Chromosome sets of 114 Apodemus agrarius mice from 29 localities in Moldova, Ukraine, Siberia, and the Far East were studied by means of G-, C-, and NOR-banding. In all populations studied, the Y chromo- some was shown to be a medium-size acrocentric chromosome consisting of heterochromatin. Chromosome polymorphism observed in populations from Primorskii krai concerned (1) the morphology of the first two autosome pairs (variants A/A, A/ST, and ST/ST), (2) the number of metacentric chromosomes (from 6 to 8), and (3) heterochromatin localization in the pericentromeric regions of two metacentric chromosome pairs. A karyotype with an additional heterochromatic microchromosome found in all the metaphases studied was described in one mouse from a locality of western Primorye that has not been studied previously. In the karyo- type of 15 mice from four populations of Primorye, the pool of nucleolus organizer regions is distributed over three autosome pairs rather than over four, as is the case in A. agrarius from Europe. Based on the analysis of literature sources and our own data, the problem of chromosome polymorphism in the field mouse is discussed.


Purpose
This study aims to address decision-making processes of Christian entrepreneurs living and working in rural areas. The authors draw on the institutional logics perspective and stewardship perspective to demonstrate how religion influences rationality and entrepreneurial decision-making processes in a rural context.

Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a qualitative interpretive approach supported by ethnographic fieldwork. Qualitative and interpretative analyses are used to access deeper insights into the decision-making processes of Christian entrepreneurs in a rural environment. Data include short-term immersive events, observations and interviews as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifted in the region.

Findings
This study reveals that normative (religious) commitments – a sense of moral duty and action influenced by religion – and a high-religiosity context – where religion permeates diverse aspects of life – lead to behaviors that are perceived as rational and normative. In this context, the normative relationship between a market and a community logic, alongside a logic of religion, are all linked through a stewardship perspective. A broad focus on the development of community and place also safeguards business and community interests.

Research limitations/implications
Since the findings are based on one rural area and one religion, future studies should address a broader range of geographical areas and religions. In this study, uncertainty arising from COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the resumption of business exchanges also influence the decision-making processes of the entrepreneurial participants. While the findings reflect the normative dispositions and the decision-making processes that are inherent in this context, an even broader examination of rural entrepreneurship will benefit our understanding of entrepreneurial decisions in terms of rationality and place.

Practical implications
The findings reveal that entrepreneurs who relocate to a rural, high-religiosity context should first assess how the community affiliated through a set of beliefs – expects actors to behave. Additionally, applicability to other religions requires further consideration.

Originality/value
This study answers the call to examine entrepreneurship and the underpinnings of rationality that challenge mainstream debates on entrepreneurial decision-making and religion. The findings answer this call by advancing the knowledge of the decision-making process of religious entrepreneurs. In this respect, the findings present a context where rational business behaviors, influenced by a market logic, are transformed through exchanges with a community informed by a logic of religion. A conceptual model illustrates the nature of this context and associated processes.


Color constant image description is a fundamental problem in many computer vision applications. In this paper, the diagonal-offset model is adopted as reflectance model to get color constant image descriptors. This model makes the descriptors much more robust, and also fits the real world images very well. By introducing 3D moment invariants, this paper contributes to give an illumination independent descriptor generation framework. In detail, 0-, 1- and even higher order color constant descriptors can be generated from such framework. These descriptors can characterize n-order derivative image information. Furthermore, the combination thereof can characterize not only original image but also n-order edge image color information. The experiments on real image databases show that all these descriptors are robust to illumination variation and affine transformation, and perform very well for object recognition under various situations.


The low degradation rate of two-phase olive mill wastes (TPOMW) during composting and after soil application is a characteristic feature of these materials. The aim of this work was to evaluate the relationship between the lignocellulosic fraction of TPOMW and the organic matter (OM) degradation rate in three agricultural soils amended with four TPOMW composting mixtures at different degree of stabilisation and prepared with different bulking agents and N sources. The mineralisation kinetics of TPOMW composting mixtures in soil reflected a large amount of slowly mineralisable C even in the starting mixtures (I and T1) where this fraction represented up to 85% of the total potentially mineralisable C pool. The effect of rich lignocellulosic composition was confirmed by the study of the DTS (50% dry TPOMW + 50% sheep manure) mixtures prepared with dry TPOMW, which had undergone partial degradation in a storage pond for one year before composting. These DTS samples showed a more similar kinetic behaviour in soil than the more transformed composting mixtures as reflected in the principal component analysis (PCA) diagram, where they were grouped in the same quadrant dominated by the lignin/holocellulose ratio. Soils amended with mature composts evolved very low amounts of C (between 2 and 6% of the added C) after two months of incubation, which highlights the suitability of these materials as a suitable C source for the soil to promote long term soil C stabilisation.


Compensatory mechanisms in dopamine (DA) signaling have long been proposed to delay onset of locomotor symptoms during Parkinson's disease progression until ~ 80% loss of striatal DA occurs. Increased striatal dopamine turnover has been proposed to be a part of this compensatory response, but may occur after locomotor symptoms. Increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity has also been proposed as a mechanism, but the impact of TH protein loss upon site‐specific TH phosphorylation in conjunction with the impact on DA tissue content is not known. The tissue content of DA was determined against TH protein loss in the striatum and substantia nigra (SN) following 6‐hydroxydopamine lesion in the medial forebrain bundle in young Sprague–Dawley male rats. Although DA predictably decreased in both regions following 6‐hydroxydopamine, there was a significant difference in DA loss between the striatum (75%) and SN (40%), despite similar TH protein loss. Paradoxically, there was a significant decrease in DA against remaining TH protein in striatum, but a significant increase in DA against remaining TH in SN. In the SN, increased DA per remaining TH protein was matched by increased ser31, but not ser40, TH phosphorylation. In striatum, both ser31 and ser40 phosphorylation decreased, reflecting decreased DA per TH. However, in control nigral and striatal tissue, only ser31 phosphorylation correlated with DA per TH protein. Combined, these results suggest that the phosphorylation of ser31 in the SN may be a mechanism to increase DA biosynthesis against TH protein loss in an in vivo model of Parkinson's disease.


The Tees between Piercebridge and Stockton is one of the most erratic of English rivers and this winding course results from the quantity of drift of various sorts dropped on the low ground by the northern ice as it retreated from the north-west slope of the Cleveland Hills. At Neasham on the Durham side of the river some 4 miles south-east of Darlington a varied series of glacial deposits is exposed in two or three cuttings belonging to the Neasham Brick & Tile Company. One of these shows current bedded glacial gravels; another is brown boulder clay. On top of the latter deposit in one part of the quarry there is a small basin of peat in which a practically complete skeleton of Elk has recently been found. A tree on the edge of the quarry was blown down on June 17th, 1939 when a mass of bones fell out and at the same time the slip exposed a good section of the small one-time pond or mere in which the bones had lain and been very well preserved.

Mr. F, Dallimore, the curator of the Darlington Public Library, immediately secured the find and the bones are now in that institution. For the accompanying photograph of the head of the animal at the time of the discovery we are indebted to the Editor of the "Northern Echo." The other antler is missing and is surmised to be still embedded in the peat. It is hoped to secure it and other …


Development of pressure sensors which display high sensitivity, and are flexible, inexpensive, and easy to manufacture has drawn significant interest due to their diverse applications such as tactile skin sensors (e.g. "electronic skin"), pulse detectors, speech recognition elements, and others. While varied technologies and molecular constructs have been demonstrated for pressure sensing, considerable conceptual and technical challenges still hamper broad implementation of many such systems. A novel flexible piezoresistive sensor comprising a conductive Au-coated elastomeric polymer sponge is presented. The piezoresistive sponge is prepared through a simple chemical route in which Au nanoribbons are spontaneously grown upon an amine-functionalized polyurethane framework. The Au nanoribbon layer coats the internal surfaces within the polymer pore network, resulting in electrical current modulation upon pressure application/release through changes in the overall contact areas between the conductive surfaces. The Au-polyurethane piezoresistive sensor exhibits excellent functionalities, including enhanced sensitivity, low detection threshold, high fidelity, and physical stability. Application of the sensor is demonstrated for high resolution monitoring of wrist arterial pulses.


Abstract. The classic problem of the capital cost optimization of branched piped networks consists of choosing pipe diameters for each pipe in the network from a discrete set of commercially available pipe diameters. Each pipe in the network can consist of multiple segments of differing diameters. Water networks also consist of intermediate tanks that act as buffers between incoming flow from the primary source and the outgoing flow to the demand nodes. The network from the primary source to the tanks is called the primary network, and the network from the tanks to the demand nodes is called the secondary network. During the design stage, the primary and secondary networks are optimized separately, with the tanks acting as demand nodes for the primary network. Typically the choice of tank locations, their elevations, and the set of demand nodes to be served by different tanks is manually made in an ad hoc fashion before any optimization is done. It is desirable therefore to include this tank configuration choice in the cost optimization process itself. In this work, we explain why the choice of tank configuration is important to the design of a network and describe an integer linear program model that integrates the tank configuration to the standard pipe diameter selection problem. In order to aid the designers of piped-water networks, the improved cost optimization formulation is incorporated into our existing network design system called JalTantra.


