In all religions, the first act of man is to insure his place where he lives. This act, in fact is a gesture that sometimes obeys to an unconscious law which are governed by a tradition whose souvenir has been lost. The human settlement which is the object of this study is the Ibadhite city "K'sar". If we try to look at these cities in particular, we are then susceptible to notice a series of traditions (inspired by the Islamic religion) that sometimes speaks to the spirit than the written one. The interaction between the whole of legal dispositions "La Shari'a" (religious law,) and the construction process has created a model of urban and architectural traditional culture. This model of urban and architectural culture typically Islamic covers notions related to a particular space organization coming from precepts of Islam as a revealed laws governing the life in its totality and especially that of the Ibadhite K'sar (the city) assembly place of all the believers. The objective of this study is to know and to identify the knowledge that has produced this architectural and urban traditional culture, then to see how to apply it on the contemporary city to insure a positive experience continuity and inheritance of the past. The used approach to reach the objectives, mentioned above was influenced by the investigation of ancient documents, notably the ancient manuscripts and historical annals, this approach rests essentially on two types of investigation: (1.) Study and investigation of the ancient manuscripts and historical annals that can put the light on the construction process of the Ibadhites K'sar (city), here the areas of the fiqh (Islamic law), Urf (common law) and Shari'a (revealed law) have proven their efficiency to lighten and at the same time to solve raised problems in the course of the construction process ofthe Ibadhite K'sar. (2.) Urban and architectural analysis of the Ghardaia K'sar that has no sudden large changes, to see how the social value system, the regulation system and the inspired legal positions of Shari 'a, have changed the framework of the built form of the lbadhlte K'sar.


OBJECTIVES
In affective disorders, dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a frequently observed phenomenon. Subtle changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functioning caused by polymorphisms of the GR gene (NR3C1) may be at the base of the altered reaction of the HPA axis to stress and subsequently related to the development and course of affective disorders. The aim of our study is to evaluate associations between GR gene polymorphisms and bipolar disorder (BD).

METHODS
In this study, 245 patients with BD were interviewed to confirm diagnosis and BD subtype. Data on medication use and sociodemographic details were also collected. The control group consisted of 532 healthy blood donors, from which data on sex and age were collected. To perform genotyping, blood was collected from all patients and healthy controls.

RESULTS
A trend was found for a protective effect of the exon 9beta polymorphism (p = 0.14) and the TthIIII polymorphism (p < 0.05) on the manifestation of the disease. These effects were significantly influenced by male gender for both polymorphisms. Patients with BD and the A/G variant in exon 9beta had significantly fewer manic and hypomanic episodes than noncarriers (p < 0.05). No further associations were found with the other investigated GR gene polymorphisms and BD. These findings were not corrected for multiple comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the exon 9beta polymorphism and the TthIIII polymorphism of the GR gene may be associated with a protective effect on the clinical manifestation and course in patients with BD. Furthermore, no associations were found between the other studied GR gene polymorphisms and this disease.


: Among the multiple serotonin receptors identified to date, the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A subtype is among the best known because selective ligands have been available for more than 15 years. Radioactive derivatives of these ligands make it possible to demonstrate the presence of 5-HT1A binding sites mainly in the limbic areas and in the raphe nuclei in the brain, where they correspond to post-synaptic receptors and pre-synaptic autoreceptors respectively. On stimulation of 5-HT1A autoreceptors, they regulate serotonin release in the distal regions of the neuron by inhibitory firing activity. In this way, they help to maintain the serotonin in the terminal regions at physiological levels, which favors correct neuronal functioning. This review article summarizes key data on localization, study technique, molecular biology, signal transduction, differential functional properties of pre-synaptic versus post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors, and behavioral effects and clinical correlates of their activation, especially cognitive and emotional responses. Mention is made about the role of these receptors in the neurogenesis process of certain brain areas and of the possible clinical and therapeutic implications of these processes.


This paper presents the cognitive architecture Con-SCIS (conceptual space based cognitive imitation system), which tightly links low-level data processing with knowledge representation in the context of imitation learning. We use the word imitate to refer to the paradigm of program-level imitation: we are interested in the final effects of actions on objects, and not on the particular kinematic or dynamic properties of the motion. The same architecture is used both to analyze and represent the task to be imitated, and to perform the imitation by generalizing in novel and different circumstances. The implemented experimental scenario is a simplified two-dimensional world populated with various objects in which observation/imitation takes place. During the observation phase, the user shows her/his hand while performing arbitrary tasks of manipulating objects in front of a single calibrated camera. The task is then segmented into meaningful units and its properties (objects' color and shape, their absolute position and orientation, relations between objects) are represented into high-level symbolic terms. In the imitation phase, the symbolic information is employed to drive the robot's actions. To validate our approach, we report some results concerned with the problem of teaching a humanoid hand/arm robotic system tasks of assembling different workspace objects


INTRODUCTION:Studies indicated that 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASA) may influence the metabolism of thiopurines; however, conclusions were restricted as a result of number of patients or study design.AIM:To determine the influence of 5-ASA on thiopurine metabolism, we performed a prospective multicenter pharmacokinetic interaction study of two different 5-ASA dosages (2 g daily followed by 4 g daily) in 26 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during steady-state AZA or 6-MP therapy.RESULTS:The 4-wk coadministration of 2 g 5-ASA daily, followed by a 4-wk period of 4 g 5-ASA daily, led to a statistical significant increase of 40% (absolute 84 pmol/8 × 108 RBC) and 70% (absolute 154 pmol/8 × 108 RBC) in 6-thioguaninenucleotide levels (6-TGN), respectively. A rise in 6-TGN levels was observed in 100% of patients after a 4-wk period of 4 g 5-ASA daily. The 6-methylmercaptopurine-ribonucleotide levels did not change. Signs of myelotoxicity were observed in 7.7% of patients (N = 2).CONCLUSIONS:The level of the pharmacologically active 6-TGN significantly increases in a dose-dependent manner during 5-ASA coadministration. IBD patients who are unresponsive or refractory to standard thiopurine therapy may benefit from the coadministration of 5-ASA, leading to an increase in 6-TGN levels.


The traffic data collection system for floating car is composed of two important parts that are the car equipment and the monitoring system in the center. The hardware of car equipment is composed of ARM board, GPS module, GPRS communication module, memory card, power, USB interface, display interface, audio interface and so on. In the software system of car equipment, the methods for receiving GPS data and connecting GPRS network are discussed. In order to improve the monitoring precision in the center, the map-matching algorithm based on the D-S evidence reasoning theory is used to correct the error of GPS data. The practical applications show that the system design methods are valid.


Malignant external otitis represents a severe, progressive Pseudomonas infection. Although it begins locally in the external auditory canal, it may invade soft tissues and bone and lead to parotitis, mastoiditis, cranial nerve palsies, meningitis, and death. Elderly diabetics appear most vulnerable, but it is thought that any impairment of host resistance may predispose to this disease. Early diagnosis with prompt administration of antibiotics and surgical intervention can prove lifesaving.


This article explores volunteering in relation to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), which took place in Stockholm in 2016 and in Kyiv in 2017, with the aim of shedding light on volunteering as a form of "media work". Following from this, the article aims to problematize the theoretical concept of free labour and analyse the symbolic exchanges and currencies involved in employing a "free" labour force. Through interviews with volunteers, this article explores what volunteers at huge media events do, how their work is organized, and what motivates them. The empirical basis for this article is an interview study with volunteers and volunteer organizers of the ESC in Stockholm (May 2016) and in Kyiv (May 2017), complemented with a document analysis of volunteer guidebooks and organizational reports. The article shows that eventfulness is an essential part of what volunteer labour brings to an event such as the ESC. It is also a key element in the production of economic value: eventfulness is a currency that expresses the value of the event itself and is a key feature of place branding. Furthermore, eventfulness – along with the feeling of being a part of an event, of something bigger, as it unfolds in time – is a key feature of the motivation for the volunteers who contribute with unpaid labour. As such, eventfulness can also be understood as a form of currency or symbolic capital that forms the main remuneration or "wage" earned by volunteers at an event such as the ESC.


Cancer is a genetic disorder in the first place. Therefore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) based discovery of somatically acquired genetic variants has gained widespread attention. Computational prediction of somatic variants, however, is affected by a variety of confounding factors. In addition to the uncertainties that one commonly encounters also in germline variation prediction, such as misplaced and/or inaccurate read alignments, cancer heterogeneity and impure samples significantly add to the issues. Overall, this hampers state-of-the-art indel discovery tools to discover somatic indels at operable performance rates, although they perform excellently when calling germline indels. While affecting all size ranges, both common and cancer-specific problems interfere in particularly unfavorable ways in the prediction of somatic midsize (30-150 bp) insertions and deletions. Here, we present a latent variable model that can take the major confounding factors and uncertainties into a unifying account. Using this modeling framework, we first demonstrate how to efficiently compute the probability for a (putative) indel to be somatic, thereby resolving a principled computational runtime bottleneck in Bayesian uncertainty quantification. Second, we show how to reliably estimate the allele frequencies for a given list of indels. Third, we also present an intuitive and effective way to control the false discovery rate, an issue in genetic variant discovery that has been found notoriously hard to deal with. As a tool that implements all methodology developed, we present PROSIC (PROcessing Somatic Indel Calls). PROSIC achieves significant improvements in particular in terms of recall when applied to deletion call sheets, as provided by prevalent state-of-the-art tools, in comparison to their integrated somatic indel calling routines. The software is publicly available at https://prosic.github.io and can be easily installed via https://bioconda.github.io.


