The present paper reports numerical results of the melting driven natural convection in an inclined rectangular enclosure filled with nano-enhanced phase change material (NePCM). The enclosure is heated from the bottom side by a flush-mounted heat source (microprocessor) that generates heat at a constant and uniform volumetric rate and mounted on a substrate (motherboard). All the walls are considered adiabatic. The purpose of the investigation is analyzing the effect of nanoparticles insertion by quantifying their contribution to the overall heat transfer. Combined effects of the PCM type, the inclination angle and the nanoparticles fraction on the structure of the fluid flow and heat transfer are investigated. A 2D mathematical model based on the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy was developed. The governing equations were integrated and discretized using the finite volume method. The SIMPLE algorithm was adopted for velocity–pressure coupling. The obtained results show that the nanoparticles insertion has an important quantitative effect on the overall heat transfer. The insertion of metallic nanoparticles with different concentrations affects the thermal behavior of the heat sink. They contribute to an efficient cooling of the heat source. The effect of nanoparticles insertion is also shown at the temperature distribution along the substrate.


Two commercial Aluminium alloys with high Mn content were investigated in three
different precipitation states. The rolling textures possess a portion of random orientations
that is proportional to the volume fraction of larger particles. It is therefore identified with
their deformation zones having about double the diameter of the particles. The recrystallization
textures are weak for high annealing temperatures and show the more retained rolling
texture the more the temperature is lowered. This is interpreted as a matter of nucleation site.
But also growth mechanisms influence the texture evolution. Minor texture components are
characteristic for the different conditions.


Cryptographic algorithms, like the Advanced Encryption Standard, are frequently used in todays electronic appliances. Battery operated devices are increasingly popular, creating a demand for low energy solutions. As a microcontroller is incorporated in virtually all electronic appliances, the main objective in this thesis is to evaluate possible hardware implementations of AES and implement a solution optimized for low energy consumption, suited for incorporation in a microcontroller. A good cost/performance balance is also a design goal. An existing solution based on a 32 bit architecture with support for 128 bit keys was chosen as a basis and altered in order to lower area and energy consumption. The alterations yielded a 13.6% area reduction as well as 14.2% and 3.9% reduction in energy consumption in encryption and decryption mode, respectively. In addition to alterations in the datapath, low energy techniques like clock gating and numerical strength reduction has been applied in order to further lower the energy consumption. The proposed architecture was also extended in order to accommodate 256 bit keys. Although this increased the area by 9.2%, the power consumption was still reduced by 7.6% and 1.3% in en- and decryption, compared to the architecture chosen as basis. As AES is an algorithm which easily can be parallelized, a high throughput solution utilizing a 128 bit datapath was implemented. This AES module is able to process 372.4 Mbps at an operating frequency of 32 Mhz and is based on the same architecture as the 32 bit datapath solution. In addition, this implementation yielded excellent energy per encryption figures, 24.5% lower than the 32 bit solution. The alternative to performing AES in a dedicated hardware module is to perform it using software. In order to have a basis for comparison, a software solution optimized for 32 bit architectures was implemented. Simulations show that the energy consumption attained when performing AES in the proposed hardware module is approximately 2.3% of what a software solution would use. In addition, the throughput is increased by a factor of 25. The architecture proposed in this thesis combines relatively high throughput with modest demands to area and low energy per encryption.


A photoelectric turbidimeter is described for use in measuring cell concentrations in thick suspensions. Its sample cuvette provides a path length continuously adjustable between 0.01 and 20.00 mm. By reducing the path length, it is possible to measure the optical density in thick cell suspensions without dilution. Moreover, the method described is rapid and simple, and only small amounts (less than 1 ml) of cell suspensions are required. The method is applicable to cell concentrations ranging up to 10(9)/ml for yeast.


INTRODUCTION Most of the estimates of the pressure and temperature for Adirondack metamorphism fall in the range of 650 to 800 °C and 7 to 9 kbar (Whitney and McLelland, 1973; Essene and others, 1977; Boone, 1978; Valley and Bohlen, 1979; Whitney and others, 1979), suggesting an elevated geothermal gradient comparable to oceanic gradients (Mercier and Carter, 1975), and burial to as much as 25 km during the orogenesis that occurred about 1,000 m.y. ago. The structural style of the southern Highlands has recently been elucidated by McLelland (1977) and McLelland and Isachsen (1979), who emphasized the existence of complexly refolded nappe structures perhaps 70 km in amplitude. Insofar as these structures are outlined in supracrustal rock types, they furnish an important sample of structures evolved, if not also initiated, during the process of abnormal continental crustal thickening. The most recent mapping in the extreme southeastern Adirondacks is that of Walton (1955), Berry (1965), and Hills (1965). In outlining the basic distribution of rock types, these workers recognized meta-igneous (plutonic) and meta-supracrustal rock assemblages. These supracrustal rocks are similar to those in the southern Highlands, containing metasediments such as pelites, quartzites, and calcareous rocks, and probably volcanic or at least near surface igneous rocks. For convenience, we will refer to them collectively as metasedimentary rocks. These previous workers in the southeast collected little detailed information on minor structures and consequently based their interpretations on outcrop patterns. Unfortunately, post-Grenville faulting along the Camplain Valley fault system has affected the outcrop patterns. Subsequent roadbuilding, notably along U.S. Highway 22, has created useful outcrops with well-exposed minor structures. We have used the microfabrics of some of the tectonites from these new exposures to infer some of the structural history of the metasedimentary rocks. In combining our information with the most salient points of their mapping, some constraints on kinematic modeling emerge that may have more widespread application in the Adirondack Highlands.


An improved resource allocation scheme is proposed in this paper which uses genetic algorithms (GAs) in conjunction with the recently developed plane cover multiple-access (PCMA) scheme in order to maximize the attainable capacity of packet-based wireless cellular networks. The studied problem has been proven to be in the class of nondeterministic polynomial (NP)-hard problem, therefore, the powerful search capability of the GA is a key factor in improving the performance of cellular resource allocation. Computer simulation results suggest that the proposed approach outperforms the "uniform" and the "greedy" algorithm-based "min " methods in terms of the number of serviced users.


In Reply .—I agree with the contention that preoperative radiation to the skin and bowel increases the morbidity for construction of intestinal stomas. In fairness to Dr Roberts, almost all of the patients in the gynecologic oncology group had received preoperative radiation therapy. However, of the 17 patients in this group in whom stomal complications developed, 11 (65%) had necrosis of their stomas. Surely, the disproportionate incidence of this serious complication cannot be attributed to the effects of radiation therapy alone. It was not my intention in presenting these data to point an accusing finger at any particular group of specialists. Rather, I hoped to help make us all aware of how important attention to detail is in the construction of intestinal stomas, since many of these complications are preventable.


With the ever-increasing development of technology, online teaching is more readily accepted as a viable component in teaching and learning, and blended learning, the combining of online and face-to-face learning, is becoming commonplace in many higher education institutions. Blended learning is, particularly in developing countries, in its early stages and not without its challenges. Asynchronous online lessons are currently still more prevalent in many areas of South-East Asia, perhaps due to potential difficulty in obtaining strong Internet connections, which may deter educators from synchronous options. Technological media have the potential to broaden the scope of resources available in teaching and to enhance the language learning experience. Although research to date shows some focus on blended learning, literature on distance online teaching seems more prevalent. This study exposed 112 Malaysian undergraduate EFL students' responses to an online lesson as part of an English grammar course, and investigates common student perceptions of the online lesson as compared with face-to-face lessons. Questionnaires using qualitative (Likert scale questions) and quantitative (open-ended questions) approaches provided data for content analysis to determine common student perceptions, with particular reference to motivation and interest. In general, more students associated in-class lessons with higher motivation and more interest, due to better understanding, valued classroom interaction with the lecturer and peers, and input from the lecturer. Students preferring the online lesson cited speed and convenience of study and flexibility of time and place of study as reasons for their choice. Skilful implementation of online lessons can enhance a language course but should not undermine the value of face-to-face instruction with EFL teachers.


Self-harm thoughts and behaviour have been found to be associated with a wide variety of distal and proximal factors; however, few studies have examined how these factors work together to increase the risk of self-harm. A key distal factor is a history of child and family adversity, which attachment theory views as a precursor of attachment insecurities that may increase the risk of later self-harm. A key proximal factor is the desire to escape from overwhelming distress, and Williams (2001) cry of pain model describes a process that could help better understand the reasons behind seeking escape via self-harm. This research investigated whether insecurely attached individuals tend to feel trapped and whether entrapment leads to self-harm thoughts (suicide ideation [Chapter 2] and thoughts about non-suicidal self-injury [Chapter 3]). This research also investigated whether feelings of entrapment among insecurely attached individuals varied as a function of problem-solving (as assessed with the Means-Ends Problem-Solving [MEPS] procedure [Chapter 4] and a diary study [Chapter 5]). The effect of stressful events on subsequent feelings of defeat and entrapment, and the role of attachment, was also examined using an experimental design (Chapter 6).

Self-harm thoughts were common among insecurely attached individuals and among those who felt trapped. Entrapment was reported by insecurely attached individuals, but this feeling did not explain their self-harm thoughts nor did it vary as a function of problem-solving. In response to a laboratory stressor, attachment insecurities seem to exacerbate negative emotions. The findings suggest that assessment of attachment styles could help to identify individuals at risk of self-harm. Moreover, interventions aimed at reducing feelings of entrapment could decrease the risk of self-harm. Still, studies are needed to clarify the direction of the relationships between attachment, entrapment and self-harm, and the psychological mechanisms that might underlie these relationships.


