The liver is a predominant site of metastasis from a wide variety of neoplasms, and 60–80% of patients from colorectal cancer (CRC). Minority of liver metastasis are resectable which mandate an alternative option to take place in order to achieve good quality of live and improve overall survival. Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), has been evolving in various liver tumors, particularly hepatocellualr carcinoma (HCC) and liver metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC). The main principle of SIRT technology is in its delivery and of its radiation treatment rather than embolization. It allows distal trap of yttrium-90 resin microspheres at the arteriolar end of feeding vessel. Which make it precise in targeting tumor cell and thus normal tissue could be spared that otherwise may sacrifice. SIRT has accomplished great success in the field of HCC and been administered recently along with chemotherapy in liver metastasis from different primaries and showed efficient improvement in term of disease free survival and quality of live. Hence then, SIRT is a valid surrogated option for liver metastasis draws surgeon attention for a serious consideration in the future. Therefore, we believe that SIRT is a well designed treatment modality for CRCLM with promising results that deserve to take part in a well randomized trial for further analysis.


The recent financial turmoil highlights the incentive of highly leveraged financial institutions to take excessive risk, given the protection of limited liability. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, many banks operated under liability rules which obligated shareholders to bear larger costs of bank insolvency in the form of contingent, or even unlimited, liability. This article examines the empirical relationship between the size of banks' contingent liability and their risk‐taking behaviour using data on British banks from 1878 to 1912. We find that banks with more contingent liability appear to have taken less risk. We also find evidence that the risk‐reducing effects of contingent liability were larger for banks with higher leverage, suggesting that contingent capital mitigated the moral hazard problem at banks.


: One hundred and eight patients with Stage III or IV epithelial ovarian cancers were randomly allocated to treatment with either melphalan or the combination of Actinomycin-D, 5-fluorouracil, and cyclophosphamide (ACFUCY). Those patients receiving the ACFUCY combination had a higher objective response rate and a statistically significantly lower progression rate. The ACFUCY combination gave a higher incidence of severe toxicity.


In 32 patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), correlations were made among clinical observations of hemorrhagic tendency, template Ivy bleeding time, and platelet aggregation studies. Bleeding time was commonly prolonged, particularly in myelofibrosis. In two cases, this prolongation appeared to reflect a defect in platelet function, which resulted in clinical bleeding. Prolongation of bleeding time did not correlate with degree of thrombocytosis. Two patients with thrombocytosis had serious clinical bleeding at a time when bleeding time was normal. Of the patients, 35% had abnormal findings from aggregation studies, but there was no correlation between aggregation studies and prolongation of bleeding time or clinical hemorrhage. We conclude that bleeding in MPD arises either from a defect in platelet function, which is reflected in a prolonged bleeding time, or from thrombocytosis.


Healthier food diet is likely to prevent numerous non communicable diseases. Then there is a growing interest in evaluating the impact of food price taxation on food consumption. However, strategic reactions of both manufacturers and retailers are missing in empirical analyses. Rather, passive pricing is assumed. Ignoring strategic pricing might lead to under-estimate or over-estimate the impact of food taxation. Based on the example of the soft drink industry, we analyse the bias which is introduced when assuming passive pricing. Using structural econometric model, we first estimate models of vertical relationships between the beverage industry and the retail industry. After selecting the 'best' model of vertical relationships, we then simulate different scenrios of input cost changes or final products taxation. Our results indicate that assuming passive pricing by firms leads to under-estimate the impact on food consumption. In our example, the under-estimation amounts to 15% for regular products and 50% for diet ones when contracts between manufacturers and retailers are not taken into account. We thus conclude that for empirical analysis of food price policies for better health, considering strategic pricing is a key issue.


The Upper BajocianLower Bathonian succession in the Kopet-Dagh Basin of NE Iran represents fluvio-deltaic to turbidite deposits. The Kashafrud Formation provides an excellent opportunity to study the interplay between deep-water sedimentation and syndepositional tectonic subsidence (or uplift) in the region. The effects of these processes caused sea-level changes, variation in depositional sequences, and formation of different types of sequence boundaries. The Kashafrud Formation is recognized as a super-sequence and is overlain and underlain by type 1 sequence boundaries. Based on sedimentological analysis, twelve lithofacies and three facies associations have been identified in the Kashafrud Formation. The succession is represented by parasequences formed as part of a second order super-sequence, and a fourth order regression. The thickness variations indicate a strong influence of basin-floor topography on the location of depositional successions. High rates of sea-level fall led to the development of a limited number of major incised channels; in contrast the major thickbedded mudstone indicates high rates of sea-level rise for prolonged periods. The interpreted sea-level curve during deposition of the Kashafrud Formation can be correlated with the world sea-level curve for the Middle Jurassic, with differences mainly related to local structural events in the basin. Tectonism, compaction and rate of deposition were the main factors that controlled the vertical facies transitions in these parasequences.


Abstract: Many of the difficulties of pinning down personal identity result from conflating different aspects of this rather complex notion. We need to tease out these different aspects so that we shall see it in the round, and grasp what is fundamental, what underpins all the various aspects of identity that are highlighted in different circumstances. First, there is my sense of who and what I am at any given time; and, secondly, there is my sense of being the same who or the same what over time. These subjective dimensions in turn have many elements, and I will examine these. I will argue that this question about the endurance of personal identity over time, while important, and a main theme of this talk, is not the fundamental question. Fully to address it, to grasp the essence of personal identity, we need to understand the sense of self, at any particular time. There are also what we might call "external" aspects of identity: those characteristics by which I am identified and classified by others, or by myself, taking an objective view on myself. It is these that supply objective criteria for my being counted, recognised, acknowledged as such and such a kind of person and as the same person on different occasions. They are closer to what is utilised in identification. They underpin my claim to be identical with Raymond Tallis, a person others have met before, of whom certain things can be expected, who has rights, duties, possessions and so on. Identity cards underline the link between identity and entitlements. These external aspects also fall short of being fundamental: they would not have any meaning without the subjective aspect of identity. The (in my view erroneous) primary focus on identity over time and (the equally erroneous) focus on external criteria for identity both distract from the core of the matter—the experience "That I am…" It explains, what is more, the tendency among some contemporary philosophers, to reduce personal identity to impersonal facts; to imagine that a third-person account will reveal the true nature of first-person being. Once this is appreciated, it will be seen that personal identity requires not only psychological continuity but also bodily stability. The talk will put forward an account of personal identity that combines both of these features.


Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a new lithography paradigm that is based on deformation of a resist by compression molding rather than altering its chemical structure by radiation, and is designed to fabricate nanostructures inexpensively with high throughput. In this paper, we present significant new developments in achieving holes and dots with 6 nm feature size, 40 nm period on silicon, and 10 nm feature size, 40 nm period on a Au substrate. Moreover, we present an application of NIL to the fabrication of nanoscale compact disks (NanoCDs) of 400 Gbits/in/sup 2/ data density.


This study sought to investigate the influence of cognition and locus of control on the health behaviors of social media users so as to mitigate the learning of negative health behaviors by social media users. Four hypotheses were formulated including H1: Cognitive Factors have a positive effect on the Health Behavior of social media users; H2: Cognitive Factors have a positive impact on Internal Locus of Control of social media users; H3: Internal Locus of Control positively affects the Behavioral Intention of social media users; H4: Behavioral Intention positively affects Health Behavior of social media users.

Quantitative research methods were used in this study. A sample of 450 social media users was taken from three countries namely; Uganda, Nigeria and Cameroon for data collection using questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, hierarchical regressions and structural equation modeling techniques.

Findings reveal that all the four hypotheses were supported. Given the findings, we recommend that communities implement knowledge enhancement programs such as trainings, education, and sensitization among others. Social media users should be taught on the benefits of using social media for positive health gain. Further, it is recommended that cultural institutions, religious institutions join social media platforms and moderate the learning process. This will enable users to learn new health behaviors that positively affect their health.


There is little research evaluating within-session supervision communication in the training of clinical psychologists. This study evaluated the perception of 37 interns and 49 patients regarding communication between supervisor and intern during the therapy session. Most supervisors used such communication infrequently. While some interns and patients viewed call-ins or walk-ins as intrusive and unhelpful, the majority did not. Indeed, some valued the feedback. No association was found between the use of call-ins or walk-ins and patient reports of therapist behaviours or intern reports of supervisory style. It is concluded that within-session communication is not deemed as necessary by most supervisors, who should remain cautious in their use of such communication, unless patient care is compromised.


The double-spike technique is one of the most robust and commonly used methods for high precision isotopic mass fractionation analyses by either TIMS or MC-ICPMS. It involves measuring the isotopic compositions of the pure sample, as well as a mixture of the sample and a double-spike made of an artificial mixture of isotopes. If isotopic variations follow the laws of mass-dependent fractionation, one does not need to measure the pure sample and a single measurement of the sample–spike mixture is sufficient. This approach is invalid, however, if the isotopic composition of the sample is not related to that of the standard by mass fractionation because nucleosynthetic anomalies are present, the sample is affected by cosmogenic effects, or one or several of its isotopes are produced by the decay of a radioactive parent. Extraterrestrial materials, in particular, often display isotopic anomalies of nucleosynthetic origin that can be troublemakers in double-spike data reduction if not properly accounted for. In the present publication, we derive an analytical equation to calculate the correction that needs to be applied to the isotopic composition if one erroneously assumes that samples and standards are related by the laws of mass dependent fractionation when in reality isotopic anomalies are present (by anomaly, we mean any departure from mass-dependent fractionation). This formula is applied to previous Mo, Ti and Cr isotopic analyses and demonstrated to yield an accurate correction. The newly derived formula also provides a straightforward means of propagating errors arising from the presence of anomalies in the isotopic composition calculated by the double-spike technique.


