Although benzodiazepines are frequently abused by humans, they usually maintain lower rates of self‐administration behavior in laboratory animals than other drugs of abuse such as psychomotor stimulants or barbiturates. In the present study, intravenous (i.v.) self‐administration of the short‐acting benzodiazepine midazolam was evaluated in squirrel monkeys. Monkeys (n  = 3) initially self‐administered the short‐acting barbiturate methohexital (100#μg/kg/injection) during daily 1‐hour sessions under a fixed‐ratio 10, 60 s time‐out, schedule of i.v. drug injection. This dose of methohexital maintained high rates of responding averaging 0.9 responses per second. Midazolam was then substituted for methohexital, and midazolam dose was subsequently varied from 0.3 to 3 μg/kg/injection. Each dose of midazolam was tested for five consecutive sessions and each unit dose condition was separated by five sessions of vehicle extinction. The midazolam dose–response function was an inverted U‐shaped curve, with maximal rates of self‐administration responding averaging 1.01 responses/second at a dose of 1 μg/kg/injection (an average of 48 injections per 1‐hour session). The rates and fixed‐ratio patterns of responding maintained by self‐administration of midazolam in the present study were comparable to the rates and patterns of responding maintained in squirrel monkeys by self‐administration of other drugs of abuse, including cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine and tetrahydrocannabinol, under similar experimental conditions.


Objective: To compare single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) with multiple-port laparoscopic surgery (MPLS) in terms of cosmetic outcome, operating time, and length of hospital stay. Methods: We retrospectively retrieved all SPLS cases performed in the gynaecology department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital during 2017 to 2018. Same number of matched MPLS cases performed within the same period was retrieved randomly for comparison. Patient satisfaction regarding surgical scar was assessed using the modified Patient Scar Assessment Questionnaire. Only the satisfaction rating was used. Score for each item ranges from 1 (least satisfied) to 4 (very satisfied). Results: 12 patients who underwent SPLS were compared with 12 randomly selected matched patients who underwent MPLS. Both SPLS and MPLS groups scored highly for the Patient Scar Assessment Questionnaire. SPLS group generally scored slightly higher than MPLS group and significantly higher in items: the colour of the wound associated with surrounding tissue, the height of the scar, overall appearance, and overall symptoms from the scar. 91.7% of SPLS patients and 58.3% of MPLS patients preferred the respective techniques if given a choice. Conclusion: Both SPLS and MPLS achieved exceptional cosmesis outcomes, but SPLS was superior to MPLS in some items. More patients may prefer SPLS if they are aware of the technology.


This paper presents empirical evidence consistent with the predictions of the endogenous sunk cost model of Sutton (1991), with an application to banks. In particular, banking markets remain concentrated regardless of market size. Given an asymmetric oligopoly where dominant and fringe firms coexist, the number of dominant banks remains unchanged with market size, with only the number of fringe banks varying across markets. Such structure is sustained by competitive investments in quality, with the level of quality increasing with market size and dominant banks providing higher quality than fringe banks. The analysis has implications for antitrust policy.


This workbook provides a resource for students studying towards the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Fully updated for this third edition, the book provides exercises to help teach and build vocabulary related to the IELTS test and also covers grammar, use of English, comprehension and spelling. Suitable for both self-study and the classroom, it includes a range of activities to help students build and improve their English vocabulary and language skills.


Addiction is one of the most disabling diseases in the world. An important neurotransmitter system that has recently been implicated in addiction is the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoid ligands that work on these receptors. Animal studies have shown that blocking the cannabinoid system prevents relapse to addiction, while activating the cannabinoid system with an agonist evokes relapse. Still, the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in addiction in humans remains unclear. The current thesis aimed to clarify the role of the endocannabinoid system in reward processing in nicotine addiction in humans. Brain function during reward processing was assessed using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). In the first study described in this thesis, we have shown that both chronic nicotine and cannabis use attenuates reward-related brain activity in the nucleus accumbens, a brain area well known for its involvement in reward processing. Next, the endocannabinoid system was challenged using the partial cannabinoid agonist THC, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. When comparing nicotine users with non-using controls, we showed that a THC challenge did not affect reward processing in the nucleus accumbens in controls, while it was attenuated in nicotine users. Thus, altered reward processing as is found in nicotine addiction is associated with increased sensitivity of the cannabinoid system. In contrast, the endocannabinoid system seems to play a limited role in normal reward processing. Together, these data indicate that the endocannabinoid system is involved in addiction, and possibly other diseases in which reward processing is impaired, such as depression and ADHD.


OBJECTIVE To measure plasma endothelin 1 (ET-1) levels in uncomplicated non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and investigate whether ET levels may be related to angiopathy, blood pressure, metabolic control, or duration of illness. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Plasma levels of ET-1 were measured in 44 NIDDM patients, of whom 24 had uncomplicated diabetes, 20 had angiopathy, and 10 had hypertension. In 21 patients, the duration of illness was > 10 years, and in 23 the duration of illness was <10 years. Serum creatinine levels, microalbuminuria, and HbA1c were determined simultaneously. Thirty normotensive healthy (nondiabetic) individuals (20 men and 10 women) served as control subjects. RESULTS No significant statistical differences in plasma ET-1 levels were found among all diabetic patients, diabetic patients with and without angiopathy, diabetic patients with different durations of diabetes, and normal subjects. No significant correlation of plasma ET-1 with blood pressure, age, serum creatinine level, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, or diabetic complications was found. CONCLUSIONS Plasma ET-1 levels are similar in patients with NIDDM and healthy subjects and do not seem to act as a marker of diabetic complications.


This article aims to cast a fresh light on adult education based on the specific example of training for women workers. It studies how organisations in the international labour movement took hold of this topic and, through their demands, contributed to a transnational discourse about the professional training of women and girls. As participants in the major international conferences of the International Labour Organization and UNESCO, these organisations fostered dialogue between national labour organisations, government representatives and employers, thus making progress on this issue which had previously been considered low priority. Our research in several archive collections has shed light on the role played by five women activists, involved in their respective international and national labour movements while belonging to various networks. Their demands, put forth on a national level, helped shake up French training policies aimed at women.


We study bounds on real eigenvalues of interval matrices, and our aim is to develop fast computable formulae that produce as-sharp-as-possible bounds. We consider two cases: general and symmetric interval matrices. We focus on the latter case, since on the one hand such interval matrices have many applications in mechanics and engineering, and on the other hand many results from classical matrix analysis could be applied to them. We also provide bounds for the singular values of (generally nonsquare) interval matrices. Finally, we illustrate and compare the various approaches by a series of examples.


This Article explores the interaction between addiction and liberty and identifies a firm legal basis for recognition of a fundamental constitutional right to freedom from addiction. Government interferes with freedom from addiction when it causes addiction or restricts addiction treatment, and government may protect freedom from addiction through legislation empowering individuals against private actors' efforts to addict them without their consent. This Article motivates and tests the boundaries of this right through case studies of emergent threats to liberty made possible or exacerbated by new technologies and scientific understandings. These include certain state lottery programs, addiction treatment restrictions, and smartphone applications. The right to freedom from addiction is supported by the nation's history and tradition. In addition to addressing emergent threats to the freedom of thought, the right links together longstanding aspects of constitutional law assumed to be sui generis, including longstanding (until the 1970s) constitutional prohibitions on state lotteries, the exemption of gambling from direct First Amendment protection, and heightened state interests in controlling addictive drugs. The right to freedom from addiction is also an antisubordinating liberty because it connects the historically marginalized interests of people with substance use and gambling disorders with the increasingly mainstream movement to regulate big tech.


In the present study, a NiS@ZnS composite nanostructure was synthesized on a nickel foam substrate by a facile chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The prepared composites were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor (SC) electrodes was examined by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The NiS@ZnS composite exhibited a cabbage leaf like nanostructure and showed outstanding electrochemical performance in SCs with a specific capacitance of 1533.0 F g-1 at a current density of 7.5 A g-1, good cycling stability with 97.9% retention over 3000 cycles, greater energy density, and excellent rate capability compared to the bare NiS (1279.83 F g-1) and ZnS (616.66 F g-1)-based electrodes in SCs. The facile, novel synthesis method, outstanding performance, well defined surface morphology, synergetic effect and low cost make the NiS@ZnS composite an ideal electrode material for electrochemical energy storage devices.


BACKGROUND
In traumatic acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) management, systemic anticoagulation is contraindicated, particularly during the first 2 weeks. We present two cases of patients with nonoperative aSDH whose stroke risk led to heparinization within 2 weeks of the initial hemorrhage and examine their outcomes to illustrate the risks and benefits associated with systemic anticoagulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two elderly males, on warfarin at baseline who developed traumatic nonoperative aSDH were heparinized within 2 weeks of aSDH onset.

RESULTS
One patient showed a decreased SDH volume on Day 19. The second patient developed sudden onset headache with fixed/dilated pupils on Day 5. In this patient, a CT scan of the brain revealed marked enlargement of the aSDH from 0.9 to 2.4 cm with midline shift of 1.5 cm, and uncal herniation that was incompatible with life.

CONCLUSION
Heparinization within two weeks of aSDH may cause SDH enlargement resulting in rapidly fatal neurologic deterioration. Further study is needed to more definitively address this issue.