The primary purpose of the study was to explore how funding affected service delivery among Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) in Johannesburg, given the important role these organizations play in contributing to social development in South Africa. The study was undertaken among 15 NPO organizations based in Johannesburg and located in various service fields. A semi-structured interview schedule comprising open-ended and close- ended questions was utilized to collect information. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze closed-ended questions whilst thematic content analysis was used to analyze open-ended items. The main finding that emerged from the study was that NPOs that were surveyed suffered from a diversity of challenges emanating from insufficient and at times delayed funding, particularly by state departments such as the Department of Social Development. The problems faced by these NPOs were found to be predominantly human resources related. These organizations were unable to attract skilled professional staff because their funds did not permit them to offer market-related packages. In addition, these NPOs suffered from high labour turnover because employees tended to leave these organizations in pursuit of greener pastures in government departments and the private sector. The sector also experienced inadequately funded programmes and an inability to expand their services to the wider populations due to inadequate funding. The NPOs that were surveyed had not engaged in entrepreneurial activities on a scale sufficiently extensive to wean them off donor funding or over-reliance on such funding. Self-sustainability was found to be still in the embryonic stage. Moreover, the relationship between the sector and the state was found to be characterized by a lack of faith and confidence on the part of the NPOs surveyed, suggesting a 'troubled' partnership between the two. The findings of the study suggest the need for the research project to be replicated on a wider sample in different provinces. Since the study focused on formally registered NPOs in terms of the Nonprofit Organizations Act of 1997, future research needs to investigate the funding challenges faced by smaller mainly informal/ unregistered community-based organizations that form an integral part of the nonprofit sector in South Africa and offer an array of services to their communities. Furthermore, the findings of this study could potentially be used as a basis for policy formulation and analysis by policy makers as they appear to have implications for re-assessing funding policies in respect of NPOs.


Adulteration of virgin olive oil with less expensive oils is a serious problem for the public and quality control evaluators of olive oil. That is why olive oil authenticity has become a major issue for producers, consumers, and policy makers. In order to avoid fraud to consumers, it is crucial to study the traceability of olive oil. This review covers 2 important techniques, analytical, and molecular methods, used to characterize olive oil and detect possible adulteration. Several analytical techniques are discussed for the detection of olive oil adulteration by analyzing minor and major compounds of olive oil. However, the chemical composition of olive oil can dramatically change due to the environmental and processing conditions. For this reason, the DNA-based technologies are gaining greater attention now because they are not influenced by environmental conditions and provide an opportunity for direct comparison of different genetic materials. In this review, we emphasize the great potential of different authenticity methods and discuss their practical implementation in olive oil traceability.


Whilst the addition of dexamethasone to upfront therapy with immunomodulatory (IMiD®) agents in myeloma (MM) is important to mediate rapid reduction in disease burden, preliminary findings suggest that the NK stimulatory effects of IMiD® compounds are best harnessed without the co-administration of dexamethasone. This may be especially effective in the setting of minimal disease burden (i.e. maintenance) when some inherent immune recovery has occurred, however this has yet to be confirmed in a prospective clinical trial.
 Aims:
 To evaluate the effect of maintenance with pomalidomide (POM) alone versus POM-low dose dexamethasone (LoDEX) following treatment with POM-LoDEX induction on progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and kinetics of response (overall response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR)) in relapsed/refractory MM patients who were refractory to lenalidomide (R-LEN).
 Methods:
 MM14 was a multicentre, open-label, randomised phase 2 study of relapsed R-LEN MM patients who had received at least 2 prior lines of therapy. Patients commenced POM 4mg d1-21 (28d cycle) and LoDEX (40mg weekly). After 4 cycles (induction), patients with stable disease (SD) or better were randomised to receive POM alone (P) or combined with LoDEX (Pd) as maintenance. Therapy continued until toxicity/progression. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software v9.4. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival distributions in the maintenance arms and pre-specified pointwise comparisons, with adjustment for multiplicity, were used to explore the possibility of non-proportional hazards.
 Results:
 154 patients from 11 Australian sites were enrolled (M:F 80:74), median age: 67yrs (range 35-88). Median number of prior treatment lines: 4.5 (2-14). All were R-LEN, 127 (82.5%) were bortezomib refractory (double refractory).
 Median follow-up for all registered patients was 27.8m. Median PFS for all patients was 4.5m (IQR 2.3-8.3m) and median OS was 14.5m (IQR 6.7-30.7m). ORR was 40.9% (63/154); median time to achieve ORR was 4.6 months. CBR was 53.3% (82/154); median time to achieve CBR was 2.6m.
 Eighty-one patients were randomised; however 3 were randomised in error. Therefore, a modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis included 78 (51%) patients who achieved ≥SD with induction and commenced maintenance: P = 40, Pd = 38. Median PFS (from time of randomisation) for P was 2.58m versus 5.73m for Pd (p=0.051) [Figure A]. Comparison of PFS at six 3-monthly intervals favoured Pd (from 3m to 12m) (p<0.00001), however at 18m, P was favoured (p=0.018). Median OS (from time of randomisation) was 25.6m for P versus 17.4m for Pd (p=0.356) [Figure B]. Comparisons of survival at six 3-monthly time points demonstrated no difference between the arms at months 3-12, however at 15m and 18m, survival favoured P (p=0.006 and p=0.02 respectively).
 There was no difference in response (ORR, CBR) between P and Pd in the mITT population: ORR P (8/21) versus Pd (8/18), CBR P (12/21) versus Pd (11/18). In a landmark analysis for response achieved (ORR/CBR) at 4 months post registration, there was no difference in PFS or OS for patients within either arm according to whether they achieved ORR/CBR.
 Of the mITT population (n=78), 39 had post-progression therapy data available (P = 21, Pd = 18). Of the remainder, 18 were palliated and 21 did not have available data. There was no difference in response (ORR, CBR) to salvage therapy between the two arms. However, responses were more durable for P compared to Pd: median second PFS (from start of post-progression therapy) was 12.7m versus 4.6m respectively (p=0.034) [Figure C]. P tended towards superior OS (from start of post-progression therapy): median 19.4m versus 12.5m (p=0.0922) [Figure D]. There was no difference in PFS/OS between individual treatment groups (bortezomib, carfilzomib, chemotherapy, thalidomide, LEN, other).
 Conclusion:
 After initial disease control with POM-LoDEX, MM patients continuing with POM-LoDEX had superior PFS compared to maintenance with POM alone. However, this early PFS benefit is lost and in fact reversed by 18m; and in those randomised patients who went on to receive post-progression therapy, more durable responses and superior survival were seen in those previously treated with POM alone. Correlative studies are underway to investigate the immunological mechanisms behind these observations.

 Kalff: Janssen: Honoraria; Amgen: Other: travel to preceptorship; Celgene: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Reynolds:Novartis: Equity Ownership, Other: former employee of Novartis AG and holds stock in the company. . Quach:Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen Cilag: Consultancy; Sanofi Genzyme: Research Funding. Ho:Amgen: Honoraria; Celgene: Other: Travel to meeting; Janssen: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Other: travel to meeting. Mollee:Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Estell:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


Motivation: Machine learning may be the most popular computational tool in molecular biology. Providing sustained performance estimates is challenging. The standard cross-validation protocols usually fail in biology. Park and Marcotte found that even refined protocols fail for protein–protein interactions (PPIs). Results: Here, we sketch additional problems for the prediction of PPIs from sequence alone. First, it not only matters whether proteins A or B of a target interaction A–B are similar to proteins of training interactions (positives), but also whether A or B are similar to proteins of non-interactions (negatives). Second, training on multiple interaction partners per protein did not improve performance for new proteins (not used to train). In contrary, a strictly non-redundant training that ignored good data slightly improved the prediction of difficult cases. Third, which prediction method appears to be best crucially depends on the sequence similarity between the test and the training set, how many true interactions should be found and the expected ratio of negatives to positives. The correct assessment of performance is the most complicated task in the development of prediction methods. Our analyses suggest that PPIs square the challenge for this task. Availability and implementation: Datasets used in our analyses are available at https://rostlab.org/ owiki/index.php/PPI_challenges Contact: email@example.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Interference is the major limiting factor in the performance of wireless cellular systems, introducing an error floor and restricting the number of users. Antenna power control is an important method to mitigate interference, but current ad hoc power control schemes cannot at the same time be optimal, fast and able to accommodate many practical constraints. We formulate the general power control problem for both CDMA and FDMA systems, and transform it into a convex optimization problem with efficient algorithms. For the widely used propagation model, the convex optimization formulation optimizes the quality of service and controls interference in an optimal, fast and versatile way.


This thesis deals with the synchronization of digital communication systems. Synchronization (from the Greek syn (together) and chronos (time)) denotes the task of making two systems running at the same time. In communication systems, the synchronization of the transmitter and the receiver requires to accurately estimate a number of parameters such as the carrier frequency and phase offsets, the timing epoch... In the early days of digital communications, synchronizers used to operate in either data-aided (DA) or non-data-aided (NDA) modes. However, with the recent advent of powerful coding techniques, these conventional synchronization modes have been shown to be unable to properly synchronize state-of-the-art receivers. In this context, we investigate in this thesis a new family of synchronizers referred to as code-aided (CA) synchronizers. The idea behind CA synchronization is to take benefit from the structure of the code used to protect the data to improve the estimation quality achieved by the synchronizers. In a first part of the thesis, we address the issue of turbo synchronization, i.e., the iterative synchronization of continuous parameters. In particular, we derive several mathematical frameworks enabling a systematic derivation of turbo synchronizers and a deeper understanding of their behavior. In a second part, we focus on the so-called CA hypothesis testing problem. More particularly, we derive optimal solutions to deal with this problem and propose efficient implementations of the proposed algorithms. Finally, in a last part of this thesis, we derive theoretical lower bounds on the performance of turbo synchronizers.