The paper presents the concept and the architecture of the ship engine room simulator aimed for cadets and marine engineers training. The simulator includes a model of an engine room powered by a low-speed marine diesel engine. Simulator software consists of many independent modules, installed at different terminals connected in LAN. Each system module was developed and tested separately, but considering its future connectivity in mind. The appropriate communication protocol and the common module interface enable a close co-operation between the single components and a parallel processing of the data. The paper presents the brief description of the simulator hardware and the operation as well.


To clarify the relationship of self-esteem and health-related behaviors of primary care clinic patients, 500 family practice residency patients were invited to complete self-esteem and health-risk appraisal instruments. Of the final subject pool (N = 469), 154 responded to the single-mailing solicitation, thereby yielding a 32.8% response rate. Correlational analysis found self-esteem to be associated with predicted longevity, life satisfaction, social ties, overall health, personal loss, seatbelt use, age, physical activity, smoking, exposure to violence, and substance use. Multiple regression analysis of male subjects' data found self-esteem most closely related to the frequency of exposure to danger, self-perceptions of health, and tobacco use. Similar analysis of the women's data most closely associated self-esteem to perceived social support, self-perception of health, diastolic blood pressure, and seatbelt use. The data clearly link individuals' self-esteem to predicted longevity. Those with greater self-regard were predicted to live longer, while those with poorer self-esteem achieved shorter predicted longevity. Contributing factors may have included greater emphasis on self-care.


Coal bed methane (CBM) reservoir production is controlled by a large set of parameters: geology, tectonics, reservoir, completion and operation. Its simulation process is complicated, relative information is difficult to be obtained, so it is necessary to analyze accurately coal bed gas potential production capacity by adopting other mathematics methods in case of incomplete information. Regarding this problem, a new type-2 fuzzy logic system (T2FLS) method to predict CBM production capacity is proposed in this paper. Methods analyze and assess input parameters of T2FLS by integrating qualitative analysis method and quantitative assessment method (Fuzzy cluster analysis and grey correlation degree analysis). Output parameters include cumulative average gas production, peak gas rate and time to achieve a peak rate. T2FLS production forecast method is applied to CBM wells of Hancheng mine and verification results show that such prediction results are highly consistent with the variation of the CBM well production. The proposed method required less data. The comparison of this method with the existed method (ANN, T1FLS) shows that the proposed method has notable advantage in generalization, stability and consistency.


This thesis explore women's needs when reentering society after having served a sentence at the female prison Faringso, outside Stockholm and whether those needs are being met in the reentry strategies that are being provided. Parallel to this the thesis also examines if there, based on nonconformity and gender theories, is a socially constructed representation of women maintained in the rehabilitation work.The method of this thesis applied semi-structured interviews and used snowball sampling to expand the network of informants to obtain the data necessary. Totally five interviews were carried out. Previous research has shown that women in prison have much more complex problems than men and that there is a need for reentry strategies that take gender in account.The results showed that in terms of being able to reenter back in society, women needed help to structure a previously chaotic life. This by getting individual counseling, housing, employment, adequate rehabilitation programs, education and being able to build a network outside the prison, as this could function as a safety net when being released and reentering back into society. The women also pointed out that there is a need for better information and more individual planning, especially in relation to the release from prison.In regards to the question whether there is socially constructed representation of women held in the reentry strategies this could mainly be seen in the work women get to do in prison, such as knitting, sewing and packing baby-bags. This correlates with a normative femininity where the woman is seen as a person with high moral and a nurturing nature. The result also showed that women in prison act in response to societal normative messages about how a woman should be.


We use radio, near-IR, optical, and X-ray observations to examine dynamic processes in the central region of the rich galaxy cluster Abell 2125. In addition to the central triple of E and cD galaxies, including members of both major dynamical subsystems identified from a redshift survey, this region features a galaxy showing strong evidence for ongoing gas stripping during a high-velocity passage through the gas in the cluster core. The disk galaxy C153 exhibits a plume stretching toward the cluster center seen in soft X-rays by Chandra, parts of which are also seen in [O II] emission and near-UV continuum light. Hubble Space Telescope imaging shows a distorted disk with star-forming knots asymmetrically distributed and remnant spiral structure possibly defined by dust lanes. The stars and ionized gas in this disk are kinematically decoupled, demonstrating that pressure stripping (possibly turbulent, as well as ram) must be important, and that tidal disruption is not the only mechanism at work. Comparison of the gas properties seen in the X-ray and optical data on the plume highlight significant and poorly known features of the history of stripped gas in the intracluster medium that could be clarified through further observations of this system. The nucleus of C153 also hosts an active galactic nucleus, shown by the weak and distorted extended radio emission and a radio-compact core. The unusual strength of the stripping signatures in this instance is likely related to the very high relative velocity of the galaxy with respect to the intracluster medium during a cluster-cluster merger and its passage very near the core of the cluster. An additional sign of recent dynamical events is the diffuse starlight asymmetrically placed about the central triple in a cD envelope. Transient and extreme dynamical events as seen in A2125 may be important drivers of galaxy evolution in the cores of rich clusters.


Desorption of vitamin E from silica-packed fixed-bed column was studied as functions of column bed height, column temperature and flow rate of isopropanol. Isopropanol was the desorbing solvent and it was eluted through the columns saturated with vitamin E. The desorption profiles of all systems showed that vitamin E might desorb at two distinct rates simultaneously. The slow desorbing step was the rate-controlling process for recovery of vitamin E. The desorption rate increased with the decrease of column bed height and flow rate, but increased with increasing column temperature. This indicated that the desorption process was an endothermic process. The percentage recovery of vitamin E upon completion of desorption was considered high for all systems, ranging from 94.8 to 98.8%, with vitamin E concentration in the extract of 18.5-21.5%. Although the bed height, column temperature and flow rate were functions of desorption rate, it appeared that percentage recovery and vitamin E concentration in the extract were rather unaffected by the operating conditions tested if the column was eluted by isopropanol for a sufficient time to desorb vitamin E. Nevertheless, the use of isopropanol would be more efficient if desorption was carried out at lower flow rate and higher column temperature.


The author uses comparative analysis for determination of similar and different features of political systems in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Latin American way was considered to be a standard in resolution of crises by a deal of elite (the so called transition models). That is why the comparative basis was formed of leading Latin American countries and Eastern Europe which prospects are often seen as developed according to the Latin American model. By comparing both transitions from authoritarian power to democracy, typical for these countries, one can see regional features in Eastern Europe, like avalanche character and total fragmentation of political system, and cyclic democratization in Latin America. This method makes it possible to describe transitional processes without leaving the field of political analysis and asking for external reasons in order to explain nationally specific differences.


Abstract Red lentils are a very important raw material in the food industry due to their high protein content and high level of health-promoting components. The nutritive value of red lentils is the most important attribute from a research point of view; it can be increased by germination, soaking as well as physical and biochemical processes. The antinutritive materials are reduced or denatured by the germination process and indigestible components become available to the human body. Heat treatment was applied to achieve different temperatures and increase the microbiological stability of germinating samples. The effect of heat treatment on the amounts of certain components and the activity of oxidative enzymes was tested during our experiments; the nutritional characteristics (water-soluble total polyphenol content (WSTPC), water-soluble protein content (WSPC), water-soluble antioxidant capacity, in addition to peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase enzyme activities) of different treatments in red lentil samples were monitored. The WSTPC in our samples ranged from 0.726 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent GAE/g DW (DW being dry weight) to 1.089 mg GAE/g DW, and the WSPC varied from 19.078 g / 100g DW to 29.692 g / 100 g DW. Results showed that germination led to an increase in the WSTPC and WSPC. The peroxidase enzyme activity also exhibited an increase during germination which could result in deepening of the colour of the finished products. Germination resulted in the water-soluble antioxidant capacity of red lentil samples decreasing.


Background: Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) is produced in endocrine L-cells of the intestinal mucosa. Recently, GLP-2 was found to stimulate intestinal mucosal growth. Our objective was to study the content of GLP-2 in the large intestine in a murine model of T-cell-induced inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: Inflammation was induced by adoptive transfer of CD4 ‡ blast T cells from BALB/c mice to SCID mice. The amount of GLP-2 (1–33) was measured with a specific, NH 2-terminally directed radioimmunoassay in tissue extracts from the large intestine of transplanted mice developing colitis and from BALB/c and SCID control mice. Results:In the middle and descending colon segments showing the most severe signs of inflammatory lesions in the CD4 ‡ T-cell-transplanted mice, the amount of GLP-2 was significantly lower than in similar colon segments in both untransplanted SCID mice and normal BALB/c mice (P = 0.0013 and 0.0033). In the descending colon the amount of GLP-2 was 6.7 1.0 pmol/ g protein in the CD4 ‡ transplanted mice compared with 68.4 20.3 and 42.7 4.3 in the two groups of control mice. Similar findings were made with regard to the contents of the two other proglucagon-derived intestinal peptides, glicentin and GLP-1. Conclusion: The amount of GLP-2 is markedly reduced in the colon of mice with a T-cell-induced inflammatory bowel disease histopathologically resembling both Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. This observation may provide a pathophysiologic rationale for administration of GLP-2 as a trophic factor in inflammatory bowel disease.


