Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a systemic osteo-articular disease that is characterized by a sterile, primarily chronic osteomyelitis with various distribution patterns of the individual lesions. In this article, we describe the "axial type" with predominant involvement of the spine, which represents 13 of our 41 CRMO cases of different age groups. The important element of its diagnosis is the typical lympho-plasmacellular spondylitis that can be detected and staged by scintigraphy, MRI and conventional radiography. Potentially affected are all vertebrae from the mid-cervical spine to the sacrum. One or several segments can be involved, sometimes as transient inflammatory edema, sometimes as "migratory spondylitis" or "saltatory spondylitis", but also as chronic sclerosing type with early radiographically detectable manifestation. Vertebral deformity due to compression and total collapse (vertebra plana) are rare. A complicated course with patulous perivertebral edema can lead to concomitant symptomatic inflammatory changes in adjacent regions and organs. In the course of CRMO, spondylodiscitis only develops as secondary destruction following the spondylitis. This can help to differentiate spondyloarthropathies from CRMO that is initially detected as primary lesion in the spine. While CRMO generally has a good prognosis, its radiological differentiation from rheumatologic conditions plays an important role.


We combined analyses of visitation (using remote cameras) and scent marking (using traditional sign surveys) to provide a comprehensive assessment of the mechanisms underlying variation in river otter scent marking at latrine sites and to verify that river otter scent marking varies seasonally in Pennsylvania and Maryland. We observed seasonal peaks in total scent marking in the fall (September) and in the spring (March) similar to those previously reported. Group sizes of river otters visiting latrines were higher in the fall than any other season and anal sac secretions were documented only from February through mid-June. We attribute the fall peak in scent marking to family groups traveling together to latrine sites and the spring peak in scent marking to communication during the breeding season. Based on seasonal variation in the periodicity of river otter visits and seasonal variation in the intensity of scent marking, we suggest spring and fall as the most efficient seasons during which river otters could be detected using their scent marks.


BACKGROUND
Thymomas are rare neoplasms of the mediastinum. The role of chemotherapy in advanced thymomas is not fully established.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
In the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lung Cancer Cooperative Group, 16 patients with recurrent or metastatic malignant thymoma were entered over 6 years onto a study of combination chemotherapy that consisted of cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide 120 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, and 3, every 3 weeks.

RESULTS
A median of six courses per patient was administered. Main side effects of treatment were leukopenia, nausea and vomiting, and alopecia. Five complete responses and four partial responses were obtained, with a median response duration of 3.4 years. The median progression-free survival and survival times were 2.2 years and 4.3 years, respectively, with a median follow-up duration of 7 years.

CONCLUSION
The combination of cisplatin and etoposide is highly effective and well tolerated in advanced thymoma. The investigation of this combination in a neoadjuvant setting in unresectable invasive thymoma is warranted.


Organic nonlinear optical material of 4-bromo-4'-methyl benzylidene aniline (BMBA) was synthesized and single crystal of BMBA was grown by solvent evaporation method at room temperature using ethanol as solvent. The crystalline nature of the grown crystals was confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction studies. The crystals were also characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction method and their lattice parameters were determined. Thermal properties of BMBA were evaluated with thermogravimetric, differential thermal and differential scanning calorimetric analyses. Fourier transform infrared and FT-Raman spectral studies were carried out on the BMBA material to confirm the synthesized compound. 1H and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectral studies were recorded to elucidate the structure of the grown crystals. Fluorescence spectrum recorded shows a peak at 485 nm. UV-Vis-NIR spectral analysis shows transmittance of ~92% in the visible region. The mechanical stability was analyzed by Vickers microhardness tester and the work hardening coefficient of the grown crystal was calculated. Second harmonic generation efficiency of the grown crystal measured by Kurtz powder technique is ~1.8 times that of potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate.


Objective The primary objectives were to review studies that used remifentanil in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and to determine whether remifentanil has potential advantages over other anesthetics. Materials and Methods The author reviewed 12 original studies obtained through a MEDLINE database search that examined remifentanil as an anesthetic in patients receiving ECT. Results Remifentanil was associated with longer seizure durations when used as the sole anesthetic or as an adjunct when the primary anesthetic dose was lowered. Individual studies reported higher postictal suppression index and lower initial seizure thresholds and less rise in seizure thresholds with remifentanil. Data on hemodynamic effects were mixed but suggested favorable effects with remifentanil when seizure duration was not prolonged. Conclusions Studies support the use of remifentanil in ECT, particularly in patients with brief seizures, high seizure thresholds, and postictal hemodynamic instability. Broad variability in study design, selection and dosing of anesthetics, electrode placement, and limited examination of potentially relevant variables such as age, sex, concomitant medications; and stimulus parameters attenuate the certainty of these results. Advantages in safety and efficacy over other anesthetics remain undetermined. Further study of remifentanil in ECT is warranted, given the methodological limitations and exclusion of important outcomes in the current literature.


Glyoxysomal citrate synthase in pumpkin is synthesized as a precursor that has a cleavable presequence at its N-terminal end. To investigate the role of the presequence in the transport of the protein to the microbodies, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants that expressed beta-glucuronidase with the N-terminal presequence of the precursor to the glyoxysomal citrate synthase of pumpkin. Immunogold labeling and cell fractionation studies showed that the chimeric protein was transported into microbodies and subsequently was processed. The chimeric protein was transported to functionally different microbodies, such as glyoxysomes, leaf peroxisomes, and unspecialized microbodies. These observations indicated that the transport of glyoxysomal citrate synthase is mediated by its N-terminal presequence and that the transport system is functional in all plant microbodies. Site-directed mutagenesis of the conserved amino acids in the presequence caused abnormal targeting and inhibition of processing of the chimeric protein, suggesting that the conserved amino acids in the presequence are required for recognition of the target or processing.


Abstract This paper uses Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to study life satisfaction and mental health across the geography of the United States. The analysis draws on a sample of 1.3 million citizens. Initially we control for people's personal characteristics (though not income). There is no correlation between states' regression-adjusted well-being and their GDP per capita. States like Louisiana, plus Washington, D.C., have high psychological well-being levels; California and West Virginia have low well-being. When we control for incomes, satisfaction with life is lower in richer states, just as compensating-differentials theory would predict. Nevertheless, some puzzles remain.


Macular edema (ME) represents a common final pathway of many intraocular and systemic diseases, which characterized by the accumulation of extracellular fluid in Henle's layer and the inner nuclear layer of the retina. ME can cause severe visual disturbances and be considered to be multifactorial and difficult to treat. It may be most commonly seen following diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusion, intraocular surgery, uveitis, pigmentary degeneration, and/or vitreoretinal traction syndrome. The pathogenesis of ME involves the interplay of several affected factors, including the breakdown of the inner and outer blood retinal barriers, release of biochemical messengers, tissue hypoxia, retinal circulatory changes, and vitreous traction. Although medications and some other therapeutic methods are effective in some cases, they cannot be the best treatment due to adverse effects or lack of durability. Thus, the role of the vitreous in the development of ME has received attention. Abnormal glycation cross-linking of vitreal collagen has been found in the vitreous of ME cases. The abnormal collagen structure can destabilize the vitreous, leading to traction on the macula [1–7], which may distort the BRB and result in ME. On the other hand, the breakdown of the blood retinal barriers can lead to a high concentration of vasopermeable and chemoattractant factors in the posterior vitreous [8]. This pool of agents can cause cell migration to the posterior hyaloid. Contraction of these cells could lead to macular traction with possible development of a shallow macular detachment and exacerbation of ME [9,10]. (Fig. 1) Thus, we discuss the possibility of surgical treatment for ME in the following.


: At present, spreading of mineral fertilizers in Europe is most commonly performed using centrifugal disk spreaders with attached vanes. The motion of an ideal spherical homogeneous fertilizer particle along the straight vane attached to a flat rotating disc was analyzed in this paper. The analysis was performed in the non-inertial reference coordinate system. From the assumptions introduced to enable analytical describing of the real particle motion as well as the general tools of solid mechanics, the ordinary in-homogenous second-order differential equation having constant coefficients arose. Its solution represents an approximation of the real relative motion of the fertilizer particle along the straight radial vane fixed to the flat horizontal disc rotating at a constant angular velocity. However, the solution of this kind can be very useful for the optimization of centrifugal spreader working parameters.


Men are experiencing double jeopardy when it comes to depression, being at high risk but unable to seek help for their problem. To address this we asked (1) "Why do men not use depression-related health services?" and (2) "How can governments better reach, support, and treat depressed men?". We conducted an evidence review using a framework developed by Arskey & O'Malley (2005). Embase, MEDLINE and PsychINFO were used to find articles published from 1st January 1997 to 31st June 2017. We used a systematic search strategy to identify evidence concerning men's engagement with health services in the context of depressive disorder and then employed a thematic analysis framework developed by Braun & Clark (2006), to chart data and summarize results. Eighteen publications were reviewed, including qualitative studies, quantitative studies, and literature reviews. The recommendations from the papers was synthesized into a 'Depression Care Optimization Modality' consisting of three aspects of depression care (literacy, accessibility, and efficacy) and three key stakeholders (men, the general public, and the national healthcare system). It is the first systematic attempt to formulate a gender-sensitive modality to guide efforts to optimize depression care for men. The modality can be used to guide governments' endeavor to close the depression care gap and improve the quality of life for men, as well as a stepping stone to design more rigorous studies in the field.


