Cell wall integrity and immune signaling systems cooperatively mediate responses to cell wall damage in the model plant Arabidopsis. Responding to plant cell wall damage When plant cell walls are damaged by mechanical or biochemical means, the cells initiate adaptive responses to repair the walls and prevent infection. Whereas the cell wall integrity (CWI) maintenance mechanism monitors the status of the cell wall and initiates adaptive cellular responses to damage, pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) induces both cellular and systemic responses that limit infection. Engelsdorf et al. found that osmosensitive alterations in the mechanical properties of the cell wall were important for inducing the adaptive responses to cell wall damage. The receptor-like kinases THE1 and FEI2 and the ion channel MCA1 were required for stimulating CWI-dependent responses to damage. Cell wall damage also induced the expression of host defense peptides that promoted PTI and dampened CWI-dependent processes. The CWI mechanism still elicited damage responses even when PTI was impaired, suggesting that it serves as a failsafe to protect plants even if the immune response is compromised. Cell walls surround all plant cells, and their composition and structure are modified in a tightly controlled, adaptive manner to meet sometimes opposing functional requirements during growth and development. The plant cell wall integrity (CWI) maintenance mechanism controls these functional modifications, as well as responses to cell wall damage (CWD). We investigated how the CWI system mediates responses to CWD in Arabidopsis thaliana. CWD induced by cell wall–degrading enzymes or an inhibitor of cellulose biosynthesis elicited similar, turgor-sensitive stress responses. Phenotypic clustering with 27 genotypes identified a core group of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and ion channels required for the activation of CWD responses. A genetic analysis showed that the RLK FEI2 and the plasma membrane–localized mechanosensitive Ca2+ channel MCA1 functioned downstream of the RLK THE1 in CWD perception. In contrast, pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) signaling components, including the receptors for plant elicitor peptides (AtPeps) PEPR1 and PEPR2, repressed responses to CWD. CWD induced the expression of PROPEP1 and PROPEP3, which encode the precursors of AtPep1 and AtPep3, and the release of PROPEP3 into the growth medium. Application of AtPep1 and AtPep3 repressed CWD-induced phytohormone accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that AtPep-mediated signaling suppresses CWD-induced defense responses controlled by the CWI mechanism. This suppression was alleviated when PTI signaling downstream of PEPR1 and PEPR2 was impaired. Defense responses controlled by the CWI maintenance mechanism might thus compensate to some extent for the loss of PTI signaling elements.


Over the past 20 years this country has made significant progress/strides towards meeting the articles laid out in the 1989 UNCRC although the rate of change has not always been constant. Whilst successive governments have introduced legislation for educational and curriculum reform, child protection and the training of early years professionals, the needs and the rights of children and young people have not always been prioritised in real terms.

So, in the current political and economic climate in England, is it possible to maintain the services provided for young children and their families?

 This expert seminar brings together a panel of distinguished early years academics and professionals to debate how the nature of social and educational provision has changed over the past twenty years and to discuss how this has influenced the well-being and social mobility of our youngest citizens.

Panel Members:

Carol Aubrey, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick
Tony Bertram, Professor/ Director, Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham
Pat Broadhead, Emeritus Professor, Leeds Metropolitan University
Debbie Castle, Manager, Warwick University Nursery
Jane Murray, Senior Lecturer, University of Northampton
Chris Pascal, Professor/Director, Centre for Research in Early Childhood, Birmingham
Tim Waller, Professor, Anglia Ruskin University
Mary Wild, Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University


Excerpt] Higher real earnings at the fullest possible level of employment are the goals of those of us who work in the labor field. This paper addresses the role of labor standards in helping to achieve those goals. The United States government has two sets of interests in labor standards. The Department of Labor is supposed to "foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment." The Agency for International Development seeks to "help the poor toward a better life" in a variety of ways, among which are increasing employment and earnings and achieving a more equitable distribution of income. Although this conference is sponsored by the Department of Labor, the interests assigned to AID should not be forgotten.


Home networking evolved over the last few years into an affordable technology that can be applied to cable customers. Many home networking alternatives were proposed over the last few years. Wireless home networking emerged as the most promising solution in terms of consumer and operator benefits. We will compare the wireless home networking variants to other alternative home networking technologies and discuss the wireless home networking options. We will focus especially on IEEE 802.11 and its various extensions, and discuss what features are important for addressing the Cable industry needs and their importance to enable new revenue opportunities.


Automatic face recognition technology has attracted a great amount of attention from both academia and industry in the recent trends. It is usually possible for practical recognition systems to capture multiple face images from each subject. Selecting face images with high quality for recognition is a promising stratagem for improving the system performance. We propose a simple and flexible framework for face image quality assessment, in which multiple feature fusion and learning to rank are used. The proposed method is simple and can adapt to different recognition methods. To demonstrate the overall effectiveness of the proposed method, we use heuristic criteria for data selection in our experiments.


: In 35 anesthetized adult patients the neuromuscular blocking effect of suxamethonium (0.8-2.4 mg X kg-1) following i.v. or i.m. administration was studied by means of mechanomyograms of the hand muscles after electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve (0.2 Hz, 100-120 volts, 0.2 ms). Compared with i.v. suxamethonium (= 1.0) the myoneural blocking activity of i.m. suxamethonium was less effective (0.128), the rate of onset slower (0.174), and the duration of action longer (1.4 to 1.7). According to the dose-response relationship, suxamethonium 3.0-4.0 mg X kg-1 should be administered i.m. to achieve complete neuromuscular blockade.


Twenty one F1s produced from 7x7 diallel mating along with the 7 parents were evaluated to notice the inheritance and combining ability of different traits to obtain high heterotic crosses. Genetic analysis and combing ability were analyzed following Hayman's and Griffing's diallel analyses, respectively. Hybrids projecting positive or negative potency ratio with >1.0 value for those traits is also the sign of incidence of over-dominance in desirable direction, and heterosis breeding is important to improve those traits in maize. Hayman's approach indicated dominance variance and the proportion of +/- genes was higher than additive variance in all characters. Griffing's analysis also demonstrated the presence of over-dominance governing the traits. The preponderance of dominant gene action coupled with low heritability observed for days to silking, ear length and grain yield suggests the importance of heterosis breeding. Substantial differences in general combing ability and specific combining ability were noticed in all the studied traits except 1000-grain weight. The parental line CML-509 was found to be the best general combiner for days to tasseling and silking, CML-498 for plant height, ear height and grain yield, CML-395 for ear length and grain yield. The crosses CML-498×CML-376, CML-498×CML-395 and CML-376×CML-247 showed significant positive specific combining ability effect for grain yield along with higher mean values over commercial check varieties.

 Key words: Inheritance, combining ability, diallel mating, maize.


Nanocomposite membranes consisting of sulfonated perovskite-type strontium zirconite (sSrZrO3) and sSrZrO3@TiO2 nanofillers integrated into a sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) matrix have been explored as ion-exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The perovskite fillers improved the thermal and oxidative stabilities of the SPEEK membranes. Due to the hygroscopic characteristics of sSrZrO3@TiO2, the SPEEK/sSrZrO3@TiO2 nanocomposite membrane adsorbed a large amount of water, which facilitated the dissolution of acid moieties and led to enhanced proton conductivity. The narrower channels formed in the SPEEK/sSrZrO3@TiO2 nanocomposite via the uniform distribution of sSrZrO3@TiO2 fillers in the SPEEK matrix restricted fuel transport and improved the selectivity ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeation. A DMFC constructed with the SPEEK/sSrZrO3@TiO2 membrane offered superior power and current densities of 140 mW cm−2 and 639 mA cm−2, respectively, at 80 °C, compared to those obtained with a Nafion 117 membrane.


The mathematical model of burden movement for bell-less top of BF is described in detail, and the model of burden movement on rotating chute is improved combined with collision of burden to chute and effect of coriolis force. The influence degree of charging parameters on coke main striking position and stock flow width is investigated though establishing burden model. The research shows that: The changing of coke main striking point position is obvious under increasing decline angle of chute and length of chute, and for the stock flow width, the effects of decline angle of chute and depth of stock line are most important.


Flying in and around caves, tunnels, and buildings demands more than one sensing modality. This article presented an optic-flow- based approach inspired by flying insects for avoiding lateral collisions. However, there were a few real-world scenarios in which optic flow sensing failed. This occurred when obstacles on approach were directly in front of the aircraft. Here, a simple sonar or infrared sensor can be used to trigger a quick transition into the hovering mode to avoid the otherwise fatal collision. Toward this end, we have demonstrated a fixed-wing prototype capable of manually transitioning from conventional cruise flight into the hovering mode. The prototype was then equipped with an IMU and a flight control system to automate the hovering process. The next step in this research is to automate the transition from cruise to hover flight.


A correlation between the angle of multiple scattering and the ionization energy loss for relativistic electrons in an amorphous medium is evaluated based on a solution of the transport equation. The correlation is found to be the strongest in the large deflection angle region, but also sizable at typical deflection angles, where it leads to a broadening of the angular distribution with the increase of the energy loss. The mean energy loss as a function of the deflection angle grows quadratically with the increase of the latter, but the proportionality coefficient changes when passing from the small- to the large-deflection angle region.


