Home Automation refers to the branch of automation that deals with the methods dedicated to the reduction of human efforts and involvement in achieving tasks. Advancement in technologies have made homes more convenient, efficient and even more secure. Introducing the Raspberry Pi to the world of home automation provides numerous customizations to turn a regular home into a smart home. Raspberry Pi provides a low cost platform for interconnecting electrical/electronic devices in home via the internet network. The main objective of this project work is to design a smart home which can be controlled and monitored by the Raspberry Pi via the Internet of Things (IoT). This project deals with the wide range connectivity and energy efficient control of the home appliances in a user friendly manner. These features of connectivity, scalability, power saving can be achieved by the use of Raspberry Pi, which acts as an interface between the hardware and the software of the entire system. Installing Raspbian Operating System (OS), a code can be developed for loads to ON and OFF separately by using python programming language. An android mobile application (app) is used where we can be able to see the status of appliances virtually and control them by changing the buttons provided in that app.


This paper focuses on the trajectory tracking control of the two-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulator. In order to have a robust tracking a fuzzy logic controller of which the boundary scales of the membership functions are optimized is developed. The performance of the developed optimized fuzzy logic controller is compared to the optimized proportional-integral-derivative controller. Particle swarm optimization algorithm is used with a fitness function, integral of time weighted absolute error (ITAE) performance index, during the optimization process. The performances of both controllers are measured using the ITAE performance index. In addition, other error-based objective functions called integral of squared error (ISE), integral of absolute error (IAE) and integral of time weighted squared error (ITSE) are calculated for a better comparison of the controllers. The results of the simulations show that the developed optimized fuzzy logic controller has better tracking performance compared to optimized proportional-integral-derivative controller.


We present broadband radio observations of the afterglow of GRB 000301C, spanning from 1.4 to 350 GHz for the period of 3-130 days after the burst. These radio data, in addition to measurements in the optical bands, suggest that the afterglow arises from a collimated outflow, i.e., a jet. To test this hypothesis in a self-consistent manner, we employ a global fit and find that a model of a jet expanding into a constant-density interstellar medium (ISM + jet) provides the best fit to the data. A model of the burst occurring in a wind-shaped circumburst medium (wind-only model) can be ruled out, and a wind + jet model provides a much poorer fit of the optical/IR data than the ISM + jet model. In addition, we present the first clear indication that the reported fluctuations in the optical/IR are achromatic, with similar amplitudes in all bands, and possibly extend into the radio regime. Using the parameters derived from the global fit, in particular a jet break time tjet ≈ 7.3 days, we infer a jet opening angle of θ0 ≈ 0.2 rad; consequently, the estimate of the emitted energy in the GRB itself is reduced by a factor of 50 relative to the isotropic value, giving E ≈ 1.1 × 1051 ergs.


The Shuttle Imaging Radar experiments in 1994 (SIR-C/X-SAR) involved simultaneous data acquisition at a variety of frequencies and polarizations that included those of all existing and near future satellite SAR systems. As part of SIR-C/X-SAR a soil moisture experiment was conducted in the Little Washita watershed located in Oklahoma. Hydrologic conditions during the April mission started from a mostly wet soil condition with no additional rain for the duration of the mission. A data set of georegistered SIR-C and X-SAR data and ground observations has been prepared for distribution. Daily changes in incidence angle were normalized using published results for various land cover types. These normalized data were then related to soil moisture for satellite configurations representative of ERS-1 and 2, Radarsat, JERS-1, and other planned missions. Initial results show that for rangeland regions the empirical angular correction performs well and that some single frequency-polarization combinations can be used for estimating soil moisture if additional land cover/vegetation factors are considered.


Performing has been a formally unsegregated occupation for almost 350 years and the achievement of status by its women workers is accepted and expected. However, existing quantitative data indicate that systemic gendered disparities exist in relation to access to work, pay and career longevity.

As this is an under-researched occupation the aims of the thesis are first, to map central aspects of the working realities of women performers working in subsidised theatre and terrestrial television in the UK and second, to explore perceptions of women performers' gendered disadvantage in relation to these aspects. These aims are pursued principally through analysis of semi-structured interview data. As part of the primary aims, the purchase of strategies of legal, social and individual regulation is examined in relation to gendered disadvantage. Consideration of data is structured by work on ideas of gender and the labour process; this work is itself addressed through examination of the woman performer's working experiences and the ways in which these are perceived by the main participants in these experiences.

The study finds effective gender segregation, even more finely segregated by overt classifications of age, appearance, race/ethnicity and status. These classifications, allocated by individual perception, are found to frame the working realities of women performers and result in both systemic advantage and, more commonly, disadvantage. The effects of these perceptions are enhanced by the distinctive characteristics of this occupational sector, its labour markets and labour processes. Analysis of these issues leads to discussion of two key suppositions: that women performers inevitably collude in the perpetuation of their own constraints and that the central work experiences of women performers are manifestations of their position as formal and informal proxies for women's experiences in wider society.


The prairies are a focal point for momentous events in Canadian history, a place where two visions of Canada have often clashed: Louis Riel, the Manitoba School Question, French language rights, the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, and the dramatic collapse of the Meech Lake Accord when MLA Elijah Harper voted oNo.o Gerald Friesen believes that it is the responsibility of the historian to otell local stories in terms and concepts that make plain their intrinsic value and worth, that explain the relationship between the past and the present.o For local experiences to have any relevant meaning, they must be put into the context of the wider world. These essays were written for the general reader and the academic historian. They include previously published works (many of them revised and updated) from a wide variety of sources, and new pieces written specifically for River Road, examining aspects of prairie and Manitoba history from many different perspectives. They offer portraits of representatives from different sides of the prairie experience, such as Bob Russell, radical socialist and leader of the 1919 General Strike, and J.H. Riddell, conservative Methodist minister who represented osane and safeo stewardship in the 1920s and 1930s. They explore the changing relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the odominanto society, from the prosperous Metis community that flourished along the Red River in the 19th century (and produced Manitoba's first Metis premier) to the events that led to the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in the 1980s.Other essays consider new viewpoints of the prairie past, using the perspectives of ethnic and cultural history, women's history, regional history, and labour history to raise questions of interpretation and context. The time frame considered is equally wide-ranging, from the Aboriginal and Red River society to the political arena of current constitutional debates.


Climate change is without doubt one of the greatest challenges mankind has ever faced. This is not least due to the enormous consequences that climate change will have for the world's ecosystems and for our living conditions. At the same time, climate change is a colossal political problem, in which the world's democracies run the risk not being able to carry out the decisions that have to be made.
The political and democratic problem builds on the very limited understanding that there is a connection between emissions of greenhouse gases, climate change and their impact on the living conditions of individual people.
In reality, there is both a spatial and a temporal separation between emissions and effects. The world's industrialised countries, which emit by far the largest amount of greenhouse gases, are in the first instance the least vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In addition, serious effects will first occur much later (decades to centuries) than the emissions. Therefore it can be very difficult to generate popular backing for serious initiatives against emissions of greenhouse gases.
Agriculture and food production play an important role in this connection due to the importance of climate change for agriculture's production basis and because it is one of the sectors emitting most greenhouse gases. For agriculture, the climate challenge is therefore double – it must both adapt to the changes and at the same time reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases.


A mathematical model was used to investigate the dynamic behaviour of an above-knee (AK) prosthesis in the swing phase and to analyse the influence of mass and mass distribution on the maximal stump load and the required energy. The model consists of a bondgraph model of the prosthesis and a "walking" model which predicts the walking velocity, step length and the femoral trajectory. Equipment was developed to measure the inertial properties of the components of the prosthesis. Through computer simulation, stickdiagrams of the swing phase and graphs of the variation with time of the hip and stump forces were obtained. It was found that for a normal AK prosthesis with a knee-lock mechanism the axial stump load is greatest at the beginning and at the end of the swing phase. At a walking velocity of 5 km/hr the maximum axial stump load amounts to 2.1 times the static weight of the prosthesis. The maximum axial stump force appeared to be almost directly proportional to the total mass of the prosthesis but independent of the mass distribution. The required energy also increased with the mass of the prosthesis but is' dependent on mass distribution. Because of their comparable weights the influence of the shoe is almost equal to the influence of the prosthetic foot. Thus lightweight shoes should be used with lightweight prosthetic feet in order to add to their advantages.