The aim of this study is to determine students' use of plural in speaking in an EFL context. To this end, 48 students' speaking exams, which were recorded during the oral exams in 2014-2015 academic year, were transcribed by the researchers and the students' use of plural was analyzed. It is important to note that not all the input was obtained from only one exam, but rather a progressive use of plural in English was analyzed with the data obtained from three different exams. As a result of the analysis, it was found that while students can use the plural appropriately with high-frequency words, they were found to use the singular form of an item in contexts where the plural form would be more appropriate. Considering the issue from a progressive perspective, it was found that this tendency did not persist in the long-run. While students from the ELT department were found to use plural appropriately, early level students were found to use plural "s" inappropriately. It was concluded that students' L1 (Turkish) and overgeneralization of rules in L2 might interfere with their use of plural in the early level, but the effect of L1 diminishes in the upper levels.


This menu is one of a series of menus assessing vaccination requirements for patients and healthcare workers in healthcare facilities. To reduce the risk of disease transmission and outbreaks, healthcare facilities across the country are increasingly requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated for certain vaccine-preventable diseases.1 In some instances, facilities are establishing these requirements under mandates set forth by state statutes or regulations. Depending on the vaccine, the legal requirements might apply to either patients, healthcare workers, or both, and can include the following types of provisions:


The lifespan of refractory results from a complex interaction between chemistry, thermal conditions, and mechanics. The development of numerical models able to predict the results of such complex multi-physics couplings requires an intensive use of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes framework. Today, the main barriers to reach fully predictive simulations are: the access to relevant data at high temperature (chemical kinetics, chemical expansion coefficient, etc), the numerical complexity and the computational time. The theoretical framework is briefly illustrated on refractory lining applications with a focus on the impact of the swelling induced by corrosion. Then, the numerical difficulties to ensure the numerical convergence and the accuracy of the results when solving classical partial differential equations are examined. Finally, a new approach to model the capillary impregnation by slag, based on percolation theory, is proposed. The basics of this method and the first numerical results are presented.


This study sought to examine students' thinking about history to determine the extent to which their perceptions coincided with widely held views on the subject. The study employed a mixed-method research design aimed at triangulating quantitative and qualitative data obtained from questionnaires and focus group interviews. Four hundred and fifteen participants were randomly drawn from selected secondary schools in Tobago and the east/west corridor of Trinidad. Findings of the study revealed that while students largely rejected the notion that history is boring and irrelevant to contemporary life, many of them were still reluctant to pursue the subject further at the tertiary level. This apparent reluctance seems to be influenced by the perception that history becomes increasingly cumbersome and details-laden as one advances in study. Perhaps this perception could be adjusted if students were introduced to history differently at an earlier period. This study, therefore, has implications for curriculum policy and practice regarding the appropriate time history should be introduced as a subject in the school curriculum.


phi 29 DNA replication starts at both DNA ends by a protein priming mechanism. The formation of the terminal protein-dAMP initiation complex is directed by the second nucleotide from the 3' end of the template. The transition from protein-primed initiation to normal DNA elongation has been proposed to occur by a sliding-back mechanism that is necessary for maintaining the sequences at the phi 29 DNA ends. Structure-function studies have been carried out in the phi 29 DNA polymerase. By site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids conserved among distantly related DNA polymerases we have shown that the N-terminal domain of phi 29 DNA polymerase contains the 3'-5' exonuclease activity and the strand-displacement capacity, whereas the C-terminal domain contains the synthetic activities (protein-primed initiation and DNA polymerization). Viral protein p6 stimulates the initiation of phi 29 DNA replication. The structure of the protein p6-DNA complex has been determined, as well as the main signals at the phi 29 DNA ends recognized by protein p6. The DNA binding domain of protein p6 has been studied. The results indicate that an alpha-helical structure located in the N-terminal region of protein p6 is involved in DNA binding through the minor groove. The phi 29 protein p5 is the single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) protein involved in phi 29 DNA replication, by binding to the displaced single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the replication intermediates. In addition, protein p5 is able to unwind duplex DNA. The properties of the phi 29 SSB-ssDNA complex are described. Using the four viral proteins, terminal protein, DNA polymerase, protein p6 and the SSB protein, it was possible to amplify the 19,285-bp phi 29 DNA molecule by a factor of 4000 after 1 h of incubation at 30 degrees C. The infectivity of the in vitro amplified DNA was identical to that of phi 29 DNA obtained from virions.


A lens is a bidirectional program. When read from left toright, it denotes an ordinary function that maps inputs to outputs. When read from right to left, it denotes an ''update translator'' that takes an input together with an updated output and produces a new input that reflects the update. Many variants of this idea have been explored in the literature, but none deal fully with ordered data. If, for example, an update changes the order of a list in theoutput, the items in the output list and the chunks of the input that generated them can be misaligned, leading to lost or corrupted data.
 We attack this problem in the context of bidirectional transformations over strings, the primordial ordered data type. We first propose a collection of bidirectional string lens combinators, based on familiar operations on regular transducers (union, concatenation, Kleene-star) and with a type system based on regular expressions. We then design anew semantic space of dictionary lenses, enriching the lenses of Foster et al. (2007) with support for two additional combinators for marking ''reorderable chunks'' andtheir keys. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these primitives, we describe the design and implementation of Boomerang, a full-blown bidirectional programming language with dictionary lenses at its core. We have used Boomerang to build transformers for complex real-world data format sincluding the SwissProt genomic database.
 We formalize the essential property of resourcefulness-the correct use of keys to associate chunks in the input and output-by defining a refined semantic space of quasi-oblivious lenses. Several previously studied properties of lenses turn out to have compact characterizations in this space.


The morphology, growth and physiology of oil palms (Elaeis guineensis Jacq., Deli x Nigeria variety) was characterized at different stages of development of the condition known as 'dry spear' or FS (for 'flecha seca' in Spanish), and some morpho-physiological indicators associated with a predisposition for the disorder were identified. In Costa Rica, 'FS' has symptomology very similar to spear rot or PC (pudrición del cogollo), as it was described in South America. 'PC' is a dynamic disorder of complex etiology that affects the development and physiology of palms. The symptomology ('yellowing', drying and rotting/) occurs in young leaves and in tissues near the meristem. The aerial symptoms are associated with a deteriorated fine root system. During the initial stages of the disorder in the season with the least precipitation (3.8-73 mm/month), the palms presented low water potential in the leaves, increases in stomatic conductance, reduction in foliage temperature, higher chlorophyll content and reduction of vegetative development. The loss of the fine root system was possibly the cause of the interruption of hormonal 'signals' toward the aerial part; which caused the loss of stomatic control of transpiration that led to a hydric, nutritional and energetic imbalance. The anomalous behavior of stomatic conductance and other variables (root density and petiole cross-section), described in a previous article (this journal), is an indicator that could signal conditions of predisposition to a syndrome like PC. ASD Oil Palm Papers, N° 44, 2015


Aim: The authors reviewed their experience in surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer between 2003-2008.
Methods: 82 pancreatic cancer patients (median age 66,7±12,5) with obstructive jaundice were enrolled in our study: 36 (44%) had an endoscopic biliary stent; 46 patients (56%) were eligible for surgery: 14 received a curative surgery (pancreatoduodenal resection; 4 had a laparoscopic procedure) and 32 patients with non resectable tumor a palliative surgery: 18 had a gastro-jejunal with a biliary anastomosis (in 4 patients the hepatic-jejunal anastomosis was performed in laparoscopy), 6 had a gastro-jejunal anastomosis (2 laparoscopic procedure) and 8 patients had only an explorative laparoscopy.
Results: The resectability rates was 17,1%. Median age in patients treated with endoscopic biliary stent was significantly higher than those underwent surgery (72,3±12,2 vs 63,5±9,6; p < 0,05). Hospital length of stay in patients underwent radical surgery was significantly higher than those who received palliative surgery (18±6 vs 10±5; p <0,05). Morbility rate, including operative mortality of 4,3%, was 15,2%.
Conclusions: Laparoscopy is largerly used in major oncologic surgery for several reasons: it minimized surgical manipulations and so post-operative complications. There is enough scientific evidence of low incidence of post-operative complications and long-term results compared to those achieved with traditional surgery.