Over the past 5 years, microarrays have greatly facilitated large-scale analysis of gene expression levels. Although these arrays were not specifically geared to represent tissues and pathways known to be affected by diabetes, they have been used in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes research. To prepare a tool that is particularly useful in the study of type 1 diabetes, we have assembled a nonredundant set of 3,400 clones representing genes expressed in the mouse pancreas or pathways known to be affected by diabetes. We have demonstrated the usefulness of this clone set by preparing a cDNA glass microarray, the PancChip, and using it to analyze pancreatic gene expression from embryonic day 14.5 through adulthood in mice. The clone set and corresponding array are useful resources for diabetes research.


The heart failure epidemic is growing and its prevention, in order to reduce associated hospital readmission rates and its clinical and economic burden, is a key issue in modern cardiovascular medicine. The present consensus document aims to provide practical evidence-based information to support the implementation of effective preventive measures. After reviewing the most common risk factors, an overview of the population attributable risks in different continents is presented, to identify potentially effective opportunities for prevention and to inform preventive strategies. Finally, potential interventions that have been proposed and have been shown to be effective in preventing HF are listed.


There are an increasing number of maintenance therapies available for COPD. Adherence to Global initiative on chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines by physicians has been shown to be poor but it is not clear if this variance can be explained by the clinical characteristics of the patient. Roche and colleagues (Respiratory Research 2019;20:189) investigated how clinical characteristics may influence physician choice of COPD treatment using an observational cohort design. The French COLIBRI project database was used to identify 1171 COPD patients with complete datasets from a total of 4160 available records. Patient's maintenance COPD treatment was divided into A: no COPD treatment or short-acting bronchodilator(s) only; B: one long-acting bronchodilator (long-acting β agonist; LABA or long-acting muscarinic antagonist; LAMA); C: LABA+LAMA; D: LABA or LAMA+inhaled corticosteroid (ICS); E: triple therapy (LABA+LAMA+ICS). There were discrepancies in treatment choice with surprisingly few patients prescribed a short-acting bronchodilator (34% of the total cohort: 15.4% of GOLD A, 29.5% of GOLD B, 17.9% of GOLD C, 51.4% of GOLD D), and 15% of patients having no inhaled treatments (short-acting or long-acting). ICSs were given in 24.5% of GOLD …


High failure rates in clinical trials for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease have been linked to an insufficient predictive validity of current animal-based disease models. This has created an increasing demand for alternative, human-based models capable of emulating key pathological phenotypes in vitro. Here, a three-dimensional Alzheimer's disease model was developed using a compartmentalized microfluidic device that combines a self-assembled microvascular network of the human blood-brain barrier with neurospheres derived from Alzheimer's disease-specific neural progenitor cells. To shorten microfluidic co-culture times, neurospheres were pre-differentiated for 21 days to express Alzheimer's disease-specific pathological phenotypes prior to the introduction into the microfluidic device. In agreement with post-mortem studies and Alzheimer's disease in vivo models, after 7 days of co-culture with pre-differentiated Alzheimer's disease-specific neurospheres, the three-dimensional blood-brain barrier network exhibited significant changes in barrier permeability and morphology. Furthermore, vascular networks in co-culture with Alzheimer's disease-specific microtissues displayed localized β-amyloid deposition. Thus, by interconnecting a microvascular network of the blood-brain barrier with pre-differentiated neurospheres the presented model holds immense potential for replicating key neurovascular phenotypes of neurodegenerative disorders in vitro.


In this paper, we summarise previously reported findings from the MY-WAIST study, which aimed to evaluate a primary care strategy for identifying people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes or at increased risk of developing this condition. Recruitment was unexpectedly low, but the qualitative data collected, including interviews with healthcare providers, helped to highlight some of the reasons for poor uptake of the appointments offered. Perceived barriers to recruitment included heavy workloads and competing demands in primary care. Lower uptake in people from harder-to-reach groups was identified in our quantitative findings and was also suggested by healthcare providers' perceptions about the characteristics of patients who attended.


An optimized spectroscopic method combining quantitative evolved gas analysis via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-EGA) in combination with a qualitative in situ thermal reaction monitoring via diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in situ T DRIFTS) is being proposed to rapidly characterize soil organic matter (SOM) to study its dynamics and stability. A thermal reaction chamber coupled with an infrared gas cell was used to study the pattern of thermal evolution of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in order to relate evolved gas (i.e., CO 2 ) to different qualities of SOM. Soil samples were taken from three different arable sites in Germany: (i) the Static Fertilization Experiment, Bad Lauchstadt (Chernozem), from treatments of farmyard manure (FYM), mineral fertilizer (NPK), their combination (FYM + NPK) and control without fertilizer inputs; (ii) Kraichgau; and (iii) Swabian Alb (Cambisols) areas, Southwest Germany. The two latter soils were further fractionated into particulate organic matter (POM), sand and stable aggregates (Sa + A ), silt and clay (Si + C), and NaOCl oxidized Si + C (rSOC) to gain OM of different inferred stabilities; respiration was measured from fresh soil samples incubated at 20 °C and 50% water holding capacity for 490 days. A variable long path length gas cell was used to record the mid-infrared absorbance intensity of CO 2 (2400 to 2200 cm −1 ) being evolved during soil heating from 25 to 700 °C with a heating rate of 68 °C min −1 and holding time of 10 min at 700 °C. Separately, the heating chamber was placed in a diffuse reflectance chamber (DRIFTS) for measuring the mid-infrared absorbance of the soil sample during heating. Thermal stability of the bulk soils and fractions was measured via the temperature of maximum CO 2 evolution (CO 2 max ). Results indicated that the FYM + NPK and FYM treatments of the Chernozem soils had a lower CO 2 max as compared to both NPK and CON treatments. On average, CO 2 max of the Chernozem was much higher (447 °C) as compared to the Cambisol sites (Kraichgau 392 °C; Swabian Alb 384 °C). The POM fraction had the highest CO 2 max (477 °C), while rSOC had a first peak at 265 °C at both sites and a second peak at 392 °C for the Swabian Alb and 482 °C for the Kraichgau. The CO 2 max increased after 490 day incubation, while the C lost during incubation was derived from the whole temperature range but a relatively higher proportion from 200 to 350 °C. In situ T DRIFTS measurements indicated decreases in vibrational intensities in the order of C-OH = unknown C vibration T DRIFTS measurements enabled the fitting of four components or peaks to the evolved CO 2 thermogram from the FTIR-EGA measurements. This gave a semi-quantitative measure of the quality of evolved C during the heating experiment, lending more evidence that different qualities of SOM are being evolved at different temperatures from 200 to 700 °C. The CO 2 max was influenced by long-term FYM input and also after 490 days of laboratory incubation, indicating that this measurement is an indicator for the relative overall SOM stability. The combination of FTIR-EGA and in situ T DRIFTS allows for a quantitative and qualitative monitoring of thermal reactions of SOM, revealing its relative stability, and provides a sound basis for a peak fitting procedure for assigning proportions of evolved CO 2 to different thermal stability components.


An experimental investigation on turbulent natural convection boundary layers has been conducted with water on a vertical plate of constant heat flux. Local heat transfer data are presented for laminar, transition, and turbulent natural convection, with the emphasis on the turbulent regime. The data extend to a modified Rayleigh number of 1016 for a threefold range in Prandtl number. The results indicate that natural transition occurs in the range 1012 < Ra* < 1014 ; i.e., fully developed turbulent flow occurs by Ra* = 104 . This latter value can be as low as 2 × 1013 with the use of a trip rod. The physical structure of the turbulent boundary-layer flow was studied using the combined time-streak marker hydrogen bubble method. Temperature data and temperature corrected velocity data obtained by hot-film sensors are presented for Ra* values between 8.7 × 1013 and 7.1 × 1014 . For the range of variables investigated, the major conclusions are (a) the local heat transfer coefficient exhibits a slight decrease with length, (b) confirmation that the vortex street layer in the transition region decays into a longitudinal-vortex-type structure, and (c) the outer portion of the thermal and velocity fields can be approximated by power profiles that fit almost all the data available to date.


This work discusses how tenses in South Baffin Inuknitut (SBI; the Eskimo-Aleut family), which are associated with remoteness specifications, are interpreted in embedded clauses. In SBI dependent clauses, the reference point for remoteness specifications may be, but is not necessarily, relativized (shifted) to a time other than external "now". For example, while the hodiernal past (marked by suffix -qqau) designates the day of utterance as its domain of coverage, it may not do so in a subordinate clause. Whether an embedded tense may and must be relativized with regard to remoteness depends on four factors: (i) whether the embedded tense is relativized with regard to temporal direction (the past-present-future opposition), (ii) what the type of the subordinate clause is, (iii) what the tense of the superordinate clause is, and (iv) what the tense of the subordinate clause is. The findings suggest that tense systems across languages may contrast not only with respect to under what circumstances shifting of the directional temporal reference point takes place, but also with respect to under what circumstances shifting of the reference point for temporal remoteness takes place.


Purpose
A number of governments are making building information modeling (BIM) a mandatory requirement for all public works construction projects. While main contractors may be ready to comply with such requirements, the supply chain as whole may be vulnerable as lower-tier suppliers may not be able to adopt BIM. There is currently no objective approach to assessing BIM maturity; hence, this paper aims to develop a new approach to determine suppliers' current vision and execution-based capabilities to exploit BIM and their capacity to reach a higher maturity level.

Design/methodology/approach
Based on UK Government BIM maturity levels, the authors exploit a unique data set made available by a main contractor, to determine a data-driven approach, using K-means, to assess the capabilities and vision of its supply base.

Findings
The authors find a direct comparison between our suggested K-means clusters and the UK Government's BIM maturity levels. However, in interrogating specific cases, the authors find that using a subjective approach would have wrongly categorized certain companies. The authors also determine what capability and strategic developments are required for companies to move to a higher level.