: As part of an epidemiological study on cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents in Navarra, lipids and lipoproteins were analyzed in 5,829 children of both sexes. These children were between 4 and 17 years of age and were randomly selected from the school population of our community. In this article, we analyze the prevalence of lipid risk, according to its different definitions, among children and adolescents in Navarra, and its variations related to age, sex and sanitary area. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (C > 200 mg/dl) among children and adolescents, aged 4 to 17 years, is very high: 21.07% +/- 0.54%. In spite of having high serum levels of HDL, the lipid risk measured by the risk quotient LDL/HDL > 2.2 is still very high: 15-70% +/- 0.49%. If we define the lipid risk during childhood and adolescence by the quotient LDL/HDL > 2.2, male adolescents turn out to be the group with the highest risk. This phenomenon coincides with the results of the epidemiological studies made among adults. Nevertheless, they do not coincide with these results if the lipid risk is defined by C > 200 mg/dl. In our opinion, during infancy and adolescence, the lipid risk is better defined by the quotient LDL/HDL > 2.2.


Metagenomic approaches became increasingly popular in the past decades due to decreasing costs of DNA sequencing and bioinformatics development. So far, however, the recovery of long genes coding for secondary metabolites still represents a big challenge. Often, the quality of metagenome assemblies is poor, especially in environments with a high microbial diversity where sequence coverage is low and complexity of natural communities high. Recently, new and improved algorithms for binning environmental reads and contigs have been developed to overcome such limitations. Some of these algorithms use a similarity detection approach to classify the obtained reads into taxonomical units and to assemble draft genomes. This approach, however, is quite limited since it can classify exclusively sequences similar to those available (and well classified) in the databases. In this work, we used draft genomes from Lake Stechlin, north-eastern Germany, recovered by MetaBat, an efficient binning tool that integrates empirical probabilistic distances of genome abundance, and tetranucleotide frequency for accurate metagenome binning. These genomes were screened for secondary metabolism genes, such as polyketide synthases (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPS), using the Anti-SMASH and NAPDOS workflows. With this approach we were able to identify 243 secondary metabolite clusters from 121 genomes recovered from our lake samples. A total of 18 NRPS, 19 PKS, and 3 hybrid PKS/NRPS clusters were found. In addition, it was possible to predict the partial structure of several secondary metabolite clusters allowing for taxonomical classifications and phylogenetic inferences. Our approach revealed a high potential to recover and study secondary metabolites genes from any aquatic ecosystem.


Purpose – This paper aims to enhance the impact of incorporated waqf institutions by blending their resources to promote responsible small businesses that are inclusive of human development, service to society and preservation of ecological environment and other species. This is expected to shift the paradigm of businesses from the current waste-oriented linear economy to ideally a zero-waste circular economy. Design/methodology/approach – This is an analytical study building on the experience of European Venture Philanthropy Organizations (VPOs) that work with the primary objective of making impactful businesses successful, with capital protection and return on investment being of secondary concern. This paper suggests an incorporated institutional design that blends resources for promoting responsible businesses using a new hybrid financial mechanism, namely, equity-at-default (EaD) to replace collateral and foreclosure requirements with responsibility and compassion. Findings – The research calls for changing the business paradigm from linear to circular, an incorporated institutional framework for venture waqf, purpose of the waqf to make impactful small businesses successful and designing a financial contract to loan in favor of responsible businesses that convert to equity stake for the waqf in case of default (EaD) replacing collateral and foreclosure requirements. Research limitations/implications – This is a theoretical study motivated by the success of VPOs but assigns a new role to waqf institutions. Furthermore, the incorporated nature of waqf is a new idea and EaD is a new mechanism. Being new, these ideas have the risk of not being implemented. However, the broader message that waqf shall promote businesses that are inclusive of ecological concerns is generally applicable. Practical implications – The paper has a significant practical implication to transform the responsibility and consciousness of businesses. Waqf is fundamentally a compassionate institution, and it must enhance the responsibility of businesses to become more inclusive of the environment and other species. It should also become more compassionate toward businesses that are in distress and default. In this sense, the paper tries to internalize compassion in financial contracting that can potentially change the architecture of lending. Social implications – Altering businesses' mindset from a waste-driven extractive linear economy to inclusive circular economy has a tremendous transformative role. This will have implications for enhancing business consciousness and responsibility. As poverty is a phenomenon of state of mind, changing the society's state of thought in Muslim communities is expected to have basic positive implications. Entrepreneurs with a newmindset can have far-reaching positive impacts on the society. Originality/value – The paper offers potentially innovative perspectives in four key areas and blends the different resources in an incorporated waqf that makes responsible entrepreneurs assume a partnership role in times of distress through EaD. Furthermore, the integration of compassion in financial contracting could have better implications for return on investment as well. The ideal state of an economy is where waste is turned into wealth and well-being is something that all policymakers must keep on the top of their agendas.


In the last years, geodetic measurements have shown that temporal variations in total groundwater content induce transient deformations of the crust that are mostly reflected in the vertical component. Here we present new GPS observations showing a noticeable non-tectonic transient deformation in the Apennines (Italy), mostly evident in the horizontal components, that correlate with multi-annual hydrological signals as measured by rainfall, GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and discharge of karst springs. The observed transient signal is superimposed on the long-term ~3mm/yr NE-SW directed active extension, correlates with the seasonal recharge/discharge cycle of groundwater flow and its multi-annual variations and appears to modulate the intensity of tectonic extensional opening in those regions characterized by large carbonate aquifers. In particular, periods of increasing discharge from karstic spring correlate with an enhanced extensional signal, whereas exhaustion periods correlate with reduced extensional signal.
Vertical observations, being correlated with GRACE data, reflect the hydrological load variation over regional (European) scale. Horizontal deformations, conversely, affect mostly the sites located near the large carbonate massifs of the Apennines and can't be explained as load induced response. We suggest that the horizontal observed deformation is related to the presence of highly fractured shallow crust that deforms according to variable conditions of the hydraulic head within the large carbonate aquifers. We therefore propose two different models that simulates the effect of a medium permeated with sub-vertical opening fractures.
These new findings could contribute to the understanding of the deformation of the large carbonate aquifers and to an improved management of these important natural resources.
By focusing on the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, we finally highlight the difficulties that arise for the estimation of interseimic trends and small tectonic signals in areas affected by such significant non-tectonic deformations.


The recently-developed digital coherent receiver enables us to employ a variety of spectrally-efficient modulation formats such as M-ary phase-shift keying (PSK) and quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM). Moreover, in the digital domain, we can equalize linear transmission impairments, which may stem from group-velocity dispersion (GVD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) of fibers for transmission, because the phase information is preserved after coherent detection.This paper reviews the history of coherent optical communications, the principle of coherent detection, and the concept of the digital coherent receiver. After that, we discuss digital signal processing (DSP) for mitigating transmission impairments, coherent transmission characteristics of multi-level optical signals, and future prospects of coherent optical communications.


Background: Chrome is regarded as an essential nutrient required for glucose and lipid metabolism, specifically in diabetic patients. Converting mineral form of chromium to organic as well as increasing its absorption seem to have more fruitful therapeutic effects due to the synergistic effect of these two anti-diabetes compounds(yeast and chromium). Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of iron and chromium-enriched yeast with a probiotic nature on blood factors in diabetic male rats. Methods: In this laboratory experiment, 49 Wistar male rats weighed 30±200 were randomly divided into 7 groups and then were induced with diabetes via an intra-peritoneal injection of streptozotocin. Organic chrome was prepared via chromium enrichment in yeast cells, food treatment by dissolving the yeast and iron of different concentrations in physiological serum, which was sprayed in the rats' food. Furthermore, blood factors such as glucose were measured applying enzymatic method via an auto analyzer. The study data were analyzed utilizing one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests. Results: The results of the current study revealed a significant reduction in blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL , though a significant increase was observed in HDL of the male rats treated with iron as well as with iron and organic-chromium combination. Moreover, it was demonstrated that iron diet could significantly increase the blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, whereas it simultaneously decreased HDL in diabetic male rats(p <0.05). Conclusion: The study findings revealed that yeast enriched with probiotic-derived chromium can lead to appropriate changes in blood glucose, and serum lipids in diabetic rats. Moreover, treatment with iron increases glucose levels and causes undesirable changes in blood serum lipids of diabetic rats.


Phenotyping of blood cells derived from 12 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis with the use of Mab panel to differentiation antigens of human hemopoietic cells in a flow cytofluorimeter revealed heterogeneity of immunological phenotypes of blast cells. Subclones of blast cells were detected within each subset of disease at several successive stages of differentiation. The qualitative and quantitative composition of cell populations differing in immunological parameters is changed as a result of therapy given.


