The natural coastal wetlands of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) are disappearing at alarming rates, leading to rapid declines of many populations of waterbirds in the most species-rich flyway in the world. The identification and assessment of possible alternative habitats that may buffer the loss of natural wetlands should, therefore, be a priority for the conservation of migratory waterbirds using this flyway. Coastal saltpans are functional wetlands that support large numbers of waterbirds worldwide. The Nanpu Saltpans in the northern Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea in China are one of the largest (290 km2) saltpan complexes in the world. In this paper, we document the value of the Nanpu Saltpans for supporting waterbirds. The surveys, carried out from 2013 to 2016, included waterbird counts in the saltpans (93 km2) at high and low tide and on the adjacent natural tidal flats (57 km2) at low tide. Of the 89 waterbird species recorded, 27 had maximum counts exceeding the 1% threshold value of estimated flyway populations. The maximum counts of waterbirds in northward migration and southward migration in the Nanpu Saltpans were 96,000 and 93,500, respectively, including both foraging and roosting birds; these figures do not account for turnover, so the total number of birds using the site is likely to be higher. The maximum counts on the adjacent tidal flats at low tide amounted to 73,000 and 20,000 waterbirds during northward and southward migration, respectively, and most of them were foraging birds. In the boreal winter, few birds fed in the saltpans, but several thousand fed on the tidal flats. Waterbirds used the inland ponds (2.0–18.0 km from the intertidal area) mainly for feeding both during low tide and high tide and used the nearshore ponds (0.3–4.3 km from the intertidal area) mainly for high-tide roosting. Some species, such as Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta, and Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus, occurred mainly in the saltpans; other species preferred tidal flats, such as Red Knot Calidris canutus, Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, Relict Gull Larus relictus, and Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola. This study clearly demonstrates the joint ecological function of the Nanpu Saltpan complex and adjacent tidal flats as a key staging area for waterbirds in the EAAF, and as such both urgently warrant protected status.


Objective To determine the association between several whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure estimates and back pain-related work absence. Methods Exposures (based on the weighted daily root mean square acceleration, A(8); the daily vibration dose value, VDV(8); and the daily equivalent static compression dose, Sed(8)) of 2302 workers during 4 years were estimated using each worker's monthly vehicle operation records and WBV measurements from 11 different types of heavy equipment vehicles in a large coal mine. Company payroll data provided work absence during the concurrent 4 years of exposure. Cox regression models estimated the associations between the different WBV metrics and time to first work absence related to back pain. An adjusted R2 statistic provided a measure of model fit. Results All estimated metrics of WBV exposures were positively and significantly associated with back pain-related absence. HRs varied from 2.03 to 12.39 for every 0.21 m/s2 increase in the A(8)-based exposures; from 1.03 to 1.18 for every 1.72 m/s1.75 increase in VDV(8)-based exposures; and from 1.04 to 1.07 for every 0.06 MPa increase in Sed(8)-based exposures. Models using the estimated VDV(8) metric for the z axis fit the data best as measured by the R2 statistic. Conclusion Higher WBV exposures were associated with back pain-related absences in this population, which appears after a few years of follow-up. Introducing controls to lower exposure levels may help reduce back pain-related work absences.


The author reports on two cases of plastic surgery having demanded a graft of a musculo-cutaneous flap: one at the level of the pre-pubic region following a gangrene of the soft part of the perineum in a woman in childbed. the other at the level of the skull consequently to a fronto-occipital scalp after a car accident. The author points out the techniques, and the post-operative cares which are of primary importance in overseas conditions.


Programs based upon the VXIbus modular instrumentation standard are playing a significant role in test systems for both defense and commercial applications. Typical single-chassis VXI systems include an embedded computer-based controller as the system host Multi-chassis systems generally use a parallel bus or a local area network, such as Ethernet to interconnect the chassis. An important class of multi-chassis test systems requires high I/O through-put, low latency and a highly deterministic I/O response. This paper describes a new highway interconnect system that includes host computer interface options for VMEbus, EISA and PCI bus. A typical system is configured with a host interface a fiber-optic highway "loop" and slot-0 controllers in the VXI chassis. The system supports up to 126 VXI chassis, an aggregate I/O throughput of 10 megabytes per second, extremely low latency and a highly deterministic I/O response. Typical applications, including jet aircraft engine testing, missile test systems and high-performance wind tunnel data systems will be discussed.


Distributed Generation source are widely used because of their remarkable advantages. Photovoltaic (PV) cells which produce DC voltage in their output belong to these sources and should be connected to the network through a power electronic interface. At the other hand, considering PV characteristics show that maximum power can be extracted at the optimal operating point which depends on the solar radiation as well as ambient temperature. So, a DC-DC converter is usually used between PV module and inverter to keep PV module at its optimal operating point. In this paper, PV module is connected to the DC side of STATCOM that leads to elimination of DC-DC converter. A modified current-based MPPT method and also, a developed STATCOM controller are introduced. Using this system, PV module always works in its optimal operating point and moreover, STATCOM does its expected tasks such as load voltage regulation and reactive power compensation. The components of proposed system with their function are explained well in the present paper and finally, a sample system is simulated by MATLAB/Simulink software to verify the advantages of proposed integrated system.


Summary Separation of enantiomers by liquid chromatography is a powerful method which has long been used to obtain enantiomerically pure compounds in the pharmaceutical, food, and agrochemical industries. Optimization of such separations to achieve high-performance resolution of pairs of enantiomers is a challenging task. To this end, mathematical models of adsorption on chiral stationary phases have been widely used to predict the performance of chromatographic columns packed with these materials. In this review we discuss the basic adsorption models used in chiral separations, and their extension to specific cases. We also outline combination of adsorption models with models describing mass-transport processes in a chromatographic column. We focus on the most popular chiral stationary phases used in chromatographic separations, for which we describe recent developments in theoretical modeling of enantioselective binding.


Hydrops fetalis is an excessive fluid accumulation within the fetal extra vascular compartments and body cavities. Non‐immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF), due to causes other than Rh alloimmunization, is the cause in >85% of all affected individuals. Herein we present an update of our earlier systematic literature review [Bellini et al., 2009] using all publications between 2007 and 2013. We excluded most of the initial 31,783 papers by using strict selection criteria, thus resulting in 24 relevant NIHF publications describing 1,338 individuals with NIHF. We subdivided the affected individuals into 14 classification groups based on the cause of NIHF (percentage of the total group): Cardiovascular (20.1%), Hematologic (9.3%), Chromosomal (9.0%), Syndromic (5.5%), Lymphatic Dysplasia (15.0%), Inborn Errors of Metabolism (1.3%), Infections (7.0%), Thoracic (2.3%), Urinary Tract Malformations (0.9%), Extra Thoracic Tumors (0.7%), TTTF‐Placental (4.1%), Gastrointestinal (1.3%), Miscellaneous (3.6%), Idiopathic (19.8%). We discuss the results of the review. There may be some shifts in the percentages of etiological categories as compared to the previous review, but the small numbers within each category make drawing firm conclusions hazardous. We highlight the need for multi‐center series of NIHF cases collected and classified using the same schemes in diagnostic work‐ups to allow for comparisons of larger numbers of cases. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Background During the outbreak period of COVID-19 pneumonia, cancer patients have been neglected and in greater danger. Furthermore, the differential diagnosis between COVID-19 pneumonia and radiation pneumonitis in caner patients remains a challenge. The study aimed to determine their clinical presentations and radiological features to familiarize radiologists and clinical teams with them in order to early diagnosis and prompt early patient isolation.Methods From January 21, 2019 to February 18, 2020, the patients selected consecutively met the following criteria: (i) presumed COVID-19 pneumonia; (ii) patients with a history of malignancy and lung exposure to ionizing radiation. A retrospective analysis including all patients' presenting was performed.Results 4 patients from 112 suspected individals were selected, including 2 males and 2 females with a median age of 54 years (39–64 years). After repeated pharyngeal swab nucleic acid tests, 1 case was confirmed and 3 cases were excluded from COVID-19 pneumonia.Conclusions Despite the comparable morphologic characteristics of lung CT imaging, the location, extent, and distribution of lung lesions between COVID-19 pneumonia and radiation pneumonitis differ significantly, further combined with clinical and laboratory findings that could facilitate early diagnosis and appropriate management.


All H infinity controllers of a SISO LTI system are parameterized thanks to the relation between the Bounded Real Lemma and the Positive Real Lemma. This new parameterization shares the features of Youla parameterization, namely the convexity of H infinity norm constraints for the closed-loop transfer functions. However, by contrast to Youla parameterization, it can deal with any controller order and any controller structure, e.g. PID controllers. Moreover, it can be easily used for systems with polytopic uncertainty. For polytopic systems, the proposed parameterization provides a convex inner approximation of the set of all H infinity controllers, which can be enlarged by increasing the controller order. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown via simulation results.


Zeolite type structures with large cages interconnected by multidimensional 12-ring (rings of 12 tetrahedrally coordinated atoms) channels have been synthesized; more than a dozen large-pore materials were created in three different topologies with aluminum (or gallium), cobalt (or manganese, magnesium, or zinc), and phosphorus at the tetrahedral coordination sites. Tetragonal UCSB-8 has an unusually large cage built from 64 tetrahedral atoms and connected by an orthogonal channel system with 12-ring apertures in two dimensions and 8-ring apertures in the third. Rhombohedral UCSB-10 and hexagonal UCSB-6 are structurally related to faujasite and its hexagonal polymorph, respectively, and have large cages connected by 12-ring channels in all three dimensions.