In this study, zinc status and urinary zinc excretion with and without desferrioxamine (DFO) infusion and the relationship between urinary zinc excretion and renal tubular dysfunction in thalassemia major (TM) patients were investigated. Forty TM patients were given four DFO infusions on alternate days over a 1-wk period prior to the transfusion. On each day that DFO was given, a 24-h urine collection initiated. DFO was omitted for 1-wk before the following transfusion and during the period four 24-h urine collections were performed. Twenty healthy children provided 24-h urine collection as controls. Blood samples were taken on each of two consecutive transfusion days of the patients and from the controls. Urinary zinc excretion was measured and plasma and red blood cell (RBC) zinc analysis were performed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrophotometry. Urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity and creatinine were determined in morning urine specimens. The mean plasma zinc concentration was significantly lower in the patients not given DFO compared to the values of the patients given DFO and the control group. The mean RBC zinc concentration (micromol/g Hb) in the patients (with and without DFO) and the control group were similar. Urinary zinc excretion was significantly higher in the patients receiving DFO compared to the control group, whereas urinary zinc excretion in the patients not given DFO was not different from the controls. Urinary NAG indices (U/g Cr) were significantly higher in the patients compared to controls. Urinary zinc excretion was correlated with the urinary NAG indices.


Given the increasing influence of overly rationalistic and technicist views of teaching, it is even more difficult to imagine education as a transformative praxis (Apple, 2005, 2011, Lmgard & Keddie, 2013) By viewing themselves as public intellectuals and cultural workers, teachers can 'make a difference' in terms of social justice Focusing specifically on Irish primary teachers m disadvantaged schools, this study explores early career teachers' understandings of 'making a difference' and what shape this takes m their day-to-day practice This study defines 'early career teachers' as those with a minimum of three and a maximum of nine years teaching experience.

The literature indicates that while the experiences of teachers m the early stages of their professional lives has become a topic of interest for Irish researchers, much of it has been concerned with teachers in the first five years of their careers No previously published research has provided critical socio-cultural analysis of the life worlds of Irish early career teachers.

In order to explore and shine light on the professional lived experiences of early career teachers, a narrative life history methodology grounded m phenomenology was adopted Semi-structured, life-history interviews were conducted with 18 participants drawn from three urban designated disadvantaged schools The factors and processes that shape the professional identities, felt responsibilities and practices of early career teachers were investigated and explored through their stones of becoming and being teacher.

The study's empirical findings are integrated with concepts drawn from critical educator and sociology discourses, equality perspectives, and teacher identity literatures There were two distinct and contradictory views of 'making a difference' articulated in participants' understandings of 'making a difference'. The first view was concerned with working towards sameness m the name of equality and making a difference In response to academic and policy demands, this view of 'making a difference' was characterised by pedagogies of sameness and understandings of equality as sameness The second view was underpinned by a caring ethic that characterised their educational relationships, and was m tension with these pedagogies and practices of sameness.

This research concludes that the concept of 'making a difference' is complex, and the variation in situations m which it is produced and articulated means that it is best understood as a context, career-stage and habitus specific idea It is also a fluid and relational concept that is capable of evolution and change, with positive and negative implications for teaching and learning The study concludes that it is through engagement with the political, as well as the moral, ethical and emotional dimensions of teaching that teachers can continue to make a significant difference to students' lives.


Steganography is an art of concealing the fact with the purpose of communication, by hiding one information in other information. In steganography, many different carrier file formats are used now days, but the digital images are most popular for hiding information because of their frequency on Internet. There is a large variety of techniques of steganography are available for hiding secret information into images. Each of them has its strong & weak points. Choice of which steganography technique is used it depends on the different requirements of the application. For example, some applications may have need of a bigger secret message to be concealed and some need absolute invisibility of the secret message. This paper gives an overview of different techniques used for image steganography. Among these following techniques DCT & DWT techniques are widely used because of their efficiency.


Using an induced open-loop wind tunnel and a full cone water spray nozzle, the performance of a brazed aluminum heat exchanger with louvered fins is studied experimentally for wet conditions. The total capacity, pressure drop and water drainage behavior under various water usage rates and air face velocities are explored and compared to drycondition data. The impact on spray orientation is also studied. The results are presented as plots of performance against water usage rate or water spray rate per unit heat transfer area. Fouling on the fin surface was observed in the experiment, and fouling distribution characteristics are discussed in this paper. The experimental data are used to validate the model presented in "Simultaneous heat and mass transfer in a wetted heat exchanger, part II: modeling"


This article analyses the use of open source resources and free software in contemporary audiovisual creation and production processes. It focuses on the social and cultural implications for communicative action brought on by the use of free tools and resources in stand-out collaborative audiovisual production projects. Firstly, it looks at the profound changes that Internet and the other digital communication technologies and media have brought with them in terms of contemporary audiovisual communicative action, placing special emphasis on the growing possibilities for autonomy, adaptation, collective creation, initiatives in the configuration and definition of the tools themselves and the working dynamics for free resource and software users. Following a detailed analysis of the basic concepts of freedom and software, it looks at the possibilities and functionalities offered by an important range of audiovisual resources and tools (Celtx, The GIMP, Audacity and VirtualDub). Finally, it offers a wide-ranging look at a representative selection of online participative audiovisual creation projects that highlight and illustrate the important social and cultural implications of the use of open source and free resources in audiovisual working processes.


Large language models (LLMs) may not equitably represent diverse global perspectives on societal issues. In this paper, we develop a quantitative framework to evaluate whose opinions model-generated responses are more similar to. We first build a dataset, GlobalOpinionQA, comprised of questions and answers from cross-national surveys designed to capture diverse opinions on global issues across different countries. Next, we define a metric that quantifies the similarity between LLM-generated survey responses and human responses, conditioned on country. With our framework, we run three experiments on an LLM trained to be helpful, honest, and harmless with Constitutional AI. By default, LLM responses tend to be more similar to the opinions of certain populations, such as those from the USA, and some European and South American countries, highlighting the potential for biases. When we prompt the model to consider a particular country's perspective, responses shift to be more similar to the opinions of the prompted populations, but can reflect harmful cultural stereotypes. When we translate GlobalOpinionQA questions to a target language, the model's responses do not necessarily become the most similar to the opinions of speakers of those languages. We release our dataset for others to use and build on. Our data is at https://huggingface.co/datasets/Anthropic/llm_global_opinions. We also provide an interactive visualization at https://llmglobalvalues.anthropic.com.


The introduction of percutaneous ablative treatments for atrial fibrillation led to new information regarding the region of the left atrium and pulmonary veins, which electrophysiologists had previously overlooked. Initially, procedures for treating atrial fibrillation involved ablation and then the isolation of specific points in the pulmonary veins; this technique is still in use. Subsequent variations have included the use of multiple lines that are guided by electroanatomic mapping. All of these techniques have produced encouraging results, and the importance of stimulation sites in inducing various arrhythmias is known. Nevertheless, pacing maneuvers have rarely been used to evaluate electrophysiologic properties around the target areas. In a 53-year-old man who presented with a focal atrial tachycardia that originated from a pulmonary vein, we used different stimulation sites to induce arrhythmias in the region of the left atrium and pulmonary veins. The resultant unique arrhythmogenic values enabled successful ablation of the culprit pulmonary vein in this patient. (Tex Heart Inst J 2008;35(3):356-8)


It is necesary to accept the presence of children with motor coordination problems in our schools. Research in the last decade has demostrated this situation and together with the clasical expresion of clumsy, the interest of educators, physicians and psychologists for this syndrome have increased, and new expresions and considerations have emerged. The development of intervention programs with the objective of remediating this problem has manifested different approaches, rationales and theories that support them. Some of them maintain the necessity of developing the processes that underlying children's motor behavior and the other promote to develop the specific motor skills that permit them to interact and to be competent with others, and objetcs, in the playground and the gymnasium. This review analyzes the role of these approaches and their empirical support, and emphasizes the role that physical education can have in this process of developing motor competence in the school. Key words: Motor Competence, developmental coordination problems, clumsiness, physical education, intervention, schoolchildren


Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is a common pediatric neurological medical emergency associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The current study aimed to study the relation of age, sex, etiology and outcome in CSE. A total of 94 subjects aged 1month and above with CSE were included for the present study. Results were analyzed using Chi-Square test. Relation between age and CSE revealed that majority belonged to 1- 5 year age group. Majority of CSE were of the acute symptomatic category (37-50%). A duration of >12 hours of CSE was seen in acute symptomatic, progressive symptomatic and febrile group. Mortality was found to be less in all groups. Outcome in the acute symptomatic, febrile and idiopathic groups were good as compared to remote and progressive symptomatic groups. CSE had a male preponderance and majority belonged to 1-5 years and mortality was more in the acute symptomatic group.


Abstract The Shuhi of Muli County, Sichuan province, inhabit the Tibetan-Chinese borderlands. In this paper, we focus on Shuhi kinship practices that accord the house the importance it appears to have for the Shuhi themselves. We demonstrate that the Shuhi engage in kinship practices that are 'hearth-oriented' (Hsu 1998b: 67–99) in a dynamic process affected by the current political economic changes in reformist China and religious revivalism in Tibet. The 'hearth-oriented' kinship practices we discuss include issues of who among the offspring continues to live in the house of their parents, how places of worship in a house are oriented in relation to the physical environment and the divine landscape, and how practices regarding the naming of houses are changing from deictics of place to lineage and family names. Based on empirical data, gathered between 1996–2011, we show that there are significant differences in all practices, which reflect a Tibetan-Chinese gradient along the north-south axis of Shuhi settlements. But there are also striking continuities.