The analysis of low-frequency spectral induced polarization data involves the determination of the distribution of relaxation times either from time-domain or frequency domain measurements. The classical approach is to assume a simple transfer function (e.g., a Cole-Cole function) and to determine, by a deterministic or a stochastic fitting procedure, the parameters of this transfer function (for instance the four Cole-Cole parameters). Some other methods (based on optimization) have been developed recently avoiding the choice of a specific transfer function that can bias data interpretation. We have developed a new approach based on the Fourier transform also avoiding the use of a specific analytical transfer function. The use of the Fourier transform is a classical approach to retrieve the kernel of a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind (especially in potential field theory) and this corresponds exactly to the problem we want to solve. We adapt the Fourier transform approach to retrieve the distribution of the relaxation times (for instance to process low-frequency induced polarization data). Problems resulting from the use of this approach with noisy data are prevented by using Wiener filtering. As far as induced polarization is concerned, we found that
it is necessary to fit the high-frequency dielectric contribution of the spectra and to remove this contribution from the quadrature conductivity data before inverting the distribution of the relaxation times. Our approach is benchmarked with analytical pair solutions and then tested by using synthetic
and experimental data sets.


Phosphoinositides (PIs) are a group of low abundance phospholipids that play a critical role in the control of organelle and membrane traffic. There is strong evidence that specific PIs are also important for the regulation of autophagy. PIs are modified by a complex network of lipid kinases and phosphatases. A recent study from our laboratory focused on two PI phosphatases from the myotubularin related protein (MTMR) family, myotubularin (MTM1) and MTMR14. Using zebrafish as a model system, we found that dual knockdown of MTM1 and MTMR14 leads to an unexpectedly severe developmental motor phenotype. We found that this severe phenotype was mediated, at least in part, by dysregulation of autophagy, as demonstrated by the accumulation of autophagic vacuoles and increased levels of LC3-II. Our study provides the first in vivo evidence for a role of myotubularins, and in particular MTMR14, in the regulation of autophagy.


The aim of this thesis was to increase the applicability of milk urea nitrogen concentration (MUN) as a predictor of urinary urea nitrogen excretion (UUN) by identifying and quantifying factors that can explain variation in MUN that is not related to UUN. A literature study was conducted in order to identify these factors that affect the relationship between MUN and UUN. In this literature review a number of factors were established that affect the relationship between MUN and urinary N-excretion (UN) or UUN, such as dietary crude protein content (CP), intake of dietary salt and water, body weight, diurnal variation in plasma urea nitrogen concentration (PUN), exchange of urea between blood and milk, and heritability of MUN. Results of a quantitative meta-analysis where the effect of various physiological and dietary factors on the relationship between MUN and UN or UUN were studied confirmed the fact that CP affects the relationship between MUN and UUN and showed that by using information on MUN and CP more variation in UUN could be explained compared to using information on either MUN or CP alone. One of the factors established in the literature review that can affect the relationship between MUN and UUN is dietary salt content or drink water intake. In order to quantify the effect of dietary salt on MUN and UUN an experiment was carried out that investigated the effect of four dietary levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) on urea levels in blood plasma and milk and on UN and UUN. The results from this trial clearly showed a negative relationship between dietary NaCl content and MUN whereas UUN was not affected by NaCl intake and UN was slightly increased by increasing NaCl intake levels. The question arose whether the effect of dietary salt on MUN would be similar at high and low dietary protein levels as the renal mechanism of excretion and reabsorption of urea is affected by both dietary protein and salt intake. Therefore, the interaction between dietary salt and protein on UUN was tested in an experiment with two CP levels and two dietary NaCl levels. No interaction between dietary NaCl and CP on MUN was observed. However, the relationship between MUN and UUN was altered by the effect of salt intake. The literature review showed that diurnal variation in PUN and MUN can be substantial, and that this variation depends on factors such as time and frequency of feeding and milking. Insight in the dynamics of urea transport between blood of milk is important in order to model and predict variation in MUN over time under various feeding and milking regimes. To obtain quantitative insight in urea fluxes between blood and milk two experiments were conducted in which urea transport from blood to milk and vice versa was investigated by means of pulse dose injections of labeled [15N15N]urea in milk cisterns at various time intervals before milking. The results showed a rapid distribution of injected labeled urea throughout the milk in the mammary gland and substantial urea transport from milk to blood. It is concluded that various factors that are discussed in this thesis contribute to variation in MUN that is not related to UUN. Taking these factors into account increases the applicability of MUN as a predictor of UUN.


Since the end of the 20th century, it has become clear that web browsers will play a crucial role in accessing Internet resources such as the World Wide Web. They evolved into complex software suites that are able to process a multitude of data formats. Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation was incorporated to speed up the execution of script code, but is also used besides web browsers for performance reasons. Attackers happily welcomed JIT in their own way, and until today, JIT compilers are an important target of various attacks. This includes for example JIT-Spray, JIT-based code-reuse attacks and JIT-specific flaws to circumvent mitigation techniques in order to simplify the exploitation of memory-corruption vulnerabilities. Furthermore, JIT compilers are complex and provide a large attack surface, which is visible in the steady stream of critical bugs appearing in them. In this paper, we survey and systematize the jungle of JIT compilers of major (client-side) programs, and provide a categorization of offensive techniques for abusing JIT compilation. Thereby, we present techniques used in academic as well as in non-academic works which try to break various defenses against memory-corruption vulnerabilities. Additionally, we discuss what mitigations arouse to harden JIT compilers to impede exploitation by skilled attackers wanting to abuse Just-In-Time compilers.


Summary Public genomic and proteomic databases can be affected by a variety of errors. These errors may involve either the description or the meaning of data (namely, syntactic or semantic errors). We focus our analysis on the detection of semantic errors, in order to verify the accuracy of the stored information. In particular, we address the issue of data constraints and functional dependencies among attributes in a given relational database. Constraints and dependencies show semantics among attributes in a database schema and their knowledge may be exploited to improve data quality and integration in database design, and to perform query optimization and dimensional reduction. We propose a method to discover data constraints and functional dependencies by means of association rule mining. Association rules are extracted among attribute values and allow us to find causality relationships among them. Then, by analyzing the support and confidence of each rule, (probabilistic) data constraints and functional dependencies may be detected. With our method we can both show the presence of erroneous data and highlight novel semantic information. Moreover, our method is database-independent because it infers rules from data. In this paper, we report the application of our techniques to the SCOP (Structural Classification of Proteins) and CATH Protein Structure Classification databases.


To provide proactive fault tolerance for modern cloud data centers, extensive studies have proposed machine learning (ML) approaches to predict imminent disk failures for early remedy and evaluated their approaches directly on public datasets (e.g., Backblaze SMART logs). However, in real-world production environments, the data quality is imperfect (e.g., inaccurate labeling, missing data samples, and complex failure types), thereby degrading the prediction accuracy. We present RODMAN, a robust data preprocessing pipeline that refines data samples before feeding them into ML models. We start with a large-scale trace-driven study of over three million disks from Alibaba Cloud's data centers, and motivate the practical challenges in ML-based disk failure prediction. We then design RODMAN with three data preprocessing echniques, namely failure-type filtering, spline-based data filling, and automated pre-failure backtracking, that are applicable for general ML models. Evaluation on both the Alibaba and Backblaze datasets shows that RODMAN improves the prediction accuracy compared to without data preprocessing under various settings.


This paper presents a capacity based analysis of directional Multiple-Input MultipleOutput (MIMO) channel measurements that were conducted with (16 x 16) element Uniform Circular Arrays (UCA) of patch antennas. The effect of antenna array configuration on performance has been investigated. A comparison between directly measured MIMO channels and MIMO channels generated from the multipath parameters that were extracted using the HS-SAGE algorithm is also presented.


This paper investigates the relationship between returns to cultivation per hectare and size-class of land cultivated in India, using unit level data from the 59th round National Sample Survey, 2003. The analysis is done separately for `kharif' and `rabi' - for total value of cultivation from all crops at the all India level. The empirical evidence rejects the null hypothesis of no relationship and points to the existence of an inverse association. We argue that the efficiency of the small-holders has to be taken with a pinch of salt because their low absolute returns brings into focus the question of their livelihood sustainability which is further aggravated on account of higher unit costs. Being the first exercise in a series of proposed explorations into disaggregated analyses across states, and for specific crops, it opens up the classic debate on farm size and productivity in the 21st century.