In restructured power systems, there are many independent players who benefit from demand response (DR). These include the transmission system operator (TSO), distributors, retailers, and aggregators. This paper proposes a new concept-demand response eXchange (DRX)-in which DR is treated as a public good to be exchanged between DR buyers and sellers. Buyers need DR to improve the reliability of their own electricity-dependent businesses and systems. Sellers have the capacity to significantly modify electricity demand on request. Microeconomic theory is applied to model the DRX in the form of a pool-based market. In this market, a DRX operator (DRXO) collects DR bids and offers from the buyers and sellers, respectively. It then clears the market by maximizing the total market benefit subject to certain constraints including: demand-supply balance, and assurance contracts related to individual buyer contributions for DR. The DRX model is also tested on a small power system, and its efficiency is reported.


Abstract The Galinge skarn deposit, the largest iron polymetallic skarn deposit in the Qiman Tagh metallogenic belt (western China), was formed via multi-stage fluid-rock interactions. It is divided into six ore domains from east to the west. Skarn-related tourmaline is ubiquitous in the V ore domain of the Galinge deposit, occurring both in the altered basaltic andesite (Tour-I) and in the sandstone (Tour-II). The tourmaline composition in both rock types is within the dravite–uvite solid solution. Some Tour-I crystals show compositional growth zoning in which the early stage uvite cores (Gen-1) are overgrown by second-stage dravite rims (Gen-2). Some Tour-I crystals also show overgrowth rims and fracture-infilled textures (Gen-3). Some other Tour-1 tourmalines without clear growth zoning (Others) show an intermediate composition between Gen-2 and Gen-3. The varying composition of the zoned tourmalines records important information about the evolving hydrothermal fluids and host rocks. Gen-1 and Gen-2, displaying a narrow and high range of Fe 2+ /(Fe 2+ + Mg) ratios, are much more equilibrated with mafic host rocks. The alkaline (K + Na) content of tourmalines is associated with the salinities of the ore-forming fluids. The lowest Na + K content of Gen-3 indicates that it may have been equilibrated with a low-salinity fluid environment in which the concentration of metal-chlorite complexes decreased. The Gen-3 stage is considered to be the main ore-forming event. Tour-II have similar Ca/(K + Na + Ca) ratios with Gen-1 and Gen-2 ratios, which indicates that they are contemporarily formed by the same fluid as Tour-I. Through compositional comparison of the tourmalines with those from other hydrothermal deposit types, the Galinge skarn-related tourmalines are overwhelmingly controlled by the MgFe –1 substitution mechanism. This is different from the compositions of tourmalines in porphyry, VMS, and vein-greisen type deposits, which are, respectively, controlled by the Fe 3+ Al –1 , (CaMg)(NaAl) –1 and (NaMg)(□Al) –1 , and (Fe 2+ Fe 3+ )(MgAl) –1 substitution mechanisms. Different tourmaline compositions and substitution mechanisms could be used as guides for mineral exploration.


This paper investigates how mobility affects the performance of a blockchain system operating in a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET). The mobility of nodes incurs a unique challenge to a blockchain system due to continuous change and dynamicity in the connectivity of the nodes. Specifically, the mobility makes a proof-of-work (PoW) process difficult since while moving the nodes can only have a limited length of time for a "rendezvous" to exchange a new block for verification. For this reason, accurate modeling for the block exchange behavior in a VANET is also challenging, which nevertheless has not been discussed in previous studies. Therefore, this paper provides an analysis framework that formulates the impact of mobility on a blockchain system's performance in a VANET based on three key metrics: (i) the probability of a successful addition of block to the chain; (ii) the stability of a rendezvous, and; (iii) the number of blocks exchanged during a rendezvous. The closed-form expressions and numerical results display the performance of a blockchain system in various scenarios in a VANET.


Sex differences in the pattern and maturation of lateral asymmetries of the human brain have been recently found by a number of investigators, suggesting that sex-related factors may differentially affect the two sides of the body. In this study, asymmetries in the size of the two feet were strongly related to sex and handedness, right-handed males having larger right feet and right-handed females having larger left feet, the reverse being seen in non-right-handed individuals. Since these differences were apparent even in children younger than 6 years, the fetal sex steroids may be critical in governing the maturation of both cerebral and pedal asymmetries.


Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have been widely studied because of their potential importance in industry. A variety of luminescent materials have been developed and used for LSC fabrication such as organic dyes and semiconductor quantum dots. However, fabricating LSCs with a cost-effective method and environmentally friendly materials is a great challenge. Here, N-doped carbon-dots (N-CDs) are for the first time reported to be used as phosphors for LSC fabrication. The properties of N-CDs/PMMA thin film LSCs with various thicknesses are investigated. When the N-CDs/PMMA thin film thickness is 6.67 μm and only one side of LSCs is covered by photovoltaic cells, the performance of the LSCs is optimal, and the values of Voc, Jsc, FF, ηopt and η can reach up to 0.46 V, 13.68 mA cm−2, 62.89%, 4.75% and 3.94%, respectively. Moreover, the photostability of the LSCs is excellent. Results show that N-CDs are able to be effective luminophores for LSC fabrication. Our technique makes the industrial applications of LSCs more feasible since N-CDs have advantages such as high stability, low cost, low toxicity and high photoluminescence quantum yield.


CYP2C19 is an important enzyme for human drug metabolism, and it also participates in the metabolism of endogenous substrates, whereas the CYP2C18 enzyme is not expressed in human liver despite high mRNA expression. Mice transgenic for the human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 genes were generated. Quantitative mRNA analysis showed CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 transcripts in liver, kidneys, and heart to be expressed in a sexually dimorphic manner, with male mice having 2- to 100-fold higher levels. Transcript levels in the small intestine were somewhat higher than liver but were similar in both sexes. Transgene mRNA expression was much lower in lung and brain and least in the heart. Immunoblotting using an antipeptide antiserum, reactive with human CYP2Cs and mouse CYP2C70, revealed increased immunoreactive protein in liver microsomes from heterozygous transgenic male mice and a concomitant increase in 5′-hydroxylation of R-omeprazole and S-mephenytoin intrinsic clearance, consistent with CYP2C19 overexpression. A CYP2C18-specific antiserum showed that this enzyme was not expressed in livers or kidneys from heterozygous transgenic mice, but the antiserum had high affinity for recombinant CYP2C18 expressed in COS-7 cells. It is concluded that 1) both the CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 genes are subject to sexually dimorphic regulation in murine liver, kidney, and heart; 2) the CYP2C18 protein is not expressed in murine liver or kidney despite high levels of the corresponding mRNA; and 3) this transgenic model may be suitable for studying sex-dependent regulation of the human CYP2C genes and possibly serve as an in vivo model for CYP2C19-dependent drug metabolism.


Undoped high quality polycrystalline diamond films were grown by the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) method. The effects of hydrogen plasma treatment and vacuum annealing process on the p-type behavior of diamond films were investigated by the Hall effect method. The sheet carrier concentration increased and the sheet resistivity decreased with the treating time of hydrogen plasma and a stable value was achieved finally. After annealing the samples in vacuum at temperature above 600 °C, the sheet carrier concentration dropped dramatically. The origin of this hydrogen terminated p-type conductive layers is also discussed.


: For years, high technologies have provided hospitals with marketing advantages. Hospitals used them to recruit and keep physicians and to lure patients and purchasers. Having the latest technology in a given field provided hospitals with status and prestige and enabled smaller facilities to compete with major medical centers. From a marketing point of view, technologies can produce four distinct effects that benefit the hospital: halo, monopoly, opportunity, and momentum effects. The best technology, from a competitive marketing viewpoint, meets the following criteria: The hospital can operate it at acceptable and, hopefully, competitive quality levels. The hospital can offer it at acceptable and, hopefully, competitive cost. It is sufficiently accessible to patients who need it. It gives the hospital a distinct competence in its market that can be preserved for a long time. But technology can become a risky business if: The hospital cannot attract the volume of patients needed to maintain quality. The low-volume hospital prices itself out of the competitive market. The new technology has undisclosed or undiscovered side effects. The technology is recruited by a competitor. Hospitals place more value on it than do their customers.


Aim: The aim of the present study is to evaluate post-operative factors involved in the causation of cavity problems. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of ENT, Patna Medical College and Hospital Patna, Bihar, India for 1 year. Total 135 patients who underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy were included in this study. Results: The incidence of postoperative cavity problems in our set up is 37.04 %. Maximum incidence of cavity problem was found between 30–40 years (88%) followed by 10-20 years (22%) and 40-50 years (24%). Of the 50 patients with cavity problems, 68% were of sclerotic mastoid and 8% were of cellular mastoid and 24% were of diploeic mastoid. 40 surgeries were done under general anaesthesia. Of the 50 problem cavities, 46 had prolonged discharge from mastoid cavity as the main problem (92%). Accumulation of wax in the cavity was present in 18 cases (36%). Vertigo persisting beyond the immediate postoperative period was present in 11 cases (22%). Perichondritis of pinna was found in 3 case (6%). Persistence or/development of facial palsy in post-operative period was found in 12 cases (24%) and recurrent cholesteatoma was seen in 8 cases (16%). 4 Cases had postoperative wound infection (8%). Out of 135 cases, 22 cases had a large post-operative cavity. Conclusion: The incidence of post mastoidectomy cavity problems in this study was found to be 37.04%. Increased incidence of cavity problems was found predominantly in 30-40 age groups.