This volume contains the eight papers presented as a symposium of the Research Committee of The American Association of Petroleum Geologists at the 1960 annual meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey. One paper presented in the General Session at that meeting, one reprinted paper, and three other solicited papers are also included.

The choice of "Geometry of Sandstone Bodies" as a timely and pertinent subject lor the 1960 symposium was made after an extensive canvass of Research Committee members and about fifty other geologists vitally interested in research in petroleum geology. From a group of about 15 proposed subjects, this one was selected as first choice by almost all those canvassed. Partly because of this high level of interest, the decision was made to attempt publication of the symposium as a special volume of The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. The word geometry in the title probably had several different meanings among the selectors, and for this reason an attempt was made to define the term adequately in order to establish uniformity of communication among symposium participants.

The dictionary definition of the word " geometry " is the science of magnitudes in space . In applying the term to the symposium theme, some modification and interpretation of its formal meaning were needed, and the following definition was therefore proposed for use in this volume—
Geometry of Sandstone Bodies— Spatial relationships of sandstone deposits within the sedimentary framework .

As used in this book, the subject is more than just a three-dimensional study in which thickness is added to areal distribution.


This paper analyzes theoretically the contact length derived from elastic-plastic mechanics and microcontact theory with the aim of improving the traditional method of predicting roughness factor though experiments. The accuracy of the analysis is verified through experiments. It transpires from the theoretical model that the contact length between a grinding wheel and a workpiece increases with decreasing curvature radius of peak, increasing hardness of the workpiece as well as increasing depth of cut. It is also revealed that the contact length is directly proportional to the square of 0.32 of the hardness, approximately, whilst the square root of surface roughness and the density of peak of the grinding wheel show less influence on the contact length. The analysis method has reduced the variation between predicted and experimental values than that of the old methods. These results will be beneficial in analysing and designing the product quality of grinding.


Maternal adversity and fetal glucocorticoid exposure has long-term effects on cardiovascular, metabolic and behavioral systems in offspring that can persist throughout the lifespan. These data, along with other environmental exposure data, implicate epigenetic modifications as potential mechanisms for long-term effects of maternal exposures on adverse health outcomes in offspring. Advances in microarray, sequencing and bioinformatic approaches have enabled recent studies to examine the genome-wide epigenetic response to maternal adversity. Studies of maternal exposures to xenobiotics such as arsenic and smoking have been performed at birth to examine fetal epigenomic signatures in cord blood relating to adult health outcomes. However, there have been no epigenomic studies examining these effects in animal models. On the other hand, to date, only a few studies of the effects of maternal psychosocial stress have been performed in human infants, and the majority of animal studies have examined epigenomic outcomes in adulthood. In terms of maternal exposure to excess glucocorticoids by synthetic glucocorticoid treatment, there has been no epigenetic study performed in humans and only a few studies undertaken in animal models. This review emphasizes the importance of examining biomarkers of exposure to adversity throughout development to identify individuals at risk and to target interventions. Thus, research performed at birth will be reviewed. In addition, potential subject characteristics associated with epigenetic modifications, technical considerations, the selection of target tissues and combining human studies with animal models will be discussed in relation to the design of experiments in this field of study.


In a previous paper, Christian and O'Hare 1 have reported a detrimental effect of the diuretic drug, diuretin, in severe acute nephritis produced in rabbits by injections of uranium nitrate. Therefore, we were interested to study the effects of other drugs commonly employed by clinicians as diuretics, such as theocin, caffein, potassium acetate and spartein sulphate. The latter drug is included, as it is used by some clinicians as a diuretic, though not generally regarded as a diuretic in the same sense as the others. Acute nephritis was produced in rabbits by uranium nitrate. Three and one-half mg. of uranium nitrate was dissolved in 1 c.c. of sterile distilled water, and the solution so made was given intravenously. Each animal received two doses twenty-four hours apart of 3.5 mg. of uranium nitrate per kilo of body weight. Uranium nitrate was employed to produce the nephritis because it causes a


To the Editor.— While the consultants in QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (237:1871, 1977) are correct in stating that the most common cause of dissimilar blood pressure readings in the arms of a 77-year-old man is arteriosclerotic occlusion of the subclavian artery, they make no mention of alternative explanations that may be responsible or contributory. Asymmetrical sphygmomanometric recordings can occur with the scalenus anticus syndrome, a cervical rib, or other forms of the thoracic outlet syndrome. Adson's test is usually positive in these cases.1 Anesthesiologists as myself occasionally give anesthesia to these patients for unrelated surgery, and often positioning them on the operating table can incur a spurious hypotension in the affected arm. Contralateral normalrange Korotkoff sounds delineate the discrepancy, and repositioning amends it. Unilaterally diminished arterial pulsations may also be seen status after open heart surgery or cardiac catheterization. Checking the blood pressure in both arms is worthwhile not only


Services provided by public facilities are essential to people's lives and are closely associated with human mobility. Traditionally, public facility access characteristics, such as accessibility, equity issues and service areas, are investigated mainly based on static data (census data, travel surveys and particular records, such as medical records). Currently, the advent of big data offers an unprecedented opportunity to obtain large-scale human mobility data, which can be used to study the characteristics of public facilities from the spatial interaction perspective. Intuitively, spatial interaction characteristics and service areas of different types and sizes of public facilities are different, but how different remains an open question, so we, in turn, examine this question. Based on spatial interaction, we classify public facilities and explore the differences in facilities. In the research, based on spatial interaction extracted from taxi data, we introduce an unsupervised classification method to classify 78 hospitals in 6 districts of Beijing, and the results better reflect the type of hospital. The findings are of great significance for optimizing the spatial configuration of medical facilities or other types of public facilities, allocating public resources reasonably and relieving traffic pressure.


Antonio Guterres (2008), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) characterized the twenty-first century as one of mass movements of people, within and beyond their borders, escaping conflicts and upheavals. War and human rights violations propel millions of people beyond their borders searching for safety. Climate change, environmental degradation, and economic instability prompt many to search for better life opportunities. Attempts by governments to devise policies to pre-empt, direct, manage, prevent these movements have been erratic. Australia, for example has implemented a series of laws to control movement of asylum seekers, prevent their access to Australia, while choosing a quota driven number of people from refugee camps. Uniquely in the developed world Australia ignores international human rights laws and puts all asylum seekers in mandatory detention. Some countries claim ethnic or religious conflict, national security, or upsetting the population balance due to lack of tolerance among citizens. Politicians appear to believe that being tough on refugees makes their own populations feel more secure. Whatever the reason for non- admittance, refugees are often denied their internationally recognized human rights forced into desperate lives in refugee camps or in detention centres where they are unable to move, to work, or to enjoy any freedoms.


Bronchoscopic diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer with ground-glass opacity (GGO) is dif cult because GGO lesions cannot be visualized using currently available radial probe endobronchial ultrasound. Therefore, a forward-looking single ber scanning optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe with a local observation function has been developed to achieve precise sampling. The new OCT probe is only 1 mm in diameter. The probe is composed of a patterned electroplated copper coil fabricated on a polyimide tube using non-planar photofabrication technique, and an optical ber having a permanent magnetic tube with a diameter of 0.5 mm. When an electrical alternating current is supplied to the coil, the permanent magnet vibrates electromagnetically with the optical ber. To increase the ber vibration amplitude, a micro gradient-index (GRIN) lens is set in front of the tip of the optical ber. Using the micro GRIN lens, the output beam is focused, and the scanning range is enlarged. The view angle becomes approximately 45°, and image resolution becomes approximately 60 μm. The structure of grating was successfully imaged using the new OCT probe. Further improvements and animal experiments are necessary to determine the clinical application of the probe.


Mobile hotspots, i.e. Internet access services in moving networks (e.g. vehicular area networks (VAN) and personal area networks (PAN)) bring about new challenging issues. Even if the network mobility (NEMO) basic support protocol has been standardized as a mobility solution by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), to the best of our knowledge, no studies have been conducted in the area of authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) protocol, which is a core technology for public mobile hotspots. In this paper, we propose a localized AAA protocol to retain the mobility transparency as the NEMO basic support protocol and to reduce the cost of the AAA procedure. In addition to providing mutual authentication, the proposed AAA protocol prevents various threats such as replay attack, man in the middle attack, and key exposure. Also, we develop an analytical model to evalutate the AAA signaling cost. Numerical results reveal that the proposed AAA protocol is a suitable solution for AAA services in different mobile hotspots.


Abstract Taking as a starting point the conviction that everyday interactions carry the potential to be either conflictual or peaceful, this article examines people's everyday behaviour in the deeply divided city of Kirkuk, Iraq. Using the historic bazaar in Kirkuk city as a site of analysis, and through a research survey of 511 people, it focuses on interactions between Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. The article draws on Bourdieu's theory of symbolic capital and takes an intersectional approach to analyse the everyday interactions in the bazaar to create a better understanding of the role of space and privilege. The results demonstrate that for the most part, at the everyday level people carry out acts of everyday peace rather than conflict. However, when everyday conflict does occur, those with the highest symbolic capital are the most likely actors. Additionally, although gender does influence people's actions, ethnosectarian identity has greater influence in many areas related to everyday peace and conflict. On a practical level, the article argues that such an understanding can connect better to policymaking and peacebuilding as it can point to where and how peacebuilders should focus their attention in order to promote and enhance peace within people's everyday lives.


