Two typical scrubber internals are studied in this thesis, inlet vane and wire mesh pads. A total of 8 wire mesh pads were studied at low and high pressure conditions. The inlet vane was studied at high pressure. The measurements performed at elevated pressures were performed at 20, 50 and 85 bars for a N2/Exxsol system as well as a synthetic natural gas mix. The mesh pads studied varied in height, specific surface area, wire packing density, wire diameter as well as porosity. Liquid holdup measurements were made at five vertical positions and in addition pressure drop and separation efficiency were measured. The results show variations in holdup profile depending on liquid load, pad geometry, running time, measuring position and interfacial properties. Droplet size measurements were also made for all wire mesh pads below and at flooding of the wire mesh pads. A new equation was developed that qualitatively describes aspects of wire mesh pad design and was used for developing correlations. A novel method for measuring flooding point was developed and flooding points for several inlet pipe liquid volume fractions were made. A correlation predicting flooding points in wire mesh pads at both low and high pressure was developed. Dry pressure drop for all wire mesh pads was also determined. A correlation predicting dry pressure drop for spiral wound pads was developed. A novel method for measuring scrubber efficiency above a inlet vane at varying vertical positions was developed. The separation efficiency was measured at five different vertical positions in a scrubber column with an inner diameter of 252 mm. In addition a column of 150 mm was investigated at one position. Liquid fraction measurements were made at two vertical positions to asses flow distribution. Droplet size measurements were also performed 127.5 mm above the inlet vane.


Posterior vertebral column resection (pVCR) is a powerful tool for correcting rigid spinal deformity; however, it is a technically demanding procedure and may be associated with a substantial rate of complications1. pVCR is often reserved for appropriately selected patients with severe focal deformity, in whom soft-tissue releases and posterior column osteotomies alone are unlikely to achieve satisfactory correction. Surgeon experience has also been shown to be correlated with outcomes2, placing further emphasis on appropriate training and practice before performing pVCR.

Description
All surgeries are performed with the patient in the prone position under continuous neuromonitoring. The posterior approach to the spine and spinal instrumentation are performed in a standard fashion3. The S2-alar-iliac technique is utilized for sacropelvic fixation when indicated4. A minimum of 6 fixation points above and 6 below the level of resection are obtained, resulting in 2 instrumented blocs proximally and distally. A wide decompressive laminectomy with foraminotomies is then performed at the resection level, allowing for visualization of the spinal cord and exiting nerve roots. In the thoracic spine, disarticulating 3 to 4 cm of the medial rib at the resection level allows for better visualization and accessibility. Temporary fixation is then obtained by a unilateral rod spanning the osteotomy site. Focus is then directed toward the inferior and superior articular facets and pedicle, which are resected in a piecemeal manner from lateral to medial. Care must be taken to avoid damaging nearby nerve roots, especially at the inferomedial aspect of the pedicle. Cancellous bone removal from the vertebral body is then performed in a piecemeal manner through a lateral extra-cavitary approach from each side. This step necessitates transferring temporary fixation to the contralateral side in order to ensure adequate resection bilaterally. Posterior cortex is then resected. The anterior dura is carefully freed of any ligament or bone. Resection of the discs above and below the resection level is then performed, and the end plates are prepared for arthrodesis. The next step is to measure the defect. The sizing of the cages must be kept in line with the desired degree of correction, preventing overlengthening of the spinal column and subsequent stretching of the spinal cord. An en-bloc reduction-fixation across the osteotomy site is performed with use of intercalary connecting rods in order to achieve the desired correction. In situ benders at this stage may be utilized to manipulate the intercalary rods in order to widen the resection space anteriorly. The rods will subsequently be replaced. This technique minimizes stress on the junctional segments through load distribution across the various fixation points in the proximal and distal blocs. Finally, after decortication of the posterior elements, the bone graft is placed prior to layered closure in the standard manner.

Alternatives
Alternative treatments to the pVCR include a standard pedicle-subtraction osteotomy.

Rationale
A standard pedicle-subtraction osteotomy offers a substantial amount of correction; however, correction is limited to the sagittal plane because the wedge osteotomy is hinged on the anterior cortex. This limitation makes the pVCR a better candidate for patients with severe biplanar deformities.

Expected Outcomes
pVCR is a complicated and technically challenging procedure that offers substantial correction in the coronal and sagittal planes for patients with rigid spinal deformities. It has also been shown to significantly improve patient quality of life5 Complication rates, however, are reportedly as high as 25% among older patients with poor physiologic reserve, with postoperative risks including medical complications, neurological deficiencies, surgery-related complications and others6. Previous studies have demonstrated improved outcomes with increasing surgeon experience2.

Important Tips
Medial rib resection in the thoracic spine allows easy access to the lateral vertebral column.En-bloc fixation-reduction minimizes fixation failure above and below the level of resection and provides a rigid foundation during the correction maneuver.Ensure that the anterior column is disconnected all the way across in order to avoid excessive shortening of the spinal cord and the potential neurologic sequelae.Complete resection of the posterior cortex and scar tissue anterior to the dural sac is required prior to the correction maneuver.Ensure an adequate number of fixation points above and below the resection level.


BACKGROUND
Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa has been studied, but treatment strategies and outcomes have not been reported for a large community-based group of patients.

OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the treatments most commonly prescribed and the performance of all systemic and surgical treatments used in hidradenitis suppurativa patients in Olmsted County, Minnesota, treated over a 40-year period.

METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed to evaluate hidradenitis suppurativa treatments in 376 episodes with 115 Olmsted County patients seen by a clinician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, between 1968 and 2008. Treatment episode outcomes were recorded from clinical notes for the 73 treatment episodes that had a follow-up period of more than 30 days.

RESULTS
Systemic antibiotics alone were prescribed most frequently in 70.0% of episodes. Systemic antibiotics alone improved 39 of 49 treatment episodes (79.6%), including 13 episodes (26.5%) when the disease was fully cleared. All 5 of 5 episodes (100%) of surgical treatment alone improved, including 4 (80%) in which the disease was fully cleared. Surgery in combination with systemic antibiotic treatment yielded improvement in 5 episodes (71.4%), with 2 episodes (28.6%) showing complete clearance.

CONCLUSION
Systemic antibiotics were the most frequently prescribed treatment type in 115 patients over a 40-year period. Both systemic antibiotic therapy and surgical treatment are effective in disease management.


Tuberculous knee joint lesion in children is the most common form of articular pathology. The high sociomedical significance of this disease in modern society is determined by not only its prevalence, but also economic losses caused by high disability rates in children. The purpose of the study was to determine the possibilities and place of a comprehensive radiation study in the diagnosis of tuberculous gonitis in children. Sixty patients aged 10 months to 18 years were examined. Clinical studies were comprehensively assessed, by taking into account the collected history data and orhthopedic and laboratory findings. Surgery was made in 26 children. All the patients underwent mutiprojection X-ray study, knee joint ultrasound study being made in 48 patients. Knee joint X-ray study was performed on Siregraph (Siemens) apparatuses. Real-time ultrasonography was conducted on Aloka SSD-1100 and Aloka--3500+ apparatuses, by employing a 7.5-MHz linear transducer. According to P.G. Kornev (1971), three phases were identified in the course of tuberculous gonitis. These included prearthritic (the development of primary ostitis); arthritic (articular cartilage destruction, followed by the development of secondary arthritis; and postarthritic (sequels of prior tuberculous osteomyelitis) phases. Analysis indicated that the use of the routine X-ray study in combination with ultrasound scanning in the diagnosis of tuberculous gonitis in children yielded more adequate information on tissue and knee joint structural changes and made it possible to define further policy treatment and to predict the outcomes of the disease.


The authors examined interrelationships among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, anger, and partner abuse perpetration among a sample of 60 combat veterans. Compared with PTSD-negative participants, PTSD-positive participants reported higher state anger across time and neutral and trauma prime conditions and higher anger reactivity during the trauma prime condition. PTSD-positive participants also exhibited more anger reactivity during the trauma prime than during the neutral condition. The same pattern of results was not found for anxiety reactivity during trauma memory activation. PTSD symptoms were associated with physical assault and psychological aggression perpetration, and trait anger mediated these relationships. Findings indicate a heightened anger response among PTSDpositive veterans and suggest the salience of dispositional components of anger in abuse perpetration in this population.


Squall is a scalable online query engine that runs complex analytics in a cluster using skewresilient, adaptive operators. Online processing implies that results are incrementally built as the input arrives, and it is ubiquitous for many applications such as algorithmic trading, clickstream analysis and business intelligence (e.g., in order to reach a potential customer during the active session). This thesis presents an overview of Squall, including some novel join operators, as well as lessons learned over five years of working on this system. Existing open-source online systems (e.g. Twitter Storm, Spark Streaming) provide only hash-joins, which are limited to equi-joins and prone to skew. In contrast, Squall puts together state-of-the-art skew-resilient partitioning schemes (including some of our own), local query operators, and techniques for scalable online query processing. Such a system allows us to leverage the effect of various design choices on the performance, to seamlessly build efficient novel operators, and to discover and address new skew types (e.g. dependence on tuple arrival order) that can arise only in online systems. Existing partitioning schemes for joins work well only for a narrow set of data distribution properties, that is, specific proportion of join output and input sizes for 2-way joins, or similar data distribution among all the relations for multi-way joins. In contrast, Squall covers the entire spectrum of different data distributions by providing two novel skew-resilient partitioning schemes: (a) a scheme for 2-way non-equi joins partitions the data using a multistage load-balancing algorithm that contains a join-specialized computational geometry algorithm, and (b) a scheme for multi-way joins which constructs a composite partitioning, consisting of different partitioning schemes according to the skew degree in different relation attributes. Compared to state-of-the art, our schemes achieve up to 15× speedup and are up to 5× more efficient in terms of resource consumption.