OBJECTIVE—The efficacy and safety of adding liraglutide (a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist) to metformin were compared with addition of placebo or glimepiride to metformin in subjects previously treated with oral antidiabetes (OAD) therapy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—In this 26-week, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo- and active-controlled, parallel-group trial, 1,091 subjects were randomly assigned (2:2:2:1:2) to once-daily liraglutide (either 0.6, 1.2, or 1.8 mg/day injected subcutaneously), to placebo, or to glimepiride (4 mg once daily). All treatments were in combination therapy with metformin (1g twice daily). Enrolled subjects (aged 25–79 years) had type 2 diabetes, A1C of 7–11% (previous OAD monotherapy for ≥3 months) or 7–10% (previous OAD combination therapy for ≥3 months), and BMI ≤40 kg/m2. RESULTS—A1C values were significantly reduced in all liraglutide groups versus the placebo group (P < 0.0001) with mean decreases of 1.0% for 1.8 mg liraglutide, 1.2 mg liraglutide, and glimepiride and 0.7% for 0.6 mg liraglutide and an increase of 0.1% for placebo. Body weight decreased in all liraglutide groups (1.8–2.8 kg) compared with an increase in the glimepiride group (1.0 kg; P < 0.0001). The incidence of minor hypoglycemia with liraglutide (∼3%) was comparable to that with placebo but less than that with glimepiride (17%; P < 0.001). Nausea was reported by 11–19% of the liraglutide-treated subjects versus 3–4% in the placebo and glimepiride groups. The incidence of nausea declined over time. CONCLUSIONS—In subjects with type 2 diabetes, once-daily liraglutide induced similar glycemic control, reduced body weight, and lowered the occurrence of hypoglycemia compared with glimepiride, when both had background therapy of metformin.


Abstract Background Typically, skin lesions caused by monkeypox (MPX) begin as a monomorphic exanthema with centrifugal distribution, and can be found at different sequential stages in different regions of the body. The aim of this study is to present an atypical case of MPX infection that simultaneously presented exanthema at three stages of evolution in the same location. Methods This is a descriptive study of a confirmed case of MPX by detection of the virus genome in clinical sample by polymerase chain reaction. Results We describe a 40-year-old male patient with an unusual clinical presentation. One week after having multiple risky MSM sexual intercourses, the patient developed skin eruption on the penis. During the following 10 days, he progressively developed new lesions on the same area. These lesions simultaneously showed different stages of evolution (vesicles, pustules and crust). Conclusions Contrary to expected clinical presentation of the disease, the patient developed lesions at different stages in the same location. Attending physicians must be aware of atypical initial presentation and evolution of the lesions, and conduct a comprehensive epidemiological survey.


Although the gross morphology of amyloid fibrils is fairly well understood, very little is known about how the constituent polypeptides fold within the amyloid folding motif. In the experiments reported here, we used trypsin and chymotrypsin to conduct limited proteolysis studies on synthetic amyloid fibrils composed of the Alzheimer's disease peptide Abeta(1-40). In both reactions, the extreme N-terminal proteolytic fragment is released from fibrils as rapidly as it is from the Abeta monomer, while other proteolytic fragments are generated much more slowly. Furthermore, aggregated material isolated by centrifugation of intermediate digestion time points from both proteases contains, in addition to full-length material, peptides that possess mature C-termini but truncated N-termini. These data strongly suggest that the N-terminal region of Abeta is not involved in the beta-sheet network of the amyloid fibril, while the C-terminus is essentially completely engaged in protective-presumably beta-sheet-structure. In both digests, release of the extreme N-terminal fragments of Abeta(1-40) reaches plateau values corresponding to about 80% of the total available Abeta. This suggests that there are two classes of peptides in the fibril: while the majority of Abeta molecules have an exposed N-terminus, about 20% of the peptides have an N-terminus that is protected from proteolysis within the fibril structure. The most likely cause of this heterogeneity is the lateral association of protofilaments into the fibril structure, which would be expected to generate a unique environment for those Abeta N-termini located at protofilament packing interfaces and/or in the interior core region between the packed protofilaments. This suggests that the N-terminal region of Abeta, while not directly involved in the beta-sheet network of the fibril, may contribute to fibril stability by participating in protofilament packing.


Abstract. Since the time Brown introduced the concept of self-calibration, it was known that there was no impediment in using consumer grade devices for metric purposes. Today, dSLR cameras are knowingly the standard photogrammetric tool in applications when time is not an issue, thus images can be taken sequentially. Nonetheless, albeit available with standard video signal, there has been little interest in applying them to observe dynamic scenes. In this paper we present a methodology to use dSLR cameras for shape and motion reconstruction at frequency of 30Hz. Particular focus is put on calibration and orientation issues, in static and dynamic cases i.e. cameras also undergoing a change in position during the measurement. Performance of the system was validated with results obtained by a system of superior quality.


The technical capacity to monitor patients with a mobile device has drastically expanded, but data produced from this approach are often difficult to interpret. We present a solution to produce a meaningful representation of patient status from large, complex data streams, leveraging both a data-driven approach, and use clinical knowledge to validate results. Data were collected from a clinical trial enrolling chronic pain patients, and included questionnaires, voice recordings, actigraphy, and standard health assessments. The data were reduced using a clustering analysis. In an initial exploratory analysis with only questionnaire data, we found up to 3 stable cluster solutions that grouped symptoms on a positive to negative spectrum. Objective features (actigraphy, speech) expanded the cluster solution granularity. Using a 5 state solution with questionnaire and actigraphy data, we found significant correlations between cluster properties and assessments of disability and quality- of-life. The correlation coefficient values showed an ordinal distinction, confirming the cluster ranking on a negative to positive spectrum. This suggests we captured novel, distinct Pain Patient States with this approach, even when multiple clusters were equated on pain magnitude. Relative to using complex time courses of many variables, Pain Patient States holds promise as an interpretable, useful, and actionable metric for a clinician or caregiver to simplify and provide timely delivery of care.


Ca2+ influx via L-type Cav1.2 channels is essential for multiple physiological processes, including gene expression, excitability, and contraction. Amplification of the Ca2+ signals produced by the opening of these channels is a hallmark of many intracellular signaling cascades, including excitation-contraction coupling in heart. Using optogenetic approaches, we discovered that Cav1.2 channels form clusters of varied sizes in ventricular myocytes. Physical interaction between these channels via their C-tails renders them capable of coordinating their gating, thereby amplifying Ca2+ influx and excitation-contraction coupling. Light-induced fusion of WT Cav1.2 channels with Cav1.2 channels carrying a gain-of-function mutation that causes arrhythmias and autism in humans with Timothy syndrome (Cav1.2-TS) increased Ca2+ currents, diastolic and systolic Ca2+ levels, contractility and the frequency of arrhythmogenic Ca2+ fluctuations in ventricular myocytes. Our data indicate that these changes in Ca2+ signaling resulted from Cav1.2-TS increasing the activity of adjoining WT Cav1.2 channels. Collectively, these data support the concept that oligomerization of Cav1.2 channels via their C termini can result in the amplification of Ca2+ influx into excitable cells.


INTRODUCTION
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being more widely used in the detection of prostate cancer (PCa), particularly after an initial negative biopsy. In this study, we compared 12-core systematic biopsy (SYS), MRI-targeted biopsy (TAR), and the association of systematic and MRI-targeted (SYS+TAR) prostate biopsy in patients with previous biopsy and those who were biopsy-naive to evaluate the differences in terms of cancer detection and clinically significant cancer detection between the three modalities.

METHODS
Overall, 203 consecutive patients with suspicion of PCa were analyzed; 48.2% were biopsy-naive and 51.7% had at least one previous negative prostate biopsy. The median age was 66 years, median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 7.9 ng/mL and median prostate volume was 46 mL. 38.9% had SYS, 19.2% TAR only, and 41.8% had SYS+TAR biopsy.

RESULTS
Overall, the PCa detection (PCaDR) was 63%. The SYS+TAR biopsy detected significantly more cancer than SYS and TAR only biopsies (72.9% vs. 56.9% and 53.8% respectively; p=0.03). Detection rate of clinically significant cancer (csPCaDR) was 50.7% overall; 65.8% in the SYS+TAR biopsy vs. 39.2% in the SYS and 48.7% in the TAR groups (p=0.002). In the biopsy-naive group, PCaDR and csPCaDR were significantly higher in the SYS+TAR group than in the SYS and TAR groups (p=0.01). In the repeat biopsy group, PCaDR and csPCaDR were equivalent in the TAR and SYS+TAR groups and higher than in the SYS group (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
TAR biopsy, when added to SYS biopsy, was associated with a higher detection rate of csPCa in biopsy-naive patients when compared to TAR and SYS only biopsies. In patients after previous negative biopsy, detection rates of csPCa were equivalent for SYS+TAR and TAR only biopsies, but higher than SYS.


Opioid peptides have long been considered as neuropeptides or neurotransmitters. The more recent discovery of these same peptides in non-neuronal tissue suggests that the peptides may have autocrine, paracrine, or endocrine functions as well. The opioid peptides, enkephalins, dynorphins, and endorphins, have been found in isolated cardiac myocytes and heart tissue. This review will cover the recent literature on opioid peptides in respect to cardiac distribution, biochemistry, and function.


The ability of Penicillium purpurogenum to bind high amounts of chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions is demonstrated. Cr(VI) adsorption capacity increases with time during the first four hours and then leveled off toward the equilibrium adsorption capacity. Biosorption of Cr(VI) ions reached equilibrium in four hours. Binding of Cr(VI) ions with Penicillium purpurogenum biomass was clearly pH dependent. Cr(VI) loading capacity increased with increasing pH. The adsorption of Cr(VI) ions reached a plateau value at a pH of approx. 6.0. The maximum capacity of adsorption of Cr(VI) ions onto the fungal biomass was 36.5 mg/g. Adsorption behavior of Cr(VI) ions can be approximately described with the Langmuir equation. When applying the Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) and the Langmuir constant were found to be 40 mg/g and 3.9 × 10–3 mg/L. Elution of Cr(VI) ions was performed by means of 0.5 M HCl. It was possible to use the biomass of Penicillium purpurogenum for six cycles for biosorption.