Background This investigation is concentrated on how hematological and serum biochemical markers would change in streptozotocin-induced Insulin-Dependent diabetes mellitus(IDDM) in male adult wistar rats. Hematological parameters, serum protein electrophoresis parameters and hepatic transaminases level (SGOT-SGPT) were all measured in both control group rats (N=6) and diabetic group rats (N=6) and comparison between two groups was performed. Material and Method Single dose intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg dose of streptozotocin(STZ) in male adult wistar rats, induces extensive necrosis in langerhans β-cell islets, because of its cytotoxicity. Experimental diabetes mellitus can be induced completely in less than 72 hours after STZ intraperitoneal injection. Streptozotocin(STZ) was purchased from Sigma company. Diabetic and control group rats were kept separately in different metabolic cages, and their blood glucose(BG), hematological parameters, serum protein electrophoretic pattern and hepatic transaminases level were analyzed and comparison was done. Results In our investigation, Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus(IDDM) was completely induced one week after single intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg BW. Diabetes mellitus induction was verified by measuring fasting plasma glucose level in blood samples of rats. Level of blood glucose, hematological parameters, serum protein electrophoretic pattern and hepatic transaminase enzymes level, were all measured. In diabetic group rats level of blood glucose (BG), hepatic transaminase enzymes (SGOT & SGPT), serum α1-globulin and β-globulin were significantly increased but in albumin, albumin/globulin ratio (A/G ratio) and serum α2-globulin a significant decrease was observed in diabetic rats in comparison with normal rats. Conclusion Extensive inflammation and tissue necrosis induced following diabetes mellitus induction in rats. Significant alterations were observed in serum protein electrophoresis fractions and hepatic transaminase enzymes level due to streptozotocin cytotoxic impacts on some tissues specifically liver. Because of extensive β-cells necrosis and degeneration caused by streptozotocin exposure, high level of blood glucose(diabetic hyperglycemia) was observed in diabetic rats. This type of experimentally induced diabetes mellitus would highly affect hematological parameters. Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus induced by streptozotocin, can lead to anemia, neutrophilia and lymphocytosis and also has decreasing effects on red blood cell indices (HGB, MCV, MCH, MCHC) in diabetic group rats.


Numerous epidemiological studies examining the etiology of ovarian cancer and the role of pregnancy related factors in ovarian cancer has been one of the topics of interest to many researchers. Various articles have only mentioned the link between some risk factors and ovarian cancer, but no study has addressed the various dimensions of this issue to this day. Therefore, due to the important position of ovarian cancer among gynecological cancers, this study was conducted to investigate the pregnancy-related risk factors for ovarian cancer. relationship characteristic cancer, a comprehensive search was car-ried out in English databases as; Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus using ovarian cancer (or 'carcinoma of the ovary' or 'ovarian neoplasm' or 'ovarian tumor'), risk factor, pregnancy characteristic terms and a combination of these terms. Full-text, English language, and original articles were included in this study. In total, 35 articles were entered into the study. The relationship between pregnancy related factors and ovarian cancer were studied. Although there was a weak association between some factors such as preterm birth and the risk of ovarian cancer, only the strong protective effect of parity was seen in the articles. The results of this study did not show that pregnancy related factors increase the risk of ovarian cancer. In summary, the findings are inadequate regarding some risk factors such as gender of fetus, multiple pregnancy, placental and fetal weight, parity, miscarriage, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, and raised questions for future research. Abstract


Optical flow is typically estimated by minimizing a "data cost" and an optional regularizer. While there has been much work on different regularizers many modern algorithms still use a data cost that is not very different from the ones used over 30 years ago: a robust version of brightness constancy or gradient constancy. In this paper we leverage the recent availability of ground-truth optical flow databases in order to learn a data cost. Specifically we take a generative approach in which the data cost models the distribution of noise after warping an image according to the flow and we measure the "goodness" of a data cost by how well it matches the true distribution of flow warp error. Consistent with current practice, we find that robust versions of gradient constancy are better models than simple brightness constancy but a learned GMM that models the density of patches of warp error gives a much better fit than any existing assumption of constancy. This significant advantage of the GMM is due to an explicit modeling of the spatial structure of warp errors, a feature which is missing from almost all existing data costs in optical flow. Finally, we show how a good density model of warp error patches can be used for optical flow estimation on whole images. We replace the data cost by the expected patch log-likelihood (EPLL), and show how this cost can be optimized iteratively using an additional step of denoising the warp error image. The results of our experiments are promising and show that patch models with higher likelihood lead to better optical flow estimation.


The Autism Behavior Coding System (ABCS) was developed to help evaluating the effectiveness of early intensive interventions in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The video-based ABCS assesses eight core autistic behavioral variables during therapist-child interaction using standardized quantitative criteria, four behaviors according to their frequency of occurrence, four according to their duration. The present study focuses (1) on the correspondence of ABCS scores with scores on two standard clinical instruments (the ADOS-2 and an ASD-adaptation of the Children's Global Assessment Scale, DD-CGAS), (2) on the sensitivity to change of ABCS scores by the end of an intensive 18 days intervention period (EIP) and (c) on the predictability of short- and longer-term changes in social and repetitive behaviors from ABCS scores at baseline and EIP. Data from 51 children (42 M, 9 F; median age 45 months) followed over 1 year were available. There were significant correlations at baseline between several ABCS scores and ADOS-2 as well as DD-CGAS scores. Correlations at EIP between some ABCS and DD-CGAS scores were highly significant. Four ABCS scores reflected significant changes from baseline to EIP. Several baseline ABCS scores were predictive of DD-CGAS and ADOS-2 scores at EIP and Year 1. However, associations between ABCS score changes from baseline to EIP and the clinical scale changes by Year 1 were not significant. It is concluded that several ABCS scores have adequate clinical validity and sensitivity to change. The short-term changes in ABCS scores and their relationship to longer-term clinical changes need further study.


Enzymatic activity and cell membrane proteins were characterized in cells from five giant cell tumors of bone (GCTs). Naphthyl alpha esterase (NAE) and acid phosphatase (AP) activity was noted within both the mononuclear and multinucleated cells of each tumor. In each tumor, all mononucleated cell populations displayed tartrate-sensitive AP activity, whereas the multinucleated cell populations demonstrated variable expression of tartrate-sensitive and tartrate-resistant AP activity. Analysis of cell membrane proteins included attempts at immunodetection of mannose receptor, OKM-1 antigen (OKM-1a), colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1r), and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFr). None of these membrane antigens were elicited on multinucleated cells. In contrast, the mannose receptor, OKM-1a, and PDGFr all were detected on the mononucleated cells within each tumor. These data demonstrate that a population of mononucleated, not multinucleated cells, expresses features unique to mature mononuclear phagocytes and establishes the presence of a membrane receptor, PDGFr, associated with mitogenesis of mesenchymal cells.


Abstract A growing number of web-based databases and tools for protein research are being developed. There is now a widespread need for visualization tools to present the three-dimensional (3D) structure of proteins in web browsers. Here, we introduce our 3D modeling program—Web3DMol—a web application focusing on protein structure visualization in modern web browsers. Users submit a PDB identification code or select a PDB archive from their local disk, and Web3DMol will display and allow interactive manipulation of the 3D structure. Featured functions, such as sequence plot, fragment segmentation, measure tool and meta-information display, are offered for users to gain a better understanding of protein structure. Easy-to-use APIs are available for developers to reuse and extend Web3DMol. Web3DMol can be freely accessed at http://web3dmol.duapp.com/, and the source code is distributed under the MIT license.


Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in initiating and polarizing the immune response. Therefore, DC maturation represents a key control point in the shift from innate to adaptive immunity. It is suspected that during pregnancy, hormones are critical factors that modulate changes reported to occur in maternal immunity. Here we examined the effect of 17-beta-estradiol (E2) on the maturational response triggered by virus in human DCs and its influence on their ability to activate naive T cells. We developed an in vitro system to measure the response of DCs to virus infection with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) after a 24-hour E2 treatment. Using this system, we demonstrated that E2 pretreatment down-regulated the antiviral response to RNA viruses in DCs by profoundly suppressing type I interferon (IFN) synthesis and other important inflammatory products. In addition, the DCs capacity to stimulate naive CD4 T cells was also reduced. These results suggest an important role for E2 in suppressing the antiviral response and provide a mechanism for the reduced immunity to virus infection observed during pregnancy.


This paper describes the design and test of a novel custom driving circuit for multi-quantum-well (MQW) spatial light modulators (SLMs). Unlike previous solutions, we integrated all blocks in one chip to synchronize the control logic circuit and the driving circuits. Single-slope digital-to-analog converters (DACs) inside each pixel are not adopted because it is difficult to eliminate capacitor mismatch. 64 column-shared 8-bit resistor-string DACs are utilized to provide programmable output voltages from 0.5 to 3.8 V. They are located on the top of 64 × 64 driving pixels tightly to match each other with several dummies. Each DAC performs its conversion in 280 ns and draws 80 μA. For a high speed data transfer rate, the system adopts a 2-stage shift register that operates at 50 MHz and the modulating rate achieves 50 K frames/s while dissipating 302 mW from a 5-V supply. The die is fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process and its area is 5.5 × 7 mm2.


When a droplet hits a surface fast enough, droplet splashing can occur: Smaller sec-ondary droplets detach from the main droplet during impact. While droplet splashing on smooth surfaces is by now well understood, the surface roughness also affects at which impact velocity a droplet splashes. In this paper, the influence of the surface roughness on droplet splashing is investigated. By changing the root-mean-square roughness of the impacted surface, we show that the droplet splashing velocity is only affected when the droplet roughness is large enough to disrupt the spreading droplet lamella and change the droplet splashing mechanism from corona to prompt splashing. Finally, using Weber and Ohnesorge number scaling models, we also show that the measured splashing velocity for both water and ethanol on surfaces with different roughnesses and water-ethanol mixtures collapses onto a single curve, showing that the droplet splashing velocity on rough surfaces scales with the Ohnesorge number defined with the surface roughness length scale.


Abstract:This series of poems operates somewhere between the Bronx, Half Way Tree (Kingston), and memory. Indian indentureship in Jamaica is epistemologically eclipsed; queer death is unmemorialized; an opening of sugar packets evokes the violence of empire. These poems reckon with loss—whether through grammar, digitization, or death. Yet there remains an abiding desire to explode the beauty of (extra)ordinary moments and scenes. Diasporic and hyperlocal, these poems entangle language(s), archives, and memory to map constellations of identities formed and complicated by colonization.


