A cross sectional study was conducted from April to September, 2012 on cattle owned by tuberculosis positive and negative farmers and households to assess prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and zoonotic awareness of the households in Ambo and Guder districts, Ethiopia. A total of 398 cattle were tested using single comparative intradermal tuberculin test. The result was interpreted at >4 and >2 mm. An overall 1 and 4.02% prevalence of bovine tuberculosis at individual cattle and 7.02 and 24.56% at herd level were recorded at cut off >4 and >2 mm, respectively. Bovine tuberculosis was more prevalent in cattle owned by tuberculosis positive farmers (1.36 and 5% at individual cattle, 12 and 36% herd level) than in cattle owned by tuberculosis negative farmers (0.56 and 2.81% at individual cattle, 3.13 and 15.63% at herd level) at >4 and >2 mm cut off, respectively. Lack of awareness of the community about the zoonotic importance of the disease was observed. In conclusion, the present study indicated more prevalence of the disease in cattle owned by tuberculosis positive farmers than tuberculosis negative farmers and lack of zoonotic awareness of the households. Therefore, further study, collaboration between physician and veterinarians, and creation of awareness about zoonotic diseases were recommended.


The purpose of this article is to present practitioners and applied researchers with specific details of a developmental sport psychology program and coaching intervention at a professional football (soccer) academy in Great Britain. Based on a positive youth development agenda, initial consulting work with players and parents focused on education and monitoring of the 5Cs of football: Commitment, communication, concentration, control, and confidence. This was subsequently followed up with an educational and behavioral coaching intervention related to integrating the 5Cs in training and practice situations. The 4-month program aimed to specifically enhance a coach's efficacy in shaping positive psychological and interpersonal skills in young players ranging in age from 9 to 14 years. Six coaches responsible for the development of 95 young players were involved in the program. The results of the intervention are presented for each individual coach and supplemented by interview data. Insights are provided i...


Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been proposed as a beneficial therapy for toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). However, this has been based on a limited amount of Class 5 evidence. To compare outcomes in TEN patients treated in our burn unit since 1999, when we began to use IVIG (IG group), with TEN patients treated between 1995 and 1999 who did not receive IVIG (control group). Retrospective cohort review of the records of all TEN patients admitted between April 5, 1995 and December 4, 2002. There were 16 patients in the IG group (age 53 +/- 21 years, with initial rash involving 65 +/- 29% TBSA) and 16 patients in the control group (age 52 +/- 20 years, with initial rash involving 65 +/- 27% TBSA). The IG group received 0.7 +/- 0.2 g/kg/day of IVIG for 4 +/- 1 days. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, severity of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, or the incidence of sepsis. Significant progression of the wound occurred in 13% of the IG patients and in 27% of control patients, whereas no wound progression was observed in 47% of the IG patients and in 18% of the control patients (P =.299). The time to healing did not differ between IG and control groups (11.2 +/- 3.6 vs 11.4 +/- 2.6 days, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mortality rate between the IG group (25%) and the control group (38%). There were no complications from IVIG aside from one case of hyponatremia from the hypotonic IVIG solution. Although there may have been a trend towards less severe wound progression in patients who received IVIG, this was not associated with any substantial improvement in outcome in our TEN patients. A prospective randomized study with a larger sample size is needed to confirm our findings.


Food is an important factor in the fish biology, to the extent of governing their growth, maturity and migratory movements. Therefore, this research was aimed to investigate the feeding habits of marine edible fish Sphyraena forsteri (Cuvier, 1829) collected during February 2006 to July 2007 from fresh landing at fish harbor, Karachi coast, Pakistan. The gut analysis of 120 fish specimens were analyzed by using occurrence method and frequency of occurrence. The food items were grouped into 7 categories. Crustaceans and miscellaneous were the dominating categories followed by teleosts and molluscs. No significant seasonal variations in food contents were observed. Different parasitic species were found along with food content of some fishes studied. The most dominant parasites were Nematodes that might be the best indicator for food analysis. These parasites were not the part of the food content and may be swallowed with some food items, as the fish is an intermediate host for nematode parasites. Identification of nematodes was made through Scanning Electron Microscopy and compared with literature, which revealed the recovered nematode as new species, Dujardinascaris mujibi n.sp., along with some already known reported nematodes whereas infestation were detected in intestine of 10 fish specimens.


Density probability plots show two guesses at the density function of a continuous variable, given a data sample. The first guess is the density function of a specified distribution (e.g., normal, exponential, gamma, etc.) with appropriate parameter values plugged in. The second guess is the same density function evaluated at quantiles corresponding to plotting positions associated with the sample's order statistics. If the specified distribution fits well, the two guesses will be close. Such plots, suggested by Jones and Daly in 1995, are explained and discussed with examples from simulated and real data. Comparisons are made with histograms, kernel density estimation, and quantile–quantile plots.


This article studies the types of resource sharing made possible by various information technologies, and extrapolates into new types of resource sharing that can be implemented with new technologies, systems, and organizational architectures. Resource sharing can bean overarching design criterion for systems, organizations, and social institutions where the cost of information determines the extent of feasible sharing and the optimum design.We argue that optimum structures may need to be computed, designed and implemented explicitly, because they may not be achievable through evolutionary business and social processes. There is considerable evidence that evolutionary processes relying on incremental changes do not always lead to globally optimum structures, and explicit design may be necessary. This article details one approach to such explicit design based on resource sharing, related technologies, organizational architectures, and supporting transactions.


Purpose The discrimination between infectious and non-infectious causes of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in hospitalized patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is difficult. Using a novel diagnostic test measuring the expression of four RNA biomarkers in blood (SeptiCyte LAB) we aimed to distinguish between infection and inflammation in this setting. Methods We enrolled hospitalized patients with ARF requiring prompt intubation in the ICU from 2011 to 2013. We excluded patients having an established infection diagnosis or an evidently non-infectious reason for intubation. Blood samples were collected upon ICU admission. Test results were categorized into four probability bands (with higher bands indicating a higher probability of infection) and compared with the plausibility of infection as rated by post-hoc assessment using predefined definitions. Results Of 467 included patients, 373 (80%) were treated for a suspected infection at admission. Plausibility of infection was classified as ruled-out, undetermined, or confirmed in 41 (11%), 135 (36%), and 197 (53%) of these, respectively. Overall, the pre-test probability of infection was 42%. Test results correlated with the plausibility of infection (Spearman's rho 0.332; p<0.001). After exclusion of undetermined cases, positive predictive values were 29%, 54%, and 76% for probability bands 2, 3, and 4, respectively, whereas the negative predictive value for band 1 was 76%. However, SeptiCyte LAB did not outperform CRP when comparing diagnostic discrimination (AUC 0.731; 95%CI 0.677-0.786 vs. 0.727; 95%CI 0.666-0.788). Conclusion In a setting of hospitalized patients admitted to the ICU with ARF, the diagnostic value of SeptiCyte LAB seems limited.


The internationally recognized Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnar settled over to the United States in 1940, well beyond the top of his career. He was an essentially Hungarian, more precisely metropolitan author, with accents from Pest, famour for his ingeniously Hungarian sense of humour. Yet he became the most frequently translated Hungarian playwright of his era, with immense and immediate international success. Practically, Molnar did not live in Hungary from the beginning of the Horthy era (1920–1944), but the Jewish-Hungarian author decided to leave Europe well after Hitler's takeover only. His name was known even in the United States: his first really successful play, The Devil was staged in New York in 1908, a year after being first performed in Budapest. Several of his plays had a phenomenal success story in the 1920s, his The Play is the Thing had its world premiere in New York in 1926. Carousel, the "Best Musical of the 20th Century", by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was based on Molnar's 1909 play ...


Both cutting plane methods and traditional decomposition methods are procedures that compute a bound on the optimal value of an integer linear program (ILP) by constructing an approximation to the convex hull of feasible solutions. This approximation is obtained by intersecting the polyhedron associated with the continuous relaxation, which has an explicit representation, with an implicitly defined polyhedron having a description of exponential size. In this paper, we first review these classical procedures and then introduce a new class of bounding methods called integrated decomposition methods, in which the bound yielded by traditional approaches is potentially improved by introducing a second implicitly defined polyhedron. We also discuss the concept of structured separation, which is related to the well-known template paradigm for dynamically generating valid inequalities and is central to our algorithmic framework. Finally, we briefly introduce a software framework for implementing the methods discussed in the paper and illustrate the concepts through the presentation of applications.


Let $(f_n)$ be a mean zero vector valued martingale sequence. Then there exist vector valued functions $(d_n)$ from $[0,1]^n$ such that $\int_0^1 d_n(x_1,\dots,x_n)\,dx_n = 0$ for almost all $x_1,\dots,x_{n-1}$, and such that the law of $(f_n)$ is the same as the law of $(\sum_{k=1}^n d_k(x_1,\dots,x_k))$. Similar results for tangent sequences and sequences satisfying condition (C.I.) are presented. We also present a weaker version of a result of McConnell that provides a Skorohod like representation for vector valued martingales.


The purpose of this study was to express the HSP65 gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in eukaryotic cells and study its primary immune effect in animals. The HSP65 gene was amplified from the H37Rv strain of M. tuberculosis by PCR and then inserted into the expression plasmid pcDNA3.1(-). The recombinant plasmid pcHSP65 was transfected into HeLa cells by using the liposome transfection method and also injected into BALB/C mice to accomplish DNA immunization. The inserted gene was demonstrated to be identical to the reported HSP65 gene sequence. The transfected HeLa cells expressed HSP65 protein; Western blot showed the presence of a 65 kDa band of the inclusion body protein and immunofluorescence testing identified the protein expressed in cytoplasm. Specific IgG for the HSP65 protein could be identified in immunized mice. This study shows that recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pcHSP65 was constructed successfully, which lays a foundation for further study of gene therapy.