A numerical study of the natural convection combined with thermal  radiation inside a square porous cavity filled with a fluid of temperature- dependent viscosity is carried out. The side horizontal walls are assumed to be adiabatic while both the left and right vertical walls are kept at constant but different temperatures. The Rosseland diffusion approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. The governing equations formulated in dimensionless stream function, vorticity and temperature variables are solved using finite difference method. A parametric  analysis  illustrating  the  effects  of  the  radiation  parameter   (0 ≤ Rd ≤ 10),   Darcy   number   (10–5 ≤ Da ≤ 10–2)   and   viscosity variation parameter  (0 ≤ C ≤ 6) on fluid flow and heat  transfer  is  implemented. The results show an essential intensification of convective flow with an increase in the radiation parameter.


It is no secret that the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) is closely connected with Armenian nationality and Armenian states (Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh). Previous studies have concentrated on surveying the privileges granted to it by these Armenian states. This study goes further by elucidating complementary relations between the AAC and these states in community-building. These states are suffering from the incompetence of local governments created by radical municipal reforms and the decollectivisation of agriculture during the 1990s. They need the help of the AAC, which is potentially able to mobilise rural intellectuals via church (parish) councils. The AAC wishes to reinforce its position, which it sees as endangered by various 'sectarian' challenges. Its weak appeal to faith (insufficient evangelisation) gives Protestant 'sectarians' abundant room for proselytism, against which the AAC intends to struggle 'from below' by its deeper involvement in community-building.


A single cell with a two-layer electrolyte consisting of an yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ, Y2O3 8 mol%) layer and an Sm-doped ceria (SDC, Sm2O3 20mol%) interlayer has been fabricated on porous YSZ-NiO anode support. The layer of YSZ electrolyte was prepared by modified electrostatic powder coating method and the SDC interlayer by screen-printed method on the green YSZ layer. After co-firing at 1400°C for 5 h, the two-layer film with a dense YSZ film of about 15μm and porous SDC film of about 25μm was fabricated. The performances of as-fabricated single cell using La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 as cathode were tested using H2-3% H2O as fuel and air as oxidant at 800°C. Results indicated that the peak power density of a single cell with SDC interlayer reaches 469 mW/cm2 at 800°C, obviously higher than that of without SDC interlayer, which is about 300 mW/cm2 at 800°C.


Introduction Clinically, adaptation of an implanted stent to the vessel wall influences the development of problems such as intimal hyperplasia and in-stent-stenosis for intracranial stenting. In particular, for the stenting in a curved vessel, it was indicated that a stent deployed across an artery with angulation exerts a certain longitudinal rebounding cause of vessel straightening. For this reason, it is necessary to investigate stent-artery interaction including stress distribution and vessel deformation due to stent designs within the realistic curved arterial model. Materials and Methods The aim of this study is to analyze and evaluate the stress distribution within the stented curved artery using open and closed-cell stent designs. We focused on stent geometries and calculated the differences in stress within the realistic curved artery due to the structure and stent position using deformation analysis with finite element modeling. Results The results have different stress behavior by stent designs and its position within the parent artery. High stress values were obtained in the curved portion and at the proximal section of the parent artery with the area of contact between stent strut and the artery for all models. This behavior could be explained by differences the metal-to-artery ratio on each side of proximal and distal vessel according to stent position. Furthermore, vessel straightening was obtained for curved section with stented artery due to longitudinal rebounding force of the stent. Comparing the distribution of high stress area for stent designs, open-cell stent has lager area of high stresses than closed-cell stent at distal portion. In the other hand, the stress distribution of closed-cell was similar for different stent position. Conclusion For our simulation, stent behavior such as stress status and vessel deformation was varied by stent design and its position within the curved artery. This numerical method might be effective for designing a better stent specifically for the intracranial stenting and also to select an appropriate stent prior to the actual endovascular procedure. Competing interests None.


In 2017, significant increases in opioid overdoses and the crippling effect of substance use on the health of Hoosiers heightened a sense of urgency to address this major health crisis. Indiana University (IU) initiated a Grand Challenge: Responding to the Addictions Crisis (AGC) through a $50 million investment in intramural research and projects to address addictions in Indiana in synergy with state and health system partners. The announcement resulted in immediate response from the community via email and calls with request for engagement from the people of Indiana, groups, organizations and policy makers. The challenge was: How can a public university partner with communities to advance our understanding of a complex problem like addiction while developing strategies to address that problem? To organize quickly, initial contacts were categorized into an AGC Community Engagement Framework with five potential levels of engagement curiosity, interest, advocacy, project partners, and initiative partners. To guide our team's responsiveness, each level was mapped to specific AGC goals, mechanisms of engagement, and engagement owners. The engagement framework developed has high utility for universities and other public institutions who seek to engage the broad community in public health responses.


Current research has shown that the mass media informs and shapes individuals perceptions of issues in society. In cases where the media reports rape it can consequently lead to victim blaming or precipitation as news often reinforces rape myths through its content and discourse. This investigation aims to research how news reporting contributes to the social construction of rape through their choices of discourse. A critical discourse analysis was conducted on a variety of UK on-line news sources dated between 2016-2018. During the analysis three themes were more prominent than the rest: drunk and asking for it, guilty until proven innocent and he is not the type to rape. All three themes illustrate victim-blaming tendencies and can lead to even narrower definitions of rape than the one expressed by the law, leaving readers with stereotypical perceptions of rape and a tendency to discount anything that does not fit that rape situation. This can lead to the non-reporting of rapes as well as lower conviction rates in court. Further research could look at the discourse used prior to and after a verdict has been reached in rape cases.


The dielectric functions of the MAX phases, Ti3SiC2 and Ti4AlN3, have been determined from first principles calculations. We compared the dielectric functions and the reflectivity spectra of Ti3SiC2 and Ti4AlN3 with those of TiC and TiN. The optical spectra were analyzed by means of the electronic structure, which provides theoretical understanding of the conduction mechanism of these two phases. We found that Ti4AlN3 can be used to avoid solar heating and also increase the radiative cooling due to the increased thermal emittance as compared to TiN. Ti4AlN3 can therefore be a candidate coating material for temperature control of space vehicles.


The Buckskin Gulch locality in Utah is a landmark example of compaction localization. The outcrop of this locality involves distinct stratigraphic heterogeneity and was exposed to complex loading history. It features multiple sets of deformation bands with different kinematics and orientation. Similar formations were seen in the Valley of Fire, Nevada, and the Orange quarry, France, among other localities. The formation of such complex structures, their propagation mechanisms, and frequency is affected by numerous local and ambient factors whose impacts are not yet fully understood. The simulation of the above‐mentioned localities is not feasible because of the limited amount of available information. This work, instead, investigates from a geomechanics standpoint how the interplay among material nonlinearity, outcrop stratigraphy, and loading history interconnects with specific spatiotemporal patterns of compaction band propagation. Our study shows that the system stratigraphy can be responsible for the emergence of coexisting compaction bands with different inclination and kinematics. Specifically, we show that stiffness contrasts induce nonlocal stress changes which may favor the initiation of secondary structures with different compaction localization characteristics. Furthermore, systems of inclined compaction bands induced by burial increase display secondary, noncontemporaneous sets of vertical compaction bands under the effects of postburial shortening. Our results indicate that stages of intermediate burial decrease prior to tectonic shortening can promote the formation of such complex systems. Despite the simplifications involved in our analyses, these findings show how geomechanics computations complement field observations and could provide a mechanics‐based validation of site‐specific reconstruction hypothesis.


The elderly, the young and the sick are often the most vulnerable in times of flooding. The potential for water-borne diseases in the early stages of a disaster is high, but with the intervention of effective water and sanitation practices this can be greatly reduced or prevented. Special attention paid to the specific needs of the vulnerable population is essential. The floods in June 2012 in the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam, North-east region of India devastated most states and led to huge displacement of population. This picture was shot at Sonitpur district, Assam.


Distributed multiple input multiple output (MIMO) multihop networks are proven to achieve superior performance in terms of data throughput and communication reliability. In this paper a low-complexity adaptive relaying scheme is considered in order to achieve robust end-to-end (e2e) communications. For this system optimal as well as nearoptimal efficient resource allocation strategies that redu c the total transmit power while satisfying a given e2e outage probability are proposed. It will be shown, that notable power savings can be achieved by the adaptive scheme compared to non-adaptive distributed MIMO multi-hop networks. Moreover, the proposed joint power and time allocation in closed form allows simple implementation and achieves near optimal power consumption.