The purpose of this media scientific study is to contribute to a better understanding about how blind people's empowerment and participation may affect their role in the digital society.Earlier international studies in this area have shown that blind people not only need more knowledge then the seeing population about the computer, but also about the technology behind their tools for using Internet. The results from these studies have also shown that Internet increases the blind people's independents and that those who use Internet feel more involved in the society.A qualitative method was chosen to study the three most common categories from the earlier studies: knowledge of technology, empowerment and participation. Are there differences in the results compared to our study in Sweden 2014?Interviews with eight blind, experienced computer users have shown that knowledge of technology is essential for their use of Internet and that the Internet increases their empowerment and their participation. But good knowledge of technology is not a guarantee for a flawless use of Internet. The most common problem is not lack of knowledge, but the web sites are not customised for the blind person's needs and tools. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the theories of the digital divided and Jurgen Habermas theory about the public sphere.


In 1992 governments negotiated a multilateral treaty regime to manage biological diversity. Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States rejected this treaty. Yet both nations were equally at risk from biodiversity loss and equally likely to benefit from its protection. This empirical puzzle is used to explore state choice in regulatory cooperation. Epistemic community analysis helps to explain the onset of negotiations and the contours of debates over regime norms and rules. But state choices, and the regime itself, primarily reflected the regulatory politics of biodiversity management. The international commitments on biodiversity, ostensibly alike for the U.K. and the U.S., had to be implemented through their domestic regulatory structures; the result was a distinct set of domestic ramifications. Electoral incentives and especially domestic institutions influenced both industry and governmental assessments by shaping expectations about the impact of the regime in operation. As states increasingly seek to regulate internationally, domestic institutions and anticipated implementation will play ever greater roles in explaining state choice and, because powerful states are equally influenced by these dynamics, in explaining international outcomes.


Israeli forces have blown up a hospital in eastern Gaza City, after forcing staff and patients to evacuate with telephoned threats and missile strikes. The al-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital, still full of valuable medical equipment, was completely demolished from the air on 23 July after Israeli security officials confirmed by telephone with the hospital's director that it was empty of staff and patients.

On the same evening, Israeli artillery incapacitated Gaza's biggest generating station, responsible for providing half the enclave's electricity. The grid is running at roughly 10% of capacity. About half of Gaza's buildings have running water.

Operation Protective Edge has now killed over 1030 Palestinians, including 217 children, and wounded around 5000. Many towns are completely cut off, although a brief truce on 23 July allowed Red Cross and Red Crescent ambulance convoys to evacuate wounded people from some stricken areas.

Gaza was already one of the world's most crowded places before Israel demanded that civilians quit a 3 km wide strip along its eastern border, which covers 44% of its territory. "There is literally no safe place for civilians," said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a statement underlined two days later when Israeli shells killed 16 and wounded over 100 people sheltering in a UN school.

The number of displaced people has reached over 118 000, twice the figure in the 2009 campaign, and is still climbing steeply. The toll on civil infrastructure has been heavy, with over 3000 homes, 46 schools, and 54 mosques damaged in the first two weeks. Sixteen hospitals and clinics have also come under fire, the World Health Organization has said.1

Ambulances and paramedics have historically suffered heavily in Israeli operations in Gaza, but the current campaign has put hospitals themselves on …


Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is found in most Gram-negative bacteria and induces innate responses by binding to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). LPS isolated from Pantoea agglomerans species is an interesting issue. On the one hand, it is a risk factor for diseases such as wounds, abscess, bacteremia, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis and peritonitis. On the other, its health-promoting properties in atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis are increasingly observed. Studies in humans and animal models show that LPS from P. agglomerans may have beneficial effects in the treatment of certain diseases. A huge challenge today is the prevention and treatment of skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), and hard-to-heal wounds. Reports show that LPS from P. agglomerans may be useful in the treatment of skin diseases through its effects on the immune response. Studies show that LPS acts on Langerhans cells and leads to suppression of the allergic response.


We investigate the accuracy of rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) for near-field computations within cylindrical GaAs nanowire solar cells and discover excellent accuracy with low computational cost at long incident wavelengths but poor accuracy at short incident wavelengths. These near fields give the carrier generation rate, and their accurate determination is essential for device modeling. We implement two techniques for increasing the accuracy of the near fields generated by RCWA and give some guidance on parameters required for convergence along with an estimate of their associated computation times. The first improvement removes Gibbs phenomenon artifacts from the RCWA fields, and the second uses the extremely well-converged far-field absorption to rescale the local fields. These improvements allow a computational speedup between 30 and 1000 times for spectrally integrated calculations, depending on the density of the near fields desired. Some spectrally resolved quantities, especially at short wavelengths, remain expensive, but RCWA is still an excellent method for performing those calculations. These improvements open up the possibility of using RCWA for low-cost optical modeling in a full optoelectronic device model of nanowire solar cells.


Cubic gallium nitride epitaxial layers grown on differently carbonized silicon substrates were studied by high resolution X-ray diffraction. In the case of cubic GaN layers with equal layer thickness an improvement of the layer quality in terms of full width of the half maximum can be achieved by using higher carbonization temperatures. The higher crystalline quality led to an in¬crease of the residual stress in the grown layer. An increase in the thickness of the cubic Gallium Nitride allows to improve the crystallinity and to reduce the residual stress.


Architectural power modeling tools are widely used by the computer architecture community for rapid evaluations of high-level design choices and design space explorations. Currently, McPAT [31] is the de facto power model, but the literature does not yet contain a careful examination of its modeling accuracy. In addition, the issue of how greatly power modeling error can affect architectural-level studies has not been quantified before. In this work, we present the first rigorous assessment of McPAT's core power and area models with a detailed, validated power modeling toolchain used in current industrial practice. We find that McPAT's predictions can have significant error because some of the models are either incomplete, too high-level, or assume implementations of structures that differ from that of the core at hand. We demonstrate that large errors are possible when using McPAT's dynamic power estimates in the context of voltage noise and thermal hotspots, but for steady-state properties, accurately modeling leakage power is more important. Based on our analysis, we are able to provide guidelines for creating accurate McPAT models, even without access to detailed industrial power modeling tools. We conclude that in spite of its accuracy gaps, McPAT is still a very useful tool for many architectural studies, and its limitations can often be adequately addressed for a given research study of interest.


Recent scientific developments in prenatal testing, based on fetal DNA in maternal blood, now allow non-invasive fetal sexing in pregnancies at risk of a sex-linked disorder. In such cases, these novel noninvasive tests can improve prenatal care by avoiding the need for invasive procedures such as amniocentesis, with their associated risk of fetal loss. The tests available for medical use are characterized by high levels of accuracy (> 99%) and early fetal sex determination (from week 7 of  gestation). Many countries now offer families at risk of a sex-linked disorder this new form of clinical fetal sexing. At the same time, further developments in fetal DNA technology are making antenatal sex determination possible via a finger prick sample mailed anonymously to a commercial organization. Direct marketing to future parents of such non-invasive tests for social sex determination will bypass a woman's physician. This could allow termination based on sex selection while women ostensibly present to physicians, who will have no access to the test result, for a termination on social grounds. If test results are available at 7 weeks gestation, online purchase of products for non-surgical abortion at home early in pregnancy could also enable some parents to bypass a health system altogether. Female feticide, linked to son preference and widespread ultrasound diffusion, has already led to significant gender imbalances in India and China. Certain ethnic minority communities in the west are also now displaying evidence of fetal sex selection. Currently, mail-order fetal sexing, based on fetal DNA in maternal blood, is still an emerging market. However, before any widespread diffusion, discussion about the implications of this new technology and associated issues is important and timely. This article considers evidence of technology development, existing demographic and social changes, corporate responsibility in product marketing, and the role of community engagement and education.


For sound forest management decisions, appraisal of flora species and forest structure is crucial for any meaningful conservation work. We assessed tree species distribution in Okwangwo Forest, Nigeria. Systematic sampling technique was adopted for plot selection. 24 transects, measuring 1000m long at 500 m intervals were laid. Four sample plots of 0.25 ha were located alternately at 250m intervals along each transect, making 96 plots (24 ha) in all. The diameters of all the trees with dbh .10 cm were measured. All measured trees were identified to species level. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies, percentages and charts. Also, species relative densities and  richness were computed. Tree species were grouped into abundance classes. A total of 125 tree  species belonging to 36 families and 96 genera were recorded in the area with Margaleffs index of species richness of 2.2754. Most (99) of the tree species  encountered were threatened/endangered, 23 species were rare with only 3 tree species (Brachystegia eurycoma, Bailonella toxisperma and Ceiba pentandra)  being  abundant in the area. Frequent and occasional species were not encountered in the area. Leguminoseae  was the most represented family  with 14.84% (19  species) with Styraceae, Polygonaceae,  Papilionioideae, Sapindaceae, Connaraceae, Flacourtiaceae, Tiliaceae, Asparagaceae, Ochnaceae,  Bignoniaceae,  Mimosoideae, Piperaceae, Anisophyllaceae and Violacea e being the least with one species each. The mean basal area of 111.32 m 2 /ha recorded in the area was higher than the value suggested for a well-stocked and managed forest in Nigeria. There were more trees in the lower diameter classes than in the larger classes. The result of soil physical and chemical properties was also impressive with potential for site quality improvement going by the good stand structure.