INTRODUCTION As more human rights cases are being initiated against current and former heads of state in courts around the world, the foreign sovereign immunity doctrine has become a hotly contested issue. Victims and the families of victims of human rights abuses are beginning to question whether the immunity doctrine should apply to officials who commit serious human rights offenses, and several states have followed suit.1 Foreign sovereign immunity, which was originally meant to allow for current state officials to have freedom to conduct foreign policy, has also traditionally protected former officials from suit after they leave office. International norms are beginning to shift, however, and some states are allowing suits to move forward against former officials in order to provide torture victims and their families vindication. The doctrine in the United States is in flux, leaving international lawyers questioning the sincerity of United States participation in human rights enforcement efforts. As a result, torture victims are left uncertain about whether their individual claims will have any chance in the United States court system. The recent Supreme Court decision in Samantar v. Yousuf2 addressed the doctrine of foreign official sovereign immunity and resolved a circuit split regarding the federal statutory scheme of the doctrine in the United States. The decision, however, did not answer many of the questions regarding the doctrine's status or applicability in the United States court system.3 The Samantar decision clarified that foreign official immunity determinations are not controlled by existing federal law, but left open a heavy question: Who is actually responsible for deciding which officials can be tried in United States courts?4 The Supreme Court renounced the responsibility of providing an answer and indicated it had no intention of forcing the determination on any one branch.5 As a result, any ofthe three branches has the ability to take control ofthe determination, yet each is hesitating. It is rare to see the branches ofthe United States government politely ceding power to their counterparts. This Note evaluates the ambiguity of the doctrine of foreign sovereign immunity in the United States today and the interesting interplay of power between the branches over the immunity determination, and argues that the Executive is the proper branch of the government to control immunity determinations going forward. Ultimately, if the Executive wants to maintain its power over this sensitive aspect of foreign policy, the State Department must act before such action is precluded by Congress. Part I begins by briefly discussing the principal case, Samantar v. Yousuf, which provided the Supreme Court the opportunity to resolve the circuit disagreement regarding foreign official immunity in United States courts, specifically whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act governs suits against foreign officials.6 Part ? outlines the evolution and significance ofthe doctrine of foreign sovereign immunity in the United States. An evaluation ofthe history reveals a strong, but not uniform, tendency of courts to deferto the executive branch in making foreign sovereign immunity determinations, thus mixing both the judicial and executive branches ofthe government in the process. Part II also discusses the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA, or Act), which Congress enacted both to clarify the immunity doctrine and relieve the State Department ofthe diplomatic pressures associated with making suggestions as to immunity on behalf of the defendant states. A circuit split regarding the interpretation ofthe FSIA in cases against foreign officials emerged, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari to address the divergence in Samantar. While the decision resolved the split, it focused on state immunity without sorting out the doctrine of foreign sovereign immunity as applied to heads of state. …


In this paper, we evaluate the efficacy, in a Hadoop setting, of two coding schemes, both possessing an inherent double replication of data. The two coding schemes belong to the class of regenerating and locally regenerating codes respectively, and these two classes are representative of recent advances made in designing codes for the efficient storage of data in a distributed setting. In comparison with triple replication, double replication permits a significant reduction in storage overhead, while delivering good MapReduce performance under moderate work loads. The two coding solutions under evaluation here, add only moderately to the storage overhead of double replication, while simultaneously offering reliability levels similar to that of triple replication.

One might expect from the property of inherent data duplication that the performance of these codes in executing a MapReduce job would be comparable to that of double replication. However, a second feature of this class of code comes into play here, namely that under both coding schemes analyzed here, multiple blocks from the same coded stripe are required to be stored on the same node. This concentration of data belonging to a single stripe negatively impacts MapReduce execution times. However, much of this effect can be undone by simply adding a larger number of processors per node. Further improvements are possible if one tailors the Map task scheduler to the codes under consideration. We present both experimental and simulation results that validate these observations.


A bolus of 3 mg. of atropine was given intravenously (I.V.) to 123 anesthetized patients. Increases in heart rate were seen in 109 patients (88 percent), while 7 patients (5.7 percent) had decreases and 7 others (5.7 percent) had no change. A mean increase in systolic arterial blood pressure of 14 mm. Hg was noted. A certain pattern in increases in heart rate and systolic blood pressure was observed. Ninety-six percent of the patients under cyclopropane, fluroxene, ether, ketamine, or regional (spinal or epidural) anesthesia had heart-rate increases, compared with only 77 to 89 percent of the patients anesthetized with halothane, enflurane, or neuroleptanalgesics. Rise in systolic blood pressure was seen in 40 to 50 percent of the former, but only in 31 t o 40 percent of the latter group.The arrhythmias observed were transient A-V junctional tachycardias in three instances and bigeminal rhythm in one patient under cyclopropane anesthesia. The administration of a vagolytic dose of atropine to anesthetized patients appears not to be as arrhythmogenic as previously considered.


The use of stimulant drugs for control of hyperactivity in children led one mental health center to centralize the procedure in a medication clinic. A number of benefits were derived from monitoring the children through routine folow up visits. One of the retrospective findings over a three-year period was the low incidence and prevalence rates of medicated hyperactive youngsters in a high volume children's service.


The existence of α7β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) has recently been demonstrated in both the rodent and human brain. Since α7-containing nAChRs are promising drug targets for schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, it is critical to determine whether α7β2 nAChRs are present in the human brain, in which brain areas, and whether they differ functionally from α7 nAChR homomers. We used α-bungarotoxin to affinity purify α7-containing nAChRs from surgically excised human temporal cortex, and found that α7 subunits co-purify with β2 subunits, indicating the presence of α7β2 nAChRs in the human brain. We validated these results by demonstrating co-purification of β2 from wild-type, but not α7 or β2 knock-out mice. The pharmacology and kinetics of human α7β2 nAChRs differed significantly from that of α7 homomers in response to nAChR agonists when expressed in Xenopus oocytes and HEK293 cells. Notably, α7β2 heteromers expressed in HEK293 cells display markedly slower rise and decay phases. These results demonstrate that α7 subunits in the human brain form heteromeric complexes with β2 subunits, and that human α7β2 nAChR heteromers respond to nAChR agonists with a unique pharmacology and kinetic profile. α7β2 nAChRs thus represent an alternative mechanism for the reported clinical efficacy of α7 nAChR ligands.


This thesis addresses the topic of electronic employee monitoring in nonunionized workplaces in Canada. Electronic employee monitoring is defined as including (1) the use of electronic devices to review and evaluate employees' performance; (2) 'electronic surveillance'; and (3) employers' use of computer forensics. Detailed consideration is given to a variety of technologies, including computer, internet and e-mail monitoring, location awareness technologies (such as global positioning systems and radio frequency identification), as well as biometrics, and the developing case law surrounding these innovations. Analogies are drawn to the jurisprudence developing with respect to unionized workplaces and under statutory unjust dismissal regimes. This analysis leads to the conclusion that legislative reform is necessary, either through (1) the creation of parallel private sector privacy regimes, such as those in British Columbia and Alberta, mirroring existing federal legislation; (2) amendments to existing employment standards legislation; or (3) the enactment of a stand-alone surveillance statute.


Strategic alliances of one sort or another have become common in the manufacturing industry (Harrigan 1985, 1986, 1988; Kogut 1988; Nielsen 1988). The term "strategic alliance" is used to refer to "a coalition of a number of organizations intended to achieve mutually beneficial goals" (Robinson and Clarke-Hill 1994, 2). One can make a distinction between vertical and horizontal alliances. Vertical alliances focus on supplier-manufacturer relationships (Bucklin and Sengupta 1993; Forrest 1990; Harrigan 1985, 1986, 1988; Mody 1993) or on manufacturer-distributor relationships (Anderson and Narus 1984, 1990; Anderson and Weitz 1992; Frazier 1983; Frazier, Spekman, and O'Neil 1988; Johnston and Lawrence 1988). Horizontal alliances consist of relationships between similar firms in the same industry, retailers for example. Over the past decades, the number of small and medium-sized retailing firms that have joined a strategic alliance has grown rapidly, and the strategic position of these alliances in the retail industry is significant. In 1994 in the Netherlands, the strategic alliances accounted for 44 percent of the total retail business (See Table 1). The figures in Table 1 show a growing market share for both strategic alliances and fully integrated retailers. The growth of the market share of the strategic alliances in the retail industry has led to considerable research interest, especially in franchising (Justis and Chan 1991; Peterson and Dant 1990; Stern and Stanworth 1994; Withane 1991). The two main forms of strategic alliances in retailing are franchising and voluntary association. The voluntary associations can be subdivided into wholesaler- and retailer-sponsored cooperatives. Except for ownership differences, wholesaler- and retail-sponsored cooperatives operate similarly. During the last decades, the scope of these cooperative efforts has broadened from concentrated buying power to a vast number of programs involving centralized consumer advertising and promotion, store location and layout, training, financing, accounting, and in some cases, a total package of support services (Stern and El-Ansary 1992, 339). The term "strategic alliance" in our study will refer to these modern voluntary associations in the retail industry. Table 1 MARKET SHARES OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES IN THE DUTCH RETAIL TRADE Market Share (%) 1980 1985 1990 1993 1994 Non-allied SMEs(*) 44 31 24 20 18 SMEs within strategic alliances 29 35 40 43 44 Fully integrated retailers 27 34 36 37 38 Total 100 100 100 100 100 * SME: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Source: Center for Retail Research in the Netherlands (CRR) and Tilburg University (1995). Porter and Fuller (1986) and Dunning (1988) discuss a number of potential benefits a small retail firm joining a strategic alliance can enjoy, including: (1) Economies of scale and scope for buying and selling, as well as for the organizational infrastructure (for example, a central computer system for all members of the strategic alliance); (2) Quick and easy access to knowledge; (3) The reduction of the capital requirements and risks involved in development new service programs, products, or technologies; and (4) The possibility of influencing the structure of competition in the relevant markets. Participating in a strategic alliance will undoubtedly influence a firm's strategic behavior. In our study we will focus on the specific influence a strategic alliance has on the behavior of its small-sized retailing firms. HYPOTHESES Outsourcing Behavior Yasuda and Mulford (1990) report that in Japan the most important reasons retailers join a strategic alliance are: future developments and expansion; future security of the firm; increase of trust in the firm; ease of obtaining information; mutual assistance among small firms; and improving efficiency through cooperation. …


This paper presents linear and nonlinear precoding design for error-rate improvement in orthogonal space-time block-coded (OSTBC) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency-division-multiplexed (OFDM) downlink, where both the conditional mean of the channel gain matrix and the channel gain covariance matrix may be available at the transmitter. The conditional means of the channel matrix are derived for a general transmit-antenna-correlated frequency-selective fading MIMO channel with estimation errors and feedback delay. Mean-feedback linear precoding and nonlinear Tomlinson-Harashima precoding (THP) are developed to maximize the signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR). The intuition that when the mean feedback becomes accurate the mean-feedback precoding outperforms covariance precoding is confirmed. Dual-mode precoding is also proposed, in which the novel mean-feedback precoding or covariance precoding is adaptively chosen at the receiver. The precoding-mode switching metric is the maximized SNR, which is an indicator of the error rate. The receiver calculates its metric, selects the mode that achieves a higher SNR, and decides whether mean feedback is necessary. Our proposed precoders (both mean feedback and adaptive) significantly reduce the system error rate. Nonlinear precoding is shown to outperform linear precoding. Adaptive precoding outperforms both mean-feedback precoding and covariance precoding if individually applied in OSTBC OFDM.