The latest learning technologies implementation, based on new approaches to the presentation and acquisition of knowledge, requires appropriate modern methods of assessment. The search for perfect methods for assessing the abilities of entrants and students at the present stage of information technology development is extremely important, because the objectification of the assessment process, providing feedback, provides an opportunity to coordinate the development of personality. The main attention in this paper is directed on the decision of questions of professional orientation by means of testing which assumes performance of game tasks of a professional direction. The research presents a conceptual model of a specialized intelligent system, which is designed to support the decision of the applicant to choose a specialty of higher education institution of construction profile. The paper also shows fragments of the system with professional game tasks, which reflect the level of spatial imagination of the individual and the ability to perform functional duties in accordance with the personnel requirements of different professions of construction. The formation scheme of the recommendatory conclusion on results of performance of these tasks is offered the mechanism of fuzzy inference of the recommendatory conclusion is shown. Clear and fuzzy criteria are proposed that can be used to justify the recommendation conclusion. The possibility of using the fuzzy artificial neural network Takagi-Sugeno-Kang to setup the parameters of the model used to reflect certain professional abilities of the individual is shown.


This paper describes a new approach for texture characterization, based on nonseparable wavelet decomposition, and its application for the discrimination of visually similar diffuse diseases of liver. The proposed feature-extraction algorithm applies nonseparable quincunx wavelet transform and uses energies of the transformed regions to characterize textures. Classification experiments on a set of three different tissue types show that the scale/frequency approach, particularly one based on the nonseparable wavelet transform, could be a reliable method for a texture characterization and analysis of B-scan liver images. Comparison between the quincunx and the traditional wavelet decomposition suggests that the quincunx transform is more appropriate for characterization of noisy data, and practical applications, requiring description with lower rotational sensitivity.


Osteopontin is an endogenous molecular marker for tumor hypoxia, and hypoxia is one of the factors that determine the aggressiveness of the disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation between osteopontin levels and radiation response in malignant glioma. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 15 malignant glioma patients who underwent radiation therapy from July 2004 to May 2015 at the RSUPN Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Osteopontin levels were measured from paraffin-embedded tissue using a commercial ELISA kit. Tumor volume was calculated using computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, based on three-dimensional volume measurements. Tumor response was evaluated by comparing pre- and post-radiation tumor volumes using CT scan and MRI images. The mean osteopontin level was 0.49 ± 0.45 ng/mL and the mean percentage change in tumor volume was 8.59 ± 54.22%, with a 60% enlargement in tumor volume. A progressive disease was found in 26.7% of patients. There was a weak but insignificant negative correlation ( r = -0.39, p = 0.146) between the level of osteopontin and radiation response. In contrast, there was a strong but insignificant positive correlation ( r = +0.68, p = 0.219) between the level of osteopontin and radiation response in the patient group that used the chemosensitizer temozolamide.


When bacteria are plated on a solid medium containing a drug, only a fraction α∞ often very small, of the cells ever form colonies, αt, the fraction which have done so at time t, has been determined as a function of time, together with α∞, for various trained and untrained strains of bacteria in presence of a series of drugs. Bacterium lactis aerogenes (Aerobacter aerogenes) has been studied in this way in presence of brilliant green, proflavine, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, terramycin, thymol, sodium azide and isonicotinyl hydrazine: and Bact. coli mutabile in presence of chloramphenicol, and propamidine. In some of the examples the curves of αt/α∞ against time are clearly and obviously incompatible with the postulate that the resistant forms in the trained culture are pre-existent in the original. Separate experiments, moreover, have shown in these examples that a large concentration of non-resistant forms does not in fact delay the growth of forms already adapted . In other examples the αt/α∞ against t curves are less sharply contrasted for the trained and untrained strains. Here, however, α∞ for the trained strain may represent practically the whole population, while for the untrained strain it is 10-6 or less. The statistical result of comparing, in attempts to estimate numbers of mutants, the average of one population with the extreme tail of another is examined. It is concluded that the αt/α∞ relations, even in the second type of example, are as consistent with the occurrence of adaptations in competition with lethal action son the plate as they are with the growth of mutants. The resistance of strains re-tested after isolation from resistant colonies is highly variable.


In Uruguay, between 2006 and 2012, the so-called «Business Plans» (BP) were proposed as an instrument to support the Farm. The instrument allowed access to non-reimbursable funds, according to kilograms of fruit delivered, and to interest-free reimbursable funds for inputs and technical assistance. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the BPs in facilitating the integration of family producers (FPs) into value chains. Non-experimental cross-sectional research was conducted on the 57 deciduous fruit plans approved between 2006 and 2012. The criterion of effectiveness is associated with evidence showing that FPs participate in repeated calls, have stable links with commercial agents, perceive the same benefits as non-family producers, and have a favorable opinion of the instrument. Quantitative information was analyzed through contingency tables with a significance level of 5 %. A total of 510 producers participated, of which 162 were FPs, and 203 million Uruguayan pesos (constant as of December 2016) were approved for the BP. It is concluded that the instrument was not effective in integrating FPs due to the lack of value chains that accept fruit produced with its technical restrictions. Despite the repeated participation of the FPs and their favorable perception, the appropriation of the benefits was dissimilar, benefiting only partially in financing inputs and technical assistance. For the FPs, marketing did not improve because they have difficulties in fulfilling contracts and the marketing chains in which they participate have antagonistic relationships.


Background: Numerous epidemiological studies have emphasized the burden of lateral ankle sprains in youth soccer players. However, no prospective study has identified intrinsic physical and modifiable risk factors for these injuries in this particular population. Although injury prevention programs in soccer incorporate proximal hip and core stability exercises, it is striking that the relationship between impaired proximal hip function and ankle sprains has not yet been prospectively investigated in youth soccer players. Hypothesis: This prospective study aimed to examine whether hip muscle strength is a risk factor for sustaining a lateral ankle sprain in youth soccer players. We hypothesized that decreased hip muscle strength would predispose youth soccer players to an increased risk of lateral ankle sprains. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: This study included a total of 133 male youth soccer players (age divisions U11-U17) for analysis. At the beginning of the season, anthropometric characteristics were collected and hip muscle strength was assessed using a handheld dynamometer. Injury registration was performed by the team medical staff during 3 consecutive seasons. A principal-component, multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify potential risk factors for sustaining a lateral ankle sprain. Results: Twelve participants (18% of all reported injuries) sustained a lateral ankle sprain (0.36 per 1000 athletic-exposure hours). After adjustment for body size dependencies and other hip muscle forces, an increase in hip muscle extension force was associated with a significant decrease in the hazard of the injury (hazard ratio, 0.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.9; P = .028). No other study variable could be identified as a risk factor for lateral ankle sprains. Conclusion: Reduced hip extension muscle strength is an independent risk factor for lateral ankle sprains in male youth soccer players. Other hip muscle strength outcomes were not identified as risk factors. Replication in larger samples with more injured cases is warranted to further ascertain the importance of this risk factor.


Abstract This study examines market behavior of U.S.-based international mutual funds that invest solely in the international equity markets from 2005 to 2009. With a reputation of high expense ratio, these funds outperform the stock market indices; and their performances can be explained by fund characteristics, such as size, turnover ratio, and beta. Funds are categorized as winners or losers based on their relative performance in the category. The probability of winner funds becoming loser funds or vice versa is close to 50%. The post one- to three-year annualized returns for winner funds and loser funds are very similar. Thus, the relative performance of one fund to another appears more like a random walk than a persistent trend. © 2012 Academy of Financial Services. All rights reserved. JEL classification: G11 Keywords: International mutual fund; Performance; Performance persistence 1. Introduction The first international mutual fund was introduced in the United States in 1955. By the end of 2008, international equity mutual funds accounted for 9% of mutual fund industry assets.1 The fast growth of international mutual funds can be attributed to their most prominent benefit of the diversification function, while this is hard to achieve from direct investing by individuals in the international market (Grubel, 1968; Levy and Sarnat, 1970). The fast economic growth of the emerging markets (Li and Lin, 2011) also helps to explain the growth of the United States-based international funds, because mutual fund investors believe there exists a higher degree of market inefficiency in emerging markets than in the U.S. market (Tkac, 2001). Mutual fund performance is always an attractive topic for both researchers and investors because investment performance is the most influential of the many factors that shape fund owners' opinions of the fund industry.2 If it is true the degree of market inefficiency is higher in the international market, domestic investors would want to spend even more effort doing research on international funds to find the most rewarding investments. Although there exists a large amount of literature regarding domestic fund performance (Fortin and Michelson, 2002; Lin and Yung, 2004; Dowen and Mann, 2004; Haslem, Baker, and David, 2008), we find very few studies that have examined international mutual fund performance. Fortin and Michelson (2005) studied the relative performance of international funds versus the market index. Their findings support the existence of market inefficiency in the international market and, thus, investors are benefited by selecting actively managed international funds to capture the inefficiency. Moreover, they explored the relation between funds' return and characteristics, and they found that size and turnover can contribute to funds' return but not the expense ratio. From an individual investor's position, the fund characteristics, such as load, turnover ratio, size, manager's tenure, and star rating are most convenient to observe and utilize. Thus, it is meaningful to investigate fund performance relative to these characteristics to facilitate investors as they construct more effective portfolios. This study focuses on United States-based international funds that solely invest in the equity market outside of the United States. Evaluating performance of international funds is relatively challenging compare to evaluating performance of domestic funds because of the lack of appropriate benchmarks for international funds. For example, even the most sophisticated data gathering company, Morningstar, uses only one single benchmark (MSCI EAFE)3 to measure performance of all international funds. In this study, we use classical measures to analyze international fund performance, such as three-year and five-year annualized returns, fund alpha, sharp ratio, and Morningstar rating. We do not use factors models, which are most commonly seen in studies for domestic mutual funds to examine returns, because we believe there may be lack of a common set of factors to explain international fund returns. …


849 nm with E, = 200 J in a 120-ksec pump pulse duration, which corresponded to the maximum single-pass gain of 3.5. These results were used to optimize the pump characteristics for the amplifier to be developed. The amplification and recompression characteristics were measured using 200psec, 70-mJ chirped pulses at -790 nm from the Ti :sapphire system. An example of the results is shown in Fig. 1. The maximum single-pass gain of 2.5 has been obtained with the pulse energy of 172 mJ at E, = 200 J in a 120-psec pump pulse duration. By recompressing, we had an output energy of 87 mJ in 225-fsec (FWHM) pulses. TW pulses are expected by a double-pass amplification in the Cr : LiSAF amplifier and/or by optimizing the recompression process.