OBJECTIVE
Malaria is the primary parasitic cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. As a result of the expansion of international travel in recent years, imported malaria cases especially are increasing in our country. Likewise, while there were more domestic cases earlier in Kayseri, more imported cases were seen in recent years. In our study, the epidemiology of malaria cases between the years of 2001-2013 is intended to be done with the data obtained from the Provincial Health Directorate.

METHODS
The data was performed retrospectively.

RESULTS
Considering the last 12 years of data; a total of 34,459 blood samples were analyzed and 47 of these cases were found to be malaria, 21 cases were domestic and others were imported cases of malaria. P. vivax was detected in all domestic cases. While one of the imported cases have been identified as P. malariae, others were P. falciparum.

CONCLUSION
We believe that our study of the epidemiological data would be beneficial for taking preventive cautions and fight against malaria.


CELCIS is the Centre for Excellence for Looked after Children in Scotland based at the University of Strathclyde. Together with partners, we are working to improve the lives of all looked after children in Scotland. Established in 2011, CELCIS has been committed to further improving the outcomes and opportunities for looked after children through a collaborative and facilitative approach that is focused on having the maximum positive impact on their lives.


Granular materials exhibit a rich variety of dynamical behavior, much of which is poorly understood. Fractal-like stress chains, convection, a variety of wave dynamics, including waves which resemble capillary waves, l/f noise, and fractional Brownian motion provide examples. Work beginning at Duke will focus on gravity driven convection, mixing and gravitational collapse. Although granular materials consist of collections of interacting particles, there are important differences between the dynamics of a collections of grains and the dynamics of a collections of molecules. In particular, the ergodic hypothesis is generally invalid for granular materials, so that ordinary statistical physics does not apply. In the absence of a steady energy input, granular materials undergo a rapid collapse which is strongly influenced by the presence of gravity. Fluctuations on laboratory scales in such quantities as the stress can be very large-as much as an order of magnitude greater than the mean.


Wepresentafully ab initiomodelandcalculationsofthespectralshapesofabsorptionlinesinapuremolecular gas under conditions where the influences of collisions and of the Doppler effect are significant. Predictions of the time dependence of dipole autocorrelation functions (DACFs) are made for pure CO2 at room temperature using requantized classical molecular dynamics simulations. These are carried, free of any adjusted parameter, on the basis of an accurate anisotropic intermolecular potential. The Fourier-Laplace transforms of these DACFs then yield calculated spectra which are analyzed, as some measured ones, through fits using Voigt line profiles. Comparisonsbetweentheoryandvariousexperimentsnotonlyshowthatthemainline-shapeparameters(Lorentz pressure-broadening coefficients) are accurately predicted, but that subtle observed non-Voigt features are also quantitatively reproduced by the model. These successes open renewed perspectives for the understanding of the mechanisms involved (translational-velocity and rotational-state changes and their dependences on the molecular speed) and the quantification of their respective contributions. The proposed model should also be of great help for the test of widely used empirical line-shape models and, if needed, the construction of more physically based ones.


As a consequence of the current change in the electric energy supply structure and present available electric
energy storage capabilities, hydro power plants are tending to be operated on a wide spread of off-design
conditions. The operation of turbines not running at their best operating point could lead to a physical
phenomenon called helical vortex or vortex rope. Although the helical vortex has been investigated for several
decades already, it is still far from being completely understood. Moreover, it could have undesirable impacts
on the hydraulic system of the power plant, namely, an increase of the risk of fatigue failure, the development
of resonance vibration and a decrease of the efficiency of the power plant. In order to analyze the vortex rope
and to assess its effects on the hydraulic system, it is therefore in the interest of both science and industry to
simulate the physical phenomenon of the helical vortex accurately. In response to this, the Institute of Fluid
Mechanics and Hydraulic Machinery at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, constructed a Swirl Generator to
investigate a swirling flow, which is similar to the downstream of the turbine runners. With the help of eight
non-rotating blades and a conical diffuser, this test rig is capable of generating a helical vortex.
In this work, cases for the simulation of the unsteady flow in the Stuttgart Swirl Generator with OpenFOAM
are presented. To do so, this work firstly explains the background theory of the helical vortex phenomenon
and the method of Computational Fluid Dynamics. Furthermore, the underlying test rig, geometry and mesh,
discretisation schemes, algorithm for interequation coupling, solvers for the systems of linear algebraic equations and boundary and initial conditions are elucidated. As the flow in the Swirl Generator is characterized by aReynolds number in a range of approximately 1.1*105 to 1.8*105 and unsteady flow features caused by thehelical vortex, the treatment of turbulence plays a vital role for an appropriate setup of the cases. Here, common Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models are assumed to be limited in their capability of dealing with unsteady flows. The method of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) on the other hand, would be capable of addressing these drawbacks, but are still unfavorable in terms of their demands on the computational effort.
This work therefore, investigates hybrid strategies, which combine the advantages of both the RANS and LES
approach. For this, cases based on two standard high-Reynolds number RANS models: k-e and k-ω SST, and
three hybrid RANS-LES models:k-ω SST SAS, Spalart-Allmaras DDES and Spalart-Allmaras IDDES are set
up. In order to assess the results of the simulations, the present work shows a general evaluation of the results
and compares experimental and simulated measurement data.


Palliative Care is an approach that improves quality of life of patients in complex situations with life-threatening illness. The relief of suffering is important. In this meaning palliative care has a lot to do with symptomatic therapy, because we can't treat the underlying illness. In spite all of that the knowledge of the illness, its possibilities of treatment and its prognosis are important to know, if we want do take good and wise decisions. With three examples I would like to show, how different decisions about therapies can be of the illness. The neuropathic pain can derive from different aetologies. There are multiple options of therapy, but we don't have a good test to predict which therapy will fit for which patient in pain. We have only one evidence-based pharmacological treatment of dyspnoea, that's morphine. The decision whether to give or not nutrition to a patient with advanced cancer or advanced dementia seems to be a difficult one. But if we have a look into the literature it's much easier to decied, because there is almost no advantage for the patient if we nourish him.


Abstract The study was conducted in Starachowice Forest District in Iłżecka Forest in southern part of Poland. Silver fir was the main tree species in Iłżecka Forests in the past. Nowadays the area is occupied by Scots pine forests, however the percentage of silver fir has recently increased again. The distribution of silver fir is uneven in this region. The article tries to answer the following questions: What does determine the distribution of silver fir stands in Iłżecka Forest? Do the geological conditions influence the occurrence of fir stands? The distribution of fir stands was investigated according to the main environmental parameters such as site types, soil types and underlying geology. The data on stand description were collected from management plans (period 1941–2005), general maps of the Starachowice Forest District and the Geological Map of Poland. The distribution of fir stands depended on forest site types. Soil type did not influence the occurrence of silver fir stands. Forests with silver fir were found both on Mesozoic rock from the Middle Jurassic period and on the strip next to the border separating Middle and the Upper Jurassic periods. More homogeneous fir areas were present on the geological bedrock from the Tertiary and the Middle Jurassic period rather than the Upper Jurassic, which may indicate that geological base substantially influenced fir expansion in the research area.


This accessible general history of the Reformation in the Netherlands traces the key developments in the process of reformation – both Protestant and Catholic – across the whole of the Low Countries during the sixteenth century. Synthesizing fifty years' worth of scholarly literature, Christine Kooi focuses particularly on the political context of the era: how religious change took place against the integration and disintegration of the Habsburg composite state in the Netherlands. Special attention is given to the Reformation's role in both fomenting and fuelling the Revolt against the Habsburg regime in the later sixteenth century, as well as how it contributed to the formation of the region's two successor states, the Dutch Republic and the Southern Netherlands. Reformation in the Low Countries, 1500-1620 is essential reading for scholars and students of early modern European history, bringing together specialized, contemporary research on the Low Countries in one volume.


Current therapy of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is inadequate. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) effectively treats experimental pulmonary hypertension in chronically hypoxic and monocrotaline-injected rats. Contrary to these animal models, SU5416/hypoxia/normoxia-exposed rats develop a more severe form of occlusive pulmonary arteriopathy and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction that is indistinguishable from the human disorder. Thus, we tested the effects of DHEA treatment on PAH and RV structure and function in this model. Chronic (5 wk) DHEA treatment significantly, but moderately, reduced the severely elevated RV systolic pressure. In contrast, it restored the impaired cardiac index to normal levels, resulting in an improved cardiac function, as assessed by echocardiography. Moreover, DHEA treatment inhibited RV capillary rarefaction, apoptosis, fibrosis, and oxidative stress. The steroid decreased NADPH levels in the RV. As a result, the reduced reactive oxygen species production in the RV of these rats was reversed by NADPH supplementation. Mechanistically, DHEA reduced the expression and activity of Rho kinases in the RV, which was associated with the inhibition of cardiac remodeling-related transcription factors STAT3 and NFATc3. These results show that DHEA treatment slowed the progression of severe PAH in SU5416/hypoxia/normoxia-exposed rats and protected the RV against apoptosis and fibrosis, thus preserving its contractile function. The antioxidant activity of DHEA, by depleting NADPH, plays a central role in these cardioprotective effects.


