Gait abnormality recognition would be very useful in medical monitoring and surveillance systems. The analysis can be used as one of the surveillance methods, medical rehabilitation monitoring and early detection in possible gait related symptoms. Existing manual observation can only be done by professionals and might cause misidentification on the real condition or situation of the subject. Additionally, gait laboratory utilises very costly motion systems for gait acquisition as research database. Hence, there is a need to produce a low cost abnormal gait detection method. In this research, analysis of front view human gait silhouette was done to investigate the possibility of a method to be developed in recognizing abnormality on proposed model-based approach. The model based which utilised the pendulum and hexagonal theorem as feature extraction method were used to produce the vertical angles of both hip and knee for 70 image sequences as feature vectors for both legs for one complete gait cycle sequence. Consequently, 280 features generated based on four parameters from the lower limb of human body for gait abnormality detection. On top of that, the gait features extracted from different gait patterns namely normal, drunken, dragging and tiptoed were classified as either normal or abnormal using four different classifiers namely ANN, KNN, SVM and Bayesian. Results attained showed that the proposed method was indeed suitable as gait abnormality recognition based on human gait pattern with the result of SVM as 90.9 percent leading the other classifier for pendulum features, whilst both ANN and SVM classification rate shows the highest for hexagonal features with also 90.9 percent after normalization and feature selection. Further, the proposed method namely the markerless front view modelling for abnormal gait detection was evaluated using hardware based. The hardware utilised a Linux based embedded board such as Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone, with Python software programming for recognising the differences between normal and abnormal gait based on gait image as input sequences captured from camera. Classification rate obtained were similar using these two boards namely 84.21% for SVM and 89.47% for KNN classifiers. In addition, processing time taken using Beaglebone Black board was higher that was approximately one minute as compared to Raspberry Pi that required longer time.


In my experience working with tutors and college
student writers over the last nine years, I am frequently
reminded how important kairos is to my work. For
example, a tutoring approach that might help Renee
with her annotated bibliography draft won't
necessarily help Kevin understand his research essay
prompt. The difference lies not in the fact that they
are writing different essays; rather, each writer presents
a different rhetorical situation with unique audiences,
circumstances, exigencies, and contexts. Even if both
students were writing the exact same essay on the
exact same topic, their experience, confidence, and
attitude toward writing would present different
opportunities in a tutoring session. Although patterns
exist and I begin and close a session in routine ways, I
am frequently reminded by crossed arms, furrowed
brows, and deep sighs that a tutoring approach
ignoring kairos results in little learning and growth for
the student as a writer and me as a tutor. The
relevance of the term to writing center work can also
be witnessed in an administrative sense. For example,
interrupting a session to suggest a different approach
for a tutor might be helpful; however, I may be more
persuasive if I more carefully choose a time to provide
feedback on a consultation.


Abstract Objective: Epidemiologic works reveal that moderate head injury (MHI) is more frequent and a substantial number of these patients develop complications resulting in neurological disabilities. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a major role in post-traumatic neuronal damage following traumatic head injury. Thus, the current study analysed the post-traumatic changes in the erythrocyte markers of oxidative damage and the relationship between these parameters and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores of MHI patients during the 7 day study period. Methods: Peripheral venous blood samples were taken at the time of hospital admission (d1 of injury) and on d7 from 25 MHI patients (admission GCS score>8). These were compared with samples from 25 healthy individuals (normal controls, NC). GCS scores were recorded at the same time points of the study period. Erythrocyte lipid peroxidation (LP) and thiol oxidation levels were estimated and compared with that of NC. The relationship between GCS scores and erythrocyte markers were also studied. Results: Erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels reflecting lipid peroxidative damage remained significantly elevated at both time points of the study period in MHI patients as compared to NC (p<0.001). There was a significant decrease in the level of non-protein thiols in MHI patients as compared to NC (p<0.01) at the same time points of the study. However, on d7 there were no further significant changes in the markers of oxidative damage in MHI patients as compared to on d1. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a condition of oxidative stress occurs during the entire post-traumatic period in MHI patients and the utility of markers of oxidative damage in the prognosis of head injury needs to be addressed in further works.


Surface rupturing during the 28 June 1992 Landers, California, earthquake, east of Los Angeles, accommodated right-lateral offsets up to about 6 m along segments of distinct, en-echelon fault zones with a total length of 80 km. The offsets were accommodated generally not by faul ts--dist inct slip surf a c e s b u t rather by shear zones, tabular bands of localized shearing. Along simple stretches of fault zones at Landers the rupture is characterized by telescoping of shear zones and intensification of shearing: broad shear zones of mild sheafing, containing narrow shear zones of more intense sheafing, containing even narrower shear zones of very intense sheafing, which may contain a fault. Thus the ground ruptured across broad belts of shearing with clearly defined, subparallel walls, oriented NW. Each broad belt consists of a broad zone of mild sheafing, extending across its entire width (50 to 200 m), and much nan'ower (a few meters wide) shear zones that accommodate most of the offset of the belt and are portrayed by en-echelon tension cracks. In response to right-lateral shearing, the slices of ground bounded by the tension cracks rotated in a clockwise sense, producing left-lateral sheafing, and the slices were forced against the walls of the shear zone, producing thrusting. Even narrower shear zones formed within the narrow shear zones. Although these probably are guides to right-lateral fault segments below, the surface rupturing during the earthquake is characterized not by faulting, but by the formation of shear zones at various scales.


Minimizing losses resulting from turbulent flow in thermoacoustic resonators while preserving compactness is of concern. Iguchi et al. [Bull. JSME 25, 1398 (1982)], using an extension of the Blasius turbulent friction factor, determined a formulation by which turbulent losses in pipes with oscillating flows could be predicted. This formulation is applied in a preliminary effort to predict acoustic power dissipation. These predictions are compared with acoustic power flow measurements made using a thermo‐ acoustic engine having a straight pipe. Additional losses are expected if the resonator is not straight. Measurements using an engine having corkscrew or mitre‐jointed resonators are compared to the work of Olson et al. (manuscript in progress). [Work supported by DOE.]


Introduction: Aegle marmelos Corr. (Rutaceae), commonly known as Bael, is a tree of Indian origin, well known from ancient period and prescribed for various ailments in Ayurveda. Utilization of bael fruit in day-to-day life has a great nutritional, environmental as well as commercial importance. Every part of Aegle marmelos including stem, bark, root, leaves, fruit and seeds at all stages of maturity posses medicinal virtues and has been used in Ethno medicine to exploit its medicinal properties. Objective: This study was undertaken to examine the antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of Aegle marmelos unripe or half ripe fruits. Material and Methods: The antioxidant activity was done by using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The IC50 (The concentration of sample required to scavenge 50% of DPPH free radical) was calculated by plotting graph between % inhibition vs concentration. The ascorbic acid was used as standard antioxidant. Result and Discussion: The IC50 value of extract and ascorbic acid was found to be 62.59μg/ml and 2.80μg/ml. The antioxidant activity found in Aegle marmelos may be associated with their main phytochemical compounds like flavonoids, phenols and tannins. Conclusion: This activity supports that the fruit can be used as natural antioxidant to treat free radical induced cellular damages and can also be used as adjuvant with other drugs to give synergistic effects.


This article responds to and extends the commentaries on the psychology of competitive advantage focal article. In general, the commentaries stressed that (a) the connection between industrial–organizational (I–O) psychology and strategy should go beyond resource-based theory and competitive advantage, (b) there are some existing examples of strategic I–O research, and (c) practitioners are already integrating I–O psychology with strategy. In this article, I use these commentaries as a means of generating actionable steps (e.g., research studies) to make the strategic adjacent possibility a reality. I conclude by arguing that understanding the psychology underlying firm competitiveness is the defining question of our time, and perhaps even the future of I–O psychology.


Abstract. Hourly and monthly mean wind speed and wind speed variability from the regional reanalysis COSMO-REA6 is analysed in the range of 10 to 116 m height above ground. Comparisons with independent wind mast measurements performed between 2001 and 2010 over Northern Germany over land (Lindenberg), the North Sea (FINO platforms), and The Netherlands (Cabauw) show that the COSMO-REA6 wind fields are realistic and at least as close to the measurements as the global atmospheric reanalyses (ERA20C and ERA-Interim) on the monthly scale. The median wind profiles of the reanalyses were found to be consistent with the observed ones. The mean annual cycles of variability are generally reproduced from 10 up to 116 m in the investigated reanalyses. The mean diurnal cycle is represented qualitatively near the ground by the reanalyses. At 100 m height, there is little diurnal cycle left in the global and regional reanalyses, though a diurnal cycle is still present in the measurements over land. Correlation coefficients between monthly means of the observations and the reanalyses range between 0.92 at 10 m and 0.99 at 116 m, with a slightly higher correlation of the regional reanalyses at Lindenberg at 10 m height which is significant only at a lower than 95 % significance level. Correlations of daily means tend to be higher for the regional reanalysis COSMO-REA6. Increasing temporal resolution further, reduces this advantage of the regional reanalysis. At around 100 m, ERA-Interim yields a higher correlation at Lindenberg and Cabauw, whereas COSMO-REA6 yields a higher correlation at FINO1 and FINO2.


