Background & objectives: Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan parasite lives and also causes symptoms in urogenital system of human. Trichomoniasis is the widest spread infection which is transmitted through sexual contact and more than 170 million people are affected with Trichomonas vaginalis in the world. Trichomonas vaginalis in women causes pelvic inflammatory disease, increase in the risk of fallopian tube dependent infertility, ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, the birth of low weight infants and the increase in the possibility of HIV transmission. Considering the importance of Trichomonas vaginalis infection in pregnant women and lack of data from Ardabil city, this study was performed to identify this infection in pregnant women referred to health and medical centers of Ardabil city. Methods: Vaginal discharge from 500 pregnant women was collected with sterile swap and disposable speculum and examined for Trichomonas vaginalis by direct microscopic examination and cultured in Diamond specific medium. A testimonial and questionnaire were completed for each case and the results analyzed using chi-square test by SPSS statistical software version 19. Results: In this study, the culture of samples displayed 12 positive cases (2.4%). Furthermore, Trichomonas vaginalis trophozoites were observed in five cases (1%) with direct microscopic examination. Among 12 positive cases, five respondents (41.7%) were in age range of 16-25 years and seven (58.3%) in 26-35 years old. Among different clinical manifestations there was a significant relation between discharge and the infection. Conclusion: The present survey confirmed the presence of Trichomonas vaginalis infection in pregnant women of Ardabil city. Therefore, an effective healthcare program by health authorities for prevention of infection in this group seems to be needed.


We address the problem of retrieving the full state of a network of Rössler systems from the knowledge of the actual state of a limited set of nodes. The selection of the nodes where sensors are placed is carried out in a hierarchical way through a procedure based on graphical and symbolic observability approaches. By using a map directly obtained from the governing equations, we design a nonlinear network observer which is able to unfold the state of the non measured nodes with minimal error. For sparse networks, the number of sensors scales with half the network size and node reconstruction errors are lower in networks with heterogeneous degree distributions. The method performs well even in the presence of parameter mismatch and non-coherent dynamics and, therefore, we expect it to be useful for designing robust network control laws.


Introduction: Today, smoking has become a common habit, and researchers have largely been concerned with the adverse health effects of smoking. Some approaches have been proposed to minimize these effects. Nicotine is an alkaloid, which is considered to be a detrimental agent in smokers. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of astaxanthin against the adverse effects of nicotine.Methods: In this study, 42 BALB/c male mice were purchased from Mashhad University in Mashhad, Iran and randomly divided into six groups. Group one received one milliliter of normal saline daily, group two received nicotine (1.5 mg/kg), group three was administered with astaxanthin (25 mg/kg), group four also received astaxanthin (50 mg/kg), group five was administered with astaxanthin (25 mg/kg) and nicotine (1.5 mg/kg), and group 6 was administered with astaxanthin (50 mg/kg) and nicotine (1.5 mg/kg). After the experiments, the epididymis was collected, and the motility, viability, and count of the sperms were evaluated.Results: Nicotine at the dose of 1.5 mg/kg decreased the count, viability, and motility of sperm. In contrast, astaxanthin at the doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg was observed to diminish the destructive effects of nicotine.Conclusion: According to the results, astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant for the protection of the reproductive system against nicotine-induced toxicity.


The major purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the inquiry-based method is effective in improving students' learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A total of 73 college students studying Information Technology (IT) were chosen as participants. The instructional strategy used in this study was inquiry-based instruction. Participants were asked to answer a course satisfaction survey which utilized a 5-point Likert-type scale (a grade of 1 for least satisfied and 5 for highly satisfied); data obtained underwent means analysis. In addition, qualitative data including students' learning feedback and instructors' teaching feedback were collected and analyzed. The findings of this study includes: (1) students were highly satisfied on the STEM education learning program used in this study; (2) students' learning feedback also showed that they approved inquiry-based learning; and (3) instructors' teaching feedback showed that they preferred inquiry-based instruction as a teaching method. It can be concluded that the use of inquiry-based instruction can improve college students' STEM education learning.


Representative democracy is beset by a crisis of legitimacy across the world, but in Europe this crisis is compounded by the inadequacy of national governments to address citizens' frustrations and to achieve transnational unity on common issues. How representative are national parliaments in their decision-making on EU matters? This volume investigates the relationship between the democratic institutions of the member states and those of the EU. With a focus on polity rather than policy, it looks at voting and decision-shaping mechanisms in selected member states, in particular the 'Europeanisation' of representative democracy at national level. It also assesses the state of parliamentary democracy at the EU level. Expert analysts share their insights into the changing nature of our political eco-systems and the (dis)connections within and between them. Representative Democracy in the EU: Recovering Legitimacy is part of the 'Towards a Citizens' Union' project co-funded by the EU's Erasmus+ Programme. It is the product of collaboration with 20 renowned think tanks from the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN). This volume follows the first in the series, Direct Democracy in the EU: The Myth of a Citizens' Union. A third and final publication will offer ideas for how democratic institutions and processes can meet the challenges facing Europe today.


Past research has shown that a postemergence (POST) mixture of a residual herbicide, such as Smetolachlor, with glyphosate can result in improved weed control and maximize cotton yield. Published research is limited on the tolerance of a POST mixture of an aqueous capsule suspension (ACS) formulation of pendimethalin with glyphosate applied at different growth stages to cotton. Research of this issue is important as producers continue to search for cost savings in cotton production, and the inclusion of residual herbicides such as pendimethalin in the planting regimen is needed to abate the expansion of glyphosate-resistant (GR) weeds. This research was conducted in 2006 and 2007 to evaluate the effects of POST combinations of glyphosate with an ACS formulation of pendimethalin on second-generation GR cotton growth, development, and yield. Treatments evaluated in the study included a factorial arrangement of herbicides [glyphosate (®Roundup Weathermax) at 1540 g ha -1 alone or in combination with ACS pendimethalin (®Prowl H2O) at 1064 or 2128 g ha -1 or S-metolachlor (Dual Magnum) at 1064 or 2128 g ha -1 ] and cotton growth stage (4- to 5- or 6- to 8-leaf). Ammonium sulfate at 2524 g ha -1 was included with each treatment. Results indicated that visual crop response in the form of veinal yellowing and slight leaf malformation can be observed following a POST tank-mixture of pendimethalin with glyphosate. Response is limited to contacted leaves. Visual crop response following mixture of glyphosate with pendimethalin was minimal 21 d after both application timings and was not manifested in reductions in plant height or seedcotton yield compared to glyphosate applied alone.


Background and aims Many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases have been found to be associated with morphea. Thrombocytopenia, however, has rarely been reported Aim-To describe the profile of 4 patients with localised scleroderma and thrombocytopenia Methods A retrospective case record review of children diagnosed to have localised scleroderma in the paediatric rheumatology clinic of a tertiary care referral institute in North-West India. Children who also had thrombocytopenia (i.e. platelet counts <150 ×103/L) were analysed. Results Twenty two children were diagnosed with localised scleroderma (10 boys and 12 girls, male: female ratio 1:1.2). Thrombocytopenia was identified in 4 children (prevalence-18%). The details of these 4 cases are summarised in Table 1. All 4 cases had en coup de sabre (ECDS) type of linear scleroderma. (Figure 1) Peripheral smear examination revealed normal platelet size. The lowest platelet counts ranged from 8×109/L to 120×109/L. ANA was positive in 2 patients (case 1 and 2) and case 1 also had positive lupus anticoagulant in her serum. Methotrexate (0.5 mg/kg/week) was used for the treatment of morphea in 3 patients while one child was treated with topical calcipotriol ointment alone. No specific therapy was prescribed for thrombocytopenia, except in case 1 where thrombocytopenia was treated with injection anti D. Platelet counts recovered in 3 patients, while thrombocytopenia is still persisting in one patient. Abstract 368 Table 1 Abstract 368 Figure 1 Conclusions Thrombocytopenia associated with localised scleroderma in children is usually benign, has a probable autoimmune aetiology, requires no specific therapy and is generally curable with the systemic immunosuppressant medications used for the treatment of scleroderma


This report was commissioned by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) following the publication of Lancaster University"s Hull Flood Project and Hull Children"s Flood Project. Its principal purpose is to identify how findings made as a result of the two research projects could be integrated into the Cabinet Office"s National Recovery Guidance (NRG), as a means to improve affected communities" ability to recover from emergency events.
The report, in effect, details a desktop analysis of UK Civil Protection (CP) guidance, from a bottom-up perspective (i.e. using as its critical lens, the lived experiences of members of the public who were tested by the Hull flooding of 2007 and its aftermath).


The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) is currently the most common test used to measure the anticoagulation intensity of heparins and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs). Vitamin K antagonists variably affect aPTT reagents. Interactions between heparin and DTIs occur during concurrent therapy. Three DTIs (lepirudin, argatroban, melagatran) and one unfractionated heparin (liquemin) were added to normal plasma (NP) samples (n = 23) and to vitamin K antagonist plasma (VKAP) samples (n = 23) of patients treated with phenprocoumon. Lepirudin and argatroban were added at concentrations from 300 to 3000 ng/ml, melagatran from 30 to 1000 ng/ml, and unfractionated heparin from 0.016 to 0.48 IU/ml. Wave parameters of clotting time and aPTT ratio curves were evaluated by multivariate analysis for inhibitors, aPTT reagents and NP and VKAP samples. Normal ranges resulting from NP samples were 34.5 ± 1.0 s with Pathromtin SL and 33.9 ± 0.8 s with Platelin LS. Normal ranges using VKAP were 52.8 ± 2.6 s (Pathromtin SL) and 44.2 ± 1.1 s (Platelin LS) (P < 0.0001). Variance analysis showed that inhibitors, plasmas (NP versus VKAP) and reagents influenced the wave characteristics of aPTT (s) (P < 0.0001) and aPTT ratios (P < 0.0001). Distinct statistical differences between aPTT reagents on one hand and normal versus vitamin K antagonist plasma on the other hand make a comparison of reported aPTT results difficult, especially during overlapping therapy with vitamin K antagonists.


