Investigations at Oak Tree Fields, Cerney Wick, Gloucestershire, in western England have revealed a sequence of fluvial deposits dating from Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 to 5. At the base of the sequence, a series of gravel and sand facies were deposited, initially as part of a meandering river. Reductions in flow energy of the latter and avulsion led to the development of short‐lived channels and episodic backwater environments, the deposits of which are recorded as Facies Associations 1–3. Poorly sorted, probably colluvial deposits formed beyond the limit of the channel (Facies Association 4). Mollusca, Coleoptera, plant macrofossils, pollen and vertebrates recovered from the channel facies indicate broadly similar climatic conditions throughout accretion. Temperature ranges derived from mutual climatic range analysis of the Coleoptera almost completely overlap with those of Cerney Wick at the present day, albeit that winters may have been cooler when the channel was active. Further, the floral and faunal data suggest that the meandering river flowed through an open grassland environment, the latter heavily grazed by large vertebrates, most notably mammoth. Most of the botanical and faunal remains, together with four optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age estimates ranging from 225 ± 23 to 187 ± 19 ka, suggest correlation of the channel deposits with MIS 7. The basal deposits (Facies Association 1) yielded the majority of vertebrate remains and all the lithic artefacts, most of which seem likely to have travelled only a short distance. Although only a few artefacts were recovered, they add to the relatively limited evidence of human activity from the upper Thames. The channel deposits are overlain by sheet gravels (Facies Association 5) which are attributed to the Northmoor Member of the Upper Thames Formation. These were likely to have been deposited as bedload in a braided stream environment, while two OSL age estimates of 129 ± 14 and 112 ± 11 ka suggest accumulation during MIS 5.


Understanding the balance sheets of today's young adults—particularly the factors that set them on a path to financial security through asset diversification and accumulation—lends some insight into the balance sheets they will have when they are older. This study uses panel data from the Census Bureau's 1996 Survey of Income and Program Participation to investigate the acquisition of a savings account as a gateway to asset diversification and accumulation for young adults. Two avenues were considered: The first emphasized ownership of a diverse portfolio of financial products, and the second emphasized the accumulated value of liquid assets. Almost half of the surveyed young adults owned a savings account (43 percent) and approximately 3 percent acquired a savings account over the course of the panel. (Older, nonwhite, or unemployed participants were significantly less likely to acquire an account.) Those who owned or acquired a savings account also had more diverse asset portfolios. Evidence suggests that young adults who acquire a savings account and diversify their asset portfolios may also accumulate more liquid assets over time, which can be leveraged in the future to strengthen their balance sheets.


INTRODUCTION Article 18 of the New York State General Municipal Law sets forth the provisions regulating conflicts of interest for municipal officers and employees.(1) It applies to all municipalities in the state, except New York City.(2) "Municipality" is broadly defined to include not only counties, cities, towns, and villages, but a host of other local government entities as well, such as school districts, consolidated health districts, public libraries, and town and county improvement districts.(3) "Municipal officer or employee" is likewise broadly defined to include all officers and employees of the municipality, whether paid or unpaid, including board and commission members, and officers and employees paid from county funds.(4) The provisions of Article 18 fall into five areas:(5) (1) the prohibitions on interests in contracts with the municipality;(6) (2) miscellaneous provisions on conflicts of interest (e.g., gifts, and appearances before municipal agencies);(7) (3) administration (local ethics laws, local ethics boards);(8) (4) disclosure in certain land use applications;(9) and (5) annual financial disclosure.(10) The purpose of this Article is to outline the various provisions governing municipalities and to suggest practical applications of Article 18 to the daily operation of municipalities. I. PROHIBITED INTERESTS IN CONTRACTS Government ethics laws do not regulate ethics per se but rather, as a general rule, regulate financial conflicts of interest, that is conflicts between a public official's private financial interests and public responsibilities. Article 18 covers "pecuniary and material interests rather than expressions of personal opinion."(11) For example, many governmental ethics laws prohibit a public servant from engaging in certain outside employment or from taking any action as a public servant that would benefit the public servant personally.(12) In addition, state and local ethics laws seek to protect against divided loyalties on the part of public officers and employees. For example, a public servant may be prohibited from engaging in activities in conflict with his or her official duties or from acting on a matter that would financially benefit a member of the official's immediate family or his or her outside employer.(13) Likewise, a public servant may be prohibited from accepting gifts or gratuities from someone doing business with the official's government employer.(14) Finally, governmental ethics laws may contain miscellaneous provisions aimed at protecting privacy or preserving public confidence in the integrity of the governmental hiring or decisionmaking process or maintaining a level playing field among vendors. These provisions may restrict the use or release of confidential information, participation in certain political activities, the ability to enter into financial relationships with a subordinate or superior, or revolving door employment.(15) The focus of Article 18 lies almost entirely in prohibiting a municipal officer or employee from having an "interest" in contracts with his or her municipality if the officer or employee has some power or duty with respect to the contract.(16) This prohibition, which contains fifteen exceptions, including exceptions to the exceptions, is sufficiently complicated to puzzle experienced municipal attorneys; to a lay person, it is virtually unintelligible. In addition, this prohibition often seems senseless when applied to smaller communities.(17) Furthermore, only limited case law exists to provide guidance in the area; instead one must consult the plethora of opinions issued by the Comptroller's Office and Attorney General's Office.(18) When faced with an issue under section 801, the municipal attorney will need to engage in a five-step analysis, determining whether: (1) the individual is a "municipal officer or employee;"(19) (2) there is a "contract" with the municipality;(20) (3) the officer of employee has an "interest" in that contact;(21) (4) the officer or employee has the requisite power or duty under section 801; and (5) the officer or employee is covered by any of the exceptions in sections 801 or 802. …


In global urban studies, different cities often serve as stand†ins for various policy approaches. New York is closely associated with zero tolerance/quality of life policing—specifically the ways this crime†fighting technique was used to manage and regulate public space in support of broader urban redevelopment goals. Whether celebrated or criticized, the image of New York as a city that was successful in 'cleaning up' public space has been exported across the globe, and has been invoked by a number of cities as they embark on their own projects to clear street vendors and other unwanted actors from public space. This article will challenge this established narrative through an examination of struggles over street vending and public space in New York during the 1980s and 1990s. It will show how the revanchist project of public space management was challenged and ultimately limited by vendors using discourses of free market populism and entrepreneurship. It demonstrates the ways in which the image of New York as a city of settled and well†regulated public space does not tell the complete story, and how New York, like many other ordinary cities across the globe, is a city of contested spaces and uncertain regulatory effectiveness.


Abstract The objective of the work is the determination of the importance of transport effects in subcritical systems driven by an oscillated neutron source. The transport equation is solved in the frequency domain for two-dimensional source-driven systems, using the discrete ordinates method. Some problems connected with the application of synthetic acceleration procedures for the solution of the transport equation in the frequency domain are addressed. Comparisons between transport and diffusion results allow identification of physical situations (multiplying system geometry and material characteristics) in which transport effects could be important for a certain range of the frequency of the source.


Since processed foods are the fastest growing segment of U.S. agricultural exports, it is imperative to understand the underlying factors behind this growth. The overall objective of this research is to examine demand for processed foods by low and middle-income countries, seeking to assess demand determinants and potential import growth. In order to achieve this objective, we estimated a "modified gravity model" for U.S. exports of processed foods to 10 low and middle-income countries from 1980-2002, using both classical linear regression and fixed effects approaches. Empirical results from the classical model indicate that, as hypothesized, population, income, level of urbanization and an open trade regime have a positive effect on demand for processed foods by low and middle-income countries. As expected, exchange rates and distance have an inverse relationship with imports. Empirical results from the fixed-effects model are similar, with the exception of population. A cross-country comparative analysis of leading potential markets for U.S. processed food exports over the years 2003-2012 concluded that Mexico, China and Brazil, in that order, are likely to be the three largest future markets for U.S. processed foods among these 10 emerging countries.


Introduction A key public health strategy is to increase screening for chronic viral hepatitis. However, rates of testing for Hepatitis B and C in primary care remain low. Given that chronic viral hepatitis may present with an abnormal ALT or hepatic steatosis on imaging, we hypothesised that this population may be a suitable target for increased screening. In 2014, we introduced an integrated pathway for the initial management of suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in primary care which included hepatitis B and C testing at the point of entry. We examined the impact on screening for viral hepatitis in a catchment population of over 6 00 000. Method Adults with either a raised ALT or fatty liver on imaging were screened for alcohol misuse and tested for Hepatitis B and C before calculation of a NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS). The Virology database APEX, was interrogated for all tests for HBsAg, HBcAb and anti-HCV from primary care between 1 st November 2011 and 31 st October 2016. As a "control" for blood borne virus testing, HIV serology from the same locations and time period were also analysed. Data were scrutinised for number of tests per month pre and post implementation, the number of new diagnoses and the number of those diagnoses attributable to the NAFLD pathway. Results During the baseline period between November 2011 and April 2014, there were a mean of 173 HBsAg and 139 anti-HCV tests per month from primary care. Following the introduction of the NAFLD pathway, there was a highly significant increase in mean monthly testing to 295 HBsAg and 250 anti-HCV tests per month between May 2014 and October 2016 (p<0.001 for both). Across the same period, HIV testing remained stable with a mean of 68 tests per month prior to and 86 per month following introduction of the pathway (p=0.20, NS). In addition to demonstrating increased testing rates, the algorithm led to new diagnoses of chronic viral hepatitis and we will present further data on the yield of testing for Hepatitis B and C in a community NAFLD population. Conclusion We demonstrated a significant increase in testing for chronic viral hepatitis in primary care following the implementation of a NAFLD risk assessment pathway. The number of tests per month and number of requests related to NAFLD remained stable for the past 18 months, suggesting the pathway is now integrated into routine primary care practice. The NAFLD pathway represents a potential method to improve detection of chronic Hepatitis B and C infection in the community and we suggest that a similar approach in other CCGs could have additional impact in areas of higher prevalence of hepatitis B and C. Disclosure of Interest K Bicknell: None Declared, K Fancey: None Declared, K Gamble: None Declared, J Dowman: None Declared, A Fowell: None Declared, R Aspinall Conflict with: AbbVie, Gilead, MSD, Norgine, Falk