Paleoaltimetric studies have characterized in detail the relationship between carbonate oxygen isotope ratios (δ18Oc) and elevation in orogens with simple, single-moisture-source hydrological systems, and applied this relationship to ancient continental carbonates to provide constraints on their past elevation. However, mixing of different atmospheric moisture sources in low-elevation orogens should affect δ18Oc values, but this effect has not yet been confirmed unequivocally. In the American Southwest, summer monsoonal moisture, sourced in the Equatorial Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, and winter moisture, sourced in the East Pacific, both contribute to annual rainfall. We present stable isotope results from Quaternary carbonates within the American Southwest to characterize the regional δ18Oc-elevation relationship. We then provide stable isotope results from local Eocene carbonates to reconstruct late Laramide paleoelevations. The Quaternary δ18Oc-elevation relationship in the American Southwest is not as straightforward as in more simple hydrological systems. δ18Oc changes with altitude are non-linear, scattered, and display an apparent isotopic lapse rate inversion above 1200 m of elevation. We speculate that decreasing surface temperatures at high altitudes limit the duration of carbonate growth to the summer months, biasing δ18Oc values toward higher values typical of the summer monsoon and leading to lapse rate inversion. δ18Oc-elevation relationships based on modern water isotope data or distillation models predict paleoelevations that range up to as much as 2 km higher than the modern elevations of 2000 to 2400 m for our late Eocene sites located at the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. By contrast, our δ18Oc-elevation relationship for the American Southwest yields lower paleoelevation estimates. These alternate estimates nonetheless suggest that significant elevation (at least ∼1 km) had already been attained by the Eocene, but are also compatible with < 1 km of uplift by post-Laramide mechanisms. Our results show the limitations of standard δ18Oc-elevation models in complex hydrological systems and suggest that similar mechanisms may have led to summer-biased paleoaltimetry estimates for the initial stages of other orogenies —in the American Southwest and elsewhere.


Accurate and precise localization of intracellular nucleic acids is crucial for regulating genetic information transcription and diagnosing diseases. Although intracellular nucleic acid imaging methods are available for various cell types, their widespread utilization is impeded by the intricate nature of the process and its exorbitant cost. Recently, numerous intracellular nucleic acid labeling techniques based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) have been established due to their modularity, flexibility, and specificity. In this work, we present various CRISPR methods that are currently employed for visualizing intracellular genomic sequences and RNA, based on their detection principles and application scenarios. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the existing CRISPR imaging methods, as well as future research directions. We anticipate that with continued refinement, more advanced CRISPR-based imaging techniques can be developed to better elucidate the localization and dynamics of intracellular nucleic acids, thereby providing a powerful tool for molecular biology research and clinical molecular pathology diagnosis.


The body of a vehicle is made up of several hundreds of stamped components which are joined together by spot-welding process. Overall quality of the car body (BIW) and quality of the sub assemblies, apart from quality of each stamped part, depends remarkably on quality of the welded joint. This paper considers optimization of the welding parameters to enhance quality of the joint resulting in improving overall quality of the body in white. The most important welding parameters in spot welding of the body components, are welding current, welding time and gun force. In this research first the effects of the aforementioned parameters on the deformation of body sub-assemblies are experimentally investigated. Then neural networks and the genetic algorithm are applied to select the optimum values of the welding parameters.


The presence of embayed beaches along the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia has proven the significant influence of wave variability due to the Northeast monsoon. These beaches, which some of them are among the popular beaches for tourism and recreational activities, have not been categorised according to its planform stability. Categorising this type of beach is a preliminary step towards the long-term shoreline management plan. This study presents the outputs of the application of the parabolic bay model to satellite images of the embayed beaches. It focuses on the determination of the total number of embayed beaches along the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia including identification of beach planform stability using the model of equilibrium bay beach (MEPBAY) program. The model was used as a tool to propose engineering solutions and to investigate the applicability of the existing coastal structures for the beach in dynamic or unstable state. MEPBAY analysis showed that out of 51 beaches - 26 of them are dynamic, 23 are static and another two are in unstable state of planform equilibrium. Beaches with static planform equilibrium include Batu Buruk beach, Irama beach, Resang cape, Jemaluang beach and Kg Punggai in which the beaches undergo no addition or erosion of sediment towards the bay and littoral drift of the beach is almost non-existent. Results presented indicated that beaches with dynamic equilibrium state was achieved when the shoreline experiences degradation or undergo erosion due to the changes in the equilibrium orientation and shoreline planform of the bay as shown by Senok beach, Jara beach, Sedili cape, Cherating beach, Endau-Rompin beach, Bukit Tengah beach, Kalung bay and Teluk Lipat beach. Unstable equilibrium embayed beaches on the other hand, is a condition when the curved planform of the beach experienced accretion in the lee accompanied by erosion downdrift as showed by the Tok Jembal beach. This condition is a result of wave sheltering or changes in the geometric configuration of the beach. The numerical modelling exercises through MEPBAY have given us an understanding on the variation of planform stability towards the embayed beaches morphodynamics.


Much as we enjoyed these authors' novel approach to the presentation of data. we feel impelled to offer their potential followers a more depressing analysis. On the basis of the results from Sutton-in-Ashfield, the denial of medical care to babies under 1500 g at birth is likely to result in death for more than half, with half of the survivors handicapped, one in seven severely so. Perhaps this paper should have carried a Government health warning?


The rationale underlying the fixtures and accession presumptions is the need to protect the value of the chattel as well as the need to protect third-party interests. The destruction of the independent legal status of an attached chattel is generally deemed appropriate where the value of the co-mingled asset will be diminished if the chattel retains a separate legal title and this would generate unfairness because third parties have dealt with the co-mingled asset on the basis of its overall value. Rights to remove have evolved under both common law and equity to moderate the scope of these presumptions. Common law will uphold the right of a tenant to remove chattels that have been attached to leased premises during the currency of the lease. Equity on the other hand will uphold the right to remove affixed chattels in circumstances where the enforcement of such an entitlement is consistent with contractual intention and transactional fairness. This article examines the different rights of removal that have evolved under Australian law to date and the emergent statutory framework supporting these rights. It discusses the historical purpose and structural utility of these entitlements within a land framework that supports fixtures presumptions. Rights of removal, whether validated at law or in equity, confer positive entitlements upon the holder to access and remove affixed goods in circumstances where, because of the fixtures and accession presumptions, those goods no longer retain any separate legal status. The capacity of the holder to enforce this right against third parties is illustrative of their distinctive proprietary perspective.


Abstract A logistic growth equation with time and location varying parameters was used to model corn response to applied nitrogen. A nonlinear dummy-variable regression model provided a parsimonious representation of site and time effects on parameter values. The model was used to test for the equality of the mean marginal product of nitrogen fertilizer between locations on the coastal plain of North Carolina. Monte Carlo simulation and bootstrap simulation were used to construct finite sample covariance estimates. Results support rejection of the hypothesis that mean marginal products are equal when nitrogen is applied at 168 kg/ac. A comparison of bootstrapped errors and asymptotic errors suggests that results based on asymptotic theory are fairly reliable in this case.


The stocking of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) to control mosquitos has been shown to negatively impact native fishes, especially species with similar ecological requirements such as topminnows. As a result, using fish species (e.g., blackstripe topminnow; Fundulus notatus) that are native and rarely exhibit aggressive behaviors toward ecological equivalents may serve as a non-intrusive means of mosquito control. In this study, a series of laboratory microcosm experiments were used to examine intra- and interspecific agonistic behavioral interactions (e.g., chases and nips) between blackstripe topminnow and northern starhead topminnow (Fundulus dispar), northern studfish (F. catenatus), and banded killifish (F. diaphanus) at three different fish density combinations and in the presence or absence of vegetation. Few agonistic behaviors were exhibited toward conspecifics, but interspecific chasing and nipping did occur, albeit it at low levels, in the presence of blackstripe topminnow. The number of these interspecific chases and nips was not influenced by vegetation or topminnow species density. Fin damage incurred by topminnows was minimal, regardless if tanks contained only individuals of the same species or another species (blackstripe topminnow). Three percent of blackstripe topminnows had damage to their caudal fins that was intraspecific in nature, but there was no fin damage for the other three topminnow species. Based on these results, we suggest that blackstripe topminnow be considered as an alternative to western mosquitofish for mosquito control in drainages for which it is a native species.


President Bashar al-Assad's refusal to step down and open the door to compromise is not the only obstacle to a resolution of the Syrian conflict. Various Islamist groups focused on outright military victory also play a major role. Since 2012 they have come to dominate the uprising. The international community agrees that there can be no negotiations with the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), nor with the al-Nusra Front, which is close to al-Qaeda. The open question is how to treat Ahrar al-Sham, as the largest rebel group alongside ISIS. Its militant Salafist orientation, which makes it the al-Nusra Front's closest ally, speaks against involving it in talks. Although Ahrar has been seeking since 2015 to position itself as a partner for the United States and its allies, there is no sign that it intends to abandon its alliance with the jihadists.


