BackgroundDespite increasing life expectancy in many countries, health and mortality inequality exist. This study aimed to assess overall and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality trends among Swedish men and women during 1992-2006, and their association with individual level socio-demographic determinants of mortality inequality.MethodsData were extracted from the Linnaeus Database which consists of register and survey data. A multilevel Poisson regression analysis was used to assess the number and mortality rate, as well as individual level determinants (fixed effects) of overall and CVD deaths for men and women at county level (n = 24) in each 5-year period during 1992-2006. We also assessed the random effect at county level.ResultsA total of 9,098,090 individuals accumulating 115,361,104 person years was included in this study. A significant reduction in overall and CVD mortality rates occurred among Swedish men and women during the study period 1992-2006, with persisting excess male: female mortality. Older age and pensioner, unmarried or widowed individuals, low and middle education levels and employed individuals with low income (the lowest income tertile) were consistently associated with higher mortality rates of overall and CVD mortality in men and women. Individuals with tertiary education level and being immigrant was protective factors for overall mortality, but less so for CVD mortality. The multilevel analysis revealed that about 85% and 80% of the variation of overall and CVD mortality at county level, respectively, could be explained by the individual socio-demographic variables.ConclusionsInequality in overall and CVD mortality still exists among Swedish men and women, and to some extend are influenced by county level determinants. Contextual epidemiology must therefore play a decisive role in understanding social disparities in overall and CVD mortality in Sweden.Key messagesOverall, individual factors played a more important part in understanding the differences of overall and CVD mortality than contextual factors within the same area in men and women in Swedish context.Health policy actions aiming to reduce health inequality should be addressed not only focusing on individual characteristics but also on geographical factors.


For further study of mechanical properties of concrete-filled steel box columns (CFSBCs) with longitudinal stiffeners, axially loading tests of CFSBCs with longitudinal stiffeners was conducted to obtain their ultimate bearing capacity and failure modes. The test results were compared with those of hollow steel box columns with longitudinal stiffeners. Cross section of the test specimen was scaled from a chord member of Dongjiang Bridge. The experimental results show that failure mode of CFSBCs with longitudinal stiffeners is local buckling of steel plates, which is different from that of concrete-filled thin wall steel tube columns with longitudinal stiffeners. Although longitudinal stiffeners can prevent global buckling of steel plates, the effect is less obvious than that of concrete-filled thin wall steel tube columns. Meanwhile, three-dimensional finite element models (FEM) of the specimens were modeled using computer program ANSYS to obtain bearing capacities and load-strain curves. The FEM results coincide quite well with the test results. Further, influence of width to thickness ratio on mechanical behavior of CFSBCs was analyzed using FEM.


This research project takes a critical look at the data that drives educational policies. This research project looks at the data at the national level as well as the regional levels in order to see if the data is functioning differently at the different levels. All data has been collected from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) through reports published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an independent committee assigned to collect and analyze educational data. The data was collected and then correlations were run between the expenditures per pupil, number of pupils per teacher, standardized test scores, such as average ACT, average SAT, average 8 grade Math and Reading tests, and average 4 grade Math and Reading tests. This research project also included the percentage of minority students in the classroom, a variable whose data has been collected over the years, but it has never been included in any prior analyses. What this research project found is that some of the data, such as the standardized test scores, have a different strength of relationship between variables at the different levels. For example, expenditures per pupil have strength in the relationship between the different standardized test scores at the national level, but once those numbers are broken down by region, the strength in the variables relationship is weakened. This research project also discovered that the make up of the classroom, specifically the percentage of minority students, is a vital factor in the performance of all students.


The title compound was synthesized via green, efficient and ecofriendly protocol using DMAP catalyzed one-pot four-component reaction, and characterized by 1H NMR and the crystal structure was confirmed by using single crystal X-ray diffraction method. The X-ray diffraction study reveals that the compound (C20H20O4N4) has crystallized in the orthorhombic crystal system with the space group P212121. And the lattice parameters are a = 7.4374(5) A, b = 13.4666(9) A, c = 18.6416(12) A, α = β = γ = 90o, Z = 4 and V = 1867.1(2) A3. The molecular structure exhibits intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the type N–H---O, N–H---N and contributes to the crystal packing. The structure is also stabilized by C–H---π and π---π stacking interactions. And it exhibits intermolecular hydrogen bond of the O–H---N with the solvent methanol molecule. Further, the molecular Hirshfeld surface analysis was carried out to understand the nature of intermolecular contacts, the fingerprint plot provide the information about the percentage contribution from the intermolecular contacts to the molecular surface.


Femtosecond two-color pump-probe experiments in the mid-infrared range demonstrate that excitation energy of the hydrogen-bonded O-H stretching oscillator of phthalic acid monomethyl ester is redistributed on a subpicosecond time scale along the O-H bending vibration. The O-H stretching and O-H bending lifetimes are 220 and 800 fs, respectively. Quantum dynamical model calculations of the energy flow induced by O-H stretching excitation reveal a relaxation mechanism involving cascaded energy redistribution along the O-H bending vibration and two O-H out-of-plane deformation modes at ∼700 and 800 cm - 1 .


Masticatory muscle pain is considered as a local expression of myofascial pain. The relationship with Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Fibromyalgia is not well understood. Muscle pain is generated through nociceptors served by small-diameter fibres, where processes of sensitization and neurogenic inflammation are important. In contrast to the 'vicious circle' concept, limitation of movement and loss of muscular power seem to be the result of the pain (pain-adaptation model). The diagnosis of muscle pain is made by algometry, while treatment should be simple, reversible and non-invasive.


Ecohydrological connectivity is a system level property that results from the linkages in the networks of water transport through ecosystems, by which feedbacks and other emergent system behaviours may be generated. We created a system dynamics model that represents primary ecohydrological networks to examine how connectivity between ecosystem components impacts ecosystem processes. Here, we focused on the savanna ecosystems, although the analyses may be expanded to other ecosystem types in the future. To create the model, a set of differential equations representing ecohydrological processes was programmed into the dynamic solver Vensim. Stocks of water storage (e.g. atmospheric and soil moisture) were linked by flows [e.g. precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET)] that were in turn dynamically controlled by the amount of water stored. Precipitation was forced stochastically, and soil moisture and potential ET controlled actual ET. The model produced extended, probabilistic time series of stocks and flows, including precipitation, soil moisture, runoff, transpiration, and groundwater recharge. It was used to describe the behaviour of several previously studied savanna ecosystems in North America and Africa. The model successfully reproduced seasonal patterns of soil moisture dynamics and ET at the California site. It also demonstrated more complex, system level behaviours, such as multiyear persistence of drought and synergistic or antagonistic responses to disconnection of system components. Future improvements to the model will focus on capturing other important aspects of long‐term system behaviour, such as changes in physiology or phenology, and spatial heterogeneity, such as the patchwork nature of savannas. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Standard intuition suggests that residential segregation in the United States will decline when racial inequality narrows. In this paper, we hypothesize that the opposite will occur. We note that middle-class black neighborhoods are in short supply in many U.S. metropolitan areas, forcing highly educated blacks either to live in predominantly white high-socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods or in more black lower-SES neighborhoods. Increases in the proportion of highly educated blacks in a metropolitan area may then lead to the emergence of new middle-class black neighborhoods, causing increases in residential segregation. We formalize this mechanism using a simple model of residential choice that permits endogenous neighborhood formation. Our primary empirical analysis, based on across-MSA evidence from the 2000 Census, indicates that this mechanism does indeed operate: as the proportion of highly educated blacks in an MSA increases, so the segregation of blacks at all education levels increases. Time-series evidence provides additional support for the hypothesis, showing that an increase in black educational attainment in a metropolitan area between 1990-2000 significantly increases segregation. Our analysis has important implications for the evolution of both residential segregation and racial socioeconomic inequality, drawing attention to a negative feedback loop likely to inhibit reductions in segregation and racial inequality over time.


Department of Prosthetics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, People's Republic of China Background: Exosomes are small membrane vesicles that are secreted by most cell types. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been identified in exosomes, and exosomal circRNAs exert important biological activities in human cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether circRNA GDP dissociation inhibitor 2 (circGDI2) was transferred by exosomes and how exosomal circGDI2 regulated OSCC cell malignant behaviors. Methods: The levels of circGDI2, miR-424-5p and suppressor of cancer cell invasion (SCAI) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or Western blot. Cell proliferation was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Transwell assays were performed to detect cell migration and invasion. Measurement of glucose consumption and lactate production were conducted using a corresponding assay kit. Targeted correlations among circGDI2, miR-4245p and SCAI were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assays. Xenograft assays were used to observe the role of circGDI2 in tumor growth in vivo. Results: Our data indicated that circGDI2 was down-regulated in OSCC, and it could be transferred by the exosomes in OSCC cells. The up-regulation of exosomal circGDI2 weakened OSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis. CircGDI2 functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-424-5p, and SCAI was a direct target of miR-424-5p. MiR-424-5p mediated the repression of exosomal circGDI2 overexpression on OSCC cell malignant behaviors, and miR424-5p silencing mitigated OSCC cell progression by up-regulating SCAI. Moreover, exosomal circGDI2 regulated SCAI expression through sponging miR-424-5p. Additionally, the overexpression of exosomal circGDI2 inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion: The present study had led to the identification of exosomal circGDI2 that regulated OSCC cell malignant behaviors through targeting the miR-424-5p/SCAI axis, highlighting circGDI2 as a novel exosome-based cancer biomarker and therapeutic agent for OSCC treatment.