The paper discusses how literacy teachers approach the differences in the reading profiles of their students with dyslexia, and the value of an available diagnosis of dyslexia in their choosing the most appropriate teaching methods. The research was carried out in the Greater London area in 2014. It involved interviews with six practitioners directly involved in teaching reading skills to pupils with dyslexia in various capacities. All of the participants demonstrated awareness of the wide range of difficulties on the dyslexia spectrum. This underlay their commitment to personalized teaching based on a detailed assessment of the pupils' weaknesses and strengths. Provided that such an assessment and special educational expert's recommendations for teaching were available to inform their approach, five out of the six interviewees, who were working only at a school level, did not find the availability of a diagnosis of dyslexia necessary. However, the participant with the most extensive expertise, occupying a leadership role in a borough's literacy support centre, strongly defended and insisted on the existence and the instructional necessity of the dyslexia category. The overall conclusion is that applying the most appropriate teaching strategies would depend on the availability of a detailed assessment, which poses the question how teachers who have no access to such information will be able to adjust their instruction to the needs of the particular student.


The quartzite dimension stones from the region of Ouro Preto, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil are exploited by LPA (local productive agreement). There are about 350 people directly involved in this economic activity. The rock in this region is greatly weathered. Because of this, the final quartzite recovery is only about 30% of the volume, resulting in great amounts of waste which is deposited on land near the pits. At a typical quarry in Passagem de Mariana, near Ouro Preto, fragments and sand from the waste deposits were collected and characterized. The results are presented herein. After studies with three sand samples, it was verified that these sands can be used in civil construction. Also, with proper size classification, it can be utilized by casting industries. Furthermore, after being purified by high intensity magnetic separation and froth flotation, these wastes can be also used in the glass bottle industry. All of these applications are very interesting in the social, economic and environmental point of view.


The ever increasing healthcare cost has become a burden for modern society. Recently, a lot of research activities have been carried out in search of innovative and low-cost solutions for the healthcare industry. Benefited from advanced submicron CMOS technologies, which allow a high level of integration and reduction of cost, many miniaturized biomedical devices were developed for different applications. The biopotential signals, such as Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Electromyogram (EMG), were recorded and studied with customized CMOS devices. These low-cost portable CMOS based biomedical devices operating at low supply voltage, which can be battery-powered, will be able to replace the conventional lab-based bulky diagnosis or monitoring systems in the near future. In a typical biomedical acquisition and monitoring system, the biomedical signals, which could be in the form of pressure, PH value, nerve stimulus, or electrical potentials, are usually sensed by single or multi-channel sensors, amplified by a low-pass or bandpass amplifier, digitized by an ADC and then transmitted to the data processing unit. One of the most critical and power consuming components in such system is the ADC. Therefore, minimizing the power consumption is a crucial design target for ADC in biomedical applications. The Successive Approximation Register (SAR) ADC exhibits significant advantages compared to other ADC architectures such as pipelining and Delta-Sigma, in terms of power consumption and area. Two distinct types of SAR ADCs, namely the unit-capacitor array SAR ADC and binary-weighted capacitor SAR ADC, were studied and analyzed in this report. The unit-capacitor array ADC has theoretically the lowest DAC power consumption. However, the digital circuit overhead is large. Two binary-weighted capacitor SAR ADCs were designed and implemented. A novel tri-level switching algorithm that xv allows 97% Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) power reduction and 75% area savings is also proposed. Customized digital logic circuit offers variable sampling rates for different applications and also further reduce ADC power up to 50%.


The aim of this article is to explore how international donors influence civil society organisations (CSOs) in Mozambique through funding mechanisms, the creation of partnerships, or inclusion in targeted programmes. The main focus is the relationship between donors and AIDS non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The main questions the paper aims to answer are: Who is setting the agenda? What power mechanisms are in place to fulfil planned projects and programmes? Are there any forms of resistance from civil society AIDS-organisations in the face of the donor interventions? The actions will be analysed through the lens of governmentality theory. The study concluded that donors have the power to set the agenda through predetermined programmes and using various technologies. Their strongest weapons are audit mechanisms such as the result based management model used as a control mechanism, and there is still a long way to go to achieve a situation with multiple forms of local resistance to the conditions set by economically powerful donors. The standardisation imposed through clustering donors into like-minded groups and other constellations gives them power to govern the politics of AIDS.


Surface Assembly
A laser-based method can create arbitrary patterns of nanoparticles and colloids on plasmonic substrates with photothermally generated microbubbles. Lin et al. generated microbubbles in colloidal suspensions at low laser powers, using a plasmonic surface (a quasi-continuous gold nano-island film) that had its resonance tuned to the laser wavelength of 532 nm. The microbubbles captured and immobilized particles through Marangoni convection around the bubble, surface tension, gas pressure, and substrate adhesion. They patterned polystyrene nanoparticles (∼60 nm) and beads (∼0.5 to 5 µm) as well as 6-nm cadmium selenide-zinc sulfide core-shell nanoparticles.

Nano Lett. 5 , 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04524 (2015).


In this paper we illustrate how the incorporation of behavioural responses and dynamic effects alters the conclusions of static household microsimulation models on the distributional impacts of economic policies. Based on Hungary's Household Budget and Living Conditions Survey, we model household consumption using the demand system approach of Creedy, 1998. This method makes it possible to obtain reasonable price elasticity estimates of consumption from cross-sectional data by combining them with Frisch-parameter values obtained from cross-country studies. With this consumption module, we simulate the distributional impacts of a hypothetical food VAT rate change in Hungary and show how the static and behavioural impact estimates differ according to income decile. We examine the sensitivity of our results to the choice of the country-level Frisch-parameter and to a realistic allowance for household-level variation in the Frisch-parameter.


Grip strength measurements with the aid of dynamometers are dependent on the cooperation and motivation of the individual examined. Recognising a simulated loss of grip is a hitherto unresolved problem. With a sensor glove developed at the Berlin University of Technology, the force distribution pattern of any form of grip can be captured via ten pressure sensors and evaluated by computer. In five subjects, the force distribution patterns at submaximum and maximum force of five different grips were determined in three successive measurements each. The data were recorded in force-time diagrams. For each act of grasping, the measurements produced a curve with near-constant measuring signals within a defined period (plateau). The difference in the plateau heights of successive grips and the structures of the individual plateaux (oscillation, standard deviation) were used as distinguishing criteria. The dynamics of the measuring signals showed statistically significant differences between grips with submaximum and maximum force (p < 0.0001).


Context. Protostellar jets are a new class of X-ray sources which has been discovered with both XMM-Newton and Chandra. The mechanism responsible for the X-ray emission is still not clear. Self-shocking in jets, shocks where the jet hits the surrounding medium, reflected or scattered stellar X-ray emission have all been invoked as possible explanations. Aims. One key diagnostic discriminating among physical emission mechanisms is the motion of the X-ray source: hydrodynamical numerical models of continuous protostellar jets plowing through a uniform medium show an X-ray emitting shock front moving at several hundreds km s -1 . In the nearest X-ray emitting protostellar jet, HH 154, this is detectable, with the spatial resolution of the Chandra X-ray observatory, over a few years baseline, allowing a robust discrimination among different mechanisms. Methods. We have performed, in October 2005, a deep Chandra X-ray observation of HH 154. Comparison with the previous (2001) Chandra observation allows to detect proper motion down to the level predicted by models of X-ray emitting shocks in the jet. Results. The 2005 Chandra observation of HH 154 shows unexpected morphological changes of the X-ray emission in comparison with the 2001 data. Two components are present: a stronger, point-like component with no detectable motion and a weaker component which has expanded in size by approximately 300 AU over the 4 years time base of the two observations. This expansion corresponds to approximately 500 km s -1 , very close to the velocity of the X-ray emitting shock in the simple theoretical models. Conclusions. The 2005 data show a more complex system than initially thought (and modeled), with multiple components with different properties. The observed morphology is possibly indicating a pulsed jet propagating through a non-homogeneous medium, likely with medium density decreasing with distance from the driving source. Detailed theoretical modeling and deeper X-ray observations will be needed to understand the physics of this fascinating class of sources.


Coded 24 GHz Doppler sensors have been realized to perform high-precision non-contact vehicle position and speed measurements. Encoding the radar signal with a spread-spectrum code is the key to a significantly enhanced sensitivity combined with a range selectivity of the sensor. The novel system concept establishes a high-performance low-cost vehicle Doppler radar system with very high measurement accuracy suitable for automotive and railway applications.


Discourse on how adverse environmental changes and climate-induced resource scarcity may give rise to armed conflicts between and within states has been increasing remarkably; and it is having a considerable impact on how environmental change is being securitized in public policy (Floyd and Matthew 2012). Yet frequently overlooked in environmental security debates are how adverse environmental and ecological conditions can actually create conditions for the resolution of conflicts and peaceful interactions between parties to ongoing or potential conflicts. The role of existing militaries in this context deserves particular attention from an instrumental perspective of peacekeeping, as well as from a strategic goal of repurposing the military-industrial complex. Past scholarship in human geography has particularly focused on the ways the military shapes environmental processes through entrenched power structures and infrastructure impacts (Woodward 2004; Davis 2015). No doubt the negative impact of militaries cannot be underestimated or diminished. However, the opportunities to consider a positive transformative role for the military nevertheless deserves greater attention, given the enormous resource base of military establishments and continuing public investment in militaries worldwide.