About two hundred low-lying coastal areas in the developing world were characterized in terms of a range of variables influencing the nature of the effects on each area of a gradual eustatic sealevel rise. The areas were clustered with weightings emphasizing the variables considered most important, and a brief description of the probable effects was given for one area from each of the main clusters. This paper summarizes processes affecting low-lying coastal areas, methods of characterization and clustering, and reports descriptions for examples from three clusters. A sealevel rise does not only affect the coastline and the structures along it, but may also change the hydrology, the soils and the natural vegetation or the potential for agriculture over an appreciable distance inland. The nature and extent of these changes depends on, for example, the length of the dry season, the sediment supply from rivers, and the incidence of tropical cyclones. The basic tabular data set and the transformed one used for clustering are available from the third author for reanalysis on the basis of improvements in data, knowledge or insight. The maps are being entered into a geographic information system and should in due course be available in digital form.


In this companion volume to their 1981 work, A Philosophical Basis of Medical Practice, Pellegrino and Thomasma examine the principle of beneficence and its role in the practice of medicine. Their analysis, which is grounded in a thorough-going philosophy of medicine, addresses a wide array of practical and ethical concerns that are a part of health care decision-making today. Among these issues are the withdrawing and withholding of nutrition and hydration, competency assessment, the requirements for valid surrogate decision-making, quality-of-life determinations, the allocation of scarce health care resources, medical gatekeeping, and for-profit medicine. The authors argue for the restoration of beneficence to its place as the fundamental principle of medical ethics. They maintain that to be guided by beneficence a physician must perform a right and good healing action which is consonant with the individual patient 's values. In order to act in the patient 's best interests, or the patient 's good, the physician and patient must discern what that good is. This knowledge is gained only through a process of dialogue between patient and/or family and physician which respects and honors the patient 's autonomous self-understanding and choice in the matter of treatment options. This emphasis on a dialogical discernment of the patient 's good rejects the assumption long held in medicine that what is considered to be the medical good is necessarily the good for this patient. In viewing autonomy as a necessary condition of beneficence, the authors move beyond a trend in the medical ethics literature which identifies beneficence with paternalism. In their analysis of beneficence, the authors reject the current emphasis on rightsand duty-based ethical systems in favor of a virtue-based theory which is grounded in the physicianpatient relationship. This book's provocative contributions to medical ethics will be of great interest not only to physicians and other health For t he Pat ient 's Good: T he Rest orat ion of Benef icence in Healt h Care    professionals, but also to ethicists, students, patients, families, and all others concerned with the relationship of professional to patient and patient to professional in health care today.


Studies were made with standard time motion and B-scan echocardiography on 48 patients including 5 with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy), undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization. The dimensions of the left ventricular outflow (O) and inflow (I) tracts were measured on the B-scan images. The outflow tract was significantly narrowed in idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis at both end-systole (1-1+/-0-1 cm) and end-diastole (1-3+/-0-1 cm) when compared with the average width in other patients (2-6+/-0-1 and 3-0+/-0-1 cm, at end-systole and end-diastole, respectively) (P less than 0-001) or normal subjects (2-4+/-0-3 and 2-9+/-0-2 cm) (P less than 0-01). Furthermore, the O/I ratio differed significantly in idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (0-5+/-0-1 at end-systole and 0-6+/-0-1 at end-diastole) from that in all other groups (1-4+/-0-1 at both end-systole and end-diastole) (P less than 0-005). There was no appreciable change in the width of the outflow tract from mid- to end-systole in the two patients in whom this was examined. The data support the contention that the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve assumes an abnormally anterior position in idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. Though the systolic anterior movement of the tip of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve shown by M-mode echocardiography could not readily be confirmed with B-scans, we believe that the narrowed outflow tract found in the present investigation contributes to the obstruction that occurs in this disease. We suggest that this outflow tract narrowing is probably caused by hypertrophy of the ventricular septum which in itself contributes to the narrowing, but which also displaces the papillary muscles and thus produces abnormal traction on the mitral valve and striking anterior displacement of the valve apparatus.


The French space agency (CNES) has co-funded a Research and Technology program and CEA/SBT has developed a 14 K thermal storage unit using the triple point of hydrogen. The development unit is able to store 10 J at 14 K. The unit has been tested at various peak loads in order to validate the energy stored and to measure the temperature stability. This thermal buffer could be used in a cryogenic space mission subject to variable heat loads. The design of the unit will be described and the thermal results will be presented.


Abstract. Compared with regular quadrilateral grid, regular hexagonal grid is isotropy and has higher cell compactness and sampling density. This gives regular hexagonal grid advantages in visual display, spatial analysis, and many other aspects. However, the studies of raster data mainly focus on regular quadrilateral grid, and various encoding methods are also focused on it. The researches on hexagonal raster data are relatively insufficient.In this paper, encoding and compression for regular hexagonal grid are studied. By introducing Gosper curve which has good spatial aggregation and takes into account the morphological structure of regular hexagonal grid, the bidirectional correlation between Gosper curve and regular hexagonal grid is established. Then, a new encoding framework is built to determine the Gosper coding of each grid unit. The lossless compression is completed by performing run-length coding on adjacent coding sets in the target region.


Background/aim: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) may pose a risk for wound complications. All technical aspects of IORT regarding early wound complications were evaluated. Materials and methods: Ninety-three consecutive patients operated on with the same surgical technique and given (study group) or not given (control group) IORT were included. Wound complications were evaluated in two groups. Results: Forty-three patients were treated with boost dose IORT and 50 patients were treated with breast-conserving surgery without IORT. When both groups were compared in terms of early postoperative complications, there were 11 (25.5%) patients with seroma in the IORT group and 3 patients (6%) in the control group (P = 0.04). While 9 (21%) patients were seen to have surgical site infection (SSI) in the IORT group, there was 1 (2%) SSI in the control group (P = 0.005). There were 15 (35%) patients with delayed wound healing in the IORT group and 4 patients (8%) in the control group (P = 0.006). Conclusion: IORT could have a negative effect on seroma formation, SSI, and delayed healing. It should be kept in mind, however, that in centers with IORT implementation, the complication rate could also increase. Necessary measures for better sterilization in the operating room should be taken, while patient wound healing should be monitored closely.


An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a catastrophicincident in sports, resulting in an extended period away from athletic participation and even potentially ending a playing career. The disparity between positive laboratory results of neuromuscular training programs and the actual effects on injury outcomes among high-risk populations suggests a missing link in current intervention programs. One proposed explanation for such a gap betweenlaboratory results and incidence outcomes may be related to the time-consuming, complex and difficult implementation of the techniques found to be successful in reducinglower limb movement mechanics and neuromuscularrisk factors. A novel option is to explore whether different unstable devices and unstable footwear designs may induce positive biomechanical and neuromusculareffects. The overall aim of this thesis was to determine the effect of an unstable device (AposTherapy system) on knee biomechanics and muscular recruitment patterns while performing functional tasks.
To accomplish the research, four separate trials were conductedseparatly.Firstly, a repeatability trial with 11 healthy physically active (male and female)participants was conducted todetermine the reliability of the outcome measures for future studies. Secondly, as theAposTherapy system has not previously been trialled within the 'at-risk' female population, a feasibility study investigating whether using theAposTherapy interventionduring a six-week period was feasible was conducted. This was followed by a randomised clinical trial amongst 32 female recreational athletes who were indicated to have a high-risk(2D FPPA > 8.4o)indication for sustaining a non-contact ACL injury. Threegroups (control and two active intervention groups) were assessed at a six-week outcome point to determine changes in biomechanical outcomes. The results demonstrated positive biomechanical and clinical outcomes specifically in reducing the maximum knee valgus angle during a singleleg landing task while only using the AposTherapy system for walking. Furthermore, a significant reduction in maximum hip adduction momentsduring study tasks was observed when theAposTherapy system use was coupled with additional exercise. The thesis concluded with preliminary study investigating five individuals who were deemed at risk of a second non-contact ACL on their contralateral limb following primary ACL reconstruction(ACLR)surgery.There was a significant reduction in knee valgus angle during the single leg landingand single leg squat taskswhile only using theAposTherapy system for walking in the study with individuals who have had ACLR surgery.In summary, the results of this thesis showed that theAposTherapy system gave significant improvements in overall stability, with future studies needed to examine a larger-scale application especially in post-ACL reconstruction rehabilitation programs to mitigate the risk of a second ACL injury when athletesreturn to sport activities. However, more research should also focus on developing more affordable unstable footwear devices which could be incorporated in larger-scale prevention programs in the future.


We demonstrate, for the first-time, long-term culturing of single cells under continuous phototransistor-based optoelectronic tweezers (Ph-OET) trapping. A new device configuration, open-access Ph-OET, is presented to integrate the trapping functionality of Ph-OET with culturing capabilities in a Petri dish. Maintenance of human leukemia cell lines (K562, Jurkat) under optical manipulation for up to five cell generation has been achieved.


Multi-fin bulk silicon FinFET-based design issues and implications using 3D numerical simulation are presented for the first time. In order to gain sufficient drive current of each transistor, multi-fin layout is inevitable due to limited aspect ratio or fin height. However, how the multi-fin design impacts the circuit performance needs to be taken into account. Because of non-planar nature of the fin, conventional concept of multi-finger design in bulk CMOS technology does not apply. We found an extra leakage path underneath the fin spacing between source and drain. Such impact can be mitigated by additional substrate doping and proper gate-to-substrate isolation. Based on the proposed design window at a tight pitch control, good performance can be achieved while meeting leakage current requirement.


