Introduction: Angina Bullosa Hemorrhagica (ABH) is the term used to describe benign subepitilial oral mucosal blood filled blisters, which are not attributed to any systemic disorder. It is a very uncommon condition, mostly seen in elderly patients. The exact etiopathogenesis of the ABH is not known. Herewith, we present a case of 50-year-old male patient who developed ABH on right lateral border of the tongue, following prosthodontics impression making for completely edentulous mouth. Methods: The case management method was topical application of chlorhexidine gel (1%) and lignocaine gel (2%) with avoidance of hot and spicy food. Result and discussion: After one week in treating with topical therapy, the lesion became normal.  The diagnosis of ABH is difficult in patients because of its asymptomatic nature. The early diagnosis of the lesion is very important as a rapidly expanding blood-filled bulla in the oropharynx can cause upper airway obstruction. Therefore, a high level of suspicion is warranted on part of dentists who may the first to encounter the lesion.  Conclusion: Spontaneous Angina Bullosa Hemorrhagica of tongue was an unusual problem that can occur following prosthodontic procedure. The management of the lession were intended to reduce pain or discomfort and prevent secondary infections.


The manufacture of products and components possessing functional nano scale geometries has provided a great hurdle for scientists and engineers to overcome. At the micro nano scale the classical balance between bulk and surface properties breaks down and it is the surface properties which have the dominant effect on the function of the component/system. With the deepening understanding of the importance of the surface on the function of engineering components there has been a focus on 'designing' the surface topography to optimise functionality, this has taken the form of producing surfaces with controlled surface geometry consisting of patterned geometrical features at the micro/nano scale. The optimised functions are diverse and cover properties optical, tribological and biological function. Wide scale manufacture of these surfaces is limited by the lack of metrological quantification of the structures. The concepts behind the latest metrology techniques for quantifying nano micro scale surfaces are rev...


Direct synthesis of NH-sulfoximines from sulfides has been achieved through O and NH transfer in the same reaction, occurring with complete selectivity. The reaction is mediated by bisacetoxyiodobenzene under simple conditions and employs inexpensive N-sources. Preliminary studies indicate that NH-transfer is likely to be first, followed by oxidation, but the reaction proceeds successfully in either order. A wide range of functional groups and biologically relevant compounds are tolerated. The use of AcO15NH4 affords 15N-labeled compounds.


We study the learning problem of revealed preference in a stochastic setting: a learner observes the utility-maximizing actions of a set of agents whose utility follows some unknown distribution, and the learner aims to infer the distribution through the observations of actions. The problem can be viewed as a single-constraint special case of the inverse linear optimization problem. Existing works all assume that all the agents share one common utility which can easily be violated under practical contexts. In this paper, we consider two settings for the underlying utility distribution: a Gaussian setting where the customer utility follows the von Mises-Fisher distribution, and a $\delta$-corruption setting where the customer utility distribution concentrates on one fixed vector with high probability and is arbitrarily corrupted otherwise. We devise Bayesian approaches for parameter estimation and develop theoretical guarantees for the recovery of the true parameter. We illustrate the algorithm performance through numerical experiments.


This article describes and assesses the divergent objectives and different conditions for obtaining financial support for CCS demonstration projects, through state aid, contributions from the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR) and New Entrants Reserve (NER) funding. The interplay and possibility of cumulation of the different sources of financing, the question of a minimum financial commitment from the operator and possible required results concerning captured CO2 are given special attention. The analysis attempts to answer to the question whether the total available aid addresses the market failure in a cost-efficient way, without unduly distorting competition and trade.


The information presented comes from a case report concerning a left anterior descending coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). The typical "zig-zag" phenomenon, developed exactly within the segment of the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), and in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). The patient had a previous history of rheumatoid arthritis. We speculated that the CAA could be related to the vascular inflammatory reaction caused by the rheumatoid arthritis and the drug-eluting stent implantation.


This paper describes a heat treatment process using dual aging for the A7050 aluminum alloy with the Taguchi method to optimize process parameters. The current study considers micro hardness and electrical conductivity as optimization criteria. Pre-aging temperature, pre-aging time, re-aging temperature, and re-aging time are important factors influencing these optimization criteria. Experiment results show that re-aging temperature is the most significant parameter for electrical conductivity, and both aging times are important influence factors for micro hardness performance. The optimal hardness for A7050 heat treatment conditions are pre-ageing temperature 120 °C, pre-ageing time 12hrs., re-aging temperature140 °C, and re-aging time 8 hrs., respectively. The best electrical conductivity parameters are pre-ageing temperature 120 °C, pre-ageing time 4 hrs., re-aging temperature180 °C, and re-aging time 24 hrs., respectively. The current study obtained contributing individual parameters for hardness, and electrical conductivity in dual aging of heat treatment.


Purpose

– This editorial reflects on 25 years of AAAJ and on the interdisciplinary accounting movement and its future direction. It emphasises the Editors' commitment to encouraging the application of a broad range of theories and research methodologies as well as their ongoing support for diversity as a defining feature of AAAJ. This includes the wider community, which includes the APIRA conference attendees, Special Issue editors and the many individuals who have all played an important part in AAAJ's 25 years. The Editors continue to urge interdisciplinary accounting researchers to undertake innovative research and be both original and creative, thereby avoiding a narrowness that is an increasing feature of North American economics based accounting research. The important role of academic researchers is highlighted in not simply observing, but also engaging in and constructing an enabling accounting. The purpose here is to reflect on the past and to look towards the future.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employs a literature‐based analysis and critique. It also identifies via empirical data the field of scholarship associated with AAAJ and evidence of the patterning of recent publications.

Findings

– This editorial draws together various themes in our previous AAAJ editorials and highlights milestones in the journey to our current position. It identifies various challenges that confront interdisciplinary researchers in the globalised academic community. It also points to the need for researchers to reflect on their motivation, informing theories and values to ensure that their academic endeavours are making a contribution to practice, policy and a wider societal good.

Practical implications

– It is hoped the practical and research issues explored in this editorial will invoke more interdisciplinary perspectives on accounting and the accounting profession, and assist scholars in reflecting on their academic studies and potential challenges facing them.

Originality/value

– This editorial reflects on the developments in AAAJ over the past 25 years and discusses various contributions. It also celebrates the top ten authors, topics, Special Issue editors, and the last ten AAAJ Best Paper awards.


We reviewed 21 cases of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome to describe the range of clinical findings in these patients. Most patients were women (20 [95%]) and middle-aged (mean, 46 years) and had taken the food supplement L-tryptophan (95%). All cases involved eosinophilia (eosinophil count, greater than or equal to 2.0 x 10(9)/L) and incapacitating myalgias. Fourteen (88%) of the 16 patients tested had mild liver function abnormalities. Aldolase levels were abnormal in all patients tested. Muscle biopsies were done in five patients; four showed eosinophilic perimyositis, and one had interstitial inflammation. No physical finding was pathognomonic or universal, but muscle tenderness, tachycardia, and rash were the most common signs found during physical examinations. Seven patients were treated with prednisone, and six showed improvement in muscle pain and a decrease in eosinophilia. The cause of this disorder is still unknown.


OBJECTIVE
Growing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play some roles in the progression of osteoarthritis. In this study, we investigated the functions and mechanisms of lncRNA NKILA (NKILA) of chondrocytes in human osteoarthritis (OA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
RT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of NKILA and miR-145 in OA tissues. After transfection of NKILA overexpression lentivirus (LV-NKILA) and NKILA downregulation lentivirus (LV-shNKILA) into primary chondrocytes, MTT assay was carried out to measure the cell proliferation of chondrocytes. The expressions of SP1, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and NF-κB signaling factors were detected by Western blot. Moreover, luciferase assay was performed to explore the binding site of NKILA and miR-145, miR-145 and SP1. Finally, JSH, a NF-κB signaling inhibitor, was added into chondrocytes transfected with LV-shNKILA or miR-145 mimic to detect that NKILA functions via miR-145/SP1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

RESULTS
We found that NKILA and SP1 were significantly reduced, miR-145 was increased in cartilage tissues of OA patients. After LV-NKILA transfection, the proliferation ability of chondrocytes was improved and cell apoptosis was inhibited; however, the proliferation ability of chondrocytes was repressed, and cell apoptosis was increased in LV-sh NKILA group. MiR-145 was predicted to be a potential target of NKILA and luciferase gene reporter assay confirmed that NKILA could directly bind with miR-145. Furthermore, SP1 was predicted to be a target gene of miR-145 and luciferase gene reporter assay proved that miR-145 could directly bind with SP1. Finally, we added JSH, a NF-κB signaling inhibitor, into chondrocytes with LV-shNKILA or miR-145 mimic. Results showed that the repressed SP1 was reversed after the addition of JSH in both LV-shNKILA and miR-145 mimic group. Further, the repressed proliferation capacities and promoted cell apoptosis were also reversed after the addition of JSH.

CONCLUSIONS
According to the results, this study uncovers NKILA is reduced in human osteoarthritic cartilage tissues. Furthermore, we firstly uncover that the reduced NKILA could function as a ceRNA to improve miR-145, which inhibited SP1 expression and regulated NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby promoting tissue inflammation, and inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis of chondrocytes. Thus, it may be used as a promising prognostic marker and a potential target for osteoarthritis.