Water samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from six production wells in 2001 in the Lawrenceville area, Georgia, for analysis of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to estimate the apparent age of groundwater in a crystalline-rock aquifer (Fig. 1). Apparent CFC ages were calculated by comparing CFCs in groundwater samples to atmospheric CFCs-mixing ratios measured in Niwot Ridge, Colorado, after adjustment for recharge elevation (Plummer and Busenberg, 1999; U.S. Geological Survey, 2004). The apparent CFC age is the time since the recharge water was isolated from air in the unsaturated zone and may provide an estimate of groundwater residence time. The apparent CFC ages obtained from the samples ranged from mid-1950s to modern (post 1995) (Table 1). The oldest groundwater ages were from samples collected from well 13FF21, which derives most of its yield from a single high-yield (120 gallons per minute) water-bearing zone that shows no interconnection with the regolith. The youngest groundwater age was from a sample collected from well 14FF55, located about 4,000 feet from an operating municipal production well; well 14FF55 taps multiple water-bearing zones ranging in depth from about 65 feet to about 420 feet. Some of the samples are interpreted, using the ratios of the CFCs, to represent a binary mixture of young (less than 60 years) and old (greater than 60 years) waters (Plummer and Busenberg, 1999). Using a simple binary mixing model for CFC-113/CFC-12, most of the samples are interpreted to be mixtures of young and old waters, probably derived from different water-bearing zones in each well. Plots of CFC-113 versus CFC-12 indicate that about one-third of the samples lie on or near the piston flow line, indicating groundwater flow can be described in terms of a simple piston-flow system (Fig. 2). N


BACKGROUND
This article reviews the anatomy, connections, and functions of the thalamic nuclei, their vascular supply, and the clinical syndromes that result from thalamic infarction.

SUMMARY OF REVIEW
Thalamic nuclei are composed of 5 major functional classes: reticular and intralaminar nuclei that subserve arousal and nociception; sensory nuclei in all major domains; effector nuclei concerned with motor function and aspects of language; associative nuclei that participate in high-level cognitive functions; and limbic nuclei concerned with mood and motivation. Vascular lesions destroy these nuclei in different combinations and produce sensorimotor and behavioral syndromes depending on which nuclei are involved. Tuberothalamic territory strokes produce impairments of arousal and orientation, learning and memory, personality, and executive function; superimposition of temporally unrelated information; and emotional facial paresis. Paramedian infarcts cause decreased arousal, particularly if the lesion is bilateral, and impaired learning and memory. Autobiographical memory impairment and executive failure result from lesions in either of these vascular territories. Language deficits result from left paramedian lesions and from left tuberothalamic lesions that include the ventrolateral nucleus. Right thalamic lesions in both these vascular territories produce visual-spatial deficits, including hemispatial neglect. Inferolateral territory strokes produce contralateral hemisensory loss, hemiparesis and hemiataxia, and pain syndromes that are more common after right thalamic lesions. Posterior choroidal lesions result in visual field deficits, variable sensory loss, weakness, dystonia, tremors, and occasionally amnesia and language impairment.

CONCLUSIONS
These vascular syndromes reflect the reciprocal cerebral cortical-thalamic connections that have been interrupted and provide insights into the functional properties of the thalamus.


Americans have generally treated water, just like land and other natural resources, as a commodity for human use, manipulation, and degradation. Little thought or significance, at least until relatively recently, was attached to the adverse environmental impact of reduced stream flows and the damage caused by hydrologic modifications such as dams and by various development activities that disrupt and pollute aquatic habitats. The United States, therefore, faces the difficult challenge of trying at a late date to bring together three separate, but inextricably connected, disciplines, one focusing on water use, one on water quality, and yet another focusing on development and land use. The challenge is daunting, especially in light of both existing water uses and anticipated growth in the demand for water. Complicating the situation is a fragmented approach to law and regulation. Water quantity law is state-driven, while water pollution law is primarily federal in origin, with the exception of non-point source pollution, which is primarily the responsibility of state government. Land use management, on the other hand, is generally a question for local government. After exploring the regimes that govern water use, water quality and land use, the article discusses a number of approaches for trying to integrate these regulatory schemes into a mechanism that can better protect the integrity of our aquatic systems, while also meeting most human needs. Perhaps the most important aspect of the analysis lies in its attempt to connect, in terms of law and institutions, the symbiotic relationship between land use and water. Although that relationship has long been ignored, it is essential to conceive of a river and other freshwater systems as part of a larger interdependent ecosystem linking all land and aquatic features in a particular watershed.


Snails of the family Lymnaeidae, as Pseudosuccinea columella, are the intermediate hosts of Fasciola hepatica, the causative agent of fasciolosis in human and livestock all over the world. A thorough knowledge of snail biology is essential for describing the transmission dynamics and for controlling this disease. Since food quality has had a significant effect on snail growth, fecundity and fertility, in this study we evaluated the use of spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) as a food resource for the artificial breeding of P. columella, an invasive snail and the main intermediate host of F. hepatica in Northeastern Argentina. The main purpose was to measure the effect of spirulina on fitness parameters such as survival rate, growth rate, size at first reproduction, lifetime fecundity and viable offspring. A total of 20 676 newly-laid F 2 eggs were used; half of them were fed with lettuce (treatment L) and the other half with lettuce plus spirulina (treatment L+S). In comparison with P. colu- mella snails fed only with lettuce, we found that P. columella fed with lettuce plus spirulina: 1) showed higher survival rates, 2) grew faster and showed higher growth increments, 3) attained sexual maturity earlier in time (L+S:60 days vs. L:120 days) and at a smaller size (L+S:4.8mm vs. L:8.2mm), 4) had a longer reproductive period (L+S:150 days vs. L:90 days), 5) produced a higher number of eggs/snail (L+S:29.6 vs. L:13.3), and 6) showed a higher offspring hatching rate (L+S:70% vs. L:40%). The supplementation of P. columella diet with commercial spirulina enhances it fitness and improved the artificial breeding of this species. Spirulina may have a direct positive effect on P. columella development by consuming it, along with an indirect positive effect by improving the water quality. This rearing technique provided large number of reproducing adults and a continu- ous production of offspring, which are essential for developing future experimental studies in order to improve our knowledge on P. columella biology. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (2): 479-489. Epub 2015 June 01.


Current asylum law requires that asylum seekers prove that they have a "wellfounded fear of persecution." However, a "well-founded fear"—the evidentiary standard in asylum cases—has remained ambiguous and difficult to apply in asylum cases. In Cardoza-Fonseca, the Supreme Court held that an asylum seeker can establish a wellfounded fear with less than a 50% probability of future persecution. Although the Supreme Court sought to clarify the meaning of a well-founded fear, the decision has complicated the evidentiary standard by implying that it consists of two parts: the subjective component and objective component. The "subjective" component—the asylum seekers' subjective fear of being persecuted if they return to their home countries—is superfluous because this component is rarely contested. The subjective component is essentially a non-issue because asylum seekers can prove this component by stating that they are afraid to go back to their home countries. The objective component—whether asylum seekers' fears are objectively reasonable—remains unclear. Moreover, courts have misapplied the well-founded fear standard and interpreted the objective component in inconsistent ways. Thus, this Note argues that the Supreme Court should eliminate the subjective component in the wellfounded fear analysis and assume that asylum seekers have a genuine fear if they submit an application. In addition, the Supreme Court should simplify the objectively reasonable fear analysis to "a reasonable possibility of persecution," which would be a 10% chance of persecution. A reasonable possibility of persecution would emphasize how a wellfounded fear points to a threshold or probability of persecution rather than a separate, convoluted analysis.


Introduction Most current root-end filling materials do not provide a perfect seal. Thus, a microscopic space is likely to exist in the interface between walls of the root-end cavity and filling material, which allows microorganisms and their products to penetrate. In addition to good sealing ability and biocompatibility, root-end filling materials should ideally have some antimicrobial activity. Therefore, this in vitro study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of Angelus white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and the mixture of MTA with silver nanoparticles (1% weight; MTA/SN). Materials and Methods Antimicrobial properties of MTA and MTA/SN were tested by agar diffusion technique against Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The microbial inhibition zones around the materials were measured by a caliper with 0.1-mm accuracy. Student's t-test was used for comparison between the two groups in normal data distribution and Man-Whitney U test for non-normal distribution. Results Student's t-test revealed that for E. faecalis, C. albicans, and P. aeruginosa, microbial inhibition zone of MTA/SN was significantly greater than that of MTA (P = 0.000). Mann-Whitney U test indicated no significant difference between the effect of MTA and MTA/SN on S. aureus (P > 0.05). Conclusion Based on the results of this study, adding silver nanoparticles to MTA improved its antimicrobial efficacy.


The need for analytical solutions towards various managerial processes in shipping business has been clearly seen in maritime society. To remedy this gap, the execution of relevant processes can be supported via multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. This article applied an Integrated Decision Aid (IDEA) to overcome the model selection dilemma for process improvement in shipping business. The illustrative application of the IDEA makes invaluable contributions for the ongoing efforts of relevant executives on adopting modern management style in shipping business. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study encourage the maritime practitioners towards analytical modelling of managerial processes in shipping business cycle.