Research limitations/implications
The method aligns with the existing UK BIM maturity model and enhances the model by determining the likelihood of a supplier in progressing to a higher level of maturity. The research was with a single case company, exploiting their existing survey instrument and data. A more comprehensive study could be adopted with a generic survey questionnaire.

Practical implications
The research may be exploited by companies to take a strategic approach to assess suppliers in BIM adoption and to establish supplier development mechanisms.

Originality/value
The data-driven approach avoids ambiguity of categories and mis-categorizing suppliers.


: Postoperative respiratory disorders after prosthesis for the anterior abdominal wall hernia and their predictors were analyzed in 37 patients. Hypoxemic respiratory disorders were revealed in 59% patients. Speciphic predictors for the respiratory disorders occurrence after prosthesis for the anterior abdominal wall hernia were determined: obesity, syndrome of obstructive sleep apnoe, intraabdominal pressure raising to more than 16 cm of a water column immediately after the prosthesis. The prosthesis duration have constituted more than 3 yrs.


Treatment of Swiss-mouse 3T3 fibroblasts with a tumour-promoting phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), increases the absolute amount of 1,2-diacylglycerol (1,2-DG) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Within 1 min of TPA (0.1 microM) addition to confluent monolayer cells, cellular 1,2-DG content increases significantly, and reaches a value nearly 4-fold above control at 10 min. The content of 1,2-DG then falls, but still remains at twice the basal value for up to 60 min. The effect of TPA on 1,2-DG content is dose-dependent, with a half-maximal effect obtained with 6 nM. Studies with a series of tumour promoters have revealed that stimulating effect on 1,2-DG formation is closely related to their relative potency as a tumour promoter, as well as their mitogenic effect on 3T3 cells. TPA does not have any stimulatory effect on phosphoinositide turnover, which is a major mechanism of 1,2-DG formation by natural agonists, including a peptide mitogen, bombesin, but significantly inhibits bombesin-induced phosphoinositide turnover. Nevertheless, the content of 1,2-DG is even higher in cells treated with both bombesin and TPA than in cells treated with bombesin alone. In addition, a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor, R59022, increases 1,2-DG content synergistically with bombesin, but not with TPA. Measurements of the absolute amounts of various phospholipids show that TPA does not increase phosphatidic acid, despite a remarkable increase in 1,2-DG. Further studies on phospholipid metabolism reveal that TPA stimulates metabolic turnover of phosphatidylcholine (PC), without changing the mass of PC. TPA stimulates the incorporation of both [3H]choline and [32P]Pi into PC, and the release of [3H]choline metabolites from prelabelled cells. These findings suggest that TPA increases cellular 1,2-DG content mainly via increased PC turnover and diacylglycerol kinase inhibition. The present study provides evidence for a novel effect of TPA on the metabolism of 1,2-DG in Swiss-mouse 3T3 cells.


This study used a nonequivalent group design to evaluate the impact of an emergent literacy intervention on preschool children identified with early reading difficulties. Thirty-five children were compared with 39 typically developing classroom peers on various reading measures in a community-based project—"Mission I'm Possible" (MIP), instigated by a major children's hospital for children with developmental delays. A unique and key feature of MIP is the anchor of a learning support educator to support the child and the teacher in the classroom after completion of a one-on-one pullout literacy intervention conducted over 10 weekly sessions. At pretest, these children lagged behind their peers in most emergent reading tasks. At posttest, they made a mean gain of 11 months across various tasks that involved vocabulary, prereading and reading performances, and written language. No significant differences were found in aspects of their receptive and expressive language. Parents reported significant improvement in their children's prosocial behavior but not in other aspects of social and behavioral functioning. The findings reiterated that of early intervention programs in the West, demonstrating the malleability of young children's learning capacities despite developmental delays. Implications of the findings on the literacy development of such children are discussed.


In this paper, we present a study which analyzes the experiences of elderly people, when travelling as tourists to specific destinations. With this specific profile we searched results that help us to determine their prospects in tourism. The research is also focused on a specific country, Ireland, although cross-cultural studies are being developed in Spain. The surveys are carried out in three touristic places chosen because of their popularity with our target audience. We conduct a survey in which we elicited the expectations that exist before visiting that destination regarding the perceived reputation of that tourist destination and of the quality of the services offered. These aspects also relate to the degree of hospitality of its inhabitants. This allows us to determine the tourist experience in the destination, focusing on the emotions of the visitor to the destination and of the level of disconnect from everyday life that is achieved. We establish the degree to which their feelings on the destination are discussed in social networks – an important point as this group have not traditionally used social media to a significant degree. We try to establish by means of a quantitative study the tourist profile of these people of advanced age, which is an area of research that has received little attention to date. For this reason, the study reveals knowledge of a new visitor profile in tourist destinations, determined by the experience lived.


Organizations in developed economies use the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model to improve performance and efficiency. However, its adoption in developing economies such as Tanzania is very low due to limited research on its adoption. This study enhances the adoption of SaaS in Tanzanian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by proposing a conceptual framework based on the diffusion of innovation theory and the technology-organization-environment framework and recommending strategies for improving adoption. The framework was tested using regression analysis on data collected from 139 SMEs. Findings show that eight factors, relative advantage, compatibility, awareness, cost, perceived security and privacy risk, reliability and availability, top management support and trading partners' pressure, significantly affect adoption of SaaS by SMEs in Tanzania. The study recommends that cloud service providers address security challenges and software compatibility issues and ensure SaaS systems are available, and SMEs' top management provide support in implementing SaaS solutions to enhance their adoption.


Shipyard projects involving ship construction, repair, conversion and modification, along with the associated design processes, involve a wide variety of contracts. Almost always multiple contracts are part of each shipyard project. Disputes often arise when potential risks within the accomplishment of the project were not adequately addressed within the project's contracts. Also, inconsistencies between related contracts often are the core reason for disputes. The management of projects under such circumstances constitutes a significant challenge to the success of the project. This paper identifies many of those potential risks to assist in addressing them in the contracts before the project commences.


TITLE: Parents' Perception of Child Symptom Management as an Outcome of Care for the Emergency Department: A Qualitative Descriptive Study AUTHOR: Donald W. Mitchell APPROVED: ___________________________________________________ Dena Hassouneh, PhD, RN, ANP, PMHNP, FAAN This qualitative descriptive study describes parents' perspectives on their young (birth-8 years of age) child's symptom management as an outcome of treatment in the Emergency Department (ED). The study had two specific aims: the first was to describe parental perceptions of their young children's illness symptoms when they bring their child to the ED; and the second is to describe what is important to parents about their young children's illness symptom management after visiting the ED. Thirteen eligible parents participated in post-visit interviews with a semi-structured format. Interview transcripts were analyzed and coded for descriptive concepts as articulated by parents regarding the study aims. Three main interactive categories were identified. The first was a cyclical process of symptom management. The cycle starts with parents noticing something is wrong with their child, becoming alarmed, learning about and knowing the illness, learning to manage the illness, and returning their child to their normal health state. The second category is provider interactions, which can affect each step of the cycle. These interactions were: 1) communications involving discussions with providers, parental expectations, communication around care, and provider behaviors; and 2) the interventions involved. The third category entails the underlying family contexts of social supports and life logistics that affect both the symptom management cycle, and provider interactions. Understanding the parents' perspective on the important patient-centered outcome of their young child's symptom management adds to the body of knowledge in this area.


This article examines one of Juana of Castile's books of hours (London, BL Add. MS 18852) comparing it with those written for members of Juana's family and seeking to discern how it was used, in order to reassess her peers' evaluation of her spiritual affinities. It considers how Juana customized her book of hours with a miniature of the Virgin and Child, comparing it with a gifted panel painted by Rogier van der Weyden that Juana treasured to show how she placed herself under the protection of the Virgin. Numbered precepts would be intended for her to instruct any future children and are replicated in Isabel, her daughter's, book. The office of the Guardian Angel is compared with similar ones in Spain and Burgundy and, like devotion to St Veronica, such prayer is another means of protection. The striking mirror of conscience with its reflected skull, like other similar objects decorated with a skull that Juana possessed, sought to lift her from the decay and sinfulness of the world to the spiritual realm.


Summary 1. Effective management of fish and wildlife populations benefits from an understanding of the effects of stressors on individual physiology. While physiological knowledge can provide a mechanistic understanding of organismal responses, its applied utility is limited because it cannot easily be used by stakeholders. 2. Reflex action mortality predictors (RAMP) is a method that involves checking for the presence or absence of natural animal reflexes to generate a condition (RAMP) score in response to stressors and to predict fate. The method has previously been validated with fishes in artificial laboratoryand field-based holding studies as a responsive measure of fisheries capture stress and a predictor of delayed mortality, but has not been evaluated in the wild. 3. We used radio telemetry to monitor migration success of 50 endangered coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch following incidental capture in an aboriginal beach seine fishery in the lower Fraser River (Canada). RAMP was used to measure the condition of fish at release and to predict migration success following capture. Biopsy of an additional 43 coho profiled physiological condition at time of release. 4. Individuals with greater reflex impairment (higher RAMP scores) at release experienced significantly higher rates of migration failure. RAMP scores were also significantly correlated with fishery handling time. Plasma variables showed that captured coho had experienced physiological stress characteristic of exhaustive exercise and hypoxia, with significantly elevated cortisol and lactate values for fish entangled longer in fishing gear. 5. Synthesis and applications. This is the first validation of RAMP in a wild setting. Based on our findings, fishers could use the method and make adjustments in fishing behaviour in real-time to improve fish condition and reduce the mortality of bycatch, and conservation practitioners could monitor animal condition and identify problems that deserve management attention. RAMP is an easy, rapid and inexpensive approach to predicting mortality and measuring vitality and performed better than traditional physiological tools that cannot easily be used by stakeholders.