The Nigerian Palm Oil industry has witnessed a tremendous growth ever since despite its recent neglect. Its importance has permeated every facet of the economic sphere of the nation. Palm oil is the most important source of income to the people of Akwa Ibom State. However, the fluctuating trends in the production and marketing of palm oil in the State, calls for adequate economic investigation in order to enhance the potentials of the enterprise. The study covered the major markets in Akwa Ibom State, namely Uyo, Eket, Etinan, and Ikot Abasi main markets. In all, both the producers, wholesalers, and retailers were studied. The result shows that there is need for improved technical and economic efficiencies in the marketing of palm oil especially as the primary producers were not adequately remunerated due to low marketing efficiency. Journal of Applied Chemistry and Agricultural Research Vol. 7 2000-2001: pp. 120-126


Land managers and researchers strive to understand factors influencing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations and develop methods to improve habitat. Evaluating forage quality across variable habitat types and soil regions may assist land managers interested in improving habitat quality. We placed 570 plant sampling exclosures across nine primary habitat types in Louisiana and collected plant samples representing consumable forage from each exclosure during summer 2012. Each sample was dried and those with ≥ 10 g of dry matter were analyzed for crude protein, total digestible nutrients, and trace minerals to assess forage quality within each major habitat type across Louisiana. We also assessed potential relationships between crude protein, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium concentrations of preferred white-tailed deer forages in each habitat with 10year averages of body mass and antler size for 4.5+ year-old male deer harvested in each habitat type. Samples collected from longleaf flatwoods habitats exhibited the poorest average nutritional quality, whereas samples from bottomland hardwood habitats generally had greatest nutritional value. We noted a significant correspondence in body mass and antler measurements of mature male deer among habitat types with forage calcium concentrations. We observed no significant relationships between body mass or antler measurements and any other measure of nutritional value among habitat types.


Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have achieved impressive results in various image synthesis tasks, and are becoming a hot topic in computer vision research because of the impressive performance they achieved in various applications. In this paper, we introduce the recent research on GANs in the field of image processing, including image synthesis, image generation, image semantic editing, image-to-image translation, image super-resolution, image inpainting, and cartoon generation. We analyze and summarize the methods used in these applications which have improved the generated results. Then, we discuss the challenges faced by GANs and introduce some methods to deal with these problems. We also preview some likely future research directions in the field of GANs, such as video generation, facial animation synthesis and 3D face reconstruction. The purpose of this review is to provide insights into the research on GANs and to present the various applications based on GANs in different scenarios.


Autonomous systems must be able to detect and promptly react to faults. Fault Detection and Identification components (FDI) are in charge of detecting the occurrence of faults.
The FDI depends on the concrete design of the system, needs to take into account how faults might interact, and can only have a partial view of the run-time state through sensors. For these reasons, the development of the FDI and certification of its correctness and quality are difficult tasks. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that current approaches for verification of the FDI rely on manual inspection and testing. Motivated by industrial case-studies from the European Space Agency, this thesis proposes a formal foundation for FDI design that covers specification, validation, verification, and synthesis.
The Alarm Specification Language (ASLk) is introduced in order to formally capture a set of interesting and desirable properties of the FDI components. ASLk is equipped with a semantics based on Temporal Epistemic Logic, thus enabling reasoning about partially observable systems. Automated reasoning techniques can then be applied to perform validation, verification, and synthesis of the FDI. This formal process guarantees that the generated FDI satisfies the designer expectations. The problems deriving from this process were out of reach for existing model-checking techniques. Therefore, we develop novel and efficient techniques for model-checking temporal epistemic logic over infinite state systems.


Abstract: Field trials were conducted under natural infection and artificial inoculation from 2012 to 2014 at seven sites across the Canadian prairies to determine genetic and management effects on Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat production systems. A system of management, which consisted of (1) a control of no fungicide was compared with (2) the seed treatment (ST) thiamethoxam + difenoconazole + metalaxyl-M + S-isomer, (3) an in-crop foliar fungicide (tebuconazole + prothioconazole), or (4) ST + foliar fungicide, was integrated with four wheat cultivars of contrasting growth habits and levels of FHB resistance. Results indicated the cultivars expressing improved FHB resistance, Carberry (spring wheat) and Emerson (winter wheat), were superior over susceptible cultivars, Harvest (spring wheat) and CDC Falcon (winter wheat), in reducing Fusarium-damaged kernel (FDK) and deoxynivalenol (DON) levels, and displayed higher yield under high Fusarium pressure. Winter wheat displayed higher overall yield, with Emerson producing the highest and most stable yields across environments. Application of foliar fungicide, with or without the ST, increased grain yield, seed mass, and test weight; and lowered FDK and DON. Seed treatment alone increased test weight, spring plant density of both winter wheat varieties, and kernel weight in Emerson. A management strategy of foliar fungicide and (or) ST + foliar fungicide generally produced higher yields with greater stability, particularly for susceptible cultivars in high FHB environments. The results of this study reinforce that integration of FHB-resistant cultivars with appropriate cultural practices is required to reduce the risk of FHB and optimize grain yield, and is further enhanced with a winter vs. spring growth habit.


Background: Hybrid mensurational and physiological models seek to combine precision, process explanation, simplicity in parameter definition, and ability to estimate wood products. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability and the advantages of the hybrid mensurational-physiological approach where time has been substituted for light sums in growth equations, to replace traditional time-based models in forecasting systems for Eucalyptus grandis W.Hill and Pinus taeda L.
Methods: Using 974 permanent sample plots from plantations in Uruguay, we adjusted growth equations to project dominant height, net basal area, maximum diameter breast height, and standard deviation of diameters as a function of accumulated light restricted by modifiers that account for principal physiological limitations on photosynthesis. We analysed: i) the inclusion of terrain aspect and slope information for computing radiation; ii) the use of modifiers for temperature, vapour pressure deficit and water balance; iii) bias and precision of hybrid models with respect to time-based equations.
Results: Growth equations showed a good fit for both species when modelled as a function of light sums modified by vapor pressure deficit, air temperature, and water balance. Accounting for slope orientation when computing light sums did not increase precision. Compared to time-based formulations, hybrid models presented a root mean squared error reduction of 10.7% and 4.5% on average for Eucalyptus grandis and for Pinus taeda, respectively, and the relationship between growth and resource availability was consistent with eco-physiological principles for both species.
Conclusions: The hybrid methodology can be applied as a basis of forecasting systems for the species studies with significant advantages over time-based models, such as: (i) an increase in precision; (ii) an increase in spatial and time resolution; and (iii) the possibility of simulating the effect of changes in air temperature and water availability on tree growth.


1.0 Introduction Multiple strong stresses on heavy syllables within words in Northern Greenlandic Eskimo indicate the absence of word trees in the metrical grid. That final light syllables also selectively receive stress in the absence of a word tree presents a challenge to available mechanisms which attempt to account for such alternations. These include destressing (Hammond 1989; Halle and Kenstowicz 1990) and extrametricality (Halle and Kenstowicz 1990). The problems presented by these mechanisms are avoided in an analysis based on bimoricity. The analysis proposed here presents a modification of the iambic template in Hayes' (1987) typology.


In the context of local search, we investigate the exploration of constraint-oriented neighbourhoods, where a set of constraints is picked before considering the neighbouring configurations where those constraints may have a different penalty. Given the semantics of a constraint, neighbourhoods consisting only of configurations with decreased (or preserved, or increased) penalty can be represented intensionally as a new attribute for constraint objects. We present a framework for combining neighbourhoods that allows different local search heuristics to be expressed, including multi-phase heuristics where an automatically identifiable suitable subset of the constraints is satisfied upon a first phase and then preserved in a second phase. This simplifies the design of local search algorithms compared to using just a variable-oriented neighbourhood, while not incurring any runtime overhead.


Recent improvement in the recruitment of students onto Initial Teacher Training courses for Craft, Design and Technology may cause us to forget just how difficult it was three or four years ago to fill our courses with good calibre students. Most courses now have more than their 'token woman', but three years ago the position was rather different . In July 1985 The Manpower Services Commission asked most CDT Training Establishments if they had any proposals for increasing the supply of teachers. As I remember it we had until 8th August to submit ideas. We had three and perhaps the most important one was for an 'Access Course for Women' . Weneeded to secure a better balance of the sexes on our courses and it was quite clear that there was effectively only a minute supply of suitable and qualified women available. The Polytechnic was quite clear that as this was to be a Further Education Course it would most appropriately be run by a local college of FE . Dudley College of Technology is situated about half a mile from the Faculty of Education and because of its expertise in running general access courses for HE it appeared to be an ideal venue. Initial difficulties were fairly quickly overcome but clearly adapting a good room and taking the risk of appointing staff when MSC support was only available for one year were factors which the College and the LEA had to carefully consider.


As surgical outcomes and survival of patients with cancer improves, in particular patients with head and neck cancer would often develop multiple primaries. The limitations of radiation for repeated local therapy leave radical surgery as the only local option for some of these patients. Given the complexity of the issues at hand, these patients should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in otolaryngology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, and thoracic surgery. Mediastinal tracheostomy is rarely used, but it can be a useful tool in the management of these complex patients. When esophagectomy is performed in combination with pharyngolaryngectomy, a minimally invasive transhiatal approach can be used. Transhiatal esophageal mobilization is technically feasible with laparoscopy, and it obviates the need for thoracic incisions and patient repositioning in this already complex morbid procedure. Additionally, for cervical esophageal tumors, neither margins nor completeness of lymphadenectomy are sacrificed. We describe several critical steps of mediastinal tracheostomy and minimally invasive transhiatal esophagectomy for the management of these complex patients.


