Early childhood education plays a vital role in forming the foundation for a child's future. Studies done in Kenya show that most early childhood development programs in Kenya suffer from poor quality services. However many parents continue to enroll their children in these centers. Globally, policies have ensured that children access quality services in Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs. However, drawbacks have been realized in the conceptualization of what constitute quality of services offered in ECD programs (centers). Several studies have been done to evaluate the quality of services provided to children as effective learning and catering for the well being of the child. The issue of parents' satisfaction with the quality of services provided to their children therefore is of great concern. The purpose of this study was to establish the level of parents' satisfaction with the quality of services offered in Early Childhood Development programs. The study also investigated how the type of program, location of programs, parents' income and parents' education level influence parents' satisfaction with the quality of services offered in Early Childhood development programs provided to their children. The study was guided by the Zone of Tolerance Theory by Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1993). The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was all the parents with children in ECD programs in Mang'u Division. The sample size was parents in 14 ECD centers in the Division. Data was collected using questionnaires. Data was analyzed per question using descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and means. The results from data analysis revealed that, the type of ECD program and location of ECD programs influenced parents' satisfaction with the quality of services in ECD centers. It was recommended that early childhood stakeholders should ensure both private and public ECD programs are adequately financed, ensure adequate physical facilities and remunerate caregivers appropriately. In addition parents should be involved in the education of their children in ECD centres. County governments should monitor the quality services to ensure that the centres provide quality C"areand education.


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BACKGROUND
Demand for emergency services is increasing, especially among children from non-Caucasian ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVES
To objectify this observation and to determine the healthcare and social differences between the gypsy and Caucasian populations.

METHODS
We performed a descriptive, observational study in the Pediatric Emergency Unit of a tertiary care hospital. Systematic sampling was performed and 420 children were selected. Data on age, sex, compliance with primary healthcare preventive programs, reason for attendance, type of healthcare center, diagnosis and familial characteristics were collected through a questionnaire.

RESULTS
The median age of the patients was 24 months. The percentage of patients of gypsy race was 16.4 %. Most of the gypsy population (68.1 %) attended small, local healthcare centers compared with 34.8 % of the Caucasian population (p 0.0001). Only 58 % of the gypsy children were taken to healthcare centers for regular check-ups compared with 96.7 % of the non-gypsy population (p 0.0001). The percentage of gypsy children who had never being vaccinated was 18.8 %. There were no such cases among the non-gypsy population (p 0.0001). The percentage of gypsy children visiting the emergency unit who were hospitalized was 11.6 % compared with 1.9 % of non-gypsy children. Illiteracy rates were 30.4 % and 15.9 % in gypsy mothers and fathers, respectively, compared with 0.6 % and 0.3 % in non-gypsy mothers and fathers, respectively (p 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals significant differences between the gypsy and Caucasian pediatric populations in terms of healthcare and identifies a group at high health risk.


This work addresses the problem of sensing the world: how to learn a multimodal representation of a reinforcement learning agent's environment that allows the execution of tasks under incomplete perceptual conditions. To address such problem, we argue for hierarchy in the design of representation models and contribute with a novel multimodal representation model, MUSE. The proposed model learns hierarchical representations: low-level modality-specific representations, encoded from raw observation data, and a high-level multimodal representation, encoding joint-modality information to allow robust state estimation. We employ MUSE as the sensory representation model of deep reinforcement learning agents provided with multimodal observations in Atari games. We perform a comparative study over different designs of reinforcement learning agents, showing that MUSE allows agents to perform tasks under incomplete perceptual experience with minimal performance loss. Finally, we evaluate the performance of MUSE in literature-standard multimodal scenarios with higher number and more complex modalities, showing that it outperforms state-of-the-art multimodal variational autoencoders in single and cross-modality generation.


ABSTRACT Decreased susceptibility to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHDN) in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with the qacA, qacB, and smr genes, encoding efflux pumps. A total of 334 MRSA isolates were collected from two Canadian intensive care units between 2005 and 2009. We identified the qacAB genes in 7 strains (2%; 2 qacA genes and 5 qacB genes) and the smr gene in 23 (7%) strains. CHDN minimal bactericidal concentrations were slightly higher for strains harboring smr genes.


Abstract:The French philosopher Bernard Stiegler published Pharmacologie du Front national in 2013. It is above all a response to the 2012 French presidential election, which, despite the election of François Hollande, gave evidence of the rising influence of the far-right National Front, and thus of a growing regressive tendency in the politics of the Western representative democracies. But Stiegler's concern in this regard can be traced back to his first book and is present throughout his work, which has always been concerned with the positive technical (default of) origin of the conjunction of desire and knowledge, and the irreducibility of the tendency for these to be undermined by what he will call the negative pharmacological side of technics. In Pharmacologie du Front national, he draws attention to a third dimension of the pharmakon: its tendency to lead to the designation of the pharmakos, or the scapegoat, as that negative side takes hold. For Stiegler, the industrial populism characteristic of today's consumerist economico-technological model inevitably and dangerously leads to political populism. He thus calls for a new critique of ideology, one that returns to its starting point in Marx and Engels, overcomes the limitations of Marxist and Althusserian materialisms that ultimately remain grounded in an oppositional metaphysics, and provides new practical and conceptual weapons in the struggle against contemporary ideology, whose essential motto is that "there is no alternative."


This paper explores the suitability of risk regulation, and particularly the EU approach to risk regulation, as a conceptual and organisational framework for the EU's battle against climate change. It argues that such exploration, in the first place, requires a thorough understanding of the discourses, agenda, and strategies that constitute, respectively, the risk regulation paradigm, the EU risk regulation paradigm, and the climate risk paradigm. The analysis of the three paradigms reveals not only points of overlap, but also substantial divergences between the three paradigms, with the most pronounced tensions occurring between the EU risk regulation and climate risk paradigms. The paper therefore reinforces concerns over a possible colonisation of climate change policy by EU risk regulation and argues that climate change regulation has a better chance of effectiveness if it develops alongside but separately from EU risk regulation ('co-existence'). The latter scenario also offers prospects for comparison and exchange between regulatory regimes ('cross-regime learning'), which could help both regimes to face, and possibly overcome, their specific weaknesses.


The signed distance eld of a surface can effectively support many geometry processing tasks such as decimation, smoothing, and Boolean operations since it provides efcient access to distance (error) estimates. In this paper we present an algorithm to compute a piecewise linear, not necessarily continuous approximation of the signed distance eld for a given object. Our approach is based on an adaptive hierarchical space partition that stores a linear distance function in every leaf node. We provide positive and negative criteria for selecting the splitting planes. Consequently the algorithm adapts the leaf cells of the space partition to the geometric shape of the underlying model better than previous methods. This results in a hierarchical representation with comparably low memory consumption and which allows for fast evaluation of the distance eld function.


Grapevine downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola, is one of the most devastating diseases in viticulture. P. viticola secretes RxLR effectors to modulate immune responses in grapevine. Here, we report an RxLR effector RxLR50253 from P. viticola that can interfere with plant immune response and thus promote pathogen colonization. RxLR50253 was induced at an early stage of P. viticola infection and could suppress elicitor (INF1 and Bax)-triggered cell death. RxLR50253 promote pathogen colonization in both tobacco and grapevine leaves. VpBPA1 was found to be the host target of RxLR50253 by Y2H screening, and interaction between RxLR50253 and VpBPA1 was confirmed by multiple in vivo and in vitro assays. Further analysis revealed that VpBPA1 promoted pathogen colonization and decreased H2 O2 accumulation in transgenic tobacco and grapevine, while there was enhanced resistance and H2 O2 accumulation in NbBPA1-silenced N. benthamiana leaves. Moreover, transient expression of VpBPA1 in NbBPA1-silenced N. benthamiana leaves could reduce the accumulation of H2 O2 . Experiments in vivo demonstrated that RxLR50253 inhibits degradation of VpBPA1. Taken together, our findings showed that RxLR50253 targets and stabilizes VpBPA1 to attenuate plant immunity through decreasing H2 O2 accumulation during pathogen infection.


Graph-based Anomaly Detection (GAD) is becoming prevalent due to the powerful representation abilities of graphs as well as recent advances in graph mining techniques. These GAD tools, however, expose a new attacking surface, ironically due to their unique advantage of being able to exploit the relations among data. That is, attackers now can manipulate those relations (i.e., the structure of the graph) to allow some target nodes to evade detection. In this paper, we exploit this vulnerability by designing a new type of targeted structural poisoning attacks to a representative regression-based GAD system termed OddBall. Specifically, we formulate the attack against OddBall as a bi-level optimization problem, where the key technical challenge is to efficiently solve the problem in a discrete domain. We propose a novel attack method termed BinarizedAttack based on gradient descent. Comparing to prior arts, BinarizedAttack can better use the gradient information, making it particularly suitable for solving combinatorial optimization problems. Furthermore, we investigate the attack transferability of BinarizedAttack by employing it to attack other representation-learning-based GAD systems. Our comprehensive experiments demonstrate that BinarizedAttack is very effective in enabling target nodes to evade graph-based anomaly detection tools with limited attacker's budget, and in the black-box transfer attack setting, BinarizedAttack is also tested effective and in particular, can significantly change the node embeddings learned by the GAD systems. Our research thus opens the door to studying a new type of attack against security analytic tools that rely on graph data.