Drawing on recent feminist and psychoanalytic criticism, Cinzia Sartini Blum provides the first analysis of the rhetoric, politics, and psychology of gender in the avant-garde writings of the Italian Futurist F.T. Marinetti. Her book explores the relations between the seemingly unrelated goals of Italian Futurism: technical revolution, espousal of violence, avowed misogyny, and rejection of literary tradition. Blum argues for the centrality of the rhetoric of gender in Marinetti's work. She also investigates a diverse array of his futurist textual practices that range from formal experimentation with "words in freedom" to nationalist manifestos that advocate intervention in World War I and anticipate subsequent fascist rhetoric of power and virility. A major contribution to the study of the twentieth-century avant-garde and the first full-length study of Marinetti in English, The Other Modernism will interest all those concerned with twentieth-century literature, culture, and society and the problem of modern subjectivity.


A new CMOS realization of a high performance differential current conveyor is presented. The proposed high performance differential current conveyor is a good analog building block with the advantage of wide bandwidth. It can be directly used with MOS transistors operating in the ohmic region to implement the required analog functions, As an application of the proposed DCCII, a four quadrant current multiplier is presented. SPICE simulations show that the performance of the DCCII and the multiplier are in good agreement with theoretical results.


Recently, much progress has been made in unsupervised restoration learning. However, existing methods more or less rely on some assumptions on the signal and/or degradation model, which limits their practical performance. How to construct an optimal criterion for unsupervised restoration learning without any prior knowledge on the degradation model is still an open question. Toward answering this question, this work proposes a criterion for unsupervised restoration learning based on the optimal transport theory. This criterion has favorable properties, e.g., approximately maximal preservation of the information of the signal, whilst achieving perceptual reconstruction. Furthermore, though a relaxed unconstrained formulation is used in practical implementation, we show that the relaxed formulation in theory has the same solution as the original constrained formulation. Experiments on synthetic and real-world data, including realistic photographic, microscopy, depth, and raw depth images, demonstrate that the proposed method even compares favorably with supervised methods, e.g., approaching the PSNR of supervised methods while having better perceptual quality. Particularly, for spatially correlated noise and realistic microscopy images, the proposed method not only achieves better perceptual quality but also has higher PSNR than supervised methods. Besides, it shows remarkable superiority in harsh practical conditions with complex noise, e.g., raw depth images.


Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F. & Thoms) is one of the most versatile rejuvenate herbs. The Sanskrit name guduchi means the one, which protects the body. It is also called as amrta or nectar, as it is extremely useful in strengthening the immune system of the body and keeping the functions of its various organs in harmony. Therefore, in the present research work attempts have been made to provide a complete study on Guduchi Satva where its authentication and validation was worked out in a series of manner. In standardization, Tinospora cordifolia Genuine and market sample were screened for various pharmacognostic characterization, Phytochemical screening and antibacterial assay. Studies revealed that market sample was full of adulterations and cannot be use safe and effective drug. This identification was used to form various markers for standardization of guduchi satva. These characters can further be used in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia as Key markers. Hence these markers can scientifically used to check the adulteration and retain the quality of drug.


In an effort to combat the declining forestry resources through the establishment of exotic tree species like Tectona grandis , this have lead to processes associated with soils underneath these trees that have not been properly elucidated, particularly
the distributions of extractable micronutrients. Results from the study showed that 0.1M HCl extractable Zn, Cu and Fe in the surface and subsurface horizons varied from 0.74 to 4.68, 0.04 to 2.64 and 0.55 to 44.25 mg kg -1 . The DTPA extractable Zn, Cu and Fe ranged from 0.40 to 1.99, 0 to 4.37 and 2.11 to 24.06 mg kg -1 for both horizons. The extracting properties of these solutions indicated that 0.1M HCl, extracted more Zn, while DTPA extracted more Fe under the plantations. The extractable micronutrient contents showed an increase with aging plantation. The study therefore implied that Tectona grandis has an extractive property on micronutrient particularly on soils that are low in these nutrients. Nigerian Journal of Soil and Environmental Research Vol. 7 2007: pp. 15-22


Abstract. This work presents and discusses a methodology for modeling the behavior of a landfill system in terms of biogas release to the atmosphere, relating this quantity to local meteorological parameters. One of the most important goals in the study of MSW sites lies in the optimization of biogas collection, thus minimizing its release to the atmosphere. After an introductory part, that presents the context of non-invasive measurements for the assessment of biogas release, the concepts of survey mapping and automatic flux monitoring are introduced. Objective of this work is to make use of time series coming from long-term flux monitoring campaigns in order to assess the trend of gas release from the MSW site. A key aspect in processing such data is the modeling of the effect of meteorological parameters over such measurements; this is accomplished by modeling the system behavior with a set of Input/Output data to characterize it without prior knowledge (system identification). The system identification approach presented here is based on an adaptive simulation concept, where a set of Input/Output data help training a "black box" model, without necessarily a prior analytical knowledge. The adaptive concept is based on an Artificial Neural Network scheme, which is trained by real-world data coming from a long-term monitoring campaign; such data are also used to test the real forecasting capability of the model. In this particular framework, the technique presented in this paper appears to be very attractive for the evaluation of biogas releases on a long term basis, by simulating the effects of meteorological parameters over the flux measurement, thus enhancing the extraction of the useful information in terms of a gas "flux" quantity.


Sexual risk behavior and illicit drug use among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) contribute to poor health and onward transmission of HIV. The aim of this collaborative multi-site nursing research study was to explore the association between self-compassion and risk behaviors in PLWHA. As part of a larger project, nurse researchers in Canada, China, Namibia, Puerto Rico, Thailand and the US enrolled 1211 sexually active PLWHA using convenience sampling. The majority of the sample was male, middle-aged, and from the US. Illicit drug use was strongly associated with sexual risk behavior, but participants with higher self-compassion were less likely to report sexual risk behavior, even in the presence of illicit drug use. Self-compassion may be a novel area for behavioral intervention development for PLWHA.


We investigated whether the accuracy of auscultation could be improved with the use of a heart rate meter. Six fetal heart rate (FHR) traces were presented in a random sequence to 30 subjects using a customized computer program in each of three modalities: auscultation by counting alone, auscultation with the aid of an FHR meter, and visual assessment. The following characteristics were assessed: baseline rate, baseline variability, periodic change, and interpretation of the trace. For baseline rate, counting was associated with consistent underestimation of the FHR, which became more evident as the heart rate increased. The variation observed with each method was greatest with counting. For baseline variability, the proportion of correct responses using a meter was comparable to visual assessment, whereas counting was significantly less effective in 4 of 6 traces. For periodic change, the use of a meter was superior to counting in 4 of 6 traces, but both were inferior to visual assessment in 4 of 6 traces. In the interpretation of the trace, the use of a meter was again superior to counting, but both were inferior to visual assessment. Discrepancies were most marked in the least reassuring traces. Assessment of the FHR is significantly more accurate with the aid of a heart rate meter, and reduces interobserver variation.


Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by both neurological and systemic abnormalities. We examined the peripheral immune system and found widespread evidence of innate immune activation detectable in plasma throughout the course of HD. Interleukin 6 levels were increased in HD gene carriers with a mean of 16 years before the predicted onset of clinical symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the earliest plasma abnormality identified in HD. Monocytes from HD subjects expressed mutant huntingtin and were pathologically hyperactive in response to stimulation, suggesting that the mutant protein triggers a cell-autonomous immune activation. A similar pattern was seen in macrophages and microglia from HD mouse models, and the cerebrospinal fluid and striatum of HD patients exhibited abnormal immune activation, suggesting that immune dysfunction plays a role in brain pathology. Collectively, our data suggest parallel central nervous system and peripheral pathogenic pathways of immune activation in HD.


This research study investigated various characteristics of children in play therapy and their play behaviors during sessions. Specifically, this research investigated how gender, age, ethnicity, household and presenting problem of children impacted the play therapy process. Thirty-two cases of children who received ten or more sessions of play therapy at the Child and Family Resource Clinic, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas between the years of 1998-2002 and met specified criteria were coded and entered into a computer spreadsheet for analysis. The background information provided by the parent/guardian of each child was analyzed using various measures of central tendency to summarize and describe the data sets. The session summary data completed by play therapists at the CFRC was examined using analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance. Analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance revealed statistical significance between the following variables: a) males and use of dolls (.01), animals (.007) and weapons (.014), and males and expression of happy (.048), confident (.042) curious (.007) and flat (.029) during play therapy sessions; b) young children and use of vehicles (.050) during play therapy sessions; c) Caucasian children and expression of happy (.011), and confident (.008) during play therapy sessions; d) children residing in single parent households and use of hammer (.049) and puppets (.048) during play therapy sessions; and e) a variety of presenting problems and toy use/play behavior, feelings expressed and themes played out during play therapy sessions. Frequency of toy use and emotional expression were also investigated as well as session peaks of toy use, emotions expressed and themes. Analysis revealed that the toys used most often during play therapy sessions included the following categories: sandbox, easel/paints, dolls, weapons, crafts and money. Feelings expressed most often in play therapy sessions included excited, pleased, focused, interested, proud, curious, frustrated and confident. Analysis also indicated a positive shift in the overall dynamics of play therapy sessions, as reported by play therapists, during sessions 9-13.