The complex relationship between Th1 and Th17 cells is incompletely understood. The transcription factor T-bet is best known as the master regulator of Th1 lineage commitment. However, attention is now focused on the repression of alternate T cell subsets mediated by T-bet, particularly the Th17 lineage. It has recently been suggested that pathogenic Th17 cells express T-bet and are dependent on IL-23. However, T-bet has previously been shown to be a negative regulator of Th17 cells. We have taken an unbiased approach to determine the functional impact of T-bet on Th17 lineage commitment. Genome-wide analysis of functional T-bet binding sites provides an improved understanding of the transcriptional regulation mediated by T-bet, and suggests novel mechanisms by which T-bet regulates Th cell differentiation. Specifically, we show that T-bet negatively regulates Th17 lineage commitment via direct repression of the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor-4 (IRF4). An in vivo analysis of the pathogenicity of T-bet–deficient T cells demonstrated that mucosal Th17 responses were augmented in the absence of T-bet, and we have demonstrated that the roles of T-bet in enforcing Th1 responses and suppressing Th17 responses are separable. The interplay of the two key transcription factors T-bet and IRF4 during the determination of T cell fate choice significantly advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of pathogenic T cells.


Background: Citrullus colocynthis belongs to Family Cucurbitaceae . It grows widely in Egypt and Sudan and it has been used in folk medicine of Sudan and many other African countries as anti inflammatory, anti diabetic, and antioxidant agent. Objectives: To evaluate the antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer activities of ethanolic crude extracts of the fruits, leaves, seeds and roots of this plant, as well as identifying them HPLC/MS. Materials and Methods: Dried fruits, seeds, leaves and roots of C. colocynthis were powdered and passed through a 40- mesh, then, the powders were extracted with 95% ethanol in a soxhlet apparatus. The residues were dried under reduced pressure in rotary evaporator. Crude extract from different plant parts were evaluated biologically and phytochemically. Results: All extracts showed good antifungal activities with inhibition zone ranges between 15.1 ± 0.32 to 25.6 ± 0.16 mm. In terms of plant organ, fruits were the most active. In term of fungal strain Aspergillus fumigatus and Geotricum candidum were the most sensitive. Against tested Gram +ve, all extracts showed good activities except roots, while antibacterial activity against Gram –ve showed that the fruits extract have good activity as it was the sole extract with activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Test for antiviral activities showed moderate to weak inhibitions of cytopathic effect (CPE). Anticancer activities of different crude extracts showed that fruits had significant antitumor activities against all tested cell lines, the IC 50 values were 24.6, 16, 18.5 and 19.7 µg /ml for HCT-116, MCF-7, Hep-G2 and Caco-2 respectively. Seeds extract was only active on HCT-116 and Hep G2 with IC50 =21.2 µg/ml for HCT-116 and 22.4 µg/ml for Hep G2. Leaves extract was only active against Hep G2 cancer cell line with IC 50 19.7 µg/ml. Roots extract show weak antitumor activity on tested cell lines (IC 50 values > 30µg/ml). HPLC/MS qualitative and quantitative analysis of different organs extracts revealed the presence of 21 compounds identified as fourteen cucurbitacins, three flavonoids, three tannins, and one sterol. The presence of cucurbitacins can explain most of the biological activities. Conclusion: The biological activities of colocynth different parts are due to the presence of secondary metabolites mainly cucurbitacins in addition to flavonoids and tannins.  These activities prove the use of this plant in folk medicine and deserve much more future exploration targeting their discovery in unexplored sources and their derivatives for improving their anticancer and antimicrobial abilities. K ey w o r ds : C itrullus colocynthis , crude extracts, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, HPLC/MS


While recent amendments to India's Citizenship Act are designed to exclude Muslims from claims to citizenship in India, this essay seeks to problematize the assumption that Hindu migrants who seek citizenship under the new Act are incorporated seamlessly and unproblematically into the nation. The constitutional grant of citizenship and social acceptance into everyday local worlds are not always congruent. My ethnographic examples are drawn from an earlier wave of migration of Hindu men from Sindh into western India. They illustrate both a feeling of love and anticipation at the prospect of Indian citizenship as well as an acute sense of betrayal that they did not get "anything else" apart from legal citizenship—which in this case is social dignity, honor, and acceptance into local Hindu caste society. While the state may read cross-border migration in the terms of broad religious categorizations that are then written into its citizenship laws, there is no good reason to assume that these legal documents translate into everyday life in the same manner. The grant of citizenship—even to the Hindus that the state is so eager to make into citizens—is not the end of the story of cross-border migration; often it is just the beginning of a long negotiation for migrants who need to learn a new language of belonging in order to integrate. That language—as this ethnographic example from Kutch shows us— has to do as much with caste equations as with the question of religion or nationality per se.


Edge detection is a means of generating compact descriptions which preserve most of the structural information in an image. However, the edge image returned by the edge operators usually contains false edge points or exhibits gaps in edges which are generated by image noise. To solve the problem, a closed salient edge extraction approach was proposed, which makes use of the visual attention model given out by Itti together with the original edge image to obtain the salient edges and then the salient-edge gaps were linked so that the closed salient edge of an image can be extracted. In order to link the edges, a membership function based on the gradient and directions of endpoints of the salient edge image was carried out to control the extension of endpoints. Experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm was able to extract the closed salient edge of an image effectively especially for the image whose background was not very complex.


A recompilation program, often called make, is a crucial utility employed by many programmers during the development of sophisticated programs. It provides an elegant method for the compilation of programs which are made up of many components, written in any programming language. In this report, we present a new implementation of make based on command tracing. Our approach takes advantages of command transactions monitored by a user shell named brush . All the information that is required to check for the need to re-compile a particular program component is acquired via these transactions. There is no requirement for a le to specify dependencies and commands, as with the Make le used by make. All that is needed is that each program component must be compiled at least once, by hand or from a shell script, to establish the command used.


Considering that unjust combatants do not have the same rights as the just combatants, I will analyze whether motivation plays a crucial role in the moral responsibility of unjust combatants. 'The motivations' mean the moral reasons for acceding of combatants to war. I will examine the motivations of soldiers and their influence on moral responsibility and indicate whether this has effect on the unjust combatants' justification. I would like to underline the connection between neurobiology and ethics which can help to look at this problem from a different perspective.


The first part of the thesis describes the fabrication and the characterization of face-centered-cubic (fcc) photonic crystals (PCs) of dielectric (core-shell) spheres in a low-dielectric host (air). We demonstrate the synthesis and optical characterization of the PC's building blocks: well-defined core-shell colloidal particles and hollow shells of zinc sulfide (ZnS) and silica (SiO2). The synthesis method allows for the production of monodisperse particles with a tunable core-to-shell size ratio and total radius. By use of the controlled drying method, we demonstrate the fabrication of large planar PCs of well-defined thickness from SiO2, ZnS, and ZnS-core-SiO2-shell colloidal particles. We demonstrate, both experimentally and theoretically, that the relative stop gap width in the (111) fcc crystallographic direction in the case of high-index core and low-index shell spheres is larger than in a PC of homogeneous spheres of either material.
The second part of the thesis focuses on the preparation and characterization of photonic materials of different degree of order made of metal colloidal particles. We demonstrate the synthesis and characterization of large (R > 100 nm) silver (Ag) particles. The particles are obtained by reducing silver nitrate with ascorbic acid in aqueous solutions in the presence of a protective polymer. The resulting particles are spherical porous aggregates with a low polydispersity (< 20%) and surface roughness on the order of a few nanometers. The optical properties on a single-particle level are well described if an effective dielectric constant is used. Depending on the volume fraction and the effective polydispersity, in water these particles form charge-stabilized glasses or crystals. Under illumination with white light, these samples display bright colors. A strong modulation is found in the reflectivity of photonic glasses possessing a short-range order only. The general features in the experimental spectra are found in the theoretical reflectivity spectra for fcc crystals. From our results, it is likely that amorphous metallo-dielectric materials can be used in some applications where the spontaneous emission of light needs to be modified.
The last part of the thesis deals with PCs with complex lattices and PCs made of non-spherical colloidal particles. We present the fabrication of binary colloidal crystals through a simple layer-by-layer drying process. We demonstrate the fabrication of crystals with a stoichiometry of large (L) and small (S) particles of LS2 and LS. In addition, we observed the formation of a new LS3 binary crystal. By using spheres with different composition, one component can be selectively removed. As an example, we demonstrate the synthesis of a hexagonal non-close-packed colloidal crystal. We demonstrate the fabrication of PCs of ellipsoidal colloidal particles. By use of MeV ion irradiation, we deformed spheres into oblate ellipsoids as organized in a thin 3D colloidal crystal. Both the unit cell symmetry and the particle form factor have been changed as a result of the collective deformation process, leading to an appreciable tunability in the optical properties of the PC. Crystals,


This study examines how exposure to media characters of color shapes viewers' opinions of race-targeted policies. Exemplar-based information processing, attribution theory, and heuristic policy decision-making formed the theoretical foundation for the study. A 2 × 2 factorial experiment (N = 363) exposed participants to stereotypical or counterstereotypical exemplars representing the in-group (Whites) and the out-group (Blacks). The experiment revealed that exposure to stereotypical African American media characters compared to exposure to counter-stereotypical ones influenced real-world beliefs of African American stereotypes, internal attributions for perceived failures of this out-group, prejudicial feelings toward this out-group, and lack of support for pro-minority affirmative action policies. A structural model established "internal attributions for out-group failures" as a crucial mediator. Implications for entertainment studies and political communication are discussed.