Recent publications in statistical gas distribution modelling have proposed algorithms that model mean and variance of a distribution. This paper argues that estimating the predictive concentration variance entails not only a gradual improvement but is rather a significant step to advance the field. This is, first, since the models much better fit the particular structure of gas distributions, which exhibit strong fluctuations with considerable spatial variations as a result of the intermittent character of gas dispersal. Second, because estimating the predictive variance allows to evaluate the model quality in terms of the data likelihood. This offers a solution to the problem of ground truth evaluation, which has always been a critical issue for gas distribution modelling. It also enables solid comparisons of different modelling approaches, and provides the means to learn meta parameters of the model, to determine when the model should be updated or re-initialised, or to suggest new measurement locations based on the current model. We also point out directions of related ongoing or potential future research work.


Drain or No-Drain after high grade thyroid surgery in Mulago Hospital: a Randomized Controlled Trial Introduction: Traditionally, drains are routinely inserted after thyroidectomy with the aim of preventing hematoma formation and accumulation of seroma, and to alert the surgeon to the presence of postoperative bleeding. Their use in our setting is however based on tradition rather than evidence. We determined the effect of drain use after thyroidectomy on the length of hospital stay and haematoma complications among patients in Mulago Hospital, Uganda. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 68 patients were recruited after informed consent and distributed equally to each study arm (drain and no-drain). Sociodemographics and clinical parameters were recorded. Outcome measures evaluated were duration of hospital stay, haematoma formation and wound sepsis. Data were double entered into epidata version 3.1.1 and then exported to STATA version 10.0 for analysis Results: Mean age (±SD) of participants was 46(8.8) and 43.7(12.6) years in the drain and no drain arm respectively. Most participants (91%) were female. The mean duration (±SD) of hospital stay after thyroidectomy was significantly higher among participants in the drain arm as compared with those in the no drain arm [2.41 (±0.89) vs 1.71 (±0.76) days respectively, (p = 0.0008)]. No participant developed haematoma in both groups. Overall, only one patient (drain arm) had wound infection. Conclusion: Not-inserting a drain after thyroid surgery results in no significant haematoma complications and decreases the length of hospital stay. Routine use of drains after thyroid surgery may therefore not be necessary since drain insertion has no benefit in preventing haematoma formation. Recommendations: Basing on the results of this study we recommend that Routine insertion of drains after thyroidectomy should be discouraged and reserved only for patients where substantial dead space is left after radical neck dissection (Adam et al 2008). This will go a long way in reducing the hospital bed occupancy rate and the hospital costs associated with long duration of hospital stay.


Whole world has recognized India as super power of 21st century. India is youngest county in the world growing a rate of more than 8 percent. Large population of India provides market to the countries of the world. At the same time it provides opportunities to India in terms of extracting the potentials of its manpower and other resources to emerge as real super power. India's foreign trade should also reflect her potentials to emerge as a super power. Preset paper aims at analysing the recent changes in the pattern of foreign trade. Information on various dimensions on India's foreign trades like imports, exports, balance of payment, composition of trade by commodities and countries, etc are collected and analyzed to find out trend and pattern and its impact on future. India's trading relations with Canada are also analyzed. These types of analysis assist in the formulation of international policies.


It is well-known that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) leads to a rapid remission of type 2 diabetes and a marked and long-term body weight loss, but the molecular mechanisms driving these desirable effects are not fully understood. RYGB results in increased plasma levels of several gut peptidergic hormones with either anorexigenic and/or antidiabetic effects. However, the potent effects of RYGB cannot solely be ascribed to these, and it is therefore likely that additional factors play a role. To gain further insight we have characterized the mRNA expression profile in enteroendocrine cells in the gut at day 9, 22 and 60 following surgery in a RYGB rat model. The enteroendocrine cells were identified by chromogranin-A immunohistochemistry staining, and isolated by laser capture microdissection from five locations covering the full rostrocaudal extent of the gastrointestinal tract. The mRNA expression profiles were analyzed by RNAseq, and bioinformatic analyses were applied to identify known and predicted preprohormones differentially regulated following RYGB. In total 64 putative preprohormones were identified in the secretome of rat enteroendocrine cells, of which 40 were shown to be differentially regulated at one or more time-points post surgery, including several well-known preprohormone genes (GCG, CCK, GHRL, GIP, NMU, SCT, NPY, and VIP). Only six preprohormones were differentially regulated at all time-points (NMU, TAC3, FAM3D, SCT1, SCT and ADM). We present the full mRNA expression profile of the secretome of chromogranin A positive enteroendocrine cells following RYGB surgery in rats. The data provides a region-specific characterization of all preprohormone encoding genes in the rat gut, including 23 not hitherto known. This comprehensive catalogue of gut peptide hormone expression might help our understanding of hormone mediated effects of RYGB on diabetes remission and body weight lowering. Disclosure L. Biehl Rudkjaer: Employee; Self; Gubra. C. Zhang: Employee; Self; Gubra. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Gubra. K. Rigbolt: Employee; Self; Gubra. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Gubra. S.L. Pedersen: None. M. Falkenhahn: None. T. Hubschle: Employee; Self; Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. T. Schmidt: None. N. Vrang: Board Member; Self; Gubra. Employee; Self; Gubra. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Gubra. J. Jelsing: Stock/Shareholder; Self; Gubra. Research Support; Self; Sanofi.


Background The syndrome of childhood blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (BKC) is frequently underestimated. While prevalent and aggressive among Indo-Pakistani/Middle-Eastern populations, we observe a recalcitrant destructive phenotype in white children/adolescents that persists into early adulthood and may require systemic immunosuppression. Methods A cohort of 10 white patients (20 eyes), median age 15.2 (range 6–27) years were identified among 62 patients with BKC attending a tertiary referral centre. Clinical features were graded and lid/conjunctiva swabs were performed, before instituting a hierarchical therapeutic protocol comprising lid hygiene, topical/systemic antibiotics, intensive topical glucocorticoids and systemic immunosuppression. Results The median duration of symptoms prior to presentation was 4.3 (range 1.2–16.3) years, with 14 eyes (nine patients) demonstrating 360° peripheral corneal vascularisation associated with encroachment/involvement of the visual axis in 10 eyes (six patients). Corneal perforation(s) occurred in three eyes (two patients). Intensive topical glucocorticoids enabled disease control in 10 eyes (seven patients). In six eyes (three patients), persistent active disease necessitated systemic immunosuppression (azathioprine (2), mycophenolate mofetil (1), prednisolone (1)) achieving disease remission within three months with no adverse events reported. Conclusions Suboptimal treatment of BKC in white children may permit a progressively destructive sight-threatening phenotype, which may last into adulthood and require immunosuppression. Appropriate aggressive steroid-based and steroid-sparing strategies are vital for disease remission.


A basic tenet of economics posits that when consumers or firms don't face the true social cost of their actions, market outcomes are inefficient. In the case of negative externalities, Pigouvian taxes are one way to correct this market failure, where the optimal tax leads agents to internalize the true cost of their actions. A practical complication, however, is that the level of externality nearly always varies across economic agents and directly taxing the externality may be infeasible. In such cases, policy often taxes a product correlated with the externality. For example, instead of taxing vehicle emissions directly, policy makers may tax gasoline even though per-gallon emissions vary across vehicles. This paper estimates the implications of this approach within the personal transportation market. We have three general empirical results. First, we show that vehicle emissions are positively correlated with a vehicle's elasticity for miles traveled with respect to fuel prices (in absolute value)—i.e., dirtier vehicles respond more to fuel prices. This correlation substantially increases the optimal second-best uniform gasoline tax. Second, and perhaps more importantly, we show that the optimal second-best tax performs very poorly in eliminating deadweight loss associated with vehicle emissions; in many years in our sample over 75 percent of the deadweight loss remains under the optimal second-best gasoline tax. Substantial improvements to market efficiency require differentiating based on vehicle type, for example vintage. Finally, a uniform gasoline tax performs poorly on equity grounds as well. Such a tax would be highly regressive, and substantially more regressive than a direct tax on emissions. ∗This paper has benefited from conference discussion by Jim Sallee and conversations with Severin Borenstein, Joseph Doyle, Michael Greenstone, Michael Grubb, Jonathan Hughes, Dave Rapson, Nicholas Sanders, and Catherine Wolfram. The paper has also benefited from participants at the NBER Energy and Environmental Economics Spring Meeting and seminar participants at Northeastern University, University of Chicago, MIT, and Yale University. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the University of California Center for Energy & Environmental Economics. The research was also supported by a grant from the Sustainable Transportation Center at the University of California Davis, which receives funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation, through the University Transportation Centers program. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Trade Commission. Knittel: William Barton Rogers Professor of Energy Economics, Sloan School of Management, MIT and NBER, email: firstname.lastname@example.com. Sandler: Federal Trade Commission, email: email@example.com.