Objective: This study was aimed to compare the shock index (SI) values between patients who required blood transfusion due to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and patients who received no blood transfusion. Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study at a tertiary center between January 2019 and June 2019. A total of 2534 patients who underwent vaginal delivery were included in this study. We measured SI values upon admission, 30 minutes, 1-hour, and 2-hours after delivery. We identified women who required blood transfusion as the study group. Control patients who delivered in the same period and received no blood transfusion were identified in the medical record system and randomly selected. Age, parity, BMI, and SI values at each one prepartum and three postpartum periods of the groups were analyzed. Results: A total of 2534 patients were included in the study. A varying amount of blood transfusion was performed in 54 patients (2.13%). When we compared with patients who did not receive blood transfusion after delivery, patients who received any amount of blood transfusion after vaginal delivery had significantly higher SI values 30 minutes after delivery (0.99±0.20, and 085±0.11, p=0.0001), at 1-hour (1.00±0.18, and 0.85±0.11, p=0.0001), and 2-hours (1.09±0.16, and 0.87±0.11, p=0.0001). Conclusion: SI value could be a reliable and consistent marker to predict the requirement for any amount of blood transfusion due to PPH.


Seventeen adult male and female subjects participated in a clinical trial using an open-label trial to evaluate the effectiveness of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) on stress, fatigue, quality of life and sleep. They ingested 20 mg of PQQ daily for 8 weeks. Changes in stress, fatigue, quality of life measures and sleep were evaluated using various inventories and questionnaires. For example, the results of the Profile of Mood States-Short Form revealed that all six measures of vigor, fatigue, tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility and confusion were significantly improved following PQQ administration compared with scores for those measures before administration of PQQ. Measures for quality of life, appetite, sleep, obsession and pain, also improved significantly. The results of the Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi Sleep Inventory (Middle Aged and Aged version) showed significant improvement in sleepiness at awakening, sleep onset and maintenance, and sleep duration. For validation, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Japanese version also showed significant improvement in sleep-related behavior. Furthermore, the changes in these global scores were correlated with changes in the cortisol awakening response (R = -0.55), i.e. the effects of PQQ on improvement of sleep quality are supported by a biomarker. Keywords : Pyrroloquinoline quinone, stress, fatigue, quality of life, sleep


The ability to semantically interpret hand-drawn line sketches, although very challenging, can pave way for novel applications in multimedia. We propose SKETCHPARSE, the first deep-network architecture for fully automatic parsing of freehand object sketches. SKETCHPARSE is configured as a two-level fully convolutional network. The first level contains shared layers common to all object categories. The second level contains a number of expert sub-networks. Each expert specializes in parsing sketches from object categories which contain structurally similar parts. Effectively, the two-level configuration enables our architecture to scale up efficiently as additional categories are added. We introduce a router layer which (i) relays sketch features from shared layers to the correct expert (ii) eliminates the need to manually specify object category during inference. To bypass laborious part-level annotation, we sketchify photos from semantic object-part image datasets and use them for training. Our architecture also incorporates object pose prediction as a novel auxiliary task which boosts overall performance while providing supplementary information regarding the sketch. We demonstrate SKETCHPARSE's abilities (i) on two challenging large-scale sketch datasets (ii) in parsing unseen, semantically related object categories (iii) in improving fine-grained sketch-based image retrieval. As a novel application, we also outline how SKETCHPARSE's output can be used to generate caption-style descriptions for hand-drawn sketches.


The problem of a footing being located on a slope is one which is encountered regularly and must be understood so that catastrophic failure of structures causing death or injury does not occur. This research project is split into two different but still related sections aimed at providing a greater understanding of the footing on slope problem.
This project will initially undertake a numerical study to see what effect geometrical and material properties have on the bearing capacity of a footing located on a slope, with
non--dimensional parameters used to highlight these effects. These parameters include dimensionless strength ratio, footing distance ratio, slope height ratio and soil internal friction angle which in this paper have been analysed more comprehensively than previously done before. FLAC will be used as the analysing software with the results
obtained from these analyses are presented in design charts making the information easy to understand and use.
A number of physical modelling cases will then be performed, in an attempt to validate the results produced from FLAC for a purely cohesive soil against real--world testing.
 A number of test samples will be set up for a range of slope specifications and tested. The results will be analysed and compared with previously derived FLAC results to see if a common result is produced between the two very different methods whilst allowing for an acceptable amount of variation. Once the physical modelling is completed it will open the door for a larger range of modelling scenarios to be attempted in both the footing on slope
problem area and in other geotechnical areas such as piles and anchors


alpha-Tocopherol, tocopherylquinon jointly with the proteins tocopherol acceptors from cytosole were identified to inhibit the activity of 5-lipoxigenase and so the synthesis of leukotriene A4 at the early stages providing for A4 hydrolase activation and C4 synthesase, as well as accelerate leukotrienes B4 and C4 synthesis at the further stages respectively changing the final spectrum of leukotriens in the organism tissues. Firstly, the leading role of proteins complexes capable to strengthen the effect of alpha-tocopherol and tocopherylquinon on arachidonic acid oxidative metabolism was determined.


The article covers basic principles of urologists' and researchers' training for state healthcare system. The role of a student research group in proper students selection for further special education in urology is pointed out. The article contains a plan of training in clinical residency including theoretical basis of urology and allied fields, diagnostic tools and practical skills, especially in urgent cases. The principles of postgraduate research personnel training in the field of urology are highlighted also. Special attention is paid to regional specialists training. The residents in surgery are preferred for further training in urology.


Two recent methods for obtaining flow stress-strain relations up to large strains of order 1.5 by channel-die compression are presented: i) for sheet metal formability tests, composite samples have been made of glued sheet layers and deformed at room temperature in a channel-die with the compression axis directed along one of the sheet metal edge directions, i.e. RD or TD. The sheet plane is parallel to the lateral compression die face. It is shown that, using a suitable lubricant, the sample deformation is homogeneous up to strains of 1.5. Tests carried out on 5xxx and 6xxx alloys to evaluate the stress-strain relations show that a generalized Voce law gives a good quantitative fit for the data. ii) for high temperature plate processing, quantitative flow stress data can be obtained up to 500°C with a rapid quench using a hot channel-die set-up. Some new results are presented here for high strain hot PSC tests on Al-Mn and Al-Mg alloys together with microstructure analyses.


Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) has attracted much attention in various electronics applications such as thin films transistors, color sensors, and solar cells[1]. However, many devices made from a-S:H are observed to degrade with time, which is commonly associated with hydrogen related defects [1]. It has been observed that, by increasing the hydrogen dilution in the precursor gas used in the plasma, one can obtain hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), which contains crystalline grains embedded in an amorphous silicon matrix. These materials can be deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) techniques. The presence of nc- Si in a-Si:H changes the optical and electronic properties of the material [2]. Nc-Si:H thin films have exhibited unique and useful characteristics. In particular, nc-Si:H thin films exhibit photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) behavior at room temperature [3]. The dilution of SiH4 with hydrogen has been recognized as an effective method for the transition from the amorphous to the nanocrystalline phase in the nc-Si:H thin films. The presence of hydrogen on the growing surface gives termination of dangling bonds and also an extraction of SiH3 radicals [4]. The supply balance between the hydrogen and SiH3 radicals is a key factor in determining the film structure [4]. The presence of excess hydrogen or hydrogen-bonded Si radicals (SiHn = 1, 2, 3) in the gas mixture passivates the dangling bonds on the growing surface and etches the growing surface. Etching eliminates part of the disordered structure and enhances the crystalline phase because the crystalline structure is the lowest energy configuration. In this paper, we report the study of the effects of the hydrogen species on the nanostructures and optical properties of nc-Si:H thin films prepared by PECVD techniques


In this paper we study the performance gain achieved by introducing dynamic subcarrier scheduling schemes to OFDM systems in the presence of heterogeneous traffic streams. Dynamic subcarrier scheduling copes with channel state variation by dynamically assigning different subcarriers to terminals, e.g. in the downlink of a cellular system. In addition to the channel state variations, also the arrival of data is highly variable for most applications. This calls for schemes that exploit both sources of variation. In the homogeneous traffic scenario, dynamic subcarrier scheduling in combination with semantic queueing mechanisms can significantly increase the capacity of an OFDM cell. In a heterogeneous traffic scenario, however, these mechanisms do not simply carry over. Therefore, in this work we study first the performance increase achieved for heterogeneous flows by purely switching from static to dynamic subcarrier scheduling and then introduce a semantic traffic management scheme that improves the achieved performance further by sacrificing the transmission of semantically unimportant video packets for important video packets and for packets related to HTTP.


Abstract The future growth of the world's largest company hinges on its "supercenter" format, a bold evolution that made it the nation's largest grocer in a few short years. While proposals for big-box retail have long involved politically sensitive tradeoffs for planners, supercenters bring these into sharp focus by concentrating substantial wage impacts on one group, grocery workers. With much at stake—we estimate direct impacts of hundreds of millions of dollars on each side in the San Francisco region alone—these battles promise to be more intense and challenging than in the past. Yet many regulatory strategies are weakly rationalized, poorly targeted, and legally untested. We clarify key policy questions and offer a case study as a model for understanding the extent and character of expected tradeoffs between winners and losers. In the end, our analysis supports planning strategies explicitly aimed at mitigating costs while leveraging benefits. This will require a thorough assessment of each proposed store's costs and benefits in order to provide a clearer rationale for when super-centers should be approved, denied, or mitigated. Such an approach permits planners to do what they do best: inform, mediate, and resolve.