Consideration of the democratic qualities of supranational institutions—specifically the European Union (EU)—consistently display a reliance upon principles of democracy as they are found in nation-states. While there is considerable discussion about the problems that this reliance poses, finding strategies for avoiding that reliance, especially in the case of the EU, has proven difficult. This study examines the way in which European institutions are judged by democratic criteria, and demonstrates the problems that come with replicating state-bound principles of democracy as if they say something about a perceived deficit in European-level democracy. Instead of rigidity in principles, what is needed to examine democracy at the supranational level is a fluid and flexible approach that still provides a robust understanding of what is happening (and not happening) democratically in the institutions of focus. The adaptive approach to democracy, using a framework that distinguishes between first-order principles and second-order principles of democracy, is a tool that provides this flexible yet robust perspective. This approach views democracy as clusters of different principles at work in a variety of institutions, rather than as a specific set "laundry list" of principles that must be included for a system to be judged democratic or not. This approach is particularly valuable for supranational institutions, where assumptions about democracy make a rigid lens for analysis. This rigidity can cause descriptions of supranational institutions to either miss new ways of democracy being met or to result in excessive reliance upon a defined set of democratic principles that are misfit to the institution in question. This study lays out the adaptive approach, based upon the central first-order principles of freedom and equality. Then through three case studies of EU institutions the method is employed: focus is upon the European Parliament (the traditional spot for democratic hopes to be hung), the European Court of Justice (an institution often considered to have the most undemocratic features in the EU), and Daphne, a Commission program against gendered violence (an under-explored location where democratic principles can be found working in unexpected ways).


The Mediterranean Sea is subject to multiple human pressures increasingly threatening its unique biodiversity. Spatially explicit information on the ecological status of marine ecosystems is therefore key to an effective maritime spatial planning and management, and to help the achievement of environmental targets. Here, we summarized scientific data on the ecological status of a selection of marine ecosystems based on a set of ecological indicators in more than 700 sites of the Mediterranean Sea. For Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, rocky intertidal fringe, and coastal soft bottoms, more than 70% of investigated sites exhibited good to high ecological conditions. In contrast, about two-thirds of sites for subtidal rocky reefs were classified to be in moderate to bad conditions, stressing the need for prioritizing conservation initiatives on these productive and diverse environments. Very little quantitative information was available for the southern Mediterranean Sea, thus monitoring programs and assessments in this area are essential for a representative assessment of the health of marine coastal ecosystems in the whole basin. This overview represents a first step to implement a baseline that, through georeferenced data on ecological status, could help identifying information gaps, directing future research priorities, and supporting improvements to spatial models of expected cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems.


Contact deformation experiments in stiffness measurement of spring tubes are studied in this paper. Firstly, Herzian catact theory, Person method and one numerical method are proposed to solve the contact problem based on the character of the contact in spring tube stiffness measurement. Secondly, the normalized pressure profiles and the relationship between non-dimensionalized contact pressure and contact angle are taken to study three contact theories. Lastly, it's proved by some error compensation experiments that Persson method and the Numerical method are more conformable to solve closely conformal problem.


The main purpose of the article is to outline the role of the local authority monument conservation officer and give a comparative analysis of agreements on the management of cases within the competence of the Pomeranian Monument Conservation officer dealt with by the local government structure of the City of Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia. The article begins with a discussion of the process of appointing the local authority monument conservation officer, the operating principles of the post, assessment procedures and main duties as determined in the 1996 Acts and those resulting from the officer's own objectives. The agreements entered into are presented as the main tools of the local authorities, which should streamline and improve the supervision of monuments in a given commune. Next discussed are the legal grounds of such agreements followed by a detailed analysis of the most substantial differences which are the subject of further discussion. Additionally indicated are areas specific to the provincial monument conservation officer, despite their location in an area covered by a given commune. Final conclusions comment on the differences and, taking the above considerations into account, their application by local government monument conservation officers. The article concludes with a subjective evaluation of the office itself and its operation.


Working in collaboration with Spain-based retailer Zara, we address the problem of distributing, over time, a limited amount of inventory across all the stores in a fast-fashion retail network. Challenges specific to that environment include very short product life cycles, and store policies whereby an article is removed from display whenever one of its key sizes stocks out. To solve this problem, we first formulate and analyze a stochastic model predicting the sales of an article in a single store during a replenishment period as a function of demand forecasts, the inventory of each size initially available, and the store inventory management policy just stated. We then formulate a mixed-integer program embedding a piecewise-linear approximation of the first model applied to every store in the network, allowing us to compute store shipment quantities maximizing overall predicted sales, subject to inventory availability and other constraints. We report the implementation of this optimization model by Zara to support its inventory distribution process, and the ensuing controlled pilot experiment performed to assess the model's impact relative to the prior procedure used to determine weekly shipment quantities. The results of that experiment suggest that the new allocation process increases sales by 3% to 4%, which is equivalent to $275 M in additional revenues for 2007, reduces transshipments, and increases the proportion of time that Zara's products spend on display within their life cycle. Zara is currently using this process for all of its products worldwide.


Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) panels made from poplar (Populus ussuriensis Kom.) and birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) veneers were tested for mechanical properties. The effects of the assembly pattern on the modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) of the LVL with vertical load testing were investigated. Three analytical methods were used: composite material mechanics, computer simulation, and static testing. The reliability of the different LVL assembly patterns was assessed using the method of Monte-Carlo. The results showed that the theoretical and ANSYS analysis results of the LVL MOE and MOR were very close to those of the static test results, and the largest proportional error was not greater than 5%. The veneer amount was the same, but the strength and reliability of the LVL made of birch veneers on the top and bottom was much more than the LVL made of poplar veneers. Good assembly patterns can improve the utility value of wood.


Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesised by a mechanochemical method using ZnCl2 and Na2CO3 as precursors and NaCl as a diluent. The effects of the milling energy, influenced by factors such as the milling time and ball-to-powder mass ratio, and the ordering of the synthetic stages on the structure, morphology and optical properties of the synthesised nanoparticles were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as by UVvisible and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The results indicated the direct formation of ZnO nanoparticles after 10 hours of milling, without the need for heat treatment, as a result of the high-energy milling process. The crystallite sizes of the nanoparticles increased with higher milling times and ball-to powder mass ratios due to cold welding. ZnO nanoparticles with crystallite sizes in the range of 16 nm–19 nm were produced through optimisation of the order of synthetic stages and milling energy. Different morphologies were obtained in different samples due to the effects of changing the order of the synthetic steps. The optical band gap of the synthesised ZnO nanoparticles was lower than in bulk samples because of the presence of defects.


Expectiles (EVaR) are a one-parameter family of coherent risk measures that have been recently suggested as an alternative to quantiles (VaR) and to expected shortfall (ES). In this work we review their known properties, we discuss their financial meaning, we compare them with VaR and ES and we study their asymptotic behaviour, refining some of the results in Bellini et al. [(2014). "Generalized Quantiles as Risk Measures." Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, 54:41–48]. Moreover, we present a real-data example for the computation of expectiles by means of simple Garch(1,1) models and we assess the accuracy of the forecasts by means of a consistent loss function as suggested by Gneiting [(2011). "Making and Evaluating Point Forecast." Journal of the American Statistical Association, 106 (494): 746–762]. Theoretical and numerical results indicate that expectiles are perfectly reasonable alternatives to VaR and ES risk measures.


Background Tau positron emission tomography (PET) imaging can reveal the pathophysiology and neurodegeneration that occurs in Alzheimer's disease (AD) in vivo. The standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) is widely used for semi-quantification of tau deposition but is susceptible to disturbance from the reference region and the partial volume effect (PVE). To overcome this problem, we applied the parametric estimation of reference signal intensity (PERSI) method—which was previously evaluated for flortaucipir imaging—to two tau tracers, flortaucipir and [18F]-APN-1607. Methods Two cohorts underwent tau PET scanning. Flortaucipir PET imaging data for cohort I (65 healthy controls [HCs], 60 patients with mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and 12 AD patients) were from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative database. [18F]-APN-1607 ([18F]-PM-PBB3) PET imaging data were for Cohort II, which included 21 patients with a clinical diagnosis of amyloid PET-positive AD and 15 HCs recruited at Huashan Hospital. We used white matter (WM) postprocessed by PERSI (PERSI-WM) as the reference region and compared this with the traditional semi-quantification method that uses the whole cerebellum as the reference. SUVRs were calculated for regions of interest including the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes; anterior and posterior cingulate; precuneus; and Braak I/II (entorhinal cortex and hippocampus). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and effect sizes were used to compare the two methods in terms of ability to discriminate between different clinical groups. Results In both cohorts, regional SUVR determined using the PERSI-WM method was superior to using the cerebellum as reference region for measuring tau retention in AD patients (e.g., SUVR of the temporal lobe: flortaucipir, 1.08 ± 0.17 and [18F]-APN-1607, 1.57 ± 0.34); and estimates of the effect size and areas under the ROC curve (AUC) indicated that it also increased between-group differences (e.g., AUC of the temporal lobe for HC vs AD: flortaucipir, 0.893 and [18F]-APN-1607: 0.949). Conclusion The PERSI-WM method significantly improves diagnostic discrimination compared to conventional approach of using the cerebellum as a reference region and can mitigate the PVE; it can thus enhance the efficacy of semi-quantification of multiple tau tracers in PET scanning, making it suitable for large-scale clinical application.