Seawater represents a complex phenomenon due to the presence of multiple ions. Previous researches aimed to estimate the resistance losses due to sulphate and chloride attacks based on probabilistic approaches. Few studies have focused on the complex chemo-mechanical modeling by coupling all the ions present in seawater and in concrete. In this study, the model proposed is based on the coupling between two codes CemPP- for the microstructure generation of the cementitious material, the evolution of the hydration and chemical reactions - and Cast3M - for the mechanical calculations and damage modeling. Results highlight the importance of considering each effect of cement paste's ion reacting with seawater and their role on the overall mechanical behaviour of the structure affected by the chemical phases present at equilibrium.


The nonlinear static pushover analysis technique is mostly used in the performance-based design of structures and it is favored over nonlinear response history analysis. However, the pushover analysis with FEMA load distributions losses its accuracy in estimating seismic responses of long period structures when higher mode effects are important. Some procedures have been offered to consider this effect. FEMA and Modal pushover analysis (MPA) are addressed in the current study and compared with inelastic response history analysis. These procedures are applied to medium high-rise (10 and 15 storey) and high-rise (20 and 30 storey) frames; efficiency and limitations of them are elaborated. MPA procedure present significant advantage over FEMA load distributions in predicting storey drifts, but the both are thoroughly unsuccessful to predict hinge plastic rotations with acceptable accuracy. It is demonstrated that the seismic demands determined with MPA procedure will be unsatisfactory in nonlinear systems subjected to individual ground motions which inelastic SDF systems related to significant modes of the buildings respond beyond the elastic limit. Therefore, it's inevitable to avoid evaluating seismic demands of the buildings based on individual ground motion with MPA procedure.


A fusion system is a category on a nite p-group, P, which encodes "conjugacy" relations among the subgroups of P. In this thesis fusion systems of nite groups and ways to prove saturation of abstract fusion systems is investigated. First an introduction to fusion systems of nite groups and the notion of abstract fusion systems is given. Theorems of Burnside and Frobenius regarding fusion systems of nite groups are considered and proven. Alperins fusion theorem formulated for nite groups is considered and used in the proofs. It is proved that all fusion systems of nite groups are saturated.An investigation in simpler ways of proving that a fusion system is saturated is done. First Alperins fusion theorem formulated for abstract fusion systems is considered which says that, a fusion system, denoted by F, is generated by the automorphism groups of some special subgroups. Further investigation is done in how this set of special groups, that generates F, can be used to check if F is saturated. A theorem of Craven, though originally stated by Puig, is then considered and proven. The theorem says that is suffices to check that the conjugacy classes of, so called, F-centric subgroups are saturated in order to check that the fusion system F is saturated. Also a theorem of [5] is considered and proven. The theorem says that an even smaller set of conjugacy classes than the set of F-centric subgroups is needed to check saturation.Section 1-2 are written together with Karl Amundsson and Eric Ahlqvist.


This paper investigates the impact of several feature extraction and feature selection approaches on filtering of short message service (SMS) spam messages in two different languages, namely Turkish and English. The entire feature set of filtering framework consists of the features originated from the bag-of-words (BoW) model along with the ensemble of structural features (SF) specific to spam problem. The distinctive BoW features are identified using information theoretic feature selection methods. Various combinations of the BoW and SF are then fed into widely used pattern classification algorithms to classify SMS messages. The filtering framework is evaluated on both Turkish and English SMS message datasets. For this purpose, as part of the study, the first publicly available Turkish SMS message collection is constituted as well. Comprehensive experimental analysis on the respective datasets revealed that the combinations of BoW and SFs, rather than BoW features alone, provide better classification performance on both datasets. Effectiveness of the utilized feature selection methods however slightly differs in each language. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.19.5.1829


We propose a method for compressively acquiring a dynamic light field (a 5-D volume) through a single-shot coded image (a 2-D measurement). We designed an imaging model that synchronously applies aperture coding and pixel-wise exposure coding within a single exposure time. This coding scheme enables us to effectively embed the original information into a single observed image. The observed image is then fed to a convolutional neural network (CNN) for light-field reconstruction, which is jointly trained with the camera-side coding patterns. We also developed a hardware prototype to capture a real 3-D scene moving over time. We succeeded in acquiring a dynamic light field with 5x5 viewpoints over 4 temporal sub-frames (100 views in total)from a single observed image. Repeating capture and reconstruction processes over time, we can acquire a dynamic light field at 4x the frame rate of the camera. To our knowledge, our method is the first to achieve a finer temporal resolution than the camera itself in compressive light-field acquisition. Our software is available from our project webpage.11https://www.fujii.nuee.nagoya-u.ac.jp/Research/CompCam2


Objective To investigate the combined effects on adult mortality of overweight and smoking in late adolescence. Design Record linkage study with Cox proportional hazard ratios adjusted for muscle strength, socioeconomic position, and age. Setting Swedish military service conscription register, cause of death register, and census data. Participants 45 920 Swedish men (mean age 18.7, SD 0.5) followed for 38 years. Main outcome measures Body mass index (underweight (BMI <18.5), normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), and obesity (≥30)), muscle strength, and self reported smoking (non-smoker, light smoker (1-10 cigarettes/day), heavy smoker (>10/day)) at mandatory military conscription tests in 1969-70. All cause mortality. Results Over 1.7 million person years, 2897 men died. Compared with normal weight men (incidence rate 17/10 000 person years, 95% confidence interval 16 to 18), risk of mortality was increased in overweight (hazard ratio 1.33, 1.15 to 1.53; incidence rate 23, 20 to 26) and obese men (hazard ratio 2.14, 1.61 to 2.85; incidence rate 38, 27 to 48), with similar relative estimates in separate analyses of smokers and non-smokers. No increased risk was detected in underweight men (hazard ratio 0.97, 0.86 to 1.08; incidence rate 18, 16 to 19), though extreme underweight (BMI <17) was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio 1.33, 1.07 to 1.64; incidence rate 24, 19 to 29). The relative excess risk due to interaction between BMI and smoking status was not significant in any stratum. Furthermore, all estimates of interaction were of small magnitude, except for the combination of obesity and heavy smoking (relative excess risk 1.5, −0.7 to 3.7). Compared with non-smokers (incidence rate 14, 13 to 15), risk was increased in both light (hazard ratio 1.54, 1.41 to 1.70; incidence rate 15, 14 to 16) and heavy smokers (hazard ratio 2.11, 1.92 to 2.31; incidence rate 26, 24 to 27). Conclusions Regardless of smoking status, overweight and obesity in late adolescence increases the risk of adult mortality. Obesity and overweight were as hazardous as heavy and light smoking, respectively, but there was no interaction between BMI and smoking status. The global obesity epidemic and smoking among adolescents remain important targets for intensified public health initiatives.


This study addresses the effects of security cameras on prosocial behavior. Results from previous studies indicate that the presence of others can trigger helping behavior, arising from the need for approval of others. Extending these findings, the authors propose that security cameras can likewise trigger such approval-seeking behaviors by implying the presence of a watchful eye. Because people vary in the extent to which they strive for others' approval, it was expected that the effects of security cameras on prosocial behavior vary with participants' need for approval. To test these predictions, an experimental study was conducted with "presence of security camera" and "need for approval" as independent variables. Results showed that participants indeed offered more help in the presence of a security camera but only to the extent that this helping involved public or observable behavior. As expected, this effect was more pronounced for individuals high in need for approval. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.


Background. Identifying determinants of morbidity and mortality may help target future interventions for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected children. Methods. CD4+ T-cell count, HIV viral load, and levels of biomarkers (C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], interleukin 6 [IL-6], and soluble CD14) and interleukin 7 were measured at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in the ARROW trial (case-cohort design). Cases were individuals who died, had new or recurrent World Health Organization clinical stage 4 events, or had poor immunological response to ART. Results. There were 115 cases (54 died, 45 had World Health Organization clinical stage 4 events, and 49 had poor immunological response) and 485 controls. Before ART initiation, the median ages of cases and controls were 8.2 years (interquartile range [IQR], 4.4–11.4 years) and 5.8 years (IQR, 2.3–9.3 years), respectively, and the median percentages of lymphocytes expressing CD4 were 4% (IQR, 1%–9%) and 13% (IQR, 8%–18%), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression, cases had lower age-associated CD4+ T-cell count ratio (calculated as the ratio of the subject's CD4+ T-cell count to the count expected in healthy individuals of the same age; P < .0001) and higher IL-6 level (P = .002) than controls. Clustering biomarkers and age-associated CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell count ratios identified 4 groups of children. Group 1 had the highest frequency of cases (41% cases; 16% died) and profound immunosuppression; group 2 had similar mortality (23% cases; 15% died), but children were younger, with less profound immunosuppression and high levels of inflammatory biomarkers and malnutrition; group 3 comprised young children with moderate immunosuppression, high TNF-α levels, and high age-associated CD8+ T-cell count ratios but lower frequencies of events (12% cases; 7% died); and group 4 comprised older children with low inflammatory biomarker levels, lower HIV viral loads, and good clinical outcomes (11% cases; 5% died). Conclusions. While immunosuppression is the major determinant of poor outcomes during ART, baseline inflammation is an additional important factor, identifying a subgroup of young children with similar mortality. Antiinflammatory interventions may help improve outcomes.


The reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM) is a meshfree method for computational solid mechanics that can be tailored for an arbitrary order of completeness and smoothness. The primary advantage of RKPM relative to standard finite-element (FE) approaches is its capacity to model large deformations, material damage, and fracture. Additionally, the use of a meshfree approach offers great flexibility in the domain discretization process and reduces the complexity of mesh modifications such as adaptive refinement.We present an overview of the RKPM implementation in the Sierra/SolidMechanics analysis code, with a focus on verification, validation, and software engineering for massively parallel computation. Key details include the processing of meshfree discretizations within a FE code, RKPM solution approximation and domain integration, stress update and calculation of internal force, and contact modeling. The accuracy and performance of RKPM are evaluated using a set of benchmark problems. Solution verification, mesh convergence, and parallel scalability are demonstrated using a simulation of wave propagation along the length of a bar. Initial model validation is achieved through simulation of a Taylor bar impact test. The RKPM approach is shown to be a viable alternative to standard FE techniques that provides additional flexibility to the analyst community.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


In this paper, we proposed a new generalized Multivariate Probalistic Modeling (MPM) to automatically extract topics from text collection and attach them with existing ontology. Specially, we first make use of KeyConcept which is a classification system classify documents into a set of predefined concepts. Then, by modeling documents cluster based MPM, we extract latent concepts and corrensponding sub-clusters from document collection. We compare our MPM with Probabilistic Latent Semantic Indexing (PLSI) and other clustering algorithm on Citeseerx data sets. Experiment results show that MPM outperforms PLSI in terms of time efficiency and provides better topics representation. Clustering analysis also prove the advantages of our MPM over other clustering technique in precision.


Building and retaining human capital stock is critical for organizational success and survival. These two practices, however, may inadvertently be at odds with one another. That is, as organizations seek to increase their human capital stock, through both internal and external strategies, they may also unintentionally increase their risk of voluntary turnover. Research has found support for this relationship in the private sector, yet empirical evidence for such a correlation among public sector organizations is nonexistent. This article, therefore, contributes to the understanding of whether the postulated relationship between human capital and voluntary turnover is generalizable to public sector entities, specifically focusing on U.S. state government. Using longitudinal workforce data from the State of Oklahoma, results of econometric analysis demonstrate that this organizational phenomenon transcends sector boundaries.


Abstract There is little information about the types of social support and content of assistance for informal carers. This article aims to fill this knowledge gap by studying 37 informal carers in a region of the UK. It was found that adult children were the main source of support for older carers regardless of ethnic backgrounds, minority ethnic carers supported their husband to fulfill traditional caring duties by taking care of mother-in-law in the same household. Young carers received support mainly from uncles and aunts to look after sick parents while adult carers obtained information and peer support from the internet. Surprisingly, support from neighbors was limited. Additionally, social support for carers was undermined by the stigmatization of drug and alcohol misuse and mental illness. It is proposed that different types of online support services and appropriate educational programs need to be offered to carers to set up self-help groups and tackle stigmatization associated with health problems. It is suggested that future studies can use a large representative sample to give a comprehensive picture on the contents of informal support for different types of caregivers and the impact of social support on helping informal carers to fulfill their duties.


Over the last few years, the use of mobile technologies has brought the formulation of location-based learning approaches shaping new or enhanced educational activities. Involving teachers in the design of these activities is important because the designs need to be aligned with the requirements of the specific educational settings. Yet analysing the implementation of the activities with students is also critical, not only for assessment purposes but also for enabling the identification of learning design elements that should be revised and improved. This paper studies a case that applies visualizations to support students' self-assessment and teachers' inquiry of a mobile learning design. The design is a gamified location-based learning activity composed by geolocated questions and implemented with the "QuesTInSitu: The Game" mobile application. The activity was designed by seven teachers and enacted by 81 secondary education students organized in a total of 23 groups. Log files, gathered from "QuesTInSitu: The Game," provided the data for the visualizations, which represented relevant aspects of the group activity enactment (both time used to answer questions and to reach the geographical zone of the questions, scores obtained per zone, etc). On the one hand, the visualizations were discussed with the teachers as a learning analytics tool potentially useful to consider when redesigning the activity, if needed. On the other hand, the study shows that the visualizations led students to make a better diagnosis of their own activity performance.


The paper is devoted to formation of social relations among firms. To explain how business relations emerge of the author examines selection criteria used by retailers and their suppliers for finding exchange partners in the contemporary Russian consumer markets. Based on the structural (network) perspective in economic sociology the paper demonstrates that business partner selection mechanism is a complex procedure which cannot be reduced to evaluation of profitability of transactions but has to take into account identity of exchange partners. Empirical data were collected from a standardized survey of 500 managers of retailers and their suppliers in five cities of Russia.


Objectives: Cardiac telerehabilitation includes, in its most comprehensive format, telemonitoring, telecoaching, social interaction, and eLearning. The specific role of eLearning, however, was seldom assessed. The aim of eEduHeart I is to investigate the medium-term effectiveness of the addition of a cardiac web-based eLearing platform to conventional cardiac care. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter randomized, controlled trial, 1,000 patients with coronary artery disease will be randomized 1:1 to an intervention group (receiving 1-month unrestricted access to the cardiac eLearning platform in addition to conventional cardiac care) or to conventional cardiac care alone. The primary endpoint is health-related quality of life, assessed by the HeartQoL questionnaire at the 1- and 3-month follow-ups. Secondary endpoints include pathology-specific knowledge and self-reported eLearning platform user experience. Data on the eLearning platform usage will be gathered through web logging during the study period. Results: eEduHeart I will be one of the first studies to report on the added value of eLearning. Conclusions: If the intervention is proven effective, current cardiac telerehabilitation programs can be augmented by including eLearning, too. The platform can then be used as a model for other chronic diseases in which patient education plays a key role.


Religious freedom is God's gift for people. If people want to enjoy it, they should understand the environments correctly, and comprehend the cultural and religious shift that took place in the 21st century. The hard lessons from September 11, 2001 should help us, the Europeans, learn about the dramatic change the world is facing today, and take action. However, the fact that all human beings are made in God's image (Imago Dei), brings into our attention the sanctity of life. Because Jesus is God incarnate and Lord of the universe, then it is absolutely normal for us to accept that He is the Only Lord and Savior of the whole world! Our duty, as followers of Christ and priests of God, is to share the good news, the Gospel, to all people around us, through our words and our deeds. This will bring true religious freedom and everlasting social security.


This paper explores the Aeneid's geopoetics and travel thematics in relation to Vergil's inclusion of the Eridanus-Po river in his description of Elysium (Aen. 6.558-9). The paper proposes that the reference to the Eridanus evokes an aboveground journey from Cumae to the Po region that symbolically corresponds to Aeneas' Underworld journey in Aeneid 6. To support this supposition, the paper surveys references to travel in Aeneid 6; reviews previous interpretations of 6.558-9 as well as mythical and literary traditions relating to the Eridanus; and demonstrates the fundamental role of rivers for Greco-Roman conceptualizations of geographical space. The final section of the paper speculates about how a journey from Cumae to the Po resonates with travel that Vergil himself undertook during his lifetime, and considers ways in which linking Elysium to the Po region recalls Vergil's earlier poetic representations of his patria and imbues his Underworld with a Padane tint.


Micro propagation protocol from selected plants of Rosa hybrida using nodal segments as explant was standardized. Shoot cultures were initiated on MS medium supplemented with 6-benzyle adenine (BA, 2.5 μM). For shoot proliferation, BA and Kinetin (KIN) either alone or in combination with giberellic acid (GA3) were used. BA was found to be better for shoot proliferation and elongation as compared with KIN. Maximum shoot proliferation was observed on MS medium containing 10.0 μM BA in combination with 0.5 μM GA3. Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) was found to be better auxin for induction of roots and maximum rooting frequency was observed on 1⁄4 MS medium supplemented with 5.0 μM of IBA. Micro propagated plants showed 85 % survival during polyhouse and greenhouse conditions.


The on-offshore distributions
of tuna larvae in near-reef
waters of the Coral Sea, near Lizard
Island (14°30ʹS, 145°27ʹE), Australia,
were investigated during four cruises
from November 1984 to February 1985
to test the hypothesis that larvae of
these oceanic fishes are found in
highest abundance near coral reefs.
Oblique bongo net tows were made in
five on-offshore blocks in the Coral
Sea, ranging from 0–18.5 km offshore
of the outer reefs of the Great Barrier
Reef, as well as inside the Great
Barrier Reef Lagoon. The smallest
individuals (<3.2 mm SL) of the genus
Thunnus could not be identified to species,
and are referred to as Thunnus
spp. We found species-specific distributional
patterns. Thunnus spp. and T.
alalunga (albacore) larvae were most
abundant (up to 68 larvae/100 m2) in
near-reef (0–5.5 km offshore) waters,
whereas Katsuwonus pelamis (skipjack
tuna) larvae increased in abundance
in the offshore direction (up to 228
larvae/100 m2, 11.1–18.5 km offshore).
Larvae of T. albacares (yellowfin tuna)
and Euthynnus affinis (kawakawa)
were relatively rare throughout the
study region, and the patterns of their
distributions were inconclusive. Few
larvae of any tuna species were found
in the lagoon. Size-frequency distributions
revealed a greater proportion of
small larvae inshore compared to offshore
for K. pelamis and T. albacares.
The absence of significant differences
in size-frequency distributions for
other species and during the other
cruises was most likely due to the
low numbers of larvae. Larval distributions
probably resulted from a
combination of patterns of spawning
and vertical distribution, combined
with wind-driven onshore advection
and downwelling on the seaward side
of the outer reefs.