ABSTRACT Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial disease with increasing incidence in the U.S. suggesting that environmental factors, including diet, are involved. It has been suggested that excessive consumption of linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 omega-6), which must be obtained from the diet, may promote the development of IBD in humans. To demonstrate a causal link between LA and IBD, we show that a high fat diet (HFD) based on soybean oil (SO), which is comprised of ~55% LA, increases susceptibility to colitis in several models, including IBD-susceptible IL10 knockout mice. This effect was not observed with low-LA HFDs derived from genetically modified soybean oil or olive oil. The conventional SO HFD causes classical IBD symptoms including immune dysfunction, increased intestinal epithelial barrier permeability, and disruption of the balance of isoforms from the IBD susceptibility gene Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (HNF4α). The SO HFD causes gut dysbiosis, including increased abundance of an endogenous adherent invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), which can use LA as a carbon source. Metabolomic analysis shows that in the mouse gut, even in the absence of bacteria, the presence of soybean oil increases levels of LA, oxylipins and prostaglandins. Many compounds in the endocannabinoid system, which are protective against IBD, are decreased by SO both in vivo and in vitro. These results indicate that a high LA diet increases susceptibility to colitis via microbial and host-initiated pathways involving alterations in the balance of bioactive metabolites of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as HNF4α isoforms.


Current proposals for using arithmetic coding in a joint source/channel coding framework require 'soft' information to provide error correction. However, in many applications only the binary arithmetic coded output is available at the decoder. We propose a hard decision technique that uses only the information in the bitstream to provide error correction. Where soft information is available this decoder can also be used to substantially enhance the performance of any soft decision decoders by using the two decoders in an iterative fashion.


Defining and examining democracy in non-Western contexts is a conceptual challenge. This is largely because scholars of contemporary political systems outside of anthropology can envision no alternative pathways other than Western expressions of democracy. Such thinking inhibits our understanding of past, and indeed future, democratic systems. In this paper, we argue that there is no such thing as a "democracy, " but rather there are institutions that facilitate democratic governance. More specifically, we argue that in Indigenous North America "keystone institutions" facilitated complex institutional arrangements and broad participation by a citizenry in the distribution of power and authority. While these characteristics define such Western democratic institutions as the Athenian assembly, the Icelandic Althing, or the U.S. Congress, we argue that comparable keystone institutions of governance can be identified across Indigenous North America. To illustrate these points, we provide a series of cases that demonstrate the variability in the forms that democratic keystone institutions might take. We specifically focus on axes of variability related to the scale and scope of participation facilitated by each institution, the degree to which the institutions distribute power equitably, and the complexity and formality of the institutional arrangements held together by the keystone institution. Importantly, we argue that the concept of the keystone institution as an analytical tool for seeking out the emergence and role of democratic forms of governance transcends the utility of dichotomous categories such as Western/non-Western or state/non-state that limit productive comparative frameworks and the inclusion of non-traditional case studies of democracy in global conversations.


High entropy or compositionally complex alloys provide opportunities for optimization towards new high-temperature materials. Improvements in the equiatomic alloy Al17Co17Cr17Cu17Fe17Ni17 (at.%) led to the base alloy for this work with the chemical composition Al10Co25Cr8Fe15Ni36Ti6 (at.%). Characterization of the beneficial particle-strengthened microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and observation of good mechanical properties at elevated temperatures arose the need of accomplishing further optimization steps. For this purpose, the refractory metals hafnium and molybdenum were added in small amounts (0.5 and 1.0 at.% respectively) because of their well-known positive effects on mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys. By correlation of microstructural examinations using SEM with tensile tests in the temperature range of room temperature up to 900 °C, conclusions could be drawn for further optimization steps.


For last two decades, scholars, judges, and corporations have embraced the idea that corporations should maximize benefit for shareholders. But on a lazy summer day in August of 2019, that changed. The CEOs of nearly 200 major U.S. companies released a statement embracing stakeholder theory — the idea that corporations should look after the needs of not only shareholders, but also those of employees, suppliers, community members, and others. Many applauded this as a progressive step: a way for corporations to take control back from the outsized, greedy influence of profit-driven shareholders. This Essay takes a different view, arguing that shareholders have long been advocates of the kind of progressive values that the public desires. Instead of being a step forward, stakeholder theory is another way to entrench management.

This Essay draws on hand-collected data from companies in the S&P 1500 that shows that shareholders, not management, have been the driving force behind the environmental, social, and governance principles that often align with stakeholder governance. In particular, institutional investors and proxy advisory firms have taken the lead on pushing these policies through to management. This Essay contributes to both a long-standing literature on managerial and shareholder power, and to the timeliest debate in corporate law today. On the practical side, its novel argument — one that has yet to be explored by commentators in media or scholarly circles — gives public companies a roadmap to engage in policies that better promote diversity, sustainability, and community stewardship.


A novel tumor marker, tumor‐associated glycoprotein‐72 (TAG‐72), has been identified using monoclonal antibody (MAb) B72.3. Using immunohistochemical techniques, TAG‐72 has been found in carcinomas of various origin including colon, stomach, breast, lung, prostate, and ovary, as well as in body fluids. The presence of TAG‐72 in serum samples from 260 patients with colorectal disease (malignant or benign) has been evaluated using the CA72‐4 assay. Approximately 40% of patients with colorectal cancer exhibit elevated levels of this marker; moreover, the presence of positive levels of TAG‐72 significantly correlates with advanced stages of disease, suggesting that TAG‐72 may be a good marker of advanced colorectal cancer. Only 2% of the patients diagnosed with colorectal disease had elevated TAG‐72 serum levels indicating the high specificity of this marker. A comparative study with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) serum levels showed a complementarity of the two tumor markers; in fact, 49.6% of CEA negative cases scored positive for TAG‐72. A longitudinal evaluation of TAG‐72 serum levels in 31 patients with malignant disease was performed. The results indicate that patients with increasing TAG‐72 serum levels postoperatively may be indicative of recurrent disease. In 60% of patients in which significant changes of CEA levels could not be detected, TAG‐72 showed rising positive levels prior to clinical evidence of recurrent disease. These results suggest that the simultaneous use of TAG‐72 and CEA serum markers may be useful in the diagnosis of recurrent disease and therefore play an important role in the clinical management of cancer patients.


Bouhezza is a traditional Algerian low-fat soft cheese. It can be produced from goat, sheep, cow milk or from mixed milks. The traditional cheesemaking of Bouhezza cheese requires the preparation of a natural container - "chekoua" - from goat or sheep skin, with the role of serum separator and solid phase. In these skin-bags, the "lben" is obtained by churning and partially skimming of spontaneously fermented milk. The end of the manufacturing is characterized by the addition of whole raw milk, that allows to correct the cheese salinity and acidity. The aim of this study was to characterize the composition of healthy beneficial molecules in Bouhezza cheese. A total of six individual cheeses, manufactured from cow milk in six rural farms located in the Aures Mountains of south of Constantine in Algeria, was collected. Bouhezza cheese samples were kept into the "chekoua" bags for a period of 30 days and only three of these samples were spiced with red pepper at the end of manufacturing. The cheese samples were analysed for fat-soluble vitamins, linolenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid content. Beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol levels referred to 100 g of cheese ranged 0.03 - 0.2 mg and 0.1 - 0.5 mg, respectively. Beta-carotene content was significantly higher in cheese samples spiced with red pepper. Linolenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid levels referred to 100 g of cheese ranged 30 - 58 mg and 6.0 - 11.5 mg, respectively. Raw milk quality and production technology might explain the variations of healthy beneficial molecules content in Bouhezza cheese samples.


Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and an oral pancreatic function test were evaluated prospectively in 107 consecutive patients suspected of having pancreatic disease, the final diagnosis being made independently of these tests. Seventeen patients proved to have either chronic pancreatitis or a pancreatic neoplasm. Five had an unfused ventral pancreas and 10 had "minimal change" pancreatograms. Seventy five patients did not have pancreatic disease. Among the 17 patients with pancreatic disease the sensitivities of ultrasound, CT, and the pancreatic function test were 70%, 71%, and 76% respectively; among those without disease values of specificity of the three tests were 75%, 87%, and 72%. All three tests failed to detect most of the patients with unfused ventral pancreases or minimal change pancreatograms. The predictive values of a positive result for the three tests were 43%, 67%, and 34%. The predictive value of a negative result was greater than 90% for all the tests. Results improved when CT was combined with either of the two other tests. These findings show that CT is the most accurate of the three tests in diagnosing pancreatic disease but that a combination of ultrasound and the oral pancreatic function test offers a more widely applicable and almost as accurate alternative.