Background: Irregularities in sleep duration and sleep timing have emerged as potential risk factors for hypertension. This study examined associations between irregularity in sleep duration and timing with hypertension in a large, global sample over multiple months. Methods: Data from 12 287 adults, who used an under-mattress device to monitor sleep duration and timing and also provided blood pressure recordings on ≥5 separate occasions, were analyzed. Sleep duration irregularity was assessed as the SD in total sleep time across the ≈9-month recording period. Sleep timing irregularity was assessed as SDs in sleep onset time, sleep midpoint, and sleep offset time. Logistic regressions were conducted to investigate associations between sleep irregularity and hypertension, defined as median systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or median diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg. Results: Participants were middle-aged (mean±SD, 50±12 years), mostly men (88%) and overweight (body mass index, 28±6 kg/m−2). Sleep duration irregularity was consistently associated with an ≈9% to 17% increase in hypertension independently of the total sleep time. A ≈34-minute increase in sleep onset time irregularity was associated with a 32% increase in hypertension (1.32 [1.20–1.45]). A 32-minute increase in sleep midpoint irregularity was associated with an 18% increase in hypertension (1.18 [1.09–1.29]), while a 43-minute increase in sleep offset time irregularity was associated with an 8.9% increase in hypertension (1.09 [1.001–1.18]). Conclusions: These findings support that sleep irregularity, both in duration and timing, is a risk marker for poor cardiovascular health. Further mechanistic investigations of temporal relationships between day-to-day fluctuations in sleep duration and timing, next-day blood pressure, and other cardiovascular outcomes are warranted.


This article reports our experience in agent-based hybrid construction for microarray data analysis. The contributions are twofold: We demonstrate that agent-based approaches are suitable for building hybrid systems in general, and that a genetic ensemble system is appropriate for microarray data analysis in particular. Created using an agent-based framework, this genetic ensemble system for microarray data analysis excels in both sample classification accuracy and gene selection reproducibility.


Summary: We assessed the relative importance of different prey types of the European pilchard (European sardine) from the late larval to the adult stage. Two different methodologies for analysing stomach contents were used to describe the trophic dynamics of sardine and the relationship of sardine feeding behaviour with the ontogenetic development of body structures used for feeding, such as gill rakers and pyloric caeca. This information is essential to accurately depict the use of the planktonic resources in the area by sardine and to discuss the extent to which the sardine population could be affected by environmental changes in the Mediterranean Sea. We showed that cladocerans in summer and diatoms in winter were numerically the most important prey types for both juveniles and adults. However, decapod larvae were the most important prey during all seasons in terms of carbon content. Accordingly, differences in methodology should be considered in the analysis of sardine diets. An analysis of the composition of the plankton showed that small copepods were strongly selected by sardines at all ages and in both seasons. We also observed that the pyloric caeca began to grow when the sardines were approximately 4-5 cm standard length (SL) and ended their development when the sardines reached approximately 8 cm SL, whereas the gill rakers appeared to be completely functional when the sardines reached 7 cm SL. Therefore, filter feeding of small particles could be performed with total efficacy beginning at 7-8 cm SL. In view of the energetic advantage of filter feeding in a well-adapted filter-feeding species such as sardine, the prospective limited availability of small particles hypothesized by certain authors for the Mediterranean could have negative consequences for sardine. This study demonstrates that sardine populations, given their extremely high dependence on the lower marine trophic levels, could be strongly affected by alterations in the environment and in the planktonic community.


Phenotypic differences between individuals and species are controlled in part through differences in expression of a relatively conserved set of genes. Genes expressed in the immune system are subject to especially powerful selection. We have investigated the evolution of both gene expression and candidate enhancers in human and mouse macrophages exposed to glucocorticoid (GC), a regulator of innate immunity and an important therapeutic agent. Our analyses revealed a very limited overlap in the repertoire of genes responsive to GC in human and mouse macrophages. Peaks of inducible binding of the GC receptor (GR) detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation-Seq correlated with induction, but not repression, of target genes in both species, occurred at distal regulatory sites not promoters, and were strongly enriched for the consensus GR-binding motif. Turnover of GR binding between mice and humans was associated with gain and loss of the motif. There was no detectable signal of positive selection at species-specific GR binding sites, but clear evidence of purifying selection at the small number of conserved sites. We conclude that enhancer divergence underlies the difference in transcriptional activation after GC treatment between mouse and human macrophages. Only the shared inducible loci show evidence of selection, and therefore these loci may be important for the subset of responses to GC that is shared between species.


"Armed and Considered Dangerous" is a book about "bad guys" and their guns. But Wright and Rossi contend that for every suspected criminal who owns and abuses a firearm, a hundred or more average citizens own guns for sport, for recreation, for self-protection, and for other reasons generally regarded as appropriate or legitimate. "Armed and Considered Dangerous" is the most ambitious survey ever undertaken of criminal acquisition, possession, and use of guns.There are vast differences between the average gun owner and the average gun-abusing felon, but the analyses reported here do not suggest any obvious way to translate these differences into gun control policies. Most policy implications drawn from the book are negative in character: this will not work for this reason, that will not work for that reason, and so on. When experts are asked, "Okay, then what will work?" they usually fall back on the old warhorses of poverty, the drug problem, or the inadequate resources of the criminal justice system, and otherwise have little to say. This is not a failure of social science. It simply asks more of the data than the data were ever intended to provide.Several of Wright and Rossi's findings have become "coin of the realm" in the gun control debate, cited frequently by persons who have long since forgotten where the data came from or what their limitations are. Several other findings, including many that are important, have been largely ignored. Still other findings have been superseded by better and more recent data or rendered anachronistic by intervening events. With the inclusion of a new introduction detailing recent statistics and updated information this new edition of "Armed and Considered Dangerous" is a rich source of information for all interested in learning about weapon behavior and ownership in America.


This thesis focused on the development of Ti-Ni-based shape memory alloys using a novel alloy development process based on laser melting technique, suspended droplet alloying (SDA), and on development of a manufacturing route Ti-Ni-based structures using selective laser melting (SLM), specifically for Negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) auxetic structures.

To assess the SDA process, a series of Ti-Ni-based binary, ternary and quaternary SMA have been built to analyse the chemical and microstructural homogeneity of the builds produced by the SDA process. The shape memory performance in terms of the transformation temperature, thermal stability and thermo-mechanical stability was also investigated and compared with commercial SMA and literatures. It proved that the SDA built sample was comparable to the bulk SMA built by other alloy development processes.

To assess the processability of Ti-Ni-based alloys, SLM process parameters were optimised for Ti-Ni SMA and the SMA NPR structure was built for mechanical testing. It was found that the SLM process parameters can severely alter the microstructure and shape memory properties due to different cooling rate and Ni vaporisation.
Finally, TiNiCuNb and TiNiHfCuNb alloys were developed using SDA to improve the shape memory properties by altering the precipitates. The analysis of these alloys indicated that the addition of Cu, Hf and Nb altered the precipitate types and morphology altogether, resulting in a unique shape memory behaviour during thermal cycling.


Aim: The aim of this study was order to an measuring tool develop, validity and reliability that it will allow individuals to determine their level of sexuality and sexual health-related issues information. Method: In this methodological study a questionnaire composed of 59 multiple choice questions, regarding issues related to individuals' sexuality, was composed. Validity of question content was reviewed by an expert. Recommended corrections were made and questions determined to be unsuitable were excluded according to the expert's opinion resulting in 40 approved questions. The questionnaire was distributed to students (n=113) at Cumhuriyet University. Data was evaluated with the SPSS 14 package program. Correlation of item difficulty and item discrimination values were calculated in the statistical analysis. Cronbach alpha reliability was calculated in order to determine the internal consistency of questions in the questionnaire. Results: The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was found to be 0.88. Conclusion: Results obtained from this study showed that the Sexual Health Questionnaire was an effective measurement tool with a high degree of reliability and validity in determining individual sexuality, and sexual health-related, issues.


Abstract There is increasing evidence that protein complexation by honey polyphenols is changing honey structure and function. This relatively less investigated filed of honey research is presented in a context of known mechanism of formation of the stable polyphenol-protein complexes in other foods. At a core of these interactions lies the ability of polyphenols to form non-covalent and covalent bonds with proteins leading to transient and/or irreversible complexes, respectively. Honey storage and thermal processing induces non-enzymatic oxidation of polyphenols to reactive quinones and enables them to form covalent bonds with proteins. In this short review, we present data from our laboratory on previously unrecognized types of protein-polyphenol complexes that differed in size, stoichiometry, and antioxidant capacities, and the implications they have to honey antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Our intent is to provide a current understanding of protein-polyphenol complexation in honey and also some new thoughts /hypotheses that can be useful in directing future research.


Working memory capacity is an important psychological construct, and many real-world phenomena are strongly associated with individual differences in working memory functioning. Although working memory and attention are intertwined, several studies have recently shown that individual differences in the general ability to control attention is more strongly predictive of human behavior than working memory capacity. In this review, we argue that researchers would therefore generally be better suited to studying the role of attention control rather than memory-based abilities in explaining real-world behavior and performance in humans. The review begins with a discussion of relevant literature on the nature and measurement of both working memory capacity and attention control, including recent developments in the study of individual differences of attention control. We then selectively review existing literature on the role of both working memory and attention in various applied settings and explain, in each case, why a switch in emphasis to attention control is warranted. Topics covered include psychological testing, cognitive training, education, sports, police decision-making, human factors, and disorders within clinical psychology. The review concludes with general recommendations and best practices for researchers interested in conducting studies of individual differences in attention control.