A novel construction method is proposed to construct multimode deployable polyhedron mechanisms (DPMs) using symmetric spatial RRR compositional units, a serial kinematic chain in which the axes of the first and the third revolute (R) joints are perpendicular to the axis of the second R joint. Single-loop deployable linkages are first constructed using RRR units and are then assembled into polyhedron mechanisms by connecting the single-loop linkages using RRR units. The proposed mechanisms are over-constrained and can be deployed. The prism mechanism constructed using two Bricard linkages and six RRR chains has one degree-of-freedom (DOF). When removing three of the RRR chains, the mechanism will have one additional 1-DOF motion mode. The DPMs based on 8R and 10R linkages also have multiple modes, and several mechanisms have variable-DOF. The DPMs can switch among different motion modes through transition positions. Prototypes are 3D-printed to verify the feasibility of the mechanisms.


The design of a "good" business process model is a time-consuming and error-prone task and requests high training effort from the process modeler. These barriers might be a reason why business processes are often designed with software tools, which were not intentionally developed for this purpose, but are highly familiar for the process modeler (e.g., add-ins for MS Office family) and thus a process model can be quickly designed. As consequence of such a tool choice for process modeling the variety of techniques available for Business Process Management cannot be exploited. To mitigate this situation, we first examine approaches aiming to support business process modeling more intuitively. We then suggest the introduction of an additional layer to business process models with depictive diagrams that are not bounded to a concrete process modeling language or descriptive diagrams using natural language text. We then show how such a layer can be aligned with common process modeling languages and thus provides a seamless integration with more advanced Business Process Management languages and tools. We expect that our approach will fertilize techniques facilitating business process modeling for all types of process modelers including business experts with limited experience of process modeling.


The relationship between economic growth and environmental quality is generally considered as linear, N-shaped or inverse-U-shaped curve. However, due to the effects of economic structure on economic growth and pollutant emission, this relationship may not be suitable in China. In this study, multivariate regression modeling was performed to identify relationships among pollutant emission, economic structure and economic growth in China. Estimates obtained from integrated multivariate regression results reveal that local provincial economic growth and pollutant emission demonstrate an inverse-N-shaped relationship that is different from that under the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Further empirical results also indicate that particularly in China; pollutant emission has a negative effect on economic structure and economic growth; pollutant emission can reduce the positive contribution of economic structure to economic growth; and enforcement of emission reduction policies could stifle economic transformation and maintain sustainable economic growth.


This article explores how conditional amnesties can assist post-conflict societies to recover truth. It examines how such amnesties can be used optimally to achieve the best results as part of transitional justice mechanisms. Thus, a central question is to see how amnesties can be used for truth recovery purposes. For that reason, the status and role of amnesties, and whether such amnesties can be used to learn more about the past and assist in truth recovery is explored. The article explores what amnesties are, how prevalent they are and how amnesties can be used optimally to achieve the best results. An issue that is also explored is whether amnesties are needed for perpetrators to participate in transitional justice mechanisms. The argument that is made, in this regard, is that amnesty is absolutely necessary to persuade perpetrators to testify. If they do not have such legal protection, perpetrators fear the legal consequences that may result if they admit to crimes for which they have not been charged. Another question that is examined concerns whether amnesties, and specifically conditional amnesties, pass international law muster. This article therefore investigates the continual and extensive use of amnesty to determine whether a conditional amnesty violates international law. The article suggests how a conditional amnesty process could be structured and what difficulties such a process should avoid if perpetrators are to enter such a process.


Abstract In the present investigation, laminated composite beams subjected to a bending static loading are studied in order to determine their failure mechanisms and the first ply failure (FPF) load. The FPF analysis is performed using a refined rectangular plate element. The present element is formulated based on the classical lamination theory (CLT) to calculate the in-plane stresses. To achieve this goal, several failure criterions, including Tsai-Wu, Tsai-Hill, Hashin, and Maximum Stress criteria, are used to predict failure mechanisms. These criterions are implemented within the finite element code to predict the different failure damages and responses of laminated beams from the initial loading to the final failure. The numerical results obtained using the present element compare favorably with those given by the analytic approaches. It is observed that the numerical results are very close to the analytical results, which demonstrates the accuracy of the present element. Finally, several parameters, such as fiber orientations, stacking sequences, and boundary conditions, are considered to determine and understand their effects on the strength of these laminated beams.


This e-book explores late-sixth and early fifth-century Boiotia as a case study in the construction and articulation of collective identity in archaic and early classical Greece. By juxtaposing a variety of sources – historiography, numismatics, iconography, epigraphy – the author discusses traditions of Boiotian descent and territory as well as Boiotian use of a common symbol, promotion of shared dialect, and use of a common name. These sources suggest that by the late sixth century the Boiotians actively promoted collective links to Athena and Thessaly as well as to epic tradition and specific epic heroes. They did not begin using their collective name in a strictly political or military sense until the middle of the fifth century BC. With this ethnic portrait, the author offers an alternate explanation to the opinio communis that attributes late sixth-century Boiotian solidarity to an early political and military federation of poleis. The author rather argues that the Boiotians adopted a permanent federal system only in the mid-fifth century.


In this paper we prove that the question whether a language presented by a context free grammar has density, is undecidable. Moreover we show that there is no algorithm which, given two unambiguous context free grammars on input, decides whether the language defined by the first grammar has a relative density in the language defined by the second one. Our techniques can be extended to show that this problem is undecidable even for languages given by grammars from $LL(k)$ (for sufficiently large fixed $k ∈ \mathbb{N} )$.


The viscosity of F-actin and microtubule suspensions has been measured as a function of shear rate with a Weissenberg rheogoniometer. At shear rates of less than 1.0 per second the viscosity of suspensions of these two structural proteins is inversely proportional to shear rate. These results are consistent with previous in vivo measurements of the viscosity of cytoplasm. This power law implies that shear stress is independent of shear rate; that is, shear stress is a constant at all shear rates less than 1.0 per second. Thus the flow profile of these fluids is indeterminate, or nearly so. This flow property may explain several aspects of intracellular motility in living cells. Possible explanations for this flow property are based on a recent model for semidilute suspensions of rigid rods or a classical friction model for liquid crystals.


In order to study the influence of pH value on the plastic water-based gravure ink, the primary ink that is dispersed by high-speed grinding is maxed with good- compatible water-based resin (solution resin) and promoter in proportion. Getting the different pH value of ink samples by two methods, one way is the Amine neutralizers were added in the ink samples, the other is alkaline substances of the ink samples were volatilized by raising temperature. The influence of the pH value to the property of ink was analyzed by testing the pH value, viscosity, stetting, and glossiness of the proofs. The result indicates that changing the pH value of ink will affect the viscosity of ink. The pH value can influent the release of the resin in the ink to the solvent, so the dryness of ink was also influenced. The pH value of water-based ink has a certain influence to the glossiness of the proofs.


Patient: Male, 32-year-old Final Diagnosis: Cyst • echinococcosis • echinococcus infection • hepatic hydatid • hydatid cyst • hydatid cyst disease Symptoms: Abdominal pain • abdominal distension • fever • mass in abdomen Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Gastroenterology and Hepatology • Infectious Diseases • Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: Echinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by the echinococcus microorganism, a parasite with 6 described species in the literature, the main one in humans being Echinococcus granulosus. Transmission is via the fecal-oral route, with main hepatopulmonary involvement but with high risk of dissemination. Diagnosis is often incidental and patients present a wide range of non-specific symptoms, closely related to localization, size, and quantity of cysts. The latent risk of the infection is septic shock secondary to intraperitoneal rupture, which increases the risk of mortality. The criterion standard of management involves anthelmintic therapy and radical surgical management. Case Report: We present the case of a man in the third decade of life from a rural area of Colombia, presenting abdominal pain and febrile peaks for 2 months. Imaging studies showed a cystic lesion with thoracic and hepatic involvement. He was treated in 2 surgical stages, the first achieving partial resection of the cyst involving lung, diaphragm, and rib cage, and the second with extracorporeal circulation assistance due to infiltration of the retrohepatic vena cava, achieving radical resection of the disease. Conclusions: Echinococcosis is a condition endemic to rural areas, with wide geographical distribution. Given the slow growth, it is mostly asymptomatic, which causes diagnostic and therapeutic challenges involving high rates of complications and mortality. An individualized surgical and medical approach is recommended. Extracorporeal circulation assistance helps achieve hemodynamic stability in patients with cardiac or great vessel involvement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of extracorporeal circulation assistance for large hepatic-diaphragmatic and pericardial cyst resection.


Isometric twitch contractions have been studied in extensor hallucis brevis muscles of 32 healthy male subjects aged between 3 and 25 years. The maximum twitch tensions were found to increase gradually with age and then to undergo marked enhancement at puberty. After puberty little further change occurred. In the youngest children examined the twitch contraction times were already within the adult range, though the half-relaxation times were prolonged.


This article argues that income inequality increases the level of corruption through material and normative mechanisms. The wealthy have both greater motivation and more opportunity to engage in corruption, whereas the poor are more vulnerable to extortion and less able to monitor and hold the rich and powerful accountable as inequality increases. Inequality also adversely affects social norms about corruption and people's beliefs about the legitimacy of rules and institutions, thereby making it easier for them to tolerate corruption as acceptable behavior. This comparative analysis of 129 countries using two-stage least squares methods with a variety of instrumental variables supports the authors' hypotheses using different measures of corruption (the World Bank's Control of Corruption Index and the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index). The explanatory power of inequality is at least as important as conventionally accepted causes of corruption such as economic development. The authors also found a significant interaction effect between inequality and democracy, as well as evidence that inequality affects norms and perceptions about corruption using the World Values Surveys data. Because corruption also contributes to income inequality, societies often fall into vicious circles of inequality and corruption.