The contribution of toxic O2 metabolites to cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury has not been determined. We found that gerbils subjected to temporary unilateral carotid artery occlusion (ischemia) consistently developed neurologic deficits during ischemia with severities that correlated with increasing degrees of brain edema and brain H2O2 levels after reperfusion. In contrast, gerbils treated just before reperfusion (after ischemia) with dimethylthiourea (DMTU), but not urea, had decreased brain edema and brain H2O2 levels. In addition, gerbils fed a tungsten-rich diet for 4, 5, or 6 wk developed progressive decreases in brain xanthine oxidase (XO) and brain XO + xanthine dehydrogenase (XD) activities, brain edema, and brain H2O2 levels after temporary unilateral carotid artery occlusion and reperfusion. In contrast to tungsten-treated gerbils, allopurinol-treated gerbils did not have statistically significant decreases in brain XO or XO + XD levels, and reduced brain edema and brain H2O2 levels occurred only in gerbils developing mild but not severe neurologic deficits during ischemia. Finally, gerbils treated with DMTU or tungsten all survived, while greater than 60% of gerbils treated with urea, allopurinol, or saline died by 48 h after temporary unilateral carotid artery occlusion and reperfusion. Our findings indicate that H2O2 from XO contributes to reperfusion-induced edema in brains subjected to temporary ischemia.


Abstract In this article we bring together opposing international relations theories to better understand U.S. foreign policy, in particular foreign trade and aid. Using votes in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979–2004, we explore different theoretical predictions about preferences for foreign economic policy. We assess the impact of domestic factors, namely political economy and ideological preferences, versus foreign policy pressures. Our three main results highlight the differential effect of these factors in the two issue areas. First, aid preferences are as affected by domestic political economy factors as are trade preferences. Second, trade preferences, but not economic aid ones, are shaped by the president's foreign policy concerns; for economic aid, domestic political economy factors matter more than foreign policy ones. Third, aid preferences are shaped more by ideological factors than are trade ones, but ideology plays a different substantive role in each. Different constituencies support aid and trade. This finding has implications for foreign policy substitutability, "the internationalist coalition" in U.S. foreign policy, "statist" theories of foreign policy, and the connection between public opinion and legislative voting.


The performance of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation schemes using differential (DPSK-OFDM), coherent (PSK-OFDM) data modulation and multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) are compared for time-variant and time-invariant multipath channels. Ignoring the CDMA aspect, MC-CDMA can be viewed as a novel modulation technique. While coherent OFDM and MC-CDMA require channel equalization, differential OFDM can work without it. As a channel equalization method a new controlled equalization scheme is introduced and investigated by simulations. MC-CDMA with controlled equalization is shown to be the most suited multi-carrier modulation principle over time-variant and time-invariant frequency-selective channels.


Mantellina translucens n. sp. inhabits the deep reefs (215-310 m) off southeastern Curacao, occurring singly or in pairs, attached to vertical rock walls and boulders by thin byssal threads. This species differs from all living Limidae in having an exceptionally thin, comarginally corrugated shell that is longer than tall and lacks radial sculpture. This new species possesses a unique suite of characters associated with adaptations to an epibyssate mode of life in bathyal habitats, including simplification of the digest- ive tract, possibly indicating omnivory. It is assigned to the genus Mantellina Sacco, 1904, previously known only from fossil deposits of Burdigalian to Serravallian Miocene age of the Central Paratethys, on the basis of similar shell morphology. Anatomical characters and ribosomal DNA sequence data (18S and 16S genes) confirm placement of this taxon within the family Limidae, yet its shell superficial- ly resembles those of several genera of the extinct family Inoceramidae, while differing in hinge morph- ology and shell ultrastructure. A preliminary molecular phylogeny recovered Limidae as a monophyletic clade within Pteriomorphia, with Mantellina derived relative to Limaria, and sister group to a clade containing the remaining representatives of Limidae. Ctenoides was not monophyletic. The phylogenetic tree based on molecular data does not support previously proposed suprageneric relation- ships based on morphological data.


Using DAPI flow cytometry, we examined genome size divergence of the Persian violet, Cyclamen persicum (Primulaceae) (2n=48) on close opposite slopes of Evolution Canyon (EC), Mt. Carmel, Israel. The range of genome size variation detected among measured cyclamens was 6.41% in relation to the smallest measured DNA content. Our data on C. persicum at EC showed that local variability in the 2C-value exists. Significantly less DNA was recorded in plants growing in one station of the African savannah-like south-facing slope (AS) but not in the remaining two stations of the same slope. We were not able to reject the null hypothesis that there are no significant interslope differences in the genome size between the temperate European garrigue-like north-facing slope (ES) and the drier AS. In spite of the nonsignificant interslope trend for the higher genome size in C. persicum, the data-fusion (meta-analysis) test using correlations between C-values in C. persicum, and earlier studied carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), trifoil (Lotus peregrinus) and a beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis) and their distribution along the aridity gradient indicates a positive relationship between drought and genome size at the microsite.


Data Visualizing is becoming an important research topic in computer science, and has received considerable attention in the last two decades. In several instances, visualization is a crucial step in order to easily access and properly understand the data. With it, the analysis and the decision making is a relatively easier task. In this thesis, we will focus on the visualization of the concept hierarchies by producing several geometric representations. The main tools used are the graphs where the concepts are represented by vertices and the edges represent the relationships between concepts. Our specific application is the development of a drawing system that interfaces with the description logic reasonner RACER . Unless there is no error in the ontology, the RACER system responds to the taxonomy queries correctly. The body of the response must contain information about a relational structure called a concept hierarchy. This information could be saved as a text file. In the first part of the thesis, we will present our system architecture and discuss its components then we will show how to collect the information about the concept hierarchy using the taxonomy query. We also describe methods for parsing hierarchies and the creation of an appropriate data structure that will be used by the set of algorithms we developed. The second part of the thesis contains the algorithms used to retrieve the properties of the concept hierarchy, as well as to study the specific structure of these hierarchies. It is well known that graph drawing in general is a very complex issue and, therefore, it is important that our approach in drawing takes into account the specificity of these graphs. We consider many aesthetic criteria that fit our specific application: the levels should be kept together as much as possible, the drawing area should be as small as possible, the number of crossings should be minimized, etc. Also, we will develop a decomposition technique that will be very useful in many instances.


STUDY DESIGN
Repeated-measures analysis of variance.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of 2 different orthotic posting designs on first metatarsophalangeal (first MTP) joint kinematics during gait.

BACKGROUND
Common orthotic designs used to control abnormal pronation incorporate the use of a medial post in the forefoot and/or rearfoot locations. Although this design may favorably alter rearfoot and lower-limb kinematics, the incorporation of a forefoot post has been theorized to negatively impact first MTP joint function by limiting hallux dorsiflexion during push off. An alternative design that has been proposed to be more favorable for function of the hallux and first metatarsal is the medial arch support.

METHODS AND MEASURES
Eighteen subjects with a mean age of 28.2 years (SD, 8.3 years) completed the study. All subjects were judged to have excessive pronation based on a clinical orthopaedic examination. Two different pairs of orthoses were custom molded for each subject. One design incorporated an extrinsic rearfoot and forefoot post and the second design had a high medial longitudinal arch in combination with an extrinsic rearfoot post. The "Flock of Birds" electromagnetic tracking device was used to collect 3-dimensional position and orientation data of 3 body segments (hallux, first metatarsal, and calcaneus) during the stance phase of walking for 3 conditions (no orthosis and each of the 2 different orthotic designs). A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess differences in first MTP joint dorsiflexion at midstance and during the push-off period of gait, as well as metatarsal declination angle changes during relaxed stance. An exploratory regression analysis was used to investigate factors that related to the change in peak dorsiflexion for the orthotic conditions.

RESULTS
Peak first MTP joint dorsiflexion averaged between 38 degrees and 40 degrees across all conditions. Although slight increases in first MTP joint dorsiflexion values were noted with both types of orthotic designs, these differences were not significant at either phase of the stance cycle (P = .50). The metatarsal declination angle in relaxed stance significantly increased (P = .001) under both orthotic conditions. Considerable individual variability was present. For the rearfoot-forefoot posted orthosis, a change in the declination angle of the first metatarsal during relaxed stance with the orthosis was a significant nonlinear predictor of change in peak dorsiflexion during push off.

CONCLUSIONS
Foot orthoses that incorporate a medial forefoot post do not have a consistent negative effect of reducing first MTP joint dorsiflexion during walking.


dissented from the view that the possibility" of a direct relationship between multiple exposure to halothane and postoperative liver damage existed. They asked why the committee had not sought "expert opinion," presumably from anaesthetists, before publishing their circular letter. It is apparent that the two groups who were working contemporaneously have now come to the same conclusion. As a general practitioner who is also a very part-time worker for the CSM I hope I am not out of order in expressing the view that it is a pity that some degree of effective communication, co-operation, and co-ordination between the two groups was not effected at an early stage and the hope that a lesson has been learnt for the future.