Ontogenetic changes of the visual system are often correlated to shifts in habitat and feeding behaviour of animals. Coral reef fishes begin their lives in the pelagic zone and then migrate to the reef. This transition of habitat frequently involves a change in diet and light environment as well as major morphological modifications. The spotted unicornfish, Naso brevirostris, is known to shift diet from zooplankton to algae and back to zooplankton when transitioning from larval to juvenile and then to adult stages. Concurrently, N. brevirostris also moves from an open pelagic to a coral-associated habitat before migrating up in the water column when reaching adulthood. Using retinal mapping techniques, we discovered that the distribution and density of ganglion and photoreceptor cells in N. brevirostris do not change with the habitat or the feeding habits of each developmental stage. Instead, fishes showed a neotenic development with a slight change from larval to juvenile stages and not many modifications thereafter. Visual gene expression based on RNA sequencing mirrored this pattern; independent of stage, fishes mainly expressed three cone opsin genes (SWS2B, RH2B, RH2A), with a quantitative difference in the expression of the green opsin genes (RH2A and RH2B) when transitioning from larvae to juveniles. Hence, contrary to the ontogenetic changes found in many animals, the visual system is fixed early on in N. brevirostris development calling for a thorough analysis of visual system development of the reef fish community.


This paper explores responses to women as victims of professional sexual abuse in mental health services through comparisons of the changing imperatives of UK legal proscriptions and regulatory and service responses. It argues that the early influences of the eugenics movement still pervade our attitudes to the phenomena in spite of changes to the law and the underlying principles of contemporary law. In the UK, sex between women who use mental health services and men who work in those services has been unlawful specifically since the 1890 Lunacy Act. This law made it a criminal offence for male employees of a mental health asylum to have sexual intercourse with a female patient on the premises of the asylum. It was enacted at a time when attitudes to sexual relationships and procreation by people with mental health needs or learning disabilities was based on fear that, if allowed, 'mental defectives' would produce more 'mental defectives' who would in turn become a further burden on society. In spite of numerous reviews of mental health law in the UK, this specific section of the 1890 Lunacy Act was not fully repealed until the 2003 Sexual Offences Act. This now makes it a criminal offence for a care worker to have sexual contact with a person in their care and is based on contemporary imperatives about the rights and protection of vulnerable people from abusive professionals. These are significant legal developments but they are not always mirrored by responses in services and by professional regulatory bodies when such sexual abuse comes to light. Such responses remain characterised by the pathologisation of women rather than justice making.


ABSTRACT This paper investigates the conditions of political argument with regard to welfare legislation. It connects to the discussion on the role of ideas in political change but develops a new approach by investigating arguments in light of theories of public justification in a democratic society. The paper uses a recent Norwegian law as the case for studying how politicians frame their arguments for "mandatory activation," meaning the policy that requires recipients to participate in work-oriented activities. The paper finds that Norwegian advocates of activation use a "justificatory narrative" that presents the new law as a form of paternalistic concern for the benefit recipients. It is argued that this justification can be understood as shaped by certain basic conditions of political viability.


GROUND BEEF by SAMANTHA ELIZABETH BELANGER (Under the Direction of Alexander M. Stelzleni) ABSTRACT The control of shiga toxin-producing E. coli is of major concern for non-intact beef products such as ground beef. As novel antimicrobials are developed to reduce these pathogens, it is critical to understand their impact on meat quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two novel antimicrobials, acidic electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO) and levulinic acid plus sodium dodecyl sulfate (LVASDS), on quality and shelf life characteristics of ground beef as compared to two industry standards, lactic acid (LA) and peroxyacetic acid (PAA). Beef trim was produced from whole boneless chuck rolls and treated with antimicrobial interventions then ground. Patties were formed, packaged into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) overwrap or vacuum packaging (VP), and placed in simulated retail display. In conclusion the results showed that EO and LVASDS could be used without negatively affecting quality and shelf life characteristics as compared to industry standards.


Solid dispersions (SD) were prepared with naringenin and polyvinyl pyrrolidone k-30 (PVP k-30) by the solvent evaporation method with three drying methods (microwave-vacuum drying, MVD; and spray drying, SPD; vacuum drying, VD). The physical state was characterized by DSC, PXRD, SEM, and FT-IR. The results showed that the vitro dissolution rate and extent of naringenin was improved significantly by SD as compared with the pure drug and physical mixtures (PM). The results of FT-IR showed that naringenin is possibly interacted with PVP k-30 via intermolecular hydrogen bond, the results of DSC and PXRD showed that all of the SD prepared with three drying methods was completely amorphous. Compared with other drying methods, the MVD method can save time and energy. The physical state of SD prepared with the three drying methods that stored in the 40 °C/75% RH chamber was stable in three month. These results suggest that MVD is feasible to replace the traditional time-consuming and low efficiency drying procedure for preparation of SD.


Clinical and genetic registries are an important tool in studying psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). They assist in delineating disease features and are crucial in defining phenotype and identifying genetic and other markers of disease expression. At the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), members of the clinical registries and genetics committees described several ongoing registries, including their construction, protocols, and some results from their analyses. In breakout groups, members discussed data issues, including identification of core datasets, ownership, and how to share data; and ethical issues and possible sources of funding for registries. Proceedings of these meetings are summarized.


This paper described how to apply the lag comparator of the two-state modulation circuit to the development of the current-controlled two-state modulation technology which, under the control of a micro-computer, is used to a new type of dynamic electronic load of power supply for the detector of the starting property and capability of the battery for aircraft. Based on the quantitative analysis of the lag comparator of the two-state modulation circuit, the inclusion is drawn that the system is an excellent dynamic electronic load and controlled current amplifier. The result and curves of the detection and imitation detection of batteries are given in the paper.


Nanoparticles are small and have a large surface-to-volume ratio, which gives them phenomenal, unique features. It is an emerging, multidisciplinary field that frequently employs new techniques and tools from diverse disciplines, including biology, engineering, chemistry, and medicine. Nanotechnology entities help to improve the solubility, absorbability, bioavailability, and half-life of conventional natural products. Nano-applications are used in poultry and animal production systems using available tools and techniques without affecting animal health and welfare. Nanotechnology is a smart technology in the field of biomedical engineering used for the diagnosis and treatment of different poultry diseases. This technology provides better solutions for various applications and poultry production that can help in reducing costs and improving the final product quality. Even though nanotechnology is one of the main novelties which have already been applied in poultry and other different areas, it is still in the initial stages of its development and it hampers the environment, animal, and people's health. Therefore, wide hazard assessments should be conducted to ensure the safety of the nanoproducts before making them immediate implementation for poultry/animal/ or human use.


Abstract Over seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by oceans, and it is an established fact now, that life originated in the oceans. Additionally, the oceans are also the source of matchless natural products that are mainly accumulated in living organisms. Several bioactive compounds of therapeutic interest have been isolated from marine invertebrates, and some of them have been reported to be of microbial origin. Numerous of these compounds show pharmacological activities and are helpful for the invention and discovery of bioactive compounds, primarily for deadly diseases like cancer, acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome, etc., while others have also been shown to possess several valuable properties. The secondary metabolites of microorganisms, algae and invertebrates, possess lifesaving properties, and are deadly toxins as well, depending on the dosage. The useful applications of these compounds, as bio-markers is also being explored, to further enrich pharmacological information. Recent developments have opened colossal areas of research for the isolation of biologically active compounds from marine flora and fauna.


Religious diversity is important as an academic concept as well as a social phenomenon, and an emerging body of literature is devoted to analysing religious diversity in China. However, not enough research has been conducted to investigate how this concept of 'religious diversity' is received and applied by Chinese scholars in contemporary China.
This chapter aims to bridge that gap by questioning how the concept of 'religious diversity' is used in dissertations that have been successfully defended in Chinese universities in recent years. Compared with journal articles and monographs, dissertations are more likely to be neglected by academic reviewers as their authors are junior scholars who, normally, have not yet obtained the cultural capital associated with established academics. However, dissertations that have been successfully defended in examinations are, by their very nature, satisfactory in quality and innovative in their arguments. Thus, they offer a reasonable empirical lens through which we can understand how the concept of 'religious diversity' is viewed, adopted, and applied in contemporary Chinese scholarship.
In this chapter, after establishing the importance of contemporary China as an interesting setting for exploring the concept of 'religious diversity', we analyse selected English language academic works relating to this concept as it is found in China. In so doing, we bring attention to two salient themes concerning the general perspective on Chinese religious diversity held in English literature: firstly, that 'religious diversity' is understood as being treated differently in Western and Chinese contexts, with China apparently emphasising integrated and compatible 'co-elements' over the West's co-existing but mutually incompatible range of religions or religious denominations. Secondly, focusing on the case of China, the state's proactive shaping of the diversity of the country's religious field has also been widely noted. Following this section on China-related English scholarly works, we introduce our method of selecting empirical materials and the essential descriptive statistics of the dissertation sample that we analysed.