Interactions between researchers and northern communities involving geographical information are a crucial part of northern research in Canada. Currently, such interactions are mediated with paper-based maps and transparent overlays, a method that is time consuming and awkward, and that often loses critical interaction data. However, people in northern communities are often unwilling to use computers and projection technologies that would enhance such interactions. We conducted interviews with four researchers with extensive experience in northern research to determine the requirements for a new tool that would assist with geographical representation tasks yet remain palatable to community members. The result is a tabletop interface design modified for increased tracking of user interaction, durability, portability, and small interaction areas, that retains the look and feel of paper-based interactions. The tabletop will display GIS software with simple navigation and map modification controls.


The aeroacoustic performance of an adaptive inlet of a turbo-fan engine is numerically investigated. The sound intensity and directivity of fan noise propagation to the far-field, and the sound level at lateral reference points are investigated. The investigation is performed for three Helmholtz numbers, with the influence of the mean flow, for a single duct mode. A finite element solver for Helmholtz equation is used in the inner part of the inlet, with a perfectly matched layer boundary condition close to the inlet entrance. The propagation through the outer part of domain is solved by Kirchhoff integral method. The results show the influence of the inlet shape adaptation on the noise intensity level as well as the directivity of propagation. The maximum peak intensity level of all inlet shapes is increased by increasing the Helmholtz number. This causes the width of intensity distribution to become narrower and shifted towards the symmetry axis of the nacelle. The inlet shape with the most opened nacel...


The word zenzen is an adverb that is used frequently in daily conversational Japanese. From the Meiji period (1868-1912) until the early Showa period (1924-1989) the word was used together with both affirmative and negative words to form expressions. In the early Showa period the grammatical rules in education changed so that the only acceptable use was together with a negative word. From the 1990's onward, the use together with an affirmative word has made a comeback especially among younger Japanese people. However even though the usage together with an affirmative word has made a comeback and was considered normal once in history, in today's society it is still considered as slang and thus not recommended usage in formal situations. Foreign language learners however, tend not to learn a language only by textbooks but also by imitating the language of native Japanese speakers and Japanese popular culture. This may lead to a confusion regarding what words are acceptable to use in conversations. Therefore in this study, an online survey that examines the usage and attitudes regarding the word zenzen aimed at Japanese language learners at Swedish universities was conducted. The results of the survey showed that although a majority of the learners showed a good understanding of the usage, more than half of the learners displayed a feeling of confusion regarding the usage of the word. The gender comparison regarding the usage showed no major differences. Having lived in Japan, having Japanese friends whom you speak Japanese with regularly and length of Japanese study was associated with an increased understanding of the usage. Regular consumption of Japanese popular culture, however, was not associated with an increased understanding of the usage. A literature analysis was also conducted to examine the attitudes regarding the usage of zenzen in a variety of books with topics including business language and books aimed at Japanese language teachers. The results showed that zenzen used together with a negative word was considered as the norm while zenzen used together with an affirmative word was not recommended to be used in formal situations. When recommending proper usage of the word zenzen together with an affirmative word to foreign learners of Japanese, hijou-ni and totemo was seen as better alternatives to zenzen in a formal situation.


The paper presents pilot results of clinical application of developed experimintally method of treatment for acute cholecystitis based on demucosation of the gall-bladder followed by obliteration of its lumen. Two modifications of the method-treatment of mucous membrane of the gall-bladder by phenol emulsion (16 patients) and electrocoagulation of the mucosa (49 patients)--were used with good clinical results in patients with high operation risk. Follow-up results are available for up to 3.5 years.


This work shows a technology of artificial cloning for industrial sensors by means of the use of neural networks and genetic mapping. The neural networks allow develop to the intelligent structure of the sensors. For it, the method of activation of random values is used to train the sensors and to carry out the learning starting from real devices. The genetic mapping allows the generation of codes for the cloning procedure. For it, the mutation processes, crossing, reproduction and investment are used. Also, an example of a cloned sensor that determines the index of viscosity of lubricant oils with fenol for a monitoring system is briefly explained.


Over the last three semesters, I worked toward my final goal to develop a custom network security appliance. I first began by completing a comparison analysis of network intrusion detection systems which are devices that read traffic from the network and determine if network packets should go through or be dropped. Second, I conducted a feasibility study of a custom framework to profile attackers in a network; this yielded positive results. Finally, I worked on creating a custom network security appliance; it uses the profiles I created in my framework to more efficiently block malicious attackers in comparison to other security appliances. Below is a more detailed account of how these steps were taken to result in my final security appliance. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis Department College of Technology First Advisor Dr. James Banfield Second Advisor Dr. Suleiman Ashur


: The authors studied occupationally significant visual functions (vision, parameters of color and photopic vision) in patients who faced refraction surgeries correcting myopia or hypermetropia. Preoperative studies and examinations in 0.5 and 1.0-1.5 years after surgeries helped to define the period optimal for restoration and stabilization of the functions. Therefore, occupational rehabilitation is designed for those railway safety workers who faced such surgeries.


Treatment strategies for discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine usage can be divided into minimal interventions and gradual discontinuation programs. Minimal interventions invite patients to quit their long-term benzodiazepine usage on their own by making them aware of the adverse effects. This type of intervention is successful in about one fifth of patients. Gradual discontinuation programs are more extensive interventions in order to help those patients who are unable to discontinue benzodiazepine use on their own. These programs are successful in two-thirds of the patients and can be combined with additional pharmacological or psychological treatment. Once the withdrawal symptoms have diminished, most patients have an improved psychological functioning compared to when they were using benzodiazepines. Furthermore, no increase in medical consumption has been found.


We develop a method to jointly measure the response of worker search effort (individual effect) and vacancy creation (market-level effect) to changes in the duration of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. To implement this approach, we exploit an unexpected cut in UI durations in Missouri and provide quasi-experimental evidence on the effect of UI on the labor market. The data indicate that the cut in Missouri significantly increased job finding rates by both raising the search effort of unemployed workers and the availability of jobs. The latter accounts for at least a third and up to 100% of the total effect.


Building performance can be expressed by different indicators as primary energy use, environmental load and/or the indoor environmental quality and a building performance simulation can provide the decision maker with a quantitative measure of the extent to which an integrated design solution satisfies the design requirements and objectives. In the design of sustainable Buildings it is beneficial to identify the most important design parameters in order to develop more efficiently alternative design solutions or reach optimized design solutions. A sensitivity analysis makes it possible to identify the most important parameters in relation to building performance and to focus design and optimization of sustainable buildings on these fewer, but most important parameters. The sensitivity analyses will typically be performed at a reasonably early stage of the building design process, where it is still possible to influence the important parameters. The methodology is presented and an application example is given for design of an office building in Denmark.


Vickers indentation was employed to measure the microhardness of monolithic alumina and six alumina-based nanocomposites consisting of variable silicon carbide nanoparticle volume percentages of 0.3% to 20%. Indentation tests were performed over a broad range of loads from 0.5N to 40N. The resultant hardness-load curves exhibit cumulative increases in the apparent hardness based on the silicon carbide content and reveal each sample suffers from a prominent indentation size effect (ISE). Herein, we present a comprehensive analysis of this data using Meyer's Law, the proportional specimen resistance model (PSR) and the modified proportional specimen resistance model (MPSR) and employ TEM imagery to detail potential mechanisms by which silicon carbide nano-reinforcements influence the "true hardness" and the ISE.


Rationale: Intraneural perineurioma is an extremely rare form of peripheral nerve sheath tumor; and the anesthetic management of a parturient with intraneural perineurioma, especially affecting spinal roots and nerves of extremities, is very rare. Patient concerns: A 28-year-old woman was referred to the hospital at 37+5 weeks' gestation, presenting with a 10-year history of paroxysmal acroanesthesia and aching with distal limbs. Diagnoses: Based on the biopsy results, including immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings, and molecular studies, her condition was diagnosed as intraneural perineurioma. Interventions: The size of pelvic nervous masses gradually increased with pregnancy. A scheduled elective cesarean section under general anesthesia was concluded for the patient under preoperative multidisciplinary consultation with anesthesiologist, neonatologist, and neurologist. Outcomes: The patient and the neonate were discharged smoothly on the fourth postoperative day. During a 6-month follow-up period, no new neurologic complication was observed. Lessons: To our knowledge, this is the first case report that documented the anesthetic management for a parturient with intraneural perineuroma. Careful preconception care and multidisciplinary assessment are essential to achieve optimal reproductive outcomes.