Abstract We used an individual‐based simulation model to examine the role of phenotypic plasticity on persistence and adaptation to two patterns of environmental variation, a single, abrupt step change and continual, linear change. Our model tested the assumptions and predictions of the theory of genetic assimilation, explored the evolutionary dynamics of the Baldwin effect, and provided expectations for the evolutionary response to climate change. We found that genetic assimilation as originally postulated is not likely to occur because the replacement of plasticity by fixed genetic effects takes much longer than the environment is likely to remain stable. On the other hand, trait plasticity as an enhancement to continual evolutionary change may be an important evolutionary mechanism as long as plasticity has little or no costs. Whether or not plasticity helps or hinders evolutionary rescue following a step change in the environment depends on whether plasticity is costly. For linear environmental change, noncostly plasticity always decreases extinction rates, while costly plasticity can create a fitness drag and increase the chance of extinction. Thus, with changing climates plasticity can enhance adaptation and prevent extinction under some conditions, but not others.


BACKGROUND
Blacks are disproportionately affected by chronic kidney disease, but are far less likely to undergo live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) than whites. We assessed the differential effectiveness in blacks and whites of a home-based (HB) LDKT educational approach.

STUDY DESIGN
A planned secondary analysis of a previously published randomized trial.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
132 patients (60 black, 72 white) approved for kidney transplantation at 1 kidney transplant center in the southeastern United States.

INTERVENTION
Assignment to receive either standard clinic-based (CB) transplant education (n = 69) or CB plus an HB (CB + HB) LDKT education program (n = 63). The HB education program was culturally sensitive for blacks, including using a minority health educator, brochures that highlight minority transplant recipients and donors, and discussion of race-specific outcome data.

OUTCOMES
Primary outcomes were proportions of patients with live donor inquiries, evaluations, and transplants 1 year after study participation.

MEASUREMENTS
Medical record and questionnaire data.

RESULTS
69 patients were assigned to the CB group, and 63 to the CB + HB group. After 1 year, there were 96 living donor inquiries (72.7%), 62 living donor evaluations (47.0%), and 54 LDKTs (40.9%). Patients assigned to the CB + HB group were more likely to have had living donor inquiries (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 3.0), a living donor evaluated (OR, 2.7; CI, 1.4 to 5.4), and LDKT (OR, 3.0; CI, 1.5 to 5.9). The effect was greater in blacks than whites for living donor evaluations and LDKT, but not for living donor inquiries (treatment-by-race interaction, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.8, respectively). Blacks in the CB + HB group were more likely to have had at least 1 living donor inquiry (51.7% versus 77.4%), at least 1 living donor evaluated (17.2% versus 48.4%), and LDKT (13.8% versus 45.2%) than those in the CB group. By comparison, whites in the CB + HB group were more likely to have had at least 1 living donor inquiry (72.5% versus 87.5%), at least 1 living donor evaluated (47.5% versus 71.9%), and LDKT (42.5% versus 59.4%) than those in the CB group.

LIMITATIONS
Single-center study with greater dropout rate in the CB + HB group.

CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that a culturally sensitive LDKT education program that reaches out to blacks and their social support network can overcome some barriers to LDKT in this population.


BACKGROUND
Around 20% of 1- to 4-month-old infants cry for long periods without an apparent reason. Traditionally, this was attributed to gastrointestinal disorder ('colic'), but evidence shows that just 5% of infants cry a lot because of organic disturbances; in most cases, the crying is attributable to normal developmental processes. This has led to a focus on the impact of the crying on parents. Parental vulnerabilities influence how parents evaluate and respond to the crying and predict adverse outcomes. By developing evidence-based services that support parents, this study was designed to take the first steps towards national health services that enhance the coping and well-being of parents whose babies excessively cry. Related aims were to improve these infants' outcomes and how NHS money is spent.

OBJECTIVES
To develop a novel intervention package to support parents of excessively crying infants and to examine the feasibility of delivering and evaluating it in the NHS.

DESIGN
Stage 1 of this study aimed to (1) complete a literature review to identify example support materials, (2) obtain parents' guidance on the support needed when a baby cries excessively, together with their evaluation of the example materials, and (3) develop a support package based on the results. Stage 2 aimed to (1) recruit 60 parents whose babies were currently excessively crying, (2) assess parents' and NHS professionals' willingness to complete a study of the support package, (3) measure the use and evaluation of the package components, (4) estimate the package component costs and (5) provide evidence on the feasibility and methods for a large-scale trial.

SETTING
Primary health care.

PARTICIPANTS
Stage 1: 20 parents of previously excessively crying infants and 55 health visitors (HVs) or specialist community public health nurses (SCPHNs). Stage 2: 57 parents of currently excessively crying infants and 124 HVs/SCPHNs.

INTERVENTIONS
The support package included a website, a printed booklet and a programme of cognitive-behavioural therapy-based sessions delivered to parents by a qualified practitioner.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
(1) Demographic data, (2) figures for parents' use of the package components and continuation in the study, (3) parents' and HVs'/SCPHNs' ratings of the package components and suitability for NHS use, (4) questionnaire measures of parental well-being and infant health and (5) costs.

RESULTS
Most parents (95%) accessed the website or printed materials and half (51%) attended the practitioner sessions. All 52 parents and 85% of HVs/SCPHNs providing data would support the inclusion of the package in the NHS. It was associated with reduced parental frustration, anxiety, depression, reported infant crying and contacts with health professionals and increased knowledge about crying. Methods for a full trial and figures for the cost of excessive infant crying for the NHS and each package element were identified.

LIMITATIONS
No control group was included. Most of the recruited parents were white, well educated and in stable relationships.

CONCLUSIONS
Parents and HVs/SCPHNs recognise the need for NHS provisions that support parents of excessively crying babies and consider the materials developed to meet that need. A full-scale randomised controlled trial is feasible and desirable.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN84975637.

FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 56. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


We fed mice food granules containing fermented soybean (natto in Japanese) powder (hereafter "natto granules") for 14 d to investigate whether natto granules had any effects on mouse behavior. We noted an enhancement of locomotor activity in natto-granule-fed mice compared to control and soybean-pelletfed mice. This enhanced locomotor activity was blocked by a low dose of haloperidol (1 mg/kg i.p.), a dopamine receptor antagonist, but not by methysergide, a serotonin 5-HT1/2 receptor antagonist. The results suggest that the enhanced locomotor activity induced by continuous intake of natto granules in mice is sensitive to haloperidol.


In this unique volume John Storey has brought together leading authorities to provide comprehensive and state of the art coverage of the key and emerging issues in HRM appropriate for students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The second edition contains fully revised and updated chapters from the original contributors but also covers new themes such as HRM and Ethics, Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning, Culture and Change, and HR in International Joint Ventures. In addition, current debates about the nature and significance of HRM are taken on to new ground. Further coverage includes the link with corporate strategy, the interface with the personnel function, and trade unions and industrial relations. In short - an in-depth and authoritative text.
Each of the chapters is written by an expert in the field, providing students with a critical examination of contemporary concerns and debates in HRM
Covers all of the main practice areas including Resourcing, Assessment, Training and Development, Reward Systems and Employee Involvement and Partnership
International aspects are explained by experts in European HRM, American HRM and International Management, facilitating understanding of the differences and similarities in HRM global practice.


Two small chromosomal DNA fragments (2.6 and 4.8 kb) from the blasticidin S producer Streptomyces griseochromogenes were cloned in the high copy number vector pIJ702 and shown to confer increased resistance to blasticidin S upon S. lividans TK24. These fragments were used to screen a library of S. griseochromogenes DNA prepared in the cosmid shuttle vector pOJ446. Cosmids containing DNA inserts of at least 23 kb were identified which hybridized to one or the other resistance fragment, but not to both. Transformation of S. lividans TK24 with several cosmids hybridizing with the 4.8 kb resistance fragment resulted in clones that produced cytosylglucuronic acid, the first intermediate of the blasticidin S biosynthetic pathway, and other blasticidin-related metabolites. A strain of S. lividans TK24 harboring both the 4.8 kb-hybridizing cosmid and the 2.6 kb resistance fragment cloned in pIJ702 produced 12.5 times as much demethylblasticidin S as the transformant harboring the cosmid alone.


From the beginning of the twentieth century, new urban housing forms, including social housing, land pooling, and building syndicates, began to emerge as products of housing rights and labor movements. Yet this emergence cannot simply be accounted for by a history of workers' rights and housing movements but must also take into consideration the political economy of land and housing created by new forms of real estate speculation. This article situates the history of urban speculation and the new fiduciary innovations pertaining to urban land and housing markets within the scholarship on the development of architectural and town-planning theories during the early decades of the twentieth century. Focusing on Calcutta and Bombay—two central cities of the British Empire—as case studies, I will trace the history of how the housing market became a tradeable object of speculation through colonial policies that disentangled housing from its singular history and abstracted it out of its nonmonetizable attachments. Indeed, it is by understanding how the land and housing market became a site for future investments and ultimately was structured through new social relations and values following World War I that we might get a fuller understanding of how we arrived at our contemporary "residential capitalism" and landscapes of accumulation and homelessness.


We previously showed that treatment with lanthionine ketimine ethyl ester (LKE) reduced disease severity and axonal damage in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of multiple sclerosis and increased neuronal maturation and survival in vitro. A major target of LKE is collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2), suggesting this protein may mediate LKE actions. We now show that conditional knockout of CRMP2 from neurons using a CamK2a promoter to drive Cre recombinase expression reduces disease severity in the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35–55 EAE model, associated with decreased spinal cord axonal damage, and less glial activation in the cerebellum, but not the spinal cord. Immunohistochemical staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction show CRMP2 depletion from descending motor neurons in the motor cortex, but not from spinal cord neurons, suggesting that the benefits of CRMP2 depletion on EAE may stem from effects on upper motor neurons. In addition, mice in which CRMP2 S522 phosphorylation was prevented by substitution for an alanine residue also showed reduced EAE severity. These results show that modification of CRMP2 expression and phosphorylation can influence the course of EAE and suggests that treatment with CRMP2 modulators such as LKE act in part by reducing CRMP2 S522 phosphorylation.