The notion of sentinel was introduced by J. L. Lions Lions in order to identify parameters in problem of pollution ruled by a semilinear evolution equation. He proved that the existence of such sentinels is reduced to the solution of null controllability problem. We present here some case of simultaneous sentinels for a system of two semilinear parabolic equations. We show that such sentinels exist if only if, simultaneous null controllability with constraints on the control problems for a system governed by two heat equations holds. The key of our results is an observability inequality of Carleman type.


The shift of the farm subsidies toward programs classified as being decoupled income supports in the WTO's URAA raises the question of their true impact on production and trade. In this study, we measured the acreage effects of the Canadian whole farm programs under uncertainty. Based on the theoretical discussions regarding the role of the insurance effect in acreage decisions, we extend the theoretical restrictions examined by Chavas and Holt (1990)which enables us to include this effect in our model specification. Hence, we modified the expected utility maximization framework (under the hypothesis that farmers are risk averse) developed by Chavas and Holt (1990) and derived three distinct effects: market effects, the wealth effect, and the insurance effect.


AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of cellular and whole‐body energy homeostasis. Recently, 12 AMPK‐related kinases (BRSK1, BRSK2, NUAK1, NUAK2, QIK, QSK, SIK, MARK1, MARK2, MARK3, MARK4 and MELK) were identified that are closely related by sequence homology to the catalytic domain of AMPK. The protein kinase LKB1 acts as a master upstream kinase activating AMPK and 11 of the AMPK‐related kinases by phosphorylation of a conserved threonine residue in their T‐loop region. Further sequence analyses have identified the eight‐member SNRK kinase family as distant relatives of AMPK. However, only one of these is phosphorylated and activated by LKB1. Although much is known about AMPK, many of the AMPK‐related kinases remain largely uncharacterized. This review outlines the general similarities in structure and function of the AMPK‐related kinases before examining the specific characteristics of each, including a brief discussion of the SNRK family.


Purpose: An increasing set of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL) show a biased usage of IGKV3-20 and IGKV3-15 immunoglobulin genes, a feature that could be exploited for the development of ready-to-use, broadly applicable cancer vaccines. Experimental Design: The immunogenic properties of clonal IGKV3-20 and IGKV3-15 proteins were analyzed with particular focus on their ability to elicit cross-reactive responses against molecularly related IGKV proteins expressed by different B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Results: IGK+ lymphoma patients show humoral and T-cell responses to IGKV3-20 and IGKV3-15 proteins and IGKV3-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) can be easily induced ex vivo. IGKV3-20–specific CTLs cross-react against different IGKV3 proteins, an effect mediated by the presence of 21 shared, sometimes promiscuous, T-cell epitopes, presented by common HLA class I allele products, thus assuring a broad HLA coverage of IGKV3-based vaccines. Many natural epitope variants are carried by IGK light chains expressed by a broad spectrum of B-NHLs and we show that IGKV3-20–specific CTLs cross-react also against several of these variant epitopes. Both humoral and CTL-specific responses were induced by KLH-conjugated IGKV3-20 protein in HLA-A2-transgenic mice and coinjection of IGKV3-20–specific CTLs with IGKV3-20+ or IGKV3-15+ lymphoma cells into SCID mice totally prevented tumor growth, thus confirming the ability of these effectors to mediate efficient and cross-reactive cytotoxic responses also in vivo. Conclusions: These results provide the rationale to exploit IGKV3 proteins as "off-the-shelf" vaccines for a large fraction of lymphoma patients. Clin Cancer Res; 18(15); 4080–91. ©2012 AACR.


The anatomical location and contents of the lateral ligaments of the rectum (LLR) should be identified in the procedure of total mesorectal excision, as well as its relationship with the middle rectal artery and pelvic plexus. However, discovering this relationship is plaguing the existence and composition of the lateral rectal ligament with confusion and misconceptions. The application of laparoscopy in rectal cancer excision is helpful in identifying the existence of the lateral ligament of the rectum. According to the anatomical study and our clinical observations, the traditional anatomical structures of the lateral ligament of the rectum do exist. It is essential for general surgeons to understand the anatomical location, contents and the technique of dissection of the lateral rectal ligament and doing so is helpful in improving the quality of life of post-operative patients.


Forster-type nonradiative energy transfer (NRET) is widely used, especially utilizing nanostructures in different combinations and configurations. However, the existing well-accepted Forster theory is only for the case of a single particle serving as a donor together with another particle serving as an acceptor. There are also other special cases previously studied; however, there is no complete picture and unified understanding. Therefore, there is a strong need for a complete theory that models Forster-type NRET for the cases of mixed dimensionality including all combinations and configurations. We report a generalized theory for the Forster-type NRET, which includes the derivation of the effective dielectric function due to the donor in different confinement geometries and the derivation of transfer rates distance dependencies due to the acceptor in different confinement geometries, resulting in a complete picture and understanding of the mixed dimensionality.


In this study we characterized phosphoribulokinase (PRK, EC 22.214.171.124) from the eukaryotic marine chromophyte Heterosigma carterae. Serial column chromatography resulted in approximately 300-fold purification of the enzyme. A polypeptide of 53 kD was identified as PRK by sequencing the amino terminus of the protein. This protein represents one of the largest composite monomers identified to date for any PRK. The native holoenzyme demonstrated by flow performance liquid chromatography a molecular mass of 214 6 12.6 kD, suggesting a tetrameric structure for this catalyst. Because H. carterae PRK activity was insensitive to NADH but was stimulated by dithiothreitol, it appears that the enzyme may require a thioredoxin/ferredoxin rather than a metabolite mode of regulation. Kinetic analysis of this enzyme demonstrated Michaelis constant values of ribulose-5-phosphate (226 mM) and ATP (208 mM), respectively. In summary, H. carterae PRK is unique with respect to holoenzyme structure and function, and thus may represent an alternative evolutionary pathway in Calvin-cycle kinase development.


The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive structure of the schizophrenic patients. Two, one word sentence, "father" and "mother", with 15 different emotional expressions were given by both male and female announcers as verbal stimuli. Stimuli were judged by 29 normal students and 22 schizophrenic patients on 5 monopolar rating scales. Using both d-index and factor analysis, 4 factors were found. With Factor 1 no difference between the normals and the patients was found. With Factor 2 a little difference was found between the two, and with Factor 3 a great difference was found. Factor 4 was responded only by the normals. Considering the hypothesis states there are 2 stages in the cognition, the schizophrenic character was found on the second stage of the process where the reinterpretation of the information was made.


Learners entering higher education may learn specialized vocabulary of new disciplines in their second language (L2) with or without support from their first language (L1). However, these learners cannot rely on an established conceptual representation in L1 when learning L2 specialized vocabulary. The effects of learning a new concept in L1 prior to learning and testing the same concept in L2 are yet unclear. The present study compared the effectiveness of L1-mediation and L2-repetition word learning methods randomly assigned to 75 bilingual adults. Participants learned subject-specific specialized vocabulary through reading a series of definition sentences in two learning episodes a week apart. The L1L2 group ( N = 31) first learned L1 words on Day 1 and then their L2 translation equivalents on Day 2, while the L2L2 group ( N = 44) learned the words in L2 on both days. In each learning session, participants provided self-ratings on their confidence in acquiring word meaning after reading each sentence and completed a word meaning recognition test afterward. Results using linear mixed-effects modeling showed that L1-mediation learning may ease the start of L2 word learning as shown in higher confidence ratings and less reading time, leading to a faster establishment of high-quality conceptual representations. In contrast, L2-repetition learning may strengthen lexical representations and L2-concept connections through increased exposure to L2 words. However, the two learning methods produced comparable results on L2 meaning recognition, so flexible adoption of the learning methods according to the learning goal is suggested.


Excess of prenatal testosterone (T) induces reproductive defects including follicular persistence. Comparative studies with T and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) have suggested that follicular persistence is programmed via estrogenic actions of T. This study addresses the androgenic and estrogenic contributions in programming follicular persistence. Because humans are exposed to estrogenic environmental steroids from various sources throughout their life span and postnatal insults may also induce organizational and/or activational changes, we tested whether continuous postnatal exposure to estradiol (E) will amplify effects of prenatal steroids on ovarian function. Pregnant sheep were treated with T, DHT, E, or ED (E and DHT) from days 30 to 90 of gestation. Postnatally, a subset of the vehicle (C), T, and DHT females received an E implant. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed in the first breeding season during a synchronized cycle to monitor ovarian follicular dynamics. As expected, number of 8 mm follicles was higher in the T versus C group. Postnatal E reduced the number of 4 to 8 mm follicles in the DHT group. Percentage of females bearing luteinized follicles and the number of luteinized follicles differed among prenatal groups. Postnatal E increased the incidence of subluteal cycles in the prenatal T-treated females. Findings from this study confirm previous findings of divergences in programming effects of prenatal androgens and estrogens. They also indicate that some aspects of follicular dynamics are subject to postnatal modulation as well as support the existence of an extended organizational period or the need for a second insult to uncover the previously programmed event.