The need for advanced hemostatic agents increases with the complexity of surgical procedures and use of anticoagulation and antiplatelet treatments. HEMOPATCH (Sealing Hemostat) is a novel, advanced hemostatic pad that is composed of a synthetic, protein-reactive monomer and a collagen backing. The active side is covered with a protein-reactive monomer: N-hydroxysuccinimide functionalized polyethylene glycol (NHS-PEG). NHS-PEG rapidly affixes the collagen pad to tissue to promote and maintain hemostasis. The combined action of the NHS-PEG and collagen is demonstrated to have benefit relative to other hemostatic agents in surgery and preclinical surgical models. This paper reviews the published investigations and case reports of the hemostatic efficacy of HEMOPATCH, wherein HEMOPATCH is demonstrated to be an effective, easy-to-use hemostatic agent in open and minimally invasive surgery of patients with thrombin- or platelet-induced coagulopathies.


Lan Airlines operates three distinct models: low-cost for domestic short-haul flights, full-service for international routes; and an international cargo business, the latter of which makes up 33 percent of Lan's overall revenues (markedly different from many U.S. legacy carriers which derive 3 to 4 percent of revenues from cargo). Since a change of ownership in 1994, Lan has grown steadily and quickly at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent from $318 million in revenues to $3.5 billion at the end of 2007. Lan is at an interesting point in history as the low-cost model was recently implemented. While early results have been strong, observers wonder if the airline can successfully manage three disparate business models.


Introduction: Family history of breast cancer has been shown to be a strong risk factor for breast cancer in all populations studied. However, there are limited data related to risk of estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer in African American women, who have a disproportionately high incidence of ER- and triple negative (ER-, progesterone receptor negative, and HER2 receptor negative; TN) breast cancer. Even less information is available on whether a family history of other cancers also affects risk of ER- and TN breast cancer. Methods: Questionnaire data from the Black Women9s Health Study, the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, the Multiethnic Cohort Study, and the Women9s Circle of Health Study were pooled as part of the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk (AMBER) Consortium. Breast cancer cases were classified as ER+, ER-, and TN based on pathology data from medical records and/or state cancer registries. Participants were asked about first degree relatives with a breast cancer diagnosis and the age at which the relative was diagnosed. Participants were also asked about first degree relatives with prostate, lung, colorectal, ovarian, or cervical cancer or with lymphoma or leukemia. Polytomous logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for various categories of positive family history relative to no first degree relative with breast cancer or no first degree relative with any of the cancers. Multivariable analyses controlled for age, study, time period, and other potential confounders. Results: The analysis included 3,023 African American women with ER+, 1,497 with ER-, and 696 with TN breast cancer and 17,420 controls. First degree family history of breast cancer, regardless of whether first degree relatives had cancers other than breast cancer, was associated with a 70% increased risk of ER+, ER- and TN breast cancer; the ORs were 1.7 (95% CI 1.6-2.0) for ER+, 1.7 (95% CI 1.4-1.9) for ER-, and 1.7 (95% CI 1.4-2.1) for TN breast cancer. The ORs were somewhat higher if the relative was diagnosed before age 50 (2.0 for ER+, 1.9 for ER-, and 1.8 for TN). Among the six other cancer sites examined, only family history of cervical cancer was significantly associated with risk; the ORs were 2.4 (1.4-4.2) for ER- and 2.9 (1.5-5.5) for TN breast cancer and there was no association with ER+ breast cancer. The OR for family history of ovarian cancer in relation to TN breast cancer was 1.6 (0.9-2.7), which is of interest because findings from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) indicate that serous ovarian cancers and basal-like breast cancers, which are mostly triple negative, have many molecular commonalities. The ORs for a family history of both breast and prostate cancer versus no family history of any of the cancers were 3.4 (2.4-4.7) for ER+ cancer, as compared with 1.6 for breast alone (p-interaction=0.01), and 2.1 (1.2-3.7) for ER- cancer, as compared with 1.5 for breast alone (p-interaction=0.08). The OR for a family history of both breast and lung cancer was 3.3 (1.9-5.9) for TN breast cancer, compared to 1.5 for breast alone (p-interaction=0.10). The ORs for family history of breast plus two other cancers were 2.4 (1.6-3.6) for ER+, 2.8 (1.6-4.7) for ER-, and 2.7 (1.3-5.7) for TN breast cancer. Conclusion: Our results confirm that having a first degree family history of breast cancer is a strong risk factor for ER+, ER-, and TN breast cancer. The findings also suggest that having relatives with other cancers in addition to a relative with breast cancer may further increase risk. Consideration of family history of other cancers may improve risk prediction models. The association observed for family history of cervical cancer and increased risk of ER- and TN breast cancer was unexpected and needs to be replicated by other studies. Citation Format: Traci N. Bethea, Lynn Rosenberg, Nelsy Castro-Webb, Kathryn L. Lunetta, Lara E. Sucheston, Edward A. Ruiz-Narvaez, Marjory Charlot, Song Y. Park, Elisa V. Bandera, Melissa A. Troester, Christine B. Ambrosone, Julie R. Palmer. Relation of family history of cancer to risk of ER+, ER-, and triple-negative breast cancer in African American women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr C49.


The purpose of this paper is to analyse the reasons for the success of the Modern and Contemporary American Poetry Course held by Professor Al Filreis from the University of Pennsylvania, held on Coursera platform. Among the success factors, based on participants' feedback, we find the interaction with the instructor and teaching assistants, as well as with other students, which is found to a larger extent than in other MOOCs. Reasons for the use of the strategies will also be explored. We know from Hofstede's cultural dimensions that the USA score low on the power distance index, meaning that the relationships with authority are friendly and on equal terms. The interaction teacher - student is done in the same way in the offline as in the online media, with the same type of communication, low-context since the US relies on explicit communication. Otherwise, we notice how creativity of the students is encouraged, as they are given the freedom to express their opinions on the poems studied, another feature of low power distance cultures in the field of education. The benefit of such a course is that it encourages students to see poetry as accessible and as a means to express themselves freely and become more aware of how they feel when they react to understanding poetry. Students of all ages can share their experiences in the interpretation of the poems. The way the course is taught is in tune with the way contemporary poetry claims to be anti-elitist and thus accessible to everyone.


The purpose of the study is to investigate differences in purchase-related profiles between heavy and light users of four common retail service categories. The findings indicate that, when controlling for category, heavy users have a larger purchase volume, have had experience with more brands, are familiar with more outlets, and would consider a larger number of outlets in future purchases. Light users, on the other hand, concentrate a larger percentage of their purchases from the most-purchased outlet and also are more brand insistent. No differences were found between heavy and light users regarding perceived risk or the number of brands considered before purchase. The findings also reveal that major differences in size for each of the variables under study are evident across the service categories.


I n the late 1960s and early 1970s, science departments in many African universities, including the University of Lagos in Nigeria, Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, Accra in Ghana, and Khartoum in Sudan, were among the finest in the developing world. Once heralded as beacons of progress on the continent, these departments now suffer from a host of problems that have made it all but impossible for them to meet even minimal responsibilities. The difficulties encountered by Africa's science departments have impacts that extend well beyond the departments themselves. Many of the continent's most serious problems, including malnutrition, disease, and environmental degradation, cannot be met without the presence of a critical mass of African scientists working on issues of direct concern to the continent itself. Science alone cannot save Africa, but Africa without science cannot be saved. So what can be done to revive African science, and who is responsible for leading such an effort.

Major responsibility for the future of African science rests in the hands of Africa's governments. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, funding for science and technology in Africa was driven by governmental commitments to quality education and research. But years of political instability and chronic socioeconomic problems have turned what became increasingly neglected universities into destitute institutions. Whatever responsibility Africa's political institutions bear for the current crisis in education and research, they cannot be expected to overcome the situation on their own. Lack of financial resources and skilled personnel will make such a scenario virtually impossible. That means Africa's governments will need help from national and international aid organizations.

Yet, when it comes to science and technology, Africa does have its own internal pockets of strength. For example, such national and regional centers of scientific excellence as the Immunology Biotechnology Laboratories in Cameroon, the African Centre for Meteorological Applications in Niger, and the African Centre for Technology in Senegal could be transformed into international centers of excellence capable of functioning even more effectively than they do now. Africa also enjoys successful experiences in the application of science and technology for development that too often have been drowned out by the din of dismal news concerning Africa. The development of genetic molecular markers to improve tea harvests in Kenya, ongoing efforts to examine alternative treatments for river blindness in Uganda, sickle-cell research in Ghana, and studies of the use of indigenous plants for the treatment of diabetes in Madagascar are examples of science-based initiatives in Africa that deserve greater public recognition. And Africa's science academies must become more active in policy debates related to science-based development. Currently, Africa, a continent with 53 nations, has only nine merit-based science academies. The need to strengthen existing academies must be accompanied by strategies to launch such institutions where they do not exist. Several African nations (among them Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania) have recently invested in science and technology programs and displayed a commitment to democratic principles that bodes well for the future, regardless of how fragile their current promising situations may be. The key question is whether these nations will serve as models for others to follow or become part of a litany of examples of hope unsustained.

Southern hemisphere cooperation could prove to be a key element in the enhancement of science and technology. Advanced developing nations such as Brazil, China, and India should forge strategic alliances with African nations. Not only would such alliances among developing nations make them less beholden to the "benevolence" of the North, but the kinship of experience would also represent a more realistic and effective way of addressing science-based development issues in Africa.