Rationale: The complication of iatrogenic distraction of odontoid fracture after anterior screw fixation has not been reported in the literature. We treated the patient with endoscopically assisted bone grafting with good results. The new technique was not reported in the management of odontoid fracture or nonunion before. Patient concerns: A 22-year-old man presented with neck pain after a motorcycle crash. The cervical spine radiograph and computed tomographic scan demonstrated the base of dens displaced 2 mm anteriorly. Diagnoses: Radiographic images showed a type II odontoid fracture. Interventions: The patient was treated by percutaneous anterior screw fixation. The postoperative radiograph and CT demonstrated an iatrogenic distraction of the odontoid with a gap of 6 mm.The follow-up radiograph did not show any sign of bone union 1 month and a half later. A revision surgery was given by anterior endoscopically assisted bone grafting. The patient was encouraged to sit out of bed immediately after the surgery with the protection of a soft cervical collar for 3 months. Outcomes: No complications such as neural structures or vascular injuries were found. Bone union was achieved at the 1-year follow-up CT scans. Physical examination showed a full range of motion in the neck. Lessons: We reported a case of iatrogenic odontoid distraction that was managed by anterior endoscopically assisted bone grafting. It is a technically feasible and minimally invasive procedure.


It can be assumed that the reason of failure of classical methods to combat obesity lies in the complete disregard of active involvement of the immune system in the processes of digestion, considering influence of food antigenic load, that is carried by the human body. The new technology ImmunodietologyTM, based on a mathematically correct calculation of the individual response of the body's immune system to food antigens, is a promising trend for modern dietetics in addressing issues of prevention and control of obesity. Aim. To study the features of hypersensitivity to food antigens, as the main trigger of chronic inflammation in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders, to substantiate the personified principles of immunodietology application. Methods. The study of food hypersensitivity was carried out according to the methodology of ImmunohealthTM. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for specific IgG to 111 food antigens, distributed over antigenic clusters, to create an individual adaptation diet, based on the mathematically-based criterion "norm – anomaly". We determined IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TSH, free T3, insulin in serum by means of ELISA. ACTA BIOMEDICA SCIENTIFICA, 2019, Том 4, No 3 Biology and medical biology 19 Results. A correlation was established between casein hypersensitivity and an increase in IL-6 concentrations (Rs = 0.30 (p < 0.05)); IL-17 (Rs = 0.32 (p < 0.05)), as well as food hypersensitivity (Type III) to casein and the development of atherogenic changes (OR = 2.7 (1.2; 6.3)). Conclusions. Thus, the results showed that the principles of diagnosis and evaluation, personalized food hypersensitivity are the basis of the new ImmunodietologyTM technology, which may be a promising trend in modern dietetics to control obesity.


In this paper, blind symbol synchronization for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems based on the cyclic prefix (CP), considering time-variant long-echo fading channels, is introduced. The basic idea of our contribution is to obtain an estimate of channel-tap powers using the correlation characteristics of the CP. The maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation of the correlation characteristics is derived and employed for channel-tap power estimation. An intersymbol-interference (ISI) metric is minimized using the estimate of channel-tap powers. The metric, which is based on the statistical properties of received samples, turns the mobility factor into a coefficient, which can be simply compensated. The metric is suitable for both short- and long-echo channels. The performance is analyzed. The proposed algorithm has moderate complexity. Simulations confirm the advantages of the proposed estimator.


Flowing Waters and the Flow of Time: Guan Pinghu's Interpretation of Flowing Waters Lu Wang The search for alternative approaches to time outside of the Western concert music tradition has provided inspiration for many contemporary composers. This essay is a brief examination of temporal models taken from traditional Chinese guqin music. Focusing on the famous composition Flowing Waters, the study looks at aspects of temporality in the piece: the use of traditional notation (the jianzipu spectrum as well as brush-painting illustrations) with transcribed comparisons of individual interpretations, various finger-sliding techniques, the dual melodic and harmonic roles of single lines, and even the tuning system as a path toward revealing a new way of composed time, that which reflects the aesthetics of brush-stroke calligraphy, brush-painting, and ancient Chinese philosophical views on nature and the arts. Continual movement of textures, fluidity of materials, organic transitions, and gradual growth and decay of sound in space are the unique characteristics of this piece that become the main focus of the analysis.


We introduce a shadow-based interface for interactive tabletops. The proposed interface allows a user to browse graphical information by casting the shadow of his/her body, such as a hand, on a tabletop surface. Central to our technique is a new optical design that utilizes polarization in addition to the additive nature of light so that the desired graphical information is displayed only in a shadow area on a tabletop surface. In other words, our technique conceals the graphical information on surfaces other than the shadow area, such as the surface of the occluder and non-shadow areas on the tabletop surface. We combine the proposed shadow-based interface with a multi-touch detection technique to realize a novel interaction technique for interactive tabletops. We implemented a prototype system and conducted proof-of-concept experiments along with a quantitative evaluation to assess the feasibility of the proposed optical design. Finally, we showed implemented application systems of the proposed shadow-based interface.


This paper develops a Fourier transform method with an asymptotic expansion approach for option pricing.The method is applied to European currency options with a libor market model of interest rates and jump-diffusion stochastic volatility models of spot exchange rates. In particular, we derive closed-form approximation formulas of the characteristic functions of log-prices of the underlying assets and the prices of currency options based on a third order asymptotic expansion scheme; we use a jump-diffusion model with a mean-reverting stochastic variance process such as in Heston[1993]/Bates[1996] and log-normal market models for domestic and foreign interest rates. Finally, the validity of our method is confirmed through numerical examples.


This report provides a stand-alone description of how the national model for assessment in aged care was received when reviewed by the relevant reference groups and when demonstrated to experienced assessors. It covers the preliminary testing of a system that operates across three levels to guide the people requesting assistance to the set of aged care services that they need. The overall aim of the new assessment system has been to simplify and streamline information so it can be used in a practical way in the field to plan how best to meet those needs. The purpose of collecting assessment information is to differentiate between people who: Have no problems and need no services -Have minor problems (i.e., low need), and need some basic services (e.g., meals, home maintenance), but do not need a comprehensive assessment (Basic Services: Level 1 Assessment) -Have mild to moderate problems and require access to more than a couple of basic services and may require services such as personal care (Basic Plus Services: Level 2 Assessment) -Have a moderate to high problems and/ or complex needs and require a comprehensive assessment (Packaged Care CACP, EACH, Transition Care /Residential Care Services: Level 3 Assessment). The usability testing and ECRG comments highlighted that assessment information can also be used to produce 'change scores' at a subsequent point of re-assessment and to allow assessors and service providers to more efficiently 'inter-operate' across existing aged care programs and with other assessment systems. A wealth of relevant data is already being collected through Medicare-remunerated GPs' assessments, in hospital and community health systems, in rehabilitation units and in palliative care and in outpatient clinics, that are of direct relevance to the new national aged care assessment system. The overall model and the components of a recommended national assessment system have been developed with feedback from the Department of Health and Ageing and its Expert Clinical Reference Group, as well as with feedback from experienced assessors. The initial usability testing of the tool with assessors has resulted in some minor revisions as well as some practical ideas to build into any subsequent stages. The result of this first stage of development is a system that is judged by these initial methods of usability testing to be fit for purpose. The electronic version of the tool that was tested is included in Appendix 1 and the resulting recommended changes are shown in Appendix 2. The next step is expected to be more extensive field testing that should be designed to deal with the wider implementation issues. These are likely to include a proposed data sharing model, a data repository function to enable more extensive empirical testing, examining the linkages to other systems and assessment role delineation (with associated training materials linked to assessor competencies).


This thesis is concerned with the analysis of mathematical textbook tasks at second-level in Ireland, in the context of the introduction of the revised curriculum entitled 'Project Maths'. This work aims to gain greater insight into the mathematical tasks that students and teachers encounter on a daily basis, to attain some understanding of the teaching and learning taking place in Irish classrooms. A total of 7635 tasks on the topics of Pattern, Sequences and Series and Differential Calculus contained in three textbook series for senior cycle, in editions available before and those available after the curriculum change were analysed. The analysis was informed by the use of five frameworks: an amended version of the Project Maths problem-solving objectives, a novelty framework designed during the course of this research, Levels of Cognitive Demand (Smith and Stein, 1998), Lithner's reasoning framework (Lithner, 2008) and Usiskin's model of mathematical understanding (Usiskin, 2012). My findings suggest that the post-Project Maths textbook tasks offer greater opportunities in all five areas when compared to those in the older textbooks, but that there is still scope for further development. Based on my analysis, it would appear that all three textbook series have neglected important objectives of the Project Maths curriculum such as justifying conclusions and communicating mathematically. Furthermore, the findings indicate that there is a need for more attention to be paid to fostering novelty in textbook tasks, increasing the level of cognitive demand, and more opportunities should be provided for creative reasoning. Greater effort should also be made to diversify the dimensions of student understanding offered by tasks. Following this analysis, some sample tasks were designed, paying particular attention to the areas my findings indicate are in need of improvement. This was achieved by building on existing textbook tasks as well as creating completely new ones.