The Fathimiyah caliphate, one of the Ismaili Shi'ite Islamic dynasties, in 909 AD in North Africa after defeating the Aghlabiah Dynasty in Sijilmasa. In history, the glory of Fathimiyah dynasty includes the system of government, philosophy, science and literature. After the reign of the caliph Al-Aziz Fathimiyah dynasty began to decline until the collapse. Problem formulation: How the formation of Fathimiyah dynasty. How to advance the civilization of the Fathimiyah Dynasty? How the decline and collapse of the Fathimiyah dynasty. Research Methodology: The research process is done by taking literature study from literarure, books. To discuss the results of research done by linking descriptions of literature, and books. The results show that: The founder of the Fathimiyah Dynasty was Sa'id ibn Husayn. At the end of the 9th century AD, Abu Abdullah al-Husayn al-Shi'i, one of the main propagandists of the Shiite leader of Isma'iliah, was from Yemen son of the Berber tribe in North Africa, as the main envoy of Imam Mahdi and managed to influence the Berber community. Ziyadatullah al-Aghlabi 903-909 M (Aghlabiah dynasty) is in power in North Africa centered in Sijilmasa. Having succeeded in establishing his influence in North Africa, Abu Abdullah Al-Husain wrote a letter to the Ismaili Imam, Sa'id bin Husain As-Salamiyah to leave immediately for Utar Africa. In 909 AD Sa'id proclaimed himself a priest with the title Ubaidullah Al-Mahdi. In history, the glory of Fathimiyah dynasty includes the system of government, philosophy, social conditions, scholarship and literature. The decline and disintegration of the Fathimiyah Dynasty, the caliph Fathimiyah initially controlled all activities, but among the caliphs there were those who handed the supervisory duties to the amir, because the age of the caliph was underage and did not even understand the political world. For example, after Al-Aziz died, Abu Ali Al-Mansur was eleven years old appointed to replace him with the title of Al-Hakim. The final period of the Fathimiyah Dynasty rivalry for the post of prime minister is increasingly widespread, such as Syawar with Dhargam. End of Nuruddin Mahmud's entry to help him reclaim his power from the hands of Dhargam. Al-Adhid, the last Fathimiyah caliph passed away 10 Muharram 567 H / 1171 M. then the Fatimid dynasty was destroyed after reigning for about 280 years, then Saladin holds the Caliphate. Keywords: dynasty, fathimiyah


Online marking and feedback systems are critical for providing timely and accurate feedback to students and maintaining the integrity of results in large class teaching. Previous investigations have involved much in-house development and more consideration is needed for deploying or customising off the shelf solutions. Furthermore, keeping up to date with the state of the art from both academia and industry is essential. This paper is motivated by a project aiming to identify a marking and feedback system for deployment at the authors' university. A detailed investigation is described which is open minded towards adopting or modifying an existing product, or the implementation of a new solution, with key features and shortcomings described in detail. Moodle Workshops, Turnitin GradeMark, Waypoint and WebMark were shortlisted and carried forward for user analysis testing. The outcomes have not only provided key conclusions concerning the suitability of existing solutions, but resulted in a comprehensive collection of functional requirements that leaders of new projects should consider. This paper should be of interest for anyone considering the adoption or upgrade of any marking and feedback system at their home institution.


The implementation of participatory budgeting in Buenos Aires following the crisis of December 2001 was a highly unlikely event. The different parties involved had competing and contradictory agendas that did not coincide with participatory budgeting's stated aims of extending citizen participation in government, but these interacted in a way that contingently created a space for a viable process to develop. Subsequent political shifts led to the demise of participatory budgeting, but the Buenos Aires case is nevertheless important because it highlights the way in which such processes can emerge in the absence of strong programmatic politics, thereby potentially opening new avenues for the promotion of democratic innovation.


This paper focuses on the lessons learned for design and administration of mobile Web surveys for the Spanish-dominant Hispanic population in the United States. The scholarship on completion of Web surveys has recently started to examine Web usage on mobile devices and Internet browsing patterns to better understand the behavior of mobile users. Yet, we still know little about how Spanish-dominant Hispanics in the United States use their electronic devices to answer mobile Web surveys. In this piece, we use findings from usability and cognitive interviews conducted in 2015. The interviews were part of U.S. Census Bureau tests that will inform design decisions for the 2020 Census. For this project, we recruited and interviewed Hispanic or Latino participants who reported not speaking English well, owned smartphones or tablets, reported accessing the Internet with those devices, and reported feeling somewhat or very comfortable using the Internet. We found that access to an electronic device such as those used for completing Web surveys (i.e., computers, smartphones, tablets) did not necessarily indicate full familiarity with the devices, with Internet activities (e.g., browsing, use of Internet applications) or with responding to mobile Web surveys. Moreover, we found evidence that most participants used a very limited number of Internet applications (e.g., only Facebook or Google). Future research should focus on these issues and their implications for the design of Web surveys. Advancing research on these issues is important for mobile-dependent populations who are still not familiar with answering Web surveys in general.


Background Decisions to limit treatment (DLTs) are important to protect patients from overtreatment but constitute one of the most ethically challenging situations in oncology practice. In the Ethics Policy for Advance Care Planning and Limiting Treatment study (EPAL), we examined how often DLT preceded a patient's death and how early they were determined before (T1) and after (T2) the implementation of an intrainstitutional ethics policy on DLT. Methods This prospective quantitative study recruited 1.134 patients with haematological/oncological neoplasia in a period of 2×6 months at the University Hospital of Munich, Germany. Information on admissions, discharges, diagnosis, age, DLT, date and place of death, and time span between the initial determination of a DLT and the death of a patient was recorded using a standardised form. Results Overall, for 21% (n=236) of the 1.134 patients, a DLT was made. After implementation of the policy, the proportion decreased (26% T1/16% T2). However, the decisions were more comprehensive, including more often the combination of 'Do not resuscitate' and 'no intense care unit' (44% T1/64% T2). The median time between the determination of a DLT and the patient's death was similarly short with 6 days at a regular ward (each T1/T2) and 10.5/9 (T1/T2) days at a palliative care unit. For patients with solid tumours, the DLTs were made earlier at both regular and palliative care units than for the deceased with haematological neoplasia. Conclusion Our results show that an ethics policy on DLT could sensitise for treatment limitations in terms of frequency and extension but had no significant impact on timing of DLT. Since patients with haematological malignancies tend to undergo intensive therapy more often during their last days than patients with solid tumours, special attention needs to be paid to this group. To support timely discussions, we recommend the concept of advance care planning.


Economic loss caused by natural disasters is increasing in many cities around the world. There is an increasing demand for a method that effectively measures the fragility of people flow to appropriately plan the future investment into infrastructure. Conventional methods measure the fragility of urban systems using infrastructure data such as the road and railway networks. However, these methods are costly to perform, cannot directly measure the disruption on human activities caused by disasters, nor can they be applied for individual disasters. Here, we propose a novel method that quantifies the fragility of cities through detecting the delay in commuting activities using GPS data collected from smartphones. Because commuting activities are daily routines for many people, commuting flow has little day-to-day fluctuation, which makes it an appropriate metric for detecting anomalies and disruption in urban systems. This method can be utilized in any city in the world regardless of differences in network structures or population distribution, as long as people commute on a daily basis. We validate our method in various cities for snowfall and typhoons using real datasets in Japan, and show that intuitive results can be obtained. Our method's reliability is clarified by comparing the results with conventional metrics. We also present useful analyses and applications of CityFlowFragility for urban planning and disaster management.


Born on the Isle of Mull to an impoverished lair of the clan Maclean, young Allan fought his first battle -- for Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden -- from a sense of deep conviction and family loyalty. He fled into exile when the Stuart cause was lost. In Holland he became a mercenary, and after amnesty was granted for Jacobites, he joined the British army serving in North America during the Seven Years' War, and again during hte American Revolution. He was at Quebec on New Year's Eve 1775 when the city was attacked by Benedict Arnold, and shortly thereafter become the military governor of Montreal. Between the two wars, when the army was reduced and he was on half-pay, Maclean was preoccupied with finding ways to meet the expenses he incurred while on active service. He made himself useful to politicians and office-holders who had access to public funds or who could recommend him for promotions. One who helped him was Lauchlin Macleane, an ambitious politician who was probably the notorious Junius, who wrote vicious letters to newspapers attacking the government, but was never unmasked. This fast-paced and intriguing book gives a penetrating insight into the challenges facing a man who chose a military career during the tumultuous period of the eighteenth century.


New Zealand's construction industry has seen a profound uptake in the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in recent years. BIM has proven to be beneficial to individuals during moments of the lifecycle of a building, but it has yet to play a significant role in the actual construction stage of a project.  In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in the use of Augmented Reality (AR) to provide support for BIM implementation and productivity on-site. However, current research has yet to prove the effectiveness of integrating the information from the BIM model into an AR environment. With international AR applications emerging and the improvement on AR and BIM software, it has now become feasible to test the integration of these two technologies dynamically.  This paper utilises recent developments in technology to provide a comparison of the effectiveness of information retrieval methods. A three-phase, mixed method experiment was conducted and evaluated over a one-year time frame in Wellington, New Zealand. By using a mixed method approach, the research gained multiple forms of data drawing on all possibilities. One phase involved a focus group with a variety of construction industry professionals exploring the use of BIM and how their teams work together to solve problems and tasks on-site. The second phase had twenty-four construction industry tradesmen randomly assigned to three control groups to complete clash detection tasks using different visualisation mediums. The control groups used either two-dimensional paper drawings, a BIM model on a laptop, or a BIM model in a Microsoft HoloLens to complete the information retrieval tasks. Following the task-based experiment, the control groups participated in a focus group to understand tradesmen's perceptions of the different visualisation mediums and how current processes could be improved for their understanding. Each group was assessed on a usability framework model of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction.  Based on the results of the experiments and focus groups, this research can produce evidence for determining the most effective methods for information retrieval and clash detection on-site. Can AR provide a more powerful system for construction productivity and information retrieval than paper or computer-based systems? The research does not provide a detailed solution but instead demonstrates the potential marriage between AR and BIM technologies to help evolve future building processes.