Does Gender Matter in the Evaluation of Successful Physicians? Examining How Evaluators Use Stereotype-Based Attributions in Determining Outcomes at Work Dyan Angela Ludeña Ferraris-Baron The purpose of this study was to understand whether physician leaders are subject to gender bias in the form of differential work outcomes. Specifically, the primary goal was to examine whether the gender of a successful physician leader, the medical specialty in which he or she works (surgery or pediatrics), and participant level of social dominance orientation (SDO; level of egalitarianism) influenced the allocation of workplace outcomes (i.e., evaluations of performance, promotion recommendations, and characterizations of ability and effort). This study further explored if ability and effort characterizations mediated the relationship between gender, specialty, and participant SDO on evaluations of performance and promotion recommendations. Attempting to elucidate the atypical but increasing phenomenon in which successful female leaders in male-typed jobs receive higher performance evaluations, but lower rates of promotion as compared to equivalent males; this study drew on attribution theory to explain that characterizations of successful women as "hard workers" (effort) may be seen as deserving of high evaluations of performance but not promotions, while being "brilliant" (ability) may be seen as deserving of promotions and reserved for successful men. Results revealed an unexpected overall boost for female surgeons, awarded especially by participants low in SDO (those most egalitarian) such that female surgeons received significantly better outcomes as compared to female pediatricians and equivalent outcomes as compared to male physicians. Male surgeons and pediatricians were largely awarded equivalent outcomes across all levels of participant SDO. Further, mediation was supported only for female surgeons, such that higher characterizations of effort explained higher evaluations of performance, particularly by those low in SDO. Further research is required to understand why successful women receive higher evaluations of performance, but not promotions.


Nanotechnology has laid the foundation to nanomedicine production and still appears the cornerstone for ongoing global medical studies, since at nanometric scale the physical properties of materials vary, resulting in innovative magnetic, biochemical, visual and electrical characteristics. In addition to the huge amount of funds and capital, the emergence of new medicinal products against the changed pathological condition of our bodies is also challenging in view of maximum rate of failure. The modifications with in structures of products in nano particle form, altered the way of diagnosis and treatment of destructive human diseases by using medicines capable in effective management by modifying the step of discharge, delivery and disposal in the body. Smart nanoparticles are such one of the most demanding nano systems for drug delivery to targeted genes that can overcome the problems during treatment itself. Present review paper discussed the types and uses of various types of response-based smart nanoparticles to drug delivery practices.


One way to analyze globalization is to highlight a reordering of spatial scales. Traditional territorial units such as nation-states are not necessarily replaced but rather complemented by other kinds of units. One such unit that has attracted the attention of researchers in the field of geopolitics is the urban area and the city. The urban space can be both a geopolitically important arena where for instance war takes place, but urban space can also be constructed for various purposes and sometimes has great symbolic value on its own. The purpose of the paper is to explore the geopolitical importance of cities, compared to other territorial entities and to build a bridge between traditional geopolitics and urban studies. The paper explores images of the city as a geopolitical arena and the city as a space for everyday life. The paper furthermore scrutinizes the link between urban politics and identity, drawing from discussions on the city as; 1. a symbolic space, 2. a contested space and, 3. a space for identity politics. Empirical illustrations will be taken from earlier studies within this field but also from a field study performed in Jerusalem 2007. This paper contributes to an ongoing discussion on the gap between more "traditional" geopolitical analyses and critical-constructivist approaches.


This guide is to help patrons discover the history of Suffolk County, New York, as well as their own personal genealogy.


Cutaneous leishmaniasis is clinically widespread but lacks treatments that are effective and well tolerated. Because all present drugs have been grandfathered into clinical use, there are no examples of a pre-clinical product evaluation scheme that lead to new candidates for formal development. To provide oral agents for development targeting cutaneous leishmaniasis, we have implemented a discovery scheme that incorporates in vitro and in vivo testing of efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics/metabolism. Particular emphasis is placed on in vivo testing, progression from higher-throughput models to those with most clinical relevance, and efficient use of resources.


From its very conception and introduction to the society, artificial intelligence has been a subject of both persisting excitement and paranoia. As a result of this, it may seem that writers and directors have often portrayed it in two different ways – either as scary and potentially dangerous (e.g. P. K. Dick's depictions of AI) or as rather amusing and mostly harmless (e.g. Marvin from Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy). Perhaps the most interesting portrayals, however, have been those that have managed to combine humour with paranoia. In fact, there is sometimes a fine line between the two, and from Karel Capek's R.U.R. to Fink and Cranor's Welcome to Night Vale, many have managed to walk it without ever fully answering the question whether AI should always be seen as dangerous or not. This paper will attempt to explore this seeming dichotomy by analysing several AI characters from different western countries and their relationships with humans as well as their impression on the audience. Furthermore, it will also help throw light on other related questions, such as: Could the purpose of the comedic aspect of these portrayals be to simply lessen the underlying fear? Can something that makes the audience laugh ever be perceived as scary again? And finally, how does this combined approach differ across the western world?


A safe and reliable battery operation needs effective diagnostic tools. A quantitative failure analysis (FA) to enable cell qualification and quantify its effectiveness for reliable and safe operation of rechargeable Li batteries (RLB) is shown here. The method can identify and quantify potential failure based on the state of charge (SOC) under any operating conditions. A precise and accurate electrochemical analytic diagnosis (eCAD) of 14 rechargeable Li || NMC-622 cells of the same build are used as an example. The FA by eCAD can quantitatively decipher good, bad and ugly cells in cycle aging. The cell qualification is based on thermodynamic SOC, not experimental conditions. The method provides a quantitative failure mode and effect analysis to reveal diverse 'dead Li' formation that affects the reversibility of the Li anode and charge retention in the cell. This cell qualification method highlights the potential to improve cell quality for safe operation, with strong implications for early fault detection, FA, risk mitigation, state estimation and life prediction for reliable and safe RLB operations.


THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL AND SELF BREAST EXAMINATION IN NURSES By Vaiorie L Holwerda The relationship between frequency of self breast examination and health belief model variables was assessed using a convenience sample o f nurses. The self-administered survey measured perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, health motivation, and confidence on 5-point Likert-type scales previously developed by Champion (1993). Individual items measured the frequency o f self breast examination and demographic variables. Correlational statistics were used to determine relationships. The results of the data analysis using the Spearman correlation found that perceived benefits (p=.027), health motivation (p=.0289) and confidence (p=.008) were positively correlated with frequency o f self breast examination. Perceived barriers (p=.0002) were negatively correlated with self-breast examination. Perceived susceptibility and perceived barriers were positively correlated with self breast examination but not at statistically significant levels.


The catalytic converter is a device which converts harmful exhaust gases from internal combustion engine into harmless gases. Global warming and air pollution are a buzz in today's scenario. Greenhouse gasses are responsible for global warming. Carbon dioxide, which contributes to being the single most significant greenhouse gasses emission, comes from the exhaust of an automobile. Catalytic converter plays a vital role in the reduction of such greenhouse gasses. The objective of the present study is to examine an automobile catalytic convertor to present a detail and comprehensive report on the key parameters affecting the flow uniformity inside the converter and thus attempting to achieve minimum pressure drop across the converter to reduce the backpressure. The catalytic converter geometry is modified to increase the conversion efficiency of the converter. The results reported in the latter part of this paper gives a good insight about the recirculation zones created in the base and also velocity and pressure plots to find a solution for uniform flow within the monolith and also achieved a reduction in pressure drop of 3.7 Pa.


Background There are limited numbers of prospective epidemiological study regarding injuries of women professional golfers in Korea. Objective To analyse types of injury of women golf player in different tour levels (ie, Division I, II and III tour). Design Prospective epidemiological study. Setting The Yonsei Institute of Sports Science and Exercise Medicine Injury Surveillance System (YISSEM ISS) questionnaire survey was used to collect epidemiological data of Korean Women professional golfer. Division I, II and III tour golfers were participated in this study. Patients (or Participants) A total of 388 professional golfers who participated in the 2015 KLPGA tour. Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) Injuries sustained as a professional golfer. Main Outcome Measurements Main outcomes related golf injuries were golfers' injury rate sustained during the year, time of injury, body part injured, type of injury. Frequency and Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate rate of golf-related injury. Results The injury rate was greater in division I tour (79.4%) than II (68.1%) and III (72.1%) tour. The golfer were most likely to injured both in-season and preseason (51.4%) followed by solely in-season (44%), and solely preseason (4.6%). The most common injured body part was the wrist/forearm/elbow (I:23%, II:26%, III:27%), closely followed by the low back (I:22%, II:23%, III:23%), and shoulder/upper arm (I:21%, II:19%, III:21%). The type of the most common injury was the tendinitis or inflammation (I:35%, II:37%, III:37%), followed by the ligament sprain (I:22%, II:21%, III:23%), and muscle-tendon strain (I:19%, II:19%, III:14%). Conclusions The injuries in golf are most likely sustained in the wrist/forearm/elbow and low back region during swing. Injury types of KLPGA golfer were not significantly associated with tour levels. Analysis of golf injury during multiple years may provide better information to prevent injury.


Victoria Cook, in "Exploring Transnational Identities in Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost," addresses issues of identity raised in the narrative of Michael Ondaatje's novel Anil's Ghost. Cook's paper is a close analysis of Ondaatje's novel, paying particular attention to the way in which Ondaatje examines identity as both a "construct" and a "process." The approach used is one that draws on postcolonial theory and takes a "transnational" perspective. Cook argues that Ondaatje's text moves beyond the concept of a postcolonial literature of "resistance" into an area that requires a theory of process rather than product. Transnationalism is shown here to be just such a theory, in that it captures something of this fluidity: the analysis is underpinned, therefore, by the application of transnational theory, as put forward by critics such as Paul Giles. Names and naming are the main themes addressed in the course of this argument, with regard to the way in which they impact on issues of identification. Finally, Cook explores in her paper issues of identity in Anil's Ghost, identity that traverses cultural and national boundaries and encompasses both central and marginal positions. Victoria Cook, "Exploring Transnational Identities in Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 6.3 (2004):


CONTEXT
A syndrome of lipodystrophy, characterized by fat redistribution and insulin resistance, has been estimated to affect the majority of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals who are treated with combination antiretroviral therapy. There are no proven therapies for the metabolic disturbances associated with HIV lipodystrophy syndrome.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the safety and efficacy of metformin therapy in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution and abnormal glucose homeostasis.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study conducted in a university hospital between December 1998 and January 2000.