Objective : Sea hydrobionts are a rich source of biologically active lipid compounds. Search for new biologically active substances to determine their pharmacological effectiveness is of current interest. Background : In recent interest held pharmaceuticals from marine hydrobionts containing 1-O-alkyl-diacylglycerol (ADG). Significant amounts of ADG found in the tissues of some marine organisms of Pacific ocean - squid Berryteuthis magister (up to 50% in the lipids of the liver), crab Paralithodes camtschatica (10% lipids of the hepatopancreas). This makes it possible to use these aquatic animals as new sources of dietary supplements. In rats with alimentary dyslipidemia (DLP) examined the effect of nature 1-O-alkyl-glycerol (AG) on the metabolism of lipids, the state of the hepatobiliary, antioxidant systems and hematological parameters of blood. Method : Alimentary model DLP caused high-fat diet of beef fat and cholesterol. Were injected AG in rats with DLP a dose of the 0.4 g/kg for 30 days. 1-O-alkyl-glycerol were obtained by hydrolysis of the lipids of the liver ADG squid Berryteuthis magister. Biochemical parameters of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and liver enzymes measured in blood serum. Investigated the total antioxidant activity (TAA) of blood plasma, the activity of catalase in erythrocytes, glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GP) activity, glutathione (GSH) lever. The content of initial and final products of lipid peroxidation – hydroperoxides of lipids (HPL), malondialdehydes (MDA) in the blood were investigated. Determination of hematological parameters is carried out on «Abacus» (USA). Statistical significance of differences was calculated by Student's t-test. Results : Introduction AG resulted in a reduction in triglycerides in the blood serum of rats by 24.2% compared with rats with DLP (p <0.05), increase in HDL-C by 63% (p <0.001). There was an increase in blood glucose concentration by 21.3% (p <0.001), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDG) activity by 30% (p <0.05), ALT – 24% (p <0.001) compared with rats with DLP. After use AG in rats showed an increase in the activity of catalase, reduction of lipid hydroperoxides in plasma. Showed normalization of the TAA and the trend to reduce the concentration of MDA. In the glutathione-redox system under the influence of AG increased activity GR, GP, GSH levels. After use AG an increase in the total number of red blood cells in the blood by 40% (p < 0,001), total hemoglobin by 38% (p < 0.001), platelet count by 30% (p < 0.001 ), lymphocytes - 43% (p < 0.001), blood clotting time increased by 57%. Conclusion : The study showed that the use of AG causes increased protective functions - hematopoietic, immune-stimulating and antioxidant. These data suggest the widespread use of AG from lipid liver squid Berryteuthis magister in rehabilitation practice of various pathologies. Keywords : natural 1-O-alkyl-lglycerols, dislipidemia, metabolic status


Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), which extend deep neural networks to graph-structured data, have attracted increasing attention. They have been proven to be powerful for numerous graph related tasks such as graph classification, link prediction, and node classification. To adapt GNNs to graph classification, recent works aim to learn graph-level representation through a hierarchical pooling procedure. One major direction is to select important nodes to hierarchically coarsen the input graph and gradually reduce the information into the graph representation. However, most of the existing methods only select important nodes, which can be redundant and cannot represent the original graph well. Meanwhile, the information of non-selected nodes is often overlooked when generating a new coarser graph, which may lead to the tremendous loss of important structural and node feature information. In this paper, we propose a novel pooling operator RepPool to learn hierarchical graph representations. Specifically, we introduce the concept of representativeness that is combined with the importance for node selection and we provide a learnable way to integrate non-selected nodes. By combining the RepPool operator with conventional GCN convolutional layers, a hierarchical graph classification architecture is developed. Extensive experiments on various public benchmarks have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method. The implementation of the proposed framework is available11https://github.com/Juanhui28/RepPool/tree/master/RepPool.


A primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) usually presents as peritoneal dissemination. We report a case of gastric metastasis from PPSC mimicking a primary gastric submucosal tumor (SMT). A 62-year-old woman presented to our hospital with abundant ascites, omental caking, and normal-sized ovaries. Cellblock analysis of ascite specimens indicated high-grade serous Mullerian carcinoma. Gastrointestinal endoscopy detected a 4-cm SMT, which was not gastric cancer, on the gastric antrum. A clinical diagnosis of PPSC was rendered. After chemotherapy, the gastric SMT reduced in size. Following this, the patient underwent complete resection of the residual tumors including gastric SMT. Pathological examination revealed that the gastric lesion was metastasis from PPSC. The assumption that an SMT lesion is a benign primary gastric tumor not requiring surgical resection may hinder optimal tumor debulking. Therefore, preoperative biopsy should be considered, if the situation allows. J Med Cases. 2016;7(11):480-483 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2664w


Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) belong to a large family of multidomain zinc endopeptidases. They are one of the most important proteolitic enzymes which digest components of the extracellular matrix and abundant macromolecules on cell surface and take part in many physiological processes, such as apoptosis or angiogenesis. MMPs are also engaged in the pathogenesis of many diseases such as arthritis and cancer. The development of effective inhibitors and discovery of their mechanisms of action can have significant influence on therapeutic strategy.


The complex relationship between sociocultural variables, such as ethnicity, language, and working status, and the utilization of facilities for perinatal health care were explored in a predominantly Mexican American community in Chicago. The project, which was initiated in 1977, was designed to provide objective data on utilization patterns of perinatal health facilities and to assess the importance of the migratory experience on the utilization of perinatal services among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans living in the community. Patterns of utilization of perinatal health facilities by pregnant women, preference for the ethnicity, language, and sex of the health care provider, and different patterns that influence the months of prenatal care were examined in the context of the migration factor. An interview instrument was developed to include both quantitative and qualitative data. Ages among the sample of women ranged from 16-41. 60 women were immigrants born in Mexico and 29 women were Mexican Americans born in the US. Women in the sample were using 2 major health care "tracks" for their perinatal care: public facilities for prenatal care, delivery, and pediatric care for the infant; and private physicians for prenatal care, pediatric care, and delivery in the small, Catholic hospitals where the physicians tended to have admitting privileges. 34 women were attending private facilities, and 55 women were using public facilties. 27 women (30.3%) cited economic considerations as the reason for choosing a physician or facility. Other reasons included personal referral or recommendation (27%), previously used (16.9%), and geographic proximity (6.7%). The use of public prenatal clinics correlated significantly with the citing of economic considerations as the basis for choosing this type of care. 32 women (36%) were working during their pregnancy. There was a significant relationship between choosing a private physician for prenatal care and being employed. Women who were recent immigrants, as well as Mexican Americans, tended to use public facilities. Mexicans who had been in Chicago for more than 2 years tended to use private facilities. The length of time since a woman left Mexico correlated negatively with the month of prenatal care. Traditional patterns of postpartum behavior were found to be persistent among the migrant women regardless of the time of migration and were found to be present among Mexican Americans.


This study aims to provide an understanding of the factors that control weld metal strength and toughness of mechanized field girth welds produced in X80 and X100 line pipe steels using a range of pipeline gas metal arc welding procedures. In the investigation of X80 welds, a series of experimental single and dual torch gas metal arc welds were prepared with three C-Mn-Si wires, which contained additions of Ti, Ni-Ti and Ni-Mo-Ti. The weld metal microstructures, tensile properties, notch toughness, and fracture resistance were evaluated. The results indicate that high weld metal yield strength and good toughness can be achieved. The X80 single torch welds exhibited higher yield strength but lower toughness compared to the corresponding dual torch welds. For the development and evaluation of welding procedures for mainline girth welding of X100 pipe, two narrow gap mechanized gas metal arc welding procedures were evaluated with emphasis placed on measurement of the tensile properties. The results show that dramatically different properties (strength and toughness) can be found as a result of differences in energy input, interpass temperature and weld width or offset distance. Additionally, the preliminary tensile testing, which utilized both standard round bar and modified strip tensile specimens, illustrates the potential variation that can occur when assessing all-weld-metal tensile properties of narrow gap pipeline girth welds.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


This study addresses two of the pivotal magical interventions in The First Part of The Countess of Montgomery's Urania, specifically those in which Wroth makes use of the masque tradition of immobilization: the Three Towers of the House of Love and the Marble Theatre on an island in the Gulf of Venice. In these enchantments, which include architecturally fantastic structures, music, and the symbolically posed, stilled characters, Wroth creates masque‐like 'idealized fictions' that emblematize the romantic relationships she depicts. They are meant to elevate the sometimes sordid realities of real relationships to a higher allegorical plane on which the virtue of constancy and the vice of inconstancy may contend. Within the narrative as a whole, Wroth uses these aspects of masque tradition to gesture toward and to complicate what Christopher Booker has called 'the cosmic happy ending.'


Viral fusion proteins are attached to the membrane of enveloped viruses (a group that includes Coronaviruses, Dengue, HIV and Influenza) and catalyze fusion between the viral and host membranes, enabling the virus to insert its genetic material into the host cell. Given the importance of these biomolecules, this work presents a centralized database containing the most relevant information on viral fusion proteins, available through a free-to-use web server accessible through the URL https://viralfp.bio.di.uminho.pt/. This web application contains several bioinformatic tools, such as Clustal sequence alignment and Weblogo, including as well a machine learning-based tool capable of predicting the location of fusion peptides (the component of fusion proteins that inserts into the host's cell membrane) within the fusion protein sequence. Given the crucial role of these proteins in viral infection, their importance as natural targets of our immune system and their potential as therapeutic targets, this web application aims to foster our ability to fight pathogenic viruses.


We have performed self-consistent computations of the interactions between a superfluid vortex-ring and a solid particle for two different vortex-ring sizes and over a wide range of temperatures. In all cases, the particle and the vortex eventually separate. For temperature T = 0 K, larger rings tend to trap the particle more effectively than smaller rings. Trying to escape the vortex, the particle follows a spiralling trajectory that could be experimentally detected. The dominant dynamical process is the excitation and propagation of Kelvin waves along the vortices. For T > 0 K, particle–vortex collision induces particle vibrations that are normal to the particle's direction of motion and might be experimentally detectable. In contrast to the T = 0 K case, smaller rings induce larger particle oscillation velocities. With increasing temperature, enhanced mutual friction damping of Kelvin waves leads to the damping of both the intensity and frequency of post-collision particle vibrations. Moreover, higher temperatures increase the relative impact of the Stokes drag force on particle motion.