Chronic Hepatitis C Virus is a common reason for liver disease and it is the common signal for the transplantation of liver in the area of the US, Australia and in European countries. The disease included 3 percent of the total global population caused by the HCV. HCV virus, a common infection caused by blood-borne mostly seen in the US which includes 40% of chronic liver disease. Wide-reaching approx. 171 million of peoples they are infected from chronic Hepatitis C virus and some of those who are chronically infected will form cirrhosis or liver cancer, hepatic failure or hepatocellular carcinoma which leads to thousands of death every year. Despite the study of HCV for the past 15 years, our knowledge towards the infection caused by HCV has been partial by our inability to grow the virus in cell culture. There are some antiviral medicines that can cure some of the HCV infections and it will reduce the effect of death from cancer and cirrhosis but identification and treatment of Hepatitis C infection are very less. The HCV infection rate is relatively high with replication range between 1010 to 1012 virions, and a half-life of 2-4 hours. The HCV RNA mutates rapidly because of the lack of error proofreading by viral RNA polymerase. And these increases in genotype mutation and their subtypes make the research to develop HCV vaccine a challenge. As the technology is growing so vast and computational biology are one of the technology that are changing the way and methods to understand the viruses, mostly in the field of genome sequencing, epigenetics, evolution, and transcriptomic analysis, whereas NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing) provides a great platform for the researcher to get better quality and quantity in various fields. Now to get the entire genomic variation data it has been now possible for laboratory-based experiments and to investigate genetic variation and its structure, computation based mechanism and analysis of data on genomic level comes with complexity.


This volume features the writings of leading media scholars from South Asia and Europe on the topic of how media articulates political energies and transformational logics. The research traverses the press, newsreels, entertainment cinema, photography, television, music, social media and data-driven politics. The authors consider how media industries, institutions and practices constitute sites where conflicts relating to wider social change are observable. Authors address media materiality and aesthetics in tracking political effects and resonances on subjects such as wire photo transfers, film set design, the formal structures of the newsreel, the role of television audience surveys, the relationship between digital and paper records, the place of media in courts of law and the phenomenon of the media trial. The overall approach in understanding media and the political is not only to access formal institutions, both of media and politics but also to expand perspective to trace the wider dispersed appearance of the political in and through media.


The economic theory of producer behavior requires certain conditions to hold in order for a functional form to be representative of a production technology. Agricultural production studies are usually conducted using classical econometrics that do not allow for the imposition of curvature conditions in flexible functional forms. Therefore, some conditions required by economic theory do not hold globally in estimation. Some studies report the proportion of the sample for which curvature conditions do not hold, and the reader is warned about the unknown distorting effects that those data points might have on their final results.Bayesian methods allow for the imposition of first- and second-order restrictions in the estimation of flexible functional forms. We estimate a flexible representation of the US agricultural production technology using Bayesian econometrics under alternative sets of restrictions, and elaborate on the effects of the restrictions on the pdfs of the parameter estimates.


The study aimed to develop an online information system for National Service Training Program (NSTP) of Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba. It would enable the students taking up the subject to acquire information that they need though the use of internet. These include lecture modules, announcements, activities, and updates about the partner communities of the colegio. The system would improve the services provided in NSTP since it would offer satisfactory service in terms of reliability, efficiency, and usability. The proposed system was developed using the Iterative Waterfall Model while Likert Scale was used to get the total percentage of respondents for system evaluation. Based on the results of the survey conducted for system testing, the system is acceptable to the users and beneficial to the institution, organization, and students. It was found out also that there is really a need to have an online information system for NSTP of Letran Calamba since the colegio is now putting efforts to become the Center of Science and Technology in the near future.


We present a controlled quantum key distribution protocol with a certain entangled state to solve a special cryptographic task. Also, we provide a proof of security of this protocol by generalizing the proof of the modified Lo-Chau Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen scheme.


Uterine leiomyoma is the most common female benign pelvic tumor, affecting 20-25% of women during their reproductive years. There is strong clinical evidence that these tumors are estrogen-dependent for their growth, as also supported by their clear regression after the menopause. Although large clinical trials have not yet been reported, according to the estrogen dependency of uterine fibroids, LHRH agonists have been shown to be effective in the treatment of these conditions because they produce a condition of temporary hypoestrogenism secondary to the specific hypogonadotrophinism. This study was designed to evaluate if specific binding sites for LHRH are present in human uterine leiomyomata, myometrium and endometrial tissue. These tissues were taken from the fresh operative specimens of 14 patients who had undergone total hysterectomy for uterine leiomyomata. The results of this study demonstrate the presence of a LHRH specific binding site in uterine leiomyomata in 26% of cases; this specific binding site is also present both in myometrium and in endometrial tissue in 71% of cases. Moreover our study shows, for the first time, the high specificity of binding between LHRH agonist (goserelin) and natural LHRH receptor. In accordance with our results, a direct effect of LHRH agonists on fibroid tissue can be stressed.


The prevalence of obesity among children is increasing in the United States (Ogden, Flegal, Carroll, & Johnson, 2002) and has been tied to increased risks of adult obesity and cardiovascular disease (Whitaker, Wright, Pepe, Seidel, & Dietz, 1997). Physical activity, which is defined as "any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in caloric expenditure," increases energy expenditure and can help prevent obesity (Haapanen, Miilunpalo, Pasanen, Oja, & Vuori, 1997). The socioecological perspective suggests that attention to intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and policy factors are necessary to effectively prevent and then reduce the incidence of childhood obesity through physical activity promotion. We posit that systematic attention to the structure and design of recreation programs is a first step for determining best practices in youth activity promotion during recreation times. The current study examined the physical activity outcomes associated with four common facilitation strategies used in recreation programs. In a sample of 74 predominantly low income youth aged 6 to 11, four types of recreation facilitation were adopted including: (a) skills and drills, (b) scrimmage, (c) modeled play, and (d) free play. Physical activity was objectively measured using Actigraph accelerometers. Results indicated that as a group, youth were most active during modeled play in the presence of college-aged role models. When participant age, gender, and body mass index were considered, age and gender demonstrated significant relationships to facilitation style and activity outcomes, while body mass index did not. Boys were more active during both free play periods, whereas girls had equal levels of activity in all facilitation settings. Youth of all ages were most active in play settings, and younger boys and girls were least active during scrimmage sessions. Results allow us to make suggestions for recreation program leadership. First, when given an appropriate activity environment and social support, children are intrinsically motivated to be physically active during play. When schedules allow, recreation programmers may provide  children with sports or fitness equipment and give them a chance to be active without the structure that constrains play during classroom hours, physical education lessons, homework time, dinner time, etc. Also, whenever possible, pairing younger children with play leaders and older activity role models should be undertaken to facilitate this play period and avoid a drop in activity levels, which occurred after 15-20 minutes of activity. Next, scrimmages do not provide an ideal mechanism for physical activity promotion among young children. Finally, we recognize that children must learn and practice the skills of specific sports and games if they are to continue to participate in these activities as they grow and mature. To maximize activity levels during the minimum necessary skill sessions, we recommend teaching only primary activities involving gross motor movements to young children, providing equipment equal to the number of participants, and giving directions in short, more frequent updates to minimize lengthy activity lags that undermine the benefits of youths' rise in heart rate. Additional limitations, directions for future research, and applications are discussed.?


Advanced Virgo is the project to upgrade the Virgo interferometric detector of gravitational waves, with the aim of increasing the number of observable galaxies (and thus the detection rate) by three orders of magnitude. The project is now in an advanced construction phase and the assembly and integration will be completed by the end of 2015. Advanced Virgo will be part of a network, alongside the two Advanced LIGO detectors in the US and GEO HF in Germany, with the goal of contributing to the early detections of gravitational waves and to the opening a new window of observation on the universe. In this paper we describe the main features of the Advanced Virgo detector and outline the status of the construction. PACS numbers: 04.80.Nn, 95.55.Ym Advanced Virgo: a second-generation interferometric gravitational wave detector 4


The size and complexity of local area and wide area networks are continually growing and so do the requirements of high availability. Today we rely on the technology and it should always work. Network management is therefore getting more and more important. Network management includes: monitoring and isolating faults, measuring performance, configuring the resources, making sure the network is secured and more. Since in the early 1990s the management has typically been done with SNMPv1 or CMIP and using the client/server model. SNMPv1 is insecure, CMIP is complex and the traditional centralized paradigm is no longer sufficient to handle the management requirements of large networks. As the demands for security and flexibility increases, new ways to manage networks are needed. This research tries to find out how a network management system should function, what management protocol to use, how to enhance the flexibility and how to make the system more secure.


In the present paper, we concentrate on the heterogeneous cement mortars and we treat them as Cosserat-based media. The autogenous shrinkage phenomenon at early age (from 1 up to 3 days after mixing) has been analyzed by means of Cosserat theory. The characteristic length scale parameter Lc in this theory helps us to change the size specimen from macro-scale to micro-scale using the theoretical size effect aspects. This methodology is also capable of treating cracks initiation and their appearance in the cementitious matrix surrounding the sand-inclusions, which should occurred inside of the Representative Volume Elementary (RVE) of mortar subjected to self-desiccation shrinkage during hydration at early age. By taking advantage of the Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NFEA), the numerical experiments have been performed. The numerical outcomes are well agreed with the experimental observations coming from Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) images. It concludes that the inclusions create not only a hygro stress concentration around the grains but also the number of inclusions should influence the network in cementitous matrix.