PATIENTS
Twenty-six HIV-infected, nondiabetic patients with fat redistribution and abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, hyperinsulinemia, or both.

INTERVENTIONS
Patients were randomly assigned to receive metformin, 500 mg twice daily (n = 14), or identical placebo (n = 12), for 3 months.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Insulin area under the curve (AUC), calculated 120 minutes following a 75-g OGTT at baseline vs at 3-month follow-up and compared between treatment groups.

RESULTS
Patients treated with metformin demonstrated significant reductions in mean (SEM) insulin AUC 120 minutes after OGTT (-2930 [912] vs -414 [432] microIU/mL [-20349 6334 vs -2875 3000 pmol/L]; P =.01), weight (-1.3 [0.6] vs 1.1 [0.4] kg; P =.005), and diastolic blood pressure (-5 [4] vs 5 [2] mm Hg; P =.009) vs controls, respectively. Metformin therapy was associated with a decrease in visceral abdominal fat (VAT; -1115 [819] vs 1191 [699] mm(2); P =.08) and a proportional reduction in subcutaneous abdominal fat (SAT); the VAT-SAT ratio was unchanged in metformin-treated vs placebo-treated patients. No increase in lactate or liver transaminase levels was observed with metformin treatment. Mild diarrhea was the most common adverse effect of metformin. No patient discontinued therapy because of adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that a relatively low dosage of metformin reduces insulin resistance and related cardiovascular risk parameters in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy. JAMA. 2000;284:472-477


Molecular genetic data have found widespread application in the identification of population and conservation units for aquatic species. However, integration of genetic information into actual management has been slow, and explicit and quantitative inclusion of genetic data into fisheries models is rare. In part, this reflects the inherent difficulty in using genetic markers to draw inferences about demographic independence, which is generally the information of the greatest short-term interest to fishery managers. However, practical management constraints, institutional structures and communication issues have also contributed to the lack of integration. This paper identifies some of the organizational, conceptual and technical barriers that have hampered full use of genetics data in stock assessment and hence fishery management and outlines how such use could be enhanced.


Antibiotics are the most commonly used drugs in intensive care unit patients and their supply should be based on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic rules. The changes that occur in septic patients who are critically ill may be responsible for subtherapeutic antibiotic concentrations leading to poorer clinical outcomes. Evolving in time the disturbed pathophysiology in severe sepsis (high cardiac output, glomerular hyperfiltration) and therapeutic interventions (e.g. haemodynamically active drugs, mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy) alters antibiotic pharmacokinetics mainly through an increase in the volume of distribution and altered drug clearance. The lack of new and efficacious drugs and increased bacterial resistance are current problems of contemporary antibiotic therapy. Although intermittent administration is a standard clinical practice, alternative methods of antibiotic administration are sought, which may potentialise effects and reduce toxicity as well as contribute to inhibition of bacterial resistance. A wide range of studies prove that the application of continuous infusion of time-dependent antibiotics (beta-lactams, glycopeptides) is more rational than standard intermittent administration. However, there are also studies which do not confirm the advantage of one method over the other. In spite of controversy the continuous administration of this group of antibiotics is common practice, because the results of both studies point to the higher efficacy of this method in critically ill patients. Authors reviewed the literature to determine whether any clinical benefits exist for administration of time-dependent antibiotics by continuous infusion. Definite specification of the clinical advantage of administration this way over standard dosage requires a large-scale multi-centre randomised controlled trial.


PurposePsychological capital (PsyCap) and future time perspective (FTP) are ambassadors of positivity among incumbent employees in organisations. However, remarkably little is known regarding the effectiveness of high-performance work systems (HPWS) in nurturing these constructs. The purpose of this study is to contribute and provide a complete frame of reference linking HPWS to PsyCap and FTP.Design/methodology/approachA synthesis analysis of existing literature was carried out to formulate managerial and practical propositions.FindingsDrawing on the conservation of resources theory, affective events theory and Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, the present study proposes a research framework that links HPWS, FTP and PsyCap, with possible mediation effect of FTP in HPWS–PsyCap relationship and PsyCap in HPWS–FTP relationship.Practical implicationsAlthough this paper did not test the model empirically, it offers important practical implications in terms of PsyCap and FTP perception development through HPWS practices.Originality/valueA set of propositions that explain the relationships between the study variables is presented to enrich the understanding with organisation's HRM practices and its possible impact on employees.


Microbiota analysis is a fundamental element for a better understanding of microbiota role, its relationship with the human body and its impact on different pathologies. There is today no non-invasive tool for easy collection of the microbiota in the small intestine. In this paper, we describe the development of such a device that opens the way to new diagnostic techniques. The device is based on a capsule designed as a passive system to maximize the safety during its use. Originality of the design relies in the use of a bistable mechanism obtained using additive manufacturing in order to provide a compact design with integration of opening, sampling and closing functions within the capsule. Design, implementation and initial lab evaluation of sampling are presented.


The development process for reinforcement learning applications is still exploratory rather than systematic. This exploratory nature reduces reuse of specifications between applications and increases the chances of introducing programming errors. This paper takes a step towards systematizing the development of reinforcement learning applications. We introduce a formal specification of reinforcement learning problems and algorithms, with a particular focus on temporal difference methods and their definitions in backup diagrams. We further develop a test harness for a large class of reinforcement learning applications based on temporal difference learning, including SARSA and Q-learning. The entire development is rooted in functional programming methods; starting with pure specifications and denotational semantics, ending with property-based testing and using compositional interpreters for a domain-specific term language as a test oracle for concrete implementations. We demonstrate the usefulness of this testing method on a number of examples, and evaluate with mutation testing. We show that our test suite is effective in killing mutants (90% mutants killed for 75% of subject agents). More importantly, almost half of all mutants are killed by generic write-once-use-everywhere tests that apply to any reinforcement learning problem modeled using our library, without any additional effort from the programmer.


OBJECTIVE
Current treatment strategies for painful critical ischemia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are suboptimal. A drug that is non-renally excreted has minimal systemic absorption and does not require dose adjustment in renal failure is attractive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Qutenza® (topical capsaicin 8%) for chronic neuropathic pain from critical ischemia in patients with ESRD.

DESIGN AND SETTING
A prospective cohort study was conducted in a single-center, university teaching hospital.

PATIENTS
Twenty patients with ESRD were treated with Qutenza® for neuropathic pain from critical limb ischemia.

METHODS
 Patients were followed-up at 1, 6 and 12 weeks post-treatment. The primary end point was the difference in visual analog scale (VAS) between baseline and week 12. Secondary end points were Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire (BPI) scores, quality of life assessment (EQ-5D) and patient global impression of change (PGIC). Safety and tolerability data were also collected. The trial was prospectively registered with clinical trials databases (EudraCT: 2012-001586-32; NCT01704313).

RESULTS
There was significant reduction in VAS from baseline to week 12 (-20+/-7%; P = 0.02). There was a significant reduction in all seven domains of the BPI. Quality of life also improved at 12 weeks following treatment in two of the EQ-5D domains (mobility and pain). Qutenza® was well tolerated with no significant side effects in this patient cohort, which included 20% diabetics.

CONCLUSIONS
In this small, observational study Qutenza® treatment has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated to treat neuropathic pain from critical ischemia in patients with ESRD.


Within the Precambrian of Yemen, we have identified four gneiss terranes and two island-arc terranes on the basis of existing literature, mapping, and our own field observations, together with new Sm-Nd isotopic data. The two western gneiss terranes can be correlated with well-documented terranes (Asir and Afif) in Saudi Arabia. To the east of these, the Abas and Al-Mahfid gneiss terranes yield Sm-Nd model ages ( t DM ) of 1.7–2.3 Ga and 1.3–2.7 Ga, respectively, and cannot be correlated with any documented terranes in Saudi Arabia. These two terranes are separated by a Pan-African island-arc terrane that has been obducted onto one or both of the gneiss terranes, and a second arc bounds the Al-Mahfid gneiss terrane to the east. Our discovery of extensive Proterozoic to late Archean gneisses in Yemen provides important constraints upon the much-discussed tectonic framework of northeast Gondwana and the rate of Pan-African crustal growth. The terranes in Yemen may be correlated with comparable terranes on the eastern margin of the Arabian Shield and in northern Somalia. Thus Yemen provides a link between the arc collage of the Arabian Shield and the gneissic Mozambique belt of East Africa.


Purpose
A paradigm in circular economy (CE) is that suppliers retain ownership of their products and materials, and that the users "only" pay for services. In many legal systems, however, elements incorporated in a building are considered to be fixtures, and therefore legally part of the building. This means that ensuring multi-cyclic behaviour of individual building elements (e.g. the facade or a window) is not so evident. This paper explores, from the perspective of Dutch law, how to secure the ownership of the supplier or to find alternatives within the existing system of property law.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors performed a literature review of both CE and (Dutch) property law. The results of these reviews are discussed and illustrated by legal case studies.