Dps family proteins have the ferroxidase activity that contributes to oxidative stress resistance. In addition, a part of Dps family proteins including Escherichia coli Dps and Staphylococcus aureus MrgA (metallo regulon gene A) bind DNA and induce the structural change of the nucleoid. We previously showed that a mutated MrgA with reduced ferroxidase activity was unable to contribute to the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and UV resistance in S. aureus, suggesting that the nucleoid clumping by MrgA is not sufficient for the resistance. However, it remained elusive whether the nucleoid clumping is dispensable for the resistance. Here, we aimed to clarify this question by employing the E. coli Dps lacking DNA-binding activity, DpsΔ18. Staphylococcal nucleoid was clumped by E. coli Dps, but not by DpsΔ18. H2O2 stress assay indicated that Dps and DpsΔ18 restored the reduced susceptibility of S. aureus ΔmrgA. Thus, we concluded that the staphylococcal nucleoid clumping is dispensable for the Dps-mediated H2O2 resistance. In contrast, Dps was unable to complement S. aureus ΔmrgA in the UV resistance, suggesting the MrgA function that cannot be compensated for by E. coli Dps.


This dissertation traces the history and development of algorithms in musical composition from ca. 1957 to 1993 and attempts to clarify related terminology from the contexts of computer science, information science, and music theory and composition.
The first of three sections begins with an extensive definition of the term algorithm. Because this term is relatively new to musical vocabulary, the definition appearing in this dissertation will include both musical and non-musical applications.
Historically and currently, there are three major approaches to algorithmic composition with computers: (1) algorithms for sound synthesis; (2) algorithms for compositional structure; and (3) algorithms for the correlation of sound synthesis with structure. Consideration will be given to the latter two approaches, algorithms for the generation of the micro- and macrostructural elements of musical composition.
Several different processes exist under the umbrella of algorithmic composition. Included in the body of this dissertation are detailed explanations and descriptions of specific software and hardware from the following processes: stochastic, chaotic, rule-based, grammars, and artificial intelligence.
Second, an historical survey of musical compositions and related written literature covering musical and non-musical resources organized into three chapters: 1957-1972, 1973-1982, and 1983-1993. These compositions and written resources have had significant impact on determining how subsequent composers made use of computers for composition.
In the third section an annotated study of the algorithmic compositions from ca. 1957-1993 will be presented. Special emphasis has been placed on information garnered from personal correspondence and interviews.
Five appendices are devoted to relevant cross-disciplinary information from the fields of computer science, information science, and music theory and composition; included are: (1) a list of terms; (2) an alphabetical listing of algorithmic compositions; (3) a discography; (4) a bibliography of relevant information from the disciplines discussed; and (5) a list of algorithmic computer systems, languages, and programs covered in this research. There is significant overlap in the use of computer algorithms by the scientific and the musical communities, therefore, the inclusion of definitions and terminology is necessary for a deeper understanding of the musical applications.


Hydrogenated amorphous silicon betavoltaic devices are studied both by simulation and experimentally. Devices exhibiting a power density of 0.1 μW/cm2 upon Tritium exposure were fabricated. However, a significant degradation of the performance is taking place, especially during the first hours of the exposure. The degradation behavior differs from sample to sample as well as from published results in the literature. Comparisons with degradation from beta particles suggest an effect of tritium rather than a creation of defects by beta particles.


The aim of this paper is to present the first results of an exploratory investigation of the seasonal distribution of cruise tourism in Spanish ports. The methodology used in the study consists of a combination of factor and cluster analysis, in order to identify the regularities on the monthly distributions of cruise passengers that allow a classification of group into clusters with homogenous seasonal distributions. With statistical data of the last five years, the analysis yields some remarkable results. The clusters with the most homogeneous compositions are the Canary Islands ports and a cluster with the most mature ports in the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast, other clusters have been found with instable compositions along the observed period. Moreover, the former, with winter or summer bimodal seasonal distributions show lower Gini indexes than the latter, whose seasonal distributions are mainly unimodal.


The components of a holistic pain assessment process in advanced cancer are presented. Central to the assessment and management process is recognition of different types of cancer pain, which have their own individual management emphasis. An overview of nociceptive cancer pain management is presented outlining current drugs available and the 'analgesic ladder' approach.


Background: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics improved markedly patient adherence to psychotropic agents during the past decade. They were used mainly for long-term treatment of schizophrenia. However their role in short term or intermittent use or their effect on quality of life was not elucidated clearly. Objectives: To assess the impact of Long Acting Antipsychotic agents on quality of life of schizophrenic patients. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of psychiatric patients who were taking LAIs and/or oral antipsychotic drugs at Mohammad Said Kamal Hospital for Mental Illness in Bethlehem and Mental Health Clinic of The Ministry of Health in Hebron city during the period of September 2019 to March 2020. Results: Fifty one patients were included in this study, 74% males, age 50.69 ± 11.14 years old. Average duration of psychiatric disease was 17.78 ± 11.4 years. It was found that 9.6% patients were on oral dosage form (category I), 80.4% were on LAI and oral antipsychotics (category II), and 10% were on LAIs (Category III). Chi square test showed a significant difference between the 3-categories and GAF score (functionality), p=0.003. However, there was insignificant difference between the three categories and CGI-S(severity of symptoms) scores, p=0.170. When it comes to side effects, there was a significant difference among the three categories and DIEPSS, p=0.049. Kruskal–Wallis Test showed a significant difference between patients in the three categories and number of all drugs, p=0.007. There was also a significant difference between CGI-S-normal group and CGI-S-severe symptoms group and overall number of drugs used, p=0.02. Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference between number of all drugs used and the use of trihexphenidyl, p=0.001. Also there was a significant difference between number of antipsychotic drugs alone and thrihexphenidyl use, p=0.001. Patients were prescribed LAIs for the following reasons: non-adherence (47%), no reason at all (27.4%), patient dissatisfaction (13.7%), adherence and patient dissatisfaction (5.8%), side effects, convenience (ease of use), and availability of drug, (1.9%), for each. Conclusion: Improvement in functionality of schizophrenic patients goes along with use of LAIs either alone or in combination. LAIs improved adherence and minimizes polypharmacy.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
This study investigated the minimum recording time needed during out-of-center sleep testing (OCST) to accurately diagnose the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

DESIGN AND SETTING
A retrospective analysis was conducted of OCSTs performed from October 2009 to May 2012 at the Mayo Clinic Center of Sleep Medicine using the portable Embletta™ system.

PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS
Demographic information was collected for patients who underwent OCSTs during the study period, including presenting symptoms, examination findings, and comorbidities.

INTERVENTION
Each study was divided into 60-, 120-, 180-, 240-, 300-, 360-, and 420-min intervals beginning at the recording start time to determine the respiratory event index (REI) for each of these time intervals. These interval values were then compared to the original REI derived from the total recording time (REITRT) by a paired t-test and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC).

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
There were significant differences between the REITRT and the REI from the 60-min (P < 0.0001), 120-min (0.0001), 180-min (0.003) and 240-min (0.006) intervals with a lack of concordance, suggesting these intervals are poor diagnostic correlates for the REITRT. REIs determined at 300, 360, and 420 min were not significantly different from the REITRT and had highly significant CCCs, 0.963, 0.987, and 0.995, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that at least 300 min recording time during out-of-center sleep testing is needed for accurate diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and determination of obstructive sleep apnea severity.


YOUR BODY DOESN'T LIE! YOU CAN ASK IT WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR HEALTH. A simple muscle test can tell you what stimuli can strengthen or weaken you--how your body responds to stress, posture, specific foods, emotions, and your entire social and physical environments. Based on the role of the thymus gland in regulating body energy, this laboratory-tested method can guide you into a more vital, healthier way of life. Begin benefiting now from Dr. John Diamond's unique, personal synthesis of developments in psychiatry, preventive medicine, kinesiology, nutrition, and music therapy.


The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a widely used and well-established standard for classifying the severity of security vulnerabilities. For instance, all vulnerabilities in the US National Vulnerability Database (NVD) are scored according to this method. As computer systems typically have multiple vulnerabilities, it is often desirable to aggregate the score of individual vulnerabilities to a system level. Several such metrics have been proposed, but their quality has not been studied. This paper presents a statistical analysis of how 18 security estimation metrics based on CVSS data correlate with the time-to-compromise of 34 successful attacks. The empirical data originates from an international cyber defense exercise involving over 100 participants and were collected by studying network traffic logs, attacker logs, observer logs, and network vulnerabilities. The results suggest that security modeling with CVSS data alone does not accurately portray the time-to-compromise of a system. However, results also show that metrics employing more CVSS data are more correlated with time-to-compromise. As a consequence, models that only use the weakest link (most severe vulnerability) to compose a metric are less promising than those that consider all vulnerabilities.