This study shows that the optical properties of titanium oxide films depend on their chemical composition as well as structure properties. The chemical composition as well as the structure of the sputter-deposited titanium oxide films on fused quartz glass substrates was modulated by annealing them in Ar/H2 atmosphere, experimentally investigated by various spectroscopic methods including XRD, Raman, SIMS, and UV-Vis spectroscopy and simulated by Bruggeman effective medium theory (BR-EMT) and full wave finite difference time domain (FDTD) approach. The as-deposited films are amorphous titanium oxide films with oxygen deficiency, become closer to titanium dioxide in stoichiometry, and are converted to crystalline anatase TiO2 nano-particles with particle size of ~21 nm by increasing the annealing temperature from 100 °C to 450 °C. The annealing process also allows the titanium oxide films to be spontaneously doped with environmental carbon species or coated with nano-crystalline graphitic carbon. Further the FDTD simulation results indicate that the annealed titanium oxide films become porous. The chemical composition modulation, anatase crystalline formation, carbon doping and graphitic carbon coating are simultaneously achieved by the simply annealing the sputter-deposited amorphous titanium oxide thin films on fused quartz substrates at relatively low temperatures.


This study presents the performance of membrane bioreactor in treating high phosphate wastewater. The laboratory scale MBR was operated at permeate flux of 25 L/m2.h with a hollow fiber membrane (polypropylene, approx. pore size 0.01 - 0.2 μm) at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 hrs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy diffusive X-ray (EDX) analyzer were used to characterize the membrane foulants. Results showed that the removal efficiencies of COD, TSS, NH3-N and PO4 3- were 93, 98, 80 and 30% respectively. On average 91% of influent soluble microbial products (SMP) were eliminated, with the eliminations of polysaccharides mostly above 80%. The main fouling resistance was cake resistance. It should be noted that SMP were found in major portions of mixed liquor that played a relatively significant role in membrane fouling. SEM and EDX analyses indicated that the foulants covering the membrane surfaces comprises not only organic substances but also inorganic elements including Mg, Ca, Al, K and P.


Etiologic factors in oral candidosis are immature antimicrobial host defenses, acquired suppression of immune defense mechanisms (AIDS, immunosuppressive or radiation therapy), or changes of the environmental conditions of the oral cavity (antibiotics, dentures, epithelial changes). After colonization and adhesion of Candida to the epithelial surface the subsequent mucosal lesion is due to tissue destruction by potent proteolytic enzymes or toxins and an inflammatory response to Candida antigens. Topical antimycotic treatment with nystatin, amphotericin B, or miconazole is important especially to prevent spread of the infection. Chronic Candida infections require long-term antifungal therapy, and patient compliance may be difficult to obtain. In denture stomatitis colonization of the fitting denture surface by Candida should be controlled by, for example, using a chlorhexidine solution as a denture disinfectant. However, recurrences are frequent if the local or the systemic predisposing conditions are not corrected. Fluconazole, a new bis-triazole, may be important for long-term treatment of immunocompromised patients.


This paper proposes a novel algorithm that can be integrated with various design and evaluation tools, to more accurately and rapidly predict stability in multibit delta-sigma (Δ-Σ) modulators. Analytical expressions using the nonlinear gains from the concept of modified nonlinearity in control theory are incorporated into the mathematical model of multibit Δ-Σ modulators to predict the stable amplitude limits for sinusoidal input signals. The nonlinear gains lead to a set of equations, which can numerically estimate the quantizer gain as a function of the input sinusoidal signal amplitude. This method is shown to accurately predict the stable amplitude limits of sinusoids for second-sixth-order three- and five-level midtread quantizer-based Δ-Σ modulators. The algorithm is simple to apply and can be extended to midrise quantizers or to any number of quantizer levels. The only required input parameters for this algorithm are the number of quantizer levels and the coefficients of the noise transfer function.


Abstract A classical theorem of Frucht states that any finite group appears as the automorphism group of a finite graph. In the quantum setting, the problem is to understand the structure of the compact quantum groups which can appear as quantum automorphism groups of finite graphs. We discuss here this question, notably with a number of negative results.


Abstract Callmander, M. W., P. P. Lowry II, F. Forest, D. S. Devey, H. Beentje & S. Buerki (2012). Benstonea Callm. & Buerki (Pandanaceae): characterization, circumscription, and distribution of a new genus of screwpines, with a synopsis of accepted species. Candollea 67: 323–345. In English, English and French abstracts. Pandanaceae, a palaeotropical monocot family of c. 700 species, comprises four currently recognized genera: Freycinetia Gaudich., Martellidendron (Pic. Serm.) Callm. & Chassot, Pandanus Parkinson and Sararanga Helms. Within Pandanus (c. 500 spp.), species of sect. Acrostigma Kurz [one of four sections comprising subg. Acrostigma (Kurz) B. C. Stone] possess highly distinctive morphological features (viz. sharp spiniform, linear styles with the stigmatic groove on the abaxial side of the style and a staminate flower reduced to 1 to 3 stamens) shared with two other species (likewise belonging to subg. Acrostigma but originally placed in sect. Fusiforma B. C. Stone) that separate them from all other congeners. Based on morphology, biogeography, and recent inferences from plastid DNA sequence data, we place these distinctive species in a new genus, Benstonea Callm. & Buerki, making the necessary new combinations for the 50 recognized species, accompanied by six lectotypifications, one epitytification and two neotypifications, and placing seventeen names in synonymy. A generic key is provided to facilitate distinguishing Benstonea from the four other genera of Pandanaceae. Comments are provided on the distribution, ecology and typification of each accepted species.


Good governance is an effort to change government behavior to be professional, accountability, and participation. Reform of the budget system is needed to support good governance. The Performance Based Budgeting obligates each ministry or agency reconstructs clearly about mission, vision and strategy.


We describe a simple technique for producing arrays of silver ellipsoidal particles with parallel principal axes. The optical absorbance of the silver ellipsoids produced by this technique was measured as a function of angle, polarization, and wavelength of the incident light. Calculations of the optical absorbance were made using nonretarded electrodynamics and the bulk optical constants for silver. The results of these calculations are shown to compare favorably with the experimentally observed absorbance.


Since the time of Vesalius (1514-64) a great profusion of types of liver disease have been described and each associated with a more or less definite train of symptoms, till the present time leaves us with the most confused ideas of the pathological processes at work in almost any case of jaundice. As a result, the diagnosis of cases of long-continued jaundice, exclusive of those due to such obstructive causes as gall-stones, tumor growth, etc., leads inevitably into the tangled artificial classification of the various destructive lesions of the liver. One fact is certain—that in the whole range of diseases of the liver, from acute yellow atrophy to atrophic cirrhosis, the cases present an extreme variation as regards duration, symptomatology and morbid anatomy; and it may equally be noted that great numbers of cases present features which preclude them from any of the usual subdivisions of liver disease.


One of the main requirements for modern technologies is to expand the range of meat products by creating combined products with a balanced composition of food and biologically active substances. The purpose of the study was to develop a technology for the production of such combined meat products. The research used secondary meat raw materials of the meat processing industry: horse meat, flank and other beef muscle tissue of the second grade, which, after fermentation by a consortium of microorganisms consisting of the following cultures: Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidumbacterium siccum, Staphilococcus carnosus, were used instead of the main meat raw materials in the production of sausages. The following indicators of ready-prepared products were studied: organoleptic properties, chemical, vitamin and mineral composition, toxicity and harmlessness, storage duration. The results showed that the use of this consortium of microorganisms in the production of sausage products made it possible to use secondary collagen-containing raw materials for processing. The positive influence of the proposed biotechnological method of processing meat raw materials on the organoleptic, physical-chemical, structural-mechanical, microbiological characteristics and biological value of the finished product was revealed. It was found that the use of a consortium of microorganisms increased the quality of finished products. In addition, the proposed technology has the potential to reduce the cost of production and increase the share of waste-free production in the meat processing industry.


Intraarterial access is used to provide continuous monitoring of systemic arterial blood pressure and to provide access to sample arterial blood. The use of chronic indwelling arterial catheters became commonplace in the 1970s and was rapidly adapted to the care of infants and children. The placement of intraarterial catheters can be technically challenging for even the most experienced surgeon, especially in small infants. Arterial catheters can directly injure vessels, resulting in thrombosis or occlusion. Distal embolization or ischemia can also occur. Catheter flushing may cause retrograde flow with the potential for embolization at remote sites. Local insertion site complications, such as hematoma, hemorrhage, and infection, can occur. Arterial catheters can also be a source of systemic sepsis. Although the risks and complication rates are low, the potential for devastating injury exists and deserves the greatest respect whenever placement of an arterial catheter is contemplated.


This paper explores concepts of fashion branding in order to identify six tangible elements of a brand that may be manipulated in order to influence consumer behaviour. These tangible elements are contextualized within the case of the British luxury brand Burberry to show how fashion branding may be influenced by fashion practitioners working in product design, promotional and retailing roles. The critically important role of fashion designers and retail architects in contributing to branding is investigated in some detail using in-depth interviews. The paper emphasises the significance, especially in the contemporary market environment, of creative disciplines such as fashion product and store design in creating brands that are commercially successful.