Standard approaches to determining the impacts of sea level rise (SLR) on storm surge flooding employ numerical models reflecting present conditions with modified sea states for a given SLR scenario. In this study, we advance this paradigm by adjusting the model framework so that it reflects not only a change in sea state but also variations to the landscape (morphologic changes and urbanization of coastal cities). We utilize a numerical model of the Mississippi and Alabama coast to simulate the response of hurricane storm surge to changes in sea level, land use/land cover, and land surface elevation for past (1960), present (2005), and future (2050) conditions. The results show that the storm surge response to SLR is dynamic and sensitive to changes in the landscape. We introduce a new modeling framework that includes modification of the landscape when producing storm surge models for future conditions.


Students who exhibit hyperactive behavior can be at high risk such as failing at school, experiencing serious social problems, including difficulty getting along as well as conflict with family members, being hated by siblings, often scolded and punished by caregivers. All of these factors can have an impact on students' social lives and influence the emergence of chaos in student attitudes and behavior. Indicators of student hyperactivity include: 1) difficulty focusing, 2) often not doing assignments, 3) unable to sit quietly, 4) often flicking friends, 5) impulsive, 6) often monopolizing activities in social interaction. The impact of students' hyperactive behavior is: 1) decreased learning achievement, 2) lack of harmony in social relations with peers. Hyperactive behavior is influenced by the pattern of parental care that is authoritarian and unattended. This research aims to improve the behavior of hyperactive students in teaching and learning activities in SMP Negeri 3 Surabaya with the method of self-counseling. The type of research used is qualitative research in the form of case studies of students who behave hyperactively. The techniques used in collecting data are interviews, observation, and documentation analysis. The data obtained were analyzed by qualitative descriptive analysis. The results showed that hyperactive student behavior can be improved by using the self-counseling method in teaching and learning activities. This is indicated by an increase in the activity of students in the first cycle of students who are active at 85.71% and in cycle 2 by 100%. from the initial value (62%) then cycle 1 (75%) and cycle 2 (85%). The action of the first cycle grade average value increased to 79.18 (completeness 52.6%), in the second cycle increased again to 87.87 (completeness 86.8%).


Various policy developments and long-term economic, social, and demographic trends raise worrisome questions about the financial security of future retirees. An erosion in employer-sponsored defined benefit pension coverage and the increase in Social Security's full retirement age could shrink future benefits. Stagnating employment and earnings for men could threaten future retirement security, because retirement benefits and the capacity to save depend on lifetime earnings. The financial crisis, Great Recession, and collapse of the housing market in the second half of the previous decade could significantly disrupt retirement savings. This paper assesses retirement prospects for future generations, with a special focus on the late Generation-X and Millennial generations. Because retirement outcomes depend on how much people earned and saved when they were younger, the analysis compares trends in employment, earnings, pension coverage, and wealth during working ages across cohorts, using data from the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Consumer Finances. The analysis also projects age-70 incomes for future generations using DYNASIM4, the Urban Institute's dynamic microsimulation model.


In 2012, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) published a position statement on the management of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (1,2). This was needed because of an increasing array of antihyperglycemic drugs and growing uncertainty regarding their proper selection and sequence. Because of a paucity of comparative effectiveness research on long-term treatment outcomes with many of these medications, the 2012 publication was less prescriptive than prior consensus reports. We previously described the need to individualize both treatment targets and treatment strategies, with an emphasis on patient-centered care and shared decision making, and this continues to be our position, although there are now more head-to-head trials that show slight variance between agents with regard to glucose-lowering effects. Nevertheless, these differences are often small and would be unlikely to reflect any definite differential effect in an individual patient.

The ADA and EASD have requested an update to the position statement incorporating new data from recent clinical trials. Between June and September of 2014, the Writing Group reconvened, including one face-to-face meeting, to discuss the changes. An entirely new statement was felt to be unnecessary. Instead, the group focused on those areas where revisions were suggested by a changing evidence base. This briefer article should therefore be read as an addendum to the previous full account (1,2).

Glucose control remains a major focus in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes. However, this should always be in the context of a comprehensive cardiovascular risk factor reduction program, to include smoking cessation and the adoption of other healthy lifestyle habits, blood pressure control, lipid management with priority to statin medications, and, in some circumstances, antiplatelet therapy. Studies have conclusively determined that reducing hyperglycemia decreases the onset and progression of …


In order to improve the design efficiency of the crane and its parts to meet the fierce market competition, we developed rapid design system for crane drum. According to GMD theory, this paper takes crane drum for study, and divides it into several modules to form series and modular of crane drum. Summarized the design theory and knowledge of the crane drum and determined the parameters of functional modules. We shift modules from static modules to dynamic modules. By making a second development of Solid Edge with Visual Basic.NET, we developed agile design system for crane drum. After numerous tests in the actual design process, the system can greatly improved the quality and efficiency of design.


Dolphin interactions with fishermen have increased significantly and pose potential risks to the boto, Inia geoffrensis (Blainville, 1817), and the tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais & Deville, 1853). The main objective of the present paper was to describe the existing conflicts between river dolphins and fishermen in the municipality of Manacapuru region. Sixteen fishermen were interviewed in Manacapuru, state of Amazonas, Brazil who described a situation of ongoing conflict that may be unsustainable. Two merchants from Manacapuru made unconfirmed reports on a boto carcass trade. Data collection for this study occurred between April 20th and April 25th, 2009, but the first author had been conducting research on river dolphins and fisheries in Manacapuru and nearby cities since the beginning of 2008, in order to gain the trust of the fishermen interviewed. The hunting and deliberate killing of the species is probably more threatening to botos than their incidental capture in fishing gears in the Manacapuru region. This practice may result from the fact that dolphins are prone to damaging fishing equipment, and stealing (and possibly damaging) fish from the nets. They are portrayed negatively in numerous myths and superstitions of traditional Amazonian folklore, making them extremely undesired or even hated, seen as pests, and used in the piracatinga, Calophysus macropterus (Lichtenstein, 1819) fishery as bait. For tucuxis, incidental capture still represents the major threat to their conservation in the region evaluated here.


Metoclopramide was encapsulated with poly(D,L-lactide co glycolide) copolymers of different molecular weights using the emulsification/solvent evaporation technique. These polymers included poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) 50:50 with inherent viscosity (i.v.) 0.2, and average molecular weight 8000, poly(D,Llactide-co-glycolide) 50:50 with i.v. 0.8 and average molecular weight 98000 and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) 85:15 with i.v. 1.4 and average molecular weight 220000. The effect of the polymers' molecular weights as well as the polymer-to-drug ratios on the yield, the particle size distribution, and the drug content of the microspheres was investigated. The release rate of the drug was studied for 96h in a phosphate buffer of pH7.4. The study also investigated the effect of the new poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-H series on the characteristics of the prepared microspheres. Data revealed that a higher yield was obtained with polymers of lower molecular weights. A lower yield was also obtained with increasing the drug-to-polymer ratios for all the investigated polymers. The drug content of the microspheres was lower than expected, ranging from 49-85%, which suggested a chemical interaction between the drug and the polymers, as proved by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infra red (IR) studies. A higher interaction was obtained with the H-series of the copolymers. The release of the drug mainly followed zero order kinetics on increasing either the polymers' molecular weights or the polymer-to-drug ratios. Diffusion kinetics was observed only with those batches prepared with low polymer-to-drug ratios. The release rate was a function of both the polymers' molecular weights and the drug-to-polymer ratios.


Monomials are the link between Commutative Algebra and Combinatorics. In this thesis we concentrate on monomial ideals. With a simplicial complex delta one can associate two squarefree monomial ideals: the Stanley-Reisner ideal I delta whose generators correspond to the non-faces of delta, or the facet ideal I(delta) whose generators correspond to the facets of delta. To a semi-lattice we associate a squarefree monomial, which is called Hibi ideal. The homological properties of Stanley-Reisner ideal, facet ideal and Hibi ideal are studied in this thesis.


The effects of insulin and norepinephrine on glucose transport, glucose uptake, and cell respiration were investigated in isolated rat brown adipocytes. Glucose transport and uptake were determined using [U-14C]-D-glucose and 2-deoxy-[1,2-3H]-D-glucose, respectively. Brown adipocyte respiration was measured polarographically. Dose-response experiments revealed that insulin stimulated D-glucose transport and 2-deoxyglucose uptake between 10(-11) and 10(-7) M with a maximal four- to sixfold stimulation. In the absence of insulin, norepinephrine concentrations ranging from 10(-7) to 10(-7) M also enhanced glucose transport and uptake with a maximal two- to fourfold stimulation. Experiments with alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists showed that the effect of norepinephrine was predominantly mediated via beta-adrenergic pathways. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine also increased glucose transport, suggesting that the effects of norepinephrine are cyclic AMP dependent. Moreover, norepinephrine (10(-8) M) enhanced insulin sensitivity for glucose transport [half-maximum velocity constant (1/2 V max)] but failed to potentiate insulin responsiveness (Vmax). On the other hand, insulin (10(-9) M) had no effect on basal respiration but rapidly inhibited the calorigenic effect of norepinephrine (10(-7) M) by greater than 50%. These results demonstrate that 1) in the absence of insulin, physiological concentrations of norepinephrine stimulate glucose transport via beta-adrenergic pathways, 2) the neurohormone synergistically potentiates brown adipocyte submaximal insulin responses for glucose transport, and 3) insulin counteracts the effects of norepinephrine on brown adipocyte thermogenesis despite the fact that both hormones enhance glucose uptake.


The birthplace origins of Australia's migrants have changed; in the 1960s most came from Britain and Europe. In the late 1970s this pattern began to shift and countries in Asia and the Middle East started to become more important sources. In 2002 the proportion of net permanent and long-term migrants who had been born in Asia was just under 72 per cent, and the proportion from the Middle East and North Africa was just over seven per cent.