Malware writers and detectors have been running an endless battle. Self-defense is the weapon most malware writers prepare against malware detectors. Malware writers have tried to evade the improved detection techniques of anti-virus(AV) products. Packing and code obfuscation are two popular evasion techniques. When these techniques are applied to malwares, they are able to change their instruction sequence while maintaining their intended function. We propose a detection mechanism defeating these self-defense techniques to improve malware detection. Since an obfuscated malware is able to change the syntax of its code while preserving its semantics, the proposed mechanism uses the semantic invariant. We convert the API call sequence of the malware into a graph, commonly known as a call graph, to extract the semantic of the malware. The call graph can be reduced to a code graph used for semantic signatures of the proposed mechanism. We show that the code graph can represent the characteristics of a program exactly and uniquely. Next, we evaluate the proposed mechanism by experiment. The mechanism has an 91% detection ratio of real-world malwares and detects 300 metamorphic malwares that can evade AV scanners. In this paper, we show how to analyze malwares by extracting program semantics using static analysis. It is shown that the proposed mechanism provides a high possibility of detecting malwares even when they attempt self-protection.


Purpose: To report an examination of explanted bifurcated endovascular aortic grafts for histologic evidence of early healing and incorporation. Method: Two bifurcated endovascular aortic grafts composed of polycarbonate urethane and Elgiloy wire were explanted 42 and 21 days after successful endovascular exclusion of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Both patients expired from causes unrelated to endograft deployment. The explanted devices were examined using immunohistochemical analysis and electron microscopy. Results: On explantation, both grafts appeared to have excluded the aneurysm with no evidence of endoleak, graft migration, or thrombosis. Histological examination showed numerous inflammatory cells and good ingrowth of tissue into the proximal 2 cm of the graft. Collagen and smooth muscle cells were evident in the proximal portion of the graft with only collagen in the distal segments. Neointimal formation was seen within the proximal 2 cm also, but not at the distal segments. Macrophages were present in the graft. Scanning electron microscopy showed an extensive matrix of fibers that most likely represented collagen. Conclusions: Bifurcated endovascular aortic grafts show inflammatory and mild foreign body reactions, collagen formation, and intimal ingrowth during healing. These findings are similar to some of the healing properties reported for sutured grafts, as well as other endovascular grafts.


We study certain spectral properties of some fundamental matrix functions of pairs of symmetric matrices. Our study includes eigenvalue inequalities and various interlacing properties of eigenvalues. We also discuss the role of interlacing in inverse eigenvalue problems for structured matrices. Interlacing is the main ingredient of many fundamental eigenvalue inequalities. This thesis also recounts a historical development of the eigenvalue inequalities relating the sum of two matrices to its summands with some recent findings motivated by problems arising in compressed sensing. One of the fundamental matrix functions on pairs of matrices is the Kronecker product. It arises in many fields such as image processing, signal processing, quantum information theory, differential equations and semidefinite optimization. Kronecker products enjoy useful algebraic properties that have proven to be useful in applications. The less-studied symmetric Kronecker product and skew-symmetric Kronecker product (a contribution of this thesis) arise in semidefinite optimization. This thesis focuses on certain interlacing and eigenvalue inequalities of structured Kronecker products in the context of semidefinite optimization. A popular method used in semidefinite optimization is the primal-dual interior point path following algorithms. In this framework, the Jordan-Kronecker products arise naturally in the computation of Newton search direction. This product also appears in many linear matrix equations, especially in control theory. We study the properties of this product and present some nice algebraic relations. Then, we revisit the symmetric Kronecker product and present its counterpart the skew-symmetric Kronecker product with its basic properties. We settle the conjectures posed by Tunçel and Wolkowicz, in 2003, on interlacing properties of eigenvalues of the Jordan-Kronecker product and inequalities relating the extreme eigenvalues of the Jordan-Kronecker product. We disprove these conjectures in general, but we also identify large classes of matrices for which the interlacing properties hold. Furthermore, we present techniques to generate classes of matrices for which these conjectures fail. In addition, we present a generalization of the Jordan-Kronecker product (by replacing the transpose operator with an arbitrary symmetric involution operator). We study its spectral structure in terms of eigenvalues and eigenvectors and show that the generalization enjoys similar properties of the Jordan-Kronecker product. Lastly, we propose a related structure, namely Lie-Kronecker products and characterize their eigenvectors.


Software effort estimation models based on functional size allow software organizations to plan their development projects. A large number of organizations have adopted agile processes, but there is little evidence on the adoption of functional sizing methods to support software effort estimation in agile contexts. In this study, we compare four functional size estimation methods as the basis for effort estimation in the context of a startup company that develops mobile applications using an agile methodology. Measurements of software size, expressed in User Story Points (USP), Use Case Points (UCP), IFPUG Function Points (UFP), and COSMIC Function Points (CFP), were taken for a set of requirements from one project in the company. Effort estimation models were then derived from these measurements, using regression, and their accuracy was determined by the Mean Magnitude of Relative Error (MMRE) and Mean Balanced Relative Error (MBRE). We obtained the following MMRE results for each functional sizing method: 0,86 for UCP, 0,36 for USP, 0,36 for UFP and 0,22 for CFP, and the following MBRE results: 0,98 for UCP, 0,45 for USP, 0,53 for UFP and 0,35 for CFP. The effort estimation model based on COSMIC function points turned out to be the most accurate in the context of the software organization under study. Additionally, convertibility models between sizing measurements were generated to allow the organization to convert its historical measurements into any other software size measure, without having to perform the counting process of the target method.


In four of 11 patients with Legg-Perthes disease for which a varus femoral osteotomy was planned, routine split Russell traction failed to produce complete preoperative containment. Preoperative skeletal traction was used to distract the joint, displace the extruded lateral physis below the acetabular margin, and then reintroduce the femoral head into the acetabulum with progressive abduction. The femoral heads were rated postoperatively as good (two cases), fair (two cases), and poor (one case). Preoperative skeletal traction is an adjunctive treatment method for patients with "hinge abduction" in whom a varus femoral osteotomy is indicated.


In this study a new concept of functional modelling and simulation is introduced. First, the necessity and the expected outcomes of the new concept are explained. Secondly, the methodology of functional modelling based on a modular concept and the basic elements are presented, with details of OFS (Organico Functional Set). Then, the implementation of the new modelling concept using Sherpa Engineering's PhiSim environment is described in order to perform simulations. Finally, the proposed modelling method is applied to two different applications: a generic parallel hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and a waste water treatment unit of a building. Simulation results of parallel HEV application are also presented.


The paper introduces a Multi Agent Systems (MAS) approach to crowd modelling and simulation, based on the Situated Cellular Agents (SCA) model. This is a special class of Multilayered Multi Agent Situated System (MMASS), exploiting basic elements of Cellular Automata. In particular SCA model provides an explicit spatial representation and the definition of adjacency geometries, but also a concept of autonomous agent, provided with an internal architecture, an individual state and behaviour. The latter provides different means of space-mediated interaction among agents: synchronous, between adjacent agents, and asynchronous among at-a-distance entities. Heterogeneous entities may be modelled through the specification of different agent types, defining different behaviours and perceptive capabilities. After a brief description of the model, its application to simple crowd behaviours will be given, and an application providing the integration of a bidimensional simulator based on this model and a 3D modelling application (3D Studio) will also be described. The adoption of this kind of system allows the specification and simulation of an architectural design with reference to the behaviour of entities that will act in it. The system is also able to easily produce a realistic visualization of the simulation, in order to facilitate the evaluation of the design and the communication with involved decision-makers. In fact, while experts often require only abstract and analytical results deriving from a quantitative analysis of simulation results, other people involved in the decision-making process related to the design may be helped by qualitative aspects better represented by other forms of graphical visualization.


Abstract This study indicates that induced disease resistance might be useful to control branched broomrape. Strains of the rhizosphere bacteria Pseudomonas spp. (Proradix®), salicylic acid derivates (Bion®), and extracts of the algae Ascophyllum nodosum L. (Goemar Fruton Spezial®) can decrease branched broomrape infection to 80%. Results suggest that agents working as elicitors for resistance in other plant–pathogen interactions by induced systemic resistance or by systemic acquired resistance also could reduce branched broomrape infestation. These findings suggest that activation of immune responses before infection of plants could be an innovative control method for parasitic weeds. Nomenclature: Bion®, benzo-(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester; branched broomrape, Orobanche ramosa L. ORARA.


The detection of hidden two-dimensional Gauss-Markov random fields using sensor networks is considered. Under a conditional autoregressive model, the error exponent for the Neyman-Pearson detector satisfying a fixed level constraint is obtained using the large deviations principle. For a symmetric first order autoregressive model, the error exponent is given explicitly in terms of the SNR and an edge dependence factor (field correlation). The behavior of the error exponent as a function of correlation strength is seen to divide into two regions depending on the value of the SNR. At high SNR, uncorrected observations maximize the error exponent for a given SNR, whereas there is non-zero optimal correlation at low SNR. Based on the error exponent, the energy efficiency (defined as the ratio of the total information gathered to the total energy required) of ad hoc sensor network for detection is examined for two sensor deployment models: an infinite area model and and infinite density model. For a fixed sensor density, the energy efficiency diminishes to zero at rate 0(area -1/2) as the area is increased. On the other hand, non-zero efficiency is possible for increasing density depending on the behavior of the physical correlation as a function of the link length.