Nontranslatable transcripts containing interspersed repetitive sequence elements constitute a major fraction of the poly(A) RNA stored in the cytoplasm of both the sea urchin egg and the amphibian oocyte. We report the first complete sequence of a representative interspersed maternal RNA transcript, called ISpl. The transcript is about 3.7 kb in length [including poly(A) tail]; and the 5' half consists of a cluster of repetitive sequences, whereas the 3' half is single copy. Other repetitive sequences occur in the 5' and 3' regions flanking the transcription unit. In several cloned alleles, the flanking repetitive and single-copy sequences differ, indicating a high degree of insertional and deletional rearrangement around, as well as within, the transcription unit. No significant open reading frames exist in any region of the ISpl transcript, nor is it spliced to give rise to translatable mRNA in egg or embryo. A 620-nucleotide repetitive sequence element at the 5' end of the ISpl transcript is also represented in a large number of other long interspersed maternal poly(A) RNAs. In addition, this sequence appears in a prevalent set of small polyadenylated RNAs about 600-nucleotides in length, which disappear almost completely by the gastrula stage of development. The structural features of the ISpl RNA uncovered in this work exclude several hypotheses of interspersed maternal poly(A) RNA origin and function.


Emerging trends and products pose a challenge to modern search engines since they must adapt to the constantly changing needs and interests of users. For example, vertical search engines, such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Yelp and Yahoo! Local, provide business category hierarchies for people to navigate through millions of business listings. The category information also provides important ranking features that can be used to improve search experience. However, category hierarchies are often manually crafted by some human experts and they are far from complete. Manually constructed category hierarchies cannot handle the ever-changing and sometimes long-tail user information needs. In this paper, we study the problem of how to expand an existing category hierarchy for a search/navigation system to accommodate the information needs of users more comprehensively. We propose a general framework for this task, which has three steps: 1) detecting meaningful missing categories; 2) modeling the category hierarchy using a hierarchical Dirichlet model and predicting the optimal tree structure according to the model; 3) reorganizing the corpus using the complete category structure, i.e., associating each webpage with the relevant categories from the complete category hierarchy. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed framework generates a high-quality category hierarchy and significantly boosts the retrieval performance.


(1) Type 1 hereditary tyrosinemia is a rare disease due to an enzyme deficiency. It is associated with life-threatening liver disorders, starting during the very first months of life. If left untreated (other than with a diet low in tyrosine and phenylalanine), most patients die during childhood. Liver transplantation is currently the only treatment to have an effect on survival. (2) Nitisinone is the first drug to be approved in Europe for the treatment of type 1 hereditary tyrosinemia. (3) An international non comparative trial included 207 patients treated with nitisinone in addition to a diet low in tyrosine and phenylalanine. Children treated before the age of 6 months had a far better four-year survival rate than patients treated previously with dietary measures alone (94% versus 60%). The difference was even greater in the subgroups treated before the age of two months (88% versus 29%). When disease onset occurred after the age of 6 months, the ten-year survival rate was about 85% with nitisinone, compared to 60% with dietary measures alone. Only one patient had a neurological crisis during nitisinone therapy. Early nitisinone treatment also reduced the incidence of liver transplantation (13%, compared to 25% with dietary measures alone). (4) Nitisinone seems to have few adverse effects, mainly consisting of thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, cutaneous disorders, and various visual disorders (most of which resolve spontaneously). There may also be a risk of seizures. (5) In practice, nitisinone seems to provide a major benefit for children with type 1 tyrosinemia, provided they are diagnosed and treated during the first 6 months of life. Adverse effects appear to be acceptable but need to be monitored.


Event-based communication models provide interesting properties for distributed systems such as asynchronism and type-based selection mechanisms. The Comet middleware we developed proposes such an event-based communication model as foundation. From this canonical model, we show how to build more conventional bidirectional and synchronous interactions with extended features such as implicit type-based multicast or asynchronous operationalization. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of the lower-level asynchronous model to develop highly flexible distributed services. We illustrate this idea with a publish/subscribe protocol that can be dynamically reconfigured to match various requirements: type-based or content-based filtering semantics, peer-to-peer or mediator-based configurations.


Two Japanese patients, a 29-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, had typical eosinophilic pustular folliculitis characterized by pruritic, tiny, red, follicular papulopustules on the face and trunk and eosinophilia in the peripheral blood. The second patient also had palmoplantar pustular lesions. A review of the literature revealed that this folliculitis primarily affects the seborrheic areas and that in one fifth of the patients palmoplantar lesions are a concomitant finding.


Closing energy and water budgets in terrestrial ecosystems still remains as a challenge, particularly for those with heterogeneous vegetation in complex terrains. This paper presents an attempt to quantitatively estimate parts of water-level fluctuation due to evapotranspiration (ET) and earth tides, and their seasonality at the Gwangneung forest catchment, Korea. The long-term water level was monitored froma piezometer at 5-min intervals from February 2006 to July 2007. For the seasonal variation, summer and winter sub-datasets were analyzed using the power spectral analysis. Cyclic movements with frequencies of 1 cycle / 24.0±0.5 hr were extracted from the water-level monitoring data. Daily fluctuation of water levels ranged from0.070±0.015min the winter to 0.130±0.061min the summer of 2006. In winter, the water-level fluctuated on average 13.9 ㎜, of which 94% was attributed to the effect of earth tide and the remainder to ET. In summer, the fluctuation component associated with ETwas on average 25.9 ㎜(66% of the total fluctuation),which is equivalent to a daily ET of ~2.9 ㎜. When compared against the ET observed from the eddy covariance flux tower at the same site for the same periods, the ranges of seasonal ET inferred from the water-level fluctuations were virtually the same.


In the first part of this study, theoretical and numerical evaluation of negative stiffness appearing in the skyhook control is conducted. The skyhook control is widely known for the vibration control method in the mechanical engineering field. The skyhook control can also achieve absolute response reduction. In order to realize a negative stiffness, however, the control force that accelerates the deformation should be generated. At present, such a performance is achieved only by using loading actuators or semi-active devices with sophisticated controllers and sensors. In the second part of this research, a new damper realizing a negative stiffness and stable energy dissipation in a passive manner is proposed, and its dynamic performance is investigated through large-scale shaking table tests. It is confirmed that the innovative negative stiffness passive damper reduces both the absolute acceleration and the relative displacement of a bridge model.


The paper proposed the practical metal cutting process using FEM to simulate the traditional cutting process, the simulation and the analysis of the results are based on the support of DEFORM3D finite element software, and the characteristic between Galerkin Algorithm and FEM analysis is also analyzed. Then the paper processed the modeling procedure for FEM using Lagrange and Euler algorithm, the simulation result is then compared to traditional ones and proved to be more efficient and with higher accuracy.


Users of social networks appear to want and need to share information online without necessarily thinking about the security consequences. Hackers and attackers have understood the potential vulnerabilities in social networks. This paper describes an architecture for adaptive information security systems, which could be applied to provide security services in social networks. The problem with most security architectures is that they do not provide adaptive security measures to environments and to culture of users. In addition, most security architectures provide technical security measures but fail to provide socio-technical measures. The enemies of ICT use both technical and social measures to attack ICT systems. This paper presents a security architecture that provides adaptive security measures and socio-technical measures in social networks.


Medical emergency teams (METs) were developed to more rapidly respond to changes in patient condition that might result in a preventable death. While effective, MET do not address events which precede the call for a response. Such information could provide direction for interventions that avert the need to initiate a MET response or identify the need to do so more quickly. This study examined differences in patient, nurse, and organizational characteristics for 108 MET calls involving patients on five medical and five surgical units in a tertiary care hospital. MET activations occurred more often on the 7AM-7PM shift than the 7PM-7AM shift (piU .007) for medical patients (p=.036) but not surgical patients. Of the 108 events, 44% were delayed events, defined as events with documented evidence in the medical record that pre-established criteria for calling the MET were present for > 30 minutes. More delays occurred on the 7PM-7AM shift (p=.012) for surgical patients (p=.036) but not medical patients. Delayed events were not significantly related to the number of medical or surgical patients the nurse was assigned (p=.608). However, there was a trend for more delays when more patients were assigned (4:1 = 21% vs 6:1= 43%). In a logistic regression model, the variables of shift (7AM, 7PM) and care on a unit designated for medical or surgical patients were significant predictors of delay. Shift was associated with a significance level of .009 and a 3.25 greater likelihood (95%CI, 1.34-7.9) of a delay occurring on the 7PM shift. Receiving care on a designated unit was associated with a significance level of .014 (OR, .07; 95%CI, .009-.579). These findings have implications for patient safety by demonstrating avoidable delays in responding to clinical deterioration. Study findings suggest that a combination of patient, nurse, and organizational characteristics influence the timely rescue of hospitalized patients.


SIR,-During the last 13 months intramuscular i syntometrine" (ergometrine 0.5 mg. + syntocin 5 units) has been administered routinely in the management of all third stages of labour in this department (1,690 deliveries). Prior to that time intramuscular ergometrine alone was given. Like Embrey' and Drs. James McGrath and Alan D. H. Browne (August 25, p. 524) I have been impressed with syntometrine's capacity to reduce both the blood loss and the incidence of placental retention. More than this, as yet I have neither seen nor heard of any drug complications. I have read the recent letters in your columns on intravenous ergometrine. In my opinion intravenous ergometrine has a greater tendency to cause placental retention than intramuscular syntometrine. They are equally effective uterine haemostatics in straightforward cases, but intravenous ergometrine is quicker in its action when a patient is bleeding. As intramuscular syntometrine is easy to administer, by doctor or midwife, it would therefore seem that it is a more suitable drug than intravenous ergometrine for the third stage of labour either in hospital or in domiciliary midwifery. -I am, etc., DAVID BROWN.