This project is about VLSI floorplanning optimization. Floorplanning optimization is used to minimize the deadspace of the floorplan. This is to reduce cost for die fabrication, minimize resistance in the circuit and also reduce heat produced. Hence, VLSI floorplanning is important in IC design. Floorplanning optimization consists of representation and optimization algorithm. In present work, Dot Model (DM) and Corner Bottom Left List (CBLL) were developed as floorplan representation. These two models are based on topological placement method. DM is optimized using genetic algorithm (GA). GA is a widely used optimization algorithm based on the concept of survival of the fittest. This means that a population with random generated sequence will be generated and the fitness of the population will be evaluated. The best quantile of the population will be maintained and genetic operations will be performed on these chromosomes. The selected best quantile population will be brought to the next generation. GA is able use the representation for DM by modifying the chromosomes to match the tuples for DM for optimization. Two methods of optimization are used for CBLL. They are Cross Entropy and also Genetic Algorithm. CE is a new algorithm that was recently developed using probability. This method consists of 2 phases which are the random data generation and then update of the probabilities based on the performance of the data generated. This method is used to reduce the stochastic of data generation as the second iteration will have influence of the first iteration data. The generation of strings are based on three dimensional matrices to obtain the probability between each block to another block. These algorithms are tested on MCNC benchmarks which are apte, xerox, hp, ami33 and ami49. DM-GA gives fair results of deadspace for the benchmarks tested. However, DM uses a long runtime to decode the floorplan. CBLL- GA has shorter optimization runtime compared to DM-GA because CBLL can decode the string much faster. Both methods give almost similar deadspace iii
area. CBLL-CE gives the least deadspace area. CE is able to calculate and give the relationship of the local deadspace area during placement and determine the best combination between the adjacent blocks. However, CE requires longer run time compared to GA because the parameters of the random mechanism need to be updated in each iteration.


In the last hundred years, great changes have taken place in the farming systems all over the world. They were economically driven and beneficial but they also lead to a range of negative side effects. At the same time consumer awareness regarding food quality and safety grew, together with rising willingness for nature conservation and rural identity preservation. The paper focuses on the High Nature Value (HNV) farming as an environmental solution for long-term conservation and protection of biodiversity and its broader impact on the economic and social sustainability of agriculture and rural development at regional level.


The medieval biblical scholar Abraham ibn Ezra was born about 1089 CE in Spain, emigrated shortly before 1140 to Italy, and later went on to France and England. He died in the year 1164. On the basis of the Warsaw textual edition as well as several manuscripts, this work in two volumes offers a German edition of Abraham ibn Ezra s long commentary on the book of Exodus, written in the year 1153 in France. In addition to the critical translation, accompanied by extensive commentary, there are two comprehensive introductions at the beginning of the present edition: the first deals among other things with the questions of whether Abraham ibn Ezra is the author of the commentary edited, and when and where he wrote it. The second is concerned with the sources employed by Abraham ibn Ezra; therefore the edition becomes a basic introduction to Jewish exegesis of the Bible in the classical period. "


TO AVOID RISKY AND EXPENSIVE CHEMICAL IMMOBILIZATION OF OTARIID PUPS, PHYSICAL RESTRICTION IS A BETTER OPTION. FOR THIS REASON WE CONSTRUCTED A STRETCHER THAT PERMITS WIDE LIBERTY TO INTERACT WITH THE PUP AND TAKE A VARIETY OF SAMPLES IN A SAFE, COMFORTABLE AND EASY WAY, FOR BOTH THE PUP AND THE RESEARCHER.


We investigated the in vitro transport characteristics of catalposide in HEK293 cells overexpressing organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), OAT3, organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1), OATP1B3, organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1), OCT2, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). The transport mechanism of catalposide was investigated in HEK293 and LLC-PK1 cells overexpressing the relevant transporters. The uptake of catalposide was 319-, 13.6-, and 9.3-fold greater in HEK293 cells overexpressing OAT3, OATP1B1, and OATP1B3 transporters, respectively, than in HEK293 control cells. The increased uptake of catalposide via the OAT3, OATP1B1, and OATP1B3 transporters was decreased to basal levels in the presence of representative inhibitors such as probenecid, furosemide, and cimetidine (for OAT3) and cyclosporin A, gemfibrozil, and rifampin (for OATP1B1 and OATP1B3). The concentration-dependent OAT3-mediated uptake of catalposide revealed the following kinetic parameters: Michaelis constant (Km) =41.5 μM, maximum uptake rate (Vmax) =46.2 pmol/minute, and intrinsic clearance (CLint) =1.11 μL/minute. OATP1B1- and OATP1B3-mediated catalposide uptake also showed concentration dependency, with low CLint values of 0.035 and 0.034 μL/minute, respectively. However, the OCT1, OCT2, OAT1, P-gp, and BCRP transporters were apparently not involved in the uptake of catalposide into cells. In addition, catalposide inhibited the transport activities of OAT3, OATP1B1, and OATP1B3 with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 83, 200, and 235 μM, respectively. However, catalposide did not significantly inhibit the transport activities of OCT1, OCT2, OAT1, P-gp, or BCRP. In conclusion, OAT3, OATP1B1, and OATP1B3 are major transporters that may regulate the pharmacokinetic properties and may cause herb–drug interactions of catalposide, although their clinical relevance awaits further evaluation.


Extracted from text ... 175 VOLUME 3 NO 2
REVIEW
Contemporary South Africa
Anthony Butler
Palgrave-Macmillan
Contemporary South Africa is a useful and informative reference work on the current
geo-political, economic and social make-up of South Africa. Published in 2004, the
book is both topical and relatively current in its discourse, examining, through the
contextual lens of historical perspective, some of the burning issues in South Africa,
including socio-economic development, racial and gender transformation and the
HIV / AIDS pandemic.
The author examines the historical context which gave rise to the
constitutionally entrenched system of apartheid and the consequences of this policy,
and ..


Helminthes parasites are one of the major causes of economic loss in ruminants all over the world, leading to decrease in number of ruminants mainly in developing countries. This study was aimed at identifying parasitic helminthes and its prevalence among ruminants slaughtered at Abakiliki abattoir. Fecal samples were collected using a screw capped universal container and examined using flotation techniques. Two hundred ruminants comprising 75 cattle, 75 sheep and 50 goats were examined for different species of helminthes parasites. The Cattle and sheep had prevalence of 89.3% each while goats had a prevalence of 72.0%. Single infections had a prevalence of 71.5% while multiple infections had a prevalence of 13.5%. Platyhelminthes and nematodes were recovered from the study, with nematode infection being more prevalent than the platyhelminthes. Bunostomum spp. had the highest prevalence of 34.7% among the nematode parasites recovered while Strongyloides spp. had the least prevalence of 1.0%. Taenia spp. and Fasciola spp. were the only platyhelminthes parasites recovered with prevalence of 17.0% and 6.5% respectively. In conclusion, the results show that there is high prevalence of helminthes infections among ruminants slaughtered at Abakaliki abattoir. Hence, there is need for constant inspection of animals during and after slaughtering by health officers before consumption


The effects of the stable analogue of TxA2, U46619, on polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function were investigated. U46619, at micromolar concentrations, inhibited fMLP‐stimulated aggregation, β‐glucuronidase release, and superoxide production. fMLP‐induced LTB4 synthesis was also inhibited. U46619 did not modify intracellular Ca2+ increase induced by fMLP in Fura‐2‐loaded PMN, suggesting that early events of cell activation were not involved. In fact, U46619 also inhibited aggregation, β‐glucuronidase release, superoxide anion and LTB4 production induced by the calcium ionophore A23187. By comparison with the specific 5‐lipoxygenase inhibitor, L‐663,536, which prevented LTB4 synthesis without affecting degranulation, we excluded the impairment of PMN function by U46619 as a consequence of the reduction of this endogenous agonist. TLC separation of lipid extracts from [3H]‐AA‐loaded PMN, stimulated by A23187, showed significant reduction of the radioactivity associated with authentic free AA, suggesting that U46619 could interfere with mechanisms regulating AA release from membrane phospholipids. This suggestion is also supported by the observation that manoalide, a standard inhibitor of phospholipase A2, similarly to U46619, inhibits β‐glucuronidase release from stimulated PMN. Prostaglandin endoperoxides, produced by cells participating in inflammatory reactions, might therefore play a role in modulating PMN activities. J. Leukoc. Biol. 57: 72–79; 1995.


Hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts (100 μg/ml) of Alpinia galanga rhizomes exhibited significant activity in vitro against promastigotes of L. donovani. Twelve compounds namely, methyleugenol (1), p-coumaryl diacetate (2), 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (3), 1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (4), trans-p-acetoxycinnamyl alcohol (5), trans-3,4dimethoxycinnamyl alcohol (6), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (7), p-hydroxycinnamaldehyde (8), trans-p-coumaryl alcohol (9), galangin (10), trans-p-coumaric acid (11) and galanganol B (12) were isolated from these extracts. Of these, compounds 2, 3, 4 and 5 were found most active in vitro against promastigotes of L. donovani with IC50 values of 39.3, 32.9, 18.9 and 79.9 μM respectively. This is the first report of antileishmanial activity of the extracts and isolated constituents of A. galanga.


If this is not so, then surely the expression "most common fee" should not be .sed, but should be replaced by an expression such as "recommended" fee. And one wonders by whom it was recommended. If recommended by the Director-General, then one wonders when it was that the profession surrendered the right to determine the fees it charges for its services to the Federal Government. If, on the other hand, the new "most common" fees are those recommended by the A.M.A., then one wonders when it was that the Association decided to forward its recommendations to members via the Civil Service.