Beyond the issue of South-South cooperation is the issue of North-South cooperation. Experts estimate that 30,000 Ph.D. holders of African descent, many with science degrees, live and work outside their home countries. That figure far exceeds the total number of African-born scientists with Ph.D.s working in Africa. That is why it is important for all scientists, and especially those of African origin living and working in the North, to assist efforts to rebuild the capacities of Africa's scientific communities. And that is why it is important for the governments of Africa to nurture environments that not only provide sufficient financial resources but also allow scientists from Africa and elsewhere to interact freely and without constraints.


Population mobility is commonly identified as a key driver of the HIV epidemic, both linking geographically separate epidemics and intensifying transmission through inducing riskier sexual behaviours. However, beyond the well‐known case studies of South African miners and East African truck drivers, the evidence on the links between HIV and mobility is nuanced, contradictory and inconclusive and is in part attributed to the abstract definitions of mobility used in different studies. This problematic conception of mobility, with no reference to who moves, their motivations for moving, or the characteristics of sending and receiving areas, can have a dramatic impact on how one understands the influence which this structural factor has on HIV risk in different settings. Future research on mobility and HIV transmission must incorporate an understanding of migration and mobility as dynamic processes and link different patterns and forms of mobility with location‐specific sexual networks and HIV epidemiology.


Conceptualising sustainable development as that which seeks to achieve holistic well-being means that as a barrier to attaining and sustaining well-being, poverty takes on a similarly more broad definition. Within this framework it is proposed that the breakdown of community; the extinction of experience; degradation of the natural environment; and food insecurity are examples of poverty in the contemporary urban setting because they obstruct access to overall well-being. Through a case study of the Resource Centres for Urban Agriculture and Food Security - Cities Farming for the Future (RUAF-CFF) project being piloted in Surabhi Colony, Hyderabad, India, urban agriculture is assessed as a means of alleviating these diverse forms of poverty. While the findings indicate some success at the project level, urban agriculture's limited ability to address Hyderabad's more widespread and pressing problems - in particular its water scarcity - coupled with the form of development the city is taking means that it is unlikely urban agriculture will gain the institutional support necessary for its further spread throughout the city. Although such findings do not inspire hope for the future use of urban agriculture as a poverty alleviation strategy within Hyderabad, a number of issues are considered which suggest that urban agriculture should rather be supported for its ability to facilitate 'good change' in our urban centres.


The anatomy of the pericarp of the macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata) was followed during development. Ovaries of flowers collected at anthesis of the bracts as well as pericarps were evaluated at different development phases using traditional plant anatomy techniques. The ovary wall has two meristematic regions, one adjacent to the external epidermis and the other surrounding the seminal cavity. The external meristematic region gives rise to the woody exocarp, and the internal meristematic region is responsible for thickening of the oily/fibrous mesocarp as well as the hard endocarp. Sclerification of the exocarp and endocarp occurs approximately 70 days after anthesis and defines the final fruit volume. Lignification of the exocarp cell layers is incomplete, lending porosity to the structure. Numerous canals develop in the mesocarp that are formed by the fusion of raphide-containing idioblasts. Lignification of the sclereids and their generally random arrangement confers impermeability and rigidity to the endocarp. In mature fruits, lipidic reserves are observed in parenchymatic cells of the mesocarp, and the germination pore in the endocarp is composed of parenchymatic cells.


We present new evidence on how long-term Treasury values are linked to movements in equity risk and risk aversion over 1997-2013. Intertemporally, we find that long-horizon T-bond returns have a negative partial relation to the lagged equity risk. Contemporaneously, using two different empirical state-contingent approaches, we find a much stronger positive partial relation between T-bond returns and equity-risk innovations over: (1) periods when the equity variance risk premium is relatively high, and (2) recessionary/post-recessionary economic states. Throughout our empirical work, we find it is important to control for movements in T-bond risk to establish better the partial equity-risk relations. Consistent with key implications from recent theory, our findings suggest that long-term Treasuries tended to serve in a hedge role against equity risk or macroeconomic risk over our sample period, with such hedge-related pricing influences being especially pronounced when risk aversion was elevated.


Background/Aims The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) guidelines define hypertension (HT) in children and adolescents as blood pressure (BP) measures above the 95th percentile on three consecutive clinic visits. In contrast, the Expert Panel of Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents (Expert Panel) clinical practice guidelines define HT as the average of three consecutive BP measures above the 95th percentile. Here we quantify the impact of these two different case definitions of HT on occurrence of HT in a defined population of children and adolescents. Methods Study subjects were a cohort of 117,329 pediatric primary care patients, drawn from three large, geographically dispersed health systems. Subjects were 3–17 years old at entry between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010. Subjects having an elevated initial BP were not excluded, nor were subjects having BP diagnosis codes at baseline or follow-up. We estimated the period prevalence rate of HT using NHBPEP and Expert Panel definitions, applying a rolling window to the longitudinal BP measurements to consider each successive block of three BP measures. Analyses were performed separately for children (3–11 years) and adolescents (12–17 years). Data were analyzed by Poisson regression to estimate annual rates of HT. Results Subjects were followed for an average of 2.1 years. HT defined by elevated BP ≥95th percentile on 3 consecutive clinic visits occurred at a rate of 0.25%/year in children, and 0.42%/year in adolescents. HT defined as the average BP ≥95th percentile from 3 successive clinic visits occurred at higher rates; 0.49%/year in children (P ≤0.00005) and 0.75%/year in adolescents (P ≤0.00005). For subjects with HT defined by elevated BP ≥95th percentile on 3 consecutive clinic visits, the average time between elevated measurements was 19 weeks (s.d. 25 weeks). Conclusions HT rates in children and adolescents were twice as high when using an average of 3 consecutive measures (Expert Panel method) as when using 3 consecutive hypertensive levels (NHBPEP definition). The impact of these differences in HT rates on downstream risk of persistent HT and CV events later in life requires further investigation.


1. A modified method for the analysis of phospholipid mixtures by selective hydrolysis is described. 2. The phospholipid compositions of normal human bone marrow and of the bone marrows of patients who died with anaemia or various forms of leukaemia were investigated. 3. Phospholipids from normal bone marrow comprised about 44% of lecithin, 4% of choline plasmalogen, 7% of glyceryl ether phospholipid (choline base), 10% of sphingomyelin, 22% of phosphatidylethanolamine plus phosphatidylserine, 8% of ethanolamine plasmalogen and 5% of glyceryl ether phospholipid (ethanolamine base). 4. The proportion of kephalin (i.e. phosphatidylethanolamine plus phosphatidylserine) in the pathological bone marrows tended to be lower than normal. No other consistent differences were observed between the normal and pathological samples. 4. A ceramide dihexoside was isolated from normal bone marrow.


The high mobility group-17 (HMG-17, HMGN2) is a small and unique non-histone protein that partakes in many key cellular processes, such as architectural element, transcription regulation and DNA repair. Recently, more functions of HMGN2 have been suggested, including antimicrobial activity, homing to special cells, cytokine release. The biochemical properties of HMGN2 protein are regulated by post-transcription modification like acetylation and phosphorylation, but it is unknown whether HMGN2 properties can also be affected by SUMOylation. In the present study, we showed for the first time that HMGN2 is modified by the covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-1 and we identified the major SUMOylated lysine residues, located at HMGN2 nucleosome binding domain. Using a basal SUMOylation system in Escherichia coli, we were able to successfully separated sumo-conjugated HMGN2. Finally, we demonstrated that SUMOylated HMGN2 decreases binding ability to nucleosome particle core in comparison to its unSUMOylated form. These observations potentially provide a new perspective for a better understanding of the functions of HMGN2.


Purpose While chronic glucocorticoid (GC) therapy leads to ocular hypertension in about one third of individuals, almost all primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients show this response and are called "steroid responders." Two differentially spliced isoforms of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), GRα and GRβ, regulate GC responsiveness in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. GRβ acts as a dominant negative regulator of GC activity and is expressed at lower levels in glaucomatous TM cells, making them more sensitive to GCs. Several arginine/serine-rich splicing factor (SR) proteins have been implicated in alternative splicing of the GR. We have previously demonstrated that immunophilins FKBP5 and FKBP4 are required for GRα and GRβ translocation into the nucleus, which is essential for their biologic activity. The purpose of the present study was to use single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping to determine whether there are any allele frequency differences in GR, FKBP4/5, or SR genes between normal control, POAG, and steroid responder populations. Methods Clinically characterized individuals (400 normal controls, 197 POAG, and 107 steroid responders) were recruited from the U. Iowa Ophthalmology Clinics after IRB approved consent. Genotyping of DNA samples for 48 SNPs in SFRS3, SFRS5, SFRS9, FKBP4, FKBP5, and NR3C1 was done at GeneSeek using a mass spectroscopy based system. Results All 48 SNPs displayed high call rates (99%). There were no significant differences in allele frequencies or genotypes in SNPs for SFRS5, SFRS9, FKBP4, FKBP5, and NR3C1 between the 3 groups. Up to three SNPs in SFRS3 had p-values <0.05 when comparing controls to POAG or steroid responders, but this statistical significance was lost when the p values were adjusted for multiple measures. Conclusions Although these 6 genes may be involved in the pathogenesis of GC-induced ocular hypertension, it does not appear that major heritable risk alleles in these genes are responsible for the development of GC-induced ocular hypertension or POAG.