The aim of the study was to investigate sonographically the effect of Gongronema latifolium on gastric emptying of semi-solid meals in diabetic dogs. Twenty-five alloxan-induced diabetic dogs were randomly allotted into five groups of five dogs each in a randomised placebo-controlled study. These are placebo, prokinetic dose, low dose, moderate dose and high dose groups. The placebo group served as the control. The low, moderate and high dose groups ingested methanolic leaf extract of G. latifolium at 100 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg respectively, while the prokinetic group ingested 0.5 mg/kg of metoclopramide. After a 12-hour fast, each group ingested its treatment capsules 30 minutes before the administration of test meal. Measurements of gastric emptying and blood glucose levels were obtained from each dog 30 minutes before and immediately after the ingestion of a test meal, every 15 minutes for another 4 hours and then every 30 minutes for further 2 hours. Gastric emptying of the moderate and high dose groups were 227.8 ± 9.9 min and 261.3 ± 19.3 min respectively and significantly (p < 0.0001) slower than the placebo control group of 143.0 ± 17.8 min. The gastric emptying of the low dose group (169.8 ± 3.8) and control group did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). A strong inverse relationship between gastric emptying and the incremental blood glucose levels was noted in the diabetic dogs after the ingestion of Gongronema latifolium (r = -0.90; p < 0.0001). Gonogronema latifolium delayed gastric emptying in diabetic dogs.


Background: Hip fracture represents a substantial acute inflammatory trauma, which may constitute a significant insult to the degenerating brain. Research suggests that an injury of this kind can affect memory and thinking in the future but it is unclear whether, and how, inflammatory trauma injures the brain. The impact of Acute SystematiC inflammation upon cerebRospinal fluId and blood BiomarkErs of brain inflammation and injury in Dementia: a study in acute hip fracture patients (ASCRIBED) explores this relationship, to understand the effect of inflammation on the progression of dementia. Methods: This protocol describes a multi-centre sample collection observational study. The study utilises the unique opportunity provided by hip fracture operations undertaken via spinal anaesthesia to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, to investigate the impact of acute brain inflammation caused by hip fracture on the exacerbation of dementia. We will recruit 200 hip fracture patients with a diagnosis or evidence of dementia; and 200 hip fracture patients without dementia. We will also recruit ' Suitable informants ' , individuals in regular contact with the patient, to provide further proxy evidence of a patient ' s potential cognitive decline. We will compare these 400 samples with existing CSF and blood samples from a cohort of dementia patients who had not experienced a systemic inflammatory response due to injury. This will provide a comparison between patients with and without dementia who are suffering a systemic inflammatory response; with stable patients living with dementia. Discussion: We will test the hypothesis that hip fracture patients living with dementia show elevated markers of brain inflammation, as well as neuronal injury and Alzheimer-related plaque pathology, in comparison to (1) stable patients living with dementia and (2) hip fracture patients without dementia, as measured by biomarkers in CSF and blood. The findings will address the hypothesis that systemic inflammatory events can exacerbate underlying dementia and inform the search for new treatments targeting inflammation in dementia.


In this brief reply to Prof. Ted Sichelman's comments on my article Exchanging Information Without Intellectual Property, I argue that justifications for intellectual property that rely on the incentives exclusive rights offer for commercialization are not economically distinguishable from traditional theories based on incentives to invent or create in the first instance. Because innovation is not an event but a process, innovative activities may be subject to misappropriation – and therefore under-production – at multiple points along the supply chain that runs from conception to commercialization. The grant of exclusive rights is an intervention that can be made at any of these points. Whether granted early or late in the innovation process, the economic function of the intervention is the same. Similarly, the intervention is subject to similar critiques – most notably that their social welfare costs exceed their benefits and that alternative forms of incentive may be just as effective at lower social cost – regardless of when it is made. The incentives-based "commercialization theory" therefore is really just a version of traditional "reward theory" set later in time. In my work, I isolate and critique a different economic function that exclusive rights may serve with respect to commercialization: that of facilitating exchange.


Chapter 1 1. Iraq on the Eve of World War I Chapter 2 2. Declarations of War against Turkey Chapter 3 3. British Invasion of Iraq and Capture of Basra and Shatt al Arab Chapter 4 4. Pause in British Advance and the Situation in Bagdad, January-April, 1915 Chapter 5 5. Defeat of Turkish Counter Offensive: Battles of Suez and Shaiba Chapter 6 6. British Capture of Amara, Nasiriya, and Kut al Amara Chapter 7 7. British Subjects in Iraq and Disturbances in Najaf and Kerbala Chapter 8 8. Tension in Bagdad and Measures against Christians and Jews Chapter 9 9. Battle of Ctesiphon: British Failure to Take Bagdad and Retreat to Kut Chapter 10 10. British Failure to Lift the Siege of Kut and its Surrender Chapter 11 11. British Occupation of South Persia, 1915 Chapter 12 12. Impact of Russian Campaign in Persia on the War in Iraq Chapter 13 13. Subjugation of the Tribes and Preparations for Renewed British Offensive Chapter 14 14. British Offensive and Capture of Bagdad Chapter 15 15. Spring 1917 Offensive and Expansion of the British Force Chapter 16 16. Final Year of War and Completion of British Occupation of Iraq Chapter 17 17. Onset of British Rule in Iraq Chapter 18 18. Iraq's Commercial Decline Chapter 19 19. The Toll from Disease


The Xinanjiang model has been successfully and widely applied in humid and semi-humid regions of China for rainfall–runoff simulation and flood forecasting. However, its forecasting precision is seriously affected by antecedent precipitation (Pa). Commonly applied methods relying on the experience of individual modelers are not standardized and difficult to transfer. In particular, the Xinanjiang daily model may result in obvious errors in the determination of Pa. Thus, a practical method for estimating Pa is proposed in this paper, which is based on a genetic algorithm (GA) and is estimated during a rising flood period. In the optimization process of a GA, Pa values form a chromosome, the root-mean-squared error between the observed and simulated streamflow is chosen as the fitness function. Simultaneously, the best individual reserved strategy is adopted between correction periods to avoid complete independence between each optimization process as well as to ensure the stability of the algorithm. Twenty-seven historical floods observed at the gauge station of the Shuangpai reservoir in Hunan Province of China are used to test the presented algorithm for estimation of Pa, and the results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves flood forecasting quality of the Xinanjiang model.


As attacks to computers increase, protective software is developed. However, that software is still open to attacks by adversaries that disable its functionality. If that software is stopped or disabled, the risk of damage to the computer increases. Protections of that software are proposed however existing approaches are insufficient or cannot use those software without modification. To decrease the risk and to address these problems, this paper presents an attack avoidance method that hides process from adversaries who intend to terminate essential services. The proposed method complicates identification based on process information by dynamically replacing the information held by a kernel with dummy information. Replacing process information makes identifying the attack target difficult because adversaries cannot find the attack target by seeking the process information. Implementation of the proposed method with a virtual machine monitor enhances the security of the mechanism itself. Further, by implementing the proposed method with a virtual machine monitor, modification to operating systems is unnecessary.


The study completes a series of the author's works devoted to the spread of particles population in supercritical catalytic branching random walk (CBRW) on a multidimensional lattice. The CBRW model describes the evolution of a system of particles combining their random movement with branching (reproduction and death) which only occurs at fixed points of the lattice. The set of such catalytic points is assumed to be finite and arbitrary. In the supercritical regime the size of population, initiated by a parent particle, increases exponentially with positive probability. The rate of the spread depends essentially on the distribution tails of the random walk jump. If the jump distribution has "light tails", the "population front", formed by the particles most distant from the origin, moves linearly in time and the limiting shape of the front is a convex surface. When the random walk jump has independent coordinates with a semiexponential distribution, the population spreads with a power rate in time and the limiting shape of the front is a star-shape nonconvex surface. So far, for regularly varying tails ("heavy" tails), we have considered the problem of scaled front propagation assuming independence of components of the random walk jump. Now, without this hypothesis, we examine an "isotropic" case, when the rate of decay of the jumps distribution in different directions is given by the same regularly varying function. We specify the probability that, for time going to infinity, the limiting random set formed by appropriately scaled positions of population particles belongs to a set B containing the origin with its neighborhood, in R d . In contrast to the previous results, the random cloud of particles with normalized positions in the time limit will not concentrate on coordinate axes with probability one.


This master thesis study to what extent Norway can build a wave and tidal (marine energy) industry with a limited home market. Marine energy entails immense power potential and can become an important, infinite renewable energy source if the technology reaches grid parity. Norway has physical resources, R&D history within marine energy and need for a new industry to extend the offshore competences after the oil reserves are empty. Thus, marine energy could provide great opportunities for Norway in the future. While other countries introduce favourable demand-side policies to stimulate the development of marine energy industry, Norway only has supply-side incentives making marine power production impossible with current, immature technologies. Inexpensive hydropower and low unemployment rates lead to minimal domestic demand for marine energy, and Norwegian private actors are to a low degree involved in the industry. Thus, the limited Norwegian market for marine energy raises a question of whether Norwegian marine energy industry can evolve. In order to investigate the importance of home market in existing theory, a literature review has been conducted. As there is little theory directly related to implications of limited home markets, three theory areas have been studied in depth, namely trade theory, innovation systems and emerging industries. In addition, four mini cases on similar renewable energy industries have been studied to cover potential shortcomings in theory. The thesis is primarily based on ten focused interviews with different marine industry and surrounding industry actors. In addition, we have performed research using leading energy publications and scientific reports, as well as attended conferences on marine- and renewable energy. Our combined data provides information on the development of marine energy industry and the current status of the Norwegian system for development of renewable energy. Our findings suggest that building an industry with a limited home market could be possible, but it demands (1) willingness to develop the industry among industry and surrounding actors, (2) advantageous conditions in home nation, (3) accessible demand in foreign markets, and (4) cooperation among the industry and surrounding actors. Norway has relevant competence from the oil and gas and maritime industries as well as favourable natural resources, which could function as advantageous conditions for development of a marine industry. UK and other leading markets are in addition close and accessible to Norwegian companies. However, our findings indicate that considerable development of a marine energy industry in Norway is unlikely at this point as there is low willingness and cooperation among the Norwegian actors, leading to little collective progress. If Norway is to become a leading nation within marine energy, increased involvement and cooperation among the industry and related actors is needed to ramp up the development: - Entrepreneurs need to increase cooperation in order to drive the technology development towards commercialization. - Policy makers need to increase its focus on marine energy, develop a long-term strategy for development and communicate this to the industry and the public. - Large companies need to extend involvement in the marine energy industry in order to increase legitimacy and contribute to diminish technical and financial challenges. - Investors need to increase knowledge and involvement in marine energy and realize needs in critical stages.