A series of (Ca0.9Gd0.1)3Co4O9/xAg(x=0, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) ceramics were prepared by a polyacrylamide gel method and Spark Plasma Sintering. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that small size Ag particles were dispersed into the (Ca0.9Gd0.1)3Co4O9(CGCO) matrix. The electrical conductivity of the composites was obviously higher than that of (Ca0.9Gd0.1)3Co4O9, and increased with increase of Ag content. However, the addition of Ag seemed to have a negative impact on the Seebeck coefficient (S) of the composites samples due to its poor S. Since the increase of electrical conductivity (σ) is more significant than the degradation of S, the power factor (P=σS2) was found to be improved by the addition of Ag. At 973 K, the P value of the sample with x =0.2 reached 3.17×10-4 W•m-1•K-2, which was 12.5% higher than that of Ca3Co4O9(CCO) bulk material.


The hot spot forming tendency during solidification of AZ91D magnesium alloy in permanent mould casting with the dies of different wall thickness via numerical simulation with Anycasting software was studied in the present paper. The experimental results showed that in a single cycle casting the increase in the thickness enhanced the cooling ability of the mould and promoted balanced solidification in a certain degree, while in multi-cycle casting, the thickened die-wall gradually lose its localized chilling effect. In contrast, the die with a decreased wall thickness in a certain range was easier to achieve the desired solidification balance.


Introduction: Recent evidence suggests that dry eye (DE) may be comorbid with other chronic pain conditions. Objectives: To evaluate DE as a comorbid condition in the U.S. veteran population. Methods: Retrospective review of veterans seen in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System (Veteran Affairs) between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014. Dry eye and nonocular pain disorders were ascertained by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes. Dry eye was further separated into ICD-9 codes representing tear film dysfunction or ocular pain. &khgr;2 and logistic regression analyses were used to examine frequency and risk of DE, ocular pain, and tear film dysfunction by pain disorders. Results: Of 3,265,894 veterans, 959,881 had a DE diagnosis (29.4%). Dry eye frequency increased with the number of pain conditions reported (P < 0.0005). Ocular pain was most strongly associated with headache (odds ratio [OR] 2.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.95–3.01), tension headache (OR 2.64; 95% CI 2.58–2.71), migraine (OR 2.58; 95% CI 2.54–2.61), temporomandibular joint dysfunction (OR 2.39; 95% CI 2.34–2.44), pelvic pain (OR 2.30; 95% CI 2.24–2.37), central pain syndrome (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.94–2.60), and fibromyalgia/muscle pain (OR 2.23; 95% CI 2.20–2.26), all P < 0.0005. Tear film dysfunction was most closely associated with osteoarthritis (OR 1.97; 95% CI 1.96–1.98) and postherpetic neuralgia (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.90–2.00), both P < 0.0005. Conclusions: Dry eye, including both ocular pain and tear film dysfunction, is comorbid with pain conditions in this nationwide population, implying common mechanisms.


In this paper we test for the presence of periodically partially collapsing, positive and negative, speculative bubbles in the S&P 500 Composite Index for the period 1888-2001. We extend existing regime-switching models of speculative behaviour by including abnormal volume as an indicator of the probable time of the bubble collapse. Abnormal volume is included as both a classifying variable that helps predict the probability of the bubble surviving, and as a factor of risk in the surviving state equation. Increased volume is considered a signal that market beliefs concerning the future of the bubble are changing. We show that abnormal volume is a significant predictor and classifier of returns. Furthermore, we examine the financial usefulness of the augmented model by studying the risk-adjusted profits of a trading rule formed using inferences from it. Use of the augmented model trading rule leads to higher risk adjusted returns than those obtained from employing existing models or a buy and hold strategy.


In reply to a problem of Jean Leray (application of the Nielsen theory to differential equations), two main approaches are presented. The first is via Poincaré's translation operator, while the second one is based on the Hammerstein-type solution operator. The applicability of various Nielsen theories is discussed with respect to several sorts of differential equations and inclusions. Links with the Sharkovskii-like theorems (a finite number of periodic solutions imply infinitely many subharmonics) are indicated, jointly with some further consequences like the nontrivial -structure of solutions of initial value problems. Some illustrating examples are supplied and open problems are formulated.


1. In a pathological investigation of 53 cases of sudden death (age range 34 to 87 years), plasma cholesterol concentrations measured at autopsy were correlated negatively with age. There was a high incidence of thrombotic occlusion of the coronary arteries in cases under 60 years of age. In men of all ages, hut not in women, cholesterol concentrations were significantly greater in cases with coronary arterial occlusion than in cases without. 2. In a clinical investigation, the serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglyceride observed in the majority of aged men were within the normal range for younger people. The mean concentrations of both lipids, however, were elevated in aged men with IHD compared with aged controls. In aged women with IHD concentrations of triglyceride, but not cholesterol, were elevated. 3. Preparative ultracentrifugation of serum lipoproteins showed that HDL-cholesterol concentrations were greater in aged women than in aged men. HDL-cholesterol was significantly lower in aged men and women with IHD than in aged controls. The majority of patients whose myocardial ischaemia was associated with supraventricular dysrhythmias did not have abnormalities of lipid metabolism. 4. Blood ascorbic acid concentrations in aged patients were low. In men, WBC-ascorbie acid concentrations were significantly correlated with levels of HDL-cholesterol. Six weeks treatment with daily gram doses of ascorbic acid resulted in significant increases of mean HDL-cholesterol in the men, and in those women with IHD. 5. The participation of ascorbic acid in lipid metabolism was not observed to be by any direct effect on LCAT activity. 6. Rheological studies showed that the elevated blood viscosity found in aged patients with IHD was associated with the haematocrit, but not with plasma fibrinogen concentration. Viscosity was not elevated in patients with dysrhythmia-ischaemia. Treatment with ascorbic acid reduced fibrinogen concentration in nine patients whose initial levels had been elevated. 7. By integrating the pathological, clinical, metabolic, and rheological findings these studies have sought to show that IHD in old age is not simply a consequence of ageing. Some metabolic abnormalities associated with IHD in aged patients responded to treatment with ascorbic acid and, in susceptible people, earlier long-term nutritional measures may aid in protecting against IHD in old age.


Music and Mental Health54% of household have someone who plays an instrument. 64% start playing between ages 5 to 11. (18% start playing between 12 and 14). 54% believe in early music exposure. 89% believe in increase intelligence. 97% believes that it provides a sense of accomplishment. Long Term vs. Short Term Effects The Mozart Effect Plasticity of the Brain The Developmental Stages The perfect age of music How It Came Together Lack of Mental Health and Music Awareness connection of our Mind My Goal: A Positive Correlation Methods & Procedure Participant Total: 75, Average age: 26.05, Average MAP score: 2.5, Average self-esteem score: 28/30. One-way ANOVA: p – value + 0.025 (composite and self – esteem score). Person correlation: p – value + 0.009 (tone and self – esteem score) Music has an overall effect on us. Deeper Analysis: Age and enjoyment Stronger correlation at neurological level Distribution between musicians and non – musicians Going further: our music education programs


Abstract Objective To estimate the timing of key events in the natural history of Zika virus infection. Methods In February 2016, we searched PubMed, Scopus and the Web of Science for publications containing the term Zika. By pooling data, we estimated the incubation period, the time to seroconversion and the duration of viral shedding. We estimated the risk of Zika virus contaminated blood donations. Findings We identified 20 articles on 25 patients with Zika virus infection. The median incubation period for the infection was estimated to be 5.9 days (95% credible interval, CrI: 4.4–7.6), with 95% of people who developed symptoms doing so within 11.2 days (95% CrI: 7.6–18.0) after infection. On average, seroconversion occurred 9.1 days (95% CrI: 7.0–11.6) after infection. The virus was detectable in blood for 9.9 days (95% CrI: 6.9–21.4) on average. Without screening, the estimated risk that a blood donation would come from an infected individual increased by approximately 1 in 10 000 for every 1 per 100 000 person–days increase in the incidence of Zika virus infection. Symptom-based screening may reduce this rate by 7% (relative risk, RR: 0.93; 95% CrI: 0.89–0.99) and antibody screening, by 29% (RR: 0.71; 95% CrI: 0.28–0.88). Conclusion Neither symptom- nor antibody-based screening for Zika virus infection substantially reduced the risk that blood donations would be contaminated by the virus. Polymerase chain reaction testing should be considered for identifying blood safe for use in pregnant women in high-incidence areas.


Simulation-based inference with conditional neural density estimators is a powerful approach to solving inverse problems in science. However, these methods typically treat the underlying forward model as a black box, with no way to exploit geometric properties such as equivariances. Equivariances are common in scientific models, however integrating them directly into expressive inference networks (such as normalizing flows) is not straightforward. We here describe an alternative method to incorporate equivariances under joint transformations of parameters and data. Our method -- called group equivariant neural posterior estimation (GNPE) -- is based on self-consistently standardizing the"pose"of the data while estimating the posterior over parameters. It is architecture-independent, and applies both to exact and approximate equivariances. As a real-world application, we use GNPE for amortized inference of astrophysical binary black hole systems from gravitational-wave observations. We show that GNPE achieves state-of-the-art accuracy while reducing inference times by three orders of magnitude.


Since the outbreak of the Intifada in September 2000, the Israeli government has extensively employed a policy of assassinating members of Palestinian terrorist organizations. Theoretically, the net effect of an assassination on future terrorism is indeterminate because it embodies two conflicting effects: the assassination of a terrorist hurts his organization's capabilities, but may increase the motivation for future attacks. Our indirect, empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of assassinations for Isreali counterterrorism is based on Israeli stock market reactions to news of such operations. We rely on the fact that terrorism has had significant adverse effects on the Israeli economy and claim that the stock market should react positively to news about effective counterterrorism measures but negatively to news about counterproductive ones. We find that the market does not react to assassinations of low-ranked members of Palestinian terrorist organizations. The market does react strongly, however, to the assassinations of senior leaders of terrorist organizations: it declines following assassinations targeting senior political leaders but rises following assassinations of senior military leaders. To the extent that these reactions reflect expectations regarding future levels of terrorism they imply that the market perceives the first type of assassinations as counterproductive, but the second as an effective measure in combating terrorism.