The oxygen transfer at a hydraulic structure happens by self-aeration through the spillway and by flow aeration in the hydraulic jump downstream of the hydraulic structure. Spillways with their water-air controlling mechanisms are important not only for their structural properties but also for their effects on stream ecology. Spillway types also affect the efficiency of aeration. Decisions on the types of spillway should be made by taking the environmental conditions and flow rates


The Traveller community was traditionally protected from drug use by distinct traditional anti-drug norms and potent family networks within their 'separateness' from the 'settled' community. Estimations of Traveller substance use remain clouded due to lack of ethnic monitoring in drug reporting systems, and poor service utilization by Travellers. This article draws on a Traveller and substance use regional needs analysis in Ireland, comprising 12 Traveller focus groups and 45 interviews with key stakeholders. Drug activity in terms of both drug dealing and drug use among Travellers is increasing in recent years [Van Hout, M.C. (2009a). Substance misuse in the traveller community: A regional needs assessment. Western Regional Drug Task Force. Series 2. ISBN 978-0-9561479-2-9].

Traditional resiliency factors are dissipating in strength due to increased Traveller housing within marginalized areas experiencing drug activity and increased levels of young Travellers encountering youth drug use within school settings, by way of their attempts 'to fit in' and integrate with their 'settled peers' [Van Hout, M.C. (2009b). Irish travellers and drug use – An exploratory study. Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, 2(1), 42–49]. Fragmentation of Traveller culture is occurring as Travellers strive to retain their identity within the assimilation process into modern sedentarist Irish society. Treatment and outreach policies need to protect Traveller identity by reducing discriminatory experiences, promoting cultural acceptance with service staff and addressing literacy, implementing peer led approaches and offering flexible therapy modalities.


BACKGROUND
Depression is a common and potentially debilitating illness worldwide. Attendance to routine childcare appointments is a key point of interest in the effort to improve the health and care for families facing depression.

AIM
To evaluate the association between maternal depression and offspring non-attendance to the Danish childcare and vaccination programme (CCP) for children from 0-5 years of age. The CCP consists of seven separate visits and several vaccinations. To investigate if exposure to recent and previous depression may affect attendance differently.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Population-based cohort study using Danish nationwide registers.

METHOD
Participants were all live-born children (n = 853 315) in Denmark in the period from 1 January 2000 until 31 August 2013, and their mothers. The outcome of interest was non-attendance of each one of the seven scheduled childcare visits and two vaccination entities in the CCP. Exposure was maternal (both previous and recent) depression. All information was obtained from Danish national registries.

RESULTS
The risk of not attending CCP was higher for children of mothers with depression. For children of mothers with previous depression, the relative risk (RR) was 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.98 to 1.03) at the 5-week childcare visit, and 1.12 (95% CI = 1.09 to 1.14) at the 5-year childcare visit. For children of mothers with recent depression, the RR was 1.07 (95% CI = 1.03 to 1.13) at the 5-week visit, and 1.15 (95% CI = 1.13 to 1.17) at the 5-year visit. Furthermore, the risk of missing at least four of the seven childcare visits was higher for children of females with maternal depression (RR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.19).

CONCLUSION
Maternal depression seems to compromise CCP attendance. These findings suggest a need for careful clinical attention to these vulnerable families, even years after a diagnosis of depression.


In this paper we investigate the robustness of Artificial Neural Networks when encountering transient modification of information bits related to the network operation. These kinds of faults are likely to occur as a consequence of interaction with radiation. Results of tests performed to evaluate the fault tolerance properties of two different digital neural circuits are presented.


A method for the measurement of chromatic dispersion in a single-mode optical fiber is proposed and demonstrated. This method adopts the technique of external modulation of the distributed feedback (DFB) laser output and direct optical frequency sweep range monitoring by coherent heterodyne detection. The method is also applicable to the future optical communication system with narrowband optical elements such as optical amplifiers, whereas measurement is impossible given the present state of the art. >


BACKGROUND: Distance walked during the 6-min walk test (6MWT) predicts mortality in COPD. The body weight of the patient affects the work required to walk. Calculated work during the 6MWT (6MWT work) may account for differences in walk distance resulting from change in body weight. Thus, 6MWT work might be a better predictor of mortality than distance walked. This study was designed to test this hypothesis and to assess if other variables measured during the 6MWT, like continuous oximetry recording, offered additional prognostic information. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data; 104 COPD patients were studied. 6MWT was performed in all cases. 6MWT work was calculated as body weight (in kg) × distance walked (in m). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the value of variables to predict mortality. Additional analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival plots and Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 590 ± 472 d. Eleven subjects (10.6%) died. 6MWT work was not better than distance walked to predict mortality (area under the curve 0.77 for 6MWT work vs 0.80 for distance; difference 0.03, 95% CI −0.05 to 0.12, P = .45). Subjects who died had more dyspnea (measured using the Borg scale) after the 6MWT (8.5 vs 4.0, P < .001), lower baseline SpO2 (85% vs 93%, P = .001), worse oxygen saturation during the 6MWT (mean SpO2 while walking 74.0% vs 86.6%, P = .02) and walked less distance (255 m vs 480 m, P = .001). On multivariate analysis, only 6MWT distance and dyspnea after the test correlated independently with mortality (P = .005 for both variables). CONCLUSIONS: 6MWT work was not more useful than 6MWT distance to predict mortality. The study confirms that 6MWT distance and dyspnea on exertion are key elements in prognostic evaluation in COPD, while the value of exercise oxygen desaturation is less clear.


In-situ 5 vol% TiB whisker and TiC particulates reinforced titanium composites were fabricated by blending Ti powder and B4C particulates followed by reactive hot-pressing. The microstructure of the composites was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Hot compression test was conducted on gleeble-1500 Thermal-Mechanical Simulator. XRD results show that two kinds of reinforcements with different shapes were formed during hot-pressing: TiB short-fiber and equiaxed TiC particles. The true stress-true strain curves is shown as work hardening curves when the compression temperature below 600°C, and a stable flow stress is seen when the compression temperature above 600°C. Peak flow stress of the composites are much higher than that of the unreinforced alloy.


The environment where an embryo develops can be influenced by components of maternal origin, which can shape offspring phenotypes and therefore maternal fitness. In birds that produce more than one egg per clutch, females differ in the concentration of components they allocate into the yolk along the laying sequence. However, identification of processes that shape female yolk allocation and thus offspring phenotype still remains a major challenge within evolutionary ecology. A way to increase our understanding is by acknowledging that allocation patterns can differ depending on the level of analysis, such as the population versus the among-female (within-population) level. We employed mixed models to analyze at both levels the variation in allocation along the laying sequence of four steroid hormones, three antioxidants, and four groups of fatty acids present in the egg yolks of wild great tits (Parus major). We also quantified repeatabilities for each component to study female consistency. At a population level, the concentrations/proportions of five yolk components varied along the laying sequence, implying that the developmental environment is different for offspring developing in first versus last eggs. Females varied substantially in the mean allocation of components and in their plasticity along the laying sequence. For most components, these two parameters were negatively correlated. Females were also remarkably repeatable in their allocation. Overall, our data emphasize the need to account for female variation in yolk allocation along the laying sequence at multiple levels, as variation at a population level is underpinned by different individual patterns. Our findings also highlight the importance of considering both levels of analysis in future studies investigating the causes and fitness consequences of yolk compounds. Finally, our results on female repeatability confirm that analyzing one egg per nest is a suitable way to address the consequences of yolk resource deposition for the offspring.


Privacy remains both contentious and ever more pertinent in contemporary society. Yet it persists as an ill-defined term, not only within specific fields but in its various uses and implications between and across technical, legal and political contexts. This article offers a new critical review of the history of privacy in terms of two dominant strands of thinking: freedom and property. These two conceptions of privacy can be seen as successive historical epochs brought together under digital technologies, yielding increasingly complex socio-technical dilemmas. By simplifying the taxonomy to its socio-cultural function, the article provides a generalisable, interdisciplinary approach to privacy. Drawing on new technologies, historical trends, sociological studies and political philosophy, the article presents a discussion of the value of privacy as a term, before proposing a defense of the term cyber security as a mode of scalable cognitive privacy that integrates the relative needs of individuals, governments and corporations.


The paper deals with variation of eddy current density distribution along material depth and investigates an effect of the variation on a crack signal in eddy current non-destructive testing. Four coaxial rectangular tangential coils are used to induce eddy currents in a tested conductive object. The exciting coils are driven independently by phase-shifted AC currents; a ratio of amplitudes of the exciting currents is continuously changed to vary the distribution of eddy current density along material depth under a circular pick-up coil positioned in centre between the exciting coils. Dependences of a crack signal amplitude and its phase on the ratio are evaluated and special features are extracted. It is revealed that the dependences are strongly influenced by depth of a crack, and thus the extracted features can enhance evaluation of a detected crack.