This study considers whether consumers' motives to avoid waiting can be used to benefit both themselves and the services they attend. Specifically, two related aspects are explored: informing customers about alternative service delivery options that will allow them to avoid physically standing in line, and telling them at which times and days the service is usually busier (hoping they will avoid the more congested periods). The main issue is whether customers will alter their behaviour to avoid waiting –even in the absence of other incentives. Examples from four attempts to modify customer behaviour at two bank branches are analysed. Some of these attempts were quite successful in accomplishing their intended purpose and others were not. Results suggest that peak demand can be reduced and overall demand can be levelled using customer motivations, although the effectiveness of implementation depends on a number of factors. These factors include, among others, the type of clientele and the flexibility of the capacity.


In the current marketplace, there are maturity models, standards methodologies and guideline that can help an organization improve the way it does business. Software process assessment models, ISO/IEC 15504 and CMMI provide a tool to assess your organization's software development capability. Experienced assessors make these assessments. However these models don't supply systematic metrics for software process assessment. Therefore the assessors have used their subjective estimations for quantitative measurement in their software process assessment. This paper defines the basic metrics and presents the standard metrics in categories of process defined by ISO/IEC 15504 to assess software process quantitatively and objectively. In addition, presents an essential guideline to identify your organization's condition by suggesting a process maturity assessment metrics to apply the standard metrics to your organizations.


In order to face attendance and financial issues, theaters have been employing audience development strategies. Much research has therefore been devoted to uncover the factors that specifically demotivate attendance in order to address them. One factor that seems to encapsulate all of them and to be actively preventing attendance to theatre venues is the perception of theatre as a risky activity. This can be considered to include the Satisfaction, Social, Psychological and Economic risk, whose perceptions all contribute to consumers' decision (not) to attend. On the other hand, performing arts festivals are striving in attendance numbers and also seem to be popular across all age groups, a feature theaters often fail to achieve. Being festivals "special events" that happen only occasionally and showcase specific themes that help form temporary communities of festival goers, it is hypothesized that they may provide relievers for the specific components of risk associated with theatre. Therefore, the main research question is: to what extent does the experience in arts/theatre festivals affect the perception of theatre as a risky activity? A quantitative analysis is employed to identify such an influence among people who attend theatre in a variety of contexts in the Netherlands, particularly regular theaters and festivals. It is found that participating to arts and theatre festivals does affect to some extent the appreciation for theatre, the perceived value in a performance and the overall perception of risk, which all ultimately lead to an increased attendance. These results may be of use to policy and theatre makers alike in formulating new strategies to appeal to a more diversified audience, addressing their expectations and worries, both in theaters and in the performing arts field at large.


This Research was aimed to determine the efficacy of home care education on knowledge and performance of hemodialysis renal patients discharged from hospitals of Urmia University of Medical Sciences, 2010.

 Materials & Methods: This experimental study included 70 hemodialysis renal patients discharged from hospitals. They subjects were divided to two groups as case and control by randomized method (each group contains 35 patients). The independent variable was home care education and the dependent variable was knowledge and performance of patients. The data were collected using a questionnaire that was prepared in three parts. The patients were interviewed to determine their knowledge and performance in two stages. In the first stage, some demographic information, and knowledge and performance of both groups were gathered, and then home care education was performed plus offering some booklets. The second stage for the study and control group started after 30 day of the last self care education section. In other to analyzing the data, SPSS were used. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied.

 Results: The majority of the samples were female, married and were 25-44 years old. The average of acquiring knowledge was 26.9 before education which increased to 47.7 (P<0.05) for the study group. But in the control group was 30 in pretest and in posttest 30.1. The average of different performance was 44.4 before education which increased to 76.6 (P<0.05) for study group. But in the control group was 46.6 in pretest and in posttest was 45.5. There is a significant increase in both awareness and performance after the education.

 Conclusion: H ome care education of hemodialysis renal patients increases their knowledge and performance


10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) as the main component of royal jelly has pharmacological characteristics. But the influence of 10-HDA on skin photoaging and photo damage is poorly understood. In the present study, we used 10-HAD immediately after UVA exposure and tested the effects on the attenuation of LMNAÄ150 expression in cultured human dermal fibroblasts Human dermal fibroblasts (cultured cells) were exposed to UVA irradiation. The mRNA level of LMNAÄ150 was determined by Taqman Real-Time PCR Assay. Real-time PCR analysis of LMNAÄ150 transcripts indicated that the level of LMNAÄ150 transcripts was higher in the UVA exposed group than the group treated with 10-HAD after UVA exposure (>8.22-fold). The LMNAÄ150 expression is down-regulated in human dermal fibroblasts after treatment with 10-HDA. It can be concluded that treatment with 10-HDA suppresses the UVA-induced gene expression of LMNAÄ150 and protects skin from UVA-induced photoaging and photo damage.


According to the basic principles of Kansei Engineering and BP neural network, the article establishes a non-linear relationship between the user's perceptual evaluation and the car's formative element. It also builds a strong anti-interference black box model, which may work out the precise value of the formative elements by the perceptual evaluations. The paper also discusses the model with deductive method, and the results show that the quantization and transformation in body design can be effectively solved by the method based on BP neural network and Kansei Engineering.


The rise of topological insulators in recent years has broken new ground both in the conceptual cognition of condensed matter physics and the promising revolution of the electronic devices. It also stimulates the explorations of more topological states of matter. Topological crystalline insulator is a new topological phase, which combines the electronic topology and crystal symmetry together. In this article, we review the recent progress in the studies of SnTe-class topological crystalline insulator materials. Starting from the topological identifications in the aspects of the bulk topology, surface states calculations and experimental observations, we present the electronic properties of topological crystalline insulators under various perturbations, including native defect, chemical doping, strain, and thickness-dependent confinement effects, and then discuss their unique quantum transport properties, such as valley-selective filtering and helicity-resolved functionalities for Dirac fermions. The rich properties and high tunability make SnTe-class materials promising candidates for novel quantum devices.


This paper investigates the bioconversion of mixed fruit waste as a potential source of biogas and organic fertilizer. The pH of digester liquid, influent and effluent, temperature of gas production volume were observed. In addition to this, TS and VS of the manure before and after digestion were determined. The TS/VS lost in fermenter and efficiencies of VS conversion to gas was also monitored at the end of the study. The study also shows that residue left after the production of biogas is a valuable organic fertilizer that can be used as an alternative to inorganic fertilizer in maize production and soil fertility. Yield of maize was significantly increased over that of the control. Markedly influenced by the application of organo-minerals, NPK fertilizer and their combination as observed from the increased plant height, diameter of plant stem, leaf area and Weight of 1000 kernels compared to the control. Biogas residue has therefore proved to be environmentally friendly and an effective fertilizer. The use of locally available, nutrient rich organic sources is an effective means for improving soil fertility and increasing crop yield in view of the escalating cost of inorganic fertilizers and low fertilizer use efficiency of crops.


The End of Youth is a collection of 13 linked stories, essays and rants, about carrying on after youth's hope is gone. In "Afraid of the Dark," a child learns that there is good reason to be afraid. The adolescent narrator of "Description of a Struggle" finds that love can be brutal. "The Smokers" -examines an adult's realization that longevity means seeing loved ones die. Written with the same spare and vivid beauty as her earlier award-winning works, The End of Youth is certain to win even wider acclaim. Rebecca Brown is the author of The Terrible Girls, Annie Oakley's Girl, The Gifts of the Body and The Dogs. She lives in Seattle.


We have built a laser-diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser that emits 5.5 W of power in a single-frequency, polarized, nearly diffraction-limited TEM00 mode. The laser uses fiber-coupled pump lasers and a rectilinear geometry to achieve high efficiency in a simple side-pumped architecture. Injection locking produces a stable, single-frequency output with no intracavity frequency-selection elements.


Current thesis work focuses on an automated fracture and fatigue analysis of welded components. Fracture and fatigue analysis in this research starts with a computation of the transient temperature, microstructure, stress and displacement in welds. The set of the Gauss points that have the largest tensile principal stresses are determined for the purpose of locating candidate sites of cracks. Material force, J-integral, stress intensity factor and CTOA are computed from the results of the stress analysis. Result of the SIF can be compared to the fracture toughness. The rate of the crack growth per load cycle in this work is calculated by solving the Paris-Erdogan equation, based on the increment in the stress intensity factor. Verification of the VrWeld is done by comparing the stress results with an analytical solution. Recommendations are made based on the obtained results and the directions of future work are suggested.