This is the second edition of a popular paperbook intended for patients with thyroid disease. This book has been cleverly composed and carefully edited. A complete glossary of important terms, drugs, and procedures used in the treatment of patients with thyroid disease has been placed prominently at the beginning of the book. Each chapter begins with a short synopsis of the material to be covered in the next several pages. This allows easy review for the patient, as well as reminding the physician of key points. The chapters are well organized and progress logically from the structure and function of the thyroid gland to the various disease states associated with it. Thyroid function testing is thoroughly discussed, including historic notes on the progression in this field. Good quality illustrations are liberally sprinkled in with the text (adding to the quality of this book). Separate chapters on specific disease states are


BACKGROUND: Since Atkinson's original description of retrobulbar block in 1936, needle-based anesthetic techniques have become integral to ophthalmic anesthesia. These techniques are unfortunately associated with rare, grave complications such as globe perforation. Ultrasound has gained widespread acceptance for peripheral nerve blockade, but its translation to ocular anesthesia has been hampered because sonic energy, in the guise of thermal or biomechanical insult, is potentially injurious to vulnerable eye tissue. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defined guidelines for safe use of ultrasound for ophthalmic examination, but most ultrasound devices used by anesthesiologists are not FDA-approved for ocular application because they generate excessive energy. Regulating agencies state that ultrasound examinations can be safely undertaken as long as tissue temperatures do not increase >1.5°C above physiological levels. METHODS: Using a rabbit model, we investigated the thermal and mechanical ocular effects after prolonged ultrasonic exposure to single orbital- and nonorbital-rated devices. In a dual-phase study, aimed at detecting ocular injury, the eyes of 8 rabbits were exposed to continuous 10-minute ultrasound examinations from 2 devices: (1) the Sonosite Micromaxx (nonorbital rated) and (2) the Sonomed VuMax (orbital rated) machines. In phase I, temperatures were continuously monitored via thermocouples implanted within specific eye structures (n = 4). In phase II the eyes were subjected to ultrasonic exposure without surgical intervention (n = 4). All eyes underwent light microscopy examinations, followed at different intervals by histology evaluations conducted by an ophthalmic pathologist. RESULTS: Temperature changes were monitored in the eyes of 4 rabbits. The nonorbital-rated transducer produced increases in ocular tissue temperature that surpassed the safe limit (increases >1.5°C) in the lens of 3 rabbits (at 5.0, 5.5, and 1.5 minutes) and cornea of 2 rabbits (both at 1.5 minutes). A secondary analysis of temporal temperature differences between the orbital-rated and nonorbital transducers revealed statistically significant differences (Bonferroni-adjusted P < 0.05) in the cornea at 3.5 minutes, the lens at 2.5 minutes, and the vitreous at 4.0 minutes. Light microscopy and histology failed to elicit ocular injury in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The nonorbital-rated ultrasound machine (Sonosite Micromaxx) increases the ocular tissue temperature. A larger study is needed to establish safety. Until then, ophthalmic ultrasound-guided blocks should only be performed with ocular-rated devices.


Long-term industrial exposure to low levels of infrared radiation has for many years been associated with the development of cataracts; the injury mechanism is widely held to be thermal. A finite element model of the human eye is employed to calculate the temperature rises experienced by the intraocular media when exposed to infrared radiation. The model is used to calculate transient and steady-state temperature distributions for various exposure times and a range of incident irradiances. The effect of the eye's natural cooling mechanisms on the heating is investigated. Specific absorption rates in the infrared irradiated eye are presented. For a radiation source of 1500 degrees C, absorption of radiant energy by the iris and the lens combined with conduction of heat from the anterior regions is found to be responsible for increases in the lens temperature of 1-2 degrees C, but under extreme exposure conditions the temperature rises are found to be substantially higher.


OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy in the prevention of tumor recurrence, disease free interval and side effects of intravesical epirrubicin post-TUR of superficial bladder tumor. METHODS From February 1993 to November 1997, 57 patients with stage Ta, T1, grade I, II and III tumor of the bladder were studied. These patients were treated with 50 mg epirrubicin in 50 ml saline solution administered intravesically on 15 occasions for one year after surgery. The mean follow-up was 18 months. The follow-up protocol included clinical, analytical, cytological, US and cystoscopic control evaluations every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for the second and third year, and yearly thereafter. RESULTS At a mean follow-up of 30.2 months, 31.5% (18/55) of the patients showed tumor recurrence; the disease free interval was 17 months for the remaining 18 patients and 43 months for the overall group. Cystitis was observed as an adverse effect in 5 of 57 patients (8.8%). CONCLUSIONS The study shows that prophylactic treatment with intravesical epirrubicin for the prevention of recurrence in superficial bladder tumor has few side effects and its efficacy is similar to that reported in other studies.


The heart, the first organ to function in developing vertebrate embryos1, is affected by congenital defects in roughly 1% of the worldwide human population. These abnormalities frequently require treatment for the entire lifespan of the affected individual2,3.
microRNAs are an exciting class of non-coding regulatory genes that are known to be essential for the heart development of many organisms4,5. A miRNA becomes incorporated into the miRNA-induced silencing complex, which binds to a target mRNA transcript and inhibits its translation. Dysregulation of miRNAs is associated with failing human hearts6. More than 2,500 mature human miRNAs are currently annotated, and with each miRNA predicted to potentially target several hundred transcripts, the further study of these molecules is vital for the complete understanding of cardiac biology.
A miRNA expression profile in the chick heart, a model of human heart development, over several stages of embryonic development was generated by next generation sequencing. Two novel chick miRNAs were discovered, and 31 known animal miRNAs not yet annotated in the chick genome were discerned. The predicted targets of three miRNAs thought to be essential for heart development, miR-130, miR-138, and miR-499, were examined in vitro. Twelve genes were confirmed as targets of at least one of these three miRNAs by luciferase reporter assay, including genes in the Wnt signalling pathway which is essential at specific stages of heart development7.
The roles of miR-1, known to be indispensable for heart formation and function, were also studied in the developing chick heart. Two targets of miR-1, FZD7 and RARβ, had been identified in vitro8. This study showed that inhibition of miR-1 in the HH14 chick resulted increased FZD7 and RARβ protein levels, as well as in delayed development, possibly due to a loss of inhibition of canonical Wnt signalling in the epicardium.


Your book review editor sent me a letter the other day: Dear Ian, This delightful book is by a man whom I know you admire. Even I, old and tired as I am, enjoyed dipping into it... and well he might. It is a delightful volume albeit overfancified by the publisher and inflated in price, but nonetheless a gem. As a former indentured apprentice of this master of the romance of bacteriology I can see him throw his heart and soul—aye, even a measure of his thyroid—into these lectures for high-school students. The applause, according to Dr. Bronk in the introduction, was deafening and well it might be, because this record of the lectures written with felicity and beauty stirs within one a swelling pride in the accomplishments of the "domestication" of microbial life. Similarly, it is bound to light a fire in many high-school students bursting with potential energy


The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the major circadian pacemaker in mammals. When fetal tissue containing the SCN is transplanted into young rats whose circadian rhythms have been abolished by SCN lesions, the rhythms gradually reappear. Circadian rhythms in many rats deteriorate or disappear with age. The rationale of the present study was that old rats with poor circadian rhythms resemble young rats with SCN lesions. If there is a similar mechanism underlying this resemblance, then fetal tissue containing the SCN should restore rhythms in old rats. Therefore, we implanted such tissue into the third ventricle of intact aged rats with poor circadian rhythms. Body temperature, locomotor activity, and/or drinking were measured simultaneously within subjects. Grafts and hosts were stained immunocytochemically for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Of 23 SCN grafts, 14 were viable (cells observable with Nissl or peptide staining). In 7 of the 14 aged hosts, up to three circadian rhythms were improved or restored. VIP cells were always observable, which was not the case for AVP cells or NPY fibers. In the other seven hosts, no circadian rhythm was improved. Compared with the successful grafts, these unsuccessful grafts had similar amounts of AVP and NPY staining but significantly less VIP cell and/or fiber staining. Fetal cerebellar grafts, which do not contain any of the three peptides, did not improve or restore any rhythms. Thus the degeneration of circadian rhythms in aged rats may be due, at least in part, to deterioration of the aged SCN and in particular, to a loss of function of VIP-containing neurons.


IMPORTANCE
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the most prominent nonpharmacologic treatment for insomnia disorders. Although meta-analyses have examined primary insomnia, less is known about the comparative efficacy of CBT-I on comorbid insomnia.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the efficacy of CBT-I for insomnia comorbid with psychiatric and/or medical conditions for (1) remission from insomnia; (2) self-reported sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, and subjective sleep quality; and (3) comorbid symptoms.

DATA SOURCES
A systematic search was conducted on June 2, 2014, through PubMed, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. Search terms included (1) CBT-I or CBT or cognitive behavioral [and its variations] or behavioral therapy [and its variations] or behavioral sleep medicine or stimulus control or sleep restriction or relaxation therapy or relaxation training or progressive muscle relaxation or paradoxical intention; and (2) insomnia or sleep disturbance.

STUDY SELECTION
Studies were included if they were randomized clinical trials with at least one CBT-I arm and had an adult population meeting diagnostic criteria for insomnia as well as a concomitant condition. Inclusion in final analyses (37 studies) was based on consensus between 3 authors' independent screenings.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Data were independently extracted by 2 authors and pooled using a random-effects model. Study quality was independently evaluated by 2 authors using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
A priori main outcomes (ie, clinical sleep and comorbid outcomes) were derived from sleep diary and other self-report measures.