Amigurumi is the Japanese art of making knitted or crocheted stuffed animals, and it is taking the world by storm.These toys can be as simple or as complex as the maker likes - ranging from a tiny fluffy chick to an elaborate textured elephant.This book provides all the information you need to get started, with tips on choosing yarns and needles, and instruction in core techniques.All of the animal characters can be created using key shapes such as spheres, eggs, cylinders, and flat circles, which are quick and easy to stitch and put together. It includes clear step-by-step instruction for making 15 adorable animals, including a forg with webbed feet, a lion with a crocheted mane, and a cuddly mohair rabbit, plus ideas for creating your own unique designs.


Collaboration is a complex process that involves human and non-human factors. Although technology has improved and facilitated collaborative projects, interpretation, as the process of discovering and creating meaning, is often perceived as an individual act. This research aims to facilitate collaboration by better understanding how groups of people can make and maintain multiple interpretations. After a series of more than two dozen prototypes and 40 workshops for co-design and usability testing, the video records of the workshops have been categorized using protocol analysis and the foundations of discourse analysis. We hypothesize that the physical 3D aspect of these prototypes helps users not only in sharing their interpretations but also in co-creating them. Moreover, this is an essential finding for the next steps of this research, which will try to replicate the results of the physical models by attaching them as an interface to an online environment.


Cities have always been sources of inspiration for poetry. However, the modern western cities, which are the origins of secularity, have inspired poets in different ways. Charles Baudelaire captured the poetic dimensions of modernity in Paris in the 19th century. He wrote about the night life of Paris which became possible after street lighting. He wrote about corruption. Baudelaire also wrote about the changing character of commercial places in cities and tried to grasp the feelings of people as a 'flaneur': an individual stroller at city streets. The philosopher Walter Benjamin got inspired by Baudelaire's poems and formed his philosophy, which relates poetics to modernity during the 20th century. Modern cities take an important role in his philosophy too, because Benjamin was making a collection of political event news in the cities of Germany. Then he had to leave Germany because of the growth of fascism. He left his collection behind. When he went to Paris he wrote about the passages and the poetic dimensions of modern city life. When Nazi army came to France, he had to leave Paris too. The poetry of Baudelaire and the philosophy of Benjamin are evidences for the poetic nature of modern city life. The relationship between the modern city and the free individual can easily be felt in their works. However, when you read heir work, you can easily understand that today's Paris is not the same Paris any more. It is still poetic, but in another way.


In our laboratory, the sophisticated verification method, which is the evaluation method for PV systems, has been developed. The accuracy of evaluation shading effect by using the SV method was not described because it is difficult to measure the shading effects. The procedure of estimation method is base on certain assumption. Therefore, in this paper, the accuracy of evaluation shading effect was indicated in the way to evince the adequacy of assumptions. As a result, depends of location and the data set up was indicated.


Background Co-trimoxazole prophylaxis is part of HIV management of opportunistic infections. However, it is not known if co-trimoxazole prophylaxis can prevent opportunistic infections among other vulnerable population such as people with complicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM). It is unclear if and how nutritional recovery may reduce susceptibility to infectious diseases like pneumonia with co-trimoxazole prophylaxis. We share secondary analysis results of multicentre, double-blinded, randomised clinical trial (ClinicalTrials. gov, number NCT00934492) of daily co-trimoxazole prophylaxis among HIV non-infected children with SAM in Kenya. Methods We recruited 1781 hospitalised SAM children and randomised to either daily co-trimoxazole prophylaxis or matching placebo for six months and followed up for 12 months. Our outcome of interest was risk of subsequent pneumonia after index admission discharge, defined using the WHO guidelines. To determine changing susceptibility after discharge, cox regression model with monthly weight-for-height and height-for-age z-scores as time-varying covariates were used to identify risk factors of developing pneumonia. Results Overall, 257 children died, 122 (14%) among the co-trimoxazole group and 135 (15%) of placebo group; Hazard ratio (HR) 0.90 (95% CI: 0.71−1.16, p=0.43). There were 1257 episodes of pneumonia, 603 (21%) among co-trimoxazole group and 654 (22%) among placebo; HR 0.93 (95% CI:0.79−1.08, p=0.34) during 1556.6 child-years of observation (cyo). The monthly incidence rate for pneumonia and severe pneumonia declined over time (p=0.002 & p=0.001). Young age, urban residence, index admission with clinical signs of rickets and severe pneumonia, were associated with subsequent pneumonia. Index admission with diarrhoea and monthly weight-for-length z-score had protective effect. Protective effect of improving monthly anthropometric measures were evident from month two onwards. Proportion of pneumonia progressing to severe form declined with time (p=0.01) but there was no evidence case fatality ratios changed over time (p=0.41). Conclusions Improving nutritional status during recovery correlates directly with reduced susceptibility, but not with case fatality of pneumonia.


Industrialization has come with environmental challenges. Industries like paper, printing, textile, leather and so on widely use chemical dyes whose waste treatment or degradability is difficult. Among various methods employed, the use of microbial enzymes is the most effective. The study aimed at producing laccase from identified yeast strains for potential industrial use in dye decolourization. Laccase produced by Kluyveromyces dobzhanskii DW1 and Pichia manshurica DW2 were purified and immobilized up to 65.2 and 73.1%, respectively. The crude, purified and immobilized forms of the enzymes were used to decolourize malachite green and methyl red dyes each at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.1 g/L. The highest percentage decolourization by K. dobzhanskii DW1 was 81.50% (immobilized) and 87.50% (purified), respectively for malachite green and methyl red dyes while P. manshurica DW2b (crude) had 84.40 and 76.89%, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of the dyes was collected within a scanning range of 4000 to 400 cm-1. The spectrum of methyl red dye by the purified K. dobzhanskii DW1 laccase showed disappearance of some chemical groups (peak), while the crude P. manshurica DW2 laccase removed the main azo-group, alcohol/phenol and higher alkane (1487.17) groups. The spectrum of untreated malachite green also showed 25 peaks with one disulphide, 2 aliphatic halogens, 2 thio ethers, 3 sulphones, 4 imino groups among other chemical groups. The decolourization of the dye with the immobilized K. dobzhanskii DW1 laccase showed a spectrum of 17 peaks with the removal of the disulphide (420.5), one aliphatic halogen (C-I), thio ether, 2 sulphone, 4 imino and 2 higher alkanes, while the crude P. manshurica DW2 laccase removed the 2 aliphatic halogen, 4 imino, 1 amine, 2 alkane and 2 of the 3 alcohol/phenol chemical groups. The removal of the main components (azo chemical group) of the dyes proved their effectiveness in decolourisation and bioremediation of the textile wastes.

 Key words: Decolourisation, azo-dye, laccase, immobilized, FT-IR spectra.


We monitored raptors and investigated collision rate of birds with 2 turbines of a central Apennine wind-farm. We detected 1,18/raptors/km2/h. We have not found bird fatalities with turbines. We found 2 carcasses: one Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia cantillans, died by collision with a close communication tower and a Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, died by electrocution with an MT power-line starting from the communication tower.


To enhance the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte in a newly-developed dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), the Cu@C (metallic copper core in the carbon shell) nanoparticles dispersed in a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) (e.g., [bmin][BF6]) has been studied in the present work. By the pulsed-field gradient spin-echo NMR method, the self-diffusion coefficients of cations and anions in the RTIL have been determined. The self-diffusion coefficient of cations is increased by 40% at 300 K. It is also found that the electrical conductivity of the Cu@C dispersed (0.08%) RTIL is increased by 30% (1.96→2.38 ms/cm). It seems that that the nanosize Cu@C dispersed RTIL is a very effective electrolyte especially used in the DSSCs.


Summary A collection of 1,069 human PCR-based genetic markers has been developed, and their distribution over the 22 autosomes and the X chromosome has been determined. Each marker was developed around a short-tandem-re-peat DNA sequence. The majority (85%) of the markers described here were selected to contain tetranucleotide repeats, because these repeats show better stability dur-ing PCR than do dinucleotide repeats. Linkage maps constructed from genotypes collected with these markers in four CEPH pedigrees (1331, 1332, 1362, and 884) covered 3,417 cM of the human genome. More than 600 of the loci revealed heterozygosities >.70. Overall, 444 loci were ordered, with odds >100:1 against inversion of adjacent loci. The average distance between markers was 7.4 cM on the autosomes and 24.8 cM on the X chromosome. Likely locations (100:1 odds intervals) were assigned for the remaining 621 short-tandem-repeat polymorphisms, as well as for 160 other markers that are present on the framework maps published by the Cooperative Human Linkage Center. Four markers specific to the Y chromosome are also reported here. From our maps, 347 markers were chosen to define "index" maps for each of the 22 autosomes. The index markers detect loci with an average heterozygosity of .85 and cover 3,169 cM of the autosomes, with an average distance between markers of 9.2 cM. These polymorphic short tandem repeats will be highly useful as re-agents for the ongoing genetic and physical mapping of the human genome and for characterization of genetic changes in cancer.