In the publishing industry, the publishers supply products like the magazines, newspapers and books to the retailers. In order to encourage the retailers to o rder more, the publishers usually adopt a kind of buy -back return policies under which the retailers can return the unsold products for a partial refund. In the past, due to the lack of retail sales channel, most of the returned products were salvaged at a very low value. Now, with the advance of e -commerce, publishers can make use of Internet as an e-marketplace to sell those returned products to a completely different market – the World Wide Web. Since Internet offers a global open system, it breaks the geographical barrier and the demand for those "locally fade-out" goods can be very significant. In light of this, we study in this paper a two -echelon supply chain with one publisher and multiple retailers. Through the simulation analysis, we find that the impact of the e-marketplace can be substantial. Depending on the operations cost of the emarketplace and the size of the demand, the expected profit improvements for the publisher, the retailers and the overall supply chain vary. We identify the factors that can achieve the situation under which all parties' profits are improved with the e-marketplace. Moreover, with a price dependent demand distribution for the e-marketplace, we can determine the optimal buy-back price and the optimal emarketplace selling price for the product. A real case of a local publisher has been chosen for simulation analysis and the managerial issues are discussed.


Many policymakers, unions, and businesses have embraced the idea of green jobs and a green economy. This enthusiasm for environmentally sound job creation received a significant shot in the arm at the end of 2008, in the context of the global financial crisis, as an important element in the solution to the world's economic and ecological concerns. The connection between work and combating environmental problems is however an area of significant contestation. This has resulted in highly varied understandings of what constitutes a green job and a just transition to a green economy. This article scrutinises the response of the Australian Council of Trade Unions—as the peak union body in Australia—and three specific unions to the challenge of transiting from the world of work towards an ecologically sustainable footing.


Hispanic/Latinx college students experience SI/behaviors at high rates, yet there is a dearth of research on suicide risk and sociocultural correlates of suicide risk among Hispanic/Latinx individuals. This study examined the impact of ethnic identity on suicide risk among 63 Hispanic/Latinx young adults. Further, we tested a model in which ethnic identity is integrated into the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide Behavior (IPTS). Lower levels of ethnic identity attachment were related to greater suicide risk. Further, moderated mediation analyses indicated that perceived burdensomeness mediated the relation between ethnic identity and suicide risk at higher levels of thwarted belongingness. Findings highlight the importance of sociocultural factors in understanding the utility of the IPTS model among Hispanic/Latinx individuals.


Both in vitro and in vivo studies of the influence of opiates on ion transport and of their antisecretory activity are described. Morphine and the synthetic opioid, loperamide, are included particularly. It is clear that the opiates have an antisecretory effect and can inhibit secretion induced by a variety of different secretagogues. Secretion induced experimentally in the human jejunum in vivo is reduced by loperamide, indicating a potential role for such an agent in the treatment of secretory diarrhoeas.


Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) methods are changing all areas of research and have a variety of capabilities of analysis in ophthalmology, specifically in visual fields (VFs) to detect or predict vision loss progression. Whereas most of the AI algorithms are implemented in Python language, which offers numerous open-source functions and algorithms, the majority of algorithms in VF analysis are offered in the R language. This paper introduces PyVisualFields, a developed package to address this gap and make available VF analysis in the Python language. Methods For the first version, the R libraries for VF analysis provided by vfprogression and visualFields packages are analyzed to define the overlaps and distinct functions. Then, we defined and translated this functionality into Python with the help of the wrapper library rpy2. Besides maintaining, the subsequent versions' milestones are established, and the third version will be R-independent. Results The developed Python package is available as open-source software via the GitHub repository and is ready to be installed from PyPI. Several Jupyter notebooks are prepared to demonstrate and describe the capabilities of the PyVisualFields package in the categories of data presentation, normalization and deviation analysis, plotting, scoring, and progression analysis. Conclusions We developed a Python package and demonstrated its functionality for VF analysis and facilitating ophthalmic research in VF statistical analysis, illustration, and progression prediction. Translational Relevance Using this software package, researchers working on VF analysis can more quickly create algorithms for clinical applications using cutting-edge AI techniques.


Objective: Chiropractic programmes adopt service-learning outreach placements to facilitate, among other traits, student communication and interaction skills, social responsibility and a philosophy of caring. This mixed-methods study describes the extent to which students believed a service-learning clinical immersion placement met these objectives.

Methods: Students (n=42) in the fifth and final year of a 5-year chiropractic undergraduate program spent at least ten afternoon sessions per trimester at a residential therapeutic community outreach placement. Most of the students (91%) completed the Service Experience Questionnaire (SEQ), a survey instrument consisting of a number of closed-ended items, as well as open-ended qualitative reflections after their experience.

Results: A majority (92%) felt that the experience was educational. This placement also enhanced students' awareness of others in need (92%), that the placement highlighted the importance of respect for all people (95%), empathy for the disadvantaged (84%), and provided them with an opportunity to improve their communication skills (87%).
Conclusion: These results support the utility of an outreach clinical placement to help meet the educational objectives of the chiropractic undergraduate programme.


Sensitive data such as medical records and business reports usually contains valuable information that can be used to build prediction models. However, designing learning models by directly using sensitive data might result in severe privacy and copyright issues. In this paper, we propose a novel matrix completion based framework that aims to tackle two challenging issues simultaneously: i) handling missing and noisy sensitive data, and ii) preserving the privacy of the sensitive data during the learning process. In particular, the proposed framework is able to mask the sensitive data while ensuring that the transformed data are still usable for training regression models. We show that two key properties, namely model preserving and privacy preserving, are satisfied by the transformed data obtained from the proposed framework. In model preserving, we guarantee that the linear regression model built from the masked data approximates the regression model learned from the original data in a perfect way. In privacy preserving, we ensure that the original sensitive data cannot be recovered since the transformation procedure is irreversible. Given these two characteristics, the transformed data can be safely released to any learners for designing prediction models without revealing any private content. Our empirical studies with a synthesized dataset and multiple sensitive benchmark datasets verify our theoretical claim as well as the effectiveness of the proposed framework.


Production of platinum and associated metals is a major source of revenue for South Africa. Significant losses occur in the concentrating stage (10 to 15 per cent) and this research is focused on optimising platinum flotation. Research begins by conducting laboratory batch flotation tests. However, subsequent pilot-plant tests often produce different results. It is believed these differences arise from the artificial nature of laboratory techniques. This project was focused on improving flotation techniques in the laboratory.
The largest source of platinum in South Africa is the UG2 reef and two samples of this ore were used for testing: 'good' and 'bad' ore. These had different characteristics with regards to the recovery of PGMs and the presence of talc. The latter is an unwanted floatable mineral, which must be depressed to prevent excessive recovery.
The conventional laboratory test procedure makes use of batch tests in various sizes of flotation cells. The procedure was made more realistic, by using four stages of flotation, rather than just two, to mimic a typical platinum flotation plant. The use of four stages made it possible to separate the fast-floating and slow-floating stages and to control froth conditions accordingly. Attention was also given to the fact that in laboratory tests, water is often added to the 'cleaner' stage of flotation, to make up the level. Experiments showed that this dilution, which does not take place in practice, had a significant impact on overall efficiency.
A method of measuring frother concentration was developed and used to determine the realistic level of frother in cleaning tests. Tests at these levels of frother concentration showed that significant improvements could be made to plant performance, by making use of a thickener to reduce the frother concentration in the cleaning stages.
The improved test procedure was used on both good and bad ores, and the effect of regrinding was also tested. A combined solids recovery of 2 % over both cleaners was targeted for all test work. At this recovery, the regrinding of the bad ore increased the PGM recovery from 67 to 76 per cent at the cost of an additional 8 g/t depressant.
An investigation of the effect of frother concentration in the cleaning stage, using good ore, demonstrated that that rejection of chromite could be improved significantly by reducing frother concentration. The tests mimicked the use of a thickener to separate some of the water with a high concentration of frother. Tests conducted on the good ore showed that use of two thickeners, as opposed to none, reduced the Cr2O3 content of the final concentrate from 4.2 to 3.2 per cent for the equivalent concentrate mass and PGM recovery. The depressant requirement was also reduced from 67 to 55 g/t. These tests provided insight on how to improve performance on a platinum flotation plant, particularly when floating the bad ore.