Second-generation sequencing technologies have granted us greater access to the diversity and genetics of microbial communities that naturally reside endo- and ecto-symbiotically with animal hosts. Substantial research has emerged describing the diversity and broader trends that exist within and between host species and their associated microbial ecosystems, yet the application of these data to our evolutionary understanding of microbiomes appears fragmented. For the most part biological perspectives are based on limited observations of oversimplified communities, while mathematical and/or computational modeling of these concepts often lack biological precedence. In recognition of this disconnect, both fields have attempted to incorporate ecological theories, although their applicability is currently a subject of debate because most ecological theories were developed based on observations of macro-organisms and their ecosystems. For the purposes of this review, we attempt to transcend the biological, ecological and computational realms, drawing on extensive literature, to forge a useful framework that can, at a minimum be built upon, but ideally will shape the hypotheses of each field as they move forward. In evaluating the top-down selection pressures that are exerted on a microbiome we find cause to warrant reconsideration of the much-maligned theory of multi-level selection and reason that complexity must be underscored by modularity.


Multi-point Temperature Measurement has always been very important aspect of physical instrumentation mainly in environmental and Industrial application. A multi-point temperature measurement system has been developed to measure temperature at different points simultaneously. This multi-channel system is designed specifically for measuring snow temperature at 28 different points In snow layers and this multi-point data is used in modeling of snow cover. The interfacing of such multi-channel system to Data acquisition system is one of the most critical design aspects, which affect the overall performance of the system. The temperature sensor system and Data Acquisition System may be working satisfactorily when operated independently but total system integrity is absolutely important when these two sub-systems are interfaced together. Further operating conditions in snow causes many performance and reliability issues to be tackled through proper design. This paper discusses the design aspects involved in the interfacing of the multi-channel temperature measurement system with the Data Acquisition System specifically for Snow hydrological applications.


OBJECTIVES
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) commonly affects men above 40 years old. The progression of BPH is often accompanied with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that can significantly affect the quality of life of the patients. Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) is a popular herbal remedy indicated for LUTS/BPH. We reviewed the current research on the efficacy of S. repens on LUTS/BPH as a monotherapy as well as combination therapies.

DESIGN
Non-systematic searches were performed in PubMed for human studies and systematic reviews on the topic.

RESULTS
The latest evidence, based largely on the Cochrane review, suggests that S. repens is not superior to placebo in treating LUTS/BPH as a monotherapy, even at double and triple doses. Initial clinical trials on treatment of LUTS/BPH using S. repens with lycopene and selenium, as well as S. repens with Urtica Dioica, have shown positive results. S. repens is safe in its application. However, there is a high level of heterogeneity in the quality of S. repens products. We suggest that strong placebo effect, potentially influenced by positive patients' expectation on S. repens, shapes both the clinical practice outcomes and the findings of clinical trials. Hitherto, the totality of evidence continues to suggest that S. repens is a prudent therapeutic option as part of the naturopathic treatment for LUTS/BPH.

CONCLUSIONS
The totality of evidence includes favorable patients' response from clinical experience, impact of placebo effect, early positive studies, subjective nature of symptom reporting, pharmacological properties of S. repens, and potential synergistic effects when combined with other therapies.


The effects of a single, oral, intoxicating dose of ethanol (EtOH, 9 g/kg body weight) on the distribution of water- and fat-soluble vitamins in various subcellular fractions of eight rat livers and eight rat brains was surveyed. Results were compared to eight other rats receiving a similar dose of saline (controls). Both organs showed redistribution of vitamins among the various organelles after EtOH was given. In saline-treated animals the nucleus and cytosol of the liver contained the highest proportion of all vitamins and the microsomes and lysosomes contained the least. As compared to controls, EtHO ingestion generally caused the mitochondria and microsomes to accumulate vitamins, while vitamins in the lysosomes were decreased. A different pattern was seen in the brain after EtOH administration. Except for thiamin and niacin, the whole brain vitamins were higher than those in controls; they were primarily concentrated in the brain nucleus and mitochondria. It was concluded that changes in the organelle vitamin content of the liver were the result of EtOH injury. The simultaneous attempt to repair the injury was manifested by the by the sequestration of vitamins in the organelles of EtOH-treated animals as compared to controls.


In the region of M'Sila, a steppe zone and characteristic of a dominant agro-pastoral framework, the local olive sector has certainly grown in terms of area expansion, but the information available indicates that its future in terms of performance is dependent on a series of internal and external factors. The aim of this article is to highlight the main explanatory variables by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, the opportunities and threats linked to its environment. Two methods are used: the first, SWOT, constitutes a structured diagnostic framework and a universal decision-support tool. The second, the causality analysis, according to the Parmenides EIDOS tool, makes it possible to obtain a hierarchy of relations in the sector based on the opinions of the intervening actors. The data used come from the bibliographic summary of a series of studies and the results of a survey carried out in 2017 in the field. The results obtained show that the internal factors are linked to the characteristics of the farms, to the production systems, and to the surrounding conditions of the value chain. External factors are linked to the dynamics of national and global markets.


The impact of microbial system variability on the biodegradation and transport behavior of a model solute, salicylate, was investigated with a series of miscible displacement experiments. Four systems of increasing complexity were employed: a sterilized, well‐sorted sand inoculated with a single bacterial isolate, a sterilized soil inoculated with the same isolate, and two soils, each of which contained an indigenous multiple‐population community of bacteria. The experiments were conducted in replicate (three or four experiments per set) and with paired controls. The biodegradation and transport behavior of salicylate exhibited a small degree of variability among the replicates for the two inoculated systems and a relatively large degree of variability for the two indigenous systems. The greater variability observed for the two indigenous systems is attributed primarily to greater variability of microbial system properties, such as initial cell density, metabolic status, and community composition. Values for maximum specific growth rate coefficient, mean lag time, and lag time variance were determined by model calibration to the measured breakthrough curves and compared to values obtained from batch experiments. Reasonable correspondence was observed between the two sets of values for both the inoculated and indigenous systems. The maximum specific growth rate coefficient exhibited a relatively small degree of uncertainty for all four systems, whereas greater uncertainty was associated with the lag time mean and variance. The variability in calibrated parameters among each set of replicate experiments was significantly greater than the uncertainty associated with the individual experiment calibrations and the measured input parameters. These results illustrate that variability inherent to natural microbial systems can cause variability in transport behavior even under controlled laboratory conditions and concomitantly enhance the uncertainty of biokinetic parameters obtained from laboratory studies.


Morphogenesis of the female reproductive tract is regulated by the mesenchyme. However, the identity of the mesenchymal lineage that directs the patterning of the female reproductive tract has not been determined. Using in vivo genetic cell ablation, we identified Amhr2+ mesenchyme as an essential mesenchymal population in patterning the female reproductive tract. After partial ablation of Amhr2+ mesenchymal cells, the oviduct failed to develop its characteristic coiling due to decreased epithelial proliferation and tubule elongation during development. The uterus displayed a reduction in size and showed decreased cellular proliferation in both epithelial and mesenchymal compartments. More importantly, in the uterus, partial ablation of Amhr2+ mesenchyme caused abnormal lumen shape and altered the direction of its long axis from the dorsal-ventral axis to the left-right axis (i.e. perpendicular to the dorsal-ventral axis). Despite these morphological defects, epithelia underwent normal differentiation into secretory and ciliated cells in the oviduct and glandular epithelial cells in the uterus. These results demonstrated that Amhr2+ mesenchyme can direct female reproductive tract morphogenesis by regulating epithelial proliferation and lumen shape without affecting the differentiation of epithelial cell types.


Test data compression is an efficient method for reducing the test application cost. The problem of reducing test data has been addressed by researchers in three different aspects: Test Data Compression, Built-in-Self-Test (BIST) and Test set compaction. The latter two methods are capable of enhancing fault coverage with cost of hardware overhead. The drawback of the conventional methods is that they are capable of reducing the test storage and test power but when test data have redundant length of runs, no additional compression method is followed. This paper presents a modified Run Length Coding (RLC) technique with Multilevel Selective Huffman Coding (MLSHC) technique to reduce test data volume, test pattern delivery time and power dissipation in scan test applications where redundant length of runs is encountered then the preceding run symbol is replaced with tiny codeword. Experimental results show that the presented method not only improves the test data compression but also reduces the overall test data volume compared to recent schemes. Experiments for the six largest ISCAS-98 benchmarks show that our method outperforms most known techniques. Keywords—Modified run length coding, multilevel selective Huffman coding, built-in-self-test modified selective Huffman coding, automatic test equipment.


In most pastoral areas of Ethiopia, rangelands have traditionally been managed by customary institutions, especially in Borana but with the start of various pressures, this management system is increasingly undermined and the interventions ended up with little success story but more of in favor of environmental degradations. Looking into indigenous rangeland management practices of pastoral community is a useful way to develop sustainable rangeland productivity. Rangeland plays an essential role in the livelihood activities of Ethiopian pastoralists as well as Ethiopian economy. Numerous researches have been done on rangeland management practices, but little study has been done with respect to the determinants of indigenous rangeland management in specific social, economic and ecological context. In this case, the aim of the study was to assess the determinants of the indigenous rangeland management practices of pastoral communities and assess perception of pastoral households towards the attributing causes of rangeland degradation in Borana. The study employed descriptive and inferential statistical methods to analyze the data. The findings indicate  that the indigenous practice accurately reflects the productivity of the rangeland since the Borana area is unpredictable environment and victim for severe drought every year. The results of binary logit regression showed that a unit increase in age of the household head, the odds ratio in favor of practicing in traditional rangelands management increase by 1.096. Holding other variables constant, a unit increase in cultivated farm size would decrease the odds ratio in favor of practicing traditional management by a factor of 0.618. In Borana area, grazing land and water resources are jointly handled. Hence, privately owned grazing land and water points disturb patterns of mobility in a way grazing land use becomes inefficient as grazing concentrates close to the water points, leading to degradation of the rangelands. Access to communal water point was also found to be significant influence on respondents' traditional rangeland management practice at 10% significance level (p < 0.1). On the other hand, the result of odd-ratio indicates that, access to communal water point will increase the probability of rangeland management practice by 0.22 percent. The study recommends bases for ecologically sound and culturally appropriate indigenous rangeland management practices.