s for plenary spoken sessions Molecular cloning and expression of a chlamydial genus-specific epitope. I Allan and ER Moxon (Oxford). Chlatniydia trachomatis is a major cause of sexuallytransmitted disease and, as a consequence, poses a considerable threat of conjunctival and respiratory tract infection to the neonate. However, despite the medical and biological importance of chlamydiae, progress in the study of their pathogenesis, biology and antigenic composition has been limited by difficulties in culturing and purifying these fastidious parasites. Therefore, adopting an alternative strategy, DNA was purified from C trachoinatis (serovar L2), partially digested with restriction enzyme Baim HI, ligated into the plasmid vector pUCl3 and a genomic library was constructed by transformation of Eschericlhia coli. Bacterial colonies containing recombinant plasmids were subsequently screened with a monoclonal antibody which recognises an epitope shared by all members of the genus Clilamnydia and which is located in the lipo-oligosaccharide present in the outer membrane of the parasite. Six recombinant bacterial colonies which reacted positively with the monoclonal antibody were identified. All possessed a common Bam HI fragment of 6-9 kilobase pairs (kbp), with the transforming activity to produce monoclonal antibody reactivity being excluded from 1-7 and 0-8 kbp PstI-Bam HI and Bam HI-EcoRI fragments lying within this stretch of DNA. Analysis of lipooligosaccharide from the recombinant E coli by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed all six to possess a more ralpidly migrating component which was reactive with the monoclonal antibody. The cloning of this chlamydial component and the characterisation of the DNA and gene products encoded by it provides a potentially valuable tool for the study of the pathogenesis and also the diagnosis of this pathogen. Normal placental transfer in the human. MD Bain, DK Copas, MJ Landon, and TE Stacey (Halrrow and London). Placental insufficiency, implying inadequate transfer functions, is frequently incriminated as contributing to perinatal morbidity and mortality. Inadequate transfer of what, and by how much, is unclear. We have measured placental transfer in normal human placentae at term, of four substances with molecular weight range 182-5000, namely, mannitol, lactulose, Cr EDTA and inulin. This range covers many of the important fetal nutrients. A steady state maternal profile was achieved by a bolus and continuous infusion of a solution of these markers. As they are inert, and solely and wholly excreted by the kidney, net placental transfer before delivery equals the total subsequent neonatal urin-


PurposeA vast proportion of global megaprojects have not performed up to the expectations of their stakeholders. A failed megaproject has the potential even to derail the economy of a country where it was implemented. Stakeholders must, therefore, ensure that they do not invest in megaprojects that are bound to fail. But, how can stakeholders consistently identify such megaprojects? This paper develops a framework for a metric that can help stakeholders measure the readiness of a megaproject.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive literature review identified 19 critical success factors of megaprojects. These success factors were integrated into a fuzzy-based model to develop the megaproject readiness metric. An assessment team studied the levels of presence and importance of these success factors in a candidate megaproject to derive its readiness.FindingsThe readiness-based model provides stakeholders valuable insights into the strong and weak areas of a megaproject. It can help stakeholders prioritize and systematically eliminate the identified weaknesses and improve megaproject readiness. While the model was tested on a metro rail megaproject, it can be used on any megaproject across domains.Originality/valueThis paper adopts the concept of readiness for the domain of megaprojects. Besides the readiness measurement framework, a vital contribution of this research is its application to a real-life case. Future research can include more granular success factors to improve the estimate of megaproject readiness.


For most of the twentieth century tin was fundamental for both warfare and welfare. The widespread use of the tin can created a revolution in food preservation and helped feed both the armies of the great powers and the masses of the new urban society. Tin deposits were however found in only a few regions of the world, predominantly in the southern hemisphere, while the main centres of consumption were in the industrialized north. The tin trade was therefore always a highly politically charged economy, in which states and private enterprise competed and cooperated to assert control over deposits, smelters and markets. This book demonstrates the ways in which the history of a humble metal can shape the evolution of a global economic trade: an industry that has experienced extensive state intervention during times of war, encompasses intense competition and cartelization, and has seen regions both thrive and fail in the wake of decolonization. The history of the international tin industry reveals the complex interactions and interdependencies between the local actors and international networks, decolonization and globalization, as well as government foreign policies and entrepreneurial tactics. By highlighting the global struggles for control, and the constantly shifting economic, geographical and political constellations within one specific industry, this volume integrates political and business history and examines the very role of the firm in the context of international relations.


In the 10th to 11th centuries, the process of formation of the Oghuz tribes was under way in Central Asia. It was accompanied by the disintegration of kinship ties and the emergence of statehood. A new type of ethnic community was being formed, based on territorial and economic ties. The formation of the Oghuz Yabgu state with its political centre in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya 1 played an important role in this process. The Oghuz state, like many other nomadic empires, was not monolithic and its borders were not permanent or strictly defined. As a result of extended social conflict, the Syr Darian Yabgu state collapsed and did not withstand the attack of 1 A river in the territory of modern Kazakhstan. The Migrations of the Oghuz in the Early Medieval Period: Causes, Directions and ... the neighbouring Kipchak tribes in the middle of the 11th century. This caused a new migration wave directed westward. The paper analyses the preconditions and peculiarities of the Oghuz tribes' westward migration. In addition, a comparative analysis of its economic and political consequences is carried out. The Migrations of the Oghuz in the Early Medieval Period: Causes, Directions and ... The Migrations of the Oghuz the Early Medieval Period: Causes, Directions and ...


We propose new asymmetric multivariate volatility models. The models exploit estimates of variances and covariances based on the signs of high-frequency returns, measures known as realized semivariances, semicovariances, and semicorrelations, to allow for more nuanced responses to positive and negative return shocks than threshold "leverage effect" terms traditionally used in the literature. Our empirical implementations of the new models, including extensions of widely-used bivariate GARCH specifications for a number of individual stocks and the aggregate market portfolio as well as larger dimensional dynamic conditional correlation type formulations for a cross-section of individual stocks, provide clear evidence of improved model fit and reveal new and interesting asymmetric joint dynamic dependencies.


Abstract Elionurus muticus is a native grass from Brazil that has been shown to have large variability in the chemical constituents of its essential oil. However, few studies have evaluated this species. The aims of this study were to chemically characterize four wild populations of E. muticus that were collected in southern Brazil as well as to evaluate the allelopathic effect of the essential oil, which is rich in citral. Chemical analyses were performed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The phytotoxic activity was evaluated with onion and lettuce seeds. The results showed that the studied populations have chemical variability based on their geographic origin, which indicates the possibility of chemotypes. The results obtained with E. muticus essential oil, reveals phytotoxic activity on the germination and growth of lettuce and onion.


From 1957 to 1961 the British School at Athens undertook an extensive programme of stratigraphical excavations at Knossos under Sinclair Hood, then Director of the School. This report publishes in detail the results of investigations into Early Minoan levels, which shed much new light on the era before the "Old Palace" was established. The three excavations comprised: an Early Minoan I deep well, the oldest at Knossos; trials on the north side of the Royal Road, with Early Minoan II-III house remains; and similar trials in the Early Houses below the South Front of the Palace, which included investigation of the South Front House of Early Minoan III. The volume provides invaluable data on the types and phased development of pottery in this major settlement site of the third millennium BC, a period when much of our Cretan evidence derives from tombs. It also helps to chronicle the expansion of Knossos during the Early Bronze Age and offers new insights into the material culture of Prepalatial society, including possible feasting in Early Minoan I, new evidence for olives and wine and well-dated Early Minoan III seal impressions of the Parading Lions group. A valuable addition is a chapter devoted to other Early Minoan pottery from Knossos held in museums in Europe and the USA. Copiously illustrated with line drawings and photographs, the volume will serve as a major resource for all interested in early cultural developments in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.


Political scientists have conducted only limited systematic research on the consequences of war for civilian populations. Here we argue that the civilian suffering caused by civil war extends well beyond the period of active warfare. We examine these longer-term effects in a cross-national (1999) analysis of World Health Organization new fine-grained data on death and disability broken down by age, gender, and type of disease or condition. We test hypotheses about the impact of civil wars and find substantial long-term effects, even after controlling for several other factors. We estimate that the additional burden of death and disability incurred in 1999, from the indirect and lingering effects of civil wars in the years 1991–97, was approximately equal to that incurred directly and immediately from all wars in 1999. This impact works its way through specific diseases and conditions and disproportionately affects women and children.We thank the Weatherhead Initiative on Military Conflict as a Public Health Problem, the Ford Foundation, and the World Health Organization, NIA (P01 17625-01), for financial support and Gary King, Thomas Gariepy, Melvin Hinich, Kosuke Imai, Roy Licklider, Jennifer Leaning, Greg Huber, Lisa Martin, Christopher Murray, Joshua Salomon, and Nicholas Sambanis for comments. Our data are available at http://www.yale.edu/unsy/civilwars/data.htm and at the Virtual Data Center web site, http://TheData.org, when it becomes operative.