Although the successes achieved by the adoption of new seed and fertilizer technology were impressive, especially in regions endowed with public sources of irrigation, it is often feared--on the basis of field observations and evaluation studies--that it has led to a widening of interfarm and interregional inequalities. However, the extent to which the institutional environment of a given region is responsible for such a development is not adequately appreciated in most of the evaluation studies of the Green Revolution. The basic hypothesis to be examined in this paper is: where the institutional framework (structure of landholdings, credit, and marketing institutions) is more favourable, small and large farms realize significant productivity gains from adopting new seed and fertilizer technology. In regions where such a favourable institutional environment does not prevail, large farms realized proportionately more productivity gains than small farms. A confirmation of this hypothesis would imply that the interfarm inequity in productivity gains (widely discussed in the literature on the Green Revolution) is not as important in the institutionally well-endowed regions as in the poorly endowed regions. The above hypothesis will be tested by contrasting the recent experience of two wheat growing regions--western Uttar Pradesh, which is geographically close to the northwestern plains (the scene of the Green Revolution), and the predominantly rainfed eastern Uttar Pradesh, which is located on the IndoGangetic plains in eastern India.


WebGL is a technique that allows the browser to run 3D applications with the help of the GPU. Voronoi diagrams are a set of polygons that can be used to illustrate worlds of islands. In an web-application using Voronoi Polygons to create two dimensional worlds there is a future vision to enable three dimensional behavior. There are multiple frameworks and libraries that can be used to simplify the process of creating 3D applications in the browser. Due to the fact that 3D applications can be performance demanding, an experiment was conducted with BabylonJS and Three.js. In order to evaluate which one of the two performed better, RAM, GPU and CPU were evaluated when translating two dimensional Voronoi heightmaps into a 3D application. The results from this stress test prove that Three.js outperformed BabylonJS.


This article reviews C.J.H. Jansen's attempt to write the history of Private Law (except for Commercial Law) doctrine in The Netherlands during the 19th Century. Regrettably, Jansen's book does next to nothing discuss academic and other scholarly writings on the Law of Property and of Obligations, and does not at all discuss such writings on the Law of Persons and the Family, of Juristic Persons and of Succession. It only deals with aspects of methodology, of sources of law and of extra-legal factors which inspired some authors, apart from pouring out over the reader lots of facts unconnected with Private Law doctrine. The book's title is misleading.


Observations of star forming molecular clouds reveal clumpiness on all scales, both in the spectra of molecules and thermal continuum emission from the solid component of the interstellar medium, the dust. Recent, high resolution maps have allowed us to probe down to extremely small scales at which we see clumps of radii just several hundredths of a parsec. A good knowledge of the structure of these regions, and of the chemical processes occurring within, is crucial if we want to properly understand the early stages of star formation and the resulting stellar population. However, observations of cold, dense environments are challenging. Molecules emit at long wavelengths which are notoriously difficult to observe. A comparison with models is also complicated by the fact that in these conditions molecules will freeze-out onto dust grain surfaces forming icy mantles. We know little about the rate at which this process occurs in interstellar conditions, or the chemical reactions that happen on the grain surfaces. In this thesis we present two alternative methods by which to investigate the underlying clumpy nature of a molecular cloud and consider freeze-out in such an environment. Small, quiescent regions of enhanced emission in several molecules (including ammonia and HCO+) have been observed near to Herbig-Haro objects (HHOs) in star forming clouds. It was suggested that these could be due to molecules in small dense clumps being liberated from the dust grain surface by radiation from the shock front. Chemical modelling later proved this theory to be viable, and it was further supported by observational surveys and more detailed modelling of specific regions. In chapter 2 we simulate a dense clump near to an HHO, adapting the chemical code used in the original models to allow the shock front to move past the clump, providing a more realistic description of the effect of the radiation field. Chapter 3 describes how the outputs from these models can be used to simulate observations of part of a molecular cloud made up of small, transient density enhancements irradiated by a passing shock front. We briefly compare our synthetic maps with HCO+ spectra in regions surrounding HHOs. Commonly, researchers use decomposition algorithms on 2D and 3D maps to pick out clumps of emission and evaluate their properties. The mass functions of these objects often appear to emulate the stellar initial mass function, which has led researchers to conclude that the stellar mass is set at a very early stage, prior to the switch on of the protostar. In Chapter 4 we introduce the Gould Belt clouds for which we have HARP CO and SCUBA data (the HARP maps are presented in Appendix B). It is these on which we perform the analysis described in the final 3 Chapters. In Chapter 5 we investigate four popular clumpfinding algorithms, testing them on both synthetic and real (HARP) data, and explore the impact of user defined input parameters on derived properties. We choose one algorithm, with one set of input parameters, and use this to analyse the distribution of CO clumps in five nearby molecular clouds. The results of this study are outlined in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 focuses on the process by which CO freezes-out (depletes) onto the surfaces of dust grains in dark clouds. A single value for the depletion of a particular molecule is difficult to achieve because of its strong dependence on environmental factors and the past evolution of a region. However, we have a consistent data set across a range of environments and so are able to perform a statistical study in which we compare hydrogen densities derived from dust emission with those calculated using the CO maps. We look for missing CO in the gas phase which we then assume to be the result of depletion.


BACKGROUND:
SLAP defined as separation of superior labrum from anterior to posterior, with or without the involvement of the attachment of the biceps tendon.
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the results of arthroscopic management of type II isolated SLAP tear using suture anchors in patients below forty years of age according to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) rating scale.
PAT IENTS AND METHODS:
This is a prospective study conducted in the medical city directorate in Baghdad starting in October 2015 till October 2017, it included fourteen patients having dominant side type II SLAP tear, twelve males and two females, mean age was 31.8. All the tears fixed by arthroscopic suture anchor using the 2-ports technique. All patients evaluated by the (UCLA) scale preoperatively and one year after surgery.
RESULTS:
The UCLA shoulder rating scale regarding  the pain relief, function and patient satisfaction showed significant improvement from 14.0±2.8 preoperatively  to 31.9±1.9 one year postoperatively  in all the patients with a P value < 0.0001.One patient had post-operative anterior stitch infection treated by daily dressing and antibiotic.
CONCLUSION:
Arthroscopic repair of isolated type II SALP lesions by using suture anchors fixation and by two ports technique show favorable outcomes in term of function, pain relief and satisfaction of patients below 40 years in one year follow up.


Local environment control system (LECS) has been widely used in many areas as the necessary guarantee for most precision instruments. A sealed air cooling constant temperature box with dual-chamber structure that can provide constant working condition for precision instruments in-vehicle was developed. According to the heat transfer analysis of the double plate-fins heatsink, the heat radiation area and dimensions were determined based on electrical analogy. The air flow rate and temperature distribution of the system in heat steady-state was simulated by CFD software, and the results are consistent with that of experimental test. In different conditions, the thermal test results indicate that when the heat flow rate in the inner chamber is about 170 W, the temperature difference between inner chamber and environment is no more than 6.5 °C. The thermal design and test methods can be as the reference for the design of other precision instruments in-vehicle.


The Education Leadership Research Guide has been prepared for graduate students in the Kennesaw State University's Bagwell College of Education.


The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture activities leads to the contamination of surface and ground waters caused by drift, runoff, drainage, and leaching of soils. The pollution of water by pesticides is an issue of environmental concern, owing to the increasing number of pesticides detected in water and to the establishment of directives such as Directive 2000/60/EC which defined a framework for the protection of waters bodies. A number of pesticides belonging to the classes of phenylureas, triazines and chloroacetanilides, are mentioned as priority substances. Passive sampling techniques, which rely on the diffusion of pollutants from the sampled medium to a receiving phase, have gained in popularity because they can provide time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of pollutants when used in integrative mode. Since these devices accumulate pollutants over a period of time, they can, depending on the compound-dependent sampling rate, provide a preconcentration of analytes, thus enabling the detection of compounds present in the water at very low levels that are not always detected in grab samples of water. In order to calculate the TWA concentration of a pollutant in water, it is necessary to measure the mass of analyte accumulated in the sampler, the deployment time, and to know the corresponding sampling rate Rs. The latter is determined, in particular for Chemcatcher®, in laboratory scale calibration experiments, where the samplers are exposed for a defined time to a constant analyte concentration in water. This work aims to compare the sampling rate Rs obtained through flow pilot calibration and batch experiments for 20 polar herbicides. The uptake of herbicides by the Chemcatcher® (C18 as receiving phase and PES membrane) has been determined by the both methods. Based on a kinetic approach two methods of calculating Rs are proposed; one based on batch experiments, and the other on through flow laboratory calibration. The results of the batch experiment are in good agreement to those of flow laboratory calibration and the former approach has the advantage of simplifying the calibration procedure for determining Rs. However, since hydrodynamic conditions can vary widely in the field, caution is needed when using laboratory based calibration data in deployments.