Background
Migraine is a common and often refractory feature for individuals with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) without consensus guidelines for treatment. Migraine treatment poses a theoretical risk within this unique population with precarious cerebrovascular autoregulation, given the vasomodulatory influence of many antimigraine medications. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluate the frequency and efficacy of treatments for migraine in individuals with CADASIL.

Methods
A search protocol was designed to include all available publications reporting antimigraine therapies for CADASIL. Individual responses to medications were categorized as unfavorable, neutral, or favorable. Responses across medication classes were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results
Thirteen studies were included, yielding a cohort of 123 individuals with a median age of 53 years (range: 23-83 years), with 61% (75/123) being women. No controlled trials were identified. Simple analgesics (35.8%, 44/123) and beta-blockers (22.0%, 27/123) were the most common abortive and prophylactic strategies, respectively. Over half (54.4%) of all patients had used more than 1 medication sequentially or concomitantly. Beta-blockers were significantly associated with a neutral or unfavorable response (13.5%, 22/163, p = 0.004). We found no significant associations among other medication categories.

Conclusions
Migraine in CADASIL remains a formidable therapeutic challenge, with patients often tried on several medications. Antimigraine prophylaxis with beta-blockers may be contraindicated relative to other common therapies in CADASIL. Controlled studies are needed to rigorously evaluate the safety and efficacy of antimigraine therapies in this population.


Lower Hybrid [LH] ray propagation in toroidal plasma is controlled by a combination of the azimuthal spectrum launched from the antenna, the poloidal variation of the magnetic field, and the scattering of the waves by the density fluctuations. The width of the poloidal and radial RF wave spectrum increases rapidly as the rays penetrate into higher density and scatter from the turbulence. The electron temperature gradient [ETG] spectrum is particularly effective in scattering the LH waves due to its comparable wavelengths and parallel phase velocities. ETG turbulence is also driven by the radial gradient of the electron current density giving rise to an anomalous viscosity spreading the LH-driven plasma currents. The scattered LH spectrum is derived from a Fokker-Planck equation for the distribution of the ray trajectories with a diffusivity proportional to the fluctuations. The LH ray diffusivity is large giving transport in the poloidal and radial wavenumber spectrum in one - or a few passes - of the rays through the core plasma.


The objective of this paper is to estimate annual potential output growth and the output gap for the Saudi economy over the period 1980 to 2015, looking at both total output and non-oil output. The focus on the latter is so that the progress in diversifying the economy might be examined and the possible impact of diversification on potential output might be measured. We use three methods for estimating potential output proposed in the macroeconomic literature. The methodologies include the Hodrick-Prescott filter, Kalman filter, and the production function approach. We compare the three over the entire sample and the last five years. Our findings suggest that the output gap (the difference between actual and potential output, as measured by real GDP) is positive on average over the entire period (i.e., actual output has on average exceeded potential); however, the gap has turned negative and has shrunk in recent years, as fiscal expenditures, particularly in infrastructure, have acted to better align actual and potential. Our analysis also indicated that growth in both potential GDP and total factor productivity have accelerated in the 2011-2015 period. In contrast, growth in these factors has slowed in many other countries, particularly the advanced economies. This better performance of the Saudi economy is possibly due to the development of a resilient financial sector in the Saudi economy.


In this note we shall generalize some results of the threevalued Lukasiewicz algebras to three-valued symmetrical Heyting algebras. We prove that a three-valued Heyting algebra with axe is a product of a Boolean algebra by a three-valued symmetrical Heyting symmetric algebra with center. We also introduce the involutive rough sets and we prove a representation theorem for three-valued symmetrical Heyting algebras by means of rough sets.


Earth's climatic history since 2.5 Ma has been controlled by Milankovitch variations in the planetary orbit, comprising alternate periods of glaciation and interglaciation with a dominant frequency of 41 000 yr. Concomitantly, eustatic sea level has fluctuated 70 to 130 m, causing rapid transgressions and regressions of the shoreline across the world's continental shelves. The resulting sedimentary record is cyclothemic, each cyclothem corresponding to a single climate and sea-level cycle. The Wanganui basin, New Zealand, contains a 2-km-thick, almost complete, composite record since isotope stage 100 (ca. 2.5 Ma) in the form of 47 superposed cyclothems of shelf origin. Each cyclothem corresponds to an unconformity-bound stratigraphic sequence, and typically contains a transgressive systems tract, sometimes a mid-cycle shell bed, a highstand systems tract, and sometimes a regressive systems tract. No advantage accrues from using transgressive-regressive units rather than cyclothems and/or sequences in description of the succession. Six basic sequence motifs represent deposition in locations between the shoreline and offshore shelf, i.e., the Hawera, Birdgrove, Turakina, Seafield, Castlecliff, and Rangitikei motifs. A seventh, the Nukumaru motif (which includes dominant coquina limestone), represents deposition in shallow-water areas of reduced terrigenous sediment on the flank of the basin. The sequence motifs represented in any section change systematically in sympathy with basin-scale changes in subsidence and sediment supply. In contrast with the 41000 year length of individual glacioeustatic sequences, these basin-wide tectonic cycles have a periodicity of many hundreds of thousands to a few million years, i.e., that of third- or fourth-order sequences of the Exxon type. This, coupled with the restriction of strongly cyclothemic sediments to geological periods of known glacio-eustasy (PermianCarboniferous, Pliocene-Pleistocene), suggests that tectonic subsidence cycles rather than glacio-eustasy are the driving forces behind the development of the third- and fourth-order unconformity-bound sequences that are reported to occur throughout the stratigraphic record.


We study the costs and benefits of plasticity by evolving agents in environments with different rates of environmental change. Evolution allows both hard-coded strategies and learned strategies, with learning rates varying throughout life. We observe a range of change rates where the balance of costs and benefits are just right for evolving learning. Inside this range, we see two separate strategies evolve: lifelong plasticity and sensitive periods of plasticity. Sensitive periods of plasticity are found to reduce the learning cost while retaining the benefits of learning. This affects the evolutionary process, by limiting genetic assimilation of learned characteristics, making agents able to remain adaptive after relatively long periods of environmental stability.


Reading and writing memory are, besides computation, the most common operations a processor performs. The correctness of these operations is therefore essential for the proper execution of any program. However, as soon as fault attacks are considered, assuming that the hardware performs its memory operations as instructed is not valid anymore. In particular, attackers may induce faults with the goal of reading or writing incorrectly addressed memory, which can have various critical safety and security implications. In this work, we present a solution to this problem and propose a new method for protecting every memory access inside a program against address tampering. The countermeasure comprises two building blocks. First, every pointer inside the program is redundantly encoded using a multiresidue error detection code. The redundancy information is stored in the unused upper bits of the pointer with zero overhead in terms of storage. Second, load and store instructions are extended to link data with the corresponding encoded address from the pointer. Wrong memory accesses subsequently infect the data value allowing the software to detect the error. For evaluation purposes, we implemented our countermeasure into a RISC-V processor, tested it on a FPGA development board, and evaluated the induced overhead. Furthermore, a LLVM-based C compiler has been modified to automatically encode all data pointers, to perform encoded pointer arithmetic, and to emit the extended load/store instructions with linking support. Our evaluations show that the countermeasure induces an average overhead of 10 % in terms of code size and 7 % regarding runtime, which makes it suitable for practical adoption.


We study the stochastic susceptible-infected-susceptible model of epidemic processes on finite directed and weighted networks with arbitrary structure. We present a new lower bound on the exponential rate at which the probabilities of nodes being infected decay over time. This bound is directly related to the leading eigenvalue of a matrix that depends on the non-backtracking and incidence matrices of the network. The dimension of this matrix is $N+M$, where $N$ and $M$ are the number of nodes and edges, respectively. We show that this new lower bound improves on an existing bound corresponding to the so-called quenched mean-field theory. Although the bound obtained from a recently developed second-order moment-closure technique requires the computation of the leading eigenvalue of an $N^2\times N^2$ matrix, we illustrate in our numerical simulations that the new bound is tighter, while being computationally less expensive for sparse networks. We also present the expression for the corresponding epidemic threshold in terms of the adjacency matrix of the line graph and the non-backtracking matrix of the given network.


Since the new millennium, genre films have been gaining increasing acceptance within the Australian feature film industry. Between the mid-2000s and 2020, there has been a strong surge in the production of popular genre movies and a significant diversification in the types of genre movies made. Screen scholar Mark David Ryan has termed the recent growth in Australian genre films the 'contemporary genre turn'. However, due to complex industrial, economic, and cultural factors, genre films made principally as popular cinema or commercial entertainment have occupied a tenuous position in industry practices, film culture, policy frameworks, and public funding initiatives since the mid-1970s. Consequently, the study of film genre has rarely been a central focus or a major critical approach in Australian film studies. Moreover, the contemporary resurgence of Australian genre filmmaking has received little to no scholarly attention. This introductory chapter begins by contextualising the collection within existing theories and conceptualisations of film genre. It then examines how film genre has functioned as a critical category in Australian film studies and offers a broad history of genre filmmaking in Australian cinema. Finally, it establishes how a small number of previous scholarly studies have developed and applied genre film taxonomies as a theoretical approach in Australian film studies. Australian Genre Film is the first collection in 15 years to examine the output of contemporary Australian cinema through the conceptual framework of a taxonomy of popular film genre. In doing so, this book is an attempt to create a foundation for more sustained research on film genre in Australian cinema, or what we term Australian film genre studies.