We aimed to demonstrate that breath analysis can be used as a method for the detection of potentially harmful compounds in food after their ingestion. Development of such a method could be adapted as a tool for detection of food intoxication. To achieve this, we compared the levels of pyridine (Py) and furfuryl alcohol (FFA) found in breath with the quantity of these compounds ingested when drinking coffee. Coffee drink beverages were prepared in the laboratory and consumed by volunteers (n = 5). An aliquot of coffee was analysed using high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) to quantify Py and FFA in the beverage. Breath samples were collected several times over a 45 min period after ingestion of coffee and analysed by thermal desorption coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD/GC-MS). The levels of Py and FFA found in coffee ranged from 0.2 to 3 mg/cup of coffee, and from 7 to 30 mg/cup of coffee, respectively. The levels of these compounds detected in breath ranged from 7 to 1200 ng/l breath for Py and from 1 to 760 ng/l breath for FFA. Several parameters can influence the levels of these chemicals in breath, especially the collection time of the breath sample.


For foreign object detection on runways highly sensitive radar sensors give the opportunity to detect even very small objects, metallic and non-metallic, also under adverse weather conditions. As it is desirable for airport applications to install only small but robust installations along the traffic areas, millimeter wave radars offer the opportunity of small antenna apertures and miniaturized system hardware. A 220-GHz radar was developed, which is capable to serve this application if several of these are netted to cover the whole traffic area. Although under fortunate conditions the radar allows a classification or even an identification of the debris, the complete system design incorporates 3-D PMD-cameras for assistance in the identification process, if the environmental conditions allow for this. The latter part of the system is described in a separate paper [3].


day centres run by the social services, Mencap, and other voluntary and private bodies. The NHS still has an important role and responsibility in dealing with people with learning disabilities, and community care does not mean non-NHS facilities. The NHS provides the best community care for such people who have health care needs. The health districts that ignore, undermine, or marginalise the appropriate NHS facilities for people with learning disabilities will jeopardise the health care needs of a group who are unable to defend themselves and do not understand politics or dogma.


Basic CMOS low-voltage analog cells are introduced and used in the design of low-voltage CMOS multipliers. A statistical design flow for enhancing the parametric functional yield of these low-voltage circuits, with the goal of achieving a robust performance, is described. The design flow is based on using the response surface methodology (RSM) and design of experiments (DOE) techniques as statistical VLSI design techniques together with the statistical MOS (SMOS) model. Offset and nonlinearity performances are statistically examined. The response surfaces show the trade-off between area and functional yield. Using these surface contours, the designer will be able to estimate the functional yield of the circuits before fabrication. The contours are also used in the statistical optimization of device sizes as they provide information regarding which transistor aspect ratios are to be altered to achieve a better functional yield.


Objectives: Previous studies ruled out the benefits of azithromycin for treatment of patients with COVID- 19 who are hospitalized. However, the effects of azithromycin for treatment of patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results in the community remains a matter of debate. This study aimed to assess whether azithromycin, when used in subjects with positive test results for SARS-CoV-2, is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization, in-hospital COVID-19 outcomes, and death. Methods: Two study cohorts were selected. Cohort A included subjects with positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 between February 20, 2020 and December 10, 2020; cohort B included subjects infected with SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalized between February 20, 2020 and December 31, 2020. We compared the risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit access, need for mechanical ventilation, and death in azithromycin users versus nonusers. A clustered Fine-Gray analysis was employed to assess the risk of hospitalization; and Cox regressions were performed to assess the risk of intensive care unit access, mechanical ventilation, and death.


We have demonstrated previously that the human picornavirus Echovirus 1 (EV1) triggers an infectious internalization pathway that follows closely, but seems to stay separate, from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway triggered by epidermal growth factor (EGF). Here, we confirmed by using live and confocal microscopy that EGFR and EV1 vesicles are following intimately each other but are distinct entities with different degradation kinetics. We show here that despite being sorted to different pathways and located in distinct endosomes, EV1 inhibits EGFR downregulation. Simultaneous treatment with EV1 and EGF led to an accumulation of EGFR in cytoplasmic endosomes, which was evident already 15 min p.i. and more pronounced after 2 hr p.i. EV1 treatment led to reduced downregulation, which was proven by increased total cellular amount of EGFR. Confocal microscopy studies revealed that EGFR accumulated in large endosomes, presumably macropinosomes, which were not positive for markers of the early, recycling, or late endosomes/lysosomes. Interestingly, EV1 did not have a similar blocking effect on bulk endosomal trafficking or transferrin recycling along the clathrin pathway suggesting that EV1 did not have a general effect on cellular trafficking pathways. Importantly, EGF treatment increased EV1 infection and increased cell viability during infection. Simultaneous EV1 and EGF treatment seemed to moderately enhance phosphorylation of protein kinase C α. Furthermore, similar phenotype of EGFR trafficking could be produced by phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate treatment, further suggesting that activated protein kinase C α could be contributing to EGFR phenotype. These results altogether demonstrate that EV1 specifically affects EGFR trafficking, leading to EGFR downregulation, which is beneficial to EV1 infection.


This study describes changes in thinking and practice among 24 early childhood preservice teachers as they move away from a reliance on traditional interpretations of child-centered curricula and developmentally appropriate practices toward one of collaborative inquiry. Participants enrolled in a 15 week undergraduate teaching methods course were assigned to teaching teams to implement collaborative projects with the same group of three to five year-old children. Traditionally, early childhood teacher education has been influenced by developmental theory which emphasizes processes of children's learning. And yet, teachers typically learn to teach from a transmission orientation with perspectives provided by experts rather than from a position of inquiry. This study describes a reconceptualization of teacher education informed by key tenets of social constructivist theory, reflective practice and teacher research, and the implementation of collaborative projects as popularized by the preprimary schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This study is the first to integrate these three components to create an environment in which there is congruency between the processes through which teachers construct knowledge and those which characterize children's construction of knowledge. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative measures to assess conceptual level, changes in reflectivity, and the use of advanced interpretations of developmentally appropriate practices associated with inquiryoriented teaching. Results suggest that the emergence of collaborative inquiry among preservice teachers is a dynamic and diverse process not readily assessed by static measures or discreet skills. Findings from the qualitative analyses both challenged and explained some of the findings from the quantitative portions of the study. The metaphor of "portraiture" was utilized to describe team meetings and classroom practices as they constituted an environment for adult learners. In this study, experiences were shared and meanings socially constructed through the use of discourse and tools within recursive cycles of reflection and teaching, each of which drew upon and contributed to a complex web of relationships. This reconceptualization of preservice teacher education requires an expanded concept of professional competence and what is meant by good teaching to include an emphasis on proximal development within a community that promotes learning among adults as well as children.


Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is essential for the proper development of the CNS, as is evident from the perinatal lethality of conventional Cdk5 knockout (Cdk5-/-) mice. Cdk5 is also implicated in numerous complex functions of the adult CNS such as synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal signaling. To elucidate the molecular roles of Cdk5 in the adult CNS, we have abrogated neuronal expression of Cdk5 in perinatal mice by using a cre-loxP system. The Cdk5-loxP flanked mice were crossed with the cre-transgenic mice in which the cre expression is driven by the murine neurofilament-heavy chain promoter, resulting in generation of viable Cdk5 conditional knockout mice with the restricted deletion of the Cdk5 gene in specific neurons beginning around embryonic day 16.5. Twenty-five percent of the Cdk5 conditional knockout mice carrying the heterozygous cre allele had neuronal migration defects confined to brain areas where neuronal migration continues through the perinatal period. These results indicate that abrogation of Cdk5 expression in mature neurons results in a viable mouse model that offers further opportunities to investigate the molecular roles of Cdk5 in the adult CNS.


The semiconductor industry has primarily emphasized lot dispatching decisions in order to achieve customer on-time delivery (OTD) satisfaction. Other dispatch objectives include reaching throughput and cycle time goals. However, the overall purpose of any commercial endeavor is to make money now and in the future. This paper presents a prototype lot dispatching system with the objective of "Value-Based Dispatching" (VBD) that proposes additional objectives such as profit maximization, market share growth, technology development along with achieving manufacturing goals. Required inputs for value-based dispatching beyond conventional OTD data include wafer costs, lot size, die count, net yield, and average selling price. This system utilizes a multi-rule based criteria to calculate the current value for each lot in a semiconductor wafer fab. This lot value is used in place of typical slack-time or critical ratio. Manufacturing objectives such as bottleneck starvation avoidance and resource utilization are also embedded into the dispatching system. A comparison of outputs such as profit and on-time delivery are also presented for VBD vs. OTD lot dispatching systems.