Purpose: To generalize and experimentally validate a new algorithm for reconstructing the 3D pose (position and orientation) of implanted brachytherapy seeds from a few 2D conebeam‐CT x‐ray projections. Methods and materials: The iterative forward projection matching (IFPM) algorithm finds the set of seed poses that minimizes the sum‐of‐intensity‐difference‐squared (SSD) of computed and experimentally‐acquired auto‐segmented rojections of the seed array. IFPM starts with an initial approximation to the seed configuration, e.g., the pre‐planned seed arrangement and then iteratively refines the 3D seed pose and imaging viewpoint parameters until the SSD converges. We have demonstrated the IFPM method using both synthetic projection images of clinically‐realistic Model‐6711 seed arrangements and measured projections of an in‐house precision‐machined prostate implant phantom that allows the orientations and locations of up to 100 seeds to be set to known values. The phantom was scanned using an Acuity‐digital‐simulator with full 660‐projections. Three‐to‐ten x‐ray projection images were selected from the conebeam‐CT dataset and were pre‐processed to create binary seed‐only images. In addition to comparing the reconstructed to the known seed poses, 2D matching accuracy was quantified comparing the reconstructed seed projection with the measured projection using the dice‐similarity‐coefficient (DSC). The estimated 3D seed positions were also compared with clinically obtained VariSeed‐planning coordinates derived from conebeam‐CT images.Results: For the simulations, the seed reconstruction error was better than 0.4mm/2°. For the phantom experiments, IFPM absolute accuracy was (0.56±0.45)mm for position, while and (2.9±2.8)° and (3.6±4.0)° for polar and azimuthal angles, respectively. The DSC was better than 0.76 in each image‐pair.Conclusions: We have developed a novel algorithm for accurately recovering 3D pose of implanted brachytherapy seeds from as few as 3 projections. IFPM avoids the need to match corresponding seeds in each projection and accommodates incomplete data, overlapping seed clusters, and highly‐migrated seeds. Supported by Varian Medical Systems


This thesis presents a complete theoretical framework for turbulence and
transport in tokamak plasmas. The fundamental scale separations present
in plasma turbulence are codified as an asymptotic expansion in the ratio
of the gyroradius to the equilibrium scale length. Proceeding order-by-
order in this expansion, a framework for plasma turbulence is developed.
It comprises an instantaneous equilibrium, the fluctuations driven by gra-
dients in the equilibrium quantities, and the transport-timescale evolu-
tion of mean profiles of these quantities driven by the fluctuations. The
equilibrium distribution functions are local Maxwellians with each flux
surface rotating toroidally as a rigid body. Large-scale deviations of the
distribution function from a Maxwellian are given by neoclassical theory.
The fluctuations are determined by the high-flow gyrokinetic equation,
from which we derive the governing principle for gyrokinetic turbulence
in tokamaks: the conservation and local cascade of free energy. Transport
equations for the evolution of the mean density, temperature and flow ve-
locity profiles are derived. These transport equations show how the neo-
classical corrections and the fluctuations act back upon the mean profiles
through fluxes and heating.
This framework is further developed by exploiting the scale separation
between ions and the electrons. The gyrokinetic equation is expanded
in powers of the electron to ion mass ratio, which provides a rigorous
method for deriving the electron response to ion-scale turbulence. We
prove that such turbulence cannot change the magnetic topology, and ar-
gue that, therefore, the magnetic field lies on fluctuating flux surfaces.
These flux surfaces are used to construct magnetic coordinates, and in
these coordinates a closed system of equations for the electron response
is derived. All fast electron timescales have been eliminated from these
equations. Simplified transport equations for electrons in this limit are
also derived.


A new method for the serological diagnosis of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection based on neutralization of the virus in cell culture was developed. The test involves a short incubation of the virus in the presence of the serum sample to be tested and permissive cells. With viral replication being limited and without a cytopathic effect, viral growth in cells is evaluated by reverse transcription and PCR. The specificity of the test was established by studying sera from healthy individuals and patients with hepatitis living in France, where autochthonous hepatitis E is unknown. The kinetics and sensitivity of antibody detection were evaluated during the experimental infection of monkeys. Neutralizing antibodies were found in 79% of patients during an outbreak of hepatitis E and in 43% of patients with sporadic, acute non-A, non-B (without anti-hepatitic C virus antibodies) hepatitis. This neutralization assay is proposed as a confirmatory test for the available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is now recognized as giving many false-positive reactions, and to improve identification of new hepatitis viruses since false-negative reactions with HEV ELISA are also encountered.


Analysis of the expansion of cylindrical and spherical cavities in soil and rock provides a versatile and accurate geomechanics approach for study of important problems in geotechnical engineering. As the method getting more important, the analysis of non-circular shape cavity is becoming significance. The paper has investigated the cavity wall shape varying characteristic and elasto-plastic distribution of stress of elliptic shape cavity under internal uniform pressure during the expansion period through ABAQUS FEM numerical. It pointed that the elliptic cavity wall will tend to circle shape as the internal uniform pressure increasing. It also gain that the elasto-plastic distribution around the elliptic cavity is bigger than spherical cavity's and smaller than spherical cavity's when material and pressure are same . The stress characters and the cavity wall transfiguration result is useful for estimate non-circular shape cavity expansion.


At theoretical procedure well suited for generating design data on dielectric grating antennas for the millimeter-wave region is presented. The procedure utilizes the effective dielectric constant (EDC) method to determine the phase constant of the leaky modes supported by the antenna structure of finite lateral width. The radiation or leakage constant of these modes is obtained from the relatively simple boundary value problem of dielectric grating antennas of infinite width. For single-beam radiation, the practicably interesting case, the phase and leakage constants completely determine the field distribution in the antenna aperture, from which the directivity gain and radiation pattern are then calculated. The dependence of the antenna characteristics on the dimensions of the radiating structure is presented and discussed for epsilon = 12, the dielectric constant of typical millimeter-wave materials, such as silicon and GaAs.


The paleoglaciology of the Tibetan Plateau is still largely unexplored, despite its importance for regional and global climate reconstructions. In this thesis a comprehensive glacial geological record is presented from an extensive part of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau centred on the Bayan Har Shan. Glacial reconstructions for this region range from restricted mountain glaciers through the intermediate-size regional-scale Huang He ice sheet to a plateau-scale Tibetan ice sheet. To provide a robust basis for glacial reconstructions, this thesis provides conclusions based on two principle methods, remote sensing and field studies. The remote sensing of a 90 m resolution digital elevation model and 15- and 30 m resolution satellite imagery renders a detailed data set with complete spatial coverage of large- and medium-scale glacial landforms, and large-scale plateau geomorphology. Observations from fieldwork campaigns add detailed point information for the distribution of glacial deposits. Geomorphological glacial traces such as glacial valleys, glacial lineations, marginal moraines, meltwater channels, and hummocky terrain occur frequently in elevated mountain areas, indicating former alpine-style glaciations. Glacial deposits in the form of till, erratic boulders, and glaciofluvial sediments are common in areas with mapped glacial landforms, but also beyond, in areas lacking large-scale glacial landforms. For extensive plateau areas in-between formerly glaciated mountain blocks, there is a striking absence of glacial landforms and sediments, indicating that these areas, perhaps, never were ice covered. Interestingly, glacial deposits occur further away from the mountain blocks than the large- and medium-scale glacial landforms, indicating insignificant erosion beneath the maximum ice covers close to their margins. The large-scale geomorphology of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is characterised by a low-relief plateau surface with glacial valleys in elevated mountain blocks and marginal steep V-shaped valleys. This geographical distribution indicates a dominance of glacial erosion in the elevated mountain areas and a dominance of fluvial erosion along the steep plateau margins, dissecting a relict plateau surface. The outline of the relict plateau surface mimics the proposed outline of the Huang He ice sheet, suggesting that the inferred ice sheet may represent a misinterpreted relict surface with scattered glacial traces. In conclusion, the glacial geology examined in the Bayan Har Shan region is consistent with paleo-glaciers of varying extent restricted to elevated mountain areas. Even though extensive icefields/ice caps were centred on discrete mountain areas, there is no indication that these ice masses merged but rather that they were separated from each other by unglaciated plateau areas. The presented glacial geological record will be used in further studies towards a robust paleoglaciological reconstruction for the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.


BACKGROUND
pharmacists remain on the frontline of public health around the globe and their performance directly impacts patients' safety. So far, to our knowledge, no European study has been dedicated to their heath-related quality of life (HQoL). Therefore, the primarily aim of our study was to evaluate HQoL of Polish pharmacists utilizing the SF-36 health survey with regard to anthropometric and lifestyle-related variables.

METHODS
A total sample screened consisted of 1412 respondents, yet 765 pharmacists (mean age 40, 86.3% females) finally participated in the study. HQoL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS
The lowest median scores were noted for general health (GH, 50.0) and vitality (V, 60.0) domains. No gender differences regarding physical and mental summary scores were found. Significant difference of HQoL was found among the assessed age groups in several domains, especially physical functioning (PF) and GH (p <0.001) scores, and especially in the group of 51-60-year-old-respondents. Correlations were found between PF (r = -0.29, p <0.001), GH (r = -0.25, p <0.001) and age as well PF (r = -0.27, p <0.001), GH (r = -0.21, p <0.001) and BMI. Self-assessed dietary habits were correlated with PF (r = 0.22, p <0.001), mental health (r = 0.25, p <0.001), GH (r = 0.27, p <0.001) and V (r = 0.30, p <0.001) scores.

CONCLUSIONS
The analysis indicates that pharmacists tend to have similar mental and physical burden according to SF-36, with age, BMI and dietary habits as predominant factors influencing their HQoL. The study presents unique values for future comparative analyses related, for instance, to the influence of the ongoing pandemic on HQoL of health-care providers.


At her accession in 1558 Elizabeth I inherited a troublesome legacy with a long history of wars against France and Scotland. This international situation was becoming a huge financial burden on the English crown and economy. Elizabeth I and Foreign Policy describes and assesses England's foreign policy during the second half of the sixteenth century. It includes coverage of Elizabeth's relations with foreign powers, the effect of Reformation on foreign affairs, Elizabeth's successs as a stateswoman and the war with Spain.