An effort has been made to present optimum alloy designs of commercial 7175 and 7050 type alloys to be used in thick forgings with proper microstructures and properties. The effects of changing alloy constitutions, primarily [Zn+Mg+Cu] and Zn:Mg ratio, on the evolutions of the coarse equilibrium phases and age hardening response are investigated. As a result, equilibrium phases (M,T,S) are evolved depending on alloy constitutions and cooling rate following solutionizing. The formation of the T- and S-phases is effectively controlled in the novel alloys (dilute and with high Zn:Mg ratio). In the slow quench, the redesign promotes homogeneous precipitation of η-phases, leading to higher mechanical properties than conventional alloys. The novel alloys provide microstructural homogeneity and extended heating range, ensuring 7xxx thick forging applications.


The Arctic is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. This area is therefore very suitable for conducting studies focused on the influence of climate change on the biota. Marine communities of coastal waters are particularly sensitive to the current environmental changes (e.g., ice-scour intensity); understanding how community structure changes in response to local perturbations is thus important for providing an insight into how future communities may respond to climate change. This review focuses on the fauna colonizing stones of the Greenland Sea. It summarizes the current state of knowledge about the ecology of organisms inhabiting these substrata across a range of depths, from the intertidal to deeper parts of the continental shelf. In the intertidal zone, no stable or developed assemblage on the rocks is visible. The intertidal zone seems to be fully controlled by physical forces. In contrast, below the intertidal zone a rich and abundant fauna starts to appear on these substrata. Both biotic (e.g., competitive interactions) and abiotic (e.g., ice scour, size of the rock) processes seem to shape stone assemblages in the subtidal zone, yet their influence varies with depth. For example, the abundance of encrusting organisms decreases with depth, as does the intensity of competitive interactions. However, species richness on rocks seems to be in general higher in the deeper parts of the shelf. Possible scenarios of climate change influence on the encrusting biota, gaps in our knowledge about the ecology of stonedwelling faunal assemblages, as well as possible directions of future research, are discussed.


This paper presents a novel adaptive reduced-rank multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) equalization scheme and algorithms based on alternating optimization design techniques for MIMO spatial multiplexing systems. The proposed reduced-rank equalization structure consists of a joint iterative optimization of the following two equalization stages: 1) a transformation matrix that performs dimensionality reduction and 2) a reduced-rank estimator that retrieves the desired transmitted symbol. The proposed reduced-rank architecture is incorporated into an equalization structure that allows both decision feedback and linear schemes to mitigate the interantenna (IAI) and intersymbol interference (ISI). We develop alternating least squares (LS) expressions for the design of the transformation matrix and the reduced-rank estimator along with computationally efficient alternating recursive least squares (RLS) adaptive estimation algorithms. We then present an algorithm that automatically adjusts the model order of the proposed scheme. An analysis of the LS algorithms is carried out along with sufficient conditions for convergence and a proof of convergence of the proposed algorithms to the reduced-rank Wiener filter. Simulations show that the proposed equalization algorithms outperform the existing reduced- and full- algorithms while requiring a comparable computational cost.


The modeling of competitiveness for enterpriseproduct has some particular stages: modeling of specific competitive advantages, the unification of some competitive advantages in a competitive model and the determination of share sales for each individual enterprise. In fact, the manufacturers operatein uncertain surroundings. That is the reason why the production often exceeds the demand; In this case the possibility of different kinds of existence and of behavior increaseson the trade market. We'll discuss this matter below.


The goal for an effective malaria transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) is to induce immunity against the stages of the parasite that infect mosquitoes so that malaria transmission can be reduced or halted. Malaria transmission is generally spatially confined to an infectious source, thus a TBV used in a community can effectively suppress malaria transmission to others. Antibodies induced by TBVs target antigens on the surface of sexual and mosquito midgut stages of the malaria parasite and antibodies interfere with the development of the parasites in the midgut of the mosquito. Proteins synthesized in the gametocytes (pre-fertilization antigens, in Plasmodium falciparum: Pfs230 and Pfs48/45) and in the zygotes-ookinetes (post-fertilization antigens, in P. falciparum: Pfs25 and Pfs28) represent some of the key target antigens for the development of TBVs. All the four proteins contain multiple cysteine-rich sequences and the epitopes recognized by transmission-blocking antibodies are reduction-sensitive conformational in nature. The inability to express properly folded proteins has frustrated a protein-based TBV development approach and DNA-based vaccine constructs were envisaged to overcome the conformational problem in recombinant proteins. Indeed studies in mice and monkeys have firmly established the value of DNA-based TBV approach. Although immunogenic in larger animals, delivery of DNA-based TBVs needs to be further optimized to elicit a strong and long lasting functional immune response. This DNA vaccine platform can also facilitate evaluation of a cocktail of pre-and post-fertilization antigens in pre-clinical setting prior to the development of an ideal and effective TBV for clinical trials in human volunteers.


Abstract Social wellbeing is important to health, but maintaining social relations often becomes difficult in later life due to retirement, chronic disease, and the death of spouses and friends. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, present accessible and low-cost communication technologies that have been demonstrated to enhance feelings of social connection and reduce loneliness in younger age groups. This exploratory study uses a four-week social media training workshop as an intervention in a randomised controlled study to examine whether similar social benefits might be realised for those at older ages, aged 65+ years. Social wellbeing measures of social capital, loneliness, social connectedness and social provisions were examined, revealing only small differences in social integration. As these findings seemingly contradict studies conducted with younger persons, the contexts of social media use in older adulthood are discussed, along with proposals for future research directions.


researchers acknowledged that their simulation of intercourse in the animal had resulted in mucosal tears. It seems a pity that the researchers had to make grossly arrogant scientific assertions and insult our intelligence at the same time. The phrase "important epidemiological implications" is drawn from one poorly presented experiment and a dubious piece of scientific presentation. The use of the word "important" was rarely so devalued despite its totally unscientific basis. Come on Royal Free, what about a study on heterosexual cohorts of hepatitis B carriers? ALISTAIR EDWARD DOBBIN


The authors discuss the concept of energy and economic security of the Republic of Kazakhstan, arguing that energy security is a vital part of economic security of any country. Thus, energy security is to be strengthened in order to achieve better economic security. Kazakhstan has a large and pretty developed fuel and energy complex that certainly has a very significant impact on its economy. With the aim of analyzing Kazakhstan's energy security in the period of 2000-2015, we construct an energy security performance index that includes ten quantitative indicators operationalizing the four dimensions of energy security, namely the energy "availability", "affordability", "efficiency", and "environmental stewardship". The analysis clearly shows that Kazakhstan has been able to significantly increase its energy security performance over the 15 years. Due to the precise research design and data collected, the authors also provide insights into the behavior of each energy security dimension, demonstrating how Kazakhstan's energy security has been constantly changing in the period under analysis and identifying the strongest ("availability" and "affordability") and weakest ("efficiency" and "environmental stewardship") energy security dimensions.


Caird's 1889 novel represents its heroine's dilemma as a series of competing narratives. Stories told by characters consciously invoke gothic and biblical traditions in order to reinforce or challenge existing power structures; the narrator reworks the tropes of both sensation and realist fiction, as a means of uncovering the complicity of women in their own oppression while also signalling their capacity for resistance. The familiar metaphor of female sacrifice is used to suggest ritual sacrifice, as the gap between language and lived experience becomes increasingly fraught after the marriage of the heroine.

Viola Sedley is imprisoned within assumptions about woman's destiny by the religious teaching of her mother as also by the brutal treatment of her father, who denies her an education and insists on her marriage to a wealthy suitor, Philip Dendraith, in order to repair the family fortunes. Philip manipulates and parodies the language of courtship in order to control and denigrate his female victims. The as yet unnamed 'New Woman', Mrs Lincoln, is alone able to undermine traditional renderings of marriage versus sexual fall, as her marginalised position both enables her resistance and signals her exclusion from the community of shared and legitimising female narratives.


Togo is a small West African country nestled between Benin and Ghana, extending from its narrow coastline 320 miles inland to Burkina Faso. Although the country's phosphate production has given it a modicum of economic stability, Togo remains politically unstable. The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Togo expands and updates the 1987 edition and includes events occurring after the previous edition. Written by one of the foremost experts on African politics, this indispensable reference source provides concise dictionary entries covering the people, places, events, political and economic institutions, history and culture of this fascinating country. It contains a comprehensive, multilingual bibliography divided according to subject; tables with important economic and demographic data; a list of abbreviations; an updated chronology of recent political events; and three maps covering transport and communications, administrative divisions and ethnic divisions. Reviews of the Previous Edition: "There is much valuable information in this work that would not be retrieved easily elsewhere...highly recommended..." -ARBA "...a worthwhile contribution...the bibliography succeeds admirably in drawing these sources together. " -AFRICA


Italian foreign politics is facing tough challenges in the near future. For more than 60 years, the Italian foreign policy compass was set on two poles, the European Union and the United States. Sometimes alternatively, much more often conjointly, these two polar stars oriented each and every Italian government ' s choice since the end of Second World War. All this has been changing over the last few years. In this context, the article intends to introduce the special issue on Italian foreign policy drawing a stylized map of theoretical approaches that knits together the dispersed theoretical and empirical studies of Italian foreign policy, using a couple of theoretical perspectives as light posts in orienting the articles in this special issue. This introduction is organized in four sections. First, it discusses the approaches that explicitly combine together domestic and international factors in explaining foreign policy. Next, it maps studies on the Italian foreign policy within these frameworks. Then the main characteristics of Italian foreign policy, using these theoretical perspectives, are discussed. The article concludes summarizing how the contributions in this special issue fi ts into these theoretical frameworks and help shed light on present Italian foreign policy.