1. The flight activity patterns of groups and individuals of sugar-fed A. taeniorhynchus females have been studied under different light regimes, by recording of flight sound as an indicator of flight activity.

2. In an LD 12:12 regime, flight activity occurs both at light-off and light-on, forming a bimodal 'alternans' pattern. This basic pattern of flight activity persists with a periodicity of 23.5 h under continuous DD, but under continuous LL is masked over by irregular excessive outbursts of activity.

3. The flight activity rhythm originates for the first time in the adult stage, and it is not carried over from rhythms of developmental stages.

4. Flight activity rhythms can be entrained to a new light regime within 24-36 h which is rather fast. An early light-off does not reset the phase of the rhythm, but a delayed light-off does.

5. The flight activity rhythm can be entrained to 24 h light regimes other than LD 12:12. But a single stimulus of less than 12 h is not effective in initiating the bimodal circadian rhythm.

6. Frequency demultiplication within certain limits can entrain the flight activity rhythm to 24 h.

7. This flight activity rhythm of A. taeniorhynchus is compared with the activity rhythms of Aopheles gambiae and Culex pipiens pallens .

8. It is concluded that the basic bimodal alternans pattern of flight activity is a persistent property of the circadian oscillating system, which suggests that other activity rhythms involving flight are dependent on the same rhythm.

Contribution no. 260, Florida Division of Health, Entomological Research Centre, Vero Beach, Florida 32960. This work was supported in part by Grant no. AI-06587, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service.


Background Nigella sativa oil is one of the promising drugs of a plant origin that have an antischistosomal effect. Aim The aim of the present work was to explore the role of N. sativa oil either alone or in combination with praziquantel on immature worms of Schistosoma mansoni. Materials and methods N. sativa oil capsules dissolved in corn oil were administered to S. mansoni-infected mice aiming to study the therapeutic and prophylactic effects. The study included six groups of mice: (a) noninfected and nontreated, (b) infected and nontreated, (c) prophylactic N. sativa oil group, (d) praziquantel group, (e) therapeutic N. sativa oil group, and (d) combined group. All mice were killed 4 weeks after infection and treatment. The antischistosomal effect of N. sativa oil was assessed by worm burden, histopathology, and scanning electron microscopy. Results Therapeutic N. sativa oil group showed the highest significant decrease in the mean number of immature worm burden (R% was 57%) when given after infection followed by the combined group (R%=55.67%), whereas prophylactic N. sativa oil group showed nonsignificant decrease (R%=37%). The least changes were observed in praziquantel group (R%=0%). Conclusion N. sativa oil has a potent effect on immature S. mansoni which could be helpful for potentiating praziquantel effect and thus reducing development of resistance.


The family of Lauraceae comprising a group of flowering plants contains about 55 genera and over 2,000 species worldwide. In Malaysia there are 213 species of Lauraceae known as medang or tejur. Studies on these plant species resulted in various type of compounds such as alkaloid, flavonoids, chalcone, terpenoid and simple aromatic compounds. Some these of compounds have shown biological activity such as antimicrobial, antiplasmodium and anticancer. This paper describes the phytochemicals and some biological activity of isolated compounds from Lauraceae species.


The present study examined whether student evaluations of college teaching (SETs) reflected a bias predicated on the perceived race and gender of the instructor. Using anonymous, peer-generated evaluations of teaching obtained from RateMyProfessors .com, the present study examined SETs from 3,079 White; 142 Black; 238 Asian; 130 Latino; and 128 Other race faculty at the 25 highest ranked liberal arts colleges. Results showed that racial minority faculty, particularly Blacks and Asians, were evaluated more negatively than White faculty in terms of overall quality, helpfulness, and clarity, but were rated higher on easiness. A two-stage cluster analysis demonstrated that the very best instructors were likely to be White, whereas the very worst were more likely to be Black or Asian. Few effects of gender were observed, but several interactions emerged showing that Black male faculty were rated more negatively than other faculty. The results of the present study are consistent with the negative racial stereotypes of racial minorities and have implications for the tenure and promotion of racial minority faculty.


A model for a moderately deep underwater explosion bubble was developed in inviscid and irrotational fluid. Considering the effects of gravity, buoyancy, drag to the motion of bubble, the equations of motion (EOM) for bubble in inviscid and irrotational fluid near a free surface were established by introducing the potential-flow theory, energy equation and Hamilton principle. The displacement of the center of bubble, the radius-time histories and impulse periods of bubble were acquired by solving the EOM. The calculated results were compared with the experimental and numerical results. The compared results show that the former is consistent with the latter. The research has value to correlative theory research and engineering calculation.


In this paper a dynamic non-linear mathematics model is proposed to predict the surface roughness in optical ultra-precision machining, which can be automatically built by evoling computer program of genetic algorithm. The new model can improve the fitting and predicting accuracy, compared with the traditional linear regression model. The numerical simulation test proves the effectiveness and accuracy of new model.


Tensor hypercontraction is a method that allows the representation of a high-rank tensor as a product of lower-rank tensors. In this paper, we show how tensor hypercontraction can be applied to both the electron repulsion integral tensor and the two-particle excitation amplitudes used in the parametric 2-electron reduced density matrix (p2RDM) algorithm. Because only O(r) auxiliary functions are needed in both of these approximations, our overall algorithm can be shown to scale as O(r(4)), where r is the number of single-particle basis functions. We apply our algorithm to several small molecules, hydrogen chains, and alkanes to demonstrate its low formal scaling and practical utility. Provided we use enough auxiliary functions, we obtain accuracy similar to that of the standard p2RDM algorithm, somewhere between that of CCSD and CCSD(T).


Three ejaculates were collected from each of five dogs. After initial evaluation, the sperm-rich fractions were diluted to 100 x 10(6) spermatozoa x mL(-1) in two steps with an egg yolk-TRIS extender containing a final concentration of 5% glycerol and 0.5% Equex STM paste. Half of the 0.5 mL straws obtained from each ejaculate were frozen on nitrogen vapours (4 cm above the liquid surface) ("rapid freezing"), while the other half was frozen in a biological freezer at a rate of 0.5 degrees C x min(-1) between 5 degrees C and -10 degrees C and of 8 degrees C x min(-1) between -10 degrees C and -60 degrees C, followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen ("slow freezing"). After an average storage of 30 days, the straws were thawed in a water-bath at 37 degrees C for 1 min. Progressive motility was subjectively estimated hourly for 8 h on semen incubated at 38 degrees C. Immediately after thawing and after 2 h of incubation, motility parameters were also measured by a motility analyser. Sperm membrane function and chromatin stability were assessed immediately post-thaw, using the hypo-osmotic swelling test and acridine orange staining, respectively. Slow freezing significantly improved total post-thaw motility, which showed a slower decline over time, although spermatozoal average path and straight line velocity were lower compared to the fast rate. Also the number of intact membrane spermatozoa was significantly higher in slow-frozen samples while the proportion of spermatozoa with single-stranded DNA was minimal after both freezing procedures.


We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the hot DA white dwarf G191-B2B, using the best signal-to-noise ratio, high-resolution near- and far-UV spectrum obtained to date. This is constructed from co-added Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrometer (STIS) E140H, E230H and FUSE observations, covering the spectral ranges of 1150-3145A and 910-1185 A, respectively. With the aid of recently published atomic data, we have been able to identify previously undetected absorption features down to equivalent widths of only a few mA. In total, 976 absorption features have been detected to 3σ confidence or greater, with 947 of these lines now possessing an identification, the majority of which are attributed to Fe and Ni transitions. In our survey, we have also potentially identified an additional source of circumstellar material originating from Si III. While we confirm the presence of Ge detected by Vennes et al., we do not detect any other species. Furthermore, we have calculated updated abundances for C, N, O, Si, P, S, Fe and Ni, while also calculating, for the first time, a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium abundance for Al, deriving Al III/H = 1.60+0.07-0.08× 10-7. Our analysis constitutes what is the most complete spectroscopic survey of any white dwarf. All observed absorption features in the FUSE spectrum have now been identified, and relatively few remain elusive in the STIS spectrum.


Insulin receptor (IR) exists as two isoforms resulting from the alternative splicing of IR pre-mRNA. IR-B promotes the metabolic effects of insulin, whereas IR-A rather signals proliferative effects. IR-B is predominantly expressed in the adult liver. Here, we show that the alternative splicing of IR pre-mRNA is dysregulated in a panel of 85 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) while being normal in adjacent nontumor liver tissue. An IR-B to IR-A switch is frequently observed in HCC tumors regardless of tumor etiology. Using pharmacologic and siRNA approaches, we show that the autocrine or paracrine activation of the EGF receptor (EGFR)/mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway increases the IR-A:IR-B ratio in HCC cell lines, but not in normal hepatocytes, by upregulating the expression of the splicing factors CUGBP1, hnRNPH, hnRNPA1, hnRNPA2B1, and SF2/ASF. In HCC tumors, there is a significant correlation between the expression of IR-A and that of splicing factors. Dysregulation of IR pre-mRNA splicing was confirmed in a chemically induced model of HCC in rat but not in regenerating livers after partial hepatectomy. This study identifies a mechanism responsible for the generation of mitogenic IR-A and provides a novel interplay between IR and EGFR pathways in HCC. Increased expression of IR-A during neoplastic transformation of hepatocytes could mediate some of the adverse effects of hyperinsulinemia on HCC.