This research was inspirited from the born of the kids less than 2 years whith sister of brother. Its really takes a lot of risk for the mother and also to the baby. A baby born with BBLR, have somany risks such as konginetal apportness or difference, attack by somany illness, less more attention and loved from the parents, and all of this are have an unterfene with the child grew up development, physically , psikologis and also social. Based on this phenomena then the research one in tenesting to look more elosely and analized "The relationship between birth distance for the kids with the child grew up defelopment pre- school ages". This research distination to know the relationship between birth distance for the kids with the cild grew up development pre school ages, this research one held in PUSKESMAS Pagak work area Pagak district, on the pre-school ages.of kind (1-6 years on before enter to the school). The birth distance with them sister and them brother less than 2 years. This research design was done opservasionally. The taking of the sample was done by nonrandom sam pling, whit samling purposively. The number of the responden 32 kinds from 18 family. The data analized was used shi-square methode. From the observation found that there is somany factor that taking part of the grew up development of the kids normal and abnormal, was caused by :1. The parents adecations.2. The number of the kids in a family.3 The economi condition of a family.4. Interaction quality, stimulation and the learn motivation from parents.5. Brith distance.6. Less love and attentios of the kids.The result of the analized data ane known that X 2 hitung count X 2 tabel , from the grew up or the development of kids them the interpretations " There is relation between the birth distance of kids with the grew up development from kids the pre-schools ages ". To reach the grew up development well the child optimally, then as apparent must be optimalicaly the basic needs of the kids that was loved, take cane, and attentions.


Housing adequacy and residential satisfaction are two concepts used to evaluate the extent to which housing schemes meet residents' needs and expectations. However, the differences and similarities in the way residents understand these concepts have not been properly articulated in the research literature. This study therefore investigated the differences and similarities in residents' perception of housing adequacy and residential satisfaction with a view to identifying the dimensions of housing adequacy and residential satisfaction evaluation; and the factors that influenced this. The data were derived from a questionnaire survey of 517 residents in public housing in Ogun State, Nigeria; and analyzed using descriptive statistical, factor and categorical regression analyses. The result shows that whereas the residents evaluated housing adequacy based on four key dimensions: ambient condition of interior spaces; security, utilities and neighbourhood facilities; social infrastructure and sizes of main activity areas, residential satisfaction was evaluated based on three dimensions: the physical, social and economic environment of the housing estates; size, type, location, appearance; privacy and security of the residences. Residential satisfaction, tenure and income emerged as the three strongest predictors of housing adequacy, while housing adequacy, employment status and sex of the respondents were the three strongest predictors of residential satisfaction. Age of the respondents was found to be the only predictor of both housing adequacy and residential satisfaction. The key implication of the study is that, in housing research, each of these two concepts can serve as a surrogate for each other. It also implies that to improve the living conditions of residents of public housing, housing policy makers and developers should pay sufficient attention to the needs of all categories of residents by making sure that the housing preferences of workers in the different sectors and age groups are properly incorporated into future housing projects.


This study aimed to characterize the number of Salmonella on chicken breast filet at the retail level and to evaluate if this number affects the risk of salmonellosis. From October to December 2005, 220 chilled raw filets (without skin) were collected from five local retail outlets in The Netherlands. Filet rinses that were positive after enrichment were enumerated with a three-tube most-probable-number (MPN) assay. Nineteen filets (8.6%) were contaminated above the detection limit of the MPN method (10 Salmonella per filet). The number of Salmonella on positive filets varied from 1 to 3.81 log MPN per filet. The obtained enumeration data were applied in a risk assessment model. The model considered possible growth during domestic storage, cross-contamination from filet via a cutting board to lettuce, and possible illness due to consumption of the prepared lettuce. A screening analysis with expected-case and worst-case estimates for the input values of the model showed that variability in the inputs was of relevance. Therefore, a Monte Carlo simulation with probability distributions for the inputs was carried out to predict the annual number of illnesses. Remarkably, over two-thirds of annual predicted illnesses were caused by the small fraction of filets containing more than 3 log Salmonella at retail (0.8% of all filets). The enumeration results can be used to confirm this hypothesis in a more elaborate risk assessment. Modeling of the supply chain can provide insight for possible intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of rare, but extreme levels. Reduction seems feasible within current practices, because the retail market study indicated a significant difference between suppliers.


There's help coming for those who have resolved to quit drinking in the new year. With the pending release of the second drug in the past half century to treat alcoholism, researchers say the whole treatment field may be at a tipping point.


OBJECTIVE
To review the role of vitamin D in prediabetes on the basis of evidence from human studies.

METHODS
English-language literature in MEDLINE (January 1969-July 2009) was searched for observational studies and randomized controlled trials of vitamin D deficiency and treatment in prediabetes, including impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and metabolic syndrome. Search terms included hyperglycemia, glucose, glycohemoglobin, insulin resistance, diabetes, homeostasis model assessment, insulin secretion, vitamin D, and related terms. Publications were also identified from review articles and references in the found articles. Abstracts, conference proceedings, case reports, and letters were excluded. Articles concerning only type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hemodialysis, or hyperparathyroidism and studies in children were also excluded.

RESULTS
Vitamin D insufficiency is defined by a circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration less than 30 ng/mL, and it is prevalent in the United States (77% of the population). Most cross-sectional and prospective studies in various populations show inverse association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and fasting plasma glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, hemoglobin A1c, metabolic syndrome, and incidence of prediabetes. A few clinical trials suggest beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation in prediabetes, including improved insulin secretion, basal fasting insulin sensitivity, and postprandial peripheral insulin resistance. The limitations of the studies are small sample size, short duration of follow-up, lack of control groups, and inability to achieve vitamin D sufficiency with treatment.

CONCLUSION
Available data suggest that achieving vitamin D sufficiency may be beneficial in patients with prediabetes, although clinical trials are needed to provide evidence-based recommendations.


Intraocular Biocompatibility of Gold-Nanoparticles
Background: The present study is to assess the in vitro biocompatibility of colloidal gold nanoparticles (CGN) and to describe the effect of CGN over the normal electrical activity of the retina on an in vivo rat model.
Material and Methods: Retinal pigment epithelium cells (ARPE- 19) were cultured to confluence. Three wells were incubated with a mixture of CGN conjugated to goat anti-mouse IgG and three were incubated with culture media as a control. After 2 days, media was aspirated and incubated again with 4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide for 2 hrs. The absorbance of each well was measured by spectrophotometry at a 540 nm wavelength, subtracting the background measurement at 670 nm. A total of 16 eyes of eight brown Norway rats were used, being divided in two groups of eight eyes each; Right eyes received an intravitreal injection of 1μM/5μL CGN suspension at baseline. An electroretinogram (ERG) was done at baseline and then again after six weeks. A two-sample t-test was used as statistical method.
Results: Absorbance signal for the CGN Group was 89.06% with respect to the reference values of 100% for untreated controls. There was no statistical difference between groups (p=0.1). The ERG yielded no statistically significant difference between groups at any time point for any of the five steps of the ERG.
Conclusion: The in vitro viability of ARPE-19 cells seems not to be affected by addition of 5 nm CGN to the culture, with no significant morphological changes. The normal electrical activity of the retina seems not be disturbed by the intravitreal injection of CNG.


During this thesis, I addressed some problems associated with large-scale
phylogenetic analyses by tackling issues related to missing data and careful
handling and addition of novel data in large-scale reconstructions, presenting an
application of this approach in the context of amphibian phylogenetics.
I developed a method (called "Concatabominations") building on the original Safe
Taxonomic Reduction method (Wilkinson 1995) as an alternative approach to the
issue of identifying rogue taxa. The safe removal of rogue taxa due to missing data
can potentially reduce the terraces in tree space search and improve resolution in
the final consensus tree. In a pragmatic point of view, the new method can help in
targeting taxa that require further sampling during a research design.
Novel sequence data for the rediscovered Ericabatrachus baleensis allowed to explore
its placement in the Amphibian tree of life. I tested the inclusion of novel data using
a backbone alignment from a previous work (de novo analysis) and a backbone
phylogenetic tree (constrained analysis), after careful curation of gene partitions to
include in an analysis. I found that the use of a constrained phylogenetic inference
using a previous accepted tree seems to be a practical solution to the rapid
phylogenetic placement of a taxon in cases of well-supported relationships.
However, a de novo analysis might ensure an optimal alignment and avoid risks
introduced when adding new data.
Finally, I investigated the evolutionary relationships of the three lineages of the
extant amphibians (Anura, Caudata and Gymnophiona) using an independent
source of evidence: miRNAs, recently used to help resolve difficult phylogenetic
problems. The analyses yielded a high number of shared miRNAs using the
Xenopus tropicalis genome, contrasting with a lower number of miRNAs discovered
using the Axolotl transcriptome. This suggests that not using genomic data is not
ideal to validate miRNAs. Nevertheless, in spite of the limitations, I was able to
find two potential novel miRNAs: one supporting the monophyly of Lissamphibia,
and another supporting the Batrachia hypothesis.
Overall, I hope the work developed in this thesis contributes with new insights into
large-scale phylogenetics and in particular to amphibian phylogenetics.


BACKGROUND
The value of computer-assisted surgery in total knee arthroplasty for arthritic knees continues to be debated. We hypothesized that the usefulness of computer assistance is related to the magnitude of the deviation from the preoperative mechanical axis and that computer-assisted surgery may be beneficial under certain circumstances.