Fully three-body kinematical calculations have been developed for analysing the breakup of light, weakly bound two-body projectiles using several theoretical models. Parallel momentum distributions of the 8Be fragments produced in the breakup of on Ag and Pb targets at 44 and 82 MeV/nucleon have been calculated. The asymmetry seen in these distributions due to E1/E2 interference is instructive in trying to understand the El and E2 contributions to the total cross section. The predicted E2 cross section in these reactions was found to be model dependent. Semi-classical first-order perturbation calculations show that an E2 strength of 70% that given by the Esbensen and Bertsch 8B structure model reproduces the asymmetry observed in the measured distributions for a Pb target at 44 MeV/nucleon. Non-perturbative coupled discretised continuum channels (CDCC) calculations gave distributions with a greatly reduced asymmetry when compared with first-order calculations highlighting the presence of higher-order effects in the breakup process, which suppress the E1/E2 interference. Increasing the E2 amplitude by a factor of 1.6 in these calculations reproduced the asymmetry seen in the all measured distributions. Comparisons between the CDCC and adiabatic methods have been made. The adiabatic method is a higher-order theory, like CDCC, but cannot be applied to projectiles where both fragments are charged. Therefore the breakup of 8Li has been studied. Large discrepancies are seen between the results of the two methods. Approximations have been made in evaluating the DWBA post-form T-matrix. The results are similar to those of the adiabatic method, rather than prior-form DWBA calculations. These results reveal a post-prior disagreement in both first-order and higher-order theories.


BACKGROUND
Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against programmed death 1 (PD-1) that has antitumor activity in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with increased activity in tumors that express programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1).

METHODS
In this open-label, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 305 patients who had previously untreated advanced NSCLC with PD-L1 expression on at least 50% of tumor cells and no sensitizing mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene or translocation of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene to receive either pembrolizumab (at a fixed dose of 200 mg every 3 weeks) or the investigator's choice of platinum-based chemotherapy. Crossover from the chemotherapy group to the pembrolizumab group was permitted in the event of disease progression. The primary end point, progression-free survival, was assessed by means of blinded, independent, central radiologic review. Secondary end points were overall survival, objective response rate, and safety.

RESULTS
Median progression-free survival was 10.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.7 to not reached) in the pembrolizumab group versus 6.0 months (95% CI, 4.2 to 6.2) in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.68; P<0.001). The estimated rate of overall survival at 6 months was 80.2% in the pembrolizumab group versus 72.4% in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio for death, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.89; P=0.005). The response rate was higher in the pembrolizumab group than in the chemotherapy group (44.8% vs. 27.8%), the median duration of response was longer (not reached [range, 1.9+ to 14.5+ months] vs. 6.3 months [range, 2.1+ to 12.6+]), and treatment-related adverse events of any grade were less frequent (occurring in 73.4% vs. 90.0% of patients), as were grade 3, 4, or 5 treatment-related adverse events (26.6% vs. 53.3%).

CONCLUSIONS
In patients with advanced NSCLC and PD-L1 expression on at least 50% of tumor cells, pembrolizumab was associated with significantly longer progression-free and overall survival and with fewer adverse events than was platinum-based chemotherapy. (Funded by Merck; KEYNOTE-024 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02142738 .).


Increasingly, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, publications appeared in the Ottoman Empire that took issue with traditional norms of gender and sexuality and advocated alternatives. They criticized arranged marriages and supported companionate unions, attacked polygyny, stressed the importance of a fulfilling sex life in which the wife is an equal partner entitled to gratification, acknowledged sexual attraction as legitimate and viewed the choice of a partner as personally empowering, and even hinted that sexual relations outside marriage were acceptable. Studies of such publications have tended to focus on writers, their thoughts, and the influences that shaped them, generally neglecting the institutional framework that enabled this surge of publications. Focusing on book publishing, this article seeks to document the emergence of Ottoman-Turkish print capitalism and reveal its role in the production of publications that challenged established ideas of personal relations between men and women.


The relevance of quality and typical food as strength for Rural Local Systems (RLS) is widely recognized in literature (Antonioli Corigliano, 1999; Brunori, 1999; Pacciani et al., 2001; Cecchi, 2002). Generally speaking, the chance of a RLS to build a competitive advantage often depends on the specificities of food-products that the system as a whole is able to supply.) The commercialization of such products represents a crucial step in the valorization process. Several studies (Klein and Leffler 1981; Shapiro, 1983) find in the reputation of products the element which makes possible suitable levels of returns on resources used in the production process. For typical food, the reputation has public goods characteristics, indeed, it can generate a territorial quality surplus and so it is known as collective reputation. Such surplus is based on two elements: 1) the specific quality of products and 2) the level of coordination of the production system. In order to face the risk of opportunistic use of collective reputation, States have generated a series of laws for formal protection of denominations. Among these normative tools, an important role is played by the Origin Denomination (O.D.). The main function of such tool is to give juridical protection to the name that a product has got in the market by its typicalness and its link with the territory. Therefore the O.D. can be considered as an institutional process whose goal is the reproduction and the conservation of collective reputation of a typical product. In the light of these considerations, the aim of this paper is twofold: verify the contribution of a specific O.D., the San Severo wine, in generating the reputation surplus for its production system and investigate on its determinants. In particular, the study of the product's quality and coordination level leads to define the production system as a whole in terms of collective reputation. Then we compare such characteristic with the currently level of reputation enjoyed by the San Severo wine denomination. The data have been collected through a direct survey by the means of questionnaires submitted to local actors and interviews to important witnesses in order to have better grip on the historical and characterizing aspects of the system. In the section 2 we show the theoretical approaches to individual and collective reputation and their relation with O.D.. Then (section 3) we pass to illustrate the study case and the research outcomes. We dedicate the section 4 to some conclusive observations and suggest for further research.


In this study, the governing equation of motion for a general arbitrary higher-order theory of rods and tubes is presented for a general material response. The impetus for the study, in contrast to the classical Cosserat rod theories, comes from the need to study bulging and other deformation of tubes (such as arterial walls). While Cosserat rods are useful for rods whose centerline motion is of primary focus, here we consider cases where the lateral boundaries also undergo significant deformation. To tackle these problems, a generalized curvilinear cylindrical coordinate (CCC) system is introduced in the reference configuration of the rod. Furthermore, we show that this results in a new generalized frame that contains the well-known orthonormal moving frames of Frenet and Bishop (a hybrid frame) as special cases. Such a coordinate system can continuously map the geometry of any general curved three-dimensional (3D) structure with a reference curve (including general closed curves) having continuous tangent, and hence, the present formulation can be used for analyzing any general rod or pipe-like 3D structures with variable cross section (e.g., artery or vein). A key feature of the approach presented herein is that we utilize a non-coordinate "Cartan moving frame" or orthonormal basis vectors, to obtain the kinematic quantities, like displacement gradient, using the tools of exterior calculus. This dramatically simplifies the calculations. By the way of this paper, we also seek to highlight the elegance of the exterior calculus as a means for obtaining the various kinematic relations in terms of orthonormal bases and to advocate for its wider use in the applied mechanics community. Finally, the displacement field of the cross section of the structure is approximated by general basis functions in the polar coordinates in the normal plane which enables this rod theory to analyze the response to any general loading condition applied to the curved structure. The governing equation is obtained using the virtual work principle for a general material response, and presented in terms of generalized displacement variables and generalized moments over the cross section of the 3D structure. This results in a system of ordinary differential equations for quantities that are integrated across the cross section (as is to be expected for any rod theory).


Computer-assisted restriction endonuclease analysis of plasmid DNA in field strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) is described. The procedure consists of plasmid DNA purification, its digestion with restriction endonuclease TaqI, electrophoresis, charge-coupled device camera scanning of the gels, and an analysis of the restriction patterns with the software Gel Manager. The system allowed us to analyse, in detail, results of plasmid profiling in more than 600 field strains of S. enteritidis. In addition to plasmid-free and virulence plasmid only containing strains, 15 additional plasmid types were detected. All the images and detailed protocols are available at the Web site http://www.clark.cz/vri/salmon.htm.


The accompanying paper looks at a join investigation of electronic business or web based business and customary Commerce and impact of demonetization on web based business. Electronic trade is procedure of working together through PC systems. A man sitting on his seat before a PC or portable can get to every one of the offices of the web to purchase or offer the items. Not at all like conventional business that is completed physically with exertion of a man to go and get items, internet business has made it simpler for human to diminish physical work and to spare time. Online business which was begun in mid 1990's has taken an incredible jump in the realm of PCs, however the way that has prevented the development of web based business is security. Security is the test confronting internet business today and there is still a great deal of progression made in the field of security. Government pulled the old RS. 500 and RS. 1000 notes unavailable for general use. While the exceptional move made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has affected web based business and in the meantime it affects the purchasers and their shopping conduct through web based shopping. Along these lines it ends up important to ponder the effect of demonetization on web based business industry. The fundamental point of the examination is to comprehend and break down the impact of demonetization on purchaser's recurrence of purchasing item and shopper's method of installment mode through internet shopping post demonetization.


Reconstruction of the medial half of the lower eyelid has one major disadvantage: It produces a scar at right angles to the eyelid rim. In contrast, use of a "switch" split-lid procedure avoids this inconvenience. The lateral half of the lower eyelid is split in two lamellae. The inner layer is transferred medially, and the resulting defect is closed with a buccal graft. The outer layer is drawn laterally to cover the raw surface of the mucosal pedicle and graft. The surplus of skin over the lateral canthal area is removed. This procedure, which so far has been used in three patients, promises to be a useful alternative for reconstruction of the medial half, but not more, of the lower eyelid.