Abstract Introduction In this study, we seek to determine the association between the polymorphism of the ADIPOQ (rs1501299) gene and adiponectin levels in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients. Methods The study participants included 200 pregnant women, 100 healthy subjects as the control group, and 100 having GDM as the case group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine adiponectin levels. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was also used for genotyping examination. Results Findings showed that GDM patients had significantly lower serum adiponectin levels (p=0.001). The T/T genotype ho-mozygotes prevalence for rs1501299 polymorphism was significantly lower in GDM patients. (p=0.047). Conclusion Low serum adiponectin levels are associated with GDM. The T allele of the rs1501299 (+276 G/T) polymorphism of the ADIPOQ gene protects against GDM.


Under the leadership of Huseyin Katircioglu, the Assos International Performing Arts Festival was held once a year between the years 1995 and 1999 in the village of Behramkale. Artists from various backgrounds lived in the village for three weeks, produced site-specific works and at the end of a three weeks production process presented their works/performances/plays to the festival audience including the inhabitants of Behramkale, the artists from Istanbul and other cities, and people from Canakkale or other villages near to Behramkale. The festival was held in a village and with the collaboration of the villagers. Especially children, then teenagers and men, lastly women participated in the festival at various levels, including the production process of the works. In this thesis, I analyzed the festival memories of both the local people of Behramkale and the artists/organizers who participated in the festival. My intention in this analysis is to listen to the narratives of the artists about their experience of artistic activity in a village and to listen to the locals' narratives about their witnessing and collaborating to an art event in their living environment. In order to draw a fair picture of the artistic context of the festival, firstly, I tried to give a brief description of the emergence of contemporary performing arts/theatre in Turkey especially in the 1990s, the understanding of theatre of Huseyin Katircioglu, the art director of the festival and the content of the Assos International Performing Arts Festival. Subsequently, I analyzed the narratives of the artists and then the narratives of the locals. I conclude with two arguments. The first one is the implications of commemorating Huseyin Katircioglu, who died untimely in 1999, through the interviews. His iconic memory gives some clues to discuss his role between the rural&urban both during the festival and after the festival. The Second conclusion concerns the strategies of humor and laughter in the narratives of both sides in order to deal with the cultural gap between them during the festival and after the festival (during the interviews). Through tracing the sarcastic, humorous and joyful moments in the festival narratives, I discussed the notion of art/artists in the eyes of the locals, the concept of "villager" in the eyes of the artists as well as the gendered dynamics of memory. The last concluding remark is about the importance of the analysis of a performance arts case through cultural studies perspective benefiting from memory studies, reflexive ethnography and sociology.


Abstract : This research to determine the considerations of Constitutional Court Justices in deciding related to the implementation of International School Stubs (RSBI) / International School (SBI), and to know the legal implications of the Constitutional Court decision on the implementation of International School Stubs (RSBI) International (SBI). Type of research used is research with normative and empirical approach, with data collecting technique that is library research and Field Research. The findings obtained from the results of research. Firstly, the decision of the Constitutional Court Number 5 / PUU-X / 2012 is wise with consideration of the implementation of RSBI contradictory to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (NRI 1945) which could lead to, liberalization of education, the different treatment of access to education, also resulted in the commercialization of the education sector and the dualism of the education system potentially eliminating the national identity as opposed to the mandate of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Second, no longer RSBI / SBI in the national education system. However, there is no fundamental change post-verdict, because basically the school that gets permission penyenggaran RSBI / SBI is a quality school. The difference is simply no longer using foreign languages as an introduction in learning and in the process of school administration no longer mention or use RSBI / SBI. The RSBI / SBI replacement teaching system will be planned when entering the new school year. Keywords : Decisions of the Constitutional Court, RSBI / SBI, Education


Supercritical impregnation of eicosane into polyester fiber was experimentally examined. Polyester fiber was bound on the cylindrical stainless steel net inside high pressure cylinder and was impregnated with supercritical eicosane solution. After an hour under supercritical condition, the system was expanded to atmospheric pressure and impregnated polyester fiber was obtained. Eicosane was successfully impregnated into the polyester fiber even at temperature below it's glass transition(Tg), and the impregnated fiber showed high energy storage and release capacity around the melting point of eicosane.


In order to crystallize hardness features of common foods, the TA-XT2i texture analyzer and HDP/BS blade-type probes are applied to measure the hardness of 16 kinds of common foods. The samples are divided into groups according to proximity and deviation of the measured values, and consequently, the evaluators carry out sensory evaluation adopting sequential method and scale method in succession. After that, correlation analysis is been analyzed between measured values of the texture analyzer and scale values of sensory evaluation, correlation diagrams are drawn and regression equations are established to analyze. The results demonstrate that a close linear correlation exists between measured values and scale values. It is also concluded that reliability of scale values decreases with the growing quantity of tested samples, and it's more difficult to scale when texture and property of the samples tend to have minor difference, therefore, scale values become less reliable.


Most MRI studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) have assessed structural, perfusion and diffusion abnormalities separately while ignoring the relationships across imaging modalities. This paper aimed to assess brain gray (GM) and white matter (WM) abnormalities jointly to elucidate differences in abnormal MRI patterns between the diseases. Twenty AD, 20 FTD patients, and 21 healthy control subjects were imaged using a 4 Tesla MRI. GM loss and GM hypoperfusion were measured using high-resolution T1 and arterial spin labeling MRI (ASL-MRI). WM degradation was measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Using a new analytical approach, the study found greater WM degenerations in FTD than AD at mild abnormality levels. Furthermore, the GM loss and WM degeneration exceeded the reduced perfusion in FTD whereas, in AD, structural and functional damages were similar. Joint assessments of multimodal MRI have potential value to provide new imaging markers for improved differential diagnoses between FTD and AD.


Object motion in natural scenes results in visual stimuli with a rich and broad spatiotemporal frequency spectrum. While the question of how the visual system detects and senses motion energies at different spatial and temporal frequencies has been fairly well studied, it is unclear how the visual system integrates this information to form coherent percepts of object motion. We applied a combination of tailored psychophysical experiments and predictive modeling to address this question with regard to perceived motion in a given direction (i.e., stimulus speed). We tested human subjects in a discrimination experiment using stimuli that selectively targeted four distinct spatiotemporally tuned channels with center frequencies consistent with a common speed. We first characterized subjects' responses to stimuli that targeted only individual channels. Based on these measurements, we then predicted subjects' psychometric functions for stimuli that targeted multiple channels simultaneously. Specifically, we compared predictions of three Bayesian observer models that either optimally integrated the information across all spatiotemporal channels, or only used information from the most reliable channel, or formed an average percept across channels. Only the model with optimal integration was successful in accounting for the data. Furthermore, the proposed channel model provides an intuitive explanation for the previously reported spatial frequency dependence of perceived speed of coherent object motion. Finally, our findings indicate that a prior expectation for slow speeds is added to the inference process only after the sensory information is combined and integrated.


A hybrid manufacturing system which consists of two machines is examined. Unreliable buffers and multiple stochastic failure modes of the machines are introduced to the system. A new method of the system performance evaluation is presented. The states of the system are analyzed in detail based on a discrete model and a new solution technique is given to determine the state probabilities. The method can be used to analyze the cases arising from two or more stochastic events or longer (or more complex)production lines. Numerical results are also offered to testify the method and show some characteristics of the system.


Buyer-seller watermarking (BSW) protocols allow copyright protection of digital content. The protocol is anonymous when the identity of buyers is not revealed if they do not release pirated copies. Existing BSW protocols are not provided with a formal analysis of their security properties. We employ the ideal-world/real-world paradigm to propose a formal security definition for copyright protection protocols, and we analyze an anonymous BSW protocol and prove that it fulfills our defini- tion. Additionally, we implement the protocol and measure its efficiency. Index Terms—Buyer-seller watermarking (BSW) protocol, ideal-world/real-world paradigm.