Findings
The options principally advocated within CE to retain ownership of building parts leave legal uncertainties and do not offer a solid basis for the development of circular business models, especially considering immovables and fixtures. For these categories, buy-back and take-back contracts, and models for reuse and recycling seem more promising.

Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to a literature review. Although the legal principles discussed in this paper are valid for both civil and common law systems, and similar findings might, therefore, be expected internationally, this study focused on the specific Dutch legal context. Comparative legal research and research of best practices in the building industry is needed to test the applicability of the findings in an international context.

Practical implications
Following the findings, CE initiatives within real estate and the construction industry should focus on alternative implementations of the operational lease concept, taking into account CE's ambitions to reduce the extraction of raw materials.

Originality/value
At the moment the challenges that property law poses CE, real estate and operational lease are hardly discussed within the literature. This paper explores this gap.


Today's complex manufacturing systems operate in a changing environment rife with uncertainty. The performance of manufacturing companies ultimately hinges on their ability to rapidly adapt their production to current internal and external circumstances. On the base of a running national research project on digital enterprises and production networks, the paper illustrates how the concepts of intelligent manufacturing systems and digital enterprises can contribute to the solution of the above problems.


In this paper we describe the results of a computational study towards the (re)optimization of signaling transfer points (STPs) in telecommunication networks. The best performance of an STP is achieved whenever the traffic load is evenly distributed among the internal components. Due to the continuously changing traffic pattern, the load of the components has to be re-optimized on a regular basis. Besides the balancing objective also the number of rearrangements have to be taken into account. In this paper we present two alternative formulations to deal with both requirements. Computational results show that for both formulations (near) optimal solutions can be obtained within reasonable time limits.


Young children tend to map novel words to novel objects even in the presence of familiar competitors, a finding that has been dubbed the "disambiguation" effect. Theoretical accounts of this effect have debated whether it is due to initial constraints on children's lexicons (e.g. a principle of mutual exclusivity) or situation-specific pragmatic inferences. We suggest that both could be true. We present a hierarchical Bayesian model that implements both situation-level and hierarchical inference, and show that both can in principle contribute to disambiguation inferences with different levels of strength depending on differences in the situation and language experience of the learner. We additionally present data testing a novel prediction of this probabilistic view of disambiguation.


The present experiment was carried out in the household ponds (0.04 to 0.08 ha in area with 1.3 to 2.4 m in depth) of small indigenous people at Barind Tract region, northwest Bangladesh during September, 2017 to June, 2018 to know the growth performance of bivalve with carp. Two different treatments with 3 replicates were used, in treatment one (T1) only the carp polyculture was performed and in treatment two (T2) carp and bivalve polyculture was performed. Good quality of carp fingerlings (Labeo rohita, Gibelion catla, Cirrhinus cirrhousus, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Ctenopharyngodon idella) and freshwater bivalve (Lamellidens marginalis) seeds were stocked in the ponds. Stocking density and size of the seeds were similar for all of the study ponds. During the experiment there were no significant differences was observed in growth performance of the fishes between the two different treatments (p<0.05). The weight gain was recorded for L. rohita 420.31 g in T1 and 436.25 g in T2, for G. catla 237.01 g in T1 and 329.66 g in T2, for C. cirrhosus 263.53 g in T1 and 301.74 g in T2, for H. molitrix 559.6 g in T1 and 593.57 g in T2, for C. idella 510.11 g in T1 and 619.57g in T2. The weight gain of L. marginalis was 12.3 g in T2. During this experiment the production of carp was recorded 2524.5 kg/ha in T1 and 2618.2 kg/ha in T2 and the bivalve production was 1284.4 kg/ha in T2. This study is the first report on growth performance of bivalve with carp in the Barind Tract region of northwest Bangladesh. The result of this study will be helpful for the development of bivalve aquaculture in this climatically vulnerable region.
J. Bio-Sci. 29(2): 99-110, 2021 (December)


SIR,-In reply to Dr. Barnes' criticism upon my remarks on this subject, allow me to compare my statement, " that there can be no objection to the use of the perchloride as a subsidiary remedy after, or in conjunction with, the well known measures calculated to promote and sustain uterine contraction"', with his own declaration: " It is precisely in these desperate cases where the ordinary means fail to cause contraction, tha the perchloride comes to the rescue", and to ask wherein lies the practical distinction between the two opinions? Have the observation ana experience of Dr. Barnes led him to the conclusion that the intrateine injection of perchloride of iron is the most powelful agent for controlling active puerperal hxmorrhage, and therefore, of course, to be adopted in all cases, at once, without wasting time in resorting to less certain and reliable means? I ask this question in no contentious spirit, but with a view to elicit from so eminent an authority an answer, which, if in the affirmative, will, I venture to think, revolutionise the present doctrines on the treatment of flooding; if in the negative, will afford me the satisfaction of knowing that, in principles, there is but little dierence between us. I adimit that the proposition, " that contraction of the uterus is the srni means of controlling haemorrhage", was, strictly speaking, too unconditional; but I feel sure Dr. Barnes will agree with me that the cases in which flooding is arrested by coagulation are rare and exceptional, and can scarcely occur during active hemorrhage, when regurgitation of the stream of blood through the uterine sinus would overcme the resistance of coagula; and, unless I misapprehend his views, his reliance upon the perchloride is in its action in promoting contraction of the uterus, rather than in its effect as a local styptic. Sucl., indeedl, must be the conclusion, if it is to supersede or take precedence of other remedies. -Ttrust the importance of the subject will justify the prolongation of the discussion, and will induce Dr. Barnes to favour me with a reply in hnticipation of his promised essay; for this amongst other reasons, that I lave no practical experience of the remedy, but am quite prepared to avail myself of the first opportunity of testing its efficiency, when 1 understand more definitely the conditions under which its use has proved so successful in Dr. Barnes' practice. I am, etc., Liverpool, 1869. A. B. STEELE.


This article examines the reporting of corruption in the Nigerian press. The purpose of the article is to develop a thesis that explains the factors that influence the practice of journalism in Nigeria using the reporting of corruption as a yardstick. The article stems from in-depth interviews with Nigerian journalists in 2007 in which they were asked about the way they report corruption, and whether the regional divide in the country is apparent in reporting stories about corruption. Following the work of Hallin and Mancini (2004, Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press), this article suggests that what exists in Nigeria is regional parallelism, which implies a modification of Hallin and Mancini's framework of political parallelism. The findings of the research suggest that regionalism is a key factor in Nigerian journalism. However, it is much more complex than the simple assumption of north-south dichotomy; rather, there are intra-regional factors in the nature of ownership in the Nigerian press. The regional parallelism thesis identified six factors that explain the character of the Nigerian press. The article recommends that courses on corruption and the media should be introduced in Nigerian and other African universities teaching journalism and mass communications, so that future journalists will understand the challenges ahead. The article also recommends that an independent commission for the protection of journalists in Africa should be established.


In this paper, we present the simulation results of a 1.6 cell X-band photocathode RF gun for ultra-low emittance electron beams. It will work at 9.3 GHz. The emittance, bunch length, electron energy and energy spread at the gun exit are optimized at bunch charge of 1pC using PARMELA. Electron bunches with emittance about 0.1 mm·mrad and bunch length less than 100 fs can be obtained from this gun. A PITZ type coupler is adopted in this gun and an initial simulation by MAFIA is also given in this paper.


Inspired by natural earthworms' locomotion mechanism, this paper investigates how the earthworm's muscle works and presents the approach to mimic segmental muscle by employing rigid elements-based morphing structures. Specifically, the proposed earthworm-like robot employs a class of 2D rigid elements and their array to achieve programmable bidirectional 3D deformation, making the formed mechanism precisely controllable and work effectively, thus facilitating the robot's peristaltic locomotion more efficient. To comprehensively investigate the morphing structure and it formed earthworm-like robot, the kinematics, mechanics, deformation-dependent locomotion framework with its adapted model, as well as the factors that affect the optimal velocity are developed and presented. Extensive simulations and experiments on the proposed robot are performed. The results verify the effectiveness of the morphing mechanism and it enabled earthworm-like robot, and the consistency between the proposed locomotion model and the practical tests. The results also prove that regardless of the condition of the contact surface, the optimal phase shift angle can be achieved when each segment approximately contract and relax once in one wavelength period. Our developed prototype achieves a speed of 4.57~9.23 body lengths per minute, which is very competitive compared with most developed earthworm-like robots.


The discovery of vast deposits of petroleum resources in any state can arguably lead to many positive outcomes for the country, but for this favourable outcome to be actualised individual players have to perform some significant roles in achieving this goal. It has been proven that some economic development can be achieved through petroleum resources. Some studies have shown the vital roles governments, and national oil companies play in their domestic petroleum sector and even in the global petroleum sector. Recently, the national oil company model of managing petroleum resources has come under scrutiny and has been viewed as a medium of waste and corruption. This paper identifies that the national oil company model can lead to some positive outcomes for the economy of Guyana. Also, this paper identifies and analyses the critical roles a government and a national oil company play in the successful petroleum resource governance and the positive outcomes that can come from transparent and effective management of these resources. Furthermore, this paper argues the case for the presence of a national oil company in Guyana, considering that they are today considered to be a petroleum-rich state due to the sizeable recent petroleum discovery in the country.