This webinar is the first in a series focusing on the pathways that allow for cancer development and progression, the emerging research in identifying and targeting these pathways, and the innovations in the development of cancer treatment options. Recent advances in our understanding of cancer have revealed that the disease cannot be understood through simple analysis of genetic mutations within cancerous cells. Instead, tumors should be considered complex tissues in which the cancer cells evolve and communicate with the surrounding cellular microenvironment to promote their own survival and dissemination. Although therapies against specific signaling proteins or pathways have been remarkably successful at treating certain cancers, the tumors frequently develop resistance, leading to even more aggressive forms of the disease.

This webinar will focus on how rewiring of signaling pathways in response to drug treatment contributes to resistance and how this knowledge can be leveraged to develop more effective treatment strategies.


To the Editor. —On reading the article, "Triiodothyronine (T 3 ) Toxicosis," by the Mayo Clinic group in the October issue ( Arch Intern Med 128 :529-534,1971), I was disappointed not to find reference to the discovery of T 3 by Gross and Pitt-Rivers. 1 Such amenities are too often neglected in our scientific presentations. Next I should like to comment on the paucity of pertinent material in the patient summaries. Four of the six patients treated with radioactive iodine became myxedematous but nowhere is the dose of sodium iodide I 131 administered recorded. Since the report of the Public Health Service Thyrotoxicosis Follow-up Study on thousands of patients treated, it has become clear that myxedema is dose related. There is increasing incidence of hypothyroidism with increased dose. I think it is only fair to expect exact doses of medications prescribed, but in this instance the important information lies in the rad


Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent malignant neoplasms in both sexes within developed countries. In the Republic of Serbia(Serbia) colorectal cancer mortality in 1971 ranged 5 in females, and 4 in males; it became the second leading malignancy in 1982 in females (after breast cancer), and in 1992 in males (after lung cancer). The objective of this descriptive-epidemiological study was to examine colorectal cancer mortality in Serbian population, particularly the effect of cohort variations on death rates in defined age groups over the period 1971-1996. Mortality rates were calculated from unpublished national vital statistics data of the Institute of Statistics of the Republic of Serbia. To estimate the age effect on colorectal cancer mortality, specific death rates were computed for cohorts born between 1892-96 and 1972-76, and died at subsequent time periods. The mortality rates were adjusted by direct method, using the world standard population. Confidence intervals (CI) for death rates were assessed with 95% level of probability. In time trend analysis of mortality, Fisher's test was used as a significance test for linear regression coefficient. In the study period (1971-1996), a share of all digestive tumors in cancer mortality has decreased from 42.0% to 32.3%. However, the mortality risk of colorectal cancer and its share in cancer mortality have increased. For example, in men, the share of colorectal cancer in digestive cancer mortality increased from 20.7% (1971) to 32.8% (1996) and in overall cancer mortality from 7.5% to 10.5%. In women, the share of colorectal cancer in digestive cancer mortality increased from 23.0%(1971) to 35.6%(1996), and in overall cancer mortality from 8.5% to 11.6%. The average colorectal cancer age-adjusted death rates (1971-1996) were 11.2 per 100,000 men (95% CI: 10.1-12.3), and 8.3 per 100,000 women (95% CI: 7.7-8.9). The secular linear mortality trends showed significant increase both in males (y = 11.2 + 0.2x; ρ = 0.000), and females (y = 8.3 + 0.1 χ; ρ = 0.000). The highest rise in age-specific death rates, according to linear mortality trends, was observed in males over 65 years (7.8% annually), and females between 60 and 69 years (5.9% annually). In cohort analysis of age-specific rates in males, younger birth cohorts were compared with older ones. The increasing colorectal cancer mortality risk has been observed for ages over 40, with statistical significance in age groups over 45. In ages between 45 and 59, and over 60, the youngest birth cohorts were at 2 and 2.5-fold higher cancer mortality risk than birth cohorts of the oldest generations. For example, the age specific colorectal cancer death rates in a 70-74 year group were 2.5-fold higher in men born between 1922 and 1926 (139.3/100,000) than in cohorts born 25 years earlier (58.7/100,000). In cohort analysis of age-specific rates in females, changes in the age under 50 were not so expressive. In all age groups over 50, women of younger generations were at 2-fold higher cancer mortality risk than the oldest ones. The age specific colorectal cancer death rates in a 65-69 year group were doubled in women born between 1927 and 1931 (61.0/100 000), than in cohorts born 25 years earlier (30.5/100 000). According to the present mortality trends, the further increase in colorectal cancer death rates especially in the ages over 40, should be expected in future generations. Consistent increase in mortality risk in all younger birth cohorts of older ages, as well as in successive five-year age groups of the observed generations, could reflect the continuous increase in colorectal cancer incidence attributed to predominantly environmental exposures.


Gibson's (1979 The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception) ecological approach to visual perception is based on several key notions (i.e., affordance, optic flow, and invariants). Early research focused on identifying invariants (π-numbers) to describe affordances using geometric body-scaled measures. Kadar and Koszeghy (2010 International Journal of Sport Psychology 41(3) 80–81) generalized π-numbers to invariant functions (π-functions) to allow dynamically scaled description of driving through gates of variable width. The present study further investigated the dynamic invariants of human locomotion in walking towards and passing through gates. Six participants were instructed to walk through gates of four different sizes with either comfortable or fast walking speed while holding a tray by two hands. Consistent with the results of Kadar and Koszeghy (2010) dynamically-scaled π-functions were identified. The speed control of the approach phase was further assessed in relation to the use of the optical τ parameter derived from optic flow specifying estimated time to contact with the virtual plane defined by the frontal surfaces of the aperture. Aperture size and walking speed have influenced the control of speed at the approach phase: the derivative of τ in the neighborhood of the aperture increased with increasing width of the aperture. Analysis of the approach phase suggests a need for searching an even higher-level invariant structure of the dynamics of this passing through task.


Internal so-called state-space representation of dynamic systems became dominating approach in the control theory in 1960s. This paper focuses on taking advantage of such a system description for dynamic economic system identification as well as on using a quantified economic model in search of suitable strategies for short-run economic development. Solving the filtration, prediction and interpolation tasks expressed by internal system description is conditioned by estimating the states of system on the basis of measured system inputs and outputs. Time-varying parameters of a system are often regarded and handled as states. The identification task is written as a stochastic problem in sense of search for an optimal linear unbiased state estimate. A recursive algorithm called Kalman filter is at our disposal to obtain the above estimate that we evaluate as conditional mean (minimizing variance) of an unknown state on the basis of data set affected by disturbances. Choice of a strategy for short-run economic development is then considered to be an optimal control task defined as two-point boundary problem of discrete-time linear-quadratic control (the optimal output and input trajectories track as close as possible the nominal trajectories entered as "wanted" or "planned"). The paper contains an analytical solution of that problem as well as an algorithm applicable to the control of a controlled economic system's model. Identification and optimal control algorithms have been applied to quarterly econometric model of the Czech economy development.


This is a library guide that gives you sources for finding tales that can be used in the classroom. It also has sources for fairy tales outside of the classroom such as blogs or games that they can play.


The release of classified documents through outlets like WikiLeaks has transformed American politics by shedding light on the innerworkings of governments, parties, and corporations. The high-profile criminal cases associated with such releases – those of Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden – have highlighted important questions about journalism, government secrecy, and the public's "right to know." Scholars have focused on the journalistic and legalistic implications but have yet to explore how the public views those who release classified materials, and what factors affect those views. Using data from the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we provide results from three embedded experiments testing the effects of two forms of framing on favorability ratings toward Assange, Manning, and Snowden. The first frame addresses partisanship (i.e., which party is injured by the release) and the second addresses how the action is framed (i.e., did the person "leak" or "blow the whistle"). The data show that both the party and leaking/whistleblowing frames significantly affect favorability in expected ways. The release of classified materials comes with both costs and benefits, but public opinion appears to be more sensitive to its implications for partisan competition.


Objective This cross-sectional study was conducted on the associations between body composition, energy expenditure and caloric intake among 45 Nigerian breast cancer patients. Methods Forty-five Nigerian breast cancer patients were measured and analysed for their body composition, energy expenditure and caloric intake. Statistical analyses included a chi-square test, Student's t-test, paired t-test, Spearman correlation and linear regression using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 23.0. Results The body fat indices (body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), and body fats percentage) show that more than 50% of breast cancer patients were either overweight or obese. The Spearman correlation showed that fat-free mass (FFM) was the most strongly correlated with energy expenditure (r = 0.84). BMI and (FMI – fat mass in relation to height) were significantly correlated with the Harris–Benedict equation for energy expenditure (p < 0.001; p = 0.002), but they were not correlated significantly with the Karnofsky performance status. A paired t-test showed that caloric intake was significantly higher than total energy expenditure (p < 0.001). FFM was the best predictor of resting energy expenditure (REE). Conclusion In conclusion, FFM remains the best predictor of REE. High body mass and high caloric intake indicate the need for support from nutritional programmes.


Fundamental plant traits such as support, anchorage, and protection against environmental stress depend substantially on biomechanical design. The costs, subsequent trade-offs, and effects on plant performance of mechanical traits are not well understood, but it appears that many of these traits have evolved in response to abiotic and biotic mechanical forces and resource deficits. The relationships between environmental stresses and mechanical traits can be specific and direct, as in responses to strong winds, with structural reinforcement related to plant survival. Some traits such as leaf toughness might provide protection from multiple forms of stress. In both cases, the adaptive value of mechanical traits may vary between habitats, so is best considered in the context of the broader growth environment, not just of the proximate stress. Plants can also show considerable phenotypic plasticity in mechanical traits, allowing adjustment to changing environments across a range of spatial and temporal scales. However, it is not always clear whether a mechanical property is adaptive or a consequence of the physiology associated with stress. Mechanical traits do not only affect plant survival; evidence suggests they have downstream effects on ecosystem organization and functioning (e.g., diversity, trophic relationships, and productivity), but these remain poorly explored.