We have investigated the electrically active deep level defects in p- and n-type 4H-SiC after low energy electron irradiation. Intrinsic defects were created by irradiation with 200 keV electrons, with energy sufficient to move only the carbon atoms in SiC lattice. Defect spectra were compared between the p- and n-doped samples prepared under identical irradiation conditions. We probed both conduction and valence band sides of the band-gap by using capacitance transient techniques with electrical and optical trap filling. We have found that the defect spectrum in the p-type epilayers differs significantly from the n-type. The Z1/Z2, EH1 and EH3 electron traps which are usually present in irradiated n-type material could not be detected in p-type samples. An electron trap at 1.6 eV below the conduction band edge is present in both n- and p-type samples at the same energy position and with similar concentration, therefore it is probably related to the same type of defect. We have also found a new hole trap in p-type epilayers at energy EV + 0.66 eV.


We present the spectroscopic confirmation of a protocluster at z = 7.88 behind the galaxy cluster Abell 2744 (hereafter A2744-z7p9OD). Using JWST NIRSpec, we find seven galaxies within a projected radius of 60 kpc. Although the galaxies reside in an overdensity around ≳20× greater than a random volume, they do not show strong Lyα emission. We place 2σ upper limits on the rest-frame equivalent width <16–28 Å. Based on the tight upper limits to the Lyα emission, we constrain the volume-averaged neutral fraction of hydrogen in the intergalactic medium to be x HI > 0.45 (68% C i). Using an empirical M UV–M halo relation for individual galaxies, we estimate that the total halo mass of the system is ≳4 × 1011 M ⊙. Likewise, the line-of-sight velocity dispersion is estimated to be 1100 ± 200 km s−1. Using an empirical relation, we estimate the present-day halo mass of A2744-z7p9OD to be ∼2 × 1015 M ⊙, comparable to the Coma cluster. A2744-z7p9OD is the highest redshift spectroscopically confirmed protocluster to date, demonstrating the power of JWST to investigate the connection between dark-matter halo assembly and galaxy formation at very early times with medium-deep observations at <20 hr total exposure time. Follow-up spectroscopy of the remaining photometric candidates of the overdensity will further refine the features of this system and help characterize the role of such overdensities in cosmic reionization.


Enter the world of Susan Lilian Townsend - sun-worshippers, work-shy writers, garden-centre lovers and those in search of a good time all welcome. Over the last decade, Sue Townsend has written a monthly column for Sainsbury's Magazine, which covers everything from hosepipe bans and Spanish restaurants to writer's block and the posh middle-aged woman she once met who'd never heard of Winnie-the-Pooh. Collected together now for the first time, they form a set of pieces from one of Britain's most popular and acclaimed writers that is funny, perceptive and touching.


This work presents the results of an experimental study on supercooled droplet deformation and breakup near the leading edge of an airfoil. The results are compared to prior room temperature droplet deformation results to explore the effects of droplet supercooling. The experiments were conducted in the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand (AERTS) at The Pennsylvania State University. An airfoil model placed at the end of the rotor blades mounted onto the hub in the AERTS chamber was moved at speeds ranging between 50 and 80 m/sec. The temperature of the chamber was set at -20 ̊C. A monotonic droplet generator was used to produce droplets that fell from above, perpendicular to the path of the airfoil. The supercooled state of the droplets was determined by measurement of the temperature of the drops at various locations below the droplet generator exit. A temperature prediction code was also used to estimate the temperature of the droplets based on vertical velocity and the distance traveled by droplets from the droplet generator to the airfoil stagnation line. High speed imaging was employed to observe the interaction between the droplets and the airfoil. The high speed imaging provided droplet deformation information as the droplet approached the airfoil near the stagnation line. A tracking software program was used to measure the horizontal and vertical displacement of the droplet against time. It was demonstrated that to compare the effects of water supercooling on droplet deformation, the ratio of the slip velocity and the initial droplet velocity must be equal. A case with equal slip velocity to initial velocity ratios was selected for room temperature and supercooled droplet conditions. The airfoil velocity was 60 m/s and the slip velocity for both sets of data was 40 m/s. In these cases, the deformation of the weakly supercooled and warm droplets did not present different trends. The similar behavior for both environmental conditions indicates that water supercooling has no effect on particle deformation for the limited range of the weak supercooling of the droplets tested and the selected impact velocity. The assumption of a constant surface tension value was further supported by the equal trend of the Bond number obtained for supercooled and room temperature droplets.


The cluster of on-board system is a key part of Toulouse industrial activity. This cluster links several kinds of firms from different sectors and academic laboratories, in the field of engineering, aerospace, electronics systems and software. In this presentation, we will argue that this technological cluster is partly an unexpected result of loosely connected local and national policies and industrial initiatives between 1900 and 1980. The recent "pole de competitivite Aerospace Valley" policy was more a result of this cluster than a cause. But from an analysis of the projects financed through the policy, we can make the hypothesis that this policy will reinforce the integration of the cluster without modifying significantly its structure.


The major part of students at institutions of higher learning has shown an aversion for statistics. These attitudes impede on students' performance. Among factors affecting students' achievement in the subject is self-efficacy, self-concept, anxiety and low self-perception. In the main, this study sought to explore students' perceptions and attitudes towards statistics. Data used was collected through SATS36 and MPSP questionnaires from students who availed themselves for lectures of first year statistics and statistics related courses at a university in South Africa. The findings proved that students' perceived academic and professional relevance of statistics relates to their statistics proficiency. Students with low statistics self-perception are bound to develop negative attitudes towards the subject. Interest, mathematics and statistics self-efficacy, enjoyment, worth, relevance and effort were identified as precursors of statistics course achievement.


This article explores the experiences of separated asylum-seeking children and considers the implications of dominant understandings of 'childhood' for the ways in which the children's experiences of persecution and violence are interpreted in the UK asylum system. Although there is a widely held consensus among academics that the boundaries of 'childhood' are socially constructed—and that this is reflected in differences in what it means to be a 'child' over time and across space—this understanding is largely absent from the policies and practices that constitute the asylum determination process. Children who claim asylum are constructed as passive, vulnerable, dependent, asexual and apolitical victims (usually at the hands of adults) who should be allowed to stay on a discretionary basis until they turn 18 but who are not considered deserving of, or entitled to, protection under international law. Where children assert their agency and insist that their political and sexual experiences are taken into account, this may undermine their claims to be children at all. This article draws on the accounts of separated children seeking asylum in the UK to suggest that a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of the political, social and cultural contexts from which children originate is needed to ensure that children are granted the protection they need and deserve.


Background: Postoperative ileus is one of the most common complications after diverting loop ileostomy closure. Some reports have investigated the risk factors for postoperative complications or ileus after ileostomy closure; however, these studies did not evaluate the index surgery sufficiently. In this study, we evaluated the risk factors, including the details of the index surgery, for ileus after diverting ileostomy closure.Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent ileostomy closure following index surgery for rectal cancer. Patients who developed postoperative ileus (POI (+)) and patients who did not (POI (−)) after ileostomy closure were compared.Results: Fifty-nine patients were evaluated and were divided into two groups: POI (+) (n=9) and POI (−) (n=50), and the groups were compared. There were no significant differences in the details of the index surgery, operative procedure, transanal total mesorectal excision, lateral lymph node dissection, operating time, or blood loss. The incidence of Clavien–Dindo grade ≥ III complications after the index surgery was significantly higher in the POI (+) group. Conclusions: The incidence of Clavien–Dindo grade ≥ III complications after the index surgery may increase the risk of postoperative ileus after ileostomy closure.


This report evaluates a variety of dental materials with respect to MR imaging artifacts and their mechanisms of production. A 0.15-T superconducting system and an MR phantom were used in assessing imaging artifacts. Several in-vivo studies were also carried out. The dental materials were analyzed for composition and magnetic permeability and the results were compared with the artifacts produced by each material. It was found that the higher the magnetic permeability the greater the artifact produced. Magnetic permeability of a material is generally not predictable on the basis of its composition, however.


On December 7, 2020, the Council of the European Union adopted two legal instruments, Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 and Council Regulation (EU) 2020/1998, which together make up the new EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EUGHRSR). Similar to the U.S. "Global Magnitsky Act," and in contrast with the EU's existing country-specific sanctions regimes, the EUGHRSR seeks to address human rights abuses worldwide, by providing for the imposition of travel bans as well as financial sanctions on individual human rights offenders—state and non-state alike. The list of designated (natural and legal) persons will be reviewed on a periodic basis.


In this paper the authors examine the nature of relationships between multinational enterprise (MNE) affiliates and local institutions of governance. They begin by identifying a number of key themes regarding the efficacy and nature of local institutional support for the attraction and embedding of MNE affiliates. The growing interest of governments in embedding MNE affiliates begs questions not only of the rational organisation of government as a distinct set of institutions but, more significantly, of the increasingly indistinct boundaries between the state and firms. Governments adopt different stances toward MNEs, and the credibility of these stances rests crucially on some degree of partnership with MNEs at the local level. These partnerships and associated potential for oneway or mutual forms of capture highlight the increasingly politicised nature of the local state—MNE nexus. The authors illustrate these themes through a study of the relationship between local institutions and some of the most important MNEs in Wales—a 'region' noted for its proactive stance in the attraction and, more recently, the development of MNE affiliates. Finally, the authors offer some conclusions regarding the increasingly politicised nature of state—MNE relations at the local scale.