Wood anatomy of ten species in five genera of the Cape Province (South Africa) family Stilbaceae is reported in quantitative and qualitative terms. Wood anatomy for stem, root, and lignotuber is reported for the monotypic Cape genus Retzia. Stilbaceae and Retziaceae are alike in wood anatomy but differ from Verbenaceae by having scalariform perforation plates with few and wide-bordered bars (simple plates and modified scalariform plates are also present); vessel elements clearly fibriform in shape; very scarce axial parenchyma; and long uniseriate wings on multiseriate rays. When added to endosperm presence and ericoid habit, these features may serve to segregate Stilbaceae from Verbenaceae. The wood of Stilbaceae is xeromorphic in having very narrow vessels, numerous vessels per mm' , and pores grouped into radial multiples. The least xeromorphic wood within Stilbaceae is found in species from relatively moist montane localities; these species also have scalariform perforation plates in vessels. The most xeromorphic wood occurs in those Stilbaceae restricted to lowlands or lowlands plus dry montane sites. Scalariform perforation plates are interpreted as an indicator of primitiveness in Stilbaceae and Retziaceae, an interpretation reinforced by presence of borders on pits of imperforate tracheary elements in Eurylobium serrulatum (all other Stilbaceae have libriform fibers with simple pits). The rock-crevice species Stilbe rupestris has caudex wood specialized for storage, stem wood adapted for mechanical strength. Species characters appear to be related to ecology, but sampling is inadequate for establishment of many features as systematic indicators. Wood anatomy confirms close relationship between Stilbaceae and Retziaceae, and union of the families is endorsed.


Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) is an unusual source of hypercalcemia in neonates. This condition is self-limiting; however, hypercalcemia can occur as a sequela. Severe hypercalcemia can result in increased morbidity and mortality. Several modalities of treatment for hypercalcemia subsequent to SCFN have been explored, including the use of bisphosphonates, particularly pamidronate. We briefly review SCFN, recognition of this uncommon dermatological phenomenon, as well as hypercalcemia resultant from SCFN and its current management strategy. Furthermore, we report a case series of two patients treated successfully with intravenous pamidronate in conjunction with other treatment modalities. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2021;10(1):6-9 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp420


We present new intuitions and theoretical assessments of the emergence of disentangled representation in variational autoencoders. Taking a rate-distortion theory perspective, we show the circumstances under which representations aligned with the underlying generative factors of variation of data emerge when optimising the modified ELBO bound in $\beta$-VAE, as training progresses. From these insights, we propose a modification to the training regime of $\beta$-VAE, that progressively increases the information capacity of the latent code during training. This modification facilitates the robust learning of disentangled representations in $\beta$-VAE, without the previous trade-off in reconstruction accuracy.


The species Tetrao urogallus (Linnaeus 1758) is not globally threatened thank to its wide distribution range and its habitat, mostly located in remote places. However, it is suffering important declines in its occidental distribution area and in central Europe, where local extinctions are isolating its populations. The Cantabrian subspecies (Tetrao urogallus cantabricus CASTROVIEJO 1967) is the most threatened and the one which has worst future perspective in middle term, since its populations begin to be isolated without the possibility of genetic renovation. Although the Cantabrian capercaillie is protected species in Spain, its populations have been declining during the last 20 years till dramatic levels. The main causes are deforestation, human activities (stockbreeding mainly) and urban development, combined with some reproduction requirements such as the sound that males in heat need to emit, which requires no human interferences and their type of egg-lying which does not help to get many viable eggs. One of the few places were the Cantabrian capercaillie can still be seen is "Pinar de Lillo" (in Cantabrian mountains) which is included in a Site of Community Importance (SCI) and in a Special Protection Area (SPA). In the management plan of this site an inventory and analysis of the mesohabitat and microhabitat, which has the requirements needed for the maintenance and conservation of the species, have been made. And following the recommendations of the Strategy for the Conservation of the Cantabrian capercaillie in Spain, some specific actions have been defined.


This note reviews the game theoretic literature with the aim of highlighting the similarities and dissimilarities between what we term traditional game theory and evolutionary game theory. The focus is on the contributions of evolutionary game theory to the body of knowledge at the disposal of the game theorist. The note is intended for people with interests in economics and who are familiar with traditional game theory but not necessarily familiar with evolutionary game theory. The main objective is to reach out to the numerous economists and indeed, other social scientists, who are not as yet initiated in the basic theory of of evolutionary games. A major conclusion of this note is that, applications of evolutionary game theory in the analysis of economic problems, especially, in the areas of natural, environmental and development economics are long overdue.


ABSTRACT Sightings of dwarf (Kogia sima) and pygmy (K. breviceps) sperm whales in Hawaiian waters have only rarely been reported. As part of boat-based surveys of odontocete cetaceans around the main Hawaiian Islands between 2000 and 2003, Kogia were observed on 18 occasions. Kogia were sighted most frequently in deeper portions of the study area (mean depth, 1,425 m) and in calm sea conditions (mean Beaufort sea state, 0.8). Thirteen of the 14 groups identified to species were dwarf sperm whales, the sixth most common species of odontocete documented around the main Hawaiian Islands. One group of six dwarf sperm whales containing two mother-infant pairs did not dive for more than a few minutes at a time. Most groups were difficult to approach, but photographs of several individual dwarf sperm whales showed distinctive marks on the dorsal fins, demonstrating that individual photo-identification is possible with this species.


A computerized corrosion database system for exposure tests has been designed and developed. This system was developed to help researchers carry out each experimental procedure in exposure tests. The system includes a function to manage not only the experimental data but also the timetable of exposure tests and the environmental factors of exposure sites. An easily used graphical user interface (GUI) and graph plot software are provided for users to help analyze exposure test results from various viewpoints. The data accumulated in this system are measurements of past exposure tests and exposure tests in progress. The analyses of past exposure tests using the present database system resulted in several ideas on atmospheric corrosion different from the conventional ideas on atmospheric corrosion. If the data of exposure tests in progress are compared with past data, the relationships between atmospheric corrosion and environmental factors will be more clarified.


This paper will describe how some of the beautiful Islamic star polygon designs found in the wooden ceilings of La Alhambra may be reconstructed using only the geometer's tools of straightedge and compass (or the electronic counterpart, the Geometer's Sketchpad software). The idealized, computer-generated patterns will be compared with photographs of the original ceilings. The crystallographic symmetry group classification for each ceiling design will also be discussed.


This paper explores the competing concepts of 'standards as barriers' and standards as catalysts' in the context of food safety standards in international trade in agricultural and food products. It is suggested that food safety standards can act as both a barrier to trade and the basis of competitive positioning for developing countries in international markets. This suggests that the application of a strategic framework to analyze and assess alternative responses to evolving food safety standards can throw some light on the circumstances under which standards act to prohibit trade or, alternatively, create competitive trade opportunities. The use of such a framework is illustrated through a brief case study of fish and fishery product exports from Kenya and India.


A novel transimpedance optical receiver using optically coupled feedback rather than a conventional feedback resistor is described. The optically coupled feedback has a number of advantages, including: (1) elimination of feedback-resistor Johnson noise for higher sensitivity; (2) elimination of feedback capacitance for higher bandwidth; and (3) the capability of large feedback current with low output voltage for wide dynamic range. A theoretical analysis is presented, along with experimental results for a long-wavelength optical-feedback receiver at a bit rate of 1.5 Mb/s. The experimental receiver uses InGaAs p-i-n photodiodes and a silicon JFET preamplifier and obtains a maximum sensitivity of -63.8 dBm for an error rate of 1*10/sup -7/. When the receiver is optimized for high level signals, an optical dynamic range of 40 dB is attained with no preamplifier automatic gain control (AGC). The results of a transmission experiment over a length of 303 km of single-mode optical fiber at a wavelength of 1.55 mu m are presented. >


Anomalous heat transport in one-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanotubes and nanowires, is a widely debated problem in condensed matter and statistical physics, with contradicting pieces of evidence from experiments and simulations. Using a comprehensive modeling approach, comprised of lattice dynamics and molecular dynamics simulations, we proved that the infinite length limit of the thermal conductivity of a (10,0) single-wall carbon nanotube is finite but this limit is reached only for macroscopic lengths due to a thermal phonon mean free path of several millimeters. Our calculations showed that the extremely high thermal conductivity of this system at room temperature is dictated by quantum effects. Modal analysis showed that the divergent nature of thermal conductivity, observed in one-dimensional model systems, is suppressed in carbon nanotubes by anharmonic scattering channels provided by the flexural and optical modes with polarization in the plane orthogonal to the transport direction.


Summary A spoil heap at Yorkshire Main Colliery has been investigated to determine whether or not the material buried within the heap is being weathered. Samples have been obtained from a borehole through the tip, and control samples from underground. The observed breakdown of the underground samples upon exposure has been related to the material in the spoil heap. It would appear that after the initial, relatively rapid physical breakdown, the material has changed little. Mineralogical and chemical analyses show that the level of chemical weathering does not increase with depth in the spoil heap. There appears to have been little movement of water through the spoil heap. Chemical analyses of the ground-water also shows no evidence for weathering. Small changes have been recorded with depth, but in all cases these are believed to be due to original variations in the material at the time of tipping.