The checking and monitoring of On-the-Job Trainee's Attendance (OJT) faced several problems in the end of the OJT coordinators and the home institution. Some of the problems are checking the attendance of the OJT validation and verification of students' attendance, tracking the students' real-time OJT progress and generating up to date reports. It becomes even very alarming when the OJT Coordinators lost track the students' OJT progress. This study sought to investigate and implement a solution using technology innovation mainly the internet of things to make checking of attendance and monitoring of progress effective and convenient. Using the Agile: Scrum methodology of software engineering, the researchers conducted a series of stakeholder's meetings with the OJT coordinators to collect user stories. After the collection, the researchers developed a schedule of activities, staffing, hardware and software requirements in order to carry out all the tasks needed to deliver the fully functional product. To keep track the progress of the project, the Scrum master conducted a daily standup meeting with the team in order to express the points that might hinder the pace of the development. The team leader also communicates daily with the clients to give them a comprehensive update. Findings revealed that the current manual system used to check the OJT attendance and track OJT progress which is prone to fraud and tampering which causes record irregularities. Thus, there is a need to develop an internet of things based (IOT) based hardware and software application that checks the attendance and view reports in real-time. By this means, frauds on attendances and records were eliminated as the attendance system is secured. Keywords: Face Recognition, Internet of Things, Microcomputing, OpenCV, CoVid Response


Brazilian avant-garde artists of the postwar era worked from a fundamental but productive out-of-jointness. They were modernist but distant from modernism. Europeans and North Americans may feel a similar displacement when viewing Brazilian avant-garde art; the unexpected familiarity of the works serves to make them unfamiliar. In Constructing an Avant-Garde, Sergio Martins seizes on this uncanny obliqueness and uses it as the basis for a reconfigured account of the history of Brazil's avant-garde. His discussion covers not only widely renowned artists and groups -- including Helio Oiticica, Lygia Clark, Cildo Meireles, and neoconcretism -- but also important artists and critics who are less well known outside Brazil, including Mario Pedrosa, Ferreira Gullar, Amilcar de Castro, Luis Sacilotto, Antonio Dias, and Rubens Gerchman. Martins argues that artists of Brazil's postwar avant-garde updated modernism in a way that was radically at odds with European and North American art historical narratives. He describes defining episodes in Brazil's postwar avant-garde, discussing crucial critical texts, including Gullar's "Theory of the Non-Object," a phenomenological account of neoconcrete artworks; Oiticica, constructivity, and Mondrian; portraiture, self-portraiture, and identity; the nonvisual turn and missed encounters with conceptualism; and monochrome, manifestos, and engagement. The Brazilian avant-garde's hijacking of modernism, Martins shows, gained further complexity as artists began to face their international minimalist and conceptualist contemporaries in the 1960s and 1970s. Reconfiguring not only art history but their own history, Brazilian avant-gardists were able to face contemporary challenges from a unique -- and oblique -- standpoint.


The paper analyzes the changes in agricultural trade patterns in Slovakia that occured during the gradual trade liberalization due to European Union enlargement in 2004. The results indicate that approximately 30% of the increase in agricultural imports from the EU15 and CEECs between 2000 and 2005 was due to the discriminatory trade liberalization between Slovakia and the EU15 and CEECs, i.e. due to the formation of a customs union. Part of the increase in agricultural trade with the EU15 and CEECs was at the expense of trade with more efficient producers from the rest of the world, i.e. there is an indication that some trade diversion could have occurred. The second wave of agricultural trade liberalization (from 2002 onward) brought about greater effects in terms of the increase in agricultural imports from the EU15 and CEECs than was the case with the first wave.


Architecture of Appropriation Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam 27 January–25 June 2017

In the 1960s, the unsanctioned occupation of empty houses, commercial properties, and industrial sites in European and American cities accompanied the rise of new, urban-centered social movements seeking to reclaim the city from corporate interests. By the 1970s, the act of squatting, or appropriating vacant buildings and terrains, became increasingly militant; it left an indelible impression on the urban landscape. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Netherlands, where squatting played an important role not only in fomenting social protest but also in creating alternative infrastructures and a sense of common urban life. While squatters have historically been fierce advocates of the right to affordable housing and resistant to speculative real estate development, their interventions in the built environment have also precipitated the gentrification of inner-city industrial areas and even the "share economy" capitalism of Airbnb and flexwork.

Rather than an installation of mute objects, the exhibition Architecture of Appropriation suggested some of the squatting movement's dual legacy in the Netherlands and transformed the galleries of Het Nieuwe Instituut into a hub for ongoing research and activism. The exhibition had four major components: an installation by the firm Zones Urbaines Sensibles (ZUS) on the exterior of the building; archival material and architectural analyses of case studies and squatting practices, housed in the institute's third-floor gallery; "pop-in" installations that dropped into the larger exhibition at different moments; and a series of public conversations, lectures, and workshops that were recorded and distributed as podcasts. The layout and graphic design of the exhibition (by ZUS and Jakub Straka, respectively) self-consciously deployed strategies of appropriation, reusing materials from previous exhibitions and the graphic identity of the institute.

The clearest indication of the organizers' interest in squatting's subversive character was the installation by …


The basic points in the development of a specialized computer information search system providing ientification of new antibiotics at early stages of their investigation are described. The system of coding the physico-chemical properties of the agents and the spectra of their antimicrobial activity presenting the substance in the information bank is developed. The task of identification is to find in the reference bank according to some specially organized keys such antibiotics which are identical or close by their properties to the substance being identified. Mini-computer of M-6000 type is used as the technical base of the information search system. Preliminary organization of the bank specified by the coding system markedly reduces the requirements to the computer operative memory.


In the scheme of history, most political deliberation has taken place outside the modern West. But the study of deliberation, however extensive it has become, has largely ignored this wider world. Examining how deliberation manifests across different societies has considerable promise for both explanatory and normative political theory. To explain why people deliberate—which should be among the first questions deliberative democrats ponder—it is first necessary to examine how people deliberate, and why this varies. Doing so with a comparative and historical perspective, even in the preliminary fashion presented here, reveals how social and political ideals can motivate and shape deliberative practice. And there are normative stakes in this agenda. If collective deliberation is to prevail in global governance, we must fashion political ideals which motivate diverse peoples to come together in discourse, rather than confront their problems, or compound them, by less desirable means.


Where should CPAs look to find tax practice standards? The search begins with the Internal Revenue Code. It continues with circular 230 and other Treasury and IRS pronouncements, case law, the AICPA Code Professional Conduct, applicable state ethical rules and regulations and "voluntary" standards such as the AICPA tax division's statements on responsibilities in tax practice (SRTPs). This article discusses each of these as it applies to the search for enforceable tax practice standards. IRC TECHNICAL STANDARDS The tax code imposes technical standards via its civil and criminal penalty provisions. Several of these provisions apply to tax return preparers as defined in IRC section 7701(a)(36). In general, anyone who prepares an initial tax return or a later amended return or claim for refund may be classified as a return preparer. Regulations explaining this tax code definition also stress that an individual can be a preparer "without regard to educational qualifications and professional status requirements." Several of the tax code's penalty provisions apply directly to tax return preparers. IRC section 6694(a) imposes a $250 fine on a return preparer if any part of an understatement on a return he or she prepared results from a position "for which there was not a realistic possibility of being sustained on its merits." An exception to this rule exists if the position is not frivolous and is disclosed on the return. Under IRC section 6694(b), a $1,000 penalty may be imposed on a tax return preparer (1) if there is a "willful attempt" to understate tax liability or (2) for any reckless or intentional disregard of rules or regulations. Proposed regulations under section 6694(b) provide a tax return position contrary to rules and regulations will not be penalized if it is not frivolous, as long as the position is disclosed. Other practices standards found in the penalty provisions of the tax code include * Knowingly aiding or abetting in preparation of any document for any tax matter leading to an understatement of tax liability (IRC section 6701). * Promoting abusive tax shelters (IRC section 6700). * Disclosing taxpayer information (IRC sections 6713 and 7216). * Aiding or assisting in preparation of a false return (IRC section 7206). CIRCULAR 230 CPAs, attorneys and enrolled agents, who ar epermitted to practice before the IRS, are governed by circular 230, which is included in Treasury Department regulations sections 10.01-.98. According to section 10.2(a), "'Practice before the [IRS]' comprehends all matters connected with presentations to the [IRS] ... relating to a client's rights, privileges or liabilities under [Internal Revenue] laws or regulations...." This includes representation of clients at IRS conferences and preparing and filing documents with the service. Circular 230 establishes four broad standards all tax practitioners must follow. * A tax practitioner is required to "submit records or information in any matter before the IRS, upon proper and lawful request...." (section 10.20). * If a CPA is aware of any client omission, noncompliance or error in any document that has been filed with the IRS, the accountant "shall advise the client promptly of the fact of such noncompliance, error or omission" (section 10.21). * Practitioners are required to exercise due diligence (which itself is not defined) in assisting or preparing a tax return, in determining whether verbal and written communications to the IRS are correct and in determining whether written or oral advice given to a client is correct regarding "any matter administered by the IRS" (section 10.20). * Practitioners are expected to avoid "disreputable conduct," which includes such activities as giving false or misleading information to the IRS, using false or misleading information to attract clients and using abusive language with IRS agents (section 10. …