Background Identification of the presence of significant fibrosis is an important part of the diagnostic work-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Aim To evaluate the performance of the aspartate to alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT ratio) and platelet count in reducing the number of liver biopsies and diagnosing the presence/absence of significant fibrosis in a large cohort of patients with CHC seen at 2 tertiary referral centers. Methods Liver biopsies of 409 patients with CHC were evaluated. Staging was carried out by means of the Ishak and METAVIR scores in the Italian and US series, respectively. Prevalence of significant fibrosis was 43%. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify AST/ALT ratio and platelet count cutoffs with the highest accuracy for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis. These cutoffs were used to devise a diagnostic algorithm for reducing the number of liver biopsies and diagnosing/ruling out significant fibrosis. Results AST/ALT ratios increased and platelet counts decreased as liver fibrosis worsened. Both AST/ALT ratio (c-index=0.747) and platelet count (c-index=0.733) had high accuracy for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis. The use of AST/ALT ratio and platelet count cutoffs in a diagnostic algorithm would have avoided liver biopsy in 68.9% of the patients and would have correctly identified the absence/presence of significant fibrosis in 80.5% of these cases. Conclusions In clinical practice, the use of simple, reproducible, and inexpensive parameters such as the AST/ALT ratio and platelet count can reduce the need for liver biopsy in a substantial proportion of patients with CHC.


Motion correlation interfaces are those that present targets moving in different patterns, which the user can select by matching their motion. In this paper, we re-formulate the task of target selection as a probabilistic inference problem. We demonstrate that previous interaction techniques can be modelled using a Bayesian approach and that how modelling the selection task as transmission of information can help us make explicit the assumptions behind similarity measures. We propose ways of incorporating uncertainty into the decision-making process and demonstrate how the concept of entropy can illuminate the measurement of the quality of a design. We apply these techniques in a case study and suggest guidelines for future work.


In two seminal papers,1 Rafael La Porta, Florencio Lopez-deSilanes, Andrei Shleifer, and Robert Vishny (LLSV) spell out a theory for the interrelationship between law and economic development now commonly referred to as "Legal Origins Theory." Legal Origins Theory makes the following claims: (1) There exist "legal families" that form separate and distinct sets of legal systems that are made up of groups of countries, viz., Common Law countries (primarily Anglo-Saxon nations), Germanic Civil Law countries (e.g., Germany and Japan), and French Civil Law countries (e.g., France and most of continental Europe).2 (2) There is a significant correlation between a country's "legal origin," which group it belongs to, and the character of certain legal rules or procedures we find operating within that jurisdiction (e.g., judicial independence and contract enforcement, property right protection, minority shareholder protection, market vs. interventionist financial regulation, labor regulation, etc.).3 (3) These rules operate to advance certain economic ends, with rules/procedures that tend to favor market-based, individual contracting versus statist regulatory regimes which yield superior outcomes based on certain measures, such as market capitalization to GDP, income per capita, and others.4 (4) Membership in a legal family is exogenously determined (largely by the process of colonization and the assimilation/perpetuation of legal cultures by colonized jurisdictions). The distinct character of the broad legal families is a feature of history beginning as early as the middle ages and extending through the revolutionary era. Despite growing global convergence, these distinct characters persist and are significant; and these distinct characters are a significant antecedent cause of the types of legal rules/procedures found in a given country and, therefore, of the resulting economic consequences.5 What makes Legal Origins Theory so interesting is its claim to be more than simply a set of results. It claims to offer prescriptive value for policy development.6 Beyond simply offering a descriptive narrative of what legal choices in the past have led to the economic consequences of today, it purports to offer ex ante a narrative on what economic consequences will arise tomorrow from legal conditions today. Put crudely, if we were to form a new country today, we would see future outcomes determined by which legal family our new country belongs. These outcomes would be consistent with what we have seen in the past. Or so the Theory holds.7 This claim of inevitability may overstate, to some extent, the claims of the primary proponents of the Theory. Some have dubbed it the "strong form."8 However, without some assertion of predictive value, the Theory becomes substantially less interesting. To say that certain good economic outcomes have come out of certain legal policies is, of course old beer. To be something more than another in a long line of law and economics papers, "law 8c finance," as some have labeled LLSVs work, needs to find a "big truth." And like any assertion of discovery of a big truth, no matter how modestly stated, the assertions of Legal Origins Theory have attracted critics.9 I would join their ranks. There are two aspects to Legal Origins Theory that I find the most difficult to accept. Professors Aguilera and Williams' paper10 highlights one, Professor Fairfax's,11 the other. The first feature I struggle with is the notion in the Theory that because we have found a causal channel that is significant ex post, we therefore have a predictive tool that allows us to set policy ex ante. LLSV revisited their theory in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of the publication of their first papers.12 In their tour of the empire they had built, they purport to offer some humility regarding the predictive power of their work. Nevertheless, they conclude that legal origins have significant consequences for economic outcomes, and that the outcomes associated with the common law "family" are superior. …


Adopting an automatic milking system (AMS) on a dairy farm decreases the hours spent on animal husbandry by approximately 30 per cent. When comparing a milking parlour and the AM-system, the main economic benefit clearly results from the decrease in labour costs in automatic milking. In terms of economic profitability, the net profit in AM-system remains above that of the milking parlour system. On dairy farms the main reasons for adopting automatic milking are linked to the workload and physical loading. A more flexible working time distributes the workload evenly during busy cultivation periods. More flexible leisure time is also important. Producers also want to enhance the welfare and health of the animals by increasing the milking frequency of highly productive cows.


Boron Suboxide (B6O) powder was synthesized at temperatures of about 1400 oC from the reaction of boron and boric acid powders. The synthesized B6O powders were hot pressed at 1900 oC and at pressures of 50 MPa. Additionally to pure B6O materials, composites with Aluminum were prepared. The microstructure and properties of the sintered compacts were investigated. The addition of Aluminum in the composites results in the formation of an additional Aluminum Borate phase. The composites showed a similar hardness (~30GPa) as the pure B6O samples but an increased fracture toughness (~3.5MPa.m1/2).


The mass occurrence of toxic cyanobacteria is a recurrent phenomenon in the Baltic Sea. Grazers may obtain toxins either through ingestion or by direct exposure to dissolved toxins. Despite this, there is little knowledge about the accumulation of cyanobacterial toxins in planktonic organisms present during these blooms. Toxin analyses of tissue samples are complicated to carry out and, because of the small size of microscopic planktonic organisms, often difficult to execute. Therefore, we wanted to use a precise and sensitive method to study toxin uptake and accumulation in zooplankton. We used chemically tritiated nodularin, 3H‐dihydronodularin, to study the uptake of dissolved nodularin, a cyanobacterial hepatotoxin produced by Nodularia spumigena. Cultures of the calanoid copepods Acartia tonsa and Eurytemora affinis, and an oligotrich ciliate Strombidium sulcatum were exposed to 3H‐dihydronodularin in filtered seawater, using naturally occurring concentrations of dissolved nodularin (5 μg L−1). All three species took up measurable amounts of radiolabeled nodularin. After 48 h we detected 0.37 ± 0.22 μg toxin g C−1 (mean ± sd) in A. tonsa and 0.60 ± 0.15 μg toxin g C−1 in E. affinis, whereas 1.55 ± 0.50 μg toxin g C−1 was detected in S. sulcatum after 24 h. The minimum bioconcentration factor (BCF) of 3H‐dihydronodularin was 12 for A. tonsa and 18 for E. affinis. For S. sulcatum our results indicate a maximum BCF of 22. However, because the uptake studies for this species were done in the presence of bacteria, possible particulate transfer cannot be excluded. Nevertheless, our results indicate that dissolved nodularin can be taken up by planktonic organisms. Therefore, the vectorial transport of dissolved toxins to higher trophic levels seems possible, even if some planktonic grazers would avoid feeding on toxic cyanobacteria filaments. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 18: 52–60, 2003.


After the first observations A. Trousseau in 1865, it is exist a host of studies on the relationship between the pathogenesis of cancer and thrombosis. There is now no doubt that the cancer patients occur much more frequently thromboembolism, and migratory venous thrombosis is a manifestation of paraneoplastic syndrome in cancer patients. In general, any manifestation of thrombohemorrhagic complications in cancer patients called Trousseau's syndrome. While thrombotic complications such as venous thromboembolism are most frequent in cancer patients, may also experience severe bleeding symptoms due to systemic coagulopathies, including disseminated intravascular coagulation, haemolytic thrombotic microangiopathy, and hyperfibrinolysis. The basis of the pathophysiology of Trousseau's syndrome, except the classic triad of Virchow, is overproduction of tissue factor, the main initiator of extrinsic coagulation pathway. Thus a significant release of microparticles from tumor cells bearing tissue factor is critical not only for the formation of a blood clot, but the growth and progression of tumors. Tumor cells activate the coagulation cascade or fibrinolysis system, providing conditions for its further spread, stimulation of angiogenesis, increased vascular permeability, which in turn promotes metastasis


This guide provides supporting information about the Research Companion platform. Research Companion helps users learn about the process of finding information, evaluating information, and using information to support research papers. This guide provides supporting information about the Research Companion platform. Research Companion helps users learn about the process of finding information, evaluating information, and using information to support research papers.


Modern telecommunication networks and classical roles of operators are subject to fundamental changes. Standardization bodies and Industry are specifying and integrating next generation network (NGN) infrastructures and NGN services based on an all IP paradigm. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 3GPP2 and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) are working on technological issues to enable services using Internet technology and service orientated architectures (SOA). Furthermore, first thoughts on the architectural and bearer evolution of NGN is taking place under the notion of long term evolution (LTE) and system architecture evolution (SAE). This paper reports about our approach of extending the existing IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) Playground @ FOKUS towards a LTE/SAE testbed and two prototypic services, a single network agnostic voicemail application and a 3G circuit-switched to packet-switched handover scenario as a proof-of-concept for the environment.