Publication Date 2010 Comments ISBN/EAN: 978-90-79549-07-8 This study was organised by a consortium of three partner institutions: the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in the United Kingdom, and the Laboratorio di Pedagogia sperimentale (LPS) at the Roma Tre University in Italy. These institutions worked in close cooperation with the IEA Secretariat, the IEA Data Processing and Research Center (DPC), and the study's national research coordinators. Abstract The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) studied the ways in which countries prepare their young people to undertake their roles as citizens. ICCS was based on the premise that preparing students for citizenship roles involves helping them develop relevant knowledge and understanding and form positive attitudes toward being a citizen and participating in activities related to civic and citizenship education. These notions were elaborated in the ICCS framework, which was the first publication to emerge from ICCS (Schulz, Fraillon, Ainley, Losito, & Kerr, 2008). Recommended Citation Schulz, Wolfram; Ainley, John; Fraillon, Julian; Kerr, David; and Losito, Bruno, "ICCS 2009 International Report: Civic knowledge, attitudes and engagement among lower secondary school students in thirty-eight countries." (2010). https://research.acer.edu.au/civics/6  Download


Peroxidase-conjugated antibody to porcine immunoglobulins A, G, and M were used in a light microscope study of the development of immunoglobulin-containing cells in small intestine, spleen, and mesenteric lymph node of the young pig. Many cells staining for each of the 3 immunoglobulin classes were present in duodenum of 1-week-old-pigs, and the number increased in succeeding weeks. Immunoglobulin M cells outnumbered immunoglobulin A cells in the 1- to 3-week-old pigs, after which immunoglobulin A cells predominated. Immunoglobulin G cells were present in considerable but smaller numbers at all ages. Stained cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph node were not detected until after pigs were 1 week old.


To learn and mimic how the brain processes information has been a major research challenge for decades. Despite the efforts, little is known on how we encode, maintain and retrieve information. One of the hypothesis assumes that transient states are generated in our intricate network of neurons when the brain is stimulated by a sensory input. Based on this idea, powerful computational schemes have been developed. These schemes, known as machine-learning techniques, include artificial neural networks, support vector machine and reservoir computing, among others. In this paper, we concentrate on the reservoir computing (RC) technique using delay-coupled systems. Unlike traditional RC, where the information is processed in large recurrent networks of interconnected artificial neurons, we choose a minimal design, implemented via a simple nonlinear dynamical system subject to a self-feedback loop with delay. This design is not intended to represent an actual brain circuit, but aims at finding the minimum ingredients that allow developing an efficient information processor. This simple scheme not only allows us to address fundamental questions but also permits simple hardware implementations. By reducing the neuro-inspired reservoir computing approach to its bare essentials, we find that nonlinear transient responses of the simple dynamical system enable the processing of information with excellent performance and at unprecedented speed. We specifically explore different hardware implementations and, by that, we learn about the role of nonlinearity, noise, system responses, connectivity structure, and the quality of projection onto the required high-dimensional state space. Besides the relevance for the understanding of basic mechanisms, this scheme opens direct technological opportunities that could not be addressed with previous approaches.


Open access networks (OANs) have been recently proposed as a mean for bridging digital divide and enhance Internet penetration by enabling a fair competition among Internet service providers on a shared access infrastructure.

This paper introduces the concept of neutral access networks (NANs), which are a special class of OANs conceived to grant positive externality to the shared infrastructure. Externality creates a positive feedback loop among users, service providers, and network operators which increases market penetration, motivates the development of new services, and promotes the deployment of new access networks.

NANs are presented and discussed in terms of business models, market penetration, usage patterns, external benefits, technical feasibility, and legal issues.


Background: Obese women exhibit higher rates of failed labor inductions with oxytocin. To investigate the mechanisms underlying parturition dysfunction in obese populations, we examined the changes in uterine gene expression profiles in lean and obese mice at term, with and without maternal oxytocin administration. Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were fed either a high-fat or regular-lean diet for 6 weeks prior to conception and throughout pregnancy. At term, dams were given saline or oxytocin, with a second group of obese mice receiving high-dose oxytocin. Six hours later, uterine gene expression for 30 select transcripts associated with parturition (e.g. gap junctions, relaxation/contractility pathways, and oxytocin signaling) and obesity were analyzed by quantitative real time PCR. Results: Lean and obese uteri, at baseline, showed differential gene expression patterns at term. Oxytocin significantly altered the expression of numerous myometrial transcripts associated with parturition (gap junctions, relaxation/contractility pathways, and oxytocin signaling). The expression of numerous oxytocin-responsive genes depended on the dams' body masses (lean vs. obese), with either blunted effects or no effects of oxytocin observed in obese mice vs. lean mice. Additionally, high-dose oxytocin did not consistently regulate parturition-related gene expression in obese uteri. In summary, gene expression patterns significantly differed in lean vs. obese uteri at term in the presence and absence of maternal oxytocin. Lean uteri were more responsive to oxytocin than obese uteri, even at higher doses of oxytocin. Conclusions: These findings support that blunted oxytocin responsiveness in obese uteri may contribute to obesity-related labor dysfunction.


Urban areas are growing very rapidly all over the world, particularly in developing countries.
As a result of rapid urbanisation, the world's population is increasingly concentrated in large
cities leading to unplanned urban development with inappropriate and poor quality housing,
infrastructure and services. This excessive unplanned urban growth leads to various physical,
social and economic vulnerabilities. As a result, the consequences of disasters are highly
detrimental when they occur in urban environments. Thus, it has become necessary to
strengthen the resilience of cities to disasters. The built environment provides a core to many
human activities and plays a critical role in any city. Thus, it is necessary to develop the built
environment with an effective degree of resilience, in order to withstand and adapt to the
threats of disasters. This requires a serious effort to be made by various stakeholders including
governmental and non-governmental institutions. As local governments are responsible for
local area development, they have a key role to play in achieving the resilience of the cities
under their jurisdiction. Even though there is a growing concern on the role of the local
governments in making cities resilient, several incidents have been reported on the inadequate
contribution of local governments in taking the lead role of initiating risk reduction. In this
context, the research aims to explore and propose mechanisms to empower the local
governments to make cities resilient to disasters within the context of the built environment.
Accordingly this paper intends to analyse the challenges faced by the Sri Lankan local
governments in creating a disaster resilient built environment within their cities and to propose
the ways and means of addressing the challenges faced by the local governments. As such, the
paper proposes a set of recommendations to empower the Sri Lankan local governments in
facilitating city resilience building initiatives in the built environment context


Tropical Africa is subject to weather extremes at a variety of space- and time-scales, leading to droughts, floods and severe storms. The weather has a huge impact on the local population: droughts and floods impact on weather dependent industries such as agriculture or fishing, which much of the population rely on for their livelihoods, while severe storms can lead to destruction of property and even loss of life. Despite this, global numerical weather prediction performance remains notoriously poor in tropical Africa, particularly at smaller scales.

The UK Met Office has recently begun running an ensemble weather forecasting system for tropical Africa at convection permitting scale (4.4 km). This forecasting system clearly has enormous potential to enable improved weather forecasts in  tropical Africa. Previous studies indicate that convection permitting models can provide greater skill than lower resolution global models for sub-regions within tropical Africa. However, skill remains fairly poor and further evaluation work is necessary to identify potential model improvements.

This presentation describes an evaluation of the lifecycles of convective systems in the UK Met Office tropical Africa model. 10.8 micron brightness temperatures are used to identify and follow convective systems both in the model and in geostationary satellite observations, which provide both high temporal (15 minute) and spatial (~3 km) resolution. We evaluate the size, diurnal cycle, propagation, initiation and lifecycle of convective systems in the model and the link between these properties and the magnitude of surface precipitation produced. Finally we analyse and evaluate the response of storm systems and hence precipitation in the model to large scale atmospheric drivers such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation and African easterly waves. This process oriented evaluation helps identify of the causes of model errors, facilitating future improvements in the model.


Anther culture of O. hookeri on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 2 mg l-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2 mg-1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid produced callus formation. When subcultured onto medium lacking auxin, the callus regenerated through the organogenic pathway. Non-organogenic and organogenic callus was observed using histological methods after 2, 3 and 24 weeks in culture. Three types of calli were recognized: non-organogenic friable calli, organogenic friable calli with roots and organogenic hard calli with shoots. The microscopical sections showed striking differences in tissue organization among friable and compact calli. Vascular bundles were prominent in compact calli, but were not found in friable calli. Calli sections showed at light microscopy cells at two developmental stages; differentiated highly vacuolated cells and meristematic small isodiametric cells with densely stained cytoplasm. At electron microscopy level abnormal chloroplasts were present in non-organogenic calli, while chloroplasts were well developed in organogenic hard calli. Peroxisomes with paracrystalline protein bodies were abundant in both types of calli.