The aim of this study was to compare the dosimetric characteristics of left-sided whole breast irradiation among 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), 4-field inverse-planned intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IP-IMRT) and hybrid IMRT technique (combining 3D-CRT beams and IP-IMRT beams) with respect to target coverage and irradiation of organs at risk. The 3 different planning techniques were analyzed for 8 patients with left-sided breast conserving surgery. Plans were compared on the basis of planning target volume (PTV) dose conformity, homogeneity and the volumes of normal tissues treated based on dose-volume histograms (DVHs). DVHs were calculated for the PTV, heart, and the bilateral lungs, contralateral breast, and soft tissue surrounding the breast PTV (VOB) volume. IP-IMRT and hybrid IMRT techniques comparably improved the PTV dose homogeneity and conformity (CI) significantly, compared to the conventional 3D-CRT technique (P<0.017); the IP-IMRT technique only could additionally benefit patients by decreasing the high-dose (40 Gy) volume for heart and ipsilateral lung compared with the hybrid IMRT technique (P<0.017); the hybrid IMRT plans achieved a further improvement by compromising the increase of low-dose volume (total lung V13, contralateral lung V5, heart V10 and soft tissue surrounding the breast V5) compared with IP-IMRT plans (P<0.017). Hybrid IMRT plans achieved equivalent PTV dose uniformity to IP-IMRT plans and compromised the low-dose volume and requirement of clinic resource between IP-IMRT and 3D-CRT plans, promoting it as a standard practice of left-sided breast irradiation for patients in good-ordered cardiopulmonary health.


Amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by the pathological deposit of extracellular proteins in organs or tissues. We report a 78 years old female with a history of euthyroid goiter and carpal syndrome, that presented complaining of weight loss and the sensation of a big and rough tongue. On physical examination, macroglossia and white nodules of 1.5 cm diameter in the mucosa of the mouth, were observed. The pathological examination of these nodules disclosed amyloid infiltration. A bone marrow biopsy showed plasma cell infiltration. The patient was treated with melphalan and prednisone, but she deteriorated progressively and died 14 months after the diagnosis.


Emergency medicine is part of the oldest fields in medicine, however, organized rescue services were at first recognizable in the end of the 19th century or rather in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1908, on the first international congress for rescue services in Frankfurt, the preclinical part was described as a special science, for which a medical instruction would be necessary. In spite of an initiallygeneral rejection of an envolvement of physicians in the rescue services, it was ascribed to physicians very early to carry out first aid in accidents or sudden illness. In 1958 Kirschner demanded an early medical care at the scene of the accident. After the second world war, the public rescue services were mainly controlled by the occupying powers. The realization of the rescue service was delegated to aid agencies and the fire brigades. In 1956 Bauer was the pioneer of the emergency physician service by dispatching a physician to the scene of the accident with a bus. Out of this resulted the first emergency physician service, which was imitated in many big cities within the Federal Republic of Germany. Since the care for accident causali-ties stood in the foreground at the beginning, surgeons mainly carried out this service. As the system became more and more established, the characteristics of the patients changed and medical emergency patients increasingly constituted the population of patients. That leaded to a shift in the specialties of the physicians taking part in the emergency physician service. Regarding the qualification specific guidelines were released in 1983 by the federal chamber of physicians in Germany.


Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) leads to a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. This heterogeneity is underpinned by the host immune response and the genetic factors that govern it. Polymorphisms affecting both the innate and adaptive immunity determine the outcome of exposure. However the innate immune system appears to play a greater role in determining treatment-associated responses. Overall the effects of IFNL3/4 appear dominant over other polymorphic genes. Understanding how host genetics determines the disease phenotype has not been as intensively studied. This review summarizes our current understanding of innate and adaptive immunogenetic factors in the outcome of HCV infection. It focuses on how they relate to resolution and the progression of HCV-related liver disease, in the context of current and future treatment regimes.


It has been acknowledged that the use of strategic choices in patenting becomes more and more useful when it comes to gaining a competitive advantage. However to be able to make strategic choices, it is helpful to know which risk is accompanied with a certain choice. In this research an attempt has been made to develop an instrument capable of defining the patent intensity within industries, which gives an indication of the risk of exploiting a patented technology. In this attempt more than ninety papers were read, four concordance tables tested and days were spent on assessing the available databases.
As a result the amount of patents 'ceased', 'revoked', 'appeals', 'license of right' and 'granted' were determined as to possible correlate with the risk of litigation and thus give a view on the patent intensity within an industry. When following the natural order of occurrence within the process of patenting a flowchart can be formed as shown in appendix 5.1.
Assessing the available data found for 119 four digit IPC subclasses through regression analyses show the correlations within this flowchart, making it possible to create a general regression equation which can be used for a comparison within industries. Results for this comparison could be used to assess the patent intensity, and with it the risk within an industry and use this to make strategic choices.
As a result of statistical analyses some of the initially found indicators were dropped. The values that were found within an IPC subclass covering the granted patents in combination with the amount of patent appeals and patents revoked, were used as indicators and have been analyzed through statistical assessment to create an equation capable of indicating the amount of patents being revoked when a certain amount of appeals and grants have been measured. This can then be used to measure the difference in predicted versus actual revoked patents to indicate a higher or lower risk than the mean risk. According to this difference in risk, strategic choices can then be made on changes in attitude or approach.


Abstract : Force ratios are an important variable in warfare and in nature. On the Serengeti, large zebra herds are constantly hunted by small prides of lions. But with their overwhelming majority, why don't the zebras unite and attack the lions? Hooves can be as deadly as claws when used correctly. And conversely, if the lions are such effective predators, why are there so many zebras? Ecological interactions between predators and their prey are complex. Sometimes the few prey on the many; picture a whale devouring thousands of docile microorganisms. And sometimes the many prey on the few, as with killer bees attacking an unsuspecting person. During the past century, the mathematics underlying different types of survival strategies for attacker and evader have been worked out by ecologists, and we now have a fairly good understanding of such relationships. While not a perfect metaphor, it is striking that these quantitative ecology models greatly resemble behavioral interactions during counterinsurgency operations. While a predator-prey model alone may be too simplistic to fully describe counterinsurgency, there are more detailed ecological models of competition that better capture the essence of the problem. The purpose of this paper is not to provide definitive solutions, but to suggest a framework for other researchers to adapt and expand upon. Indeed, many of the models discussed are common to both ecologists and economists. The goals of both types of modeling are similar: maximizing profits in terms of food or money at the least risk death or bankruptcy. From our preliminary work on the possible applications of ecology to counterinsurgency, we hope that others more adept at the use of these quantitative models will make significant contributions to the area of predictive ability in combating terrorism and understanding unconventional warfare.


A 25-year-old married woman presented with swelling of vulva with oozing of watery fluid from vulval skin surface for the past 8 years. She also complained of swelling in the inguinal region (occasionally painful) on both sides for the past 8 years. Local genital examination revealed diffuse indurated swelling of the labia majora with overlying skin studded with papulo-vesicles and oozing of milky fluid. Nontender, firm, matted lymph nodes involving both horizontal and vertical groups of inguinal lymph nodes were found bilaterally. Histopathology of the lesion was consistent with lymphangiectasia. Fine needle aspiration cytology from the right inguinal lymph node showed caseating epitheliod cell granulomas with calcification consistent with tuberculosis. Acid-fast bacilli and parasites were not seen. Hemogram was normal except for raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (35 mm in the first hour). Mantoux test was highly reactive (15 × 15 mm). A final diagnosis of lymphangiectasia of the vulva secondary to tubercular lymphadenitis was made. The patient was started on anti-tubercular drug therapy. There was a partial recovery in the genital lesions.


2 Abstract: The ischemic myocardium and coronary heart disease which occur due to abnormality in firing of the electrical impulses from the ventricles are causing an unanticipated death. This is most commonly referred to as Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). The value of ST-segment duration is not always easy to determine if the electrocardiograms (ECGs) are often spoiled by different types of artefacts. Occasionally it is not likely to recognize the exact end of the S wave and the accurate commencement of the T wave. Even if the Holter monitoring systems is useful to detect ST segment elevation or ST depression with good accuracy, there is no stringent technique of measuring an ischemic ST episode. This paper is intended to detect automatically ST-segment deviations and transient ST episodes which will help us in identification of Myocardial Infarction and also to categorize major cardiac arrhythmia. Our system has been tested and yielded an accuracy of 94.5% for the ST episode detection on the Long Term ST Database and 97.4% on MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database.


A layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly strategy involving oppositely charged Ag nanoparticles was used to deposit a nanoshell of Ag nanoparticles on silica microspheres for trace chemical measurements in aqueous solutions by means of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Positively charged Ag nanoparticles were produced by reduction of Ag nitrate in a solution mixture of branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) under UV irradiation whereas negatively charged Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by the conventional citrate reduction method. The density of Ag nanoparticles in the nanoshell exhibits a strong correlation with the layer number and the nanoparticle type. Thiocyanate (SCN-) and crystal violet and were used as model positively and negatively charged analytes respectively to assess the robustness of the resultant core-shell nanostructures for SERS measurements. High sensitivity, at ppt for crystal violet and ppb for SCN-, was obtained when the surface charge of the terminating Ag layer in the LbL self-assembled nanoshell was opposite to the ionic nature of the analyte of interest due to enhanced adsorption of the analyte to the Ag nanoparticles facilitated by strong electrostatic attraction. The microsphere-nanoshell structures were all individually SERS-active, making them excellent candidate platform for integration with microfluidic systems for in situ SERS-based sensing and measurements.