We report the morphogenesis and self-assembly of bismutite nanocrystals with fully tunable morphologies from square plates, octagonal sheets, and round disks into three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructures. The results show that the nucleation, growth and self-assembly of bismutite nanocrystals strongly depend on the synergistic effect between hydroxide and citrate ions. The three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructures are formed through an oriented-attachment of bismutite nanocrystals along the 〈001〉 directions. The bismutite hierarchical nanostructures can be utilized for efficient and selective adsorption and separation. A novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform based on a bismutite/gold nanoparticles core–shell structure has been developed for ultrasensitive detection of aromatic molecules with a detection limit down to 1 nM.


A few fetal diseases may benefit from surgical treatment before birth, but hysterotomy and subsequent delivery by cesarean section pose a risk to the otherwise unaffected mother. To assess maternal risk of mortality, morbidity, and reproductive potential after fetal surgery, we reviewed our experience with 17 highly selected women who underwent fetal surgery. Fifteen of these procedures were performed for one of two congenital anomalies: severe bilateral hydronephrosis and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. There were no deaths or serious maternal injuries. In the 14 women who continued pregnancy after hysterotomy, uterine irritability and preterm labor were frequent complications, requiring early confinement in most cases. There has been no detectable effect on future fertility, as indicated by eight subsequent normal pregnancies. We conclude that hysterotomy for fetal surgery can be accomplished without unduly endangering the mother's life or her future reproductive potential. However, morbidity related to premature labor remains a serious problem, and our ability to control uterine contractions after hysterotomy remains the limiting factor in human fetal surgery. ( JAMA . 1991;265:737-741)


Peculiarities of thymus morphogenesis were studied in mice subjected to irradiation in antenatal ontogenesis by means of anatomic, histological and morphometric methods. Dosed action of X-ray irradiation up to 25 cGy in sum and stress factors were established not to impair sharply embryonal thymus morphogenesis but is accompanied with reactive reorganization in the organ. Dosed irradiation over 25 cGy in sum caused prognostically unfavourable disturbances of embryonal thymus morphogenesis manifested as hyperplastic and degenerative dystrophy changes.


This article presents a review of the literature on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and preschool children. A review of the research revealed a predominant focus on pharmacological intervention, with considerably less research on other intervention approaches to ADHD in preschoolers. In particular, there was limited research related specifically to characteristics and best treatment of language-impaired preschool children with ADHD. The available literature did provide important information to further the understanding of the nature of ADHD in preschool-age children and to guide more effective assessment and intervention, both in a general sense and in the practice of speech-language pathology. The more general features of ADHD in preschool children (nature, diagnosis, intervention) are presented first, and then language service delivery implications are discussed. There is limited literature to guide language assessment and intervention for preschool children with ADHD; however, extrapolating from the literature on school-age children would suggest a focus on pragmatic skills, social skills, and emergent literacy.


Education should help students with their intellectual as well as emotional growth. The counseling center at Harvard University, called the Bureau of Study Counsel, assumes that students' dilemmas are not simply academic. Generally, there are three kinds of services at the Harvard Bureau of Study Counsel: didactic-cognitive techniques; group interventions; and individual counseling or psychotherapy. In general, the Harvard Bureau of Study Counsel may be characterized by three distinctive features: a dual emphasis on students' mental as well as intellectual well-being, a clinical/developmental perspective to understanding of students' problems, and a wide variety of services to students. Although these principles can provide a model for Chinese college counselors to organize their counseling services, there are significant social and cultural differences between America and China which would make it difficult for the Harvard model to be directly transplanted to Chinese universities. To help with such a process, Chinese counselors must first develop extensive outreach programs to educate students about the relationship between one's mental well-being and his intellectual functioning. Next, the Chinese counselor should respect the individuality of the student, and attempt to establish a genuine relationship with the student. The Chinese counselor should organize groups and workshops on issues of common concerns to students, and should set up short training programs for well-qualified counselors. Finally, a regular supervision system should be instituted. (LLL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Suggestions for Organization of Student Counseling Services in China by Applying the Harvard Model


The remarkable increase in freight movements and their significant impacts on transportation system, regional well-being, and economic growth provide sufficient motivation to develop reliable analysis tools to estimate commodity flows between zones and forecast the future demand and trends of goods movements among regions. While the need to develop freight demand model to better facilitate infrastructure planning and policy development has been clearly recognized for some time, the current state of knowledge and understanding regarding the movement of freight and behaviors of shippers and carriers lags behind those of passenger travel by a considerable margin. This study outlines the development of a behavioral freight transportation modeling framework that will address some of critical technical and conceptual hurdles that have challenged past efforts by applying agent-based framework in which firm-level decision making processes, including supply chain formation, are simulated. The study goal is to demonstrate the use of disaggregate, behavioral-based modeling approaches for forecasting freight movements and evaluating freight policy impacts at the national/regional scale.


The Manicaland HIV/STD Prevention Project is a major collaborative scientific research initiative that has been underway in rural areas of eastern Zimbabwe since the early 1990s. The principal collaborating institutions in the project have been the Biomedical Research and Training Institute and the Blair Research Institute, each based in Harare, Family AIDS Caring Trust, based in Mutare and Rusape, and the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College in London (formerly based at the University of Oxford). In its early years, the primary aim of the project was to assess the severity of the HIV epidemic in rural areas of Zimbabwe. Two rural areas in Manicaland were chosen as the initial sites for the study on the basis that one (Honde Valley in Mutasa District) was relatively accessible by tarred road to urban centres whilst the other (Rusitu Valley in Chimanimani District) had a similar cultural and socio-economic background but lay in one of the most remote corners of the country. In this article, we describe the main findings of the Manicaland HIV/STD Prevention Project to date. In the process, we highlight some of the principal challenges faced in the search for effective measures to control the HIV epidemic. We also emphasise the need to identify and develop HIV control strategies that reflect spatial and temporal variations in the local socio-economic and epidemiological context. The Zimbabwe Science News Volume 35 (1+ 2) 2001, pp. 27-42


Considering the current reconfiguration of frames of our urban experience as the effect of a political technology, this article aims to show how the notion of ambiance permits to query from a new angle the power relations. If the planning of the living environments has always been a political issue, we want to show that taking into account their sensory dimension turns their ambiantal design into a medium through which power relations can be deployed. The current smoothing of urban ambiances calls for a political reading which gives an understanding of the relationship between aesthetics and action.


International benchmarking competitions have become fundamental for the comparative performance assessment of image analysis methods. However, little attention has been given to investigating what can be learnt from these competitions. Do they really generate scientific progress? What are common and successful participation strategies? What makes a solution superior to a competing method? To address this gap in the literature, we performed a multicenter study with all 80 competitions that were conducted in the scope of IEEE ISBI 2021 and MICCAI 2021. Statistical analyses performed based on comprehensive descriptions of the submitted algorithms linked to their rank as well as the underlying participation strategies revealed common characteristics of winning solutions. These typically include the use of multi-task learning (63%) and/or multi-stage pipelines (61%), and a focus on augmentation (100%), image preprocessing (97%), data curation (79%), and post-processing (66%). The "typical" lead of a winning team is a computer scientist with a doctoral degree, five years of experience in biomedical image analysis, and four years of experience in deep learning. Two core general development strategies stood out for highly-ranked teams: the reflection of the metrics in the method design and the focus on analyzing and handling failure cases. According to the organizers, 43% of the winning algorithms exceeded the state of the art but only 11% completely solved the respective domain problem. The insights of our study could help researchers (1) improve algorithm development strategies when approaching new problems, and (2) focus on open research questions revealed by this work.


Parameters identification of isolated wind-diesel power systems (WDPS) is a significant issue in stability analysis of the power system as well as guaranteeing the power generation through the control system. In this article, enhanced whale optimization algorithms (EWOA) are proposed to deal with the parameter identification problem of a WDPS system. The proposed EWOA effectively tackles the premature convergence problem of WOA by splitting the population into two subpopulations and updating the position of each whale according to the position of the best agent in its current subpopulation, the position of the other subpopulation's best agent, and the position of the best neighboring agent. Furthermore, fractional chaotic maps are embedded in the search process of EWOA to increase its performance in terms of accuracy. For validation purposes, the proposed algorithms are applied to identify the unknown parameters of WDPS, where different statistical analyzes and comparisons are carried out with other recent state-of-the-art algorithms. Simulation results confirm that the algorithms have less deviation in parameter estimation, more convergence speed, and higher precision in comparison with other algorithms.


The outcrops at Jesús Maria (Turrialba, Cartago Province, Costa Rica) present limestone sequences 12 to 30 m thick (packstones: biolithites, biomicrites; and wackstones: biosparites, biomicrosparites), sandstones and conglomerates of Upper Oligocene-Lower Miocene age, correlated to the Punta Pelada Formation. The limestones are characterized by patch reefs with an irregular distribution and a reduced lateral extension (50 m), composed of corals (40%), calcareous algae and foraminiferans (30%), mollusks (20%), and in minor amounts fragments of barnacles, decapods, echinoderms and bryozoans. They consisted of low diversity communities possibly due to diverse geographical, geological and tectonic factors: a narrow continental shelf, very shallow and isolated environments, sea level fluctuations, and exposure to clastic sedimentation associated with intermitent volcanic activity. Equity was also low, with corals making up 40% of all macrofossils, and one species, Antiguastrea cellulosa, as predominant (80% of the corals present). These bioconstructions were developed in an open circulation lagoon environment with transitions, in several occasions, to shallower environments represented by elastic sediments.


