in the area. Marine sediments, chiefly carbonates, were deposited during repeated advances and withdrawals of late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic seas. Throughout the Cenozoic the area was above sea level and experienced periods of volcanism, erosion, and deposition of continental material. Folding and faulting of Lower Cretaceous strata occurred during the Laramide disturbance in the East Potrillo Mountains. In the early to middle Tertiary a large andesitic pluton, Mt. Riley-Mt. Cox, was emplaced northwest of the East Potrillo Mountains. Closely associated with this activity was the intrusion of the andesite and quartz latite dikes of the East Potrillo Mountains, and small intrusive plugs adjacent to Mt. Riley. During middle Tertiary, high -angle faulting and uplift occurred in the East Potrillo Mountains and initiated the formation of intermontane basins such as the Mesilla bolson. Basin-fill deposits of late Tertiary to early Quaternary are termed the Santa Fe Group. These include a stream channel and flood -plain facies (Camp Rice) and a lacustrine-playa facies (Fort Hancock). During middle to late Quaternary, alkali olivine basalt (Potrillo Basalt) was extruded. The basalt was erupted from fissures associated with Fitzgerald, Robledo, and Aden faults. The basalt of the Aden-Afton region is situated in a graben, whereas those of the West Potrillo Mountains are on a horst. Numerous volcanoes occur in the volcanic field; they include such types as cinder, explosive, maar, and shield. Late Pleistocene to Holocene movement is evident along many of the major faults such as the Robledo and Fitzgerald faults. Holocene deposits, which cover large areas of basalt and the Santa Fe sediments, consist mainly of fine blown sand and minor playa deposits.


Dr. Smarts wants to start performing clinical research studies in his office. He assumes that such research will bring him the press notoriety that will boost his lagging dermatology practice. Dr. Smarts begins to evaluate a new substance for the treatment of psoriasis not approved by the FDA. He verbally tells his patients they are research "guinea pigs"; he lets them know he is able to obtain the as-of-now unobtainable material from a local compounding pharmacy.


The simultaneous action of dc and ac spin-polarized current traversing a magnetic nanocontact device results in a combined amplitude-frequency nonlinear modulation process, a promising application of spin-transfer oscillators. A micromagnetic analysis of the nonlinear magnetization dynamics occurring in such devices is carried out in both spatial and frequency domain. Numerical results show that the proposed combined modulation scheme affects the amplitude of the sidebands as well as their phase, and remark a substantial difference with respect to the properties exhibited by a classical linear modulator. Further investigations performed as function of the frequency of the modulating signal allow to establish that, when the modulating frequency approaches the carrier one, no modulation occurs and a frequency pulling, typical of injection locking phenomena, takes place instead.


Maximum likelihood (ML) estimations of gene frequency, deduced from data on small pedigree samples, are considered. It is demonstrated that a range ("gap") of possible values of gene frequency exists, within which no ML frequency estimation falls. The dependence of the size of this range on sample size is studied in samples consisting of nuclear pedigrees and pedigrees of a more complex structure. The practical importance of the effect revealed is discussed.


Objectives: To identify the epitope on α-synuclein (α-syn) to which antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) bind and to determine whether antibodies targeting this mimicry domain are present in human sera. Methods: Reactivity of the α-syn-cross-reacting anti-LMP1 monoclonal antibody CS1-4 to a synthetic peptide containing the putative mimicry domain was compared to those in which this domain was mutated and to murine and rat α-syn (which differ from human α-syn at this site) in Western blots. Using ELISA, sera from EBV+ (n = 4) and EBV− (n = 12) donors as well as those with infectious mononucleosis (IM; n = 120), and Hodgkin disease (HD; n = 33) were interrogated for antibody reactivity to synthetic peptides corresponding to regions of α-syn and LMP1 containing the mimicry domain. Results: CS1-4 showed strong reactivity to wild-type human α-syn, but not to the mutant peptides or rodent α-syn. Control EBV− and EBV+ sera showed no reactivity to α-syn or LMP1 peptides. However, a significant proportion of IM and HD sera contained immunoglobulin M (IgM) (59% and 70%, in IM and HD, respectively), immunoglobulin G (IgG) (40% and 48%), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) (28% and 36%) antibodies to both peptides, as well as a significant correlation in the titers of IgM (ρ = 0.606 and 0.664, for IM and HD, respectively), IgG (0.526 and 0.836), and IgA (0.569 and 0.728) antibodies targeting LMP1 and α-syn peptides. Conclusions: Anti-EBV-LMP1 antibodies cross-reacting with a defined epitope in α-syn are present in human patients. These findings may have implications for the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies.


Collaborative robots (cobots) are becoming a significant part of smart factories, due to their potential for collaborative operation, relatively low cost, and high flexibility of use. They are increasingly being deployed in Learning and Teaching Factories, but industrial application still lags behind earlier enthusiastic expectations. Aside from safety issues, educating different user groups is considered one of the main hurdles to increase acceptance by industry. To overcome the educational barrier, a hands-on technology-assisted learning system for robot usage in manufacturing has been created within the European innovation community EIT Manufacturing. It creates modular digital learning content; so-called "learning nuggets" that are complemented with physical on-site exercises and experiences to realize a hybrid cyber-physical learning environment. Technology-assisted learning is a major trend when it comes to teaching complex skills, especially when it pertains to the interaction of humans with complex machinery and information systems. Hence, one of the key elements of the Knowledge and Innovation Community of EIT Manufacturing implemented in 2018 is the establishment of a broad platform for technology-assisted learning. The envisioned online learning platform will enable micro-learning and provides a tailored and flexible learning experience for the user with the goal to realize learning paths that adapt to the individual's needs, talents, experience, and learning style. This paper presents the underlying conceptual framework for adaptive learning, a portfolio of learning nuggets and their integration into adaptive, stakeholder-specific learning paths. Furthermore, it illustrates the implementation for different cobot/robot platforms as well as a first evaluation of results with respect to user satisfaction.


The impact of neoliberalism on urban life has transformed cities since the 1980s into national centres of the global capital market, at the expense of undermining the life of urban dwellers. The situation is no different in Turkey whose geopolitical significance has been reinstated in the neoliberal age through Istanbul's image as a global city. However, the anxieties of the Istanbulites concerning the city's urban sprawl have increased tremendously over the last decade. Particularly, during the last decade, the suffocating density of concrete buildings, the diminishing green spaces within the city and the destruction of historical neighbourhoods have become issues of social and political controversy. The Gothic, preserving its longstanding title as the dark underside of modernity, continues to engage with the deep-rooted anxieties of societies in the neoliberal age. Linnie Blake considers neoliberal Gothic texts as reflective of 'the monstrous dislocations that free market economics have inflicted on selfhood and society'. Concordantly, this paper explores neoliberal Gothic in Turkey as a form of dissident commentary on the repercussions of neoliberalism in Istanbul. I discuss Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik's directorial debut Inflame (2017) which addresses socio-political issues in Turkey such as anti-government protests, overwhelming urban gentrification, neoliberal authoritarianism and state-run media using Gothic tropes of haunting, claustrophobia, and inherited trauma. I argue that neoliberal Turkish Gothic registers Istanbul as a site of haunting, a claustrophobic and also an agoraphobic space, which holds a mirror up to national traumas inflicted on Turkish society by neoliberalism.