Fossiliferous Upper Cenomanian to Lower Maastrichtian strata in Navarra, northern Spain, particularly in the eastern Barranca, were investigated in terms of litostratigraphy, macrofossil biostratigraphy and event stratigraphy. Extensive bed-by bed-collections of ammonites, inoceramids, and echinoids allow the establishment of combined standard zonal schemes of inter-regional significance. Data on geochronological boundaries, macrofossil distribution, the succession of events and the inter-relations between bioevents, eustato-events and tectonic movements in northern Spain are presented. The Upper Cenomanian - Turonian successions of the Barranca sections (Arardi, Izurdiaga, Satrustegui) and of the Estella area (Ganuza, Ollogoyen), differ considerably in both lithofacies and thickness and periodically, in faunal composition, as a result of their palaeogeographical positions within an stable outer shelf and an unstable mit-shelf, respectively. The Ganuza/Ollogoyen standard section is revised. In the context of the established event stratigraphical scheme, discrepancies in previously applied ammonite zonation are pointed out and discussed in terms of their regional relevance. The expanded and relatively complete Turonian of the Estella area is subdivided into an unnamed interval devoid of ammonites (Upper Cenomanian Metoicoceras geslinianum Zone to the mid-Lower Turonian), six ammonite zones and an inoceramid/ammonite assemblage zone. The upper Lower Turonian Kamerunoceras ganuzai / Mammites nodosoides Zone is succeeded by the Middle Turonian zones of K. turoniense , Romaniceras kallesi , R. ornatissimum and R. deverianum ; and the Upper Turonian Subprionocyclus neptuni and Cremnoceramus waltersdorfensis / Prionocyclus germari zones. The Lower Turonian zonal scheme given by WIEDMANN (1979a) for the Estella area is shown to be impracticable, and neither Lower Turonian Choffaticeras quaasi Zone sensu SANTAMARIA (1992) nor a Watinoceras coloradoense Zone sensu LAMOLDA & al . (1989) can be recognized. On the other hand, the refined French Middle Turonian ammonite zonation of AMEDRO & al . (1982) is readily applicable, while the application of a Collignoniceras woollgari Zone is hardly possible. The base of the Middle Turonian has been placed at the FAD of K. turoniense , at a level stratigraphically lower (upper Lower Turonian) than the one recently accepted. C. woollgari is rare and appears no lower than the ornatissimum Zone. The base of the Upper Turonian is placed at the FAD of Subprionocyclus neptuni . Romaniceras deverianum appears considerably lower than the former, but has its main occurrence in the neptuni Zone, ranging up to overlap with Prionocyclus germari . The Barranca succession is condensed and includes hiati from the Upper Cenomanian Neocardioceras juddii Zone to the upper ganuzai / nodosoides Zone; between the Middle Turonian kallesi and ornatissimum zones; and in the lower Upper Turonian neptuni Zone. Twelve bio-events that are significant for regional and inter-regional correlations are differentiated and dated: the Mytiloides kossmati , ganuzai , reveliereanus , turoniense / hercynicus , kallesi / ornatissimum , Scaphites geinitzii , Subprionocyclus I, Micraster ex gr. normanniaecortestudinarium , Subprionocyclus II events. Most of these events are time-equivalents of events already recognised by ERNST & al. (1983) in Germany. The biostratigraphic framework permits a dating and correlation of the major tectono-sedimentary and eustato-events, namely the Cenomanian-Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE), the Middle Turonian Event (MTE) and Lower Upper Turonian Event (LUTE). The calcareous Coniacian - Santonian succession of the eastern Barranca (Izurdiaga, Ecay and Zuazu sections), is divided into Lower Izurdiaga, Zuazu and Upper Izurdiaga formations, and into numerous component members. The succession is rich in echinoids, and is biostratigraphically important because of the co-occurrence of inoceramids and ammonites. The Coniacian ammonite assemblages show affinities to those of the French type region and to the largely endemic ones of the Spanish standard sections in Burgos. The data obtained permit a confident correlation of the biostratigraphic frameworks of these two areas for the first time. In contrast to the widespread basal Coniacian hiatus, the Barranca succession at this level is locally relatively complete. The lower Coniacian Cremnoceramus rotundatus , Forresteria petrocoriensis and Peroniceras subtricarinatum zones, the Middle Coniacian Gauthiericeras margae Zone and the lower Upper Coniacian Protexanites bourgeoisi Zone are recognized. In marginal sections, the bourgeoisi Zone is followed by an hiatus which comprises the late Upper Coniacian Magadiceramus subquadratus and the Lower Santonian Cladoceramus undulatoplicatus inoceramid zones recognized in the continuous section of the western Barranca. By means of ammonites, the Santonian at Olazagutia is divided into an unnamed interval devoid of ammonites; the middle Coniacian Texanites quiquenodosus and the Upper Santonian Jouaniceras hispanicum / Scalarites cingulatum Zone. This scheme has affinities with the zonation applied by KENNEDY & al. (1995) in the Corbieres, France. In addition to a sequence of regionally important events and marker-beds, some events, namely the Didymotis II, Micraster ex gr. cortestudinarium and Cladoceramus undulatoplicatus events, are of inter-basinal importance.


Water scarcity and climatic variability in the Mediterranean region have traditionally required the construction of dams to guarantee water supply for irrigation, industrial and urban uses and hydropower production. Reservoirs affect the hydrology of the river downstream, but the magnitude and persistence of these effects are still poorly unknown. Understanding the magnitude of these effects is the objective of this paper, in which we analyse the flow regimes of twelve rivers located in the NW Mediterranean region. Different temporal scales (daily, monthly and annual) are used for the analysis and also to estimate flow variables associated with flow magnitude, frequency, duration and variability. It is shown that dams alter the hydrological regime of most of the studied rivers, with special influence on monthly flows and flood magnitude and frequency. The most altered rivers (Muga and Siurana, NE Iberian Peninsula) experience a complete overturn in their flow regime with, for instance, flood reduction reaching up to 76% for the 2‐year flood event. Other rivers showed lower changes in hydrology (e.g. Orb and Têt). Annual runoff showed a pattern of decrease in all the studied rivers (regulated and non‐regulated) indicating that besides dams (i.e. reservoir evaporation), other factors likely affect water yield. A general recovery downstream from dams is also observed at all temporal scales, mainly because of the inflow from tributaries. Although dams have a clear impact on the hydrology of Mediterranean rivers, water withdrawals and diversions for irrigation and other consumptive uses also affected the hydrological patterns. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


129 ABSTRACT: The combination of an increased value placed on quality of life and hospital satisfaction with the known health benefits of nature have fostered healing gardens to become a standard programmatic element in hospital design. Given the complex relationships between health and habitation, program and occupancy, healing gardens would benefit from greater study and research. This research observed use patterns of a healing garden located adjacent to the thirdfloor oncology unit of a pediatric hospital in Portland, OR. Use patterns recorded through observation and behavior mapping include user group, length of stay, and activity. Additionally, weather data taken onsite was correlated with use patterns to better understand the impact of temperature, relative humidity and light levels. Some findings in terms of healing garden use are concurrent with past research from literature reviews while other findings are not. While this particular healing garden is successfully used for longer durations than those found in the literature review (despite only being accessible from an upper floor), many aspects of this healing garden are not used as envisioned by the design team for a variety of reasons outlined in the paper. This research serves as an initial set of data to inform design decisions to improve the quality of life for patients, providers, and visitors.


AIMS
To assess the relationship between cardiac autonomic dysfunction and inflammation in patients with type 1 diabetes and whether beta-blocker therapy might improve both abnormalities in these patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We studied 49 patients with type 1 diabetes (age 50.5 +/- 11 years, 33 men). Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, as a marker of inflammation, and frequency-domain heart rate variability (HRV) on 24 h Holter monitoring, as a measure of cardiac autonomic function, were assessed in all patients. Twenty-one patients with depressed HRV were subsequently randomized to receive atenolol (50 mg daily) or no-beta-blockade. HRV and C-reactive protein were re-assessed after 3-4 weeks from randomization. An inverse correlation was found between C-reactive protein levels and HRV parameters, with the highest r coefficient shown with low-frequency (LF) power (r = -0.38; P = 0.007). Furthermore, C-reactive protein serum levels were significantly higher in patients with bottom quartile values of LF power compared with patients with values in the three top quartiles (4.64 +/- 2.8 vs.1.79 +/- 1.6 mg/L, respectively; P = 0.003), also after adjustment for potential confounding variables (P = 0.013). HRV parameters improved significantly in patients treated with atenolol, but not in the no-atenolol group. Furthermore, C-reactive protein levels decreased in the beta-blockade group, but not in the no-beta-blockade group (P = 0.04 for changes between groups).

CONCLUSION
In type 1 diabetic patients, serum C-reactive protein levels are significantly associated with depressed HRV; the favourable effects of beta-blockade on both HRV parameters and C-reactive protein serum levels suggest that autonomic nervous system may have significant modulator effects on inflammation.


Mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) is a member of the genus Betaretrovirus, infects rodent cells and uses mouse tranferrin receptor 1 for cell entry. Several MMTV strains have been shown to productively infect, in addition to murine cells, various heterologous cell lines including those of human origin, albeit less efficiently than murine cells. Here, we analysed whether MMTV from C3H mice [MMTV(C3H)], reported previously to be incapable of infecting human cells, could productively infect human cells. Using a recently described high-titre MMTV-based vector carrying MMTV(C3H) envelope protein (Env), we successfully transduced cells of human origin. Furthermore, WT MMTV(C3H) was able to infect human cells, albeit less efficiently than mouse cells. The established infection was, however, sufficient to enable virus spread to every cell in culture. The infectivity of WT MMTV(C3H) and MMTV-based vectors carrying MMTV(C3H)Env was blocked by heat inactivation, an inhibitor of reverse transcription (39-azido-39deoxythymidine) and pre-incubation with neutralizing anti-MMTV antibodies that did not neutralize vectors pseudotyped with amphotropic murine leukemia virus Env, providing evidence for an authentic, receptor-mediated and reverse transcriptase-dependent infection process. Persistently infected human Hs578T cells produced infectious virions capable of infecting naı̈ve human breast cells in culture, the infectivity of which could also be blocked by neutralizing anti-MMTV antibodies, demonstrating that virus particles released by the persistently infected Hs578T cells were related antigenically to the virus produced from murine cells. Taken together, our results show that MMTV(C3H), like MMTV(GR) and MMTV(RIII), is able not only to infect but also to replicate in cultured human breast cells.


In this study, three kinds of seafood wastes (shrimp shell particles, oyster shell particles, and internal bone particles of squid) were added to dewatered sludge preconditioned with chemical conditioner (alum or ferric chloride). The specific resistance of sludge dewatering was calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of sludge dewatering. The result showed that adding chemical conditioners alone caused noticeable pH decrease and resulted in a conditioned sludge with poor filterability. The addition of oyster shell or internal bone of squid to chemically preconditioned sludge efficiently improved sludge dewatering. This result was possibly due to both the availability of alkaline and the function as skeleton builder provided by these two waste solids. Particle sizes (0.59–2.0 mm) of oyster shell and internal bone of squid were found to have insignificant effect on sludge dewatering.