SoC (System on chip) technology has rapidly developed in recent years, stimulating emerging research areas such as investigating the efficacy of wireless network interconnection within a single chip or between multiple chips. However the design of the on-chip antenna faces the challenge of obtaining high radiation efficiency and transmission gain due to conductive loss of the silicon substrate. A new on-chip propagation mechanism of radio waves, which takes advantage of the un-doped silicon layer, is developed in order to overcome this challenge. It was found that by properly designing the dimension of silicon wafer, the un-doped silicon layer is able to act like a waveguide. Most of the energy is directed to the approximately lossless the undoped silicon layer of high resistivity instead of attenuating in the doped silicon substrate or radiating to the air. HFSS modeling and simulation results are provided to show that efficiency, gain and directivity of the on-chip antenna are greatly improved. In addition, this type of antennas can be easily reconfigured, which as a result, makes wireless SoCs with wireless interconnects or even a wireless network on PCB (Printed Circuit Board) possible.


Intensified fighting and insecurity in Damascus has limited the ability of the Iraqi refugees, displaced Syrians, partners and staff to physically access many of the fixed facilities offering mental health and psychosocial services. Those that do, have to travel substantial distances through checkpoints and 'hot areas'. However, before the conflict in 2011, UNHCR Syria was already in the area, operating a comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support programme for Iraqi refugees, building on the resources and capacities of the refugee population. In 2012, this programme was opened to support Syrians affected by conflict through a mixture of (mobile) individualised case management, family and community level supports provided by outreach volunteers, and targeted assistance to displaced persons living in collective shelters. So, while not making the headlines, the quiet, day-to-day activities of humanitarian workers providing mental health and psychosocial support services to an increasingly distressed population continue, against all odds.


The NASA Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) is NASA's lightning DAAC. GHRC is more than a repository for data; it collaborates with end-users to utilize these data for various research projects. This presentation will cover GHRC's collaborations on three separate projects that have used hemispheric and global lightning observations. This includes a lightning risk assessment in the Hindu-Kush region with NASA DEVELOP and supporting HIGH Impact Weather lAke sYstems (HIGHWAY) with the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). In addition, GHRC is using the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) to analyze flash size distributions with Los Alamos National Laboratory.


A fluorescent solar collector (FSC) is an optoelectronic waveguide device that can concentrate both diffuse and direct sunlight onto a solar cell which is then converted to electricity. Fluorescent collectors offer the potential to reduce the cost of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, but so far their effectiveness has been demonstrated only theoretically. The major problems in the device obtaining high practical efficiency are photon transport losses and material instability. This aim of this research is to increase the fundamental understanding of photon transport losses in fluorescent collectors, and to explore the method in overcoming the losses in fluorescent solar collectors. This thesis presents the theoretical and experimental results obtained during the development and characterisation of fluorescent collectors, a thin film c-Si solar cell used to detect photons from the fluorescent solar collector. A method for preparing fluorescent collector plates was by spin-coating dye-doped PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) on glass slides (BK7 glass). An optical characterisation technique for determining reabsorption loss of the fluorescent collectors was developed and used to evaluate the performance of the fluorescent collector base on laser dyes. The validity of this approach was verified by comparing the results with theoretical solutions, derived using a model adapted from the Weber and Lambe, and the modified Weber and Lambe, theories. Different losses in the FSC are studied in this work and we investigate the effect of surface scattering in a realistic FSC. To characterise the photon transport inside the collector, we monitor the angular distribution of a collimated light beam, which enters the collector from the edge, after propagation and total internal reflection. We find that the surface scattering process is described well by Fraunhofer diffraction at surface inhomogeneities of a size, roughly 11 ?m. The major losses in FSC are found to be caused by the surface roughness, which increases the probability of the escape cone losses in FSC from the top surface. This loss can be suppressed to less than 2% using an index matching planarisation layer. The influence of the bulk and surface scattering on the performance of the FSC are presented in this work, which were compared with the experiment and theory. The angular dependence of the edge fluorescence was studied in this work, and it showed the edge fluorescence decreases by increasing the detection angle, and the value of reabsorption also decreases by increasing the detection angle, up to 20°, before increasing again. It was shown, also, that that the quasi blackbody function agrees well with angular dependence of the edge fluorescence spectral, divided by the cos(detection angle) region where the absorption and fluorescence band of the dye overlap. Also, the modified Weber and Lambe theory for the angular dependence of the fluorescence agreed well with the experimental results.


ABSTRACT Adoption of consumer-generated media (CGM) and social networking applications has been reportedly rapid and impacts on the travel industry are assumed to be tremendous. CGM such as blogs, reviews and podcasts provide great opportunities for travel marketers. In order to be able to respond to CGM developments, travel marketers need to better understand what drives CGM use in different markets. Using secondary data from various sources, this paper outlines national differences in adoption speed and usage patterns for four major origin markets: the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and China. Based on the existing technology adoption literature, the information is summarized and analyzed with respect to forces which could drive these differences, mainly focusing on cultural dimensions, media landscapes, infrastructure development and information needs due to specific travel behavior characteristics. The results reveal interesting differences in these four markets and suggest that many factors stimulate CGM adoption. The findings imply that travel marketers need to adjust their CGM-based marketing strategies to the particular circumstances present in a visitor market.


We introduce an agent-based model for co-evolving opinions and social dynamics, under the influence of multiplicative noise. In this model, every agent is characterized by a position in a social space and a continuous opinion state variable. Agents' movements are governed by the positions and opinions of other agents and similarly, the opinion dynamics are influenced by agents' spatial proximity and their opinion similarity. Using numerical simulations and formal analyses, we study this feedback loop between opinion dynamics and the mobility of agents in a social space. We investigate the behaviour of this ABM in different regimes and explore the influence of various factors on the appearance of emerging phenomena such as group formation and opinion consensus. We study the empirical distribution, and, in the limit of infinite number of agents, we derive a corresponding reduced model given by a partial differential equation (PDE). Finally, using numerical examples, we show that a resulting PDE model is a good approximation of the original ABM.


This paper describes an economy where incomplete information regarding the default penalty can result in an upward-sloping supply of credit.We evaluate the role of partial information and other related factors in determining the elasticity of supply of credit and the credit ceiling facing the economy. We identify conditions under which the presence of country risk induces a domestic distortion. Next, we derive the cost-minimizing domestic policies needed in the presence of such a distortion. It is shown that cost-minimizing policies for a country that wishes to service its debt in the presence of country risk calls for a combination of borrowing taxes and time varying consumption taxes. If all consumers have access to the domestic capital market, the two policies are equivalent. If domestic consumers are subject to liquidity constraints, cost-minimizing policies call for a combination of time varying consumption taxes and product subsidies that will mimic the consumption distribution achieved by cost-minimizing policies in the absenceof liquidity constraints. The policies derived in the paper are formulated interms of the country risk, as embodied in the elasticity of supply of credit facing the borrower. In a mixed economy, where some consumers are subject to credit rationing whereas others have full access to the domestic credit market, there is a need for taxes on borrowing as well as time varying consumption and production tax cum subsidies. The analysis also shows that if the level of external borrowing is substantial, cost-minimizing domestic policies call for instituting a two-tier exchange rate system.


We propose a 2-country asset-pricing model where agents' preferences change endogenously as a function of the popularity of internationally traded goods. We determine the effect of the time-variation of preferences on equity markets, consumption and portfolio choices. When agents are more sensitive to the popularity of domestic consumption goods, the local stock market reacts more strongly to the preferences of local agents than to the preferences of foreign agents. Therefore, home bias arises because home-country stock represents a better investment opportunity for hedging against future fluctuations in preferences. We test our model and find that preference evolution is a plausible driver of key macroeconomic variables and stock returns.


The Arctic region appears as a pristine remote environment, yet there is increasing evidence that it is greatly impacted by pollution such as lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg). In this environment deposition of Hg has increased threefold since the last industrial revolution. In this study five cryosolic soil profiles within non-sorted circles (NSC) in the Abisko region, northwest of Sweden, has been analyzed to improve our understanding regarding how pollutants are distributed within such type of soil. The soil samples have been analyzed with the use of X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), for the measurements of the total concentrations of e.g. lead (Pb) and zirconium (Zr). The soil samples were also analyzed for Hg and LOI. In each sample Zr was used to determine whether metal concentrations were naturally derived from soil silicate minerals or from non-silicate (anthropogenic) sources. From the inner domains of the circles towards the outer domains where the latter contained the highest amounts of organic matter that bind these metals the Pb and Hg concentrations increased. The highest concentrations of Pb (47 mg/kg) and Hg (359 µg/kg) are found in the surface layer (about7 cmdeep) at the edges of the circles. In a buried layer (O-horizon) found in the inner domain, the concentration of Hg was 60µg/kg. Within the studied NSC the concentrations anthropogenic derived Pb and Hg in the surface layer of the circles outer domain was estimated to constitute 95 - 100 % of the total metal burden. In the buried organic layer 95 % of Hg was estimated to be anthropogenic. Clearly, the soil was strongly affected by anthropogenic Pb and Hg concentration.


We demonstrate ultrashort pulse generation from a fluoride fiber laser co-doped with holmium and praseodymium. To date, the majority of work focused on short pulse generation from this class of fiber laser has employed loss modulators in the cavity, both real and artificial. In this Letter, we alternatively employ a frequency shifting element: an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) in the cavity. This results in mode-locked output of sub-5 ps pulses with 10 nJ of energy at a center wavelength of 2.86 μm and a pulse repetition frequency of 30.1 MHz, equating to a peak power of 1.9 kW. Additional experimental investigation of the relationship between frequency shift and cavity round trip offer insight into the complex underlying dynamics. As a complementary mode-locking technique to conventional loss modulation, this method of pulse-formation may greatly expand the design flexibility of pulsed mid-infrared fiber lasers.