Background and Hypothesis: According to the CDC, Preterm birth is defined as a baby born before 37 weeks of gestation. 1 In 2016 preterm birth affected 1 in every 10 infant born in the United States.1 Preterm birth has been known to cause many birth defects along with developmental delays and has attributed to 17% of all infant death. Neonatal Follow Up clinics or programs have been instrumental in helping infants catch up developmentally.3 We believe that with the NFC, we will be able to develop a standard for preterm babies and the normalization of their development.
Experimental Design or Project Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine the developmental outcome of infants that were born prior to 37 weeks' gestation. Infants were divided into extreme, very, and moderate preterm cohorts. Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) and Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) scores were used to determine a standard for when preterm babies in each cohort normalize developmentally.
Results: Analysis of the data showed that the developmental turning point for each cohort varies. Within the extreme preterm cohort, one can see that there was no clear turning point for development. For the very preterm group, by TIMP 2, one could see a turning point and a decrease in delays. Lastly, moderately preterm cohort, the number of delays was seen tot decrease from the administration of TIMP 2 and continue in this trend.
Conclusion and Potential Impact: Through the administration of these developmental tests, physicians are able to track the development of preterm babies. We concluded that with the proper follow up, one can see an improvement in development as early as the administration of TIMP 2.
1) Preterm Birth https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/MaternalInfantHealth/PretermBirth.htm 2) Suave, R., & Lee, S. K. (2006). Neonatal follow-up programs and follow-up studies: Historical and current perspectives. Paediatrics and Child Health. http://doi.org/10.1093/pch/11.5.267 3) Voller, S. M. B. (2018). Follow-Up Care for High-Risk Preterm Infants. Pediatric Annals, 47(4). http://doi.org/10.3928/19382359-20180325-03


The present study contributes information about the environmental factors controlling the distribution, variation in standing crop phytomass and chemical compositional change of Ludwigia stolonifera. Also, treatment with cattle manure, as source of organic waste, was made to evaluate the response of the plant to the environmental pollution. The sandy textured bottom sediments of Ludwigia habitat at Damira irrigating canal had higher percentages of organic carbon and total soluble salts in spring than in the other seasons while the overlying water was characterized by low total soluble salts. The phytomass and assimilating surface area were increased in spring and summer months and appeared to decline in winter. The phytochemical constituents were highly concentrated during August. As common in hydrophyte, the plant organs of L. stolonifera are characterized by abundance of aerenchyma, absence of cork cells and reduction of vascular tissues. Addition of cattle manure to the aquatic habitat of Ludwigia plant resulted in an increase of organic carbon, salinity, chloronity and in a decrease of pH value of hydrosoil and water. Heavy metals accumulation showed considerable increase due to application of cattle manure and this appeared to be a reflection to the increased concentrations of these metals in the environment.


There is a steadily increasing demand for the use of jack-up units in deeper water and harsher environments. Confidence in their use in these environments requires jack-up analysis techniques to reflect accurately the physical processes occurring. This thesis is concerned with the models appropriate for the dynamic assessment of jack-ups, an important issue in long-term reliability considerations. The motivation is to achieve a balanced approach in considering the non-linearities in the structure, foundations and wave loading.

A work hardening plasticity model is outlined for the combined vertical, moment and horizontal loading of spudcan footings on dense sand. Empirical expressions for the yield surface in combined load space and a flow rule for prediction of footing displacements during yield are given. Theoretical lower bound bearing capacity factors for conical footings in sand have been derived and are used in a strain-hardening law to define the variation in size of the yield surface with the plastic component of vertical penetration. The complete incremental numerical model has been implemented into a plane frame analysis program named JAKUP.

The spectral content of wave loading is considered using NewWave theory, and the importance of random wave histories shown by constraining the deterministic NewWave into a completely random surface elevation. Using this technique, a method for determining short-term extreme response statistics for a sea-state is demonstrated. A numerical experiment on an example jack-up and central North Sea location is shown to emphasise the difference in long-term extreme response according to various footing assumptions. The role of sea-state severity in the variation of short-term extreme response statistics is also highlighted.

Finally, probabilistic methods are used to develop further understanding of the response behaviour of jack-ups. A sensitivity study of influential variables (with probabilistic formulations as opposed to deterministic values) has been conducted using the response surface methodology.


 Abstract — The globalization of markets, the need to develop competitive advantages and core competencies, among other things, lead organizations to increasingly cross borders to operate in other countries. The expatriation of professionals who go to work in another country besides their own becomes increasingly common. In order to generate data about this issue, research was conducted concerning the perception of expatriate employees concerning expatriation success. The research method used was case study through a qualitative approach. This research was done through interviews with five India expatriates and five China expatriates, interview with expatriate department heads and analysis of company documents. It was found that there are differences between the organizational perception and perception of expatriates of what constitutes mission success. The paper also provides suggestions for further research and suggestions for future expatriates.


Visual statistical learning (VSL) occurs when participants are exposed to spatially or temporally ordered stimuli, and become increasingly sensitive to them without explicitly realizing the hidden regularities. In the temporal domain of VSL, participants are usually exposed to shape-triplets, followed by the use of familiarity judgments and recognition tasks to directly probe VSL. Other methods, such as the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task, indirectly probe the learning of temporal sequences, and provide evidence of learning within the triplets. Despite the RSVP's success, however, previous implementations of the RSVP task have only pseudorandomized the triplets to form the test sequence, such that the task permits only two stream locations for a given target shape (belonging to a certain within-triplet position), out of six available locations. These fixed locations may result in confounded response time (RT) findings and potentially lead to an overestimation of a weak (or nonexistent) VSL effect. In this study, we conduct 4 experiments and show that the previously reported VSL effect in RSVP is eliminated when the RSVP stream is fully counterbalanced (Experiment 1), and resurfaces again when the RSVP stream returns to its original pseudorandomized design (Experiment 2). Importantly, in both, we observe a "stream location effect," where RT gradually becomes faster to reflect the hazard rate of target appearance, which may have been the factor driving previously reported VSL effects. Follow-up experiments show that results from Experiment 1 are not due to the absence of implicit learning (Experiment 3), although the stream location effect can occur without any learning, suggesting that it is something inherent to the RSVP task (Experiment 4). Together, these results identify an influential effect, the stream location effect, inherently present in the RSVP task, and show how misinforming the RSVP task can be, when not used with properly controlled parameters, and demand a reexamination of the effects found in previous studies which could have been the effect of detection stream locations, misconstrued as VSL. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).


This paper presents a novel distributed cooperative fault-tolerance storage mechanism (DCFS) based on file replication and XOR verification. By using XOR verification files, DCFS makes a group of files, which are distributed among different hosts cooperative, so that not only a single file in the group can use its XOR verification files to improve its own availability, but also the availability of the group can be improved greatly. Using the graph description of DCFS, we present the principle of DCFS and give a quantitative analysis to its performance. Experimental results have provided evidence of high fault-tolerance of DCFS.


The importance of the thermal characteristics of subglacial deformable debris is inferred from effects on processes of deposition and erosion. There is a lack of information on the temperatures found within subglacial debris under present-day ice masses. Data on the thermal conditions beneath Quaternary ice sheets, especially in the marginal areas where deformable material existed, must be obtained so that land-forming processes and the sedimentary environment beneath glaciers can be better understood. Four models illustrate, theoretically, the possible influences oscillating freezing fronts may have on subglacial debris. These models reveal that, depending upon the nature of the substructure, both erosion and deposition may occur under differing conditions and also that a "surge-type" condition may be created.


The control problem of the flexible wing aircraft is challenging due to the prevailing high non-linear deformations in the flexible wing system. This urged for new control mechanisms that are robust to the real-time variations in the wing's aerodynamics. An online control mechanism based on a value iteration reinforcement learning process is developed for flexible wing aerial structures. It employs a model-free control policy framework and a guaranteed convergent adaptive learning architecture to solve the system's Bellman optimality equation. A Riccati equation is derived and shown to be equivalent to solving the underlying Bellman equation. The online reinforcement learning solution is implemented using means of an adaptive-critic mechanism. The controller is proven to be asymptotically stable in the Lyapunov sense. It is assessed through computer simulations and its superior performance is demonstrated in two scenarios under different operating conditions.


Examination management system is a system of scheduling classrooms for college students to take normal examinations and rehabilitation examinations under the circumstance of credits. The system is divided into foreground and background, and the former has the functions to inquire and display examination information, while the latter has the functions to complete the arrangement of the examination messages. And it finally generates target database for the foreground, thus meeting the needs of the work for the educational administration department, overcoming the insufficiency of manual arrangement, improving the working efficiency, reducing the errors to meet the present work requirement.


Often, video game designers must choose between creating a restrictive, linear experience and designing an open world with many different story lines that fail to form a tightly crafted narrative arc. A drama manager (DM) can provide a solution to this dilemma. A DM monitors an interactive experience, such as a computer game, and intervenes to shape the global experience so that it satisfies the author's expressive goals without decreasing a player's interactive agency. Previous work with declarative optimization-based drama management (DODM) has focused on simulated player studies in abstract game worlds. In this paper, we present the integration of DODM into a real-time adventurestyle dungeon game called EMPath. We describe the game world as well as the modifications that had to be made to the DM as the result of integrating with a concrete, playable experience. These changes include the development of new story evaluation features, improving drama management move refiners and creating a new player model. We also describe the results of a play test comparing player experiences with the drama manager on and off.


for destination choice, in which AV passenger-carrying trips can create a second empty repositioning trip to an alternate parking zone. They formulate the traffic assignment as a variational inequality. Numerical results on the Chicago sketch network show the effects of AV market penetration, fuel costs, and parking fees on the number of repositioning trips, as well as the impacts of repositioning trips on network congestion. They further study the problem of adjusting zone-specific parking costs to influence the repositioning behavior. When zones have asymmetric parking infrastructure costs, optimized parking fees combined with empty repositioning can encourage AVs to park at cheaper locations, thus reducing the land used for parking at zones with high land value. This network design problem is formulated as a bi-level program. Simulation results on the Sioux Falls test network show that the adjusted parking costs are effective at reducing congestion caused by empty repositioning and encouraging more optimal parking choices for repositioning AVs.