Background: Globally low, inconsistent use of contraceptives by young people contribute to many unintended pregnancies but providing quality contraceptives, to sexually active young people continues to be global concern, of India too. Objective: Present study was undertaken to know use of temporary contraceptives by rural young women in Western Maharashtra. Materials and methods: Study subjects were asked about use of temporary contraceptives for prevention of first pregnancy, spacing between two pregnancies and limitation of pregnancies. Interviews were done with help of predesigned questionnaire in local language. Consent was taken. Results: It was revealed that reported contraceptive use was 78.8%. There were more than 21% young women who did not want baby, were at risk of unintended pregnancy but were not using contraceptives. Condom and Oral contraceptive pills were used infrequently. Very few (13%) women used intra uterine device, with more chances of continuity. No teenager used IUD. In 283 women under 20 years of age, 39.92% used contraception before first pregnancy, 32.86% did not use any contraceptive between 20-24 years, of 272 women, 37.13% used contraceptivebefore first pregnancy 16.54% did not use any. Overall 39.92% of 283 teen agers' husbands used condom and 7.20% used OCP infrequently. Of 262 women of 20-24 years, 35.68% husbands used condom, 27.48% used OCPS infrequently. Between 25-29 years of 284 women, 43.66% husbands used condom, 21.37% OCPS infrequently. Significantly more teenagers did not use any contraceptive. More urban couples used condom compared to rural, but there was no significant difference. Illiterate women did not use any contraceptive, no post graduate studied had intra uterine device, with no difference in secondary school or under graduate studied rural, urban. However most women had high secondary school education (84.8%). Conclusion: Many young couples at risk of pregnancy did not use any contraceptive. There was not much of difference between rural urban. Though illiterate did not use any contraception, very few primary schools had used IUD, nor their husbands used condom. There was no difference in use of contraceptives in high secondary school or graduate educated women.


The dual-purpose livestock systems in the tropics milk production is reduced during the dry season due to the decrease in the quantity and quality of forage on offer. The impact can be reduced by using forage crops as supplements generated with the use of green fertilizers. The objective of this research was to determinate the nitrogen contribution of legumes in corn forage production. During the years 2013 to 2014, in the Colombian Dry Caribbean three experiments were established with seven levels of nitrogen (N) (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 kg/ha) and the incorporation of Canavalia brasiliensis (CIAT 17009), Vigna unguiculata (CIAT 4294), Clitoria ternatea (CIAT 21815), Canavalia ensiformis (CIAT 21826) and Lablab purpureus (CIAT 22656) in a random block design. C. ensiformis showed the highest contribution of N (151 kg/ha) and V. unguiculata the lowest (35 kg/ha). The application of 200 kg of N and the incorporation of C. ensiformis and C. brasiliensis did not show a difference in the yield of maize biomass. N use efficiency by corn crop was 31 - 84%, reduced with increased in the dose of N. Levels of NO3 in the soil ranged from 20 to 41 mg/kg at the time of harvest, suggesting that a high proportion of N coming from the legume was not assimilated by the crop. The C:N ratio was 11.63 in legumes and 23.94 in weeds. Organic soil C increased by 22% due to legume green manure, with the highest content (0.70%) in L. purpureus. The legumes C. ensiformis, C. brasiliensis and L. purpureus showed high potential to provide N, C, and to conserve soil moisture.


North Toraja Regency is one of the regencies in Indonesia which is actively developing itself as a tourist destination. North Toraja's tourism has its own uniqueness. It offers different types of tourist attractions compared to those of other regencies. However, due to the lack of tourism information, both local and foreign tourists have not considered North Toraja as an attractive tourist destination. Based on the problem described, there is a need to make a catalogue website that aims to give clear and accurate information regarding North Toraja's various tourist spots. Important information such as North Toraja's rich history, tourist spots, public facilities, arts and crafts, and annual traditional activities or events are all provided in this catalogue website. Thus, tourists can easily obtain complete information about North Toraja's tourism. This website was created using programming languages like PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL database. The catalogue website has many features and information such as user profile, map, tourist spots, public facilities, culture, arts, traditional food, events, recommendations, and photo gallery.


The goal of this thesis is to investigate the period of time during which infants begin to categorize accents in natural speech, and the role of experience in mediating the development of speech accent categorization. The approach consists of establishing the adult state of speech accent categorization and measuring infantsi¦ speech accent categorization at 4 and 10 months using the infant-controlled visual habituation paradigm. The studies presented here were designed to examine if infants and adults can discriminate a local accent from a novel accent in the native language, if they can discriminate two novel accents in the native language, and if they can discriminate two accents in an unfamiliar language. Study 1 examined discrimination of the Western Pennsylvania accent, the Hispanic New York Bronx accent, and the Chinese accent in the English language by 26 native English speakers from Western Pennsylvania, and 17 native Chinese speakers from Taiwan. The same participants also categorized the Mainland and Taiwanese accents in the Chinese language. Participants in both linguistic groups were equally competent at categorizing accents in their native language, and they were equally poor at categorizing accents in the foreign language. Study 2 examined discrimination of the Western Pennsylvania accent and the Hispanic New York Bronx accent in the English language in 18 4-month-old and 20 10-month-old infants from the greater Pittsburgh area. The 10-month-old infants showed significant discrimination of the familiar accent from the novel one, whereas the 4-month-old infants failed to do so. Study 3 examined discrimination of the Hispanic New York Bronx accent and the Chinese accent in the English language in 16 10-month-old infants. These infants showed significant discrimination between the two unfamiliar accents. Study 4 examined discrimination of the Mainland and Taiwanese accents in the Chinese language in 20 4-month-old and 16 10-month-old infants. Both groups failed to discriminate accents in this foreign language. These studies demonstrate that the ability to categorize speech accent emerges by 10 months of age, is language-specific, and results from experience with the native language.


Analytical solutions are obtained for thermally induced axisymmetric elastic and elastic-plastic deformations in nonuniform heat-generating composite tubes with fixed ends. Thermoelastic solutions are obtained using four different boundary conditions: (i)free, (ii) radially constrained and free, (iii) free and pressurized, (iv) free and radially constrained. Elastic-plastic solutions are obtained for a composite tube having free inner and radially constrained outer boundaries using Tresca's yield condition and its associated flow rule. The first two stages of elastic-plastic deformations are studied considering nonlinearly hardening, linearly hardening, and perfectly plastic material behavior. The theory developed is illustrated in several numerical examples.


Abstract In this article, we inquire into two contemporary participatory formats that seek to democratically intervene in scientific practice: the consensus conference and participatory technology assessment (pTA). We explain how these formats delegitimize conflict and disagreement by making a strong appeal to consensus. Based on our direct involvement in these formats and informed both by political philosophy and science and technology studies, we outline conceptions that contrast with the consensus ideal, including dissensus, disclosure, conflictual consensus and agonistic democracy. Drawing on the notion of meta-consensus and a distinction between four models of democracy (aggregative, deliberative, participatory and agonistic), we elaborate how a more positive valuation of conflict provides opportunities for mutual learning, the articulation of disagreement, and democratic modulation—three aspirations that are at the heart of most pTAs and consensus conferences. Disclosing the strengths and weaknesses of these different models is politically and epistemically useful, and should therefore be an integral part of the development of participation theory and process in science and technology.


This paper presents the modeling of thrust force and perpendicular vibrations in micro drilling processes of five commonly used alloys (titanium-based, tungsten-based, aluminum-based and invar). The process was carried out by peck drilling and the influence of five parameters (drill diameter, cutting speed, feed rate, one-step feed length and total drilling length) on the behavior of the thrust force was considered. Some important mechanical and thermal properties of the work piece material were also considered in the model. Two different models were tried: the first one based on artificial neural networks and the second one based on fuzzy inference systems. Outcomes of both approaches were compared to each other and to a multiple regression model. The neural model shows not only a better goodness-of-fit but also a higher generalization capability.


Book Review: Mark Bourrie (2016). ISIS – Game of death – Martyrs, assassinations and fascination, Corint Publishing House, Bucharest. Original book title: The Killing Game – Martyrdom, Murder and the Lure of ISIS. Mark Bourrie's work was also published in Romania, by the Corint Publishing House, in 2016. It is structured on 13 chapters and has 320 pages. The work falls within the scientific fields of security and intelligence studies. The theme addressed by Mark Bourrie is of global importance, as, nowadays, terrorism is a threat to human communities and states. The book is an up-to-date research on the issue and manifestation of terrorism in the world, with reference to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) terrorist organization and its activity.


The effects of regeneration of the urinary bladder on the intestinal transplant were assessed in conducting detrusor resection after creation of an artificial reservoir for urine in 107 patients with posttuberculous microcystis. It was found that the condition of the intestinal transplant depended on severity of anatomic changes and the scope of detrusor resection. The best results of creation of a new artificial reservoir for urine are achieved if the bladder, as a cause of regenerative process and unfavourable factor for operation outcome is totally removed.


The rate of alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) is associated with mortality in clinical acute lung injury (ALI). Patients with ALI often develop circulatory shock, but how shock affects the rate of AFC is unknown. To determine the effect of circulatory shock on the rate of AFC in patients with ALI, the rate of net AFC was measured in 116 patients with ALI by serial sampling of pulmonary edema fluid. The primary outcome was the rate of AFC in patients with shock compared with those without shock. We also tested the effects of shock severity and bacteremia. Patients with ALI and shock (n = 86) had significantly slower rates of net AFC compared with those without shock (n = 30, P = 0.03), and AFC decreased significantly as the number of vasopressors increased. Patients with positive blood cultures (n = 21) had slower AFC compared with patients with negative blood cultures (n = 96, P = 0.023). In addition, the edema fluid-to-plasma protein ratio, an index of alveolar-capillary barrier permeability, was highest in patients requiring the most vasopressors (P < 0.05). Patients with ALI complicated by circulatory shock and bacteremia had slower rates of AFC compared with patients without shock or bacteremia. An impaired capacity to reabsorb alveolar edema fluid may contribute to high mortality among patients with sepsis-induced ALI. These findings also suggest that vasopressor use may be a marker of alveolar-capillary barrier permeability in ALI and provide justification for new therapies that enhance alveolar epithelial and endothelial barrier integrity in ALI, particularly in patients with shock.