In the safe physical human-machine interaction the compliance of technical systems is an elementary requirement. The physical compliance of technical systems can be provided either by control functions implementation and/or intrinsic by structural configuration and material properties optimization. The latter is advantageous because of higher reliability as well as general simplicity of the design and production technologies. In the paper we focus on mechanical systems with intrinsic mechanical compliance. In general the deformability of structures is primarly characterised by their stiffness. Compliant mechanisms are mechanisms, whose functionality is based on its deformability. The goal of each engineer is by the design of mechanisms the setting of compliance depending upon the purpose of its application. It should be considered, that the compliance is dependent on a variety of parameters. The optimal design of these mechanisms can be realized only with precise knowledge of the influence parameters and possible types of compliance.


In much of Africa, smallholder farmers face serious difficulties selling their produce. But farmers, along with development agencies and governments, treat the traders who market their goods with suspicion and mistrust. This book shows how traders struggle to run their businesses in the face of adverse policies and attitudes. With more respect and support, they could develop markets, add value to products, invest in new businesses, and improve the efficiency of the food distribution system. They could generate demand for farm products and help improve the incomes and livelihoods of rural people. The books' 15 richly illustrated cases from countries as far apart as Ethiopia, Lesotho and Ghana. Commodities covered range from soybeans and coffee, to milk and wool. The book shows how relations have been strengthened between the farmers, traders, wholesalers, processors and retailers in the value chain. It describes how they have built institutions (such as market information systems) and agreed on rules (such as standard weights and quality grades) to enable agricultural markets to function better.


The gas exchange processes of engines are becoming increasingly complex since modern engines leverage technologies including variable valve actuation, turbochargers, and exhaust gas recirculation. Control of these many devices and the underlying gas flows is essential for high efficiency engine concepts. If these processes are to be controlled and estimated using model-based techniques, accurate models are required. This work explores a model framework that leverages a data-driven model of the turbocharger along with submodels of the intercooler, intake and exhaust manifolds and engine processes to provide cylinder-specific predictions of the pressure and temperatures of the gases across the system. This model is developed and validated using data from a 2.0 liter VW turbocharged, direct-injection diesel engine and shown to provide accurate prediction of critical gas properties.


Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) refers to the use of computers to perform design calculations for determining an optimum shape and size for a variety of engineering applications. This modern concept of engineering management has led to important advances in the design and production of components used in aerospace, automotive, electronics and other industries throughout the world.
 Computer-Aided Engineering enables an engineer to test design ideas by simulating the function of the part on the computer. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is one of these computer simulation techniques which is most accurate, versatile and comprehensive technique for solving complex design problems. FEA permits the analysis of these complex structures without the necessity of developing and applying complex equations.
 FEA program for non-linear stress analysis of elastomers is performed by applying two material models:
 * Mooney-Rivlin Model
 * Ogden Model
 The Mooney-Rivlin model is the most widely used model for elastomer analysis. The basic problem facing the design engineer is how to obtain the material coefficients needed to use these two models in FEA. As expected, the effectiveness of design analysis is directly related to the quality of the material input material coefficients.
 Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL) has developed a reliable history of standard procedures for determination of these coefficients from experimental test data. This paper will discuss various testing techniques used for developing elastomer material constants. Also, the intent of this paper is to show how aging or service conditions can be incorporated to obtain material coefficients for elastomer parts.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of morphine administration on commonly monitored cardio-respiratory variables and recovery quality in horses undergoing anaesthesia and surgery.

STUDY DESIGN
Prospective, randomized clinical study.

ANIMALS
Thirty-eight thoroughbred horses, 32 geldings and six mares, 3-13 years old, weighing 411-600 kg.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A standard anaesthetic technique was used. Twenty minutes after induction of anaesthesia horses received 0.1 mg kg-1 (0.1 m) or 0.2 mg kg-1 (0.2 m) morphine by intravenous injection. A control group did not receive morphine. Heart rate, respiratory rate (fr), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and blood gases were measured before morphine administration and every 10 minutes thereafter. Horses were positioned for 35 minutes in right lateral recumbency for tension palatoplasty by cautery and were then moved into dorsal recumbency for additional intraluminal surgery comprising one or more of aryepiglottic fold resection, sub-epiglottal mucosal resection, ventriculectomy and cordectomy. A subjective recovery score from 0 (worst) to 5 (best) was assigned by a single observer who was unaware of treatment group. Two-way repeated measures anova, one-way anova, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, and chi-squared tests were used to analyse the data where appropriate.

RESULTS
Arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) decreased significantly over time and was significantly lower in horses that received morphine. One horse in the control group and two horses in each of the morphine groups had a PaO2 <13 kPa. No other significant cardiopulmonary effects were detected. Recovery scores [median (range)] were higher in morphine recipients: 4 (2-5) in 0.1 m, 4 (3-5) in 0.2 m compared with 3 (2-4) in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The lower PaO2 in morphine recipients did not appear to be of clinical significance in healthy horses because the number of horses with a low PaO2 was similar between groups. The quality of recovery was significantly better in morphine recipients. These results indicate that morphine may be considered for use in clinical cases although further work is required to assess the analgesic properties of the drug in this species.


This paper examines whether auditor fees are associated with earnings management and the market reaction to the disclosure of auditor fees. Using data collected from proxy statements, we present evidence that nonaudit fees are positively associated with small earnings surprises and the magnitude of discretionary accruals, while audit fees are negatively associated with these earnings management indicators. We also find evidence of a negative association between nonaudit fees and share values on the date the fees were disclosed, although the effect is small in economic terms.


Education is aimed at 'positive thinking' in students, which means education must produce positive psychology But it is observed that today's education has become marks and job oriented, neglecting the positive emotions and the feelings. It is hence necessary to implement the principles of positive psychology in education system. The goals of Positive Psychology mirror the goals of education. Positive education provides skills that strengthen the relationships, build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience and encourage healthy life style. In no area of application has positive psychology flourished more, however, than in higher education. Positive Psychology has application in all aspects of teaching and learning, from pre-school level to post graduate, for faculty and students alike. The concept of positive education seeks both higher academic achievement, increased character strengths, self awareness and emotional control, self efficacy, resilience, flexible and accurate thinking skills, strategies for positive relationships and learned optimism. By taking advantage of the best of Positive Psychology strengths-based education could drive a transformation of colleges and universities. The main objectives of the paper are, to review the relevant literature on positive psychology, to analyze how positive psychology is applied in higher education. And to come out with practical implications of positive psychology in higher education. The paper is descriptive and analytical in nature. Secondary source of data is collected to analyze the effects of positive psychology in higher education.


In the summer of 1997 the Oxford Archaeological Unit excavated an area of approximately 285 by 18 metres (5130 m2),
within the corridor of the proposed Thatcham Northern Distributor road, located to the west of the town of Thatcham.
This work was carried out on behalf of Berkshire County Council. The Babtie Group Ltd
had undertaken a desk-based assessment and field evaluation of the archaeological potential of the route in the
winter of 1996–7 and the Bartlett-Clark Consultancy had carried out an archaeogeophysical survey.
The excavation largely confirmed the results of the previous fieldwork. The bulk of the features identified were
east-west oriented ditches, containing very few artefacts. Those that contained pottery appeared to have been
filled in during, or after, the 2nd century AD. Three large pits were excavated and the depth of two suggested that
they might have been wells, also of Roman date. Although it has been suggested that the Roman road from Silchester
to Caerleon lay to the north of the modern A4 (Bath Road), no evidence was recovered to support this assertion.


The pharmacokinetics and bacteriological efficacy of ticarcillin and clavulanic acid administered individually or in combination were assessed in rabbits with experimental Escherichia coli K-1 and Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis. The mean penetrations into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of infected animals after a single dose of ticarcillin-clavulanic acid were approximately 11 and 28% for ticarcillin and clavulanic acid, respectively. In continuous-infusion experiments, the mean penetrations into CSF were 14.6 and 35% for ticarcillin and clavulanic acid, respectively, in rabbits with E. coli meningitis and 6.1 and 24%, respectively, in rabbits with H. influenzae meningitis. In animals that received a continuous infusion of the two drugs alone or in combination, the median CSF bactericidal titers for E. coli were less than 1:2, less than 1:2, and 1:2 for ticarcillin, clavulanic acid, and ticarcillin-clavulanic acid, respectively, and for H. influenzae the titers were less than 1:2, less than 1:2, and 1:4, respectively. The addition of clavulanic acid potentiated significantly the bacteriological efficacy of ticarcillin in reducing the number of bacteria in CSF of infected rabbits. Additional studies in animals and humans are required before recommendations can be made regarding the use of ticarcillin-clavulanic acid for treatment of meningitis.


Hamiltonian mechanics is an effective tool to represent many physical processes with concise yet well-generalized mathematical expressions. A well-modeled Hamiltonian makes it easy for researchers to analyze and forecast many related phenomena that are governed by the same physical law. However, in general, identifying a functional or shared expression of the Hamiltonian is very difficult. It requires carefully designed experiments and the researcher's insight that comes from years of experience. We propose that meta-learning algorithms can be potentially powerful data-driven tools for identifying the physical law governing Hamiltonian systems without any mathematical assumptions on the representation, but with observations from a set of systems governed by the same physical law. We show that a well meta-trained learner can identify the shared representation of the Hamiltonian by evaluating our method on several types of physical systems with various experimental settings.