An eco-just evaluation of Psalm 148 Eco-justness determines whether the earth and her inhabitants are treated in their own right as subjects, and not only as objects to be acted upon. At first glance it seems as if Psalm 148 is eco-just. The poet encompasses all of creation in this hymn of praise to Yahweh. However, it does not pass the test of eco-justness. Many (older) commentators go along with the male ideological thrust of the psalm, without questioning the maleness of Yahweh. The construct of Yahweh as the "super" male, symbolising Israel's success as a nation, is not good news for eco-sensitivity and eco-responsibility. Female earth becomes very vulnerable within this shaping of society always aimed at serving male hegemony, values and interests. To uncritically reinscribe Psalm 148's androcentric, ideological stance will simultaneously lead to an impoverishment and a one dimensional view of life in general.


Abstract The Discriptio Hispaniae is a passage from the Geometry of Gisemundus, also entitled Ars Gromatica Gisemundi (AGG), a medieval treatise of agrimensura written by an unknown author, probably a monk known as Gisemundus who had some agrimensorial experience. The work was compiled around AD 800 by collecting passages of a range of sizes, from just a few words to several pages, extracted from ancient and medieval sources. Although modern research into Roman agrimensorial texts has admitted the importance of the AGG, its corrupt condition has not invited sustained analysis. The passage now known as the Discriptio Hispaniae, a short section from chapter three of the second book of the AGG entitled III De segregatione provinciarum ab Augustalibus terminis, is particularly interesting for the information that it provides concerning the territorial division of Hispania in Late Antiquity. This article presents an edition and English translation of the Discriptio Hispaniae and argues that the most likely point of origin for the Discriptio Hispaniae is during the Byzantine occupation of parts of southern Spain during the second half of the sixth century and the first quarter of the seventh century. We suggest that the Discriptio Hispaniae was preserved because the Byzantine authorities were keen to keep on record information about the borders of the province of Carthaginensis, perhaps the main theme in the text.


The effects of two microtubule-specific drugs, taxol and colcemid, upon the cell shape and cytoskeleton of several types of cultured fibroblastic cells were compared. While colcemid depolymerized completely the whole microtubular system, taxol induced decentralization of this system, leading to formation of numerous free microtubules filling the central cytoplasm. Morphometric determinations of two cell shape parameters, dispersion and elongation (G. Dunn and A. Brown, J. Cell Sci. (1986) 83, 313-340), have shown that, in all the tested cultures, taxol induced significantly larger decreases of average dispersion than colcemid; in addition, most taxol-treated cells, but not colcemid-treated ones, developed circumferential bundles of actin microfilaments instead of straight bundles. These results show that decentralization of the microtubular system, in contrast to its complete depolymerization, leads to the transformation of a polarized "fibroblast-like" cell morphology to an "epithelioid" morphology characterized by the smooth discoid cell shape and a circular actin pattern. Possible mechanisms of this transformation are briefly discussed.


Ultimately, patents have value to the extent to which the product features enabled by the patents have economic value in the marketplace. Products that are enhanced by inclusion of patented features should generate incremental profits. Incremental profits can be assessed by considering demand for products with patented features and contrasting that demand with demand for the same product without the patented features. Profit calculations must be based on valid estimates of demand as well as assumptions about how competitive forces affect demand via computation of market equilibria. A conjoint survey can be used to estimate demand. Recently, conjoint methods have been applied in the patent setting, but the measures of value used are purely demand based and do not involve equilibrium profit calculations. We illustrate our method using the market for digital cameras and show that current methods can overstate the value of a patent.


A vision based vehicle guidance system deals with the detection and recognition of traffic signs. Traffic sign recognition system collects information ahead on the road and helps the driver to make timely decisions, making driving safer and easier. This paper deals with the detection and shape classification of traffic signs from image sequences using color information. Color based segmentation techniques are employed for traffic sign detection. In this work, hue and saturation components are enhanced using look up tables. In order to improve the performance of segmentation, we used the product of enhanced hue and saturation components. Shape classification is performed using linear support vector machine. Better shape classification performance is obtained using Distance to Border and Distance from Center features of the segmented blobs.


In this paper, we propose a novel method for semi-supervised learning of non-projective log-linear dependency parsers using directly expressed linguistic prior knowledge (e.g. a noun's parent is often a verb). Model parameters are estimated using a generalized expectation (GE) objective function that penalizes the mismatch between model predictions and linguistic expectation constraints. In a comparison with two prominent "unsupervised" learning methods that require indirect biasing toward the correct syntactic structure, we show that GE can attain better accuracy with as few as 20 intuitive constraints. We also present positive experimental results on longer sentences in multiple languages.


The main objective of this paper is to characterize the management system for mobile phones in Romania. The dimension of cell phone waste flow and the problems related to the collecting and recycling of this waste were considered. The study includes the characterization of behaviour of Romanian consumers, the regulations framework and the responsibilities of all actors involved in the cell phones lifecycle. The recycling and collecting practices in this sector are presented.


Groups of anesthetized rats received graded doses of fluoride in isotonic solutions by continuous, iv infusions. Resultant plasma fluoride concentrations included those known to occur in patients following methoxyflurane anesthesia. Graded increases in urine-flow rate were not accompanied by increases in sodium or potassium excretion or osmolar clearance. In some experiments, sodium or potassium excretions were reduced, as were urinary osmolality and tubular free-water reabsorption. Glomerular filtration rates tended to be reduced in the fluoride-infusion groups, while 121I-hippuran clearance was not altered. The inner medullary sodium concentration was inversely related to plasma fluoride concentration. Increased renal-tissue water content accounted for a portion of slightly reduced medullary potassium concentrations. Ilistologically, glomeruli from fluoride-infused rats contained less than half the erythrocytes of control rat glomeruli. Outer medullary vessels appeared hyperemic. These results suggest that the fluoride-induced concentrating defect results from increased medullary blood flow, increased permeability to water, and/or decreased sodium reabsorption, in the ascending limbs of Henle's loops. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that fluoride is responsible for the concentrating defect following methoxyflurane anesthesia.


We present a methodology of reliability estimation in the multimodal biometric verification scenario. Reliability estimation has shown to be an efficient and accurate way of predicting and correcting erroneous classification decisions in both unimodal (speech, face, online signature) and multimodal (speech and face) systems. While the initial research results indicate the high potential of the proposed methodology, the performance of the reliability estimation in a multimodal setting has not been sufficiently studied or evaluated. In this paper, we demonstrate the advantages of using the unimodal reliability information in order to perform an efficient biometric fusion of two modalities. We further show the presented method to be superior to state-of-the-art multimodal decision-level fusion schemes. The experimental evaluation presented in this paper is based on the popular benchmarking bimodal BANCA database.


To introduce new germplasm into breeding programs in Turkey, 3 lines [Samsun - 46 (S - 46), Samsun/Bafra - 333 (SB - 333), Population - 311 (P - 311)] and 4 cultivars [Marmara - 86 (M - 86), Gonen, Golia, and Pehlivan] of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were crossed in 7 x 7 diallel crosses. The trials were conducted at Uludag University, Research and Training Center, Turkey, over 3 years (in 2000/01, in 2001/02, and in 2002/03). The 7 parents and 42 crosses were grown in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications for 2 years. The genetic analysis (variance, combining ability, correlations, and path coefficient analysis) of grain yield per spike (GYS) and some agronomic traits [plant height (PH), spike length (SL), spikelet number per spike (SNS), kernel number per spike (KNS), and 1000 kernel weight (TKW)] were evaluated. Differences among parents and hybrids were significant. General combining ability (GCA) effects were highly significant for all the components, while specific combining ability (SCA) effects were significant only for PH, GYS, and TKW. General reciprocal effects for PH and GYS and the correlations for GYS and yield components were significant in both years. Path analysis indicated that KNS had the highest effect on GYS, followed by TKW. The parents Gonen and S - 46 for KNS and P - 311 and SB - 333 for TKW and GYS showed positive GCA values in both years. They could be considered for developing desirable progenies in selection programs.


There has been a growing interest in the role of children's literature in language teaching since the 80s, when the communicative approach made it possible to bring stories into the classroom (Garvie, 1990). It is undeniable that storytelling has many benefits. Not only are children naturally drawn to stories, but they are also an effective and enjoyable way to teach and learn. This article presents the findings of a MA project on using stories with children. It shows the importance of stories on language acquisition and concludes with some practical suggestions based on my teaching experience with young learners.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the level of understanding that people living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA) in Puerto Rico have in terms of their own legal rights; to ascertain how the members of this population manage the violation/s of these rights in the event that such violations occurred.

METHODS
A mixed-method design was used to accomplish our objectives. One hundred and three participants completed a questionnaire; an in-depth interview was also conducted with 10 members of the sample group.

RESULTS
Quantitative results show that the most recognized rights among the participants were the right to have sex (n = 98; 95%) and the right to marry (n = 90; 87%). Most participants inaccurately indicated that PLWHA are forced by law to disclose their HIV serostatus both to their partners (n = 69; 67%) and to their physicians (n = 70; 68%). The results from qualitative analysis indicate that most of the participants had experienced discrimination, though none reported these occurrences to the legal authorities.

CONCLUSION
Findings suggest that there is a need to improve the implementation of the public policy that protects PLWHA who live in Puerto Rico from discrimination. Future interventions aimed at reducing HIV-related stigma should consider providing information about legal rights and strategies for managing stigma and discrimination. Healthcare professionals play an important role in the promotion of the rights of PLWHA in Puerto Rico.