Embedded real-time systems are becoming increasingly complex due to ever increasing size and functionality so that complexity management is of growing importance, especially in dependable hard real-time systems development, where errors caused by complexity can have fatal consequences. This paper systematically characterizes different kinds of complexity: system-level complexity, component interface complexity, and component implementation complexity. The effects of the different kinds of complexity are described and it is explained why minimizing system-level complexity should be a principal goal of any distributed embedded real-time systems architecture. The concept of system-level components is introduced as a solution to the problem of system-level complexity during the integration process


The objective of the present study was to characterise the floristic and phytosociological composition on a stretch of dense "Terra Firme" rainforest located in the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant area of influence, located in the state of Pará, Brazil. All trees with DAP >10 cm situated in 75 permanent plots of 1 ha were inventoried. 27,126 individuals trees (361 ind.ha-1), distributed in 59 botanical families, comprising 481 species were observed. The families with the largest number of species were Fabaceae (94), Araceae (65) and Arecaceae (43), comprising 43.7% of total species. The species Alexa grandiflora (4.41), Cenostigma tocantinum (2.50) and Bertholletia excelsa (2.28) showed the highest importance values (IV). The ten species with greater IV are concentrated (22%). The forest community has high species richness and can be classified as diverse age trees, heterogeneous and of medium conservation condition.


The increase in the world record height achieved in pole vaulting can be related to the improved ability of the athletes, in terms of their fitness and technique, and to the change in materials used to construct the pole. For example in 1960 there was a change in vaulting pole construction from bamboo to glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. The lighter GFRP pole enabled the athletes to have a faster run-up, resulting in a greater take-off speed, giving them more kinetic energy to convert into potential energy and hence height. GFRP poles also have a much higher failure stress than bamboo, so the poles were engineered to bend under the load of the athlete, thereby storing elastic strain energy that can be released as the pole straightens, resulting in greater energy efficiency. The bending also allowed athletes to change their vaulting technique from a style that involved the body remaining almost upright during the vault to one where the athlete goes over the bar with their feet upwards. Modern vaulting poles can be made from GFRP and/or carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The addition of carbon fibres maintains the mechanical properties of the pole, but allows a reduction in the weight. The number and arrangement of the fibres determines the mechanical properties, in particular the bending stiffness. Vaulting poles are also designed for an individual athlete to take into account each athlete's ability and physical characteristics. The poles are rated by 'weight' to allow athletes to select an appropriate pole for their ability. This paper will review the development of vaulting poles and the requirements to maximize performance. The properties (bending stiffness and pre-bend) and microstructure (fibre volume fraction and lay-up) of typical vaulting poles will be discussed.


Abstract Three new bismuth arylsulfonatocarboxylates [Bi(OH)(SB)] (1), [Bi4(ST)2(HST)O2(H2O)2]·H2O (2) and [Bi4(ST)2O3(H2O)2] (3) were synthesized under solvothermal reaction conditions at 180°C using the potassium or sodium salt of 4-sulfobenzoic acid (H2SB) and 2-sulfoterephthalic acid (H3ST), respectively. The compounds were characterized in detail and the crystal structures were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. Phase purity was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis. Structural comparisons to the only three other known bismuth sulfonatocarboxylates are presented. Due to the higher reaction temperatures employed for the synthesis of the title compounds a higher degree of condensation of the BiOx polyhedra (X=7 or 8) to tetrameric units, 1D chains or a 2D layer is observed. Connection through the organic linker molecules leads to the formation of 3D coordination polymers in all three title compounds.


Cornea is a clear outermost layer of the eye which enables transmission of light onto the retina. The transparent corneal epithelium is regenerated by limbal stem cells (LSCs), whose loss/dysfunction results in LSCs deficiency (LSCD). Ex vivo expansion of autologous LSCs obtained from patient's healthy eye followed by transplantation onto the LSCs damaged/deficient eye, has provided a successful treatment for unilateral LSCD. However, this is not applicable to patient with total bilateral LSCD, where LSCs are lost/damaged from both eyes. We investigated the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) to differentiate into corneal epithelial-like cells as a source of autologous stem cell treatment for patients with total bilateral LSCD. Our study showed that combined addition of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), all trans-retinoic acid and epidermal growth factor for the first 9 days of differentiation followed by cell-replating on collagen-IV-coated surfaces with a corneal-specific-epithelial cell media for an additional 11 days, resulted in step wise differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to corneal epithelial progenitors and mature corneal epithelial-like cells. We observed differences in the ability of hiPSC lines to undergo differentiation to corneal epithelial-like cells which were dependent on the level of endogenous BMP signaling and could be restored via the activation of this signaling pathway by a specific transforming growth factor b inhibitor (SB431542). Together our data reveal a differential ability of hiPSC lines to generate corneal epithelial cells which is underlined by the activity of endogenous BMP signaling pathway. STEM CELLS 2017;


This Minireview focuses on the very recent developments in the field of porphyrin-based self-assembled nanomaterials with a particular focus on the use of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles bearing amphiphilic and ionic functionalities. As one of the most studied molecular materials, the importance of porphyrin-derived nanomaterials has attracted wide interest in many applications like catalysis, photodynamic therapy, and organic solar cells to name a few. By using key examples that have recently appeared in the literature, the discussion unfolds through two sections: amphiphilic and ionic assemblies. Although it focuses on the nanostructuring methodologies used to obtain organized materials, the discussion will also target the physical characterization of the functional materials for their implementation in prototypes.


Logistics outsourcing is currently viewed as a globally accepted best business practice. Through outsourced logistics organizations can improve; customer service, cut down costs, minimize risk, increase competitive advantage and improve shareholder returns As a result both outsourcing organizations as well as logistics service providers require relevant information on existing and emerging logistic practices and trends so as to make optimal operational and management decisions. In order to acquire such information a study was undertaken from among tea processing firms in Kericho, kenya The study sought to determine logistics outsourcing practices among tea processing firms in County. The study surveyed the logistics outsourcing practices being used by the tea processing firms in Kericho by collecting primary data through self administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study found out that the firms use several logistics outsourcing practices with own or in-house transport being the most common. All the tea processing firms that were surveyed outsourced some of their logistics functions though at varying degrees. Logistics outsourcing among the tea firms was most prevalent in operations such as warehousing, fleet management, fleet operations, transport and distribution. The study concluded that there exists a drive towards the use of logistics outsourcing as a strategy to reduce costs, to pursue core business activities, reduce risks, gain competitive advantage. The survey also established some o f the challenges faced by the firms as they moved to outsource their business activities; these included loss of control of the activities, loss o f employee loyalty, industrial unrests, switching costs, loss o f information to competitors and resistance to change by the stakeholders.


We examine sleep as an important factor beyond the work domain that is relevant to organizational citizenship behavior. In a field study of 87 employees from a variety of organizations, an objective measure of sleep quantity predicted organizational citizenship behavior directed toward organizations but not organizational citizenship behavior directed toward individuals. Additionally, job satisfaction mediated this relationship. In a second field study of 85 working college students, we found that natural variation in daily sleep over the course of a work week predicted daily variance in organizational citizenship behavior directed toward both individuals and organizations, and that job satisfaction mediated these relationships. Based on these findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications of sleep-deprived employees.


Detecting program phase changes accurately is an important aspect of dynamically adaptable systems. Three dynamic program phase detection techniques are compared - using instruction working sets, basic block vectors (BBV), and conditional branch counts. Because program phases are difficult to define, we compare the techniques using a variety of metrics. BBV techniques perform better than the other techniques providing higher sensitivity and more stable phases. However, the instruction working set technique yields 30% longer phases than the BBV method, although there is less stability within phases. On average, the methods agree on phase changes 85% of the time. Of the 15% of time they disagree, the BBV method is more efficient at detecting performance changes. The conditional branch counter technique provides good sensitivity, but is less effective at detecting major phase changes. Nevertheless, the branch counter technique correlates 83% of the time with the BBV based technique. As an auxiliary result, we show that techniques based on procedure granularities do not perform as well as those based on instruction or basic block granularities. This is mainly due to their inability to detect changes within procedures.


Hypoplasia of the optic nerve in an otherwise normal appearing eye is rare. A review of the literature revealed a total of 22 cases, 1-3 half of which were unilateral. Recently, the value of optic foramen x-rays in establishing the diagnosis of unilateral hypoplasia of the optic nerve has been demonstrated. 3,4 Report of a Case A 4-year-old Caucasian boy was referred because of esotropia and poor vision of the right eye. The esotropia had been present since birth. The child was the product of a normal pregnancy and delivery, and there was no other family history of eye disease. Except for the right esotropia, this child's growth and development had been normal. Vision was OD, light perception; OS, 20/30 (full line, "E"). Lids, lashes, and lacrimal apparatus were normal. The squint measured 14 prism diopters right esotropia (Krimsky), with full ductions. The right pupil reacted only consensually, and the


Few smoking cessation trials have focused on U.S. Hispanics. Consequently, little is known about culturally specific considerations for intervention delivery. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a written smoking cessation intervention varying in cultural specificity and language. Participants (N = 222) were English-Spanish bilingual Hispanic smokers recruited from the community. A 2 (cultural specificity-culturally specific or standard) × 2 (receipt of preferred language materials-preferred or less preferred) between-subjects experiment was conducted. Participants were assessed at baseline and at a 2-week post intervention follow-up. Dependent variables measured intervention evaluations (intended utilization and content evaluation), cigarettes smoked per day, and smoking cessation (secondary outcome). We hypothesized independent effects of cultural specificity, receipt of preferred language materials, and an interaction effect. Results demonstrated that intended utilization was greater among participants who received the intervention in their preferred language, F(1, 213) = 9.772, p = .002, η2 = .044. No differences in content evaluations were observed. However, number of cigarettes smoked per day was lower, and self-reported cessation was significantly greater among participants who received a culturally specific intervention, F(1, 152) = 4.939, p = .028, partial η2 = .031, and materials in their preferred language, OR = 5.356, p = .037, 95% CI [1.106, 25.948], respectively. In conclusion, this study contributes to our understanding of dimensions influencing responses to smoking cessation interventions among Hispanics. Both cultural specificity and preferred language delivery appear to be causally related to the intended utilization of interventions and smoking behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record


Based on the shaking table model test of a bent-type aqueduct on the rigidity foundation, the dynamic characteristics and seismic performance of the aqueduct structure subjected to vertical seismic waves are discussed. The test indicates that (1) Water in the aqueduct makes the mass of the structure larger and the frequency of the model structure lower. The water in aqueduct makes fundamental frequency of the model reduce 32% and the modal damping increase 38.5% averagely. (2)The hydrodynamic pressure response at the bottom of the aqueduct is the highest. (3)The dynamic effect of El waves on the aqueduct structure is greater than that of all SEW waves. (4) Different types of earthquake waves have different frequency spectrum characteristics, so that the aqueduct model responses differently to different waves. (5) The water in the aqueduct sometimes plays a role as TLD damping in certain scope. If surpassing this scope, the water sloshing makes the vertical acceleration response of the aqueduct increase. The results of the test not only lead to some significant conclusions for the earthquake-resistant design of large bent-type aqueducts, but also provide a ground for further studies on the effects of soil-pile-aqueduct interaction.