OF DISSERTATION CHANGING MINDS OR TRANSFORMING SOCIAL WORLDS? RE-ENVISIONING MEDIA LITERACY EDUCATION AS FEMINIST ARTSACTIVISM This dissertation project seeks to address the sociological processes, dynamics, and mechanisms inflecting how and why U.S. society reproduces a sexually dimorphic, binary gender structure. The project builds upon the work of sociologists of gender on the doing gender framework, intersectional feminist approaches to identity formation, and hegemonic masculinity and relational theories of gender. In a 2012 article in Social Science and Medicine presenting contemporary concepts in gender theory to the healthoriented readers of the journal, R. W. Connell argues that much public policy on gender and health relies on categorical understandings of gender that are now inadequate. Connell contends that poststructuralist theories highlighting the performativity of gender improve on the assumption of a categorical binary typical in public policy, but they ignore the insights of sociological theories emphasizing gender as a structure comprising emotional and material constraints of the complex inter-relations among social institutions in which performances of gender are embedded. According to Connell, it is the task of social scientists to uncover "the processes by which social worlds are brought into being through time – the ontoformativity, not just the performativity, of gender." This project explores the ontoformativity of gender in consideration of Patricia Hill Collins' concept of the four domains of power. According to Collins, matrices of domination are intersecting and interlocking axes of oppression including but not limited to race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, nation, age, ability, place, and religion that reproduce social inequalities through their interoperation in the cultural, interpersonal, structural, and disciplinary domains of power. West and Zimmerman contrast gender as an axis in the matrix of oppression with site-specific roles, arguing that gender is a master status that is omnirelevant to all situations such that a person is assessed in terms of their competences in performing activities as a man or a woman. The doing gender approach has been accused of theorizing gender as an immutably monolithic social inequality. This project seeks to explicate the dynamics of gender ideology by probing its weaknesses in the interpersonal and cultural domains of power. As Collins and coauthor Sirma Bilge posit, for people oppressed along axes of gender, race/ethnicity, class, age, place, ability, and other binaries that constrain their actions in the structural and disciplinary domains of power, "the music, dance, poetry, and art of the cultural domain of power and personal politics of the interpersonal domain grow in significance." Each of the three components of the dissertation project addresses a facet of mechanisms and processes of the interpersonal and cultural domains of power in (re)producing the binary gender structure in U.S. society. Paper #1, titled, "Integrating Black Feminist Thought into Canonical Social Change Theory," explicates how people in marginalized social locations mount definitional challenges to their received classifications in the cultural domain of power by rejecting the consciousness of the oppressor and wielding rearticulated collective identity-based standpoints as contextually attuned technologies of power to recast historical narratives. Paper #2, with teenaged coresearcher Emma Draper, titled "Ordering Gender: Interactional Accountability and the Social Accomplishment of Gender Among Adolescents in the U.S. South," maps how youth theorize interactional accountability processes to binary gender expectations in the interlocking social institutions of medicine, the family, schools, and peer social networks. Paper #3 is a book proposal comprising an introductory chapter. The book will tell the story of how young feminist arts-activists challenge the binary gender structure through resistance in the cultural and interpersonal domains.


Abstract The development of social media, in the form of Internet and mobile platforms, has rapidly flourished in the early twenty-first century. The changes in broadcasting forms of the first three Olympic Games of the twenty-first century, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, have corresponded and reflected the speedy expansion of this social media. This phenomenon invites not only attention to the historical transformation of the roles of media for the Olympic Games but also reflection on the concept of culture and intercultural exchange based on this phenomenon. This paper studies the relationships between social media, cultural exchange and the Olympic Games in the context of globalization. It argues that the characteristics of social media as 'participation; openness; conversation; communities; connectedness' will meet up with the goal of the Olympic Movement and aid the realization of the Olympic Ideal.


Cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment in splenectomized (SPLNZ) mice led to a decrease in leukocytes (W.B.Cs) count and did not restore to the normal value until day 21 post-injection. This study addressed the potential role of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) as a protective agent against CTX-induced toxicity in SPLNZ mice. Some hematological, biochemical parameters and histological examination of liver and kidney tissues were assessed. Thirty (30) Swiss male mice were divided into five groups (6 mice/group). Control mice (G1) were sham-operated treated with normal saline. The other four SPLNZ groups were treated with normal saline (G2), a single dose of 200 mg/kg CTX (G3), NSO (1 mL/kg) on alternate days for 14 days (G4) and the same NSO protocol after 200 mg/kg CTX (G5). Normal saline and CTX were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.), NSO was administered orally. G2 (SPLNZ) mice, compared to G1, showed significantly increased W.B.C. counts, platelet counts and cholesterol levels, while aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels decreased. Group (G3) (SPLNZ/CTX) mice had significantly decrease W.B.C counts and increase AST, ALT, cholesterol and triglycerides. G5 (SPLNZ/CTX/NSO) mice partially restored W.B.Cs count, increased platelet counts and enhanced AST and ALT enzymes. Histopathology of livers and kidneys from G3 (SPLNZ/CTX) showed necrosis, cytoplasmic degeneration of hepatocytes, cellular infiltration with pyknotic nuclei. SPLNZ/CTX/NSO (G5) improved the histological architecture of the livers and kidneys. No changes showed in G4 mice (SPLNZ/ NSO). In summary, NSO treatment ameliorated the hepato-renal toxicities after CTX injection in SPLNZ mice.


The main goal of this dissertation was to gain more insight into the sleep-wake behavior of intensive care unit patients and the factors that disturb it. At the beginning of this project, we firmly believed that patients experienced abnormal sleep-wake behavior. This was based on clinical observations and several (subjective) publications. Sleep is an essential physiological need, but can be difficult to achieve in the high-tech environment of the modern intensive care unit (ICU). Sleep deprivation has been associated with altered respiratory-function, immune-function, neuro-endocrine control, and could be the leading cause of a phenomenon called the "ICU-syndrome". It is generally believed that the ICU environment is responsible for these sleep disruptions, with noise being considered the most disruptive of all environmental stimuli. Unfortunately, these assumptions are based on evaluations of only small populations (n=12 in largest study) of selective groups of post-operative and cardiac ICU patients. The goal of this paper is to review current literature regarding sleep in the ICU, the influence of the ICU environment on sleep and the consequences of disturbed sleep in ICU patients.


Summary The economic efficiency of dual purpose cattle is influenced by a large number of traits which may be classified in groups of dairy, beef and functional traits. The combination of estimated breeding values for single traits in a total merit index, as long practised in some Scandinavian countries, is currently being implemented in a number of Central European states. Economic values for populations of dual purpose cattle in Austria derived from a deterministic herd model are presented. Traits in the dairy group are fat and protein yield; beef traits are daily gain, dressing percentage and carcass conformation; functional traits are longevity, persistency, fertility, calving ease, stillbirth and somatic cell count. A rough average over populations ofthe relative economic importance of dairy vs. beef vs. functional traits is 37:18:45 (economic weights ofthe traits are scaled with their genetic Standard deviations, differences in expression of traits are taken into account). Due to the covariance structure of the traits most of the gain is expected for fat and protein yield (moderate heritabilities and high positive correlation of the two traits). The proportions in expected monetary gains from the three sets of traits are 81:9:10. Omission of beef and functional traits from the index would lead to a 13 percent loss in total merit and negative responses for beef and functional traits. Inclusion of conformation as an early predictor of longevity has very little effect on total merit. The indices presented are compared with total merit indices used in other European countries. Key Wprds: total merit index, functional traits, cattle breeding, genetic and economic evaluation, conformation traits


(Fam Med 2010;42(3):164-5.) Editor's Note: I welcome your comments about this feature. I also encourage all predoctoral directors to make copies of this feature and distribute it to their preceptors (with the appropriate Family Medicine citation). Send your submissions to email@example.com. John Delzell, Jr, MD, MSPH, University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, MS 4010, 1059 Delp, Kansas City, KS, 66160. 913-588-1996. Submissions should be no longer than three–four double-spaced pages. References can be used but are not required. Count each table or figure as one page of text.


A model of an ultrasound-driven encapsulated microbubble (EMB) oscillation near biomaterial wall is presented and used for describing the microflow-induced shear stress on the wall by means of a numerical method. The characteristic of the model lies in the explicit treatment of different types of wall for the EMB responses. The simulation results show that the radius-time change trends obtained by our model are consistent with the existing models and experimental results. In addition, the effect of the elastic wall on the acoustic EMB response is stronger than that of the rigid wall, and the shear stress on the elastic wall is larger than that of the rigid wall. The closer the EMB to the wall, the greater the shear stress on the wall. The substantial shear stress on the wall surface occurs inside a circular zone with a radius about two-thirds of the bubble radius. This paper may be of interest in the study of potential damage mechanisms to the microvessel for drug and gene delivery due to sonoporation.


Background: Sufferers of COPD do not always receive the healthcare which guidelines and evidence suggest they should be given. In November 2015, The National Board of Health and Welfare issued new guidelines and indicators for care administered to sufferers of COPD. Aim: To investigate documentation of indicators and vaccination administered to COPD sufferers at a primary care unit.Method:The method was a retrospective journal review of total of n=118 journals. Aquantitative analysis with deductive approach was performed using a review template based on indicators for COPD care.Results: According to the documentation, 89% of subjects had their COPD diagnosis confirmed through spirometry and 90% were offered assistance with smoking cessation. The journals indicated that 8.5% of subjects had been vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcus, 15.3% of subjects had received structured patient education, the health status of 10.2% of subjects had been documented through CAT, 34.6% of subjects received nutritional treatment for those with a BMI under 22, 3.4% of subjects had their physical activity measured, 3.4% had been diagnosed cardiovascular exercise and/or weight training and the patient's next appointment had been documented in 80.5% of cases. None of the subjects involved in the study had received a written treatment plan or documented mMRCsymptom assessment. Conclusion: The primary care unit neither documents nor administers evidence-based care to COPD sufferers to a satisfactory degree in line with The National Board of Health andWelfare's domestic guidelines.