The structure of rat liver vault ribonucleoprotein particles was examined using several different staining techniques in conjunction with EM and digestion with hydrolytic enzymes. Quantitative scanning transmission EM demonstrates that each vault particle has a total mass of 12.9 +/- 1 MD and contains two centers of mass, suggesting that each vault particle is a dimer. Freeze-etch reveals that each vault opens into delicate flower-like structures, in which eight rectangular petals are joined to a central ring, each by a thin hook. Vaults examined by negative stain and conventional transmission EM (CTEM) also reveal the flower-like structure. Trypsin treatment of vaults resulted exclusively in cleavage of the major vault protein (p104) and concurrently alters their structure as revealed by negative stain/CTEM, consistent with a localization of p104 to the flower petals. We propose a structural model that predicts the stoichiometry of vault proteins and RNA, defines vault dimer-monomer interactions, and describes two possible modes for unfolding of vaults into flowers. These highly dynamic structural variations are likely to play a role in vault function.


In the European Union, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) provide potential buyers or tenants with information on a property's energy performance. By mitigating informational asymmetries on real estate markets, the conventional wisdom is that they will reduce energy use, increase energy-efficiency investments, and improve social welfare. We develop a dynamic model that partly contradicts these predictions. Although EPCs always improve social welfare, their impact on energy use and investments is ambiguous. This implies that, in a second-best world where energy externalities are under-priced and/or homeowners have behavioral biases hindering investments (myopia), EPCs can damage social welfare. This calls for using mandatory energy labeling in contexts where additional instruments efficiently mitigate the other imperfections.


One of the key goals for health psychologists engaged in teaching and training is to enhance the practical skills and employability of trainees. This report outlines the development of a novel student-delivered health coaching service for university staff. Across four pieces of work (a literature review, focus groups, manager survey, and student training and assessment), a model for a health coaching service delivered by student volunteers under the supervision of trained health psychologists was developed and refined. The final service was well received by both the students, who provided the voluntary coaching, and the clients who were coached. It illustrates a feasible way to embed relevant practitioner skills in Stage 1 health psychology training, while also extending capacity to deliver potentially beneficial public health interventions.


Haggai's emphasis on the temple is driven more by a concern for a defensive preservation of social-political identity than it is for the institutional restoration of the cult. As a heuristic device, Melanie Klein's theory on projective identification helps identify constructivist elements in Haggai that highlight postures of defensive preservation as legitimations of the Jerusalem temple as a shared object. Haggai's vision of a "restored" society is based on his belief that the symbolic value of the temple is a necessary, constructive element in the creation or manifestation of that society and its corresponding identity.


Background: Evidence has shown that in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV spreads mainly through heterosexual relationships. It is documented that, among others, the problem is more pronounced in connection to prevailing multiple sexual relations and marital infidelity. Despite evident association between such practice and spread in HIV infection, to date multiple sexual partnerships is a common practice. Among the Borana pastoral community, where awareness about HIV and AIDS is documented to be limited, engagement in extramarital sexual practice is believed to be the norm rather than exception. However, it remains unclear as to why the practice continues and if the community feels its consequences. Objectives: To explore if and why extramarital sexual practice is maintained and sustained and perceived vulnerability to HIV infection among the Borana pastoral community. Methods: An ethnographic study design was employed to responds to the objectives of this study. Such questions: whether extramarital sex is still practiced, if so why? Who practices it, whether the community is aware of the consequence of such practice vis-a-vis HIV infection, were set to be answered. A total of nine FGDs with sixty-eight participants and sixty in-depth interviews with men and women participated in the study. Information so generated was coded, categorized and summarized with an application of MAXQDA version 10 qualitative data analysis software, and interpretation of the results was carried out based on the objectives of the study. Results: Sex before marriage is considered as a taboo and those involved are out-casted (cabana) from the normal life processes of the community. While young men may engage in sexual activity with married women even before marriage and continues to maintain extramarital partner (jaalto) after marriage, women's engagement in the practice follows marriage. Participants agreed that although local culture 'disproves' it and the community recognizes the fact that it would facilitate HIV infection, extramarital sexual practice remains common in the community. Its persistence is attributed to multiple factors including personal interest to prove that one is wanted by the opposite sex given fulfillment of socially prescribed gender roles, and economic transactions between families of those involved. Despite consistent denial of the cultural approval of such practice and the growing concern over its consequences to the spread of HIV infection, extramarital sexual activity remains to be valued and cherished in the community. Conclusion: Despite the widespread recognition of the consequences of extramarital sex on the spread of HIV infection, there is vested interest among the community numbers to maintain the practice. This calls for urgent action to launch culturally sound HIV interventions to mitigate further spread of HIV infection in Borana.


The broad spectrum of oxidative DNA damage biomarkers [urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-2 -deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dGuo) and 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OH-Gua)] and the level of oxidative DNA damage and repair in leukocytes DNA were analyzed in three groups of subjects: (a) lung cancer patients [all smokers (n 51)]; (b) healthy smokers with comparable smoking status (n 26); and (c) healthy nonsmokers (n 38). The mean level of 8-OH-Gua in urine samples of 38 healthy nonsmokers reached a value of 1.783 0.785 nmol/day/kg. This level was significantly lower than that in the urine of the two smoker groups (cancer patients and healthy smokers), in whom the levels reached values of 2.319 1.271 and 2.824 0.892 nmol/day/kg, respectively. Urinary excretion of 8-OH-dGuo was similar in all groups of subjects. The level of 8-OH-dGuo in DNA isolated from leukocytes of cancer patients was significantly higher than that in DNA isolated from the group of healthy smokers and nonsmokers (9.44 4.77 versus 7.20 2.83 and 5.88 2.47 molecules/10 deoxyguanosine, respectively). Repair activity of 8-OH-Gua, as estimated by the nicking assay, was significantly higher in blood leukocytes of healthy volunteers (44.6 20.21 and 37.54 13.43 pmol/h/mg protein for smokers and nonsmokers, respectively) than in the leukocytes of lung cancer patients (24.56 11.28 pmol/h/mg protein). Because oxidative DNA insult represented by urinary excretion of oxidative DNA lesions was similar in both groups of subjects with similar smoking status, it appears likely that a higher rate of generation of oxidative damage in cellular DNA of lung cancer patients is a result of deficiency of the repair mechanism(s) in this group.


A healthy population is an asset for an economy, while the ill and aged is a burden. A healthy workforce is more productive as it can effort for a longer duration. When a worker is incapable of working due to serious health problems, such as disability, then he/she is also unable to assist the nation in raising the standard of living. The number of workers employed in the health care industry was identified in each category based on the number of units, and total workers have been chosen randomly. The study consists of 120 samples that were collected from various healthcare industrial women workers at Thoothukudi in Tamilnadu. The Frequency Table, Cross Tabulation, and the Chi-Square test used to analyze the data. The current world scenario shows how healthcare workers are exposing to various threats or risks in the healthcare industry. Occupational health hazards emerge due to various factors such as communicable diseases, pestilence, psychological stress like work-related pressure in the workplace, work shifts, and so on. Healthcare workers face a huge challenge to overcome health hazards and ensure safety. The working women's occupational health problems in the healthcare sector are a matter of urgent concern. There is also a definite need to develop a database on the occupational health of women in developing countries to promote their health status, and it is essential to create awareness among the health personnel in the industry. Health status influence the occupational health hazards among women workers in the health care industry. The study is focusing the occupational health hazards and the safety measures provided to the healthcare women personnel.


Spurred by the finance-growth literature establishing that development of the financial system promotes growth in the economy, some African countries introduced financial sector development policies to accelerate economic growth. Introducing these policies (examples include removal of sectoral allocation of credit, interest rate deregulation, privatisation of state-owned banks, relaxation of foreign participation in investment activities in the domestic stock exchange, cross-listing of shares across different stock exchanges etc.), besides enhancing economic growth also facilitates firms' access to financial markets for external capital. This is particularly important for firms in Africa because access to external finance is one of the obstacles facing firms in the region. A comparison of financial market development indicators between countries in Africa and other developing regions by earlier studies showed that African financial markets lag behind in some indicators, which may be attributed to some of the issues that besiege financial markets in Africa. These issues include difficulty in accessing external funds by firms, information asymmetry, high transaction costs, and illiquidity of the market. With the introduction of market development measures meant to enhance firms' access to finance, earlier studies on capital and debt maturity structure decisions of firms in African countries largely overlooked the effect of the development measures on these two key financial decisions. Thus, supply-side factors affecting firms' re-balancing of capital and debt maturity structure are yet to be researched. Given this scenario, this thesis investigates the effect of financial market development on corporate capital and debt maturity structure within a framework that allows for the determination of adjustment costs and speed of adjustment. The annual financial and accounting data of publicly-listed non-financial firms and country level data in nine African countries over the period 2003-2012 are compiled and analysed. These countries are classified either as emerging or frontier markets. The countries in the study are Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya,
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Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia. The two-step system generalized methods of moments technique is used in analysing the data. Results of the analysis indicate that the financial intermediation theory of an increase in debt financing following banking sector development is not supported for the banking sector. However, a decline in debt finance supports the hypothesis that development in the stock market leads to a substitution effect with equity being substituted for debt. Furthermore, firm-level data (used as control variables) supports dynamic trade-off theory of capital structure, contracting and signalling theory of debt maturity structure for firms in the study. This reflects the dynamism in capital and debt maturity decisions and indicates that transaction costs due to market imperfections may hinder firms from reaching optimal capital structure. In summary, the results suggest that while stock market development to an extent has been successful in promoting the use of equity, financial system policy makers need to put more effort into developing the banking sector to improve debt usage. This may be achieved by introducing and implementing banking sector development measures that lowers the cost of debt finance making it readily accessible.