Due to point contact cause, the point grinding process have the lower grinding power and heat to measure and the better cooling conditions. For green manufacturing, the point grinding process has the significance to reduce the consumption of grinding fluid and improve the ground surface integrity and the process greenness. This study analyzes the geometric configuration of the contact area between the wheel and the workpiece in point grinding process, establishes the geometric and mathematic models of the contact area, and investigates the relations between the grinding parameters. The dry point grinding experiments are performed on the ground surface integrity. These investigations show that the dry grinding can be achieved in point grinding process under less depth of cut and the higher grinding speed for the high machining greenness demand.


The anatomy of the pudendal nerve is complex and difficult to visualize. Entrapment of the pudendal nerve is believed to occur in a canal, the pudendal canal or Alcock's canal, yet in the literature this term is used to refer to several different anatomic locations. We present a brief history of Benjamin Alcock, and we compare Alcock's original description of the pudendal canal with our findings from a cadaveric study. It is concluded that Alcock's canal for the pudendal nerve, as Alcock described it related to the pudendal artery, should be that portion of the pudendal nerve within the obturator internus fascia. This definition now permits future medical and surgical approaches to use the appropriate terminology for this anatomic location.


Obesity is one of the risk assessments for various non-communicable diseases (NCDs), while anthropometric measurements are one of the measures of obesity, which has been demonstrated as a time-tested important technique for risk assessment of NCDs. Due to variation of anthropometric measurements, it seems difficult to classify obesity using world cut-offs in different population groups.
The objective of the present study is to discern the population-specific obesity cut-offs and the best obesity predictor among two indigenous ethnic groups (Tripuri and Halam women) of Tripura, North East India.
The subjects of the present study were 88 Tripuri and 98 Halam adult women whose anthropometric measurements were obtained by using standard techniques. The area under curve (AUC) and Youden index (YI) were used to evaluate the performance of each anthropometric adiposity indicator as well as optimal obesity cut-offs.
The age and waist-hip ratio (WHR) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in Tripuris compared to Halams. However, no significant (p > 0.05) differences were observed in obesity categorized by body mass index (BMI) using the WHO 2004 cut-off between the populations. Waist stature ratio (WSR) (AUC = 0.959) and waist circumference (WC) (AUC = 0.804) were better obesity predictors for Halams and Tripuris respectively. The present study envisaged the optimal cut-off points, which were 84.95 cm for WC, 96.45 cm for hip circumference (HC), 29.95% for the percentage of body fat (PBF), 0.89 for WHR, 0.57 for WSR and 1.27 for conicity index (CI) in Halams, while for the Tripuris, the optimal cut-off points were 89.6 cm for WC, 97.5 cm for HC, 33.1% for PBF, 0.95 for WHR, 0.55 for WSR and 1.02 for CI.
In conclusion, the present study indicated the optimal anthropometric cut-offs which could be the redefined the parameters for assessment of obesity in Halam and Tripuri women.


We present new calibrations of the near-infrared (near-IR) surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distance method for the F110W ( J 110 ?> ) and F160W ( H 160 ?> ) bandpasses of the Wide Field Camera 3 Infrared Channel (WFC3/IR) on the Hubble Space Telescope. The calibrations are based on data for 16 early-type galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax clusters observed with WFC3/IR and are provided as functions of both the optical ( g 475 - z 850 ) ?> and near-infrared ( J 110 - H 160 ) ?> colors. The scatter about the linear calibration relations for the luminous red galaxies in the sample is approximately 0.10 mag, corresponding to a statistical error of 5% in distance. Our results imply that the distance to any suitably bright elliptical galaxy can be measured with this precision out to about 80 Mpc in a single-orbit observation with WFC3/IR, making this a remarkably powerful instrument for extragalactic distances. The calibration sample also includes much bluer and lower-luminosity galaxies than previously used for IR SBF studies, revealing interesting population differences that cause the calibration scatter to increase for dwarf galaxies. Comparisons with single-burst population models show that as expected, the redder early-type galaxies contain old, metal-rich populations, while the bluer dwarf ellipticals contain a wider range of ages and lower metallicities than their more massive counterparts. Radial SBF gradients reveal that IR color gradients are largely an age effect; the bluer dwarfs typically have their youngest populations near their centers, while the redder giant ellipticals show only weak trends and in the opposite sense. Because of the population variations among bluer galaxies, distance measurements in the near-IR are best limited to red early-type galaxies. We conclude with some practical guidelines for using WFC3/IR to measure reliable SBF distances.


It has been widely anticipated that thrust vectoring could be an effective method of providing sufficient levels of stability and control for highly manoeuvrable and flexible Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs). The present project aims to understand the interactions of delta wing vortical flows and thrust vectoring, with an emphasis on unsteady aspects. Food-colouring dye flow visualization, Laser-induced fluorescent flow visualization, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and force measurements were conducted in the water and wind tunnels over a range of dimensionless frequencies and jet momentum coefficients. Both slender and nonslender wings were tested with the purpose of understanding the effect of sweep angle on the aerodynamics-propulsion interaction. The interaction of statically pitched trailing-edge jets with leading-edge vortices over stationary delta wings was studied. It was found that under-vortex blowing with rectangular nozzle at stall and post-stall regimes could yield the maximum effectiveness of trailing-edge blowing, due to the promotion of earlier reattachment and delay of vortex breakdown. The effect of nozzle geometry can be important, because the entrainment effect of the jet depends on it. Studies of the flow field reveal strong jet-vortex interactions, distortion of jet vortices, and merging of wing and jet vortices. The dynamic responses of wing vortical flows to dynamic trailing-edge blowing exhibit hysteresis and phase lag, which increases with the increasing dimensionless frequency of jet momentum. Time delay for the decelerating jet is significantly larger than that for the accelerating jet. Sweep angle has no significant influence on the effect of unsteady trailing-edge blowing. From a design aspect, hysteresis and time delay need to be considered for the flight control systems.


It is known that bumblebees (Bombus) have a wide variety of different mite (Acari) species associated
with them, however research into the nature and effects of these relationships is scarce. For many species
our understanding of their biology and life cycles are incomplete, and our understanding of the effects
that most bumblebee-associated mites have on their hosts is likewise inadequate. There have been many
studies conducted on a small number of bumblebee associated mite species, such as the obligate
endoparasite Locustacarus buchneri, but information on the majority of mite species is limited, and
much of the information available is outdated due to changes in the ecological context of British
bumblebees in the intervening time (the extinction of several species, introduction of a 'new' species
(Bombus hypnorum), fragmentation of habitats, and potential importation of foreign mites).
One species of particular interest is Parasitellus fucorum. P. fucorum is frequently suggested in previous
literature to be a potential mutualist with the bumblebees it associates with, based on the hypothesis that
the predatory actions of P. fucorum in bumblebee colonies will result in a net benefit to colony fitness,
outweighing any negative effects from the kleptoparasitic instars of P. fucorum's life cycle. However,
no empirical testing has previously taken place to evaluate this hypothesis. P. fucorum is a relatively
large, highly mobile and predatory mite species. All species within the genus Parasitellus are obligate
associates of bumblebees in the Holarctic region, with broadly similar ecology.
In order to address this issue, we aimed to determine what effects Parasitellus fucorum association had
on bumblebees at the individual or the colony level. To achieve this we tested the ability of P. fucorum
to predate various bumblebee pests and parasites including greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) eggs
and bumblebee wax moth (Aphomia sociella) eggs and 1st instar larvae, and found that P. fucorum
deutonymphs were capable of predating all three. It was also shown that P. fucorum predates
Tyrophagus putrescentiae mites, a fungivorous pest species commonly found within bumblebee
colonies. This work represents the first evidence of these predatory relationships. A field trial was
conducted to test the impact of P. fucorum inoculums on commercial bumblebee colony development,
the results of which showed that the presence of a P. fucorum population within bumblebee colonies
leads to a 165% greater colony mass increase, a 12% relative increase in syrup consumption and a 119%
higher number of workers on average compared with controls. This is the first empirical evidence of
benefits to bumblebee fitness resulting from association with P. fucorum. These experiments required
large numbers of P. fucorum mites, so a suitable method for rearing P. fucorum in laboratory conditions
was developed. It was also shown during this project that phoretic P. fucorum numbers on spring queens
are inversely correlated with the likelihood of the queen being infested by the parasitic nematode
Sphaerularia bombi. A survey of phoretic mite groups and trends in their associations with bumblebee
queens in Reading was conducted in order to better inform the project with up-to-date information on
local mites, which showed that all mites groups except Parasitellus varied significantly in abundance between different bumblebee species, and that the most common local bumblebee associated mites were
Kuzinia spp., Scutacarus spp., Pneumolaelaps spp., and Parasitellus fucorum.
From the results of this project it has been shown that the presence of Parasitellus fucorum within
bumblebee colonies is beneficial to their development, likely due to the predatory activity of P. fucorum
within the colony upon bumblebee pests and parasites. Our findings will be useful to pollinator
researchers and acarologists, and may be of interest for future efforts in bumblebee conservation.