In contrast to humans, many amphibians are able to rapidly and completely regenerate complex tissues, including entire appendages. Following tail amputation, Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles quickly regenerate muscle, spinal cord, cartilage, vasculature and skin, all properly patterned in three dimensions. To better understand the molecular basis of this regenerative competence, we performed a transcriptional analysis of the first 72 h of tail regeneration using RNA‐Seq. Our analysis refines the windows during which many key biological signaling processes act in regeneration, including embryonic patterning signals, immune responses, bioelectrical signaling and apoptosis. Our work provides a deep database for researchers interested in appendage regeneration, and points to new avenues for further study.


In this work, a novel HfTaON/SiO2 gate dielectric with metal gate has been investigated for low standby power CMOS application. This gate stack exhibits excellent electrical performances, including low leakage current relative to Hf-silicates, good thermal stability, very low interface state density, superior electron and hole mobilities (100% and 96% of universal curves at 0.8 MV/cm), and excellent BTI characteristic. Therefore, the HfTaON/SiO2 has a potential to replace current SiO2 and SiON as the gate dielectric for advanced low standby power application


Balanced and timely nutrition is important to ensure the yield and quality of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruit. This research was carried out in the cv. Méndez with the objectives of a) to describe the dynamics of fruit growth and the process of dry matter accumulation in mesocarp, b) to quantify the concentration and accumulation of nutrients in the mesocarp (pulp) during fruit development. In a commercial orchard with site-specif ic fertilization, 20 trees were selected and 30 summer flowering inflorescences per production cycle (2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17) were marked in each one. Five fruits per tree were randomly collected in f ive stages of development, from olive size to harvest, and the dry matter of the mesocarp and the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and B in this tissue were quantif ied. The fruit required 300 days from anthesis to harvest. It showed accelerated growth in the f irst three stages of development (S-Olive, S-I and S-II) and lower growth in the last stage (S-III). Dry matter accumulation was constant during fruit development, although the largest accumulation occurred in S-III. In general, the concentration of nutrients in the mesocarp decreased with fruit development and its accumulation increased. The greatest fruit growth occurred in the f irst 185 post-anthesis days, when the mesocarp accumulated less than one-third of the total nutrients required until harvest. The results indicate the need to review how nutrients are supplied to the tree, to make sure they are adequately provided during fruit development.


Blogs and microblogs became popular in recent years among people who would like to share their travel experiences online. This is a phenomenon which marketers are interested in but know very little about. This exploratory study analyzes blog and microblog contents created by mainland Chinese visitors sharing their Hong Kong experiences, with the objective of gaining insights into how bloggers communicate their travel experiences and how this could help market a destination. Three hundred blog posts and 300 microblog posts are analyzed. Research results indicate a generally positive image of Hong Kong as a destination among the mainland Chinese bloggers. The study also profiles the bloggers by their usage pattern and identifies opportunities for using the social media for destination marketing purpose. While the case study is about Hong Kong, the research method and blogging patterns identified would also apply in other destination situations.


Orthographic variations of compound words in le Petit Larousse and le Petit Robert.The analysis of the two most common French dictionaries — le Petit Larousse and le Petit Robert — brings into relief the orthographic instability of compound words. This study notes many disagreements between the two works, as well as a number of internal contradictions. Hesitation concerns mainly the use of the hyphen (audio-visuel or audiovisuel, fille-mere or fille mere) and plural marks (un corps de troupe/un corps de troupes, des essuie-glace/des essuie-glaces). Whatever may be the best way to correct such contradictions — admission of variants or normalization — it is urgent that dictionaries be coherent.


In sports, the phrase "a win is a win" refers to the bottom line in those competitions: winning a game. How the game was won is not as important as the fact that it was won. In many ways, we have reached a similar point in the management field. The increased pressure to publish in "A" journals means the new bottom line for valuing academic research is "an A is an A." Faculty recruiting committees and promotion and tenure panels readily discuss how many A's a candidate has published and how many A's are needed for a favorable decision, while conversations about the distinctive intellectual value of a publication are often secondary to its categorical membership in journals. We describe reasons why this new bottom line has taken hold and delineate its positive and negative consequences. Also, we offer insights for a variety of stakeholders, including (a) nonspecialist academics in all management domains, including scholars from universities worldwide because the new bottom line for valuing academic research is a global phenomenon, (b) university administrators and funding agencies interested in evaluating research quality and impact, and (c) individuals interested in responsible scholarship and in addressing the current credibility crisis in management. Finally, we offer a forward-looking analysis and policy implications of how to address challenges associated with the new bottom line for valuing academic research.


This article holds that deeply entrenched assumptions about the nature, provenance, and value of truth can be brought into view and examined critically when set against the backdrop of a radically different set of concepts and practices that are associated with truth seeking in contemporary Afro-Cuban divination. Drawing briefly on an ethnographic analysis of the ways in which Cuban cult practitioners use oracles, the article seeks to formulate a radically alternative concept of truth. This viewpoint eschews common premises about the role of 'representation' in the pursuit of truth in favor of a notion of truth as 'conceptual redefinition'. If the ethnography of divination in Cuba forces the analyst radically to reformulate the concept of truth, what effect might this new approach have on the project of anthropology itself?. © Berghahn Journals.


According to international epidemiological studies, about 80% of women have to use medicinal products during pregnancy, mainly during the first weeks of organogenesis in the case of an unplanned pregnancy, and for the treatment of chronic diseases or acute conditions developing during pregnancy. Specificity of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in pregnant women contributes to the development of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), many of which are serious and pose a threat to the life of the patient. The aim of the study was to retrospectively assess the frequency and development of ADRs in pregnant women living in the Republic of Crimea, based on the data in the regional safety database ARCADe (Adverse Reactions in Crimea, Autonomic Database). Materials and methods: the authors analysed spontaneous ADR reports registered in the ARCADe database from 1 January 2009 until 31 December 2018 for the category of patients described as "Pregnant women/childbirth". Results: during the specified period, 268 ADR cases in pregnant women were added to the database. The most common reasons of ADRs in this category of patients were antibacterials for systemic use (130 cases, 48.5%), agents that have an effect on haematopoiesis and blood (54 cases, 20.15%), and agents that have an effect on the functions of the gastrointestinal tract (29 cases, 10.82%). The study of ADR clinical manifestations revealed a high incidence of local allergic reactions (140 cases, 52.2%), inhibition of haematopoiesis (60 cases, 22.4%), and dyspepsia (36 cases, 13.4%). The analysis of the severity of the registered ADRs demonstrated that in 15 cases (5.6%) the use of the prescribed medicinal product posed a threat to the patient's life and required urgent pharmacotherapy and discontinuation of the suspected medicine, in 8 cases (3%) it resulted in hospitalisation or prolongation of hospital treatment, and in 3 cases (1.12%) it resulted in the temporary inability to work. Conclusions: the results of the study indicate the need for further retrospective and prospective studies aimed at analysing the safety of medicine use in pregnant women and assessing the risks of toxic effects on the foetus.


Introduction Resident colonic bacteria, principally anaerobes and firmicutes, ferment undigested fibre. The resultant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) formed are dissolved in the faeces but also absorbed and excreted in the urine. We have previously shown that electronic nose (E-nose) analysis of urine VOCs distinguishes between Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and healthy volunteers (HV): the underlying principle is pattern recognition of disease-specific "chemical fingerprint". High-Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) offers a possible alternative. The underlying principle is separation of VOC chemical components based on their different ion mobilties in high electric fields. We performed a pilot study in the above groups, the patients in remission (Rem) or with active disease (AD), to assess if this technology could achieve separation between the groups. The results were validated against E-nose analysis. Methods 59 subjects were studied; HV n=14, UC (Rem) n=18, UC (AD) n=4; CD (Rem) n=19, CD (AD) n=4. Urine samples (7 ml) in universal containers (25 ml) were heated to 40±0.1 C. The headspace (the air above the sample) was then analysed using FAIMS. The data were analysed by Fisher Discriminant Analysis. Results The technique distinguished between the three groups. Additionally, patients with active disease could be distinguished from those in remission. These results were concordant with E-nose analysis. Conclusion This pilot shows that urine VOCs, analysed by the different approaches of E-nose and FAIMS, the latter a novel application, can distinguish the healthy from those with UC and CD when disease is active or in remission. The two technologies together offer a non-invasive approach to diagnosis and follow-up in inflammatory bowel disease. Competing interests None declared.