The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between Transformational (TFL)/ Transactional (TSL) leadership and employees' Innovative Work Behavior (IWB), through a mediation and moderation model. The proposed model postulates that Organizational Climate for Innovation (OCI) and Organizational Absorptive Capacity (OAC) exert a mediating role whereas Employees´ Work Engagement (EWE) has a moderating effect in such relationship. A total of 267 Colombian workers from different kind of companies completed a reliable battery of questionnaires. The sample was collected through the MBA programs from two recognized universities located in Bogota, Colombia. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the proposed model. According to the results, there is a direct and positive relationship between TFL and IWB as was expected. However, contrary to what had been hypothesized, TSL demonstrated to exert the same positive linkage. OCI and OAC showed its mediator effect in the relationship between TFL/TSL and IWB, nevertheless, this effect was less strong than when the relationship between theses variables was direct. On the contrary, EWE does not exert a moderator effect in this relationship as it was posited, but shows a significant and direct relationship with IWB. This research allows assert that leadership influences IWB, either directly or mediated by organizational variables. These results contribute to extent the literature in a scarcely studied field, by testing an empirical model.


To investigate the function of place in relation to deviance, this article looks at hotspots for three different types of deviant events in Swedish schools: assaults, bullying, and deliberate fire-setting. Drawing upon a qualitative meta-synthesis of ten Swedish reports that address such incidents, the analysis identifies three categories of hotspot that occur in school settings – restrooms, hallways, and student lounges. The study also found that deviant events tend to correlate with specific combinations of socio-spatial patterns and criminogenic elements that in turn are related to the physical design of a space. The study's findings indicate that the school's physical structure and built environment play an import role in either facilitating or hindering the likelihood of deviant events occurring. Accordingly, architecture and especially school design can promote prevention strategies by more strongly acknowledging the role of place in risky situations.


BACKGROUND
Congestive heart failure is the most common discharge diagnosis for Medicare beneficiaries. While several single-center studies have suggested that these patients are particularly vulnerable to readmission, no recent study, to our knowledge, has reported the readmission rates for a large number of elderly patients with congestive heart failure across a diverse spectrum of hospitals.

OBJECTIVES
To define the readmission rate for elderly patients discharged after an episode of congestive heart failure. To determine the spectrum of diagnoses that are responsible for readmissions among patients with congestive heart failure. To identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of readmission.

METHODS
This observational study, using Medicare administrative files, evaluated readmission and death among all survivors of a hospitalization in Connecticut for congestive heart failure from fiscal year 1991 through fiscal year 1994.

RESULTS
There were 17448 survivors of a hospitalization for congestive heart failure during the study period. In the 6 months following the index admission, 7596 patients (44%) were readmitted to a hospital at least once. Congestive heart failure was the most frequent reason for readmission among study patients, accounting for 18% of all readmissions. In the multivariable analysis, significant predictors of readmission included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.20), at least 1 prior admission within 6 months of the index admission (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.53-1.77), Deyo comorbidity score of more than 1 (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.45-1.68), and length of stay in the index hospitalization of more than 7 days (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.24-1.41). While age was not a significant predictor of readmission, it became significant in a model with the combined outcome of readmission or death as the dependent variable.

CONCLUSION
Readmission after a hospitalization for congestive heart failure is common among Medicare beneficiaries, with almost half of the patients readmitted within 6 months. This striking rate of readmission in a common diagnosis demands efforts to further clarify the determinants of readmission and develop strategies to prevent this adverse outcome.


Given its unique nutritional and functional advantages, human milk (HM) should be considered as the first choice for the nutrition of all infants, including preterm newborns. Since its protein, mineral and energy contents are not suitable to meet the high needs of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, HM should be fortified for these components. Fortification of HM is an important nutritional intervention in order to provide appropriate nutritional intake and appropriate growth. The standard fortification strategy has yielded inadequate protein intakes, resulting in slower growth as compared to preterm formulas. Improvement of outcomes depends on new fortification strategies, considering the large variability of HM composition. Individualized fortification, either targeted or adjustable, has been shown to be effective and practical in attaining adequate protein intakes and growth. Most commercially available multi-nutrient fortifiers and protein concentrates are derived from bovine milk (BM), which has a protein composition very different from that of HM. The use of BM proteins has been recently questioned for possible association with intestinal inflammation in VLBW infants. Recently, one HM-based fortifier was shown to be associated with lower necrotizing enterocolitis rates and lower mortality in extremely premature infants, compared to BM-based products. Other milk sources are currently under evaluation: a randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial, coordinated by the Neonatal Unit of the University of Turin in collaboration with the Italian National Research Council of Turin and the University of Cagliari, is being carried out to evaluate the adequacy of fortifiers derived from donkey milk for the nutrition of preterm infants.


Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and PARP-2 are DNA damage sensors that are most active during S-phase of the cell cycle and that have wider-reaching roles in DNA repair than originally described. BRCA1 and BRCA2 (Breast Cancer) proteins are involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR), which requires a homologous chromosome or sister chromatid as a template to faithfully repair DNA double-strand breaks. The small-molecule NAD+ mimetics, olaparib, niraparib, rucaparib, veliparib, and talazoparib, inhibit the catalytic activity of PARP-1 and PARP-2 and are currently being studied in later-stage clinical trials. PARP inhibitor clinical trials have predominantly focused on patients with breast and ovarian cancer with deleterious germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (gBRCA1/2+) but are now expanding to include cancers with known, suspected, or more-likely-than-not defects in homologous recombination repair. In ovarian cancer, this group also includes women whose cancers are responsive to platinum therapy. Olaparib was FDA-approved in January 2018 for the treatment of gBRCA1/2+ metastatic breast cancers. gBRCA1+ predisposes women to develop triple-negative breast cancers, while women with gBRCA2+ tend to develop hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancers. Although PARP inhibitor monotherapy strategies seem most effective in cancers with homologous recombination repair defects, combination strategies may allow expansion into a wider range of cancers. By interfering with DNA repair, PARP inhibitors essentially sensitize cells to DNA-damaging chemotherapies and radiation therapy. Certainly, one could also consider expanding the utility of PARP inhibitors beyond gBRCA1/2+ cancers by causing DNA damage with cytotoxic agents in the presence of a DNA repair inhibitor. Unfortunately, in numerous phase I clinical trials utilizing a combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy at standard doses with dose-escalation of PARP inhibitors, there has generally been failure to reach monotherapy dosages of PARP inhibitors due to myelosuppressive toxicities. Strategies utilizing angiogenesis inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors are generally not hindered by additive toxicities, though the utility of combining PARP inhibitors with treatments that have not been particularly effective in breast cancers somewhat tempers enthusiasm. Finally, there are combination strategies that may serve to mitigate resistance to PARP inhibitors, namely, upregulation of the intracellular PhosphoInositide-3-kinase, AK thymoma (protein kinase B), mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K–AKT–mTOR) pathway, or perhaps are more simply meant to interfere with a cell growth pathway heavily implicated in breast cancers while administering relatively well-tolerated PARP inhibitor therapy.


Introduction
Introduction: despite the positive effects of frequent meals on obesity treatment, there have been no definite conclusions on the matter. Objective: the aim of this study is to determine the effects of different meal frequencies on weight loss, body composition and some biochemical parameters of overweight or obese females. Methods: sixty-five adult overweight or obese females were recruited from the Endocrine Department of Ankara Gülhane Education and Research Hospital. Individualistic weight-loss diet programs were implemented (three meals/day for one group and six meals/day for the other group) with a three-month follow-up. Anthropometric measurements and 24-hour dietary records were taken for each week during the study period. Some biochemical parameters (lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin) were analyzed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Results: forty-three participants finished the study period. Body weight, body mass index, fat mass (kg), fat mass percentage (%), and waist circumference (cm) decreased significantly in both groups (p < 0.05), while fat free mass (kg) and body water (l) did not change significantly (p > 0.05). Only serum fasting insulin levels decreased significantly in the six meals/day group (p < 0.05). Whatever the differences between the initial and final values of body weight, body composition, and biochemical parameters, they were similar between the groups (p > 0.05). Only the decrease in fasting insulin levels in the six-meal group was found higher than that of the three-meal group. Conclusion: in conclusion, body weight, body composition, and lipid profiling are not affected by the number of meals when weight-loss diets are prepared with adequate energy restrictions and sufficient and balanced nutrition.


The authors present selected results from a recently completed research project for the Electric Power Research Institute. One component of the project was intended to develop and test methodologies for gathering data on how utility customers value service reliability, as measured by either the cost of outages or the willingness to pay for reliability. Another component of this project involved a survey of current and emerging reliability planning practices in the North American utility industry, especially regarding interest in value-based reliability planning. The results of the survey, including the survey design and methodology, are given. The authors briefly discuss potential applications of interruption costs in generation and composite system reliability planning. >


This paper, written for a symposium on the 50th anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae, the Catholic Church's declaration on religious freedom, explores the conception of human dignity in international human rights law. I argue that, notwithstanding a surface consensus, no generally accepted conception of human dignity exists in contemporary human rights law. Radically different understandings compete against one another and prevent agreement on crucial issues. For example, the Catholic Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation favor objective understandings which, although they differ among themselves, all tie dignity to external factors beyond personal choice. By contrast, many secular human rights advocates favor subjective definitions that ground dignity in individual will. These conceptions clash, most notably in contemporary debates on traditional values resolutions and same-sex marriage. Similarly, individualist conceptions of dignity, familiar to most of us in the West, compete with corporate conceptions that emphasize the dignity of traditional religions — a clash that plays out in the context of the proselytism and the right to convert. Rather than try to forge agreement on a universal definition of dignity, I argue, we lawyers should commit to a more modest approach, one that accepts the reality of disagreement and finds a humane way to accommodate it.