In 21st century, University students are at the pressure of study, employment, economy and interpersonal communication, thus brings in many thinking and mental problems. So to improve the educational work of university students' political thoughts including the timeliness of this work is a all-sided system engineering. Universities should insist on the principle of connection between ideological education and management, especially emphasis on instructors on instructors' integration and mining on university's ideological and political education resources. Strengthen college counselor's leading role for college students to establish correct world outlook and outlook on values of the formation, help students better adapt college life, and make them become a national needed all–round talents.


This paper studies the ordered weighted `1 (OWL) family of regularizers for sparse linear regression with strongly correlated covariates. We prove sufficient conditions for clustering correlated covariates, extending and qualitatively strengthening previous results for a particular member of the OWL family: OSCAR (octagonal shrinkage and clustering algorithm for regression). We derive error bounds for OWL with correlated Gaussian covariates: for cases in which clusters of covariates are strongly (even perfectly) correlated, but covariates in different clusters are uncorrelated, we show that if the true p-dimensional signal involves only s clusters, thenO(s log p) samples suffice to accurately estimate it, regardless of the number of coefficients within the clusters. Since the estimation of s-sparse signals with completely independent covariates also requires O(s log p) measurements, this shows that by using OWL regularization, we pay no price (in the number of measurements) for the presence of strongly correlated covariates.


From the perspective of local livelihoods this paper explores the complex interactions between wildlife, livestock and people, and options for integrated wildlife and livestock management in the semi-arid rangelands of eastern Africa. The paper draws on the sustainable livelihoods approach which explicitly considers whether households have access to the assets required to engage in an activity, and how that activity 'fits' with existing livelihood activities. • Appraisal and evaluation of integrated conservation and development projects have proven problematic because conventional methods fail to capture both direct and indirect impacts on rural livelihoods and their distribution across households. • In the semi-arid rangelands of eastern Africa, where 'plains game' is concentrated in and around protected areas, the costs of living with wildlife cannot simply be compensated by income generation from wildlife management. • Efforts to promote integrated wildlife and livestock management (IWLM) need to ensure access for pastoralists to seasonal grazing and water, and limit the negative aspects of wildlife integration (such as disease transmission, predation and crop damage). • The value of income generated by wildlife management can be enhanced, not only by enabling local people to realise their share, but also by ensuring that the timing of income flows fits with seasonal income and expenditure patterns and by extending individual household control over this income. • Incentives for integrating wildlife management into existing livelihood strategies are likely to be greater for pastoralists than agro-pastoralists, although institutional aspects may favour agro-pastoralists.


Telomeres are repetitive nucleoprotein structures at chromosome ends, and a decrease in the number of these repeats, known as a reduction in telomere length (TL), triggers cellular senescence and apoptosis. Heart disease, the worldwide leading cause of death, often results from the loss of cardiac cells, which could be explained by decreases in TL. Due to the cell-specific regulation of TL, this review focuses on studies that have measured telomeres in heart cells and critically assesses the relationship between cardiac TL and heart function. There are several lines of evidence that have identified rapid changes in cardiac TL during the onset and progression of heart disease as well as at critical stages of development. There are also many factors, such as the loss of telomeric proteins, oxidative stress, and hypoxia, that decrease cardiac TL and heart function. In contrast, antioxidants, calorie restriction, and exercise can prevent both cardiac telomere attrition and the progression of heart disease. TL in the heart is also indicative of proliferative potential and could facilitate the identification of cells suitable for cardiac rejuvenation. Although these findings highlight the involvement of TL in heart function, there are important questions regarding the validity of animal models, as well as several confounding factors, that need to be considered when interpreting results and planning future research. With these in mind, elucidating the telomeric mechanisms involved in heart development and the transition to disease holds promise to prevent cardiac dysfunction and potentiate regeneration after injury.


Objective: Tobacco and alcohol use by adolescents are major public health concerns in South Africa. However, the extent to which key psychosocial risk factors for tobacco use and alcohol use by adolescents in South Africa are shared or unshared is unclear. This study sought to examine the shared and unshared risk factors for tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents in Johannesburg. Method: Participants comprised 736 males and females aged 12–17 years who were recruited via a household survey conducted during 2004. The participants were interviewed using a questionnaire comprising measures of personal, family (parental bonding and family legal drug use) and contextual (school and neighbourhood) factors. Separate multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict lifetime alcohol use and lifetime tobacco use from variables within each domain (personal, family and contextual), controlling for demographic factors. Results: Personal, family (parental bonding) and contextual factors (school factors) were primarily shared risk factors for tobacco and alcohol use, while family legal drug use and neighbourhood factors were largely unshared. Conclusions: Interventions addressing personal, parenting and schooling factors are likely to have an impact on preventing both tobacco and alcohol use, whereas interventions focused on ameliorating family drug use and neighbourhood factors may need to be more substance-specific.


The status, changes, and disturbances in geomorphological regimes can be regarded as controlling and regulating factors for biodiversity. Therefore, monitoring geomorphology at local, regional, and global scales is not only necessary to conserve geodiversity, but also to preserve biodiversity, as well as to improve biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Numerous remote sensing (RS) approaches and platforms have been used in the past to enable a cost-effective, increasingly freely available, comprehensive, repetitive, standardized, and objective monitoring of geomorphological characteristics and their traits. This contribution provides a state-of-the-art review for the RS-based monitoring of these characteristics and traits, by presenting examples of aeolian, fluvial, and coastal landforms. Different examples for monitoring geomorphology as a crucial discipline of geodiversity using RS are provided, discussing the implementation of RS technologies such as LiDAR, RADAR, as well as multi-spectral and hyperspectral sensor technologies. Furthermore, data products and RS technologies that could be used in the future for monitoring geomorphology are introduced. The use of spectral traits (ST) and spectral trait variation (STV) approaches with RS enable the status, changes, and disturbances of geomorphic diversity to be monitored. We focus on the requirements for future geomorphology monitoring specifically aimed at overcoming some key limitations of ecological modeling, namely: the implementation and linking of in-situ, close-range, air- and spaceborne RS technologies, geomorphic traits, and data science approaches as crucial components for a better understanding of the geomorphic impacts on complex ecosystems. This paper aims to impart multidimensional geomorphic information obtained by RS for improved utilization in biodiversity monitoring.


A finite-element model (FEM) and corresponding five-parameter analytical model (AM) were derived to study the one-dimensional transport of chemically reactive macro-molecules across (x) arterial tissue. Derivations emphasize chemical activity [a(x)], its gradient, and water flux as driving forces for chemical reactions and transport. The AM was fitted to 28 measured 125I-albumin transmural concentration [c(x)] curves giving parameter estimates of diffusivity (DA), convective velocity (nu A), and so on as functions of pressure (P), location (z) along the vessel, etc. The FEM was used to study 1) intimal-medial a(x) associated with molecular sieving and medial edema, 2) reversible binding, and 3) errors of AM in analysis of c(x). Results are as follows. Average relative error for the 28 AM fits was 5.3%. Only estimates of DA and nu A had acceptable coefficients of variation. DA (approximately 0.10 X 10(-7) cm2 X s-1) decreased with P, increased with z to a maximum, and then decreased; nu A was approximately proportional to P (approximately 0.12 X 10(-7) cm X s-1 X mmHg-1) and decreased slightly with z; distribution coefficient (epsilon F) decreased with z and was smaller for serum than for simple albumin reagent. Assumed boundary conditions for AM were associated with approximately 1.4% error in AM c(x). Parameter estimates were sensitive to wall inhomogeneity, e.g., approximately 15% error. In conclusion, the AM and FEM simulated measured c(x) well; the FEM is useful for study of mechanisms, experimental designs, and AM errors; trends of AM parameter estimates suggest dependence on P, z, and composition of reagent for further FEM and experimental study.


Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has elevated commercial value due to its health appeal, desirable characteristics and quantitatively limited production, and thus it has become an object of intentional adulteration. As EVOOs on the market might consist of a blend of olive varieties or sometimes even of a mixture of oils from different botanical species, an array of DNA-fingerprinting methods have been developed to check the varietal composition of the blend. Starting from a comparison between publicly available DNA extraction protocols, we set up a timely, low-cost, reproducible and effective DNA isolation protocol, which allows an adequate amount of DNA to be recovered even from commercial filtered EVOOs. Then, in order to verify the effectiveness of the DNA extraction protocol herein proposed, we applied PCR-based fingerprinting methods starting from the DNA extracted from three EVOO samples of unknown composition. In particular, genomic regions harboring nine simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and eight genotyping-by-sequencing-derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were amplified for authentication and traceability of the three EVOO samples. The whole investigation strategy herein described might favor producers in terms of higher revenues and consumers in terms of price transparency and food safety.