In this paper, a new beam reconfigurable antenna is proposed for THz application, which is based on a switchable high-impedance surface (HIS) using a single-layer graphene. The effects of impurity density and gate voltage on the conductivity of graphene are utilized, and the switchable reflection characteristic of the graphene-based HIS is observed. Then the THz antenna is designed over this switchable HIS. By applying different voltages for different rows of HIS units, the antenna beam can be reconfigurable. The performance of the antenna is analyzed with its reflection coefficient, radiation pattern, and input impedance. The radiation beam of the antenna can vary in a range of ±30° as demonstrated by the simulated results.


OBJECTIVE
Graves' disease (GD) is the main cause of hyperthyroidism among adults. It is an autoimmune condition classically marked by the Merserburg Triad (goiter, thyrotoxicosis, and orbitopathy), but the change in presentation of GD over time has rarely been studied. To determine changes in the clinical presentation of patients with GD in the last 30 years.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
The study evaluated 475 patients diagnosed with GD between 1986 and 2016 in a single center. Patients were evaluated regarding epidemiological aspects, thyroid function, inflammatory activity of the eyes evaluated by the Clinical Activity Score; CAS, severity evaluated by NOSPECS classification and thyroid volume estimated by ultrasonography.

RESULTS
Patients assessment identified an increase in the mean age of diagnosis of GD (p < 0.02), a reduction in thyroid volume (p < 0.001) and less intense orbital involvement from 2007-2016 compared to 1986-2006 (p = 0.04). The number of smoking patients was smaller from 2007 to 2016 (28.7%) than 1986 to 2006 (42.8% p = 0.001). The TSH and TRAb values did not had significant changes.

CONCLUSION
GD presentation appears to be changed in the last years compared to the typical initial presentation. There is a less frequent inflammatory involvement of orbital tissue, smaller goiters, a lower number of smokers and diagnosis at older age.


During the 2020 US presidential election, conspiracy theories about large-scale voter fraud were widely circulated on social media platforms. Given their scale, persistence, and impact, it is critically important to understand the mechanisms that caused these theories to spread so rapidly. The aim of this study was to investigate whether retweet frequencies among proponents of voter fraud conspiracy theories on Twitter during the 2020 US election are consistent with frequency bias, demonstrator bias, and/or content bias. To do this, we conducted generative inference using an agent-based model of cultural transmission on Twitter and the VoterFraud2020 dataset. The results show that the observed retweet distribution is consistent with a strong content bias and demonstrator bias, likely targeted towards negative emotion and follower count, respectively. Based on the confounding effects of the timeline algorithm and population structure, we are most confident in concluding that the differential spread of voter fraud claims among proponents of voter fraud conspiracy theories on Twitter during and after the 2020 US election was partly driven by a content bias causing users to preferentially retweet tweets with more negative emotion.


Purpose
This study aims to examine whether two periods of extreme market conditions – the governance crisis and Sarbanes-Oxley Act regulatory shock of 2002 and the 2007–2008 global financial crisis – incrementally impacted the self-fulfilling prophecy effect, by examining the propensity of US firms receiving going concern modification (GCM) opinions to go bankrupt relative to their non-GCM distress risk-matched counterparts during these two crisis periods.

Design/methodology/approach
To assess the potential influence of the governance/regulatory shock of 2002 and the global financial crisis moderate or mitigate the self-fulfilling prophecy effect, the authors use multivariate logit analysis, regressing t + 1 bankruptcy status on time t GCM and other bankruptcy determinants, interacting crisis period dummies with the GCM variable.

Findings
GCM firms were more likely to declare bankruptcy than their distressed non-GCM counterparts, confirming prior research documenting the existence of a self-fulfilling prophecy effect. The authors also find that the self-fulfilling prophecy effect was exacerbated by the governance crisis/Sarbanes-Oxley Act regulatory shock, but not the global financial crisis, a financial/banking sector shock.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the financial crisis and auditing literatures by examining whether exogenous shocks exacerbate the self-fulfilling prophecy effect. The present analysis and findings have implications for future academic research related to systemic shocks and for auditors in documenting the inducement effect arising from the issuance of GCMs during crisis periods.


Summary The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) diclofenac (CAS 15307-79-6) and piroxicam (CAS 36322-90-4) were shown in previous works to induce bone marrow lymphopoiesis. The present work aimed at evaluating the extent to which lymphopoietic effects of the above mentioned drugs as well as their interactions with α-tocopherol (CAS 10191-41-0) may be reflected in changes in the tissue levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT). The study was performed in male adult mice. The doses were given once daily for 7 days. The evaluations were performed in 2 phases. First, dose-response relationships of each of diclofenac, piroxicam and α-tocopherol were evaluated using bone marrow lymphocytes counts and monoamines levels in plasma, brain and spleen. Then, interactions of α-tocopherol (10 mg/kg) with diclofenac (20 mg/kg) and piroxicam (3 mg/kg), respectively, were evaluated. The interaction evaluations included effects on bone marrow lymphocytes count, monoamines levels in plasma, brain, spleen and thymus, as well as spleen weight. The obtained findings revealed that diclofenac, piroxicam and α-tocopherol decreased NE and DA levels in plasma, brain and spleen. There was some correlation between the decrease in plasma NE and the bone marrow lymphopoiesis. Pre-administration of α-tocopherol failed to maintain monoamines levels at the range of normal values in plasma, brain and spleen of NSAIDs-treated mice except splenic DA levels. In addition, the decrease in NE level induced by administration of piroxicam or diclofenac, either alone or together with α-tocopherol, corresponded to the increase in bone marrow lymphopoiesis. The present work suggests that the diclofenac- and piroxicam-induced bone marrow lymphopoiesis as well as their respective interactions with α-tocopherol are associated with parallel changes in monoamines levels, especially those of NE and 5-HT.


In this paper, we check the accuracy of an approximate variance for the area under the concentration curve (AUC). Based on the model function of a random effects model, an analytic expression for the AUC can be obtained. Then an approximate variance for the AUC can be derived after the linearisation of it using the Taylor series expansion. This variance is used in the construction of confidence interval to check the accuracy of the approximation made. We assume that the data on concentration are collected with the advancement of a dose-finding study. Following the allocation of the lowest dose to a cohort of patients, the concentration of drug in the blood samples is measured at the locally D-optimum time points. The successive doses for the cohorts are determined by the popular continual reassessment method. Four PK proles, along with three plausible dose-response scenarios, are investigated through a simulation study. The numerical findings assure the quality of the approximated variance.


In his probing new introduction to Anti-American "Myths, "which was initially published twenty years ago as "Nine Lies About America, "Arnold Beichman notes a powerful fact: what makes the United States unique is not only its military power nor its huge economy, nor even its great technological innovations. Rather, what differentiates the nation from virtually all others is that there is no large-scale territorial movement whose sponsors seek to secede from the country and to establish a new nation. And yet, anti-Americanism has characterized a small portion of ideologists whom Beichman refers to as radical egalitarians. These prophets of doom still abound. Everywhere the glib accusations are leveled: America is sick, racist, materialist, aggressive, decadent, and only violent revolution can save it. Even the collapse of the Soviet Union and of socialist regimes in Eastern Europe has not quelled the rhetoric of anti-Americanism. It is Beichman's aim to explain the roots of such persistent opposition to American society as presently constructed. Tom Wolfe in his Foreword shrewdly observes: "This is not a book 'about America'... it is a book that uses the subject of the United States as a device with which to explore the modern intellectual's retrograde habits of mind. Beichman finds nothing particularly amusing about what American intellectuals do to rationality and the English language, let alone the common weal, when they get on the subject of the United States. But I, for one, find his demonstration of the hash these men have made of the mother tongue extremely entertaining." When initially published, Beichman's classic was termed "powerful, persuasive and credible ... a laser beam of fact and reason" by the Los Angeles Times, and a "most valuable antidote to a lot of cliche thinking and cliche thinking and cliche writing" by the "New York Times. "Edwin McDowell, in his review for the WaH "Street Journal "reminds the reader that Beichman "is not a rightwinger bent on defining the status quo. .. but unabashedly a man of the left... an important figure in the international trade union movement." Anti-American Myths will be of interest to intellectual historians, political scientists, sociologists, and all readers interested in contemporary social and political affairs.


Distributed workflow management systems are increasingly gaining momentum due to the emergence of virtual and distributed organizations, as well as cross-organizational workflows. This paper presents an effective development process for a distributed workflow management system (WKFMS) which is utilized to automate the management processes related to computer and peripheral repair requests in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) at the University of Jordan. First, the paper explores the reasoning and motivation behind the choice of the management processes involved in the WKFMS. Phases of the development process that is based on the rapid prototyping paradigm are then described. Particular focus is given to the modeling of business scenarios using the Model-View-Control (MVC) architecture. The distributed network layout and system security measures are also investigated. Reduction of manual human intervention in the decision process is achieved through the implementation of a neuro-fuzzy computational intelligence processor to automate the major decision making process of tasks distribution. It is shown that the application of the proposed development process helped in reducing the overall system development time and effort. The successful deployment and functional testing of the developed industrial prototype has proved that it works smoothly according to the desired features.


The effect of fructans on the cultivable faecal community of Bio Breeding rats fed diets containing 5% (m/v) food-grade fructooligosaccharide (FOS) was investigated. Culturing of faecal material using chicory inulin as the sole carbohydrate source revealed the presence of a greater diversity of inulin-utilizing bacterial species in FOS-fed rats as compared with the control rats, although both contained species which effectively utilized inulin. The majority of cultivable inulin-utilizing species fell within the Clostridium coccoides group and Clostridium leptum subgroup, some of which were related to previously cultured butyrate-producing bacteria from the intestines of various animals. The impact of FOS on the growth of the indigenous bifidobacteria community and three inulin-utilizing isolates was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. While dietary FOS was found to stimulate the growth of all three inulin-utilizing isolates, no growth stimulation of the indigenous bifidobacteria community occurred over the duration of the feeding trial.