Clustering periodically expressed genes from their time-course expression data could help understand the molecular mechanism of those biological processes. In this paper, we propose a nonlinear model-based clustering method for periodically expressed gene profiles. As periodically expressed genes are associated with periodic biological processes, the proposed method naturally assumes that a periodically expressed gene dataset is generated by a number of periodical processes. Each periodical process is modelled by a linear combination of trigonometric sine and cosine functions in time plus a Gaussian noise term. A two stage method is proposed to estimate the model parameter, and a relocation-iteration algorithm is employed to assign each gene to an appropriate cluster. A bootstrapping method and an average adjusted Rand index (AARI) are employed to measure the quality of clustering. One synthetic dataset and two biological datasets were employed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results show that our method allows the better quality clustering than other clustering methods (e.g., k-means) for periodically expressed gene data, and thus it is an effective cluster analysis method for periodically expressed gene data.


A prophylactic and therapeutic introduction of the synthetic adaptogen bemithyl (2-ethylthiobensimidasole hydrobromide) produces a hepatoprotector effect in rats with experimental cirrhosis. The drug exhibits an anticytolytic activity, restores liver participation in the pigment exchange, and normalizes the function of the microsomal oxidation system responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics. The treatment with bemithyl also leads to a certain improvement of a histologic picture of the damaged liver and to a decrease in the degree of fibrosis. The drug is also capable of increasing the activity of the antioxidant system and inhibiting the process of lipid peroxidation of proteins and lipids in the liver.


Abstract Purpose A person with post-stroke lateropulsion actively pushes themselves toward their hemiplegic side, or resists moving onto their non-hemiplegic side. This study aimed to determine the association of lateropulsion severity with: • Change in function (Functional Independence Measure – FIM) and lateropulsion severity (Four-Point Pusher Score – 4PPS) during inpatient rehabilitation; • Inpatient rehabilitation length of stay (LOS); • Discharge destination from inpatient rehabilitation. Methods Retrospective data for 1,087 participants (aged ≥65 years) admitted to a stroke rehabilitation unit (2005–2018) were analysed using multivariable regression models. Results Complete resolution of lateropulsion was seen in 69.4% of those with mild lateropulsion on admission (n = 160), 49.3% of those with moderate lateropulsion (n = 142), and 18.8% of those with severe lateropulsion (n = 181). Average FIM change was lower in those with severe lateropulsion on admission than those with no lateropulsion (p < 0.001). Higher admission 4PPS was associated with reduced FIM efficiency (p < 0.001), longer LOS (p < 0.001), (adjusted mean LOS: 35.6 days for those with severe lateropulsion versus 27.0 days for those without), and reduced likelihood of discharge home (p < 0.001). Conclusion Post-stroke lateropulsion is associated with reduced functional improvement and likelihood of discharge home. However, given a longer rehabilitation duration, most stroke survivors with moderate to severe lateropulsion can achieve important functional improvement. Implications for Rehabilitation While people with post-stroke lateropulsion can be difficult to treat and require more resources than those without lateropulsion, the majority of those affected, even in severe cases, can make meaningful recovery with appropriate rehabilitation. Although those with moderate to severe post-stroke lateropulsion may have poorer outcomes (longer LOS and reduced likelihood of discharge home) it is still important to advocate for access to rehabilitation for this patient group to give them the opportunity for optimal functional recovery.


Since 2013, there have been several alarming influenza‐related events; the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 viruses into North America, the detection of H10N8 and H5N6 zoonotic infections, the ongoing H7N9 infections in China and the continued zoonosis of H5N1 viruses in parts of Asia and the Middle East. The risk of a new influenza pandemic increases with the repeated interspecies transmission events that facilitate reassortment between animal influenza strains; thus, it is of utmost importance to understand the factors involved that promote or become a barrier to cross‐species transmission of Influenza A viruses (IAVs). Here, we provide an overview of the ecology and evolutionary adaptations of IAVs, with a focus on a review of the molecular factors that enable interspecies transmission of the various virus gene segments.


In this paper I defend interaction theory (IT) as an alternative to both theory theory (TT) and simulation theory (ST). IT opposes the basic suppositions that both TT and ST depend upon. I argue that the various capacities for primary and secondary intersubjectivity found in infancy and early childhood should not be thought of as precursors to later developing capacities for using folk psychology or simulation routines. They are not replaced or displaced by such capacities in adulthood, but rather continue to operate as our ordinary and everyday basis for social cognition. I also argue that enactive perception rather than implicit simulation is the best model for explaining these capacities.


The discovery of a pressure induced iron-related spin crossover in Mg((1-x))Fe(x)O ferropericlase (Fp) and Mg-silicate perovskite, the major phases of Earth's lower mantle, has raised new questions about mantle properties which are of central importance to seismology. Despite extensive experimental work on the anomalous elasticity of Fp throughout the crossover, inconsistencies reported in the literature are still unexplained. Here we introduce a formulation for thermoelasticity of spin crossover systems, apply it to Fp by combining it with predictive first principles density-functional theory with on-site repulsion parameter U calculations, and contrast results with available data on samples with various iron concentrations. We explain why the shear modulus of Fp should not soften along the crossover, as observed in some experiments, predict its velocities at lower mantle conditions, and show the importance of constraining the elastic properties of minerals without extrapolations for analyses of the thermochemical state of this region.


RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE
Surveillance blood work is routinely performed in maintenance hemodialysis (HD) recipients. Although more frequent blood testing may confer better outcomes, there is little evidence to support any particular monitoring interval.

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective population-based cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
All prevalent HD recipients in Ontario, Canada, as of April 1, 2011, and a cohort of incident patients commencing maintenance HD in Ontario, Canada, between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2016.

EXPOSURE
Frequency of surveillance blood work, monthly versus every 6 weeks.

OUTCOMES
The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events, all-cause hospitalization, and episodes of hyperkalemia.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Cox proportional hazards with adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics was used to evaluate the association between blood testing frequency and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were evaluated using the Andersen-Gill extension of the Cox model to allow for potential recurrent events.

RESULTS
7,454 prevalent patients received care at 17 HD programs with monthly blood sampling protocols (n=5,335 patients) and at 8 programs with blood sampling every 6 weeks (n=2,119 patients). More frequent monitoring was not associated with a lower risk for all-cause mortality compared to blood sampling every 6 weeks (adjusted HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.99-1.38). Monthly monitoring was not associated with a lower risk for any of the secondary outcomes. Results were consistent among incident HD recipients.

LIMITATIONS
Unmeasured confounding; limited data for center practices unrelated to blood sampling frequency; no information on frequency of unscheduled blood work performed outside the prescribed sampling interval.

CONCLUSIONS
Monthly routine blood testing in HD recipients was not associated with a lower risk for death, cardiovascular events, or hospitalizations as compared with testing every 6 weeks. Given the health resource implications, the frequency of routine blood sampling in HD recipients deserves careful reassessment.


Abstract Objective To explore repurposing known natural products for managing patients with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. Case presentation We present a case report of a middle aged woman, who was positive to COVID 19, with mild to moderate symptoms; who self –managed at home using well formulated herbal supplement (Combi-5) taken along with vitamin C and Zinc supplements. She recovered within a short time. Conclusions While we may not conclude from this report that Combi-5 was solely responsible for the recovery of the patient, we strongly believe that it played significant role through different mechanisms in facilitating early recovery from the infection. Further studies are needed to evaluate the phytochemical and pharmacological constituents of the supplement; investigate its direct effect(s) on SARS CoV-2 and conduct randomized controlled trial to elucidate its clinical benefits.


Background. The ICECAP-O and the ICECAP-A are validated capability well-being instruments. To be used in economic evaluations, multidimensional instruments require weighting of the distinguished well-being states. These weights are usually obtained through ex ante preference elicitation (i.e., decision utility) but could also be based on experienced utility. Objective. This article describes the development of value sets for ICECAP-O and ICECAP-A based on experienced utility and compares them with current decision utility weights. Methods. Data from 2 cross-sectional samples corresponding to the target groups of ICECAP-O and ICECAP-A were used in 2 separate analyses. The utility impacts of ICECAP-O and ICECAP-A levels were assessed through regression models using a composite measure of subjective well-being as a proxy for experienced utility. The observed utility impacts were rescaled to match the 0 to 1 range of the existing value set. Results. The calculated experienced utility values were similar to the decision utility weights for some of the ICECAP dimensions but deviated for others. The largest differences were found for weights of the ICECAP-O dimension enjoyment and the ICECAP-A dimensions attachment and autonomy. Conclusions. The results suggest a different weighting of ICECAP-O and ICECAP-A levels if experienced utility is used instead of decision utility.


Central banks will either increase or decrease interest rates, or resort to leave them fixed while making adjustments on interest rates. For this reason, in general, central banks examine different strategies of monetary politics and employ distinct interest reaction functions. The aim of this study is to examine different reaction functions explicating the movement of interest rates for Czech Republic. For this aim, the impacts of inflation gap and production gap on possibilities for materialization of the abovementioned movements of interest rates analyzed by multinomial probit models. According to the attained findings, while the lag of interest rates and inflation gap play an efficient role both on increasing and decreasing interest rates, production gap plays an efficient role only on increasing interest rates. Besides, it is possible to say that the lag of interest rate and inflation gap have further effect than of production gap. As a result, it can be said that reaction functions, which deal with inflation gap, production gap and the lag of interest rates for monetary politicians of Czech Republic, will be a good and simple guide.