Abstract One challenge for firms seeking to develop new services is to understand the conditions likely to affect the rates of adoption. Understanding relative degrees of 'adoption readiness' provides innovators with information to choose market segments and indicates opportunities to influence adoption environments. However, there is a little research into the adoption readiness of countries upon which firms can base their new service development decisions. This paper considers these issues through the case of digital money, a service innovation some claim to have the potential to provide major economic and social benefits. Defined as 'currency exchange by electronic means', we conceptualise digital money as a socio-technical system, and propose a Digital Money Readiness Index. This composite index integrates institutional, financial, technological, economic, industrial and social attributes to measure adoption readiness. We identify four stages of readiness and systematically analyse the factors that drive under or over adoption of digital money technologies.


Electronics is under development in this country in an organized and institutional way since the beginning of 30-ties of the previous century. It grew up from electrical engineering of weak currents and its first name used popularly was communications. It was time when television was born and the radio was maturing. Electronics is a branch of research and technology which deals with generation and processing of electrical and electromagnetic signals. A subject of telecommunications is signal transmission for a distance. Electronics and telecommunications (ET) includes or is combined with other branches like: microelectronics, radioelectronics, optoelectronics, photonics, acoustoelectronics, magnetronics, bioelectronics, energoelectronics, material engineering, semiconductor physics, automation and robotics, mechatronics and microsystems, informatics, teleinformatics, software engineering and other. Devices and functional systems of ET such as computers, data warehouses, cell phones, TV sets, Internet, GPS are build of electronic components and circuits. ET is a branch which belongs to hi-tech area, where the products gather a large load of knowledge of value overcoming frequently the price of work and material. ET has recently turned to an active participant of the processes of generation, storing, processing, transportation, distribution and usage of knowledge in the society. ET started to create artificial intelligence, co-creates intellectual property, searches for knowledge in big data sets, aids medicine, extends virtual/augmented reality, builds Internet of persons and things, strengthens security, protects natural environment, facilitates our life, aids our decisions, activates individuals, equalizes chances, provides convenient personal communications and access to data, starts building a penetrating ubiquitous infrastructure, ceases to be only a branch of technology, grows into the social space, touches culture, sociology, psychology and art. Such an important role of ET is combined with the existence in the society of an adequate infrastructure which recreates the full development cycle of high technology embracing: people, institutions, finances and logistics, in this also science, higher education, education, continuous training, dissemination and outreach, professional social environment, legal basis, political support and lobbying, innovation structures, applications, industry and economy. The digest of chosen development tendencies in ET was made here from the academic perspective, in a wider scale and on this background the national one, trying to situate this branch in the society, determine its changing role to build a new technical infrastructure of a society based on knowledge, a role of builder of many practical gadgets facilitating life, a role of a big future integrator of today's single bricks into certain more useful unity. This digest does not have a character of a systematic analysis of ET. It is a kind of an arbitrary utterance of the authors inside their field of competence. The aim of this paper is to take an active part in the discussion of the academic community in this country on the development strategy of ET, choice of priorities for cyclically rebuilding economy, in competitive environments. The review paper was initiated by the Committee of Electronics and Telecommunications of Polish Academy of Sciences and was published in Polish as introductory chapter of a dedicated expertise, printed in a book format. This version makes the included opinions available for a wider community.


Agri-silicultural system is in vogue for livelihood under prevailing biophysical limitations of the environment in northern areas of Pakistan. Therefore, to make the farmers realise the significance of agroforestry system and to analyse its income, agro ecological effect on agroforestry income of farmers a study was carried out in two villages of two different agro ecological zones of northern areas in Pakistan; Jalalabad and Bagrot valley. A total number of 120 households were randomly selected for survey and data collection. The study revealed that there was significant difference in agroforestry income in the two agro ecological zones. The double cropping zone has more agroforestry income when compared with the single cropping zone. The agroforestry income and cultivated land had linear relationship such that with the increase of farm size, agroforestry income increased. It was observed that, agroforestry increased the production of tree components on farmland and minimised the dependency on natural forest for firewood and timber.


The paper deals with ethical implications of professional practice of Knowledge Management and Competitive Intelligence techniques. It is the output of a study conducted on French and international literature and practices, during a period of time spanning from January to June 2002. Ethics is a question that permanently arises in debates since " there are men and that think ". It is currently even more and more frequently evoked, whether it is at policy level (committees of ethics), industrial practices (the ethical audit and management) or intellectual debates (tribunes in the press and symposia). When confronted with professional practices, ethical principles turn to deontology, ethical charts and the likes. However some major questions stand on how to gain acceptance of those principles and/or how to practically enforce them. Especially in focus are those situations where different relevant ethical rules are in conflict (for example when private ethics come across organizational ethics). Which one to follow? Is the law of any help? The paper takes a pragmatic view of those questions, starting from concrete experiences and "inducing" some higher-level rules. It is argued that those meta-rules deal with concepts of moral. Some of the themes which are treated deal with the quality of information, the reliability of information, the access to information, the confidentiality of information versus the diffusion of knowledge, the behavioral dimension of cyberculture, the ambiguous role of internet in private, corporate and international environments, the status of author, creator, or information middleperson, and the question of individual responsibility. The conclusion, consistent with the constructivist approach, will remind that ethics is a permanent effort, a continuous work tending to virtue and a "good life", as the ancient Greeks said.


In designing learning algorithms it seems quite reasonable to construct them in a way such that all data the algorithm already has obtained are correctly and completely re BLOCKINected in the description the algorithm outputs on these data. However, this approach may totally fail, i.e., it may lead to the unsolvability of the learning problem, or it may exclude any ecient solution of it. In particular, we present a natural learning problem and prove that it can be solved in polynomial time if and only if the algorithm is allowed to ignore data.


This thesis evaluated paranormal belief measurement. Particularly, it considered the weaknesses of existing published measures. An extensive literature review identified frequently used paranormal scales and common associates. Consideration of identified measures produced a comprehensive pool of items (see Dagnall et al., 2010a and 2010b). Analysis of these items assessed the factorial structure of paranormal belief. Research progressed through four discrete phases that evaluated measurement of paranormal belief. Phase I: Exploratory factor analysis: Respondents completed a 64-item scale. Analysis supported a conceptually coherent and internally reliable 8-factor solution (haunting/ghosts, extra-terrestrial, superstition, religious beliefs, psi [premonition/psychokinesis], extra-sensory perception, astrology, and witchcraft). Phase II: Confirmatory factor analysis: Tested the emergent structure (47-Items) further. Respondents completed items retained from phase I alongside additional items (indexing astrology and witchcraft) to create a 50-item scale. Following removal of items sharing excessive variance, analysis confirmed an 8-factor solution. The emergent measure demonstrated good internal reliability and validity (content and face). Phase III: Alongside the emergent scale, respondents completed established paranormal measures (Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and Australian Sheep-Goat Scale), a series of probabilistic reasoning tasks and a measure of proneness to reality test deficits. Results revealed the new measure was psychometrically sound, contained coherent subscales, assessed construct breadth and correlated positively with established measures. In addition, non-believers perform less well on perception of randomness reasoning tasks. Finally, belief in the paranormal correlated positively with proneness to reality testing deficits. Phase IV: Further examined the newly constructed measure alongside mental toughness to assess validity and reliability in a real world context. Findings were in line with previous phases, suggesting excellent levels of consistency, while correlational analysis produced ideas for additional development of paranormal items and subscales. Measurement of the current MMUpbs, psychometric performance and subscale coherence, reveal improvements for future item design.


Although the term 'social capital' comes from western lexicon, but it has been used in several forms in India. It has enjoyed an impressive upsurge across the social sciences,development studies and policy-making discourses. This paper provides a brief introduction to the origin of the term with Indian and western connotations along with recent theoretical backup and links between social cohesion, quality of governance,economic performance and human welfare. Despite some limitations of social capital,the literature indicates that it makes an unquestionable input to economic development and overall wellbeing. The advent of social capital theory grounded serious sound academic research in social sciences and established the link between social economics and mainstream economics. This paper argues that social capital cannot be separated from social and political contexts for meaningful economic activities.


This study compared effectiveness of two types of instruction on Taiwanese EFL senior high school students' oral production of derived words: communicative versus explicit. Participants included three intact classes of twelfth graders in a private senior high school. One class received explicit instruction, another communicative instruction. The third class received conventional instruction and served as the control group. Three groups received one 25-minute lesson on oral production of English derived words per week for a total of six weeks. Instruments included oral derived words tasks in isolation and in sentential context, and two versions of the treatment questionnaire. Results show that both Explicit and Communicative Groups significantly outperformed Control Group in the posttest of oral production of derived words in isolation, with neutral suffixes, with nominals, and at levels 5-6. Communicative Group also significantly surpassed Control Group in the derived words with non-neutral suffixes and beyond level 6. However, there was no significant difference among three groups in oral production of English derived words in sentential context, with adjectives, and at levels 3-4. Based on the results of this study, language instructors are suggested to first explicitly teach learners how to orally produce English derived words and then use communicative activities to enhance learners' interest and motivation. Future studies are recommended to compare effects of explicit and communicative instruction on learners with varying proficiency levels and/or with longer periods of practice or exposure.


The optimization of insulation material of external wall is a multi-attribute uncertainty decision-making problem. Herein based on theory of multi-attribute decision making, a novel decision-making model using generalized connection number of set pair was discussed to solve the problem. Namely, the certainty and uncertainty relationship between the evaluation plan and the optimal plan or the worst plan for the optimization of insulation material was described by means of identical-contrary analysis of set pair theory. And a generalized connection degree was introduced to evaluate comprehensively the relative membership degree of the evaluation plan to the optimal plan. The results from a practical example show that the proposed model used to select the plan of insulation material is feasible and reliable, and easy to operate.