RESULTS
At posttreatment evaluation, 36.0% of patients who received CBT-I were in remission from insomnia compared with 16.9% of those in control or comparison conditions (pooled odds ratio, 3.28; 95% CI, 2.30-4.68; P < .001). Pretreatment and posttreatment controlled effect sizes were medium to large for most sleep parameters (sleep efficiency: Hedges g = 0.91 [95% CI, 0.74 to 1.08]; sleep onset latency: Hedges g = 0.80 [95% CI, 0.60 to 1.00]; wake after sleep onset: Hedges g = 0.68; sleep quality: Hedges g = 0.84; all P < .001), except total sleep time. Comorbid outcomes yielded a small effect size (Hedges g = 0.39 [95% CI, 0.60-0.98]; P < .001); improvements were greater in psychiatric than in medical populations (Hedges g = 0.20 [95% CI, 0.09-0.30]; χ2 test for interaction = 12.30; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is efficacious for improving insomnia symptoms and sleep parameters for patients with comorbid insomnia. A small to medium positive effect was found across comorbid outcomes, with larger effects on psychiatric conditions compared with medical conditions. Large-scale studies with more rigorous designs to reduce detection and performance bias are needed to improve the quality of the evidence.


Aim: The present study aims at determining the incidence, risk factors, clinical features, diagnosis, management and outcome of ectopic pregnancies. Material and Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, NSMCH, Bihta, Patna, Bihar, India, for 18 months. Total 100 cases were diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy. Results: During the study period, 9724 deliveries and 100 ectopic pregnancies. Therefore, the incidence of ectopic pregnancy is 1 in 97 pregnancies (1.02%) or 10 per 1000 deliveries. The mean age of the patients was 27.87±4.7 years. Majority of the patients 50 (50%) belonged to 20-25 years. Majority of the patients 76(76%) were multiparous. The most common site of ectopic pregnancy was fallopian tube 92(92%). Ampulla was the commonest site 80(80%) for ectopic implantation in the fallopian tube. Heterotopic pregnancy is rare where pregnancy is seen in the uterus and tube at the same time. In our study, there were 2(2%) cases of heterotopic pregnancies. The most common risk factor was pelvic inflammatory disease 45 (45%) followed by H/o previous abortion 23(23%) and H/o previous abdominopelvic surgery including tubal ligation, LSCS and appendicectomy 27(27%). In our study, 15(15 %) patients were using copper IUCD. H/o infertility due to tubal block or other causes, treatment associated with infertility, endometriosis and H/o previous ectopic pregnancy were other identified risk factors. Almost 97% patients in our study came with H/O variable period of amenorrhoea. 90(90%) cases complained of abdominal pain. 68% of the patients had bleeding or spotting per vaginum. However, the classical triad of amenorrhoea, abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding was seen in 53% cases. The most important signs which guided in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy were cervical excitation pain 77(77%), abdominal tenderness 71(71%), adnexal mass or fullness 64(64%) and tenderness in the fornix 66(66%). In the present study, urine pregnancy test was positive in 96(96%) of patients. Culdocentesis was positive in 42(42%) of patients. Ultrasound was able to diagnose 83(83 %) of cases. Conclusion: Early diagnosis, timely referral, improved access to health care, aggressive management and improvement of blood bank facilities can reduce the maternal morbidity and mortality associated with ectopic pregnancy.


When we think about school principals, most of us imagine a figure of vague, yet intimidating authority - for an elementary school student, being sent to the principal's office is roughly on par with a trip to Orwell's Room 101. But with "School Principal", Dan C. Lortie aims to change that. Much as he did for teachers with his groundbreaking book "Schoolteacher", Lortie offers here an intensive and detailed look at principals, painting a compelling portrait of what they do, how they do it, and why. Lortie begins with a brief history of the job before turning to the daily work of a principal. These men and women, he finds, stand at the center of a constellation of competing interests around and within the school. School district officials, teachers, parents, and students all have needs and demands that frequently clash, and it is the principal's job to manage these conflicting expectations to best serve the public. Unsurprisingly then, Lortie records his subjects' professional dissatisfactions, but he also vividly depicts the pleasures of their work and the pride they take in their accomplishments. Finally, "School Principal" offers a glimpse of the future with an analysis of current issues and trends in education, including the increasing presence of women in the role and the effects of widespread testing mandated by the government. Lortie's scope is both broad and deep, offering an eminently useful range of perspectives on his subject. From the day-to-day toil to the long-term course of an entire career, from finding out just what goes on inside that office to mapping out the larger social and organizational context of the job, "School Principal" is a truly comprehensive account of a little-understood profession.


Introduction: Several evidences have pointed out the possible association between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and low urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Recent epidemiological and histopatological evidences suggested chronic inflammation is a crucial event in BPH pathogenesis. Aim of this study is to demonstrate the correlation among pre-operatory LUTS/BPH severity, MetS features and inflammatory infiltrates in prostatectomy specimens of patients with BPH, highlighting the results of two recently published multicentre studies analyzing all the data from a preclinical and clinical point of view.
Materials and methods: We conducted two retrospective study in 271 and 244 consecutive men treated with simple prostatectomy for LUTS/BPH in two tertiary referral centres. Prostate diameters and volume were measured by transrectal ultrasound, LUTS were scored by IPSS, and obstruction diagnosed by uroflowmetry. MetS was defined according to DF & AHA/NHLBI criteria. The inflammatory infiltrate was investigated according to the scoring system of chronic prostatitis (CP-CPPS) and scored as inflammation score (IS) ranging 3 to 9 and glandular disruption (GD). In addition, we investigated the in vitro inflammatory effects of metabolic insults on human prostatic myofibroblast cells isolated from BPH patients (hBPH).
Results: Of 271 men, 86 (31.7%) were affected by MetS. Prostatic volume and the anterior-posterior (AP) diameter were positively associated to the number of MetS components. Among MetS determinants, only dyslipidaemia (increased serum triglycerides and reduced serum HDL levels) was significantly associated with an increased risk of having a prostatic volume >60cm3. IS in prostatectomy specimens showed a step- wise association with number of MetS factors (p=0.001). Dyslipidaemia was the only factor significantly associated with IS. Positive significant correlations among MetS, IS, GD and IPSS Scores were observed. In myofibroblastic hBPH oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) showed the highest secretion of IL-8 (>10-folds)-a surrogate marker of prostate inflammation-as well as IL-6, and bFGF.
Conclusions: MetS and dyslipidaemia are associated with prostate overgrowth and inflammation. In particular, with a selective increase of prostatic AP diameter, leading to a modification of prostatic shape. Hence, MetS can be regarded as a new determinant of prostate inflammation and BPH progression in men with severe LUTS.


Globalization and technology effects emerge to spur firms around the globe to embrace e‐business practices. Nevertheless, while many studies have focused on identifying factors that might influence ebusiness adoption to ensure success and avoid failure in developed countries, investigating e-readiness influential factors among small and larger firms in the e-service industry and more specifically in developing countries haven't been investigated widely enough. The major objective of this research is to understand how e-readiness affects the e-business adoption by shedding the light on the importance of the firms' size. A survey data was collected from 261 senior managers, among which 42.5% where identified as managers operating in small and medium enterprises (SME) and 57.5% in large enterprises (LE). The results indicate that large enterprises are influenced by external and organizational factors while smaller enterprises are influenced only by organizational factors.