Tropical ocean ecosystems are predicted to become warmer, more saline, and less fertile in a future Earth. The Red Sea, one of the warmest and most saline environments in the world, may afford insights into the function of the tropical ocean ecosystem in a changing planet. We show that the concentration of chlorophyll and the duration of the phytoplankton growing season in the Red Sea are controlled by the strength of the winter Arabian monsoon (through horizontal advection of fertile waters from the Indian Ocean). Furthermore, and contrary to expectation, in the last decade (1998–2010) the winter Red Sea phytoplankton biomass has increased by 75% during prolonged positive phases of the Multivariate El Niño–Southern Oscillation Index. A new mechanism is reported, revealing the synergy of monsoon and climate in regulating Red Sea greenness.


Stretch forming process of aircraft skin over reconfigurable compliant tooling is a new technology in skin manufacturing. During this process, the coefficient of friction is important for modeling accurately the process of stretch forming. The objective of this research is to measure the coefficient of friction for aluminum alloy in contact with polyurethane rubber in reciprocal sliding. An orthogonal experimental design was used to reveal the impact of four factors on the coefficient of friction, including lubrication, normal load, aluminum alloy material and sliding velocity. It is shown that lubrication is a major factor, sliding velocity is a minor factor. The influence of normal pressure is less than sliding velocity and the influence of aluminum alloy material is not very obvious. Finally, based on the experiment results, the selections of lubricant and stretching velocity are discussed in order to improve the process of stretch forming.


The rapidly expanding catalogue of human oncogenic mutations, coupled with difficulties in identifying the cellular targets of active compounds in phenotypic screens, has refocused drug discovery efforts on inhibitors of specific cellular proteins. This new 'target-based' approach has enjoyed some spectacular successes in several types of tumours, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations occur in 17% of NSCLC patients, with notable response to single agent therapy. Unfortunately, all patients eventually develop acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), while complete remission rate to EGFR TKIs monotherapy is low. Priming BIM, a proapoptotic signalling BH3-only protein, induces sensitivity to erlotinib [Tarceva®] in EGFR-mutant cell lines. Synthetic lethal approaches and pre-emptive therapies based on the initial expression of BIM may significantly improve treatment outcomes. EGFR mutations result in transient pro-death imbalance of survival and apoptotic signalling in response to EGFR inhibition. Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 is essential to the balance between extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phosphoinositide- 3-kinase/protein kinase B and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activity. Furthermore, stromal hepatocyte growth factor confers EGFR TKI resistance and induces inter-receptor crosstalk with Ephrin Type-A receptor 2, CDCP1, AXL, and JAK1. A better understanding of the complex cancer molecular biology of EGFR mutant lung cancer is crucial for development of effective treatment and design of successful future clinical studies.


Fault tolerance capability is one of the advantages of multiprocessor systems. We prove that the fault tolerance of star graphs is 2n-5 with restriction to the forbidden faulty set. We propose an algorithm for examining the connectivity of star graphs when 2n-4 faults exist. The algorithm requires O(n/sup 3/ logn) time. We also improve the fault-tolerant routing algorithm proposed by Bagherzadeh et al. (1993) by calculating the cycle structure of a permutation and the avoidance of routing messages to a node without another nonfaulty neighbor. This calculation needs only constant time. We propose an efficient fault-tolerant broadcasting algorithm. When no fault occurs, our broadcasting algorithm remains optimal. The penalty is O(n/sup 2/) if at most n-2 faults exist.<<ETX>>


Chemical imaging with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy allows the visualization of the distribution of chemical components in cells without the need for labels or added dyes. However, obtaining such images of living cells is difficult because of the strong absorption of water in the mid-infrared region. We report the use of attenuated total reflection (ATR) FT-IR spectroscopic imaging to study live human cancer cells in an aqueous environment, on a single cell level. Two complementary approaches have been used, providing flexibility with field of view and spatial resolution: (1) micro-ATR FT-IR imaging using a microscope objective with a Ge crystal, and (2) single-reflection diamond ATR-FT-IR imaging. Using both approaches, the ATR-FT-IR spectroscopic signatures allow the differentiation between several cellular organelles, e.g., the nucleus and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The overall cell shape can be defined by the distribution of the amide II band in the measured image, while the DNA-rich nucleus and glycogen-rich ER could be imaged using the spectral bands at 1084 cm−1 and 1023 cm−1, respectively. We also demonstrate the potential of ATR-FT-IR spectroscopic imaging for unraveling the details of the dynamics of biological processes, which are not accessible from cell ensemble studies, with high molecular specificity and satisfactory spatial resolution.


If changes that make a difference to Aboriginal learners are to be effected in public schools, then transformational change is required (Menzies, Archibald, & Smith, 2004). How is transformational change best achieved? In this article, I argue, based on a recently completed study (McGregor, 2013) that teacher learning—particularly among non-Aboriginal teachers—is critical to effecting transformation in how teachers think about Aboriginal learners as well as how they plan and deliver fully inclusive learning opportunities. After outlining a theoretical framework for transformation focused on networked, inquiry-based learning and culturally inclusive practices, I explore how one particular teacher-learning network—the Aboriginal Enhancement Schools Network (AESN) in British Columbia, Canada, offers a powerful example of how teacher learning networks can enable deep and transformational change among participating teachers and leaders. I provide exemplary stories of transformation to illustrate the power of this model to effect changes in teacher beliefs and mindsets about Aboriginal learners and culturally inclusive practices. Following this, I identify several key enabling features of the AESN, including socially just, distributed forms of leadership, relational accountability (Wilson, 2008), and affiliative, catalytic models of implementation, a focus on "new, strong and wise ways" (Halbert & Kaser, 2012, p.11) of learning, and provincial and district resources that support network learning activity. The conclusion highlights implications of this study for school jurisdictions and policy makers. Keywords : networked teacher learning; transformational change; socially just leadership


Contents 533 I. 533 II. 534 III. 536 IV. 536 537 References 537 SUMMARY: Root endosymbioses are beneficial associations formed between terrestrial plants and either bacterial or fungal micro-organisms. A common feature of these intracellular symbioses is the requirement for mutual recognition between the two partners before host-regulated microbial entry. As part of this molecular dialogue, symbiosis-specific microbial factors set in motion a highly conserved plant signal transduction pathway, of which a central component is the activation of sustained nuclear Ca2+ oscillations in target cells of the host epidermis. Here, we focus on recent findings concerning this crucial Ca2+ -dependent signalling step for endosymbiotic associations involving either arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or nitrogen-fixing Frankia actinomycetes, and in particular how this knowledge is contributing to the identification of the respective microbial factors.


This article provides full details of a recently discovered cache of letters from George Meredith and his first wife Mary Ellen to Susan Mary Abbott (1830–1921), who in 1858 married William Mayne Neill (1824–1913). The first section focuses on the biographical background of the letters, identifying the recipient as a previously unknown natural daughter of Thomas Love Peacock, and thus a half-sister of Mary Ellen Meredith. The second section provides annotated texts of the letters, which were written in 1854–55, while the Merediths were still living together, and in 1861, more than three years after their separation and just a few months before Mary Ellen's death. Despite Meredith's habitual reserve, these new letters are among the most revealing personal documents to have survived his efforts to suppress all written records of his family background and first marriage. They also throw new light on Meredith's literary work, especially the composition, revision, and publication of his first novel, The Shaving of Shagpat.


PURPOSE
Independent practice (IP) may be important for the financial stability and autonomy of audiology. The authors sought to identify variables that affect doctor of audiology (AuD) students' decisions to enter IP or another practice setting.

METHOD
The authors sent a survey link electronically to 1,430 members of the Student Academy of Audiology; 300 returned completed surveys.

RESULTS
Nearly 24% of AuD student participants plan to choose IP immediately upon graduation. Men were more likely than women to choose IP as were those who had an IP rotation and were in the 3rd or 4th year of their AuD program. Important predictors included the survey items "job satisfaction among IP practitioners" and "attractiveness of other specialties"; the "patient contact" perception factor; the "overall job satisfaction" influence factor; and the student age (over 30) demographic variable.

CONCLUSIONS
It appears likely that audiology IP rates will remain steady at levels that lag behind the IP rates of other doctoring professions. The authors report some of the variables that appear to have driven current AuD students' career setting choices regarding IP.


Aims. On the basis of the PPMXL star catalogue we performed a survey of star clusters in the second quadrant of the Milky Way. Methods. From the PPMXL catalogue of positions and proper motions we took the subset of stars with near-infrared photometry from 2MASS and added the remaining 2MASS stars without proper motions (called 2MAst, i.e. 2MASS with astrometry). We developed a data-processing pipeline including interactive human control of a standardised set of multi-dimensional diagrams to determine kinematic and photometric membership probabilities for stars in a cluster region. The pipeline simultaneously produced the astrophysical parameters of a cluster. From literature we compiled a target list of presently known open and globular clusters, cluster candidates, associations, and moving groups. From established member stars we derived spatial parameters (coordinates of centres and radii of the main morphological parts of clusters) and cluster kinematics (average proper motions and sometimes radial velocities). For distance, reddening, and age determination we used specific sets of theoretical isochrones. Tidal parameters were obtained by a fit of three-parameter King profiles to the observed density distributions of members. Results. We investigated all 871 objects in the 2nd Galactic quadrant, of which we successfully treated 642 open clusters, 2 globular clusters, and 8 stellar associations. The remaining 219 objects (24%) were recognised by us to be nonexistent clusters, duplicate entries, or clusters too faint for 2MAst. We found that our sample is complete in the 2nd quadrant up to a distance of 2 kpc, where the average surface density is 94 clusters per kpc 2 . Compared with literature values we found good agreement in spatial and kinematic data, as well as for optical distances and reddening. Small, but systematic offsets were detected in the age determination.