In this study, we developed a roll-to-roll Ag electroplating process for metallic nanowire electrodes using a galvanostatic mode. Electroplating is a low-cost and facile method for deposition of metal onto a target surface with precise control of both the composition and the thickness. Metallic nanowire networks [silver nanowires (AgNWs) and copper nanowires (CuNWs)] coated onto a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film were immersed directly in an electroplating bath containing AgNO3. Solvated silver ions (Ag+ ions) were deposited onto the nanowire surface through application of a constant current via an external circuit between the nanowire networks (cathode) and a Ag plate (anode). The amount of electroplated Ag was systematically controlled by changing both the applied current density and the electroplating time, which enabled precise control of the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the metallic nanowire networks. The optimized Ag-electroplated AgNW (Ag-AgNW) films exhibited a sheet resistance of ∼19 Ω/sq at an optical transmittance of 90% (550 nm). A transmission electron microscopy study confirmed that Ag grew epitaxially on the AgNW surface, but a polycrystalline Ag structure was formed on the CuNW surface. The Ag-electroplated metallic nanowire electrodes were successfully applied to various electronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes, triboelectric nanogenerators, and a resistive touch panel. The proposed roll-to-roll Ag electroplating process provides a simple, low-cost, and scalable method for the fabrication of enhanced transparent conductive electrode materials for next-generation electronic devices.


On-line learning is increasingly popular in visual tracking, but the challenge that it faced is how to adapt the appearance changes and avoid the drifting or missing track. In this paper, a fast visual tracking algorithm is proposed to make the tracker more accurate and stable in the complex variations situations like occlusions, illuminations and shape deformations. In the proposed algorithm, a modified on-line boosting method is developed to make the tracker more adaptive to variable scene and a template matching model is used to constrain the training samples, so that the accumulating errors in self-update learning can be alleviated effectively. In addition, an optimization process is used to reduce the computational burden. Our experimental results have demonstrated that compared with other on-line tracking methods the target can be accurately tracked with lower drifting error in the complicated environments by using the proposed algorithm. Moreover, the new tracker runs at 60 frames per second, and is suitable for the real-time catching and tracking.


Background Rapid diagnostic testing for SARS-Cov-2 antigens is used to combat the ongoing pandemic. In this study we aimed to compare two RDTs, the SD Biosensor Q SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test (Roche) and the Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test (Abbott), against rRT-PCR. Methods We included 2,215 all-comers at a diagnostic center between February 1 and March 31, 2021. rRT-PCR-positive samples were examined for SARS-CoV-2 variants. Findings Three hundred and thirty eight participants (15%) were rRT-PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2. The sensitivities of Roche-RDT and Abbott-RDT were 60.4 and 56.8% (P < 0.0001) and specificities 99.7% and 99.8% (P = 0.076). Sensitivity inversely correlated with rRT-PCR-Ct values. The RDTs had higher sensitivities in individuals referred by treating physicians (79.5%, 78.7%) than in those referred by health departments (49.5%, 44.3%) or tested for other reasons (50%, 45.8%), in persons without any comorbidities (74.4%, 71%) compared to those with comorbidities (38.2%, 34.4%), in individuals with COVID-19 symptoms (75.2%, 74.3%) compared to those without (31.9%, 23.3%), and in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 variants (87.7%, 84%) compared to Alpha variant carriers (77.1%, 72.3%). If 10,000 symptomatic individuals are tested of which 500 are truly positive, the RDTs would generate 38 false-positive and 124 false-negative results. If 10,000 asymptomatic individuals are tested, including 50 true positives, 18 false-positives and 34 false-negatives would be generated. Interpretation The sensitivities of the two RDTs for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers are unsatisfactory. Their widespread use may not be effective in the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The virus genotype influences the sensitivity of the two RDTs. RDTs should be evaluated for different SARS-CoV-2 variants.


In recent years, the Caspian states have been paying increasingly more attention to port infrastructure development. The construction of new facilities and the reconstruction of existing ports received a new impetus. The Caspian states increase their investments in this sphere every year. They have developed national programs that aim to increase the volume of cargo passing through the Caspian states' seaports. The development of port infrastructure, augmented by new railways, was deliberated by the Caspian states in the context of solving geopolitical problems. The advancement of the negotiation process on the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea brought the solution of economic issues to the fore, along with the development of transport and related infrastructure. The signing of this document in August 2018 only raised the interest of the regional states in trade and economic cooperation. Accordingly, one of the key tasks that the Caspian states were facing was port infrastructure development. The construction of new ports was believed to foster achievement of long-term goals. In addition to economic development, first and foremost, of coastal territories, regional countries sought to reinforce their positions in global trade flows. Besides, the facilities constructed by the Caspian countries in recent years have been integrated in large-scale infrastructure projects, which are being actively promoted by non-regional states. China, the EU and Turkey have a stake in their implementation, and the Caspian infrastructure served as a part of regional transportation projects. The adoption of documents related to the development of transport in the Caspian region by the Caspian states reflected the importance of infrastructure. They formulated long-term tasks and outlined the spheres of cooperation with their regional neighbors. The expansion of regional cooperation by the Caspian countries is accompanied by the intensified struggle for the flow of goods. The Caspian states are growing increasingly competitive in the transportation sphere. The struggle for container traffic volumes and hydrocarbon resources is pushing the Caspian states to apply various financial and administrative mechanisms in order to attract cargo.


A number of testing strategies have been proposed using state machines and statecharts as test models in order to derive test sequences and validate classes or class clusters. Though such criteria have the advantage of being systematic, little is known on how cost effective they are and how they compare to each other. This article presents a precise simulation and analysis procedure to analyze the cost-effectiveness of statechart-based testing techniques. We then investigate, using this procedure, the cost and fault detection effectiveness of adequate test sets for the most referenced coverage criteria for statecharts on three different representative case studies. Through the analysis of common results and differences across studies, we attempt to draw more general conclusions regarding the costs and benefits of using the criteria under investigation.


Seven has a religious and cultural meaning in our society. For instance, seven is the number of days in a week, and in the art of music seven is the number of notes on a musical scale. The fact that seven is so interwoven in our society serves as an artistic source of inspiration for the polyhedra presented in this paper: they all contain equilateral heptagons. These are derived by truncating kites in polyhedra that appear in a method of morphing between pairs of dual regular polyhedra. Also presented are some paper models of these polyhedra.


Abstract In this study we survey and analyze 300 projects related to marine biodiversity funded by FAPESP from 1972 to 2021, of which 46 were nested in the BIOTA Program. From a unique project in the 1970's, the number gradually increased until 2009, when BIOTA promoted a call on marine biodiversity, which led to a boost in the number of funded projects in the subsequent years. The geographical range of the projects expanded over the years and, from studies based on the coast of São Paulo State, the focus gradually shifted to broader areas of the Brazilian coast, then to other areas of the Atlantic, and eventually became global. The majority of projects focused on coastal benthic organisms living on hard-bottom. In terms of taxa, six groups accounted for about 60% of the projects (viz. Crustacea, Actinopterygii, Mollusca, Chondrichthyes, Cnidaria, and Rhodophyta), but it is observed an increase in the number of groups studied over the decades. The 300 projects refer to a set of 82 different topics, of which the top five are taxonomy, phylogeny, community, "omics", and pollution. The analyses show a long-standing effort in marine biodiversity surveys, with ongoing updated approaches regarding scope and methods. Research on strategic areas is discussed, including deep-sea and marine microbiota. Climate change and the increasing pressure of human activity on the ocean, including pollution, acidification and invasive species, are among the main challenges for the future. Projects producing and using basic research data in an integrative and transdisciplinary way offer multiple perspectives in understanding changes in ecosystem functioning and, consequently, are essential to support public policies for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity at different scales. UNESCO's Decade of Ocean (starting 2021) is a window of opportunity to strengthen marine research, to promote national and international collaboration, to build up networks involving the public and private sector, but particularly to draw society's attention to the importance of knowing marine environments and using ocean resources in a sustainable way. The advancement of ocean literacy is one of the main legacies for future generations promoted by integrated research programs such as BIOTA-FAPESP.


Hypertext nowadays represents a theoretical and methodological reference for the field of online journalism and, more specifically, for newswriting on the Internet, considered to be an emerging discipline that is focused on the study of messages distributed using Internet media. This article examines the origin of and reasons for this articulation around a model that has been extensively investigated and written about for years, not only in online journalism. These revisions seek to justify the need for progress in the fundamental aspects of new knowledge and suggest the study of the hypertextual model in journalism to be the main path to assimilating the cognitive basis of the new discipline. To justify this hypothesis, the author focuses her attention on the knowledge of each online genre, this being a highly valuable aspect for the teaching of online newswriting. Therefore, the discipline of Newswriting on the Internet is expected to feature prominently in the study of online journalism in Spain. Though still young, there is a strong enough tradition of academic research of the discipline to support cross-disciplinary influences and develop the kind of compatibility between theory and practise that is not always possible in traditional studies of the writing of journalistic text.