METHODS
Patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis and genu varus deformity who were to have staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty were enrolled. The patients randomly underwent computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty in one knee and conventional total knee arthroplasty in the contralateral knee. The two methods were compared for accuracy of placement of the components and lower extremity alignment after total knee arthroplasty as determined by six radiographic parameters.

RESULTS
One hundred and thirteen patients (226 knees) met the inclusion criteria. For patients with a preoperative mechanical axis deviation of <10° and those with a deviation of 10° to 14.9° in both knees, the postoperative radiographic parameters did not differ significantly between the two techniques. In patients with a preoperative mechanical axis deviation of >20°, the reconstructed mechanical axes were significantly closer to normal in the computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty group. Significant results were also noted in the anatomical axes, femoral valgus angle, and femoral flexion angle. Furthermore, a higher percentage of knees in which computer-assisted surgery was used had restoration of the mechanical axis within 3° of neutral.

CONCLUSIONS
Computer-assisted surgery was a valuable adjunct for obtaining proper alignment during total knee arthroplasty in patients with knee osteoarthritis with severe varus deformity. Conventional total knee arthroplasty was as effective as computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty for obtaining proper alignment in patients with a minor to moderate deformity.


The early response gene IEX-1 modulates apoptosis and cell growth in a poorly defined fashion. Here, we describe the effect of hammerhead ribozymes specifically disrupting IEX-1 expression in 293 cells. Compared to vector control, 293 cells exhibit a reduced growth rate and a slowed cell cycle progression, when stably transfected with a concatemeric ribozyme construct. In addition, these 293 cells were much less sensitive to apoptosis induced by an activating Fas/CD95 antibody or by the anti-cancer drugs etoposide and doxorubicin. By modulating the cell cycle, IEX-1 might be part of a growth signal if favourable growth conditions prevail, whereas under unfavourable conditions, i.e. death receptor activation, IEX-1 facilitates apoptosis.


Morrocoy National Park is one of the most studied coastal marine enviroments in Venezuela; however, efforts have been concentrated in south zone. In this study we select a shallow reef located in the north zone, characterized the benthic community and the structure of the fish community was studied using visual censuses. The benthic community was dominated by dead coral covered by algae (31%) and the live coral coverage was 12%. A total of 65 fish species belonging to 24 families were recorded, being Pomacentridae (43%), Scaridae (19%) and Haemulidae (15%) the most abundant families. Significant differences in the fish species abundances were found along the depth gradient, which could be related to the habitat characteristics, nevertheless herbivorous species dominance was evident at all depth strata. There seems to be a trend towards greater richness and density in the south zone reefs, and these differences may be related to the presence of extensive seagrass meadows and mangrove forests in that area or to differences in the recruitment patterns.


Mechanisms are ubiquitous in sociological explanation. Recent theoretical work has sought to extend mechanistic explanation further still: into cultural and interpretative analysis. Yet it is not clear that the concept of mechanism can coherently unify interpretation and causal explanation within a single explanatory framework. We note that sociological mechanistic explanation is marked by a crucial disjuncture. Specifically, we identify two conflicting mechanistic approaches: Modular mechanism models depict counterfactual dependence among independent causal chains, whereas meaningful mechanism models depict relational interdependence among semiotic assemblages. This disjuncture, we argue, is grounded in incompatible causal foundations and entails mechanistic models with distinct and conflicting evidentiary standards. We conclude by proposing a way forward: a sociological pluralism that is attentive to the productive incongruity of our distinct explanatory models.


A rat model to assess interventions to reduce cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines is of interest. The model should be able to induce significant myocardial damage rapidly but at the same time allow for measurement of protective interventions. A proposed model includes an in vivo model where rats are treated with repeated intraperitoneal injections of an anthracycline for a relatively short period of time. Effects on physiological variables of cardiotoxicity are subsequently assessed in an ex vivo isolated rat heart model (Langendorff), and effects on biochemical variables by measurement of heat shock proteins (HSP) in myocardial tissue. A model with these elements was tested in this thesis. The model was designed to include a pilot study to assess whether pre-treatment with morphine, an opioid, could reduce cardiotoxicity of the anthracycline doxorubicin. The use of morphine as an analgesic is established in human cancer treatment, and opioids have been reported to induce protection against ischemia and oxidative stress in animal models. Proposed mechanisms of cardiotoxicity of anthracycklines include elements of oxidative stress and impaired calcium homeostasis. Thus, morphine could represent an intervention to reduce cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines. Doxorubicin (DOX), an anthracycline, was administered to female Wistar rats (n = 16) every second day in a dose of 3 mg/kg for 11 days intraperitonealt. A subgroup of rats (n = 8) received pre-treatment with morphine (MO) 3 mg/kg 60 minutes prior to DOX (MO-DOX), while the other eight rats received saline (SAL) of identical volume (SAL-DOX). In the MO– DOX group, 6 out of 8 rats died prior to the end of the protocol, while the remaining two animals were moribund and therefore put to death before end of the protocol to collect tissue for analysis of HSP. The remaining animals (SAL-DOX) were tested in an isolated rat heart model (Langendorff) to measure physiological parameters. Due to loss of the intervention group, a group of animals (n = 5) with no treatment with MO, DOX or SAL were used as control (control hearts) for reduction in physiological parameters. The SAL-DOX group showed a significant reduction (40-60%) in physiologic parameters compared to control hearts irrespective of flow mode (pressure regulated or volume regulated perfusion) in the isolated rat heart model. Furthermore, this group showed a trend for higher (40%) coronary perfusion pressure, an index of coronary resistance during volume regulated perfusion. Analysis of HSP demonstrated no significant differences in the HSP expression except from HSP94 which only gave positive results in the SAL-DOX treated group. We also analyzed content of DOX (2.7 + 0.8 nmol/g wet weight) and the major metabolite doxorubicinol (0.14 + 0.1 nmol/g wet weight) in hearts from SAL-DOX group, respectively. The results demonstrate that the present model can be used for rapid induction of cardiotoxicity in rats, and this has been reported by others. The cardiotoxicity can be measured irrespective of flow mode in the isolated rat heart model, and treatment results in significant accumulation of doxorubicine and its major metabolite in heart tissue. Treatment with doxorubicine in this protocol upregulates expression of HSP 94, but not other HSPs. Pretreatment with morphine increased mortality when combined with doxorubicine. The results of the pilot study are in conflict with recent studies which have demonstrated a protective effect of morphine on the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicine. However, the experimental methods are not identical in the studies. Furthermore, different doses and periods of administration of the drugs were used. In conclusion the present rat model is suitable to assess interventions to reduce cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines. Furthermore, pre-treatment with morphine increases mortality of doxorubicin in the in vivo model.


The aim of this study is to investigate the combination treatments of paclitaxel and chitosan-Dendrophthoe pentandra leaves extract nanoparticles (NPDP) on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Chitosan-NPDP nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and assessed by using immunofluorescence microscopy. MCF-7 cells are cultured and divided into six groups: group 1 was a negative control (without paclitaxel or NPDP); group 2 was treated with paclitaxel alone; groups 3-5 were treated with NPDP (2, 4, and 8 mg/mL, respectively) and group 6 was treated only by 8 mg/mL of chitosan-NPDP nanoparticles. The proliferation and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry and the expression of TUBB3 and MAP4 were assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy. The combinations of paclitaxel-NPDP significantly inhibit proliferation of cells (P<0.001) and it is able to induce G2/M cell cycle arrest (P<0.001). The combination of paclitaxel-NPDP significantly decreases the expressions of TUBB3 (P<0.001) and MAP4 (P<0.001) in MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that the combination of NPDP nanoparticles could reduce the expressions of TUBB3 and MAP4. This research may provide possible sources of new therapy for NPDP.


A phenomenological vector hysteresis model is developed to represent dynamic and weakly anisotropic vector hysteretic properties of nonoriented silicon steel sheets. The anisotropic vector hysteresis is represented by the multiplication of an anisotropy matrix and an isotropic vector play model. An eddy-current field vector given by classical eddy-current theory and an anomaly factor is added to the vector hysteresis model. The anomaly factor is determined to model the decrease in anomalous eddy-current loss under conditions of large rotational magnetic flux. The alternating and rotational properties simulated by the proposed model reconstruct the measured magnetic properties of nonoriented silicon steel sheets.


SiC is fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on graphite and Si3N4 ceramic respectively. The morphology, composition, grain size and electrical conductivity of SiC deposited on graphite (CVD-SiC(C)) and on Si3N4 ceramic (CVD-SiC(N)) are investigated and compared. The morphology of CVD-SiC(C) and CVD-SiC(N) is much different with each other. The grain size of CVD-SiC(C) is bigger than that of CVD-SiC(N). It is nearly stoichiometric in CVD-SiC(C), while carbon-rich in CVD-SiC(N), so the electrical conductivity and dielectric loss of CVD-SiC(N) are much higher than that of CVD-SiC(C). As the annealing temperature increases, the grain size and electrical conductivity of CVD-SiC(C) and CVD-SiC(N) both increase.