We present an analysis of optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray spectral properties of a sample of 13 hot hydrogen-rich (DA) white dwarfs, each paired with a luminous unresolved companion. Using low-dispersion International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra, ROSAT photometry, and Extreme-Ultraviolet Explorer photometry and spectroscopy, we estimate the effective temperature, mass, and distance of the white dwarfs. Additionally, we examine the question of their atmospheric composition. We establish orbital properties for most binaries by means of high-dispersion optical spectroscopy obtained with the Hamilton echelle spectrograph at Lick Observatory; the same data help uncover evidence of activity in some of the secondary stars that is also notable in ROSAT X-ray measurements. In particular, we find high-amplitude (>20 km s-1) velocity variations in only two stars (HD 33959C and HR 8210), low-amplitude variations in four additional objects (HD 18131, HR 1608, θ Hya, and BD +27°1888), and no variations (<2 km s-1) in the remainder. We have observed Ca H and K in emission in four (BD +08°102, HD 18131, HR 1608, and EUVE J0702+129) of the six objects that were also detected in the 0.52-2.01 keV ROSAT PSPC band, while the source of the hard X-ray emission in HD 33959C remains unknown; other investigators have noted some evidence of activity in the remaining 0.52-2.01 keV detection, HD 217411. Properties of the white dwarfs are also investigated; EUV spectroscopy shows the effect of a low heavy element abundance in the atmosphere of the white dwarf in HD 33959C and of a high heavy element abundance in HD 223816; measurements of all other objects are apparently consistent with emission from pure-hydrogen atmospheres. However, current data do not constrain well the white dwarf parameters, and, to remedy the situation, we propose to obtain spectroscopy of the complete H Lyman line series.


In this thesis I studied conflict resolution in captive chimpanzees of the Arnhem Zoo, NL. Specifically, I investigated the occurrence and functions of various post-conflict strategies. Furthermore, I addressed the likely proximate cognitive and emotional mechanisms used in post-conflict interactions. I focused on two affiliative and two aggressive post-conflict interactions, namely reconciliation, consolation, further aggression and third-party aggression. Reconciliation, a friendly reunion of the opponents of an aggressive conflict, was influenced by relationship quality between the opponents. Relationship quality was also found to determine the amount of anxiety the opponents experience after conflicts. Anxiety was thus the likely emotional mediating mechanism in reconciliation. However, post-conflict anxiety and assessment of relationship quality were asymmetric between the opponents; only aggressees experienced stress and assessed relationship quality prior to reconciliation. Consolation, affiliation initiated by a bystander to a former conflict opponent, was investigated regarding its assumed function of stress reduction. I found no support for this function. Therefore, I renamed the behaviour as 'third-party affiliation'. Instead, I found that third party affiliation occurred more often when conflict opponents were likely to direct further aggression to bystanders and that third party affiliation effectively decreased the risk of receiving further aggression from the opponents. Hence, third party affiliation appears as a self-protection strategy from further aggression. The cognitive mechanism of third party affiliation has been assumed to be a cognitively empathic (emotional) concern of conflict opponents' distress. As third party affiliation was given for reasons that suggest self-regard, and in situations that do not require mental state attribution, it is unlikely that empathy underpins affiliation by bystanders. A possible exception is affiliation provided to conflict aggressees by their own relatives. This was not associated with self-protection and it was given in contexts that are likely to evoke empathic concern in the relatives. Thus, kin-related affiliation may be based on an empathic response. The aggressive post-conflict interactions were studied regarding their occurrence only. Third-party aggression was found to be an infrequent post-conflict interaction, for which I found no general determinants. Opponents were found to direct further aggression to bystanders after having won the conflict, which is against the previously known pattern of 'redirected aggression by victims', found in many species. I suggested that in chimpanzees further aggression may stem from an emotional process known as the 'winner-effect'. These four post-conflict interactions were found to occur largely independently from each other. Each of them is influenced by inter-connected emotional, psychological and functional aspects. In this thesis I scrutinized some of these aspects and found answers to some of the functional, emotional and cognitive levels of chimpanzee conflict resolution. My thesis emphasizes the complexity of chimpanzee conflict- and post-conflict behavior.


Aims: This study aimed to identify the underlying genetic defect of a large Turkish X linked nystagmus (NYS) family. Methods: Both Xp11 and Xq26 loci were tested by linkage analysis. The 12 exons and intron–exon junctions of the FRMD7 gene were screened by direct sequencing. X chromosome inactivation analysis was performed by enzymatic predigestion of DNA with a methylation-sensitive enzyme, followed by PCR of the polymorphic CAG repeat of the androgen receptor gene. Results: The family contained 162 individuals, among whom 28 had NYS. Linkage analysis confirmed the Xq26 locus. A novel missense c.686C>G mutation, which causes the substitution of a conserved arginine at amino acid position 229 by glycine (p.R229G) in exon 8 of the FRMD7 gene, was observed. This change was not documented in 120 control individuals. The clinical findings in a female who was homozygous for the mutation were not different from those of affected heterozygous females. Skewed X inactivation was remarkable in the affected females of the family. Conclusions: A novel p.R229G mutation in the FRMD7 gene causes the NYS phenotype, and skewed X inactivation influences the manifestation of the disease in X linked NYS females.


Background Specialist axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) clinics are advocated to promote early diagnosis and treatment and provide essential support and guidance to patients suffering with axial SpA¹. In 2010, we set up an early inflammatory back pain service (EIBPS) to target early diagnosis and management to prevent the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Objectives We established an EIBPS to reduce time to diagnosis and initiation of biologic therapy. This was accompanied by an education campaign (Back on Track) to local GP's, allied health practitioners (AHP's)and secondary care colleagues and to the general public to focus raising awareness of Inflammatory Back Pain (IBP) and axial SpA. Methods Referred patients with suspected IBP were screened by a specialist physiotherapist. Each patient was assessed for IBP (Berlin Criteria) and other SpA features. Bloods including HLA–B27 were taken for those with IBP or suspected axial SpA. Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) X–Rays were taken in suspected axial SpA patients and if normal spinal and SIJ MRI's taken. An educational campaign was undertaken with formal education on axial SpA for AHP's and doctors, in addition to a suite of promotional and training materials developed and disseminated. Results Between 2010-2018, 599 patients had an initial assessment appointment in the EIBPS. 312 (52%) were female, mean age 39.6 years (at data collection). Of the 599 referrals, 413 (69%) had symptoms of IBP and fulfilled the Berlin IBP criteria. These were referred for formal screening. 238 (40%) patients had confirmed axial SpA fulfilling ASAS criteria. Of these 238, 59 (10%) had a pre-existing diagnosis from another hospital. The remaining 179 (30%) patients received a new diagnosis, with 128 patients fulfilling radiographic axial SpA criteria and 51 patients fulfilling non-radiographic ASAS criteria. The time between the onset of back pain and diagnosis of axial SpA was 3.0 (0.3-30 years). Of those patients who fulfilled the criteria for biologic therapy, treatment was initiated within a mean 5.6 months of their initial EIBPS appointment. Conclusion Establishing an EIBPS with an awareness campaign has resulted in a significant reduction in time to diagnosis to a median of 3yrs, with biologic initiation within 5.6 months of their initial EIBPS appointment in appropriate patients. The long term advantage of early patient diagnosis and access to biologic therapy on reducing structural damage, and positive benefits in terms of functional, emotional and socioeconomic factors is well known². We advocate the replication of our specialist EIBPS service within the UK. References [1] National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society. Looking Ahead: Best practice for the care of people with ankylosing spondylitis. 2010. Available at: http://www.nass.co.uk/campaigning/looking-ahead/. Last accessed: 23 May 2014. [2] Weiß A, et al. Good correlation between changes in objective and subjective signs of inflammation in patients with short- but not long duration of axial spondyloarthritis treated with tumor necrosis factor-blockers. Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16:R35. Disclosure of Interests Rebecca Adshead: None declared, Hasan Tahir: None declared, Philippa Knight Speakers bureau: Educational speaker fees form Novartis, Simon Donnelly: None declared


In Reply .—Dr Robinow has stated that several of the anomalies related in our report are "defects not previously described as part of the fetal hydantoin syndrome." Unfortunately, this is not the case. The defects of imperforate anus (anal atresia), rib and vertebral anomalies, a single umbilical artery, and dislocation of the hip are specifically mentioned in the two classic textbooks by Smith and Taybi as being part of the fetal hydantoin syndrome. 1,2 These defects are also acknowledged in articles cited in the reference list of our report. "Renal malformations," as well as descriptions of numerous other genitourinary abnormalities, are also listed by these and other authors. Since rectoperineal or rectogenital fistulas are classic findings in infants with imperforate anus or anal ectopia, this would be an expected occurrence in such patients. Renal agenesis, while not specifically mentioned previously, would seem to fit logically within the realm of renal


This issue brings together five articles on the modern petroleum industry. Two cover the growth of the industry in the early twentieth century: Michael Adamson's study of the development of California's coastal oil region by independent oilman Ralph Lloyd; and the study by Lisa Bud-Frierman, Andrew Godley, and Judith Wale of the British entrepreneur Weetman Pearson's operations in Mexico. Two articles treat the post–World War II period: Nathan Citano looks at the budding interests of U.S. oilmen in the Middle East and Daniele Pozzi traces the transformation of the Italian company ENI into an international oil firm. Finally, Keetie Sluyterman examines the ways in which Royal Dutch Shell handled environmental issues from its inception in 1907 to the present. The issue also contains a survey of recent historiography on the oil industry in Latin America by Marcelo Bucheli and a review essay by James Bamberg on a recent four-volume history of Royal Dutch Shell.