There being much confusion in the supposed relationship and published synonymy of Nummulites elegans (Nummularia, Sowerby), I propose to offer some remarks on the history of this species, more especially as less trouble would have been caused if I had taken more care years ago, and examined all, instead of only some, of Mr. Sowerby's specimens which have been associated with that name. Having just now seen (October 1886), for the first time, the "Sowerby Collection" at the British Museum (Natural History, Cromwell Road), I find that Sowerby's labelled specimens of "Nummularia elegans" are really the same as my variety Prestwichiana of Nummulites planulatus, which the late Dr. Philippe De la Harpe regarded as a variety of N. wemmelensis. Other specimens, however, which belong to true N. planulatus, were confused by Sowerby with his N. elegans. Specimens labelled "Nummularia elegans" on the original card, No. 44007 (1) in the "Sowerby Collection", are exactly such as come from the well-known bed "no. 29" (at the base of the Barton Clay) of Prof. Prestwich's section of the strata at Alum Bay, Isle of Wight, in the Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. ii. (1846), p. 257, pl. 9. fig. 1. One horizontal section among them matches one of Sowerby's drawings in the ' Mineral Conchology,' pl. 538, namely the 10th figure on the plate (counted in the order of the figs. 1, 2, 3), included in "fig. 2," and probably magnified two diameters. The other drawings in "fig. 2" do not match the


Continental codes have been presented, following in the French model's footsteps, as a determining
technique to achieve legal unification and legal positivism. From this perspective, codes would not be
compatible with non-legal sources (custom, judicial precedent, legal doctrine) and with legal diversity.
Looking at the Spanish case one comes to the conclusion that these ideas are myths or, at least, are not
entirely true. They may be true for the French case or even for other European jurisdictions, but they
failed when applied to Spain.
This may explain why non-Spanish legal historians and comparative lawyers seem to find it
difficult to understand the Codification of Civil law in Spain. On the one hand, the French influenced over
the Spanish civil code is exaggerated. On the other, it would be unimaginable that the French civil code
would have supposed to be applicable in defect of regional laws or customs, as it is the case in Spain.
Besides, the Napoleon code did not recognize explicitly the custom as a legal source, whereas in the
Spanish code did. It is undeniable that drafters of the Spanish civil code had in mind and used the French
model, but the final outcome was quite unique.
Spain shows that codification does not necessarily imply legal unification. In fact, Spain
constitutes the only case in which the civil code whose application is just subsidiary, that is, when
regional laws do not contain a legal rule applicable to solve a legal dispute. In explaining this from a
historical and comparative perspective, non-Spanish scholars usually identify regional laws (Derechos
forales) with fueros, customs and local laws, but this is not entirely true. The problem is that no other
civil law jurisdictions can be used as a model to describe the Spanish case, which on this matter is unique.
The paper focuses on the uniqueness of the Spanish case in codifying its civil law, dispelling
some myths and misunderstandings on the notion of codification in general, and on the Spanish civil code
in particular.


Magnetic shape memory (MSM) alloys are comparatively new active materials which can be used for several industrial applications, ranging from precise positioning systems to advanced robotics. Beyond the material research, which deals with the basic thermo‐magneto‐mechanical properties of the crystals, the design as well as the control of the actuators displacement is an essential challenge. This paper addresses those two topics, trying to give to the reader a useful overview of existing results, but also presents new ideas. First, it introduces and discusses in details some possible designs, with a special emphasis on innovative actuator design concepts which are able to exploit the particular potentialities of MSM elements. The second focus of the paper is on the problem of designing a controller, i.e., an algorithm that allows to obtain a required performance from the actuator. The proposed control strategies try to take into account two main characteristics of MSM elements: the hysteresis and the temperature dependence. The effectiveness of the strategies is emphasized by experimental results performed on a commercially available MSM actuator demonstrator.


It is generally acknowledged that urban and rural planning in Malaysia is hitherto still patterned on the positivist colonial methodology such as ' surveys, analysis and plans' as espoused by Petrick Geddes in the 1920s. This is evident in the historiography of urban and rural planning since the British colonial period in Malaya. The methodology of positivist planning which employs the 'bottom-up' approach continues to be based on colonial pragmatism. This trend was also evident in the colonial era, where the planning of towns was very much determined by the administration, hence making the people mere recipients of such planning. In order to continue the positivist approach and pragmatism of the government in the postIndependence period, a more systematic form of planning was introduced with the introduction of the Structural and Local Plans. Although both developmental plans were based on the concept of integrated planning under the Urban and Rural Planning Act 1976 (1972 Act), however development that ensued focussed more on the physical aspects with minimal emphasis on social requirements. The question remains, will the approach of positivism always be suitable for the planning needs of each era including planning for the intelligent city of today ? This has to be taken into consideration in view of the fact that, the planning of intelligent cities is intertwined with the era of instantaneous speed, its demands and space, all of which impact the changes and unlimited needs of man in the proses of globalization. Do only material and physical values need to be taken into account? What of humanitarian aspects which involve both ethical, moral and aesthetical values in planning? In addressing this problem, the work here discusses the post-positivism approach espoused by the Frankfurt School which argues for a value added positivist method in the planning of intelligent cities in Malaysia. Jurnal Pengajian Umum Bil. 6 110


OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to examine relational aggression and its relationship with adverse psychosocial and physical health symptoms among urban, African American youth.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE
Quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. The sample consisted of 185 predominantly African American (95.1%) seventh-grade students (mean age: 13.0; female: 58%) attending 4 urban middle schools.

MEASURES
The Children's Social Behavior Scale and Social Experience Questionnaire were used to measure relational aggression and relational victimization. The Pediatric Symptom Checklist was used to assess psychosocial difficulties, including internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and attention problems. Physical health symptoms were measured with questions about colds/flu, headaches, and stomach aches.

RESULTS
2-way multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences in externalizing behavior, with perpetrators reporting higher levels than nonperpetrators. Victims reported more internalizing behavior than nonvictims; however, this was only significant for males. For females, significant negative effects on health outcomes were found, resulting from the interaction of perpetration and victimization.

CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that relational aggression is a common occurrence among urban, minority adolescents and may result in adverse health outcomes. These results provide several avenues for future research and implications for healthcare practice. Intervention strategies are needed to prevent relational aggression and continual or subsequent adverse health symptoms.


Abstract Participating in screening for colorectal cancer can significantly decrease mortality from this disease. Although the health belief model constructs of perceived benefits and barriers have been related to other cancer screening behaviors, benefits and barriers to fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) have not been measured consistently, and little is known about these variables in relation to flexible sigmoido-scopy and colonoscopy. The purpose of this study was to establish the psychometric properties of six scales measuring benefits and barriers related to screening for colorectal cancer, including FOBT, flexible sig-moidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Reliability coefficients for the scales ranged from .65 to .77. Construct validity was established using exploratory factor analyses with results confirming unidimensionality of constructs. Construct validity was further assessed by testing theoretical relationships among benefits, barriers, and screening behaviors. Results of analyses of variance were consistent with theoretical predictions: Perceived benefits were higher and perceived barriers were lower for people who had undergone sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy compared with people who had not had these tests.


Historically, international law consisted primarily of substantive norms, leaving it to individual nation states to determine how to implement and enforce those norms. Human rights class actions in U.S. courts represent one such fusion of international legal rights with domestic judicial remedies. Since the late 1980s, victims of human rights violations have increasingly utilized Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 ("Rule 23"), which governs the certification and conduct of the class action in federal court. In certain respects, the rule embodies a unique feature of United States procedural law. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that class relief is "peculiarly appropriate" in cases in which the "issues involved are common to the class as a whole" and "turn on questions of law applicable in the same manner to each member of the class." Because human rights abuses are often committed on a widespread and systematic basis, and because many international law norms prohibit collective harms (for example harms directed against a group qua group), the class action device appears, at first glance, to provide a good fit for human rights litigation. And yet, measuring the success of human rights class actions by the number of cases that have achieved certification or proceeded to an enforceable class judgment, or by the satisfaction of victim classes with the process or the results of their efforts, suggests that a number of challenges exist to employing this procedural mechanism in the context of human rights litigation. This Article is an attempt to navigate a course between the unalloyed idealism toward and broad-based critique of the human rights class action in the academic literature. Its destination is a position that accepts that the class action device - notwithstanding its potential for abuse and the challenges to its application - may provide an appropriate litigation device for human rights litigants in certain circumstances. The Article begins with a brief survey of "human rights class actions" with an emphasis on the certification phases of the cases. It then analyzes these cases within the context of several long-running debates about the operation and propriety of class actions, by identifying some of the particular advantages and challenges posed by the class action mechanism to human rights litigation. The Article concludes that the class action device is especially well-suited for cases involving the doctrine of command responsibility (for abuses committed by subordinates) or abuses involving a corporate course of conduct or collective harms. However, the Article cautions that, while proceeding as a class action can provide an important vehicle for enforcing human rights norms on behalf of an affected population, it is imperative that class counsel be committed to providing victims with a meaningful experience through litigation and to promoting the principle of human dignity that underlies the human rights edifice. With these concerns in mind, the Article provides an interpretive framework for pursuing and managing human rights class actions within Rule 23's provisions and established certification doctrines. This framework accepts that courts should construe Rule 23's requirements in light of the unique characteristics of human rights claims and claimants, the clear congressional policy - as expressed by the Torture Victim Protection Act ("TVPA") and amendments to the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act ("FSIA") - in favor of U.S. courts adjudicating alleged violations of human rights that occur abroad, and the courts' capacity to adopt procedural innovations as a form of federal common law for violations cognizable under these statutes. In application, this will require class counsel to carefully manage relations with absentee class members in order to ensure a meaningful experience for class members. It may also require courts to adopt both more liberal and more stringent approaches to certain components of Rule 23. Although this framework cannot address all of the challenges that may arise in human rights class actions, it does attempt to address certain procedural obstacles and structural dilemmas that have appeared in the past and that are likely to appear in future cases. It is hoped that these modest recommendations will better enable individuals engaged in human rights litigation - as counsel, litigants, and judges - to capitalize upon the potential of the class action model to enforce universal human rights norms.