Introduction CHAPTER 1: What Is Challenging Behavior? Is challenging behavior ever appropriate? What happens to students with more serious behavior problems? Does challenging behavior always develop the same way? What do the theorists say about aggression and antisocial behavior Does culture play a role in aggressive behavior? What do you think? Suggested reading References Chapter 2: Risk Factors What causes challenging behavior? Child Risk Factors Genes Gender Temperament Complications of pregnancy and birth Problems with brain function Environmental Risk Factors Family factors and parenting style Peer influences School Poverty and the conditions surrounding it Exposure to violence Violent media Turbulent times Understanding risk What do you think? Suggested reading and resources References CHAPTER 3: Protective Factors The first wave: What qualities help a child bounce back? Individual factors Family factors Community factors The second wave: How do protective factors work? The third wave: Integrating biology and intervention What do you think? Suggested reading References CHAPTER 4: Behavior and the Brain Early Experience and the Brain How does the brain develop? How does experience affect brain development? Are there any critical periods in the social and emotional realm? How does early experience affect the stress system? What role do genes play? The Adolescent Brain How does puberty affect the brain? What about cognitive development? What happens when emotion and cognition are out of sync? Aggression and the Adult Brain Which parts of the brain are involved in aggressive behavior? What does all this mean? What do you think? Suggested reading References CHAPTER 5: Relationship, Relationship, Relationship The caring connection Understanding Yourself â Who are youâ said the caterpillar What influences the way you relate to a child with challenging behavior? What is self-reflection? How do you reflect? When do you reflect? Are there any techniques to help you reflect? Understanding the Child What is the role of attachment? How does attachment affect behavior? How does temperament influence attachment What happens to attachment as children grow older? Establishing a Relationship with the Child How does a close relationship with a teacher protect a child? How can you develop a positive relationship with a child with challenging behavior? What is self-reflection? How do you reflect? When do you reflect? Are there any techniques to help you reflect? Back to the beginning Establishing a Relationship with the Family What keeps teachers and families apart? Getting to know you What about parent-teacher night? Should teachers visit families at home? The next step What do you think? What would you do? Suggested reading References CHAPTER 6: Opening the Culture Door What Is Culture? What does culture have to do with identity? Are cultures really so different? The melting pot and the salad bowl When Home Culture Meets School Culture The culture of school How does culture influence behavior? How can you make your teaching more culturally responsive? Some Cultural Characteristics Does each culture have its own special characteristics? Why all this matters What do you think? Suggested Reading References CHAPTER 7: Preventing Challenging Behavior: The Social Context How does prevention work? Weâ re all the same, yet weâ re all different Creating the Social Context What kind of social context fosters prosocial behavior and discourages aggressive behavior? What is the teachersâ role in the social context? Why should we include children with challenging behaviors? How can you create a caring, cooperative, and inclusive community? Teaching Social and Emotional Skills How do children learn social and emotional skills? How do you teach social and emotional skills? What skills do children need to learn? What do you think? Suggested reading and resources References CHAPTER 8: Preventing Challenging Behavior: Physical Space, Classroom Management and Teaching Strategies The Physical Space Where will they sit? Where does the teacher belong? Other spaces Deck the walls Taking responsibility in the classroom Classroom Management Providing a daily schedule Using procedures Managing the group Teaching Strategies Differentiated Instruction Sharing responsibility and providing choice A compendium of teaching strategies Homework or not When Circumstances Change Providing reassurance Talking about feelings Routines and activities Maintaining the social context Connecting with colleagues and parents Taking care of yourself What do you think? Suggested reading References CHAPTER 9: Guidance and Other Discipline Strategies How do strategies differ? What makes a strategy work? What is developmental discipline? How does Teacher Effectiveness Training work? How useful is positive reinforcement? What about natural and logical consequences? Time-out, punishment, and time away How does culture influence guidance? What do you think? What would you do? Suggested reading References CHAPTER 10: The WEVAS Strategy The competent state and calibration The anxious state The agitated state The aggressive state The assaultive state The open state What do you think? What would you do? Suggested reading and resources References CHAPTER 11: Functional Assessment and Positive Behavior Support Performing a Functional Assessment When is it appropriate to use functional assessment and positive behavior support? How do you figure out the function of a behavior? What functions can behavior serve? What about appropriate behavior? Working as a team How do you get the information you need for a functional assessment? How do you develop a hypothesis? Creating a Positive Behavior Support Plan How do you develop a positive behavior support plan? How does the plan look? What do you think? Suggested reading and resources References CHAPTER 12: The Inclusive Classroom About Inclusion Why is inclusion important? How does IDEA work? Whatâ s happening on the front lines? How is a child who needs special education identified? Does IDEA include all disabilities? Can IEP address behavior? Who is responsible for implementing an IEP? Preventing and Addressing Challenging Behavior in Children with Disabilities Does a studentâ s disability play a role in challenging behavior? Who can help? How can an inclusive social context prevent challenging behavior? How can you organize the physical space to prevent challenging behavior? How can classroom routines and teaching strategies prevent challenging behavior? How can you respond effectively to challenging behavior? Additions to the toolbox What do you think? What would you do? Suggested reading and resources References CHAPTER 13: Working with Families and Other Experts Preparing to Meet the Family How do families react to news of challenging behavior? How do you feel? How can colleagues help? Meeting with the Family How do you arrange a meeting? What should happen in a meeting with the family? How do you close a meeting? What if you and the family disagree? Working with Other Experts What about getting additional expert advice? What do you think? What would you do? Suggested reading References CHAPTER 14: Bullying What is Bullying? How common is bullying? Who are the students who bully others? Who are the targets of bullying? Who are the bystanders? How Can Teachers Reduce and Prevent Bullying? The whole-school approach Working in your own classroom What helps students cope with bullying? Responding to Bullying What does the law say? How do you respond to bullying? What if you donâ t see the bullying? What do you say to students involved in bullying? Working with the parents of students involved in bullying What do you think? What would you do? Suggested reading and resources References Appendix A: ABC Chart Appendix B: The Functional Assessment Observation Form Index


However, the question whether you can begin a sentence with a conjunction may still arise. Of course, the initial conjunction is a sign that the sentence should have been connected to the previous sentence. However, in many cases, the initial conjunction is a powerful device that calls attention to the sentence. If that is what you want, then you don't have to connect the two clauses. However, if you begin every one of your sentences with a conjunction, the result can be disastrous.


The paper reviews the case for special taxes on gambling services from a traditional public-finance perspective. Evidence suggests that high taxes are likely to hurt recreational consumers badly while not necessarily mitigating problem play. Taxes on gambling are also shown to be regressive, particularly when considered in combination with alcohol and tobacco duties. Finally the paper discusses the feasibility of taxing gambling when there is ready access to extraterritorial supply.


Freshwater is a limiting factor influencing the development ofmost regions in the world. Taking ChinaÂ's vast land and uneven water resource distribution into account, we will divide it into seven regions of North China, Northeast China, East China, Central China, Southwest China, Northwest China and South China and then construct a water resource strategic optimization model. Construct a multi-source and multi-terminal network flowmodel andwork out theminimumcostmaximumflowfromthe source to the sink point so as to put forward an effective, feasible, lowcost water resource strategic optimization model


Background— Recoarctation after the Norwood procedure increases risk for mortality. The Single Ventricle Reconstruction (SVR) trial randomized subjects with a single right ventricle undergoing a Norwood procedure to a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt or a right ventricle–pulmonary artery shunt. We sought to determine the incidence of recoarctation, risk factors, and outcomes in the SVR trial. Methods and Results— Recoarctation was defined by intervention, either catheter based or surgical. Univariate analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were performed with adjustment for center. Of the 549 SVR subjects, 97 (18%) underwent 131 interventions (92 balloon aortoplasty, 39 surgical) for recoarctation at a median age of 4.9 months (range, 1.1–10.5 months). Intervention typically occurred at pre–stage II catheterization (n=71, 54%) or at stage II surgery (n=38, 29%). In multivariable analysis, recoarctation was associated with the shunt type in place at the end of the Norwood procedure (hazard ratio, 2.0 for right ventricle–pulmonary artery shunt versus modified Blalock-Taussig shunt; P=0.02), and Norwood discharge peak echo-Doppler arch gradient (hazard ratio, 1.07 per 1 mm Hg; P<0.01). Subjects with recoarctation demonstrated comorbidities at pre–stage II evaluation, including higher pulmonary arterial pressures (15.4±3.0 versus 14.5±3.5 mm Hg; P=0.05), higher pulmonary vascular resistance (2.6±1.6 versus 2.0±1.0 Wood units·m2; P=0.04), and increased echocardiographic volumes (end-diastolic volume, 126±39 versus 112±33 mL/BSA1.3, where BSA is body surface area; P=0.02). There was no difference in 12-month postrandomization transplantation-free survival between those with and without recoarctation (P=0.14). Conclusions— Recoarctation is common after Norwood and contributes to pre–stage II comorbidities. Although with intervention there is no associated increase in 1-year transplantation/mortality, further evaluation is warranted to evaluate the effects of associated morbidities. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00115934.


Mobile P2P networking is an enabling technology for mobile devices to self-organize in an unstructured style and communicate in a peer-to-peer fashion. Due to user mobility and/or the unrestricted switching on/off of the mobile devices, links are intermittently connected and end-to-end paths may not exist, causing routing a very challenging problem. Moreover, the limited wireless spectrum and device resources together with the rapidly growing number of portable devices and amount of transmitted data make routing even harder. To tackle these challenges, the routing algorithms must be scalable, distributed, and light-weighted. Nevertheless, existing approaches usually cannot simultaneously satisfy all these three requirements. In this paper, we propose two opportunistic routing algorithms for intermittently connected mobile P2P networks, which exploit the spatial locality, spatial regularity, and activity heterogeneity of human mobility to select relays. The first algorithm employs a depth-search approach to diffuse the data towards the destination. The second one adopts a depth-width-search approach in a sense that it diffuses the data not only towards the destination but also to other directions determined by the actively moving nodes (activists) to find better relays. We perform both theoretical analysis as well as a comparison based simulation study. Our results obtained from both the synthetic data and the real world traces reveal that the proposed algorithms outperform the state-of-the-art in terms of delivery latency and delivery ratio.


Ashitaba ( Gynura nepalensis , Gynura procumbens , Gynura acutifolia ) is the ashitaba grown in the Philippines. Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei Kodzumi) originated in the Island of Hachijo, Japan. Both ashitaba have been studied by researchers using animals and in test tubes and have been claimed to be anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, antiaging, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and anti-diabetic. Generally, this study aimed to widen the dissemination of the beneficial effects of ashitaba ( Gynura nepalensis ) based from testimonies of users. This study utilized the descriptive method of research with data presented in tabular form and analyzed in textual manner, used quota sampling, interview with guide questions, and frequency and percentage and rank. Findings showed that giving a lighter and healthier feeling, emitting stomach gas and giving a lighter feeling, and giving energy ranks 1, 2, and 3, respectively; on the other hand, aiding in dialysis, treating pharyngitis, goiter, and pain in nipples ranks last among the testimonies of respondents. Based on findings, it is concluded that ashitaba ( G. nepalensis ), is a health enhancer, medicine and good for health maintenance. Further, it is recommended that the result of this study be widely disseminated to be of help particularly to the poor, rich, pharmacologists, food businessmen, researchers, and other interested identities. Keywords: Social Sciences, Gynura nepalensis, Gynura precumbens, Angelica keiskei Kodzumi,quota sampling, Philippines


It is well known that the presence of cracks on a gear tooth
is manifested by both amplitude modulation (AM) and
phase modulation (PM) and their estimation is crucial
for the diagnosis and prognosis of the state of the gearbox.
In this paper, a new demodulation technique for gear fault
diagnosis is proposed based on Kalman filtering combined
with a polynomial basis function of the rotating speed. First,
the problem of demodulation is formulated in terms of the
state-space modelling of the vibration signal. This is achieved
by approximating the modulations using the orthogonal
trigonometric polynomial function of the rotating speed.
Kalman filtering is then used to estimate the coefficients
of the polynomials in order to reconstruct the modulation
signals. This approach is different from classic approaches
such as the narrowband demodulation technique (NBDT)
or time-synchronous averaging (TSA). The advantages of
the proposed approach over the latter are discussed in this
paper and the efficiency of the new approach is also evaluated
using both synthetic and real gearbox vibration signals.