The effects of 16 weeks at sea upon selected parameters of health and physical fitness were investigated in 30 male volunteers (from a total crew of 48 men) prior to, and immediately following deployment. The 30 subjects were assigned to either an exercise group, 'Ex' (n = 12), or a non-exercising group, 'Nilex' (n = 18), according to their reported participation in vigorous training or sports. Body mass index (BMI), calculated from height and weight, revealed that prior to deployment 13 of the 30 subjects (two in the Ex group) had a BMI over 25 kg.m-2 (i.e. overweight), and a further three subjects (all 'non-exercisers') had values of 30 kg.m-2 or more (obese). In addition, the diastolic blood pressure of two subjects was in excess of 95 mmHg and five subjects had resting heart rates above 89 beats per minute. Retrospective comparisons between the Ex and Nilex groups revealed a significantly lower percentage body fat (P < 0.01) and a faster rate of cardiac recovery (P < 0.05) following a standardised bout of exercise in the Ex group, albeit that these individuals were significantly younger (mean age of 24 years) than those in the Nilex group (32 years). Following deployment, in the Nilex group, comparison of pre- and post values showed that resting heart rate was elevated (P < 0.01) on return from sea. Similarly, in the Nilex group heart rate while performing the standardised exercise bout was also elevated (P < 0.05) on the second test occasion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A population consisting of one single type of individuals where reproduction is seasonal,
and by means of asexual binary-splitting with a probability, which depends
on the carrying capacity of the habitat, K and the present population is considered.
Current models for such binary-splitting populations do not explicitly capture the
concepts of early and late extinctions. A new parameter v, called the 'scaling parameter'
is introduced to scale down the splitting probabilities in the first season,
and also in subsequent generations in order to properly observe and record early and
late extinctions. The modified model is used to estimate the probabilities of early
and late extinctions, and the expected time to extinction in two main cases. The
first case is for fixed and large K, where a new and more general upper bound for
the expected time to extinction is proposed to be evK. The risk of such populations
going extinct is found to be of the order O
_
p 1
(2v−1)K
_
. The second case considers
a scenario where the carrying capacity of the habitat varies in each season between
two values L (for low) and H (for high), randomly chosen with equal probabilities
to represent either a good or a bad season respectively. Both cases yielded similar
results with the probability of early extinction tending to zero as v increases, and
the probability of late extinction tending to one as v increases.
Keywords: habitat; carrying capacity; branching processes; supercritical; subcritical;
extinction time; binary-splitting.
v


We study the interpretability of conditional probability estimates for binary classification under the agnostic setting or scenario. Under the agnostic setting, conditional probability estimates do not necessarily reflect the true conditional probabilities. Instead, they have a certain calibration property: among all data points that the classifier has predicted P(Y = 1|X) = p, p portion of them actually have label Y = 1. For cost-sensitive decision problems, this calibration property provides adequate support for us to use Bayes Decision Theory. In this paper, we define a novel measure for the calibration property together with its empirical counterpart, and prove an uniform convergence result between them. This new measure enables us to formally justify the calibration property of conditional probability estimations, and provides new insights on the problem of estimating and calibrating conditional probabilities.


Multiple limb bones of different Middle Triassic capitosaurs from India including Cherninia denwai and Paracyclotosaurus crookshanki were examined to reveal differences in palaeobiology and lifestyle adaptations. Limb bone anatomy of Cherninia is characterized by distinct torsion and its absence in the fore and hindlimb bones, respectively. Substantial torsion is seen in all the limb bones of P. crookshanki. Woven fibred bone tissue, a very rapidly deposited tissue mostly seen in the embryos and very young individuals of higher vertebrates, is reported for the first time in a juvenile temnospondyl. Predominance of incipient fibrolamellar bone tissue is seen in a large bodied Middle Triassic temnospondyl suggesting that such tissues in non‐amniotes helped in achieving large body sizes rapidly. Highly vascularized woven fibred bone tissue in the early ontogeny, transforming to a more stable incipient fibrolamellar bone tissue associated with growth marks later in ontogeny characterizes C. denwai. This suggests rapid sustained growth slowed down and became punctuated later in ontogeny. A continuous slow growth throughout ontogeny is suggested for P. crookshanki as parallel fibred bone and azonal lamellar bone tissue are seen in all the examined limb bones. The growth of C. denwai and P. crookshanki had variable susceptibility to seasonal fluctuations. The onset of sexual maturity was at 55% adult size for Cherninia as implied from the change in tissue type. Cherninia inhabited the bottom of the water column and acted as a passive benthic predator whereas Paracyclotosaurus was a shallow water predator that retained a high level of terrestriality.


Industries are working more and more in project-based settings. In addition, these projects increasingly involve several organizations. Essential in these multi-organizational projects is collaboration. The temporality and changing composition of representatives from companies complicates collaboration between these individuals and their companies in multi-organizational projects. Due to the multiple companies and individual representatives involved in a project it is difficult to keep goals and interests aligned. Important in collaboration is how these representatives perceive their interests. Rational choice theories assume that these interest motivations are given and neglect the social nature of interest conceptions. Therefore, this dissertation explores the social construction process of interests in relation to collaboration. This dissertation is interested in how collaboration is shaped by the social construction processes of interests of individuals and strategies of companies working in a multi-organizational setting. Building on qualitative data obtained in the shipbuilding industry, this dissertation presents five essays that aim to advance our understanding of social construction processes of interests. Additionally, this dissertation provides insights into the relationship between strategies of companies and collaboration in a project. An important contribution of this dissertation is that some mechanisms of social construction of interests are identified.


The climatic conditions in Malaysia have resulted in small air temperature differences between the indoor and outdoor of naturally ventilated buildings. This has reduced the efficiency of stack ventilation. A viable alternative in enhancing stack ventilation is the utilization of solar induced ventilation. In the present research, solar induced ventilation that utilizes roof solar collector and vertical stack is proposed. The proposed solar induced ventilation is developed for application in small and medium enterprise (SME) premise. The aim is to enhance the air flow rate at the indoor working area. Three research tools have been utilized, namely physical experiment, analytical method and simulation modelling. A prototype of the proposed solar induced ventilation is constructed in the physical experiment. The purpose of physical experiment is to examine the prototype's ability to induce stack ventilation in hot and humid climate. The physical experimental results are compared with analytical method results in verifying the external factors that affect the induced ventilation of the prototype. The potential performance of the prototype is further determined using simulation modelling. The investigations involve the effective orientation for the prototype's solar collector and the effect of vertical stack height on the air temperature and mass flow rate inside the stack. This method is also employed in investigating the prototype application at the selected typology of SME building, which is a single storey shophouse. Results are analyzed and presented in term of four variables, namely temperature, air velocity, mass flow rate and air flow rate. The findings from physical experiment show that the prototype is able to induce stack ventilation in hot and humid climate. High air temperature difference between the stack air and the ambient air is attained by the prototype, which is 9.9 oC, for 877 W/m² solar radiation incidents. The simulation modelling of prototype's solar collector orientation shows that the recommended orientation throughout the year is west-facing. Meanwhile, the simulation modelling of vertical stack height indicates that the higher the stack is, the lower the air temperature inside the stack, but the greater the induced mass flow rate. The prototypes application in the selected single storey shophouse also demonstrates positive results, in which it is able to enhance the indoor air flow rate, as well as reduce the indoor air temperature. The prototype which has 1 meter width solar collector x 4 meter high vertical stack is able to reduce in average 0.6 oC air temperature and increase air flow rate of less than 0.1 m³/s. The air temperature reduction and air flow rate increment are greater with the enhancement of prototype's solar collector width. The recommended prototype's solar collector width for the application at the selected single storey shophouse is 3 meter. In summary, the research shows potential application of solar induced ventilation that utilizes roof solar collector and vertical stack in enhancing stack ventilation in hot and humid climate. The research also contributes to the enhancement of stack ventilation in single storey industrial buildings in Malaysia.


1. Introduction.—The basaltic rocks of the north of England occur in two forms—as sheets lying amongst the sedimentary strata, and as dykes cutting through them. The intrusive character of the latter is, of course, undisputed; but there is much uncertainty in the minds of many geologists as to the character of the former. In this paper we purpose to show, from the detailed work of the Geological Survey, that in Northumberland there can be no doubt whatever as to the intrusive nature of the bed or beds of basalt known as the Whin Sill. This conclusion can be established both by the evidence of individual sections and by the line of outcrop of the trap. The question of the nature of the Whin Sill is of importance in three ways:—1st, as a point of theoretical geology, bearing upon the history of volcanic action in Britain; 2nd, in reference to the classification of the Carboniferous System; 3rd, in its bearing upon practical mining. The Whin Sill is best known in Teesdale, especially in the two fine waterfalls of High Force and Cauldron Snout. It also appears along the face of the Penine escarpment, and is beautifully exposed in the "Nicks" which furrow the face of that range. Although this district is known to us, we will not stay to describe it, because it has already much engaged the attention of geologists, especially Professors Sedgwick and Phillips. It is generally supposed that there is but little evidence of intrusion there; but this


The theoretical and empirical findings of a broad study on the collective processes of reflection developed in routine spaces where teachers meet are presented in this work. Reflexive practice, viewed as a professional metacompetence that is the basis for updating, furthering and mobilizing professional knowledge and its development in contexts for interaction, as a strategic way to reinforce the quality of education, is understood as a cornerstone of professional development. Through their identification and analysis, the concepts that allow for a characterization of collective practices of reflection from the standpoint of their presence and structure are presented in this work to contribute relevant avenues for their promotion and development in the context of professional practice.


Subepidermal calcified nodules are a well known clinical and histologic entity. Their occurrence in the lids should be recognized. Their origin remains obscure. All of the authors' patients were under 21 years old and had had the lesion for a number of years. The calcinosis must be a lesion which is acquired in early life and grows slowly for a few years. It does not cause any clinical symptoms. Histologically, the lesion consists of calcium deposits which are only rarely surrounded by an inflammatory (granulomatous) reaction.