South Africa is in the grips of a devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic in which the peak incidence occurs among 15-24 year olds. loveLife is the largest youth focused intervention aimed at HIV prevention in South Africa. It is a national initiative of unprecedented scale combining a sustained multi-media awareness and education campaign with comprehensive youth-friendly sexual health services in public clinics nationwide and countrywide outreach and support programmes. This joint initiative between government non-government organisations (NGOs) and academic institutions aims to reduce HIV other sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy among South African youth. It is difficult to attribute the impact of loveLife as distinct from the effects of other national HIV prevention campaigns. For this reason there are two main objectives of this National Evaluation. The first objective is to identify trends in HIV infection and related determinants of infection among young people. The second objective is to try and gauge the relative impact of loveLife on HIV and related risk behaviours. This National Youth Survey is the first of three such studies to be conducted at approximately two year intervals over the expected duration of the loveLife initiative to track changes in HIV prevalence and sexual behaviour among South African youth. The aims of this initial study are to: 15- 24 years establish the prevalence of HIV and related behaviours among young people aged; assess young peoples sexual attitudes; examine the extent of young peoples exposure to loveLife; undertake this data collection with sufficient accuracy to permit monitoring of trends over time. (excerpt)


Research Objective: the article discusses the mutual influence of professional self-realization and the psychological well-being of specialists of caring professions. Methodology: correlation and comparative analysis in different professional groups of specialists. The study involved 465 volunteers with work experience of 3 to 40 years: teachers, doctors, medical personnel, psychologists of state and private enterprises. Several standardized self-reports were used to collect data: Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-being, Professional Burnout Questionnaire, Kokun's Professional Self-Fulfilment Questionnaire, Gura's Workplace Satisfaction Self-assessment Survey, Tkalych's Work-Life Balance additional scale. The use of the open questions allowed clarifying some phenomenological manifestations of professional self-realization among specialists of caring professions, as well as to clarifying the external and internal determinants of self-realization. The authors tested the hypotheses about the influence of several factors on the level of psychological well-being: belonging to a certain professional group, the degree of self-realization, as well as age, gender, and length of service. The results of the study present the structure of well-being and features of self-realization in different professional groups. We proved that professional self-realization is a significant factor in the formation of individual components of psychological well-being: self-acceptance and competence. However, in some cases, high scores for professional self-realization may be associated with burnout and the desire to leave the job. The conclusions contain recommendations on organizational agency and direct psychological interventions that ensure the psychological well-being of specialists of caring professions.


Now a days Security and health care activities are the major issues in Smart homes.Vision based action monitoring has been a serious issue in smart homes.Activity recognition supports in various applications like health care,elderly monitoring,Safety,Social networks analysis,monitoring the environment,transportaion monitoring,surveillance systems etc.Hence the most booming technology ,deep learning is used to monitor the human activity .To perform the above experiment a Convolution Neural Network model is used to recognise the human acivity present in a Smart home.The model is tested and trained with a large data set which has large volume of video data collected .From the experiment a significant output is acheived for the inputs provided which ranges from low level to high level quality of inputs.DML smart actions is a popular data set and it used to test our model.The results obtained from the proposed system was around 82.4% in measuring the accuracy rate of the human activity ecognition in smart homes.


Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) controls cell growth and has a key role in tumorigenic processes. The extent of EGFR signaling is tightly regulated by post-transcriptional modifications leading to down-regulation of the levels of the receptor. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that the reactive oxidant hydrogen peroxide activates the EGFR, yet, without down-regulation of the receptor levels, which results in prolonged receptor signaling. In the present study we examined the role of the E3 ligase c-Cbl, as a possible link between oxidative stress, EGFR signaling, and tumorigenic responses. First, we ectopically expressed a mutant EGFR (Tyr-1045 → Phe) in cells lacking endogenous receptor, to determine whether the lack of phosphorylation at this site is the cause for EGFR retention at the membrane under oxidative stress, as we have previously suggested. Our findings suggest that abrogation of tyrosine 1045 phosphorylation alone is not enough to retain the EGFR at the plasma membrane under oxidative stress. Second, through the use of the Src inhibitor PP1, our findings establish EGFR movement out of the early endosomes as the exact location where c-Cbl-mediated ubiquitinylation is essential for EGFR trafficking. Finally, our studies substantiate the findings that c-Cbl-mediated ubiquitinylation is needed for degradation, but not for internalization of the EGFR in both transfection-dependent Chinese hamster ovary cells and transfection-independent A549 lung epithelial cells. These findings only begin to explain the features seen under oxidative stress, but they yield a greater understanding of the role of c-Cbl in EGFR trafficking.


Understanding mobile banking (MB) system usage is of great value and significance to both academicians and practitioners. MB use has increased to 30% of all bank users, generating over $500 m. annual revenue for bank according to WSJ. This paper provides a novel approach to study MB usage by combining data analytics technique of cluster analysis with a field survey. These users were segmented into homogeneous groups by using cluster analysis with their banking activity. In our study, we use cluster analysis to segment 4478 users based on their usage behavior from their log file activities captured with a MB system deployed by a mid-size bank in U.S. After clustering the banking transactions on a variety of MB usage attributes such as number and types of activities, we have created three homogeneous user groups who will be surveyed to determine the MB system success with IS success model. This field study will also gather their demographic background and experience with the MB system. The survey results will be analyzed while retaining the homogeneous groups allowing inter-group comparisons on the constructs from the IS success model. Theoretical contributions from this study are the innovative use of data analytics for segmenting user sample on the usage variable before the behavioral study. This reduces the risk of sample heterogeneity bias, a priori, before the field study. This approach will provide a deeper understanding of MB usage than prior studies that have used heterogeneous samples and help banks better decisions on MB system features that are more attuned to the needs of the users.


Cultural heritages due to  have  different natural characteristics, have different sizes, and heir complicated structure should be measured and requires a more sophisticated measurement tools and techniques to documentation. One of them aerial photos taken by UAV pictures to use in architectural photogrammetry.In this study, Photogrammetric study was conducted in the ancient church next to the pothole. The study was completed with photographs taken from the air with UAV and close range photogrammetry. The images obtained from both methods adjusted in photogrammetric software and obtained a three-dimensional model of the church. Photography by UAV has proved to be a technical supporters of close range photogrammetry. Also coordinates of the reference points on the images obtained through photogrammetric software and compared with terrain coordinates. Point position accuracy of points mxyz = 2.1 cm were found. In order to protect the world heritage of cultural heritage IHA help to be sensitive enough to measure derived from aerial photographs taken, can be used as a base to work from different professional disciplines, The UAV was concluded in anywhere near the height can be used for photogrammetric.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro elution of 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) from two different adhesive systems, used in two dual polymerized resin cements for bonding of ceramic restoration by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

METHODS
Twenty freshly extracted caries and restoration free molar teeth used in this study. Standardized Class I preparations were prepared in all teeth. A lithium disilicate based (IPS Empress Esthetic; Ivoclar) ceramic inlays were cemented with one of the dual polymerized resin cements (RelyX ARC; 3M ESPE or Nexus 2; Kerr) that have two different adhesive systems (Single Bond; 3M ESPE, Optibond Solo Plus; Kerr). After cementation, specimens were stored in 75% ethanol solution. HPLC was used to analyze the amount of HEMA in the solution (after 10 min, 1 h, 24 h, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days). Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD tests were used to evaluate the results (p < 0.05).

RESULTS
There were statistically significant differences between adhesive systems according to the amount of released HEMA (p < 0.01) and also among time periods (p < 0.01). The amount of HEMA eluted from Optibond Solo Plus was significantly higher than Single Bond. The total amount of monomers was the highest after 21 days (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
In the case of adhesive systems, Optibond Solo Plus showed the highest amount of HEMA. The amount of HEMA eluted from adhesive systems influenced by the time.


An in-phantom calibration technique for 192Ir sources used for endovascular brachytherapy is presented. Three different source lengths were investigated. The calibration was performed in a solid phantom using a Farmer-type ionization chamber at source to detector distances ranging from 1 cm to 5 cm. The dosimetry protocol for medium-energy x-rays extended with a volume-averaging correction factor was used to convert the chamber reading to dose to water. The air kerma strength of the sources was determined as well. EGS4 Monte Carlo calculations were performed to determine the depth dose distribution at distances ranging from 0.6 mm to 10 cm from the source centre. In this way we were able to convert the absolute dose rate at 1 cm distance to the reference point chosen at 2 mm distance. The Monte Carlo results were confirmed by radiochromic film measurements, performed with a double-exposure technique. The dwell times to deliver a dose of 14 Gy at the reference point were determined and compared with results given by the source supplier (CORDIS). They determined the dwell times from a Sievert integration technique based on the source activity. The results from both methods agreed to within 2% for the 12 sources that were evaluated. A Visual Basic routine that superimposes dose distributions, based on the Monte Carlo calculations and the in-phantom calibration, onto intravascular ultrasound images is presented. This routine can be used as an online treatment planning program.