Digital transformation affects socioeconomic systems, bringing inevitable changes to business processes, particularly those related to resource demands, networking processes, and communication mechanisms within entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore, digital transformation leads to unintended side effects on the societal system and affects the competitiveness, resilience, and viability of the overall innovation system. It also fosters the formation of new business models or the reshaping of existing ones and determines digital entrepreneurship as a process or as an outcome of business activity. The tendencies of digital entrepreneurship differ concerning the underlying innovation system conditions. The analysis and the systematization of categories and performance indicators of digitalization and digital entrepreneurship provide a framework for micro- and macro analytic perspectives. This research aims to provide a theory-based systematization of the existing performance indicators that characterize digital entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on compound indicators that characterize the tendencies of digital entrepreneurship on a country basis in the period from 2016 to 2019. As a theoretical basis for categorization and further analysis of the indicators, we applied a set of 10 determinants of digital entrepreneurship. These determinants cover a broad range of elements (from individual patterns to organizational management processes and the influence of external infrastructure and institutional settings) that define the phenomenon of digital entrepreneurship within three core dimensions: the entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial process, and the relevant ecosystem. We defined how the subindices of the chosen compound indicators are interrelated with the determinants of digital entrepreneurship. Further correlation analysis was applied in order to define the systematic interrelations between the different dimensions of digital entrepreneurship as part of a socioeconomic system.


This paper describes the first phase of an ongoing research project aimed at implementing a trademark retrieval system using an associative memory neural network. The novel aspect of the work described in this paper is the presentation of a new integrated methodology for employing multiple interpretations from different analytical levels of images for image retrieval. In achieving this objective, we extract local features as well as features of the closed figures of images. In deriving alternative interpretations of the images, a segment level gestalt grouping method based on a modification of Sarkar and Boyer's method is used. In designing the search engine of the system we have adopted a novel similarity assessment criteria based on local features as well as features of the closed figures, which may feasibly be implemented using an associative memory neural network to achieve high performance in retrieval.


A study was conducted at the Lajas Substation of the University of Puerto Rico to determine the agronomic performance of four maize genotypes. The objective of this research was to determine the genetic coefficients of three maize cultivars, 'Mayorbela' (M), 'Diente de Caballo' (DC), 'Chulo' (Ch), and a transgenic hybrid from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (Pioneer hybrid) to be utilized by the CERES-Maize model to predict performance under tropical conditions. The experiments determined genetic coefficients for maize growth and development Including duration of the juvenile phase of the plant (P1); duration of biomass accumulation In the grain (P5); potential kernel number per cob (G2), and kernel linear growth rate (G3). Crop growth was expressed using the concept of thermal units (Td). Also determined were leaf area Index and total biomass accumulation. Field experiments were planted February 2004 and March 2005. Estimates of PI from the experiment planted In 2004 were 219 Td for Pioneer hybrid, 253 Td for M, 252 Td for DC, and 362 Td for Ch. In 2004 the P5 values were 715, 757, 691, and 413 Td for Pioneer hybrid, M, DC, and Ch, respectively. Nevertheless, the Pioneer hybrid produced the highest G2 value, 616 kernels per cob. There were no significant differences In G2 among genotypes, which varied from 529 to 616 kernels per cob. The G3 values were 7.7, 6.7, 5.7 and 3.7 mg/day for Pioneer hybrid, M, DC and Ch, respectively. There were no significant differences among genotypes for leaf area Index and biomass accumulation. Estimates of P1 from the 2005 experiment were higher than those obtained on 2004. The P1 values from the experiment planted In 2005 were 352 Td for Pioneer hybrid, 422 Td, 479 Td, and 405 Td for M, DC and Ch, respectively. The P5 values were 756 Td for Pioneer hybrid; 755 Td, M; 795 Td, DC; and 777 Td, Ch. The estimated values for G3 were 8.5, 6.9, 9.6, and 7.1 mg/day for Pioneer hybrid, M, DC, and Ch, respectively. No significant differences were found among genotypes for biomass accumulation. In 2004 'Mayorbela' produced the greatest seed yield (4,148 kg/ha) followed closely by Pioneer with no significant difference, whereas in 2005 Pioneer hybrid surpassed 'Mayorbela' by 14%.


Antibiotics have long been used in the initial treatment of acute bronchitis (AB) and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB). However, their lack of value in AB has been clearly demonstrated and antibiotic therapy is justified in only a few cases of AECB. In parallel, although the value of mucoregulators in these diseases is still debated, their prescription remains important in general practice. In this context, our aim was to determine the prescribing behaviour of general practitioners (GPs) with regard to these drugs, as well as the beliefs of GPs concerning the place of mucoregulators in the treatment of AB in children and adult smokers, as well as in patients with non-obstructive AECB. A survey was carried out in 370 GPs, who were presented with three standardised and computerised medical cases: (i) rhinopharyngitis + AB in a child; (ii) AB in an adult smoker without a previous medical history; and (iii) a patient with non-obstructive AECB. The results showed that mucoregulators are frequently prescribed by GPs for children and adults with AB, or in AECB. This high prescribing rate is due to the belief of the GPs that these drugs are effective and well tolerated, which is confirmed by the literature. Their use avoids the frequent and unjustified prescription of antibiotics in situations where they are not recommended but where the patients request drug therapy.


This essay reviews the founding and early history of the Council on Clinical Cardiology of the American Heart Association (AHA), the largest of the AHA's 14 councils. Based on archival research, it stresses the factors that led to the council's formation and shaped its agenda. The council was established in the context of the AHA's transition from a professional society to a voluntary health organization in 1948. But the direct stimulus for its creation was the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) first membership drive 3 years later. When the AHA's Section (later Council) on Clinical Cardiology was formally established in 1952, its official purpose was to "facilitate and encourage investigation, prevention, treatment and education in the field of clinical cardiology." Originally strained, the relations between the AHA and the ACC improved as the organizations came to view each other as potential partners rather than rivals.


Traditional EUV masks, with absorber on top of the multi-layer (ML) mirror, generally suffer from mask 3D effects: H/V shadowing, best focus shifts through pitch and pattern shifts through focus. These effects reduce the overlapping process window, complicate optical proximity correction and generate overlay errors. With further pitch scaling, these mask 3D effects are expected to become stronger, increasing the need for a compensation strategy. In this study, we have proven by simulations and experiments that alternative mask technologies can lower mask 3D effects and therefore have the potential to improve the imaging of critical EUV layers. We have performed an experimental imaging study of a prototype etched ML mask, which has recently become available. This prototype alternative mask has only half the ML mirror thickness (20 Mo/Si pairs) and contains no absorber material at all. Instead, the ML mirror is etched away to the substrate at the location of the dark features. For this etched ML mask, we have compared the imaging performance for mask 3D related effects to that of a standard EUV mask, using wafer exposures at 0.33 NA. Experimental data are compared to the simulated predictions and the benefits and drawbacks of such an alternative mask are shown. Besides the imaging performance, we will also discuss the manufacturability challenges related to the etched ML mask technology.


The excitatory action of gamma-aminobutyric-acid (GABA) in the median-eminence (ME) led to the steady-state release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from CRH axon terminals, which modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, in ME, the source of excitatory GABAergic input is unknown. We examined agouti-related peptide (AgRP) expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus as a possible source for excitatory GABAergic input. Here, we show that a subpopulation of activated AgRP neurons directly project to the CRH axon terminals in ME elevates serum corticosterone levels in 60% food-restricted mice. This increase in serum corticosterone is not dependent on activation of CRH neuronal soma in the paraventricular nucleus. Furthermore, conditional deletion of Na+-K+-2Cl– cotransporter-1 (NKCC1), which promotes depolarizing GABA action, from the CRH axon terminals results in significantly lower corticosterone levels in response to food restriction. These findings highlight the important role of a subset of AgRP neurons in HPA axis modulation via NKCC1-dependent GABAergic excitation in ME.


In the field of experimental mechanics, there exist some circumstances when only data at the boundary can be obtained while the internal data are unavailable, or when some data are missed due to shadow, illumination saturation and other reasons. Thus it would be helpful if a reasonable estimation of the unavailable or missed data can be obtained. In this study, an algorithm is developed to reconstruct the missed data from the existing ones by generating a series of equations about the missed data and solving for an optimal solution using least-squares approach. Results based on both simulation data and real incomplete experimental data obtained by shearography and fringe projection show the usefulness and potential of the algorithm for experimental mechanics applications.