As a part of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP), the behaviour of 15 general circulation models has been analysed in order to diagnose and compare the ability of the different models in simulating Northern Hemisphere midlatitude atmospheric blocking. In accordance with the established AMIP procedure, the 10-year model integrations were performed using prescribed, time-evolving monthly mean observed SSTs spanning the period January 1979—December 1988. Atmospheric observational data (ECMWF analyses) over the same period have been also used to verify the models results. The models involved in this comparison represent a wide spectrum of model complexity, with different horizontal and vertical resolution, numerical techniques and physical parametrizations, and exhibit large differences in blocking behaviour. Nevertheless, a few common features can be found, such as the general tendency to underestimate both blocking frequency and the average duration of blocks. The problem of the possible relationship between model blocking and model systematic errors has also been assessed, although without resorting to ad-hoc numerical experimentation it is impossible to relate with certainty particular model deficiencies in representing blocking to precise parts of the model formulation.


This thesis tells the story of the emergence of Grime music. Grime, as a music sub-culture has its origins in the Caribbean community of East London, at the turn of the twenty-first century and can be seen as a continuation of the lineage of Caribbean and Caribbean-British music genres that also takes in influences from other parts of the world. I will be describing the story of Grime from a particular angle: that which considers the racial prejudice, and cultural suppression faced by London's black communities in the period before Grime's emergence, as well as during it, and the effects of economic gentrification in the area. I will demonstrate that a combination of British racism and local gentrification were responsible for Grime being pushed out of its traditional communities. I will support this, despite a paucity of academic texts, by drawing on a vast wealth of online resources that followed Grime's forced transition from the physical environment of East London to the digital world. I will also argue that this transition, though an unintentional effect of suppression, is the cause behind Grime's rise to becoming a mainstream culture that now represents Britain's wider working-class black and ethnic minority community while maintaining its street authenticity: its life-source and central ethos.


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2020, due in part to innate resistance to widely used chemotherapeutic agents and limited knowledge about key molecular factors that drive tumor aggression. We previously reported a novel negative prognostic biomarker, keratin 17 (K17), whose overexpression in cancer results in shortened patient survival. In this study, we aimed to determine the predictive value of K17 and explore the therapeutic vulnerability in K17-expressing PDAC, using an unbiased high-throughput drug screen. Patient-derived data analysis showed that K17 expression correlates with resistance to Gemcitabine (Gem). In multiple in vitro models of PDAC, spanning human and murine PDAC cells, we determined that the expression of K17 results in a more than two-fold increase in resistance to Gem and 5-fluorouracil, key components of current standard-of-care chemotherapeutic regimens. Furthermore, through an unbiased drug screen, we discovered that Podophyllotoxin (PPT), a microtubule inhibitor, showed at least two-fold higher sensitivity in K17-expressing compared to K17-negative PDAC cells. In the clinic, another microtubule inhibitor, Paclitaxel (PTX), is used in combination with Gem as a first line chemotherapeutic regimen for pancreatic, breast, lung, and ovarian cancer. Surprisingly, we found that when combined with Gem, PPT but not PTX, was synergistic in inhibiting the viability of K17-expressing PDAC cells. This provides evidence that PPT or its derivatives could potentially be combined with Gem to enhance treatment efficacy for the approximately 50% of PDACs that express high levels of K17. In summary, we reported that K17 is a novel target for developing a biomarker-based personalized treatment for PDAC.


Background Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) is a useful imaging technique in paediatric rheumatic diseases (PRD). US has several advantages over other imaging techniques: it is non-invasive, radiation free, rapid, highly accepted by the patients and does not require sedation for scanning in younger children. However, MSUS examination is incriminated to be an operator dependent technique. Moreover, the variability of normal sonoanatomy in children, due to ossification, makes the acquisition and interpretation of MSUS images difficult. The variability in background and experience of ultrasonographers in different countries requires an international multidisciplinary effort for an optimal standardization of MSUS performance in PRD. Objectives To perform a systematic literature review on guidelines for MSUS for children published by international societies and articles on how to perform MSUS scanning in children. This represents the first step for an EULAR taskforce, which objective is to develop EULAR Standardized Procedures for Ultrasound Imaging in Pediatric Rheumatology through a consensus process among rheumatologists, paediatric rheumatologists, and radiologists highly experienced in the performance, teaching and research in paediatric MSUS in rheumatologic disease. Methods The objective was reformulated according to the PICO-adapted approach, as follows: body parts, ultrasound, and scanning procedures. For each component several synonyms were used. Search limits were applied for animal studies and age. The literature search was performed in Medline and Embase from databases inception to 1st June 2016. References identified were imported into a bibliographic manager and duplicates were removed. To identify eligible studies the remaining articles were assessed by title and abstract. Only articles in English were retained. From the selected studies, data about the examined area, patient position, probe placement, scanning method, landmarks and pathologies using a predefined data collection form. Results The literature search resulted in 6059 articles, of which 4856 were captured in Medline and 1203 in Embase. Figure 1 shows the the study flow-chart for article selection. After removing duplicates and scanning titles and abstracts, 295 articles remained for detailed review. After full-text review, 107 articles were excluded. The main reason for article exclusion after full-text review was the lack of standardized examination. Of the remaining articles, 2 described shoulder structures, 14 elbow structures, 5 wrist structures, 9 hand structures, 25 hip structures, 41 knee structures, 14 ankle structures and 2 foot structures. The number of structures described for each joint part was as follows: 3 shoulder, 13 elbow, 2 wrist, 4 hand, 7 hip, 25 knee, 14 ankle, 1 foot. Conclusions Several anatomical structures are lacking standardized MSUS examination in children. Disclosure of Interest None declared


UNLABELLED
The production of grape seed flour (GSF) from a waste product generated during winemaking, is of interest in product development applications due to its potential health benefits. However, before GSF can used in baking as a source of additional antioxidants, research on its heat stability is required. The overall objective of this study was to assess changes in phenolic content and antioxidant activity of GSF during heating. Merlot GSF was heated at 5 temperatures (120 to 240 °C) for 0 to 90 min. At each time/temperature combination, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavanoid content (TFC), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the extracts were determined. Specific polyphenolic compounds, including catechin, gallocatechin, epicatechin, and gallic acid were also measured. Results showed that when Merlot GSF was heated to ≥180 °C, significant decreases in the TPC and antioxidant activity, measured using FRAP, DPPH, and TEAC, were observed. Longer heating times also caused a reduction in antioxidant capability. Catechin and epicatechin content decreased with increasing heating temperature while gallocatechin and gallic acid content increased. Both catechin and epicatechin content had strong positive correlations (r > 0.91) with TPC and TFC, as well with FRAP and TEAC, suggesting that the GSF antioxidant activity is related to the presence of these particular compounds. Overall, while a decrease in antioxidant content was observed during heating, this occurred at higher baking temperatures. Thus GSF may be suitable for use as an ingredient in baked goods to bolster antioxidant content.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
In order for Merlot grape seed flour (GSF) to be used in baking as a source of additional antioxidant compounds, the impact of heating on the polyphenolic compounds in the GSF needed to be examined. Thermal treatment of Merlot GSF caused significant decreases in the TPC, antioxidant power, and specific polyphenolic compounds when heated ≥180 °C. Thus while antioxidant content decreased with higher heating temperatures, this occurred at higher baking temperatures. Thus, GSF may be suitable for use as an ingredient in baked goods to bolster antioxidant content.


Purpose: To analyze the clinical and radiographic results after revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using NexgenⓇ LCCK (LegacyⓇ knee constrained condylar knee, Zimmer, Warsaw, IN) with allograft. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients (21 knees) taken revision TKA were analyzed. The average age of the patients was 69.2 years old and the average of follow-up duration was for 2 year to 8 years 2 months (average 3 years 5 months). The clinical result and radiographic measurements were assessed using the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee rating score and the roentgenographic method of the American Knee Society. Results: The mean interval from TKA to revision surgery was 6 years 4 months. In all cases, allograft was used. The average range of motion was increased from 93o to 107o, HSS score was increased from an average of 45 to 87 points. Postoperative femorotibial alignment was averaged 5.7o valgus. In all cases, radiolucency was below 4 scores and there was no loosening of implant. But, three radiopaque lines around a stem. There were wound dehiscence in 1 case and superficial infection in 2 cases. Conclusion: Satisfactory results were obtained in revision TKA using a NexGenⓇ LCCK with allograft. But, this study is favorable for the long term follow-up.


Natural history of bladder cancer is characterized by high risk of disease progression even for patients with a clinical diagnosis of superficial disease; in these tumors, the occurrence of local relapse is known to be dependent on the angiogenesis rate. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), has been described to be elevated in urine and serum of patients with bladder cancer. We investigated the expression of bFGF at mRNA level in a panel of 32 transitional cell tumors of the urinary bladder and in normal bladder tissues used as controls. Expression of bFGF was found elevated in most tumors of high stage, where its presence was found correlated with the occurrence of early local relapses. Furthermore, bFGF was found highly expressed in the majority of tumors showing a high bcl-2 expression rate. Our data suggest that bFGF expression could contribute to the progression of disease; it may provide a prognostic indicator in the identification of patients with high risk for occurrence of local relapses.