This paper proposes a reduced-complexity multichannel assignment scheme for short-range cellular systems. It treats the scenario when a number of small-cell (e.g., femtocell) access points (APs) can be shared to serve active scheduled users. The APs employ isotropic antenna arrays and operate using an open-access control strategy. To improve the reuse ratio of physical resources, the APs are assumed to occupy a single physical channel, wherein coordination among them is infeasible. On the other hand, to improve the spatial coverage, a scheduled user can be served by a single transmit channel from an AP at a time. For the case of overloaded APs and when the feedback links are capacity limited, the scheme attempts to identify the suitable transmit channels from the deployed APs in an adaptive manner such that certain performance and/or processing load limits are satisfied. The effects of some system and design parameters on the outcomes of the scheme are thoroughly discussed. Novel results for the statistics of the resulting interference power are presented, from which results for some performance measures and processing loads are obtained. Numerical and simulations results are provided to clarify the achieved gains, as compared with related models under different operating conditions.


High-precision measurements of atmospheric oxygen play an increasingly important role in our understanding of the global carbon cycle and its feedbacks on the Earth's climate. In combination with CO2 measurements, they allow partitioning of global oceanic and terrestrial sinks of anthropogenic CO2. In addition, influences from biospheric processes and anthropogenic emissions on observed CO2 variations can be distinguished using simultaneously measured O2 mixing ratios, since these processes have different O2:CO2 ratios. Over the past decade, the global network of stations monitoring atmospheric O2 in addition to CO2 has been growing continuously and also become more representative due to the addition of continental stations. Data from these stations allow better constraining of fluxes from regional to continental scales, but due to the proximity of highly variable local (e.g. anthropogenic) sources and sinks additional effort is needed to interpret the measurements. This thesis deals with two aspects that are important for improving the ability to utilize those data: First, the characterization of anthropogenic sources, their spatial and temporal variability and their influence on the atmospheric composition, and second, the use of airborne measurements to characterize the spatial variability of fluxes in between the ground-based monitoring stations. In the first part of this thesis, the possibility to use simultaneous atmospheric O2 and CO2 measurements for identifying different types of emission sources is investigated. The second part deals with the use and improvement of airborne measurements of atmospheric oxygen, by presenting results from an aircraft campaign in the Amazon forest and the development of a new instrument for in-situ O2 measurements onboard research aircraft.


We study the ratchet model with both thermal and potential fluctuations, discussing analytically the coherence resonance of the particle moving in such a potential field. It is found that the correlation between the thermal and potential fluctuations has significant effect on the coherence of the system, i.e. negative correlation enhances the coherence of the system greatly, and with positive correlation, there appears the phenomenon that the coherence suppression and enhancement occur alternatively as the additive noise becomes larger.


The present study was undertaken to characterize pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] hybrids and their parents on the basis of morphological descriptors with the objective to identify key diagnostic characters of the genotypes. A set of 24 pearl millet genotypes (7 hybrids and their 17 parental lines) was evaluated in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications at two locations, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCS HAU) Hisar and Regional Research Station (RRS) Bawal (Rewari) under irrigated and rainfed conditions, respectively, during kharif, 2011. Observations were recorded for 28 morphological and yield characters. All genotypes were classified into different groups based on each character. Nodal pubescence, nodal pigmentation, spike shape, spike density, spike tip sterility, sheath pubescence and spikelet glum colour distinguished all the 24 genotypes by assigning them key diagnostic features that would certainly help the plant breeders, seed growers and seed certification agencies to use these diagnostic characters. Hybrids HHB 216, HHB 226, HHB 117 could be differentiated by bristle length, spikelet glume colour and spike tip sterility. Majority of the morphological characters found to be dominant in the hybrids were contributed by the male parent.

 Key words: Pearl millet, morphological descriptor, characterization, key diagnostic character.


The fnr gene of Escherichia coli encodes a transcriptional activator (FNR) which is required for the expression of a number of genes involved in anaerobic respiratory pathways. From the study of a translational fusion of fnr to the gene for beta-galactosidase (lacZ) it has been concluded that the fnr gene is expressed under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions and is subject to autoregulation and repression by glucose, particularly during anaerobic growth. These findings imply that during anaerobiosis the FNR protein adopts an active conformation, in which it functions both as a repressor of the fnr gene and as an activator of fnr-dependent genes. Sequences in the 5' non-coding region of fnr which could be involved in autoregulation are discussed. The fnr coding region was cloned into an expression vector which has allowed an amplification of FNR synthesis such that it accounts for about 2% of total cell protein. The ability to over-produce FNR in this way should be very useful for future biochemical studies.


SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ long afterglow phosphors with one-dimensional nanostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal method followed by post-annealing, and subsequently CdS was uniformly coated on their surfaces by a sol-gel approach. The nanocomposite system can significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange and hexavalent chromium under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. After the modification treatment with a 1 : 2 molar ratio of CdS to SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ nanophosphors, the degradation rate of methyl orange can increase by 2.5 times and reach a maximum of 96.3% under visible light illumination for 30 min. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity originates from the improvement of light usage efficiency due to the hole migration from SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ phosphors to the CdS semiconductor and the reutilization of SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+ luminescence.


The intravascular approach to cardiovascular surgery is extending the indications for the aging population. Because transaortic aortic valve replacement does not require opening the chest, the procedure benefits high-risk patients including the elderly. The introduction of open stenting to distal arch replacement and the hybrid approach to thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair significantly reduced surgical invasiveness. Well-established beating-heart surgery for coronary artery bypass grafting has become common in Japan. It is also contributing to reducing the risk to the aging population. Meticulous perioperative care for older patients, especially screening for vascular complications, is mandatory. Arterial diseases including those of the coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arteries frequently occur in the elderly. The precise identification of risk factors and adequate perioperative care of complications are keys to the successful management of older patients who undergo cardiovascular surgery.


The decision to avoid a gradual salinization and swamping requires understanding the origin and the extent of salinity as well as quantity and up-to-date information of the area. Processing and interpretation of imagery satellite and regional analysis of statistical data such as electrical conductivity and groundwater table level variation can be used in recognition the salinity and swamp lands. In this study, with generating the historic and existing land use map and quantitative analysis of salinity index parameters, the effectiveness of the remote sensing using satellite landsat TM and ETM+ sensors from the summer of 1992 and 2002 was illustrated. This research also showed the quantitative variation in salinity and swamp land surface of Behshahr plain in the period of 19862002. The result showed an increase in the saline land area and lands with drawdown in the groundwater table level for the expressed period. The results were consistent with the analysis based on the results of the interpretation of satellite images such as increase in classes of salty land use, rainfed– salty land use, decrease in irrigated agricultural and orchards, and increase in the rainfed farming lands.


A PIN-photodiode bipolar-transistor optical receiver for the 1.1-1.6 μm wavelength range capable of operation up to 320 Mbit/s is described. Low input capacitance and high DC transistor current gain are shown to be important in achieving good sensitivity, and these factors are emphasised in the design of the receiver and the devices used. Error-rate measurements show a receiver sensitivity of -34.5 dBm at 280 Mbit/s.


Grains known as foods that contain purine. The existence of purines can cause gout patients/ hyperuricemia increased levels of uric acid in the blood. High levels of uric acid cause gout arthritis. This study aims to determine the increase in uric acid levels in male rats (Rattus norvegicus) by the intake of various types of grain. Male rats per group were given intake melinjo (Gnemon gnetum), soy (Glycine max), white rice (Oryza sativa), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), green beans (Vigna radiata), and BR1 (as control). Long treatment for 15 days. Calculation of uric acid levels in male rats at the start of the day to 0, 5, 10, and 15. The measurement results showed that rats with intake a diet melinjo seeds have elevated levels of uric acid highest is 20 mg/dl and the lowest is peanuts (7,2 mg/dl), while control is 4,2 mg/dl. The amount of uric acid content in rats with grain intake showed a high purine content. This study concluded that contribute grain in elevated uric acid levels are highest is melinjo, rice, green beans, soybeans, red beans, and peanuts.


A search strategy is proposed to find the best compromise among several extremes obtained from structure-activity relationships. The global optimum is established by evaluating the functions at the relative optimum points and selecting the most extreme of all solutions obtained. The example deals with the activity of rifamycin derivatives against a rifamycin-MS-resistant mutant of Staphylococcus aureus.


The Reverse Zeldovich Approximation (RZA) is a reconstruction method which allows to estimate the cosmic displacement field from galaxy peculiar velocity data and to constrain initial conditions for cosmological simulations of the Local Universe. In this paper, we investigate the effect of different observational errors on the reconstruction quality of this method. For this, we build a set of mock catalogues from a cosmological simulation, varying different error sources like the galaxy distance measurement error (0 - 20%), the sparseness of the data points, and the maximum catalogue radius (3000 - 6000 km/s). We perform the RZA reconstruction of the initial conditions on these mock catalogues and compare with the actual initial conditions of the simulation. We also investigate the impact of the fact that only the radial part of the peculiar velocity is observationally accessible. We find that the sparseness of a dataset has the highest detrimental effect on RZA reconstruction quality. Observational distance errors also have a significant influence, but it is possible to compensate this relatively well with Wiener Filter reconstruction. We also investigate the effect of different object selection criteria and find that distance catalogues distributed randomly and homogeneously across the sky (such as spiral galaxies selected for the Tully-Fisher method) allow for a higher reconstruction quality than if when data is preferentially drawn from massive objects or dense environments (such as elliptical galaxies). We find that the error of estimating the initial conditions with RZA is always dominated by the inherent non-linearity of data observed at z=0 rather than by the combined effect of the observational errors. Even an extremely sparse dataset with high observational errors still leads to a good reconstruction of the initial conditions on a scale of about 5 Mpc/h.