Bacterial keratitis is an aggressive infectious corneal disease. With the continuing rise in antibiotic resistance and a decline in the discovery of new antibiotics, new antimicrobial drugs are now required. ABSTRACT Bacterial keratitis is an aggressive infectious corneal disease. With the continuing rise in antibiotic resistance and a decline in the discovery of new antibiotics, new antimicrobial drugs are now required. In the present study, we determined the antibacterial activity of diacerein, an anti-inflammatory drug, against 76 Gram-positive cocci isolated from bacterial keratitis patients in vitro and anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity in a mouse bacterial keratitis model in vivo. The MICs of diacerein were tested using the broth microdilution method in vitro. A BALB/c Staphylococcus aureus keratitis animal model was selected and the corneal clinical observation, viable bacteria, and hematoxylin-eosin and Gram staining of infected corneas were measured to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of diacerein eye drops in vivo. An in vivo eye irritation study was carried out by a modified Draize test in rabbits. Our in vitro results showed that diacerein possesses satisfactory antibacterial activity against the majority of Gram-positive cocci (60/76), including all 57 tested Staphylococcus spp. and 3 Enterococcus spp. The in vivo experiment showed that diacerein eye drops reduced bacterial load and improved ocular clinical scores after topical administration of diacerein drops on infected corneas. The ocular irritation test revealed that diacerein eye drop had excellent ocular tolerance. These results indicated that diacerein possesses in vivo anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity. We suggest that diacerein is a possible topically administered drug for Staphylococcus aureus-infected patients, especially those with ocular surface inflammatory disorders.


Simulating the human heart is a challenging problem, with simulations being very time consuming---some can take days to compute even on high performance computing resources. There is considerable interest in optimisation techniques, with a view to making whole-heart simulations tractable. Reliability of heart model simulations is also of great concern, particularly considering clinical applications. Simulation software should be easily testable (against empirical data) and maintainable, which is often not the case with extensively hand-optimised software. Automating any optimisations will greatly improve this situation. This paper presents a framework for automatically optimising cardiac ionic cell models. An abstract format for such models, CellML [9], has been developed at Auckland University and is gaining in popularity. We utilise this format and investigate robust transformations of models that lead to reduced simulation times. In particular, we demonstrate that partial evaluation [13] is a promising technique for this purpose, and that it combines well with a lookup table technique, commonly used in cardiac modelling, which we have automated. In our tests, the technique of partial evaluation gives a speedup of 1.2 times. Further, applying such transformations prior to the lookup table optimisation results in additional speedups from the latter technique. When both optimisations are used we obtain nearly a 5-fold speedup, compared with a speedup of 1.7 times when lookup tables alone are used.


I: Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a hereditary disease characterized by decreased serum concentration of AAT. In most countries there is no strict epidemiological data for AAT deficiency, so the worldwide prevalence is unknown. A: Evaluation and characterization of the population tested for AAT deficiency during 9 yrs (2006-2015) by a reference laboratory in Portugal. M: Data from patients whose samples (blood/plasma) were sent to IPATIMUP (private non-profit laboratory of public utility) was retrospectively analysed. R: 1684 patients were evaluated, 58.8% male and 59.6% ≥18yrs old. The average number of requests was 187.1/yr and came from Pulmonology 35.6%, Paediatrics 33.2%, General Practice 5.5% and 17.9% came from family screening. 25.4% patients were PI*MZ, 23.5% PI*MM, 15.5% PI*MS, 11.1% PI*SZ, 9.5% PI*ZZ, 0.4% PI*ZQ0 and 0.30% PI*Q0Q0. Different types of rare deficiency and null alleles were detected: PI*Mmalton (n=59), PI*Q0Ourem (n=28), PI*PIowell (n=21), PI*I (n=17), PI*Mwurzburg (n=6), PI*Mheerlen (n=6), PI*T (n=4), PI*Q0Madrid (n=2), PI*Zaugsburg (n=2) and PI*Q0Lisboa (n=1). The authors emphasize the identification of four alleles that have not been described yet: PI*PGaia, PI*Q0Oliveira do Douro, PI*Q0Vila Real and PI*SGaia identified in 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2015, respectively. C: A high detection of severe AAT deficiency was found, along with several number of rare and null alleles, some of which were not described yet. The existence of national reference laboratories, especially dedicated to the diagnosis of AAT deficiency, a national registry and guidelines will improve the detection rate, essential to the knowledge of the epidemiology, allowing early intervention.


Past research has shown that children will copy the actions of adults with high fidelity, even actions that are obviously causally irrelevant to the modelled outcome. However, this phenomenon has always been documented in cases where a clear functional outcome has been brought about (e.g. getting a box open to retrieve a toy). Here, we demonstrate how young children will continue to adopt the precise actions shown to them by an adult even if the goal of the actions is not realized during modelling. A group of 4-year-old participants were presented with a toy lying at the bottom of a Perspex tube. Despite the availability of a bottle of water, and unlike the responses of a group of adults, few children spontaneously identified the solution of pouring the water into the tube to raise the toy up the tube where it could be reached. The majority did so, however, after seeing an adult demonstrate this approach. Critically, children copied the specific method of the adult, even when this involved the unnecessary steps of pouring from the bottle into a cup before pouring from the cup into the tube. These results highlight the value of overimitation to children growing up in a world filled with objects whose operating mechanisms are often hidden or unclear.


This study was conducted in Dar es Salaam comprising of six social security
schemes in Tanzania with the main purpose of analyzing to what extent the social
security schemes in Tanzania meet the International Labour Organization's (ILO)
minimum social security standards provided by the ILO Convention of 1952.
The study findings are that although the social security schemes in Tanzania have
done their best to offer social security benefits however such schemes fall short of
what is stipulated in the ILO Convention 1952.
Findings indicate further that the non fulfilment of the minimum standards is
contributed by a number of factors such as poverty and low income of the
individuals. With response to the findings, this study recommends, at chapter five,
that there needs to carry out legal, policy and institutional reforms plus an over haul
the entire legal regime governing pensions so as to widen the benefits being offered
to meet the ILO minimum standards.
The study recommends also that the ongoing Constitutional reviews should also
ensure that the new constitution accommodates the right to social security as a basic
human right, which need to be enforced. The constitutional protection of social
security and pension rights should be extended to cover all citizen and residents
without any discrimination whatsoever. Comprehensive legal and regulatory reforms
in the Tanzania's social security system are necessary to enable establishment and
provision of social security benefits to the tunes of international minimum standards.


This article explains the purpose the "Periodicals Button" on the web site of the Information Center at newly established university, Sabanci University was planned and launched for, and details of its infrastructure. This work also attempts to take a new perspective on the current topic of the administration of e-journals on a worldwide scale in general, and in our country, Turkey, in particular


The demand for automatic recognition and retrieval of medical images for screening, reference, and management is increasing. We present an intelligent content-based image retrieval system called I-Browse, which integrates both iconic and semantic content for histological image analysis. The I-Browse system combines low-level image processing technology with high-level semantic analysis of medical image content through different processing modules in the proposed system architecture. Similarity measures are proposed and their performance is evaluated. Furthermore, as a byproduct of semantic analysis, I-Browse allows textual annotations to be generated for unknown images. As an image browser, apart from retrieving images by image example, it also supports query by natural language.


In Yemen's Soqotra Archipelago, during the years immediately preceding and following its inscription in 2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage site—and at a time when "Bedouinness" in much of the Arab world had been or was being elevated to a marketable heritage—Soqotran pastoralists spoke frequently of being Bedouin as a form of categorical abjection. Examining the work of these iterations, I argue that "Bedouin abjection" is a form of dialogic critique of the "global hierarchy of value" and an ironic assessment of the Soqotran pastoral present. I further assert that anthropologists must be attentive to the universal resonances of these abject articulations.


The stereotype logistic (SL) model is an alternative to the proportional odds (PO) model for ordinal response variables when the proportional odds assumption is violated. This model seems to be underutilized. One major reason is the constraint of current statistical software packages. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) cannot perform the SL regression analysis, and SAS does not have the procedure developed to directly estimate the model. The purpose of this article was to illustrate the stereotype logistic (SL) regression model, and apply it to estimate mathematics proficiency level of high school students using Stata. In addition, it compared the results of fitting the PO model and the SL model. were used for the ordinal regression analyses.