Phylloplane microorganisms are affected by ultraviolet (UV) radiation penetrating into plant canopies, but data as to the relationships between microorganism activity and canopy UV levels is lacking. Current instrumentation and modeling systems are inadequate to analyze canopy radiation environments at scales relevant to microorganisms. A biological dosimeter system was developed for measuring UV-B in turfgrass and other compact canopies. Cell suspensions of a DNA repair-deficient strain of Escherichia coli (CSRO6) were enclosed in packets (0.2-mL volume) of UV-transmissible polyethylene. After the packets were exposed to sunlight, numbers of surviving bacteria were determined. The log percent survival was found to be linearly related to accumulative UV-B dosage, as measured with a broad-band UV-B radiometer, but was not related to UV-A dosage. In one experiment, the performance of the biodosimeter system was compared with that of a miniature UV-B radiometer mounted in soil-level tracks in eight plots of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) that varied in leaf area index (LAI). The two methods yielded similar mean transmittance values that decreased with increasing LAI, closely fitting Beer's law. A similar relationship was found in a second experiment, in which biodosimeter packets were placed at the base of undisturbed tall fescue canopies. The packets also revealed considerable variation in transmittance possibly because of localized shading and sun flecks in the natural canopies. In a third experiment, direct and diffuse UV-B at different heights within a tall fescue canopy was measured by packets attached to narrow, flat wooden sticks simulating grass leaves. This method has potential as a tool to capture the variability in UV levels related to nonuniformity in canopy structure, depth in a canopy, and leaf orientation.


Described is a general method for the conversion of glycals to the corresponding 1,2-cis-isopropylidene-α-glycosides. Epoxidation of glycals with dimethyldioxirane followed by ZnCl2-catalyzed addition of acetone converted a variety of protected glycals into 1,2-cis-isopropylidene-α-glycosides in good yield. The reaction is compatible with a range of protecting groups, including esters, benzyl ethers, and silyl ethers, as well as free hydroxyl groups. This method has been applied to develop a synthesis of protected glucuronic acid 1, a key intermediate in the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. Compound 1 was produced in seven steps and 32% overall yield.


ABSTRACT This paper responds to an earlier one about mātauranga Māori by Dan Hikuroa [2017. Mātauranga Māori—the ūkaipō of knowledge in New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 47(1):5–10], in a spirit of koha (contribution) towards keeping alive this important discussion about the relationship between science and Māori knowledge. Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) has been discussed for many years in the fields of Education and Māori Studies, and more recently has been taken seriously as a policy issue by the science establishment in Aotearoa New Zealand. I argue against equating mātauranga Māori with science, since I think it is better conceived as a form of philosophy of science, rather than as a form of 'science' itself. This approach possibly allows ideas from mātauranga Māori to inform science at a values level, below the level of the empirical knowledge base, without needing to claim that mātauranga Māori is the same as science or uses scientific methods.


Importance While computed tomography (CT) represents a tremendous advance in diagnostic imaging, it also creates the problem of incidental detection—the identification of tumors unrelated to the clinical symptoms that initiate the test. Objective To determine the geographic variation in the United States in CT imaging and the corresponding association with one of the most consequential sequelae of incidental detection: nephrectomy. Design, Setting, and Participants This study is a cross-sectional analysis of age-, sex-, and race-adjusted Medicare data (January 2010-December 2014) from 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs) in the United States and includes information from 15 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries age 65 to 85 years. Exposures Regional CT risk (ie, the proportion of the population receiving either a chest or abdominal CT over 5 years). Main Outcomes and Measures Five-year risk of nephrectomy (partial or total). Results Data from 15 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries age 65 to 85 years were gathered and illustrate that 43% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 to 85 years received either a chest or abdominal CT from January 2010 to December 2014. This risk varied across the HRRs, ranging from 31% in Santa Cruz, California, to 52% in Sun City, Arizona. Increased regional CT risk was associated with a higher nephrectomy risk (r = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.28-0.47), particularly among HRRs with more than 50 000 beneficiaries (r = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.31-0.61). After controlling for HRR adult smoking rates, imaging an additional 1000 beneficiaries was associated with 4 additional nephrectomies (95% CI, 3-5). Case-fatality rates for those who underwent nephrectomy were 2.1% at 30 days and 4.3% at 90 days. Conclusions and Relevance Fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries are commonly exposed to CT imaging. Those residing in high-scanning regions face a higher risk of nephrectomy, presumably reflecting the incidental detection of renal masses. Additional surgery should be considered one of the risks of excessive CT imaging.


By means of XRD, SEM, FE-SEM, and TEM, the microstructures and growth morphology features of icosahedral quasicrystal for rapidly solidified Mg-Al-Zn system were investigated. It was found that, single icosahedral quasicrystal can be obtained in the Mg-Al-Zn alloys. The icosahedral quasicrystal reveals three typical morphologies: well developed dendrites, coral-like, and petal-like, and its compositions are in a wide range composition with 42.87-48.89 at.%Mg, 13.78-17.03 at.%Al, and 34.22-40.60 at.%Zn. Pentagonal dodecahedron with icosahedral symmetries is seen, and certain steps in pentagonal faces suggest that the planar growth occurs on the pentagonal faces.


Previous studies have shown that women keep better hygiene and housekeeping than men. We attempted to check if this cleaning tendency is general, or whether it is context dependent. Specifically, we tested whether men are the primary car cleaners, and whether they keep their cars cleaner than women. We conducted a survey in the US (N = 1,041) using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Study results show that the traditional gender difference in cleaning is reversed when it comes to cars. More women than men reported being the primary home cleaner, whereas more men than women reported being the primary car cleaner. Results are in accordance with evolutionary psychology.


Several prototypes of the Transition Radiation Tracker for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC have been built and tested at the CERN SPS accelerator. Results from detailed studies of the straw-tube hit registration efficiency and drifttime measurements and of the pion and electron spectra without and with radiators are presented. r 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Two-dimensional quasi-optical power-combining arrays are designed by using strongly coupled oscillators. The oscillators are connected by a microstrip coupling line for strong coupling. Two types of connections are discussed. One is the line-structure and the other is the loop-structure. The oscillation modes of the coupled oscillators for these two types of configurations are analyzed and compared. The experimental results for circuits with different configurations are compared to the theoretical results. The application of these two types of connections in the two-dimensional array is discussed. A multilayer (3-D) structure is employed in the circuit design to accommodate the complex layout of the two-dimensional arrays. A 4/spl times/4 power-combining array in multilayer structure is demonstrated. >


Abstract The affective dimension of teachers' work is a vital element in shaping inclusive, child-centred classrooms. It is particularly important for students who lack certain aspects of care and support within their personal lives. Recently, neoliberal educational paradigms of data gathering, external testing and competition have increased pressure upon students and teachers in mainstream schools. Many teachers feel that they have been taken away from their core business of teaching and caring for young people. Students with the highest needs often leave or become excluded from mainstream settings; some find their way to alternative/flexi/second chance schools. Our research indicates that within such sites, teachers and workers appear to be committed to the implementation of an educational environment and ethos explicitly framed by concepts of affective justice and an ethics of care. Despite its challenges and because of its rewards, they strongly assert the significance of their emotional labour when working with, usually disadvantaged, young people and helping them to overcome marginalisation. We contend that this redefinition of schooling as inherently 'relational' implies forms of teacher activism that transcend the obligation to student 'well-being' as commonly understood in mainstream settings, and which is failing to meet the needs of many young people.


Contact chemoreceptors (basiconic sensilla) located on the ovipositor and genital segments of the locust serve to control the chemical features of the substrate before and during oviposition. They occur dispersed and also crowded in fields between mechanosensory exteroceptors sensitive to touch or wind (trichoid and filiform sensilla). The central nervous projections of their four chemosensory and one mechanosensory neurons from single basiconic sensilla were stained selectively, focussing on receptors on the ovipositor valves, which usually contact the substrate during the pre oviposition probing movements. All axons and neurites from one contact chemoreceptor usually stay close together in most of their projections. Segregation occurs mainly when single axons terminate in one neuromere while the others proceed to a different neuromere or ganglion. For projections from one chemoreceptor, there is evidence neither for functional segregation of mechanosensory from chemosensory afferent terminals nor for specific segregation between different chemosensory afferents. The projections from sensilla of dorsal cuticle tend to project rather uniformly along the midline of the terminal ganglion. Comparative staining of touch and wind sensitive hair receptor neurons shows mostly central projections, similar to those of neighbouring contact chemoreceptors. From the typical intersegmental projections of most primary afferents and from the lack of segregation into glomerular structures, it is concluded that integration of chemosensory information from the genital segments is distributed in the terminal and the 7th abdominal ganglion. Signals from the ovipositor receptors could influence the various modes of behaviour of ovipositing locusts. The basiconic sensilla on the ventral ovipositor valve responses to different attractant or repellent chemicals. Responses were seen to aqueous solutions of salts (NaCl, 0.01 M to 3,0 M), sugar (glucose, 0.01 M to 3,0 M), acids (citric acid, 0.01M to 1,0 M), oviposition aggregation pheromones (veratrole and acetophenoneat 1,0% and 0,1%), neurotransmitters (GABA, 0,1%), neuromodulators (serotonin, and octopamine at 0,1%), alkaloides (quinine and tomatine at 0,1%) and phenolic compounds (salicin, 0,1%). With the classical tip recording and stimulation method (Hodgson et al 1955) usually three sensory neurons of these sensilla were excited, followed by rapid adaptation at lower concentrations. Local and ascending interneurones of the terminal abdominal ganglion process chemosensory information from the ventral ovipositor. This study focussed on interneurons extending in the anterolateral region of the eighth abdominal neuromere with some of their collaterals ascending to more anterior abdominal ganglia. The projecting interneurons of these respond only to one or two chemical substances (sugars or salts, or salts and acids together) with excitatory or inhibitory responses. The physiological and morphological differences between the interneurons suggest that there is no specific center for processing taste information in the locust terminal ganglion