1066 Background: Inhibition of mTOR with everolimus (E) may improve efficacy in combination with docetaxel (D), but both drugs are metabolized by CYP3A4, thus a pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction may also exist.

METHODS
15 patients (pts) with MBC were treated with docetaxel and everolimus using the continuous reassessment method (CRM) to determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Docetaxel doses were 40-75 mg/m2 IV on day 1 of a 21 day cycle. Everolimus doses were 20-50 mg PO on days 1 and 8 of a 21 day cycle (except cycle 2, where only day 8 was given to allow single agent PK analyses of both drugs). Response was measured every 2 cycles using RECIST.

RESULTS
Median age= 58 years and 77% of pts had >2 prior chemotherapies for MBC. Initially 2 of 2 pts treated (D= 75 mg/m2, E= 30 mg) developed DLT (neutropenic fever/infection), prompting a mandatory PK evaluation for all pts enrolled in subsequent cohorts. A second cohort of 3 patients (D=60 mg/m2, E=20mg) had no DLT, but no pts received day 8 of E due to grade 3-4 neutropenia. PK analyses demonstrated a 42% lowered (-42%) D clearance at the 60 mg/m2 in the presence of E (n=1). Subsequent cohorts were accrued at D=40 mg/m2 with escalating doses of E (Table). For the entire group, an 18% decrease (-18%) in D clearance was observed when D was administered concomitantly with E. High interpatient variability of D clearance was observed (range +16% to -135%). No pts had CR/PR, but 6 had SD>4 cycles and 2 had SD=8 cycles.

CONCLUSIONS
Weekly everolimus appears to cause widely variable and unpredictable changes in docetaxel clearance making this combination unfeasible. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Introduction: there are several evidences in favour of relationship of inguinal hernias and connective-tissue disorders. Soldiers are one susceptible group for inguinal hernia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (BJHS) in soldiers and its relationship to inguinal hernias during training periods. Methods: this descriptive-analytic cohort study was done on soldiers of a military-base selected by easily-sampling method. Soldiers were divided into two groups of suffered from BJHS and healthy ones by using the beighton-scoring system for diagnosis of joint hypermobility. At the beginning, past history of inguinal hernia in two groups was assessed by history taking and physical examination. After 3months of training, two groups were reassessed and compared for new incidence of inguinal hernia. Collected data was statistically analyzed by SPSS version20 software using "Chi-Square" and "Mc-Nemar" tests. Results: In this study 718 soldiers in two groups of suffered (211) and controls (507) were evaluated for presence of inguinal hernia. BJHS was detected in 29.4% of soldiers. At the beginning, a positive past history of inguinal hernia was significantly higher in case group (P-value=0.003). After training period new occurrence of hernia was significantly higher in cases (1.4% against 0.2%, P-value=0.04) and this relationship was more clear in higher beighton scores (P-value=0.01). Conclusion: Joint hyper-mobility and inguinal hernia have statistically significant relationship in soldiers and physical activities of training period cause higher incidence of hernia in suffered group than controls. Therefore in every case of BJHS, the presence of inguinal hernia should be noticed.


The names of variables and functions serve as implicit documentation and are instrumental for program comprehension. But choosing good meaningful names is hard. We perform a sequence of experiments in which a total of 334 subjects are required to choose names in given programming scenarios. The first experiment shows that the probability that two developers would select the same name is low: in the 47 instances in our experiments the median probability was only 6.9 percent. At the same time, given that a specific name is chosen, it is usually understood by the majority of developers. Analysis of the names given in the experiment suggests a model where naming is a (not necessarily cognizant or serial) three-step process: (1) selecting the concepts to include in the name, (2) choosing the words to represent each concept, and (3) constructing a name using these words. A followup experiment, using the same experimental setup, then checked whether using this model explicitly can improve the quality of names. The results were that names selected by subjects using the model were judged by two independent judges to be superior to names chosen in the original experiment by a ratio of two-to-one. Using the model appears to encourage the use of more concepts and longer names.


This article emphasises the activity of what will be referred to as the alter-globalisation movement rather than the antiglobalisation movement, as I consider this a more accurate description of the global movement against neo-liberalism. It also examines the global state of emergency which has become increasingly evident since September 11, 2001. My aim is to help understand how and why this state of emergency was manifested during the APEC week in Sydney, September 2007. To shed more light on the implications of the state of emergency, the article traces a history of confrontations between those advocating neo-liberal globalisation and those opposing it. This journal article is available in Illawarra Unity Journal of the Illawarra Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History: http://ro.uow.edu.au/unity/vol10/iss1/2 ILA W A R R A U N IT Y JOURNAL OF THE ILLAWARRA BRANCH OF THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF LABOUR HISTORY ILLAWARRA UNITY ISSN 1327-8126 VOLUME 10, NO. 1, 2010 ILLAWARRA UNITY V O L10. 1 2010 V O LU M E 0, N O . 1, 2010 A P E C rlly p oter, S yd ney, S ep em b er 2007 P hoograp h b y N ck S othall


Background: The advantages of cyanoacrylates in cutaneous wound closure have been wi dely demonstrated in the literature. However, these products have not been widely used in Brazil due to the high costs of octyl cyanoacrylates. Moreover, there have been only a few studies on the most affordable product, ethyl cyanoacrylate, as a cutaneous adhesive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ethyl cyanoacrylate in cutaneous exci  sion repair. Methods: A retrospective study conducted in patients with superficial skin lesions who underwent elliptical excision and repair by primary closure. The excisions were closed using deep relaxing sutures and either ethyl cyanoacrylate (case group; CaG) or intradermal suture (control group; CoG) on the skin surface. Results: Thirty-three patients were identified with 43 cutaneous lesions (CaG, n = 20; CoG, n = 23). Unsightly scars (CaG = 20%; CoG = 48%), eye irritation (CaG = 15%; CoG = 0), dehiscence (CaG = 5%; CoG = 0), infection (CaG = 0; CoG = 4.3%), and contact dermatitis (CaG = 0; CoG = 4.3%) were the problems observed. The cosmetic results were satisfactory in almost all excisions (CaG = 100%; CoG = 95.7%). Conclusions: Ethyl cyanoacrylate was adequately tolerated in this study group, with no necrosis, allergic reactions, or infections. Ethyl cyanoacrylate presented several advantages over suture use, including low complication rates and high patient satisfaction.


Movement that might be labeled "global education" has been existent in the United States for about 30 years. Global education content has been substantially expanding during evolution of the term. It may be drawn from all social sciences subjects but should not be limited to them. Recognizing that global education cannot be defined in terms of discipline, educators may infuse a global perspective in all subjects. A number of learning activities, resources, and teaching methodologies that contribute to a truly global curriculum have also been emerging and are described here. However, various descriptions and vague definitions of global education have created contradictory reactions among the general population and educators themselves. Since more controversies are caused by values and attitudes that global education is promoting than by its cognitive content, they are explored in this paper predominantly. Thus, a literature review on global education development resolves ambiguity that is inherent in the term and discourages many educators. The purpose of global education is to develop in youth the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to participate responsibly in civil activities. Knowledge attainment and skills development have been prevailing global education movement and, thus, gotten more attention. In this paper, more emphasizes is put on value/attitude development and civil participation. All stated goals serve as a basis of goal-oriented evaluation of a global curriculum. An instrument to assess attainment of the four goals of global education was created. It facilitates (1) evaluating the scope and quality of a global perspective across curriculum and (2) evaluating the skills, values and attitudes, and civil participation through behavioral indicators. An evaluation design intended for teacher training was also developed as teacher skills may particularly influence the global education movement. In conclusion, the U.S. global education concept serves as a basis for describing global education elements in Latvia.


Background: Previous studies have shown that plasma and urinary free choline concentrations decrease significantly during a marathon, and that these decreases may be associated with decreased performance. Objective: In a pilot study, we sought to determine whether lecithin supplementation prior to a marathon would maintain plasma free and urinary choline concentrations and improve performance versus placebo. Methods: 12 accomplished marathon runners, males (7) and females (5), 21 to 50 years of age were randomized to receive lecithin (4 capsules BID; PhosChol 900) or placebo beginning one day prior to the 2000 Houston-Methodist Health Care Marathon. The lecithin supplement provided approximately 1.1 g of choline on a daily basis (2.2 g total). Runners estimated finish time based on recent performance and training. Fasting, pre- and post-marathon plasma and a five-hour urine collection were analyzed for free choline and plasma for phospholipid-bound choline. Pre-race predicted, as well as the actual finish time, were recorded. Results: All subjects completed the marathon. Plasma free choline decreased significantly in the placebo group and increased significantly in the lecithin group (9.6 ± 3.6 to 7.0 ± 3.6 nmol/mL vs. 8.0 ± 1.2 to 11.7 ± 3.6 nmol/mL, p = 0.001 for the Δ between groups). No significant changes in plasma phospholipid-bound choline concentration were observed. There was a non-significant decrease in urine free choline in both groups. Actual finish time was 256.3 ± 46.3 minutes for the lecithin group vs. 240.8 ± 62.0 for the placebo group and the actual:predicted time was 1.03 ± 0.06 (lecithin) and 1.07 ± 0.08 (placebo), p = 0.36. Conclusion: Short-term lecithin supplementation prior to a marathon maintains normal plasma free choline concentration during the race, but failed to improve performance.