Poetic Invention or Political Intention: Magnus Rönnow's poem, Hercules Genuinus Carolus Duodecimus Magnae Scandinaviae Imperator (1706/7?) as causa belli.
The article analyzes an early eighteenth-century occasional poem, named as one of the causae belli in Denmark's declaration of war against Sweden in 1709. Written by the Swedish Neo-Latin poet Magnus Rönnow, Hercules Genuinus Carolus Duodecimus Magnae Scandinaviae Imperator ("The Real Hercules, Charles XII, Emperor of Great Scandinavia") incited a strong reaction from Danish authorities, who viewed the title's implication that the Swedish king should be regarded as the Emperor of the whole of Scandinavia as both arrogant and provocative. Sweden reacted with a swift and lengthy counter and considered Denmark's declaration of war, and in particular its accusations with respect to Rönnow's poem, as ridiculous and groundless. The author of this counter-document, the State Secretary Samuel Bark, stressed the importance of poetic freedom and offered a thorough description of the panegyric genre.
The historical reception of this poem raises several significant issues regarding contemporary conventions of poetry writing, and the relevance of poetry in early modern society. This article explores the Hercules Genuinus' socio-political and socio-cultural background and studies its genre-related features. Upon closer analysis, the poem is revealed as a typical early modern epigram, through which the poet achieves multiple ends: advancing himself as what was then understood as a true Humanist poet, delivering his political agenda, and conveying a moral lesson. Rönnow compares his ruler to the ancient hero Hercules, thus employing an important programmatic theme and placing himself in an established literary tradition. His mastery of the inventio technique renders the Hercules Genuinus a witty and learned piece of poetry.


The effects of a single session of audio-visual stimulation (AVS) at the dominant alpha rhythm and twice-dominant alpha frequency on EEG coherence were studied in 23 subjects. An eyes-closed baseline EEG determined each subject's dominant alpha frequency. Subjects were stimulated at their dominant alpha frequency or at their twice dominant alpha frequency for 20 minutes, while EEG was recorded in five-minute intervals. A post-session baseline was recorded 30 minutes after each session. AVS decreased coherence in the intrahemispheric projections from the occipital region and the parietal midline, and generally increased coherence, with few exceptions, among all other longitudinal pairs. Interhemispheric coherence increased posteriorly and at high frequencies, and tended to decrease frontally and at low frequencies. Alpha AVS was more effective than twice-alpha AVS at increasing interhemispheric coherence, and tended to produce more effects overall. Although main effects of frequency and time were observed, when individual coherence pairs changed, they almost always changed in only one direction. Overall coherence was greater during the first 10 minutes than the last 10 minutes, and greatest in the beta 1 and delta 2 bands, and lowest in the alpha and delta 1 bands. Few, if any, significant effects persisted into the post-stimulation baseline. A new method of assessing the effects of multiple comparisons on experimentwise error, based on randomization theory, is proposed and implemented.


Device pairing is a significant problem for a large class of increasingly popular resource-constrained wireless protocols such as Bluetooth. The objective of pairing is to establish a secure wireless communication channel between two specific devices without a public-key infrastructure, a secure near-field communication channel, or electrical contact. In this paper, we use a surprising user-device interaction as a solution to this problem. By adding a 3-axis accelerometer, a device can sense its motion in local Cartesian space relative to the inertial space. The idea is to have two devices in a fixed, relative position to each other. The joint object is then moved randomly in 3D for several seconds. The unique and difficult to reproduce motion generates approximately the same distinct signal at each accelerometer. The difference between the signals in the two inertially conjoined sensors should be relatively small under normal motion induced manually except for a fixed attitude offset. The objective is to derive a deterministic key at both sides with maximized entropy that will be used as a private key for symmetric encryption. Currently, our prototype produces 9-20 bits of entropy per second of usual manual motion using off-the-shelf components.


Policy gradient and actor-critic algorithms form the basis of many commonly used training techniques in deep reinforcement learning. Using these algorithms in multiagent environments poses problems such as nonstationarity and instability. In this paper, we first demonstrate that standard softmax-based policy gradient can be prone to poor performance in the presence of even the most benign nonstationarity. By contrast, it is known that the replicator dynamics, a well-studied model from evolutionary game theory, eliminates dominated strategies and exhibits convergence of the time-averaged trajectories to interior Nash equilibria in zero-sum games. Thus, using the replicator dynamics as a foundation, we derive an elegant one-line change to policy gradient methods that simply bypasses the gradient step through the softmax, yielding a new algorithm titled Neural Replicator Dynamics (NeuRD). NeuRD reduces to the exponential weights/Hedge algorithm in the single-state all-actions case. Additionally, NeuRD has formal equivalence to softmax counterfactual regret minimization, which guarantees convergence in the sequential tabular case. Importantly, our algorithm provides a straightforward way of extending the replicator dynamics to the function approximation setting. Empirical results show that NeuRD quickly adapts to nonstationarities, outperforming policy gradient significantly in both tabular and function approximation settings, when evaluated on the standard imperfect information benchmarks of Kuhn Poker, Leduc Poker, and Goofspiel.


Since their formation in the protosolar nebula some ∼4.5 billion years ago, comets are in storage in cold distant regions of the solar system, the Kuiper Belt/scattered disk or Oort Cloud. Therefore, they have been considered as mostly unaltered samples of the protosolar nebula. However, a significant dose of energy is deposited by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) into the outermost tens of meters of cometary nuclei during their stay in the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt. We investigate the impact of energy deposition by GCRs on cometary nuclei. We use experimental results from laboratory experiments and the energy deposition by GCRs estimated by Gronoff et al. (), to discuss the depth down to which the cometary nucleus is altered by GCRs. We show that GCRs do not significantly change the isotopic composition of cometary material but modify the chemical composition and the ice structure in the outer layers of the nucleus, which cannot be considered as pristine solar nebula material. We discuss the effect of the collisional history of comets on the distribution of processed material inside the nucleus and its implication on the observation of comets.


This research addresses wastes in construction and erection processes in power plant projects. The main paper objectives are identification and assessment of the wastes, mainly in power plant projects. Accordingly, seven main groups of wastes are introduced and subdivided to 42 common wastes, and based on an opinion survey the most important and common wastes in power plant construction projects are identified and assessed. Moreover, importance of wastes in common and valuable compounded work packages and activities in construction and erection processes are investigated. Finally, some recommendations for reducing critical wastes in valuable work package are presented. The findings of this research could be used in power plant projects or any other construction projects for identification, assessment, and reduction of the wastes in construction processes. KEYWORD: Value, Waste, Lean management, Lean construction, Power plant project, Waste in construction processes, Last planner system


I. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY The democratic state that endeavors to respect the opinions of all its constituents must extend its protection to all religious groups if religious freedom is to be considered more than a particular, subordinate aspect of the freedom to form one's own opinion. These two freedoms seem to merge into one, but, at the same time, religious freedom both falls within and extends beyond the bounds of the freedom of opinion. Religious liberty is first and foremost an individual liberty because it represents an individual's ability to give, or not to give, intellectual attachment to a religion-to choose the religion freely or to refuse it. But it is also a collective liberty in that, not exhausting itself in faith or belief, it necessarily gives birth to a practice whose free exercise must be guaranteed. Free exercise of religion must be assured in order to guarantee complete religious liberty. This proposition presupposes that every religious movement must be the master of its own activities, possessing the right to organize itself freely. This free organization inevitably poses the delicate problem of relations between religions-or churches-and the state. II. CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS It is necessary to point out that the relations between churches and the state are not necessarily indicative of the general level of religious freedom in France. It is enough to say that such relations can be on equal footing with religious liberty-at least as much as any other specific relations. France, for its part, has experimented throughout its history with nearly all of the existing formulas for church-state relations. If France has finally opted for what is termed a secular stance, it is because France found, at the beginning of the twentieth century, that the secular stance conforms more than any other to France's inclinations and ideals. This secular approach is not the only one to be practiced among democratic states; indeed, the secular approach is rare. Other approaches are perfectly conceivable and have been adopted by many states. Even in a democratic state, it is possible that a sort of fusion exists between the "temporal" and the "spiritual," or at the very least a union between them that can manifest itself in various forms: a state religion, recognized churches, and incorporation of the church into the state. Even if Europe alone is considered, one notices an extraordinary complexity in relationships between church and state. Although all European countries demonstrate a profound Christian influence, no juridical system is comparable to another. One finds in Europe a mixture of state-church systems (for example, the systems of England, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, and Finland); systems of separation (such as the systems of Holland, Ireland, and France); and systems using formulas that combine basic separation and cooperation (such as the systems of Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Italy, and Portugal). However, profound influences are diverse, and not always in the way that one would think. For example, religious influence is stronger in Ireland (in spite of its system of separation) than in Sweden (which maintains a state-church system).1 The church-state connections are weaker in Catholic Europe than in Protestant or Orthodox Europe.2 From a legal perspective-especially in terms of sources of law-the fundamental principles that govern the relations between political power and religions are widely dispersed. They can be found in national constitutions, in European texts (European Convention on Human Rights3), in the laws of each state, in each country's historically observed practices, in concordats formed with the Roman Catholic Church, in international law, in various conventions passed with particular religious confessions (for example, in Spain or Italy), and in informal accords. Also, note that the varied nature of the state's recognition of denominations implicitly permits a distinction between the more represented denominations (and presumably the better established or more serious denominations) and certain others. …