We present the first quantitative detection of large-scale filamentary structure at z (cid:2) 0.7 in the large cosmological volume probed by the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). We use simulations to show the capability of VIPERS to recover robust topological features in the galaxy distribution, in particular the filamentary network. We then investigate how galaxies with different stellar masses and stellar activities are distributed around the filaments, and find a significant segregation, with the most massive or quiescent galaxies being closer to the filament axis than less massive or active galaxies. The signal persists even after downweighting the contribution of peak regions. Our results suggest that massive and quiescent galaxies assemble their stellar mass through successive mergers during their migration along filaments towards the nodes of the cosmic web. On the other hand, low-mass star-forming galaxies prefer the outer edge of filaments, a vorticity-rich region dominated by smooth accretion, as predicted by the recent spin alignment theory. This emphasizes the role of large-scale cosmic flows in shaping galaxy properties.


Phonons have the characteristic linear dispersion relation of massless relativistic particles. They arise as low energy excitations of Bose-Einstein condensates and, in nonhomogeneous situations, are governed by a space- and time-dependent acoustic metric. We discuss how this metric can be experimentally designed to realize curved spacetime geometries, in particular, expanding Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker cosmologies, with negative, vanishing, or positive spatial curvature. A nonvanishing Hubble rate can be obtained through a time-dependent scattering length of the background condensate. For relativistic quantum fields this leads to the phenomenon of particle production, which we describe in detail. We explain how particle production and other interesting features of quantum field theory in curved spacetime can be tested in terms of experimentally accessible correlation functions.


Background: The increasing number of operative deliveries is a topic of major concern in modern obstetrics. Maternal thyroid function is of known influence on many obstetric parameters. Our objective was to investigate a possible relation between maternal thyroid function, and operative deliveries. Secondary aim was to explore whether thyroid function was related to specific reasons for operative deliveries. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, low-risk Caucasian women, pregnant of a single cephalic fetus were included. Women with known auto-immune disease, a pre-labour Caesarean section, induction of labour, breech presentation or preterm delivery were excluded. In all trimesters of pregnancy the thyroid function was assessed. Differences in mean TSH and FT4 were assessed using t-test. Mean TSH and FT4 levels for operative deliveries were determined by one way ANOVA. Repeated measurement analyses were performed (ANOVA), adjusting for BMI, partiy, maternal age and gestational age at delivery. Results: In total 872 women were included, of which 699 (80.2 %) had a spontaneous delivery. At 36 weeks gestation women who had an operative delivery had a significantly higher mean TSH (1.63mIU/L versus 1.46mIU/ L, p = 0.025) and lower mean FT4 (12.9pmol/L versus 13.3pmol/L, p = 0.007)) compared to women who had a spontaneous delivery. Mean TSH was significantly higher (p = 0.026) and mean FT4 significantly lower (p = 0.030) throughout pregnancy for women with an operative delivery due to failure to progress in second stage of labour, compared to women with a spontaneous delivery or operative delivery for other reasons. Conclusions: Increased TSH and decreased FT4 seem to be associated with more operative vaginal deliveries and Caesarean sections. After adjusting for several confounders the association remained for operative deliveries due to failure to progress in second stage of labour, possibly to be explained by less efficient uterine action.


Remote and virtual laboratory classes are an increasingly prevalent alternative to traditional hands-on laboratory experiences. One of the key issues with these modes of access is the provision of adequate audiovisual (AV) feedback to the user, which can be a complicated and resource-intensive challenge. This paper reports on a comparison of two studies of remote and virtual access to hardware, one with rich AV feedback and one without. The comparison shows that the learning outcomes of the remote access mode are dependent upon the richness of the feedback; the learning outcomes of the simulated access mode are largely robust to an absence of feedback. The students' preferences are affected by the feedback, with a clear preference for richer feedback.


This paper extends the class of ordinal regression models with a structured interpretation of the problem by applying a novel treatment of encoded labels. The net effect of this is to transform the underlying problem from an ordinal regression task to a (structured) classification task which we solve with conditional random fields, thereby achieving a coherent and probabilistic model in which all model parameters are jointly learnt. Importantly, we show that although we have cast ordinal regression to classification, our method still fall within the class of decomposition methods in the ordinal regression ontology. This is an important link since our experience is that many applications of machine learning to healthcare ignores completely the important nature of the label ordering, and hence these approaches should considered naive in this ontology. We also show that our model is flexible both in how it adapts to data manifolds and in terms of the operations that are available for practitioner to execute. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates that the proposed approach overwhelmingly produces superior and often statistically significant results over baseline approaches on forty popular ordinal regression models, and demonstrate that the proposed model significantly out-performs baselines on synthetic and real datasets. Our implementation, together with scripts to reproduce the results of this work, will be available on a public GitHub repository.


Microarray data produces expression pattern of thousands of genes at once. Grouping these gene expression patterns to have each group convey some biologically meaningful sight entails use of a clustering method. Two problems exist when attempting to use conventional clustering methods for the microarray data analysis. Presence of outliers skews the mean value computation which, in turn influences placement of inconsistent gene expression patterns into one group. The clustering algorithms themselves generally cannot determine the right size of the clusters. We present a new method which approaches to the clustering problem from a different angle. That is, the clustering of gene expression patterns is better dealt with within a software framework that is conducive to helping biologists derive the right size of clusters utilizing their understanding of the experimental context once the baseline clusters are computed using the fold changes of gene expression levels. We discuss our experiences of using the framework in analyzing numerous microarray data experiments.


An important, but largely unexplored, class of bargaining problems involve two negotiators, who send signals to a third party. Such problems are especially common in politics, where elected officials must worry about approval from voters and sovereign leaders in international negotiations must appeal to domestic politicians and voters. The signaling incentives of the negotiators significantly influence (i) the proposals that they offer and (ii) their decisions to accept of reject their opponent's proposal. For instance, consider the case upon which we focus: Congress makes a take-it-or-leave-it offer (a bill) to the president, who either accepts or rejects (signs or vetoes) it. A third party, a set of voters, is uninformed about the president's preferences; however, by observing the bill that Congress writes and the president's veto decision, they can learn about these preferences. In our model the president wants to appear moderate to voters, while Congress wants him to appear extreme. As a consequence, Congress sometimes writes a bill that it knows the president will veto, instead of writing a compromising bill that they both prefer to the status quo. Thus, despite Congress and the president being completely informed, the presence of an uniformed third party causes the outcome to be Pareto inefficient. The model generates many empirical implications, and we test one of these - that the president's approval should tend to drop after a veto. Data from 1956 to 1992 strongly support the hypothesis. A veto of a major bill causes the president's approval to drop approximately two percentage points - approximately doubt the effect of a one-percentage- point drop in GDP.


ABSTRACT Leadership research tends to treat differences among ratings of the same leaders as measurement error. Our study makes such varying perceptions of leadership behaviour its main phenomenon of investigation. We conceptualize divergent leadership ratings based on the difference between managers' self-ratings and team members' assessments of leadership behaviour. Using data from three German public organizations on 51 teams and 190 leader–follower dyads, we find that divergent leadership ratings are a function of managers' motivation, their use of managerial reflection routines, and team members' personality. The findings point to the importance of using multisource feedback and developing managers' self- and other-awareness.


Purpose: This study examined the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) from acute poisoning patients, to determine the relationships among the PSS, PSSsum, the primary outcome (prolonged stay at the ER over 24 hours, general ward and ICU admission and the application of intubation and mechanical ventilator, and the administration of inotropes). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted through the EMR for 15 months. The PSS grade was classified according to the evidence of symptoms and signs. The differences in the primary outcomes between the PSS of when a single organ was damaged, and the PSS, PSSsum combined with the grade of when multiple organs were damaged, were studied. The cutoff value was calculated using the receiving operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results: Of the 284 patients; 85 (29.9%) were men with a mean age of 48.8 years, and their average arrival time to the ER was $4.4{pm}6.7;hours$. The most frequently used drug was hypnotics. The number of patients with PSS grade 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 17, 129, 122, 24, and one, respectively. No ICU admissions, application of intubation and mechanical ventilators, administration of inotropes were observed among the patients with PSS grades 0 and 1 but only on patients with PSS grades 2 to 4. At PSS, when separating the patients according to the number of damaged organs, 17 had no symptoms, 133 had one organ damaged, 75 had two organs damaged, 36 had three organs damaged, and 23 had four organs damaged. Significant differences were observed between increasing number of damaged organs and the primary outcome. Conclusion: Among the acute poisoning patients, the PSS was higher in severity when the grade was higher. The number of damaged organs and the primary outcome showed meaningful statistical differences. This study confirmed that when the patients' PSS>2 and PSSsum>5, the frequency of ICU admission was higher, and they were considered to be severe with an increased prescription risk of application of intubation and mechanical ventilator, and the administration of inotropes.


Global lake monitoring is crucial for the effective management of water resources as well as for conducting studies that link the impact of lake dynamics on climate change. Remote sensing datasets offer an opportunity for global lake monitoring by providing discriminatory features that can help distinguish land and water bodies at a global scale and in a timely fashion. A major challenge in global lake monitoring using remote sensing datasets is the presence of a rich variety in the land and water bodies at a global scale, motivating the need for local learning algorithms that can take into account the heterogeneity in the data. We propose a novel group-specific local learning scheme that uses information about the local neighborhood of a group of test instances for estimating the relevant context for classification. By comparing the performance of the proposed scheme with baseline approaches over 180 lakes from diverse regions of the world, we are able to demonstrate that the proposed scheme provides significant improvements in the classification performance.