Background and Objectives: Interferon-gamma is an important cytokine, which facilitates immunity against intracellular pathogens. Several factors, including genetic variations of cytokine-producing genes have been shown to influence the progression and severity of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods: Between January and December 2012, 87 HCV-infected individuals and 89 individuals without HCV infection were recruited for the study of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) at Interferon Gamma (IFNG) +874 T/A. After extraction of genomic DNA from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) in blood sample of the individuals, Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the SNP at this position. Results: The frequency of genotype TA was 62.1% in the HCV-infected group, while it was 47.2% for the control group (p=0.033). However, after adjusting for confounders (including alcohol consumption, drug addiction, transfusion, and tattoos), the genotypes at this position did not show any statistically significant association with HCV infection (adjusted P values were above 0.05). The frequency of allele A was slightly higher in patients than the controls (55.2% versus 48.3%).Carriers of A allele were more frequent in patients with HCV infection compared to the control group (55.17% in patients versus 48.31% in the control group; P=0.02). However, after adjustment for confounders, the results were no longer statistically significant (P=0.2). Conclusion: A carrier status for certain alleles and genotypes at Interferon Gamma (IFNG) +874 T/A may lead to higher susceptibility to HCV infection in a certain population.


In this article, the author explores six teachers' experiences of ESP instruction in order to better understand the nature of the professional knowledge needed to make use of conflict and to manage a particular teaching dilemma. The approach adopted for this study is interpretative, using the case study method. Six participating teachers were interviewed over a three month period at four universities in Taiwan. The frameworks of socio-cultural theory and grounded theory guided the data analysis. The author's intention is to show that such an inquiry can reveal ways in which those teachers' stories are telling cases that may enable others to respond and make meaning of their own experiences. Unraveling what constitutes professional knowledge in the practice of teaching is messy work, but the author hopes that when seen through the lens of six teachers' balancing act of managing dilemmas, blending practice and theory, improvising, and reflecting on these processes, some clarity will be revealed.


The evolution of the recrystallization texture under high current density electric current pulses (ECP) was investigated in a cold-rolled Fe-3%Si steel sheet. Results showed that the preferred nucleation always occurred in the direction parallel to the current direction at the primary stage of recrytallization. With the increment of the current density, the effect of current direction on texture and microstructural evolution was decreased. Due to the different texture component along the layer depth under different current densities, it was also found that the recrystallization nucleation was much easier to occur from the top surface.


In this paper are discussed different versions of solutions for consultations from distance. It will be presented review of consultations through web-site, portal, bridge and cell phone - examples of the different technical and virtual schemes, used in telemedicine.
Based on our experience we would discuss positive and negative factors, which can influence the choice of a concrete working model for telemedical practice.
As a successful example would be presented one solution, which is based on several interoperating systems: Desktop software that is composed of: a patient database access module, an administrator module and an operator module; a teleconference software solution, a forum and a mail module.


ABSTRACT Men are less likely to seek medical help than women and are more likely to adopt unhealthy practices. This study investigated men's constructions of alcohol and tobacco cessation interventions in relation to dominant masculine identities. Focus groups and interviews with 12 male university students were analysed using an eclectic approach informed by discursive psychology and Foucauldian discourse analysis. Findings suggested that interventions encouraging competition among friends were constructed as favourable, and autonomy and control were central to men's accounts. While men presented their behaviour change as intentional, their accounts revealed a tendency to conceal this from others, suggesting a negative influence of peer pressure. However, participants who had raised money for charity whilst abstaining described this process as rewarding and acting as a "buffer" to legitimise their healthy behaviour when socializing with other men. Implications for health providers and policy makers are discussed.


Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) effectively balance additional security in a computer system by identifying intrusive activities on a computer system, and their enhancements are developing at a surprising rate. Detection methods based on statistical and data mining techniques are widely deployed as anomaly-based detection system (ADS). Although the statistical-based anomaly detection (SAD) method fascinates researchers, the low attack detection rates (also known as the detection of true positive) that reflect the effectiveness of the detection system generally persist. Specifically, this is due to the packets affected by the outlier data points (i.e., the data points that have a huge dissimilarity with the common data points) and the defined threshold size that is usually performed without any further analysis on the observed packet. It provides a significant effect in the process to determine which packet is more likely attributes to the anomalous behaviour. In recent years, data mining based anomaly detection (DMAD), particularly classification methods, have been incessantly enhanced in differentiating normal and attack behaviour. Unfortunately, in such methods the outcomes, i.e., true positive, true negative, false positive and false negative detections that directly influence the rates of accuracy, detection, and false alarms are not much improved and thus raise a persistent problem in the employment of such systems. The specific drawback that causes this is the failure to differentiate the packets behaviour that resembles a similar behaviour more precisely, such as a normal behaviour having a similar anomalous content behaviour and vice versa. These inaccurate outcomes can compromise the reliability of IDSs and cause them to overlook the attacks. As ADS can process massive volumes of packets, the amount of processing time needed to discover the pattern of the packets is also increased accordingly and resulting in late detection of the attack packets. The main contributor for such a shortcoming is the need to re-compute every process for each packet despite the attack behaviour having been examined.
This study aims to improve the detection of an anomalous behaviour by identifying the outlier data points in the packets more precisely, maximizes the detection of packets with similar behaviours more accurately while reducing the detection time. An Integrated Anomaly Detection Scheme ( IADS) is proposed to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks. The proposed scheme integrates an ADS and signature-based detection system (SDS) approach for better and rapid intrusion detection. Therefore, Statistical-based Packet Header Anomaly Detection (SPHAD) and a hybridized Naive Bayes and Random Forest classifier (NB+RF) are considered for the ADS, and Signature-based Packet Header Intrusion Detection (SPHID) is proposed as the SDS. In SPHAD, statistical analysis is used to construct a normal profile using statistical formula, scoring the incoming packets, and computing the relationships between historic normal behaviour as a dependent variable against observable packet behaviours as the independent variable through linear regression. Then the threshold measurement (size) is defined based on R2 and Cohen's-d values in order to improve the attack detection rate by identifying a set of outlier data points which are present inside the packets more precisely. Subsequently, NB+RF, a hybrid classification algorithm is used to distinguish similar and dissimilar content behaviours of a packet. The Naive Bayes (NB) classifier is employed to construct the values of the posterior and the prior probability of a packet, then this information as well as the header values and statistical analysis information are fed to the Random Forest (RF) classifier to improve the detection of actual attacks and normal packets. SPHID then extracts the distinct behaviour of the packets which are verified as attacks by NB+RF and compute it as attack signatures for faster future detections, as the detection time will be reduced for the attack whose signature is already included in the signature database.
The effectiveness of the IADS has been evaluated under different detection capabilities (i.e., false positive, false negative, true positive, true negative, false alarm, accuracy, detection rate, attack data detection rate, normal data detection rate) and detection times using the DARPA 1999 and ISCX 2012 intrusion detection benchmark datasets as well as with Live-data. Results from the experiments demonstrate that IADS could effectively detect attacks and normal packets more precisely compared to previous work and the ADS which performs intrusion detections without employing the SPHID method. In addition, the detection time of IADS is much improved as compared to ADS. Thus, IADS is a better solution for anomaly detection methods in detecting untrustworthy behaviour and to define attack and normal behaviours more accurately.


The potential relationship between uterine arterial and venous concentrations of progesterone. and porcine fetal size and viability was examined. Sixteen Yorkshire gilts were laparotomizedat 27 to 37 days of gestation to count corpora lutea and embryos. Samples of blood were drawn from uterine arteries and veins at each embryonal location of 10 of the gilts but not from the six control guts. At 60 to 76 days of gestation, a second laparotomy was performed to determine rates of fetal survival and to draw blood samples from uterine vessels at all fetal locations in each of the 12 gilts remaining from the first surgery. The percentages of embryos surviving between first and second surgeries were 51.0% for the experimental gilts and 65.6% for the control gilts (P>0.05). Progesterone concentrations were higher in arteries than in veins at each fetal location at both surgeries (P<0.01).The disappearance or utilization of progesterone in the uterine tissues surrounding either normal or mummified fetuses was greater late in pregnancy compared with the early embryonic stage (P<0.05). Uterine arterial and venous progesterone concentrations were unrelated to fetal weight; however, fetal weight was correlated with arterial-venous differences. These data suggest that some of the progesterone entering the uterine arterial system is metabolized or utilized and does not reenter the uterine venous system and that this utilization may be related to fetal weight and stage of development.


For a long time, only a small wavelength range of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) was available. The current evolution in process technology allows the fabrication of long wavelength VCSEL that is interesting for Telecom systems because they offer a higher integration level than the existing optical sources at lower costs since they are fabricated in arrays. We propose to focus our investigation on the behavior of singlemode 1.55μm VCSEL. We aim at precisely knowing their spectral properties under direct modulation. We present a study about the linewidth measurement and the linewidth enhancement factor, also called the Henry - or the alpha - factor. Many studies have been reported but only a few of them are really efficient. Two different set-ups are presented here to extract alpha factor. The first one uses an interferometer based on the heterodyne technique and the second uses the dispersive properties of an optical fiber. We compare both results and discuss about each set-up.