In this paper we propose a new feature vector consisting of mel-frequency discrete wavelet coefficients (MFDWC). The MFDWC are obtained by applying the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to the mel-scaled log filterbank energies of a speech frame. The purpose of using the DWT is to benefit from its localization property in the time and frequency domains. MFDWC are similar to subband-based (SUB) features and multi-resolution (MULT) features in that both attempt to achieve good time and frequency localization. However, MFDWC have better time/frequency localization than SUB features and MULT features. We evaluated the performance of new features for clean speech and noisy speech and compared the performance of MFDWC with mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), SUB features and MULT features. Experimental results on a phoneme recognition task showed that a MFDWC-based recognizer gave better results than recognizers based on MFCC, SUB features, and MULT features for the white gaussian noise, band-limited white gaussian noise and clean speech cases.


The paper describes a hands-free speech recognition technique based on acoustic model adaptation to reverberant speech. In hands-free speech recognition, the recognition accuracy is degraded by reverberation, since each segment of speech is affected by the reflection energy of the preceding segment. To compensate for the reflection signal, we introduce a frame-by-frame adaptation method, adding the reflection signal to the means of the acoustic model. The reflection signal is approximated by a first-order linear prediction from the preceding frame, and the linear prediction coefficient is estimated by a maximum likelihood method by using the EM algorithm, which maximizes the likelihood of the adaptation data. Its effectiveness is confirmed by word recognition experiments on reverberant speech.


Carbonaceous particles produced from the high temperature combustion of fossil fuels are found in high concentrations (e.g. more than 50 000 per gram dry mass, gDM-1) in the upper levels of lake sediment cores taken from regions of high acid deposition. The sediment record of these particles correlates well with the record of acidification as indicated by diatom analysis. The temporal distribution of particle concentrations in sediments follows consistent trends in lakes throughout Europe and has been used for indirect dating purposes. However, more information is available from particles extracted from lake sediments when their fuel-type is known. For example, potential sources of associated airborne pollutants can be determined and additional dates for sediment cores may possibly be obtained. This paper describes the development of a carbonaceous particle characterization for oil and coal fuel-types, using surface chemistries determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (eds). A reference dataset was produced using ashes obtained from power stations in the UK and Ireland. Linear discriminant function analysis of the eds generated data produced a discrimination rule which allocated over 95% of the particles to the correct fuel-type under cross-validation. The technique was applied to carbonaceous particles extracted from a 210Pb-dated sediment core taken from a lake in North London. The results showed good agreement with known combustion history of coal and oil. The spatial distribution of characterized particles was also studied using surface sediments from lakes in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland. Above average concentrations of oil particles occurred around Glasgow, the east coast near Aberdeen, and Galloway in the southwest. This suggests that the acidification of lochs in the Galloway area may partly relate to pollutants originating from oil-fired power stations in Northern Ireland. Attempts to use the characterization to identify power station sources was only partially successful. The range of chemistries in the present dataset do not include the full range produced from each individual power station as the fuels burnt at each station vary through time. Particles from peat combustion were included in a principal components analysis and show that the technique could be extended to include other fuel-types. This technique is applicable not only to particles stored in lake sediments, but also to particles collected in any environment, e.g. building stones, deposition gauges, soils, leaves, etc., and could be applied to a range of environmental questions in Britain, Europe and on a global scale.


Abstract Background Rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among women of childbearing age have increased as a result of the opioid epidemic, especially in the nonurban white population. Recently updated US Preventative Services Task Force and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance have recommended universal HCV screening during pregnancy, but obstetrics societies have not yet endorsed this recommendation. We evaluated the seroprevalence of HCV among pregnant women in an inner-city population, compared rates with other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) screened for during pregnancy, and evaluated factors associated with HCV positivity. Methods We performed a prospective seroprevalence study of consecutive labor and delivery admissions (both antepartum complications and delivery admissions) by testing serum samples for HCV antibody over 9 months at 2 major hospital settings in New York City. Results Fifty-six of 7373 (0.75%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57–0.98) patients screened positive for HCV, with 28 of 4013 (0.70%; 95% CI, 0.46%–1.01%) and 28 of 3413 (0.82%; 95% CI, 0.55%–1.18%) at each hospital. Forty-one percent of HCV-positive patients had any reported HCV risk factors. Hepatitis C virus-positive patients were less likely to have private insurance and more likely to have a history of cannabis, cocaine, and injection drug use (P < .001). The HCV rates were higher among antepartum admissions compared with delivery admissions and higher than that of hepatitis B virus (0.65%; 95% CI, 0.48–0.86), human immunodeficiency virus (0.27%; 95% CI, 0.16–0.42), and syphilis (0.16%; 95% CI, 0.08–0.28). Conclusions We found a higher than expected HCV seroprevalence among pregnant women and higher than most other STIs routinely screened for in pregnancy. Most patients had no risk factors. These findings support universal screening for hepatitis C during pregnancy.


This study is commissioned by COO, a newly created Dutch joint-venture operating within the facility market. It
tries to answer the question what could be altered and specified regarding the initial ideas of this joint venture in
order to develop into a viable organization. In other words, this study tries to answer, for COO, the two
fundamental questions to every service organizations: What are the important elements of the service to be
provided for the customer? and What efforts does this suggest in terms of designing, delivering and marketing
the service? In guiding the answering process of these questions, the business model of Osterwalder (2004) is
used as starting point. However, discussing this model showed some disadvantages. To overcome these, the
business model from Osterwalder (2004) is integrated with the strategy map (Kaplan and Norton, 2000). This
new integrated business model consists of four perspectives: the customer, the process, the learning and growth,
and the financial perspective. These four perspectives together contain eleven elements: value proposition, target
customer, relationship, distribution channel, value configuration, partnership, capability, information systems,
corporate culture, cost structure, and revenue streams.
It is this integrated business model which is eventually used as guiding tool within this study. First it is used to
develop a theoretical framework. From conversations with the founders of COO, the website, and the corporate
presentation, it showed that COO is as service organization with a Business-to-Business (B2B) focused customer
intimacy. Therefore, the theoretical discussion of the four perspectives and eleven elements revolves around
these characteristics in order to develop a theoretical framework on business models for service organizations
with a B2B-focused customer intimacy strategy. Then, the founders of COO are again interviewed to get a clear
picture of the initial situation of COO in terms of the integrated business model. After that, this study zooms in
on customizing the theoretical framework to the specific situation of COO. This is done by developing an
interview framework, based on the theoretical framework, which is used to interview seven market-experts.
The main results of these interviews were first of all that, given the current situation of COO and the market
characteristics, the Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME)-market seems most attractive for COO. Also, the
experts stated that there are no fundamental content-wise differences between the four sectors COO is aiming
for. Furthermore, it was said that all of the four main services of COO (janitor-COO, E-COO, facility
purchasing, and facility consultancy) could be of value to customers, but in certain situations and with certain
requirements. Finally, it is concluded that although COO is not as innovative as they claim, they can still be
operating with a competitive advantage if they become pro-active, flexible, willing to change, and customeroriented
in the sense that they are willing and able to personalize and customize the service. The results of these
interviews combined are then combined with the literature in order to come to several recommendations on how
COO could, given the current internal and external situation, best alter and specify their initial ideas with the
intention to become a viable organization. The most important recommendations are that it is preferable for COO
to first focus on Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises within the region by exploiting their knowledge and
network. This means that large enterprises are not yet to be targeted. Also the value proposition and external
communication should not focus on the innovativeness of the janitor-COO concept, but on the personal, tailored,
reliable, problem-solving character of offering total relieve for the client-organization regarding facility
management issues. This is best done by sub-dividing the main value proposition into three elements: janitor-
COO, E-COO, and purchasing and consultancy. It was also concluded that for COO, it is best to offer E-COO
only in combination with SITA and Novon, not with other parties. Also, it is concluded that given the current
situation, COO will do wise to be selective in their targeting. Furthermore, given their main strategy, it is
preferable for COO to focus on customer lifetime value by aiming for long-term relationships with the help of
creating loyalty. Loyalty is said to relate to perceived quality which in turn depends on balancing between
expected quality (e.g. influenced by references) and experienced quality. Experienced quality is said to be
influenced by, among others, the characteristics of the value propositions and the SERVQUAL-model domains,
especially reliability, assurance, and the willingness to help aspect of responsiveness. Finally, it would be
valuable if COO can provide specific management reports in which they constantly come with recommendations
on how to improve the service.


Seams are basic requirements in the manufacturing of garments. In general, seam performance has a great influence on the garment quality. Seam and stitch types affect the quality and appearance of garments. Seams of the garment must be durable and smooth. Stitch and seam types and stitch and seam parameters should be selected according to the garment and fabric type. Appearance and performance of the seams are dependent upon the stitch and seam types, stitch and seam parameters, seam defects and damages. Seam performance of a garment also depends on structural and mechanical properties of the fabric and strength, extensibility, security, durability, appearance and efficiency of the seams. In this study, the importance of the seam performance of garments is investigated. In this context, stitch and seam types used in garments are explained. However, the stitch and seam parameters, sewing needle penetration force, needle damage index, seam defects and damages that are effective at seam performance have been explained and their relations with each other are compared.