From the seventeenth century onwards, there has
been a spectacular growth of scientific knowledge. Should we
expect this growth to continue at the same pace? Would that be
possible without an equally spectacular increase in expenditure?
How should politicians in a democratic state rationally determine
the appropriate level of public investment in scientific research?
This prize essay provides tentative answers to these burning issues.


Power Pacing is one of the most popular programs in today's fitness industry. The benefits of this type of indoor cycling to overall conditioning and cardiovascular endurance make it one of the best exercise options available to serious fitness enthusiasts. Because Power Pacing is both aerobic and anaerobic, many experts believe it is the ultimate workout. Here is your chance to learn all about this combination of athletic racing, strength training, rhythmic movements, and visualization. "Power Pacing for Indoor Cycling" is the first book available on group indoor cycling and gives you step-by-step instructions on how you can benefit from these nonimpact, full-body workouts. Choose from 11 workouts and 30 drills that vary in intensity and are based on your personal fitness goals. Throughout the book you will find exercise instruction, motivational tips, and sample programs based on real-life experiences from highly acclaimed instructors.The book features 113 photos showing you safe and correct cycling techniques to maximize endurance gains. You will also learn 48 strength exercises specially designed for indoor cycling to give you a full-body workout and overall conditioning. Furthermore, the book covers mind-body training and visualization, a combination unique to Power Pacing since most other fitness trends tend to fail to keep the body and mind inspired. Whether you're looking for a great new way to stay in shape, cycle year-round, or just want to add a little variety to your workouts, "Power Pacing for Indoor Cycling" has all the information you need. Use it to create a custom fitness program tailored to your individual needs.


We placed a superficial serratus anterior plane catheter in an elderly woman with dementia and elevated clotting times who presented with multiple rib fractures after a mechanical fall. She was not a surgical candidate, and treatment consisted of conservative management with physical therapy and pain control. She was not a candidate for a patient-controlled analgesia regimen because of her dementia. Given her elevated international normalized ratio, thoracic epidural and paravertebral analgesia was also contraindicated. We placed an ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane catheter, allowing titratable continuous infusion in a trauma patient, resulting in excellent analgesia without adverse effects.


The paper sought to shade light on the causes of climatic change, to what extent land use has contributed to climatic change and how this will impact on food security. Global warming is likely to reduce agricultural production and increase food insecurity in the Tropics. Of recent in Uganda, deforestation, combustion of fossil fuels, and production of agricultural commodities such as rice and livestock have caused atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases to rise significantly. "Greenhouse" gases absorb energy radiated from Earth to space and warm the atmosphere. The paper sought to research on the causes of climatic change that seem to be both "manmade and natural, the impact of climatic change on food security and find out policy actions that could be undertaken to reduce on Climatic change. Evidence in Uganda (According to National Environmental Management Authority) show that the rate at which the climate is changing in Uganda is alarming. The research study was empirical as the researchers used first hand information from the various stake holders. Data was obtained through interviewing, observation and reviewing of relevant literature. Findings of the study are that human factors have contributed significantly to climate change. These manmade contributions can be seen in aspects of Deforestation, land degradation, increased industrialization, un controlled population and the need to tap gravity water. All these have contributed to food insecurity.


Pea rust, which is caused by Uromyces viciae-fabae (Pers.) de Bary has become the important pathogen since last decade and results in significant yield losses in India. The experiment was conducted during the 2006 to 2010 crop seasons on the survivability on rust of field pea under in vitro condition at Pantnagar, India. The results indicated that maximum urediospores germination was recorded from 2006 to 2010 in the month of April followed by May and June. However the number of uredinia on assayed plant indicated apparent survival of urediospores increased dramatically in the viable germination test of urediospore in June, July and August in the year 2008 to 2009. The urediospore survived at 10°C for four months in infected crop debris followed by 5 and 20°C, while failed to survive at temperature (30 to 40°C). Crop debris at different depths revealed that survivability of urediospore declined sharply over period of time as well as increased in the depth of placement. Maximum survivability of fungus was recorded in samples buried at 10 cm followed by 5, 15 and 20 cm deep, respectively. However, the urediospore failed to survive at any depth beyond 4 weeks in 2007 and 2008.

 Key words: Uromyces viciae-fabae, survivability, urediospore, aeciospores.


Venus is completely enveloped by clouds. The main cloud layers stretch from altitudes of 48 – 75 km, with additional tenuous hazes found at altitudes 30 – 100 km. Clouds play a crucial role in governing atmospheric circulation, chemistry and climate on all planets, but particularly so on Venus due to the optical thickness of the atmosphere. The European Space Agency's Venus Express (VEx) satellite has carried out a wealth of observations of Venus clouds since its arrival at Venus in April 2006. Many VEx observations are relevant to cloud science – from imagers and spectrometers to solar, stellar and radio occultation – each covering different altitude ranges, spectral ranges and atmospheric constituents.
We have formed an International Team at the International Space Science Institute to bring together scientists from each of the relevant Venus Express investigation teams as well as from previous missions, as well as those developing computational and analytical models of clouds and hazes. The aims of the project are (1) to perform intercomparisons of cloud parameters measured using different techniques, (1) to create self-consistent reference cloud/haze models which capture not only a mean cloud structure but also its main modes of variability; and (2) to bring together modelers and observers, to reach an understanding of clouds and hazes on Venus which matches all observables and is physically consistent.
This talk will present an overview of Venus Express cloud observations of all different types, and discuss progress towards a new reference cloud model to be submitted to an update of the Venus International Reference Atmosphere.


Introduction: Vietnamese American women (VAW) are diagnosed and die at twice the rate than White non-Hispanic American women (16.8/100,000 vs. 8.1/100,000 and 4.4/100,000 vs. 2.4/100,000, respectively). Despite efforts to increase cervical cancer (CC) screening among VAW, the participation rates are persistently low (69% to 81%). The purpose of this study was to explore health care providers' (HCPs) perspectives on barriers and facilitators to CC screening in VAW. Method: This qualitative descriptive pilot study, used open-ended semistructured interviews with 10 HCPs. Results: The HCPs had two to 23 years treating VAW. Major barriers and facilitators identified by the HCPs were as follows: VAW's decision making about CC screening; sexual health divide; language discordance, relying on interpreters; breaking suspicion; VAW's exposure to health sources of CC screening; sustainable trust; and motivated health care practices. Discussion: HCPs perceived the reasons for VAW not being screened or delaying CC screening were due to their lack of knowledge, cultural barriers, language, and issues related to trust.


In this paper, a design framework for synthesizing sliding-mode output-feedback controllers for plants with matched and mismatched uncertainties is presented. Static-output-feedback (SOF) and compensator-based sliding-mode controllers are proposed. The switching-surface design problem is formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) from a polytopic perspective, as an SOF problem with mismatched uncertainties. The control law consists of linear and nonlinear components. A convex subset of the complex left half-plane is defined by the designer in order to place the closed-loop eigenvalues when synthesizing numerically the linear component using LMIs through a polytopic formulation. The nonlinear part takes into account matched uncertainties or nonlinearities. Design studies demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed controllers.


LexisNexis Questions & Answers - Contract Law provides an understanding of contract law and gives a clear and systematic approach to analysing and answering problem and exam questions. Each chapter commences with a summary of the relevant cases and identification of the key issues. Each question is followed by a suggested answer plan, a sample answer and comments on how the answer might be assessed by an examiner. The author also offers advice on common errors to avoid and practical hints and tips on how to achieve higher marks.


ABSTRACT Little information is available regarding the non-phlebotomine Psychodidae Newman, 1834 of French Guiana. Psychodid specimens were sorted from samples collected during the recent "Our Planet Reviewed" Guyane-2015 expedition in the Mitaraka range. Males and females of two genera of tribe Maruinini Enderlein, 1937, Polletomyia subulata n. gen., n. sp. and Myiomystax trilineata n. gen., n. sp., are described and illustrated. Characters pertinent to assessing relationships among genera of Maruinini are discussed.


The present randomized controlled trial examines the effects of yoga, as opposed to general physical education (PE) and passive controls, on the motor skills and self-esteem of Tunisian kindergarten children. Fifty-four children (24 females, 30 males; age 5.2 ± 0.6 years; weight 17.8 ± 2.3 kg; height 103.1 ± 5.0 cm; BMI 17.26 ± 0.46 kg/m2) were randomly divided into three groups of 18 (yoga, PE, and controls), and blindly administered the Eurofit physical fitness test battery and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale prior to and after 12 weeks. During this period, the yoga and PE groups attended two weekly yoga and PE sessions of 30 minutes each, respectively. At T0, no significant differences between the groups were observed (p > 0.660). Repeated-measures analysis of variance associated yoga with higher levels of motor skills (p < 0.05; effect size for arm strength [ηp2] = 0.17, leg strength [ηp2] = 0.17, flexibility [ηp2] = 0.33; speed [ηp2] = 0.61, and balance [ηp2] = 0.19) and global self-esteem in comparison to the PE and control groups (p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.42). Twelve weeks of kindergarten-based yoga appears to improve self-esteem and motor skills in 5-year-old children. The yoga intervention as a school routine seems to enhance development, health, and the well-being of children.