Plants possess two types of phosphofructokinase proteins for phosphorylation of fructose-6-phosphate, the ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFK) and the pyrophosphate-(PPi) dependent pyrophosphate-fructose-6-phosphate-phosphotransferase (PFP). During oxygen deficiency ATP levels in rice seedlings are severely reduced, and it is hypothesized that PPi is used as an alternative energy source for the phosphorylation of fructose-6-phosphate during glycolysis. In this study, we analyzed the expression of 15 phosphofructokinase-encoding genes in roots and aerial tissues of anoxia-tolerant rice seedlings in response to anoxic stress and compared our data with transcript profiles obtained from microarray analyses. Furthermore, the intracellular localization of rice PFK proteins was determined, and the PFK and PFP isoforms were grouped in a phylogenetic tree. Two PFK and two PFP transcripts accumulated during anoxic stress, whereas mRNA levels of four PFK and three PFP genes were decreased. The total specific activity of both PFK and PFP changed only slightly during a 24-h anoxia treatment. It is assumed that expression of different isoforms and their catalytic properties differ during normoxic and anoxic conditions and contribute to balanced glycolytic activity during the low-oxygen stress. These characterizations of phosphofructokinase genes and the comparison to other plant species allowed us to suggest candidate rice genes for adaptation to anoxic stress.


Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites were prepared by dispersing zinc oxide (ZnO) whiskers in resin matrix. Static and dynamic tensile tests of the as-prepared composites were performed by means of a universal testing machine and the split hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB), respectively. Good tensile properties, which can be affected by the strain rates, of the composites are obtained. The fracture section morphology of the composites was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The different failure of the composites under static and dynamic tension is found. The tensile properties of the composites are dominated by pull-out and fracture of fiber bundles. The influence of ZnO whiskers on the performance of composites has been discussed. ZnO whiskers, which have unique three-dimensional structures and corresponding stress transfer, contribute to the tensile properties of the composites.


My research is the result of a period of three years of corporate work and experimental analysis dedicated to the study of a new technology introduced in the field of linear drives. The host company which granted the opportunity to carry out the work experience is CT PACK srl based in Fossalta in the province of Ferrara. In a current highly competitive market, CT PACK responds by designing, building and installing packaging lines highly automated and highly innovative in the most exclusive world of Packaging. For this reason, the R&D department preserves the interests to work closely with the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Ferrara. Among the various sectors of production within the company, it was decided to deepen the branch related to the flowpack type of machines, which are now a standard production widely used by most companies belonging to this sector. Example of areas that most commonly use such architectures are, for example, biscuits, snacks, crackers, granola bars, tablets, chocolates, sweets, soaps. A product arriving from the production line continues its path through this type of system to be packed into the destination wrapper. Observing the most common flowpack architectures and the field of industrial automation in general, it's simple to notice that most of the movements of the machines are accomplished by the use of electric motors. Since the appearance of the first machines used in this sector, the vast majority of the used actuators is rotary type. It is licit to say that, exploiting its structure, you can easily get rotational movements. It is not possible to say the same for linear movements. A traditional rotary engine requires a reducer and a mechanical transmission for converting rotary motion into linear motion. These mechanisms increase the number of elements of the kinematic chain leading to increased complexity and dimensions, introducing friction and mechanical play with the contact surfaces which involve loss of power and, consequently, loss of energy efficiency. Also from the dynamic point of view of the system there are limitations. In fact, at high accelerations, the power supplied to the motor is almost entirely consumed by the motor and by the transmission. Also, the more the dynamic is high, the more the effects of inertia affect the members of the kinematic chain by increasing usury and, consequently, increasing the problems of precision, positioning and maintenance. Taking into account that most of the motions to be performed within an industrial automatic system are linear types, it is obvious how important it is to have an actuator which operates directly in this way. These reasons have significantly stimulated CT PACK to undertake a research study regarding those drives, seeking the identification of valid innovative solutions to their configurations exploiting the use of new technologies. Particularly, the subject dealt relates to a prototype of the latest generation in the context of linear drives, recently introduced to the market by Jacobs Automation, a US company based in Erlanger in the state of Kentucky. The product concerned, known by the acronym iTRAK (the intelligent trak system), is a patented technology that allows independent control of multiple magnetic propulsion motors in curved and straight paths. The goal of this research is therefore to verify the performance of iTRAK and the eventual
identification of an alternative solution within a flowpack system exploiting the enormous development potential and the flexibility introduced by this innovative product. Therefore my research involves the development of innovative solutions for the synchronized infeed of high-performance packaging machines. We focus on the analysis and the study of a new generation of packaging machine using the system iTRAK. The objective is to identify a valid alternative to the production process, exploiting the potential provided by Jacobs Automation's system.
In my research I have described packaging machines commonly used with rephasing conveyors, and their problems, then I switched to the theoretical analysis performed on different types of engines. Particularly, I have deepened the study of existing linear motors and the related principles of operation and analysis of the increasing use of these linear motors in the market and the aspects of improvement which involves appropriate use in the industrial field.
Afterwards I have dedicated myself to the study of the characteristics and the operating principles of iTRAK and the description of the hardware and software used for the new considered prototype. Finally, I reported the set of experimental tests carried out to verify the reliability, the performance of the Jacobs machine and the conclusions reached in experimental investigations.
In conclusion, concerning the tests and the results obtained so far, we can certainly say that the iTRAK system actually provides a new technology with great potential in the field of linear drives. CT PACK, based on the steps matured during these years of research, has managed to integrate the iTRAK system in a flowpack production line present in their establishment. This will make it possible to observe that the system actually offers the potentials and requirements for the identification of an alternative solution to existing production systems.


Absnaet-A significant growth in the utilization of autonomons- and distributed power sources deployed at sub- transmission (132 - 22 kV) and retieulstion levels (<22kV) in stand-alone or grid connection notations has been seen in many electricity industries across the world. With electricity industry reform, an open access regime is a standard policy governing the transmission grid, thus providing for full competition at generation and distribution end of the electricity delivery value chain. It has become necessary to investigate the technical and economic impsct future connections of distributed generators will have on electric power distribution networks, and evaluate some of these effects of power sector deregulation. This paper presents the modeling and analysis of a multi-bus reticulation network model with multiple distributed generation (DG) injection. Results for steady-state dynamic performance and optimum location of generator for minimum network losses are presented.


Some mutations in cancer cells can be exploited for therapeutic intervention. However, for many cancer subtypes, including triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), no frequently recurring aberrations could be identified to make such an approach clinically feasible. Characterized by a highly heterogeneous mutational landscape with few common features, many TNBCs cluster together based on their 'basal‐like' transcriptional profiles. We therefore hypothesized that targeting TNBC cells on a systems level by exploiting the transcriptional cell state might be a viable strategy to find novel therapies for this highly aggressive disease. We performed a large‐scale chemical genetic screen and identified a group of compounds related to the drug PKC412 (midostaurin). PKC412 induced apoptosis in a subset of TNBC cells enriched for the basal‐like subtype and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. We employed a multi‐omics approach and computational modeling to address the mechanism of action and identified spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) as a novel and unexpected target in TNBC. Quantitative phosphoproteomics revealed that SYK inhibition abrogates signaling to STAT3, explaining the selectivity for basal‐like breast cancer cells. This non‐oncogene addiction suggests that chemical SYK inhibition may be beneficial for a specific subset of TNBC patients and demonstrates that targeting cell states could be a viable strategy to discover novel treatment strategies.


Guidelines for prevention of occupationally-acquired tuberculosis developed by the CDC in the 1990s onwards established the primary prevention triad of administrative, environmental and personal protective practices, augmented by secondary prevention measures such as screening for and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection and active disease in health care workers. More recently, a refocusing on the administrative level as 'Find (patient) cases Actively, Separate temporarily and Treat effectively' (FAST) has been advocated. The difficulty of applying all of these measures in low resource high tuberculosis burden settings, where most cases of occupational tuberculosis occur, was recognised by the WHO in the late 1990s. WHO modified its guidelines to apply to settings characterised by undiagnosed tuberculosis in all parts of the health system, HIV-TB co-occurrence, limitations on staff and other resources for triage, isolation, environmental controls and respirators, delays in diagnosis and in treatment of patients and shortage of drug sensitivity testing. Secondary prevention is similarly limited by shortage of skills, particularly in occupational health, and constrained by staff fears regarding lack of confidentiality and job security. Competition for management attention and resources, with attendant fragmentation of effort, add to the problem. Health care workers activists have recently called for advocacy pressure on governments and health authorities to take seriously the need to prevent transmission of tuberculosis in health care facilities, particularly in the face of rising drug resistant tuberculosis and co-occurrent HIV. This includes an occupational health approach capable of encompassing the whole spectrum of prevention. It would give weight to primary prevention appropriate to low resource settings, but also include surveillance of occupational tuberculosis, co-management of HIV and TB, protection of students, provision of effective treatment, strengthening of worker rights in the form of income, leave and job protection, stigma reduction while promoting self-disclosure, and compensation for those permanently affected.


In recent years, detention conditions in the EU have come in the spotlight as an issue of extreme relevance. Concerns about appalling standards of living in places of deprivation of liberty have emerged transversally in the area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ). The risk that poor detention conditions result in inhumane or degrading treatment – prohibited by Article 4 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFREU) – has served to limit the operation of secondary EU law. This has occurred in the framework of forced movement of persons as between Member States, and has mainly called into question the level of protection ensured in the State where the person will be transferred. This may hold true for both asylum law and mutual recognition in criminal matters. While the broader debate on detention conditions has hitherto focused on Article 4, the impact on the right to liberty under Article 6 CFREU has been underexplored. This paper submits that detention conditions must be studied from the perspective of the right to liberty, and makes the case for approximation of detention conditions at EU law level.