Theory predicts that the effects of regional richness on the richness of local communities may depend on the productivity, resource availability, and/or heterogeneity of local sites. Using the wetland plant communities of 50 independent streams as 'regions', we tested whether: (1) local richness in 1-m(2) quadrats and 50-m stream segments was positively related to regional richness, even after environmental influences were considered; and (2) the effect of regional richness would interact with the effects of biomass, soil moisture, and/or heterogeneity on local richness. In models that explained up to 88% of variation in local richness, we found that richness at both local scales was positively related to regional richness, and that regional richness did not interact with any of the environmental gradients that also shaped local richness. We conclude that species availability from the regional pool may consistently enrich local communities, even while other constraints on local richness operate.


Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophytic diazotrophic bacterium, which associates with important agricultural plants. In the present study, we have investigated the attachment to and internal colonization of Phaseolus vulgaris roots by the H. seropedicae wild-type strain SMR1 and by a strain of H. seropedicae expressing a red fluorescent protein (DsRed) to track the bacterium in the plant tissues. Two-day-old P. vulgaris roots were incubated at 30°C for 15 min with 6 x 10(8) CFU/mL H. seropedicae SMR1 or RAM4. Three days after inoculation, 4 x 10(4) cells of endophytic H. seropedicae SMR1 were recovered per gram of fresh root, and 9 days after inoculation the number of endophytes increased to 4 x 10(6) CFU/g. The identity of the recovered bacteria was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene. Furthermore, confocal microscopy of P. vulgaris roots inoculated with H. seropedicae RAM4 showed that the bacterial cells were attached to the root surface 15 min after inoculation; fluorescent bacteria were visible in the internal tissues after 24 h and were found in the central cylinder after 72 h, showing that H. seropedicae RAM4 is capable of colonizing the roots of the dicotyledon P. vulgaris. Determination of dry weight of common bean inoculated with H. seropedicae SMR1 suggested that this bacterium has a negative effect on the growth of P. vulgaris.


Pre-stressed steel structures with large space are widely used in stadium, exhibition hall, theater and other buildings today. In order to study the fire-resistance behavior of suspended steel lattice shell of a stadium, the method of performance-based fire resistance design is used. First of all, the stadium physical model is established and the software FDS is used to determine the heating curves of the measuring points of the large space structure for two fire scenes. Compared with international standards heating curve, the heating curves of the large space structure obtained here has characteristic of local high-temperature. The finite element software MSC.MARC is further used to simulate the fire behavior of the pre-stressed steel structure with large space, in which the fire scene with 10MW design power of fire source and 30 minutes duration of fire are considered and two loading ways that overall non-uniform temperature field loading and the local high temperature components loading are accepted. The results show that the pre-stressed steel structure with large space has good fire resistance behavior, and the overall failure will not take place for the fire scene suggested here during 30 minutes duration of fire.


Citizen report cards on health care providers have been identified as a potential means to increase citizen engagement, provider accountability and health systems performance. Research in high-income settings indicates that the wording, presentation and display of performance information are critical to achieve these goals. However, there are limited insights on developing effective report card designs for middle- and low-income settings. We conducted cognitive interviews to assess consumers' understanding, interpretation of and preferences for displaying information for a health care report card in rural Tajikistan. We recruited a convenience sample of 40 citizens (20 women and 20 men aged 18–45) from rural areas of two provinces of Tajikistan (Soghd and Khatlon oblasts). The interview protocol was adapted from the model of cognitive interviews used in social science research to improve survey questionnaires. We used multivariate regression to assess understanding and interpretation of the report card; chi2 tests to assess differences in preferences for displaying information; and tests of proportions to assess the preferred comparison group. Respondents understood the main idea of the report card and are not confused by the indicators or display. However, many respondents had difficulties making comparisons, and when asked to identify worst-performing services. Respondents preferred detailed rankings using school grades, comparisons of their local clinic with the regional or national average performance, and the use of color in the report card. We found some heterogeneity across the two provinces. Overall, our findings are promising regarding the citizens' comprehension of health care report cards in rural Tajikistan, while underscoring the challenges of effectively providing health care performance information to communities. Cognitive interviews and iterative testing can support an effective implementation of reporting initiatives.


OBJECTIVE
There are no patient education programmes addressing the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is the second in a pair of studies exploring stakeholder perceptions of developing such educational material. Healthcare professionals' perceptions were explored in the first study; here, we explore the perceptions of people with RA.

METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were held individually with 18 people with RA, purposively sampled to include participants with no co-morbid history of CVD, those with CVD risk factors and those who had experienced a CVD event. The interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS
Four superordinate themes were identified: experiences of living with RA; reactions to learning about co-morbid CVD; implementing lifestyle changes; and expectations of education. Participants found being diagnosed with RA a devastating experience and were mostly unaware of their increased risk of CVD co-morbidity. They explained how information about CVD would be overwhelming and irrelevant at diagnosis, but they would have coped with 'extra information a bit further down the line'.

CONCLUSION
There is a need to develop educational material or programmes. Their design must consider factors which facilitate lifestyle change, such as motivation or receiving personalized advice, and factors that inhibit change, such as depression or fatalism. Emphasizing the positive effects that some CVD lifestyle changes may have on RA symptom control may be particularly persuasive. Group education would be a popular format. These findings can be directly translated into clinical practice.


The study of elastic and optical waves together with intensive material research has revolutionized everyday as well as cutting edge technology in very tangible ways within the last century. Therefore it is important to continue the investigative work towards improving existing as well as innovate new technology, by designing new materials and their layout. The thesis presents a general framework for applying topology optimization in the design of material layouts for transient wave propagation problems. In contrast to the high level of modeling in the frequency domain, time domain topology optimization is still in its infancy. A generic optimization problem is formulated with an objective function that can be field, velocity, and acceleration dependent, as well as it can accommodate the dependency of filtered signals essential in signal shape optimization [P3]. The analytical design gradients are derived by use of the adjoint variable method. Many wave propagation problems are open-region problems, i.e. the outer boundaries of the modeling domain must be reflection-less. The thesis contains new and independent developments within perfectly matched layer techniques for scalar as well as for vectorial elastic wave propagation problems using finite element analysis [P2], [P4]. The concept is implemented in a parallel computing code that includes efficient techniques for performing gradient based topology optimization. Using the developed computational framework the thesis considers four optimization problems from nano-photonics : First, an optical taper [P1] and a notch filter [P2] – both optimized by energy maximization. The last two cases demonstrate pulse shaping and delay in one [P3] and two [P5] dimensions. Whereas the test problem in [P3] is rather academic, the example considered in [P5] optimizes structures that accommodate non-dispersive slow light, with important applications for optical buffering devices.


Deformation and fracture of materials are usually considered in terms of brittle and ductile modes. However, there is an intermediate class between these limits that is termed quasi-brittle where there is measurable inelastic deformation prior to final graceful 'brittle' failure. In previous work, we presented deformation and fracture data obtained tests conducted using a model material containing different known amounts of up to about 30% surrogate porosity. The model material is a hemi-hydrate gypsum plaster with additions of expanded polystyrene beads in the size range 1.5–2.0 mm dia. Use of gypsum plaster and artificial "pores" enabled creating a simple brittle model material with isolated pores randomly distributed and their size and geometry controlled. Herein, a comparison between two ways of generating microstructures for computer modelling of deformation and fracture of the model material is presented. The predictions for the computer model have been based upon two microstructure inputs (i) a synthetic 3-D pore model and (ii) measurements of porosity obtained from computed X-ray tomography images of the test material. Predictions of the elastic modulus and tensile strength for the different amount of porosity are compared between the two computer models and the experimental flexural data. The predicted deformation and fracture characteristics that describe the observed quasibrittle response measured for the model material are discussed.


Forest roads should be constructed according to standards and particular attention needs to be given to forest roads in planning and management schemes to develop sustainable forest infrastructure. The creation of standards for drainage systems is one of the most important technical developments in forest road construction. Seri 1 of Darabkola forest has been located in the central part of the northern Alborz Mountains in basin 74 and in 15-kilometer distance of Sari in Iran and covers an area of 2,612 hectares. In this research slope and aspect maps of the Seri 1 of Darabkola forest were prepared using Arcview 3.1 and ArcGIS 9.1 to evaluate drainage. In addition, factors effecting road drainage were measured and evaluated: road width, cross and longitudinal slopes of roads, ranges of excavation and embankment slopes, longitudinal slope of ditches, and basal area of ditches at intervals of 1.5 kilometers of forest road and for each 40 meters of each section. Sample points of locations were taken using global positioning system (GPS) and a related map was prepared. Measurements of culverts were taken for diameter and distances apart from each other in the existing drainage system as well as locations that were also recorded using GPS. In addition, road routes were tracked and recorded using GPS to obtain the desired accuracy. Finally, the drainage system of the forest road was compared to the accepted standards. Results showed that there was significant difference between the current drainage system of Seri 1 of Darabkola forest roads and accepted standards, but in some cases evaluation of the existing drainage systems on these roads demonstrated that they were in accordance with accepted standards.