The quality of spermatozoa has a direct influence on the fertilization and developmental competence of embryos. The aim of this work was to review the methods of spermatozoa morphology assessment, features of the normal spermatozoa and the reasons of their several abnormalities. Three methods can be used for the evaluation of spermatozoa morphology in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory: (1) light microscopy of stained spermatozoa, (2) motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) and (3) polarized light microscopy. The analysis of spermatozoa morphology includes the assessment of head, neck, midpiece and tail. Morphologically abnormal spermatozoa are categorized into subgroups according to the defects of the head, neck, midpiece and/or tail. Before IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the quality of spermatozoa must be estimated exactly, because this has the high influence on embryo development. Therefore the analysis of the morphological parameters of spermatozoa using the light microscopy, MSOME, in combination with precise head birefringence detection using the polarized microscopy, could give the best fertilization rate and embryo quality after IVF and ICSI.


: The posterior portion of the esophageal gland of Schistosoma mansoni produces a granule that is highly structured internally. Each granule consists of arrays of membrane-bound tubules enclosed by a membrane. Cytochemical tests indicate that the granules are not reactive for cytochrome c-oxidase but du react for macromolecular carbohydrates. It is believed that the granules are synthesized in the Golgi complex and are secreted at the base of the luminal amplifications of the esophagus. Colchicine treatment results in an accumulation of granules in the cyton region. Their physiological function is still undetermined, but it is hypothesized that they are involved with early stages of digestion of host red blood cells.


The vulnerability of working youth in Western Balkan countries is a major policy concern because their unemployment rates lie far above the EU average. We investigated the effect of youth underemployment on wages in three countries in the Western Balkans: Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Our empirical analysis built on a recent ILO school-to-work transition survey and controlled for sample-selection bias and endogeneity between underemployment and real hourly wages. The identification of the causal effect relied on traditional and novel instruments. In the former, the main instrument was a regional-unemployment indicator; in the latter, we exploited the conditional heteroskedasticity of underemployment to generate valid instruments. Our findings verified the negative relationship between underemployment and wages, which is strongest in Macedonia, followed by Montenegro and Serbia. These findings support the need for more aggressive youth-employment policies, including internship and traineeship programs, qualification, re-training, and adequate assessment of skills and competence.


SUMMARY: Five of eleven different temperate Proteus phages are capable of intrastrain transduction of a streptomycin resistance marker. Interstrain transduction of this marker was achieved with three of the five phages. Nuclear segregation and phenomic lag may both be involved in the delay in phenotypic expression of streptomycin resistance. The one transducing phage investigated appears to possess a normal phage genome in that transductant colonies are lysogenic and show lysogenic conversion, at multiplicities of phage input of less than 0.02, and under conditions where secondary infection on the plates can be excluded. However, under these conditions a few transductant clones were encountered which were not lysogenic. This indicates that the transducing and lysogenizing functions of this phage may be divorced from each other. Ultraviolet irradiation has a differential effect on its transducing and plaque-forming abilities.


Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa, L.) is cultivated for the calyces, which are
used for making roselle juice, a drink known to be high in vitamin C. The leaves
are also used as a pot herb and some varieties are grown for their fibre. Roselle
pods and seeds are by-products obtained after the calyces are removed from the
fruits. The objective of the study was utilised the roselle by-products for small
ruminant especially as sheep feed. Roselle by-products were obtained from
farmers in Terengganu. In the first part of the study, chemical analysis was
performed on the whole pods, seeds and empty pods. The roselle by-products
were found to be high in protein, fat and fibre. The nutrient content of roselle byproducts
was higher than other agricultural by-products, such as sago waste,
straw, cocoa pods, stalks and sugar cane bagasse.
In the second part of the study, in situ degradability of roselle empty pods
and seeds was investigated. The result indicated that degradation of dry matter
and organic matter of roselle seeds was higher than roselle empty pods, significantly different (P< 0.01) in 48 hours, percentage of DM and OM of roselle
seeds and empty pods were 36.38%, 28.36% and 23.01%, 17.66%, respectively;
and also in 72 hours by 39.87%, 31 % and 26.30%, 20.85%, respectively. Even
though the seeds were more degradable than the empty pods, both were still low
in degradability « 50%). Degradability of roselle by-products can be improved
by using chemical treatment, physical treatment or microbial treatment.
In the third part of the study, roselle by-products were treated with soaked
alkali such as NaOH and Ca(OHh at various levels (2%, 4% and 6%), and the
nutrient contents analysed. It was found that the chemical composition of roselle
treated with NaOH and Ca(OH)2 decreased, except for ash.


Hospice care encompasses physical treatment and emotional, social and spiritual support which recognises what is important to each patient and supports decision-making where patients cannot make decisions for themselves. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) regulates decision-making for people without capacity. Post-legislative scrutiny of the Act (in 2014) concluded that it is neither well understood nor working well in practice. The research aim is to describe how the Act's principles are understood and interpreted in hospice practice, specifically considering the patient's role in the decision-making process. A relational constructionist approach is adopted, situating hospice care within an ethic-of-care understanding of decision-making, adopting a socio-legal perspective and understanding compassion as a concept relevant to the legal process. An innovative genealogical analysis of policy and legislative documents (n=24) influencing the 'coming to be' of the Act and a systematic review of Court of Protection judgments (n=63) 'historicises' the empirical research. Two group interviews and six individual interviews (13 participants from 2 hospices) provide empirical data. Legal consciousness theory influences analysis of the interview data. In the findings, the hospice is characterised as expert, the guardian of a proper process, 'holding' both patient and family members and recognising the patient's wishes and feelings as fundamental to a good decision. The availability of time to understand a patient's narrative and the collegiate, supportive nature of the multi-disciplinary team are important factors in hospice decision-making. In conclusion, hospice staff benefit from having time to understand a patient's narrative and to make decisions within a reciprocal hospice-patient relationship, informed by an ethic-of-care approach. The understanding of hospice as a 'movement' (being distinctly and self-consciously different from other settings) influences the legal consciousness of hospice staff such that compliant decision-making is considered to be part of good quality care rather than simply reflecting a legally acceptable approach.


Although a great deal of documentation on the patronage of Alfonso I d'Este has already been published, music historians and cultural historians have given little attention to Alfonso's style and importance as a patron of the arts. This study aims to marshal the already-available information to examine Alfonso as a patron of music, placing his interest in music firmly within the context of both his other artistic interests and his role in the turbulent political circumstances of his reign. In so doing it adopts analytical tools developed within the fields of cultural and critical theory and current within literary and art history, although thus far only rarely brought to bear on the history of music in what was once called the High Renaissance. In particular, this study looks at Alfonso's patronage through the thematic of identity, seeking to understand the tasks achieved in the construction of the ruler as a princely persona by both large chapel choirs and private music-making. These concerns will be aligned with the demands placed upon Alfonso by the dynastic, political, military and physical context of his reign. In addressing private music-making at Alfonso's court, this study will seek to make unusually extensive use of the decorations of private courtly spaces - which will be found to offer a frame designed quite self-consciously to give meaning to the musical recreations undertaken therein. The resulting picture will substantially revise our current, somewhat haphazard and uncritical view of Alfonso's music patronage, whilst at the same time proposing new ways to read music's meaning at court.
Chapters I and II were presented in abridged form at the Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference 2009 in Utrecht. Parts of Chapters III, IV and VI were presented at the Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference 2008 in Bangor, the Royal Music Association's Research Students' Conference 2009 at King's College, London, and the bodies/music conference, Cork, April 2010. Chapter V, in different versions, was presented at the RMA Annual Conference 2006 in Nottingham and the Association of Art Historians' Annual Conference 2008 in London.


Cultural heritage documentation and monitoring represents one of the major tasks for experts in the field of surveying, photogrammetry and geospatial engineering. Cultural heritage objects in countries like Iraq and Syria have suffered from intentional destruction or demolition during the last few years. Furthermore, many heritage sites in the mentioned places have an added religious value, and were either destroyed or are still in danger. Mosques, churches and shrines typically include one or multiple tower structures, and these towers or minarets are in many cases cylindrical-like objects. Because of their tall and relatively thin body, and adding in their age of construction, observing their inclination or out of plumb is of high importance. Accordingly, it is highly necessary for the continuous monitoring and assessment of their preservation and restoration. In this paper, we suggest an out of plumb assessment procedure using a geometric primitives least squares fitting technique, namely, cylinders, cones, and 3D circles. The approach is based on reconstructing a dense point cloud of the minaret tower which is scaled to reality by control points. Accordingly, the out of plumb is computed by fitting one of the mentioned 3D primitives to the minaret point cloud where its major axis orientation is computed. Two experimental tests of heritage objects in Iraq are presented: the lost heritage of the minaret al Hadbaa in the city of Mosul (1173 AD) and an existing inclined minaret of the religious shrine of Imam Musa AlKadhim in Baghdad (1058 AD). The results show the efficiency of the suggested methodology where the out of plumb is computed as 0.45m±1cm for the shrine minaret and 1.90m±10cm for the model of the minaret al Hadbaa.