ABSTRACT:Elodie Silberstein Look Back at It (2016) is a cutting-edge interpretation of Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) by African American multidisciplinary artist Rashaad Newsome. The work is a collage of magazine cuttings. The action is set in the vogue ballroom scene, a counterculture sparked in the 1970s by the Black and Latinx Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) communities in New York. The muses are disenfranchised African American trans women who have faced a long-standing subjugation anchored in America's history of racial slavery and classed transphobic capitalism. Their bodies are made of a collage of dazzling jewels cut from glossy magazines that have rendered them invisible. Drawing on beauty politics, this article maps the visual repertoire of Newsome's aesthetic and its geopolitical implications. A formal and contextual analysis highlights how the use of high jewelry alludes to the global trade in minerals—most specifically, the diamond industry's spoliation of South Africa's natural resources, pionered by British imperialist Cecil Rhodes. Special attention is paid to the way Newsome's subversion of the codes of high jewelry visually and conceptually echoes voguers' transgression of high fashion in dance competitions. Newsome stages a transnational and transhistorical dialogue between two distinct but interconnected systems of oppression, imperialism and global capitalism, thus sketching a collective history of Black pain and of creative resilience, guided by trans women, that is essential at the time of the resurgence of global populist nationalistic discourses.


Matrix protein (M1) of influenza virus inhibits its own polymerase; this suggested that a peptide segment of M1 with inhibitory properties could serve as an antiviral agent. A peptide synthesized to the Zn2+ finger region of the M1 sequence of influenza virus strain A/PR/8/34 centered around amino acids residues 148 to 166 was shown earlier to be 1,000-fold more effective as a polymerase inhibitor than M1. This peptide, designated peptide 6, represents a Zn2+ finger which includes a 7-residue "loop" and a 4-residue "tail" in addition to the 4 residues on either side of the loop involved in coordination of Zn2+. We have now demonstrated antiviral activity for this peptide in microassays measuring inhibition of the viral cytopathic effect. When the peptide was introduced into tissue culture 5 min after viral challenge with A/PR/8/34, antiviral activity was seen at levels as low as 0.1 nM; on a molar basis, the peptide was shown to be 1,000- to 2,500-fold more effective than ribavirin or amantadine. Antiviral activity was seen with addition of the peptide up to 1 h after viral infection; however, little or no activity was seen at later times, suggesting that viral replication is inhibited at an early stage, possibly at the level of transcription. Reduction in the finger loop or tail length reduced antiviral activity; reduction in the number of residues involved in coordination of Zn2+ abolished antiviral activity. In addition to A/PR/8/34, peptide 6 was shown to have antiviral activity against other type A influenza viruses, including those representing H1N1, H2N2, and H3N2 subtypes. Antiviral activity against type B influenza viruses was also seen. A low level of activity against vesicular stomatitis virus was observed. Zn2+ finger peptides or analogs of Zn2+ finger peptides may provide a new class of antiviral agents effective against influenza virus and possibly other viruses.


Learning outcomes
After reading and discussing the case, the participant would be able to: comprehend the ethics in marketing strategies that were displayed by an entrepreneur in the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic; appreciate how the marketing was executed in a socially responsible manner through digital means when there was a conflict between the business and the social interest; and understand how the innovative services or products can be developed that turn the trouble into an opportunity. The case shall also enlighten the students on how to create suitable marketing messages in digital times. The purpose of this paper is to let the students appreciate how they can carry out marketing efforts for a business while keeping customer needs and aspirations at the core, how the marketing campaigns can be designed and executed in a socially responsible manner and how the product portfolio can be suitably altered to make it more valued to the customer. After reading and discussing this case, the students will also be able to appreciate that it is important to identify and address the customer's pain which may be stated or unstated by the customer. The case intends to teach students how to identify and reap the opportunities that get created from time to time and to make them appreciate that businesses can contribute significantly towards societal gains by committing minimal resources.

Case overview/synopsis
The mainstream marketing discipline focuses on excessive consumerism as opposed to the concept of "socially responsible marketing" which advocates that business initiatives should be supported by ethical considerations. The coworking industry was one of the worst affected industries by the pandemic since their customers started working from their homes during and post the lockdowns, leading to a loss in revenues. The protagonist in the case had a strong belief that the business interests would be secondary to the overall interest of society, and therefore, he advised the customers on how they could work productively, safely and stress-free from their homes. As the lockdown was un-eased, the marketing campaigns were launched and executed in a very ethical manner, while designing innovative service offerings were designed.

Complexity academic level
The case is relevant for the students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies in the field of business and management.

Supplementary material
Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code
CSS 8: Marketing.


The objective of this project is to develop an EEG device that can read brainwaves from an individual, analyze the data, and use the result to send a wireless signal using Arduinos and XBee Radios to a Boe-bot to perform an action. One of the goals of this project is to read EEG data with a higher sampling frequency than a previously manufactured EEG device. The second part of the project used the device developed to differentiate an individual's thinking between right and left and then send a simple signal to a robot using an XBee radio to perform an action, such as making a motor turn. The implementation of this project contained three parts. The first part of the project involved making the EEG Data readable by the Arduino by amplifying the signal using instrumentational amplifiers and operational amplifiers as well as a notch filter and a low-pass filter to make the data readable. The second part consisted of interpreting the data that was being received from the EEG probe by filtering it a third time using a band-pass filter from 1 to 31 kHz and plotting it in MATLAB. The software components were data reading, transmission, reception, and processing of the information from the source device to the destination device. The last part of the project was programming the software component of the Arduino such that the wireless devices were able to communicate the EEG information. Furthermore, the application of this wireless network is far-reaching. Its practical uses cover a wide spectrum, from giving feedback to individuals based on their brainwaves, helping them improve their skilled performance in a game such as golf or archery, to increasing access for those with disabilities to allow individuals to interface with a gaming system using only their brainwaves.


This article considers a particular temporality—referred to as a state of moving stillness—within two different events: the screendance body that moves without appearing to get anywhere, and the dying body that moves but is not moving to anywhere. It focuses on Singing in the Rain (1952) directed by Kelly and Donen and a practice as research screendance project, made by the author, entitled Walk (2016). By placing events from art and life together here, alongside contemporary philosophies of temporality, the article works to illuminate something of the complex relationship between movement, time, and progression in each one, throwing light on the role that art, and screendance in particular, can play in our relationship to mortality.


During the late Paleozoic a series of sedimentary basins occupied the eastern margin of Gondwana that is considered as long-lasting subduction-related plate boundary. Nature, evolution and provenance of some of these basins, for example of the Permian Victoria Basin in the Ross Sea sector of East Antarctica, are still poorly understood. The up to 300 m thick succession of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks of the Permian Takrouna Formation in northern Victoria Land represents the fossil record of the northern part of this basin system, exposed within an outcrop belt with an extension of 125 × 160 km. This study presents a detailed description of the spatial and temporal evolution of the Permian Takrouna Formation. The reconstruction of the source areas and the depositional evolution of the continental Victoria Basin contribute to a broader understanding of the tectonic regime at the eastern margin of Gondwana during the Permian. Based on the investigations of vertical and lateral sections in six mountain ranges the development of sedimentary architecture and facies was reconstructed. The combination of sedimentological, petrographic and geochemical methods has been used to determine the controls on deposition and provenance. Petrographic and geochemical tools include the study of heavy and light mineral assemblages, the cathodoluminescence of detrital quartz, the whole-rock geochemical composition of sandstones and mudstones, the composition of selected minerals, as well as U-Pb age dating of detrital zircons. Further a petrographic and geochemical characterization of the abundant organic material has also been used to investigate the depositional environment and also the thermal history of the succession. The integration of this data set and comparison to the data gained from selected samples of the Permian Weller Coal Measures in southern Victoria Land enable a paleogeographic reconstruction of the Victoria Basin and the drainage system that occupied the study area


This study on maternal mortality reduction project in Micheweni district was conducted in 2015 as partial fulfilment for the completion of the Master studies in Community Economic Development. The study reveals the need for improving maternal health service delivery. The perceptions of the mothers are 70% of women who delivered at home are satisfied with delivery services provided at home and 30% not satisfied and about 60% said that hospital delivery is only important when there is a problem. Majority of the respondents 66% were aware of consequence of home delivery even though they use it, 38% mentioned severe bleeding, 13% retained placenta, 6% mentioned prolonged labor etc. This paper is divided into six chapters. Chapter one is presenting community needs assessment which includes community profile, demographic, social cultural factors, geographical features, administrative structure; community needs assessment methodology and results. Chapter two starts with problem identification and goes on to present the problem statement, the project goal and objectives as well as stakeholders analysis. Chapter three is about the literature reviews where theoretical literatures, empirical literatures and policy reviews are presented. Chapter four deals with the actual project plan, implementation, products and outputs. Chapter five is concerned with Monitoring and Evaluation plan adopted, definition, institutional arrangements and classification of both intermediate and final indicators as well as methodology for monitoring and evaluation and the results. Chapter six attempt to draws Conclusion and Recommendations as remedies for the community problems and achieve their needs.