: Vašíček, Z. 2023. Stratigraphically significant, sporadic Early Cretaceous ammonites in Butkov Quarry (Central Western Carpathians, Slovakia). Acta Geologica Polonica , 73 (4), xxx–xxx. Warszawa. Butkov Quarry provides the best exposed stratigraphic sequence of marly limestones with Early Cretaceous ammonites in the Manín Nappe of the Central Western Carpathians. The presented paper deals with the spo - radically occurring zonal ammonites, or ammonites of guiding character, from the Lower Valanginian to Upper Hauterivian. Sixteen species are taxonomically elaborated here in detail. More attention is given to the basic taxonomy of the Subfamily Crioceratitinae Gill, 1871. The species described here, like most of the previously published species from Butkov Quarry, are representatives of the Mediterranean bioprovince and are close to the ammonite association from the Vocontian Basin.


The interaction between political executives and civil servants rests on a delicate balance between political responsiveness and the duty of civil servants and ministers to respect legal and other normative constraints on executive authority. In Danish central government, this balance is stressed by norms that define the correct behavior when the civil service provides ministers with political advice and assistance. Organizational factors strongly influence civil servants' behavior when they have to balance responsiveness against constraints on their role as political advisers. Moreover, civil servants working closely with ministers pay more attention to legal constraints than their peers among agency officials and specialists. Agency officials and specialists are much more prone to prioritize professional standards. We argue that this pattern can be generalized West European systems.


The spatial Green's function for the open microstrip structure, especially with a thick substrate, is generally represented in the time-consuming Sommerfield integrals. Through the Sommerfield identity, a closed-form spatial Green's function of a few terms is found from the quasi-dynamic images, the complex images, and the surface waves. With the numerical integration of the Sommerfeld integrals thus avoided, this closed-form Green's function is computationally very efficient. Numerical examples show that the closed-form Green's function gives less than 1% error for all substrates and source-to-field distances. >


Enteropeptidase inhibitor (DI) was isolated from bovine duodenum during purification of this enzyme. DI was purified by affinity chromatography on immobilised trypsin. DI preparations contain two main components: DI-9 (9 kD) and DI-20 (20 kD). The N-terminal amino acid sequence 1-19 of DI-9 is highly homologous to the Kunitz inhibitor (BPI). Molecular weights of DI-9 and BPI are the same (gel electrophoresis data). Fragment 1-19 of DI-9 differs from the corresponding region of BPI only at the position 17: DI-9 contains Ala-17 instead of Arg in BPI. The homology of N-terminal amino acid sequence 1-25 of DI-20 with the corresponding regions of some phospholipases A2 suggests that this protein is a new intestinal phospholipase A2. Inhibitor DI-9 and phospholipase DI-20 are probably isolated in a common lipoprotein complex. The only earlier known in vitro inhibitor of enteropeptidase, BPI, was localised in vivo in different tissues with this enzyme. In our opinion the Kunitz-type inhibitor DI-9 is, a physiological inhibitor of enteropeptidase.


The Internet of Things is characterized by the large-scale deployment of low power and lossy networks (LLN), interconnecting pervasive objects. The routing protocol for LLN (RPL) protocol has been standardized by IETF to enable a lightweight and robust routing in these constrained networks. A versioning mechanism is incorporated into RPL in order to maintain an optimized topology. However, an attacker can exploit this mechanism to significantly damage the network and reduce its lifetime. After analyzing and comparing existing work, we propose in this paper a monitoring strategy with dedicated algorithms for detecting such attacks and identifying the involved malicious nodes. The performance of this solution is evaluated through extensive experiments, and its scalability is quantified with the support of a monitoring node placement optimization method.


Ferritins are ubiquitous diiron enzymes involved in iron(II) detoxification and oxidative stress responses and can act as metabolic iron stores. The overall reaction mechanisms of ferritin enzymes are still unclear, particularly concerning the role of the conserved, near catalytic center Tyr residue. Thus, we carried out a computational study of a ferritin using a large cluster model of well over 300 atoms including its first‐ and second‐coordination sphere. The calculations reveal important insight into the structure and reactivity of ferritins. Specifically, the active site Tyr residue delivers a proton and electron in the catalytic cycle prior to iron(II) oxidation. In addition, the calculations highlight a likely cation binding site at Asp65, which through long‐range electrostatic interactions, influences the electronic configuration and charge distributions of the metal center. The results are consistent with experimental observations but reveal novel detail of early mechanistic steps that lead to an unusual mixed‐valent iron(III)‐iron(II) center.


In the article "Molecular basis of mammalian sexual determination: Activation of M�llerian inhibiting substance gene expression by SRY" by C. M. Haqq et al. (2 Dec., p. 1494), parts B and C of figure 1 were inadvertently interchanged. In figure 3A, the third, fourth, and fifth lanes should have been labeled "A7 → T," "A7 →C," and "A7 → G," respectively. In figure 5, the factor labeled "SRIF's" should have been labeled "SRYIF's."


In 2002, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North 2003) was commissioned by United Utilities to undertake a walk-over survey and produce an archaeological assessment along the route of the proposed pipeline in central Cumbria. This assessment indicated that each of two sections of pipeline, one between Bankwood and Raisbeck across the Eden Valley (NY 6437 0758 - 7317 1948) and the other between Pooley Bridge and Shap (NY 4781 2492 - 5615 1256), ran across areas of high archaeological potential, which contained monuments dating from the Neolithic period to the present, including a number of Scheduled Monuments. Following on from the assessment and walk-over survey, a programme of archaeological survey was undertaken of selected monuments identified during the assessment. OA North then conducted an evaluation of the section of the proposed pipeline route running from Pooley Bridge to Shap, between 19th April and 17th May 2004.


The National Education Policy document published in 2009 in Pakistan emphasised that one of the wider goals for teaching and learning at all levels is the need to encourage and develop critical thinking skills. In the literature, these have been conceptualised in terms of a variety of skills many of which relate to evaluation. These skills imply the ability and willingness to ask productive questions related to the material that is being presented.
The Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, worked with a team from the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) Teacher Education Project to develop and implement the curricula for a new BEd Honours/ADE (Associate Degree in Education) programme. This has been offered in 22 Universities and 75 Elementary colleges in Pakistan since 2012. Critical thinking is specifically listed as a goal in the generic course outlines as well as in the objectives for the revised BEd/ADE degree.
The development and implementation of these planned new approaches to teaching and learning offered an opportunity to explore critical thinking at policy, course development and implementation levels. The revised Functional English course was chosen for this study because it was a compulsory course in BEd/ADE degree, giving access to the entire student teacher cohort. Based on the literature, the working definition of critical thinking adopted for this study is conceptualised as purposeful thinking which is to be seen in skills like analysis and evaluation, weighing arguments, judging the quality of evidence and the credibility of sources. The central feature is the skill and willingness to ask productive questions. Using the working definition as a point of reference, this study explored how undergraduate students and teachers perceived the nature of critical thinking as a concept as well as the set of skills that exemplify critical thinking. The study also examined the likely facilitators and barriers in the development of critical thinking as perceived by students and teachers involved in the course. Another theme that was explored was how the course guidelines were being followed in the context of the development of critical thinking.
This study was carried out in two Phases. Phase-I (at the start of the Functional English course) investigated the teaching and learning experiences of the participants in their previous English courses along with their expectations from the Functional English course in the context of critical thinking. Phase-II (at the completion of the Functional English course) explored the participants overall experience of studying Functional English including the extent to which this course met their expectations in terms of learning and their perceptions towards critical thinking skills. The study used a mixed method approach involving questionnaires, student teacher focus groups, teacher interviews in both phases and observation of classes during the course. 140 undergraduates (the entire cohort following the course in Hazara Region) studying Functional English in BEd/ADE and 7 English teachers were involved, across five institutions (2 universities and 3 colleges). The data were analysed using SPSS and NVivo.
The findings from Phase-I revealed that both students and teacher had little understanding of critical thinking as seen in the literature but, on the completion of the course (Phase-II), both conceptualised critical thinking as skills involving analysis, evaluation, synthesis, weighing best options, all underpinned by productive questioning. Both students and teachers identified the key role of questioning. However, they were unable to identify the specific kind of questioning involved. Nonetheless, observation of the classes did indicate that questioning of a productive nature was taking place. In terms of facilitators and barriers, both teachers and student teachers identified similar factors including student academic and social background, the role of the teacher, the classroom environment, potential peer mockery, lack of confidence, lack of teacher training and the issues related to policy and practice.
The study revealed that the course had been well received by student teachers and teachers and was being delivered in line with the intentions of the course documentation. After five observation sessions, the lasting impression was gained of enormous student involvement, vibrant activity and vigorous discussion. It was evident that teachers used the course guidelines with flexibility and considerable imagination. Comparisons of Phase-I and II revealed that, with the emphasis on wider educational outcomes, there was a marked move among both teachers and students away for the dominant emphasis on memorisation and recall.
The evidence points to the simple principle that the way to encourage the development of critical thinking is to place learners regularly in situations where critical thinking skills are not only encouraged but are perceived to be valuable by the learners. In the Functional English course, this has been encouraged through interactions between learners working in groups or peer discussion, an approach that is broadly Vygotskian. Classroom observation as well as student teacher and teacher responses in focus groups and interviews respectively indicated that the more student-centred learning approach was providing opportunities for productive discussion and questioning through the range of different activities undertaken. With critical thinking seen as a curriculum goal, the study also suggests that there are no barriers intrinsic to either teachers or students in achieving this goal. Students value it. Given the guidelines, teachers enthusiastically encourage it. This suggests that the development of students as critical thinkers is facilitated by students gaining the confidence to ask questions of each other and their teachers. The study concludes by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches employed as well as suggesting areas where future work might build on the findings of the study.