To kill or let die? To the Editor: Although I hold quite different views from Helga Kuhse' about actively terminating human life, I support her contention that such issues should be publicly examined and debated. Rather slowly, we are coming to realize the extent to which the subtle encroachment of technology on the care of seriously ill and dying patients confronts us with previously unimagined challenges to our concepts of good care. Dr Kuhse should be comforted to know that current principles of good palliative care daily assist health-care providers to find better solutions for these patients. For example, the two clinical cases she cites would be routinely and humanely dealt with on quite different lines from those she describes (and which she implicitly suggests are the best modern medicine has to offer). Perhaps it needs to be repeated that dying is not an intellectual exercise it often requires much hard work of various kinds on the part of many people who must deal with a number of others with their own rights, obligations and expectations. A number of particular points call for comment. I. It really is extraordinary that anybody should find new directions in the principle that "the duty of the physician is to act to protect the best interests of his patient" (which is not to say that this principle is always observed). We are still left with the old dilemmas of what are the "best interests" of patients at large, patients in particular groups and individual patients, and with the difficulties in discerning those interests. The "new" starting point seems not so new. Since it is axiomatic that a person's best interests ought to be determined by himself (wherever possible) and then observed as nearly as possible, having regard to the law and the legitimate rights of others (there will always be difficulties here), carrying out such wishes with expertise and compassion is a basic principle of good care. A significant shortfall in such standards would call for better education and training not new standards. 2. Kuhse's categorization of the wish to draw a moral distinction between allowing to die and killing as the pursuit of an "old myth" will be offensive to many. Such things as conscientiously held religious views and transcendental ethics may not easily be shared, but ought to be respected. At the very least, it should be conceded that it is "safer" for all men to respect human life, which is so little understood despite our frequent reluctance to admit it. 3. The rational discussion of euthanasia is hard enough, without introducing unnecessary non sequiturs. If I use, in good faith, an orthodox treatment which subsequently proves to be harmful, useless or illadvised, I am then surely using competent judgement to cease such treatment "in the patient's best interests" and, considering all relevant information, to decide whether any other (or indeed any) treatment should now be tried. It would seem misleading and even mischievous to go on describing such behaviour, when applied to some dying patients, as "passive euthanasia" as this and many similar articles do. Such a description introduces inaccurate and emotional elements into the consideration of practices which have been widely endorsed by many discussants, including the US President's Commission and the authors of the Declaration of Venice of the World Medical Association, and which quite possibly ought more widely to be practised as part of appropriate patient care. The fact that death may follow such decisions (and this is not always the case) is inherent in the severity of the pathology, but the ethical principle in decision-making is not different from that in less grave situations. 4. In most discussions of voluntary euthanasia, a large gap in logic is commonly glossed over; this gap appears also in this article. Dying patients certainly have a right to die, which, on humane grounds, obliges others both to ease the pain of death by every possible means and not artificially to prolong the process of dying. It is quite misleading glibly to equate such a right to die with an asserted right to be killed (ie, with voluntary euthanasia, or assisted suicide), and to maintain that there is no distinction is possibly perverse. The law realizes that consent to such action would be the sole exception under any circumstances to the principle that innocent (ie, non-aggressive) human life may not be taken. It is surely not acceptable that all the issues raised by such considerations should be treated as non-existent. Since logically every genuine human right has corresponding, definable obligations on the part of others (who may also have rights), a proposed right to be killed implies at the least a duty to kill on the part of somebody else and that calls for serious discussion, not suppression. I agree with Dr Kuhse that the way forward in further debate should hinge on the deeper exploration of "the best interests of the patient", but clearly this won't be too easy. Brian Pollard, FFARACS Palliative Care Service Repatriation General Hospital Concord, NSW 2139 1. Kuhse H. Euthanasia again: "letting die" is not in the patient's best interests. A case for active euthanasia. Med J Aust 1985; 142: 610·613.


Reliable group multicasts provide a nice abstraction for communicating data reliably among group members and have been used for a variety of applications. In this paper we present Corona, a group communication service for building collaboration tools and reliable data dissemination services in Web-based environments, where clients connect independently of other clients and are not necessarily connected to the group multicast services all the time. The key features of Corona are: (1) the shared state of a group consists of a set of objects shared collectively among group members; (2) Corona supports multiple state transfer policies to accommodate clients with different needs and resources; (3) the communication service provides the current group state or state updates to new clients even when other clients are not available; (4) the service supports persistent groups that tolerate client failures and leaves. We show that the overhead incurred by the multicast service in managing each group's shared state has little impact on the latency seen by the clients or the server throughput. We also show that the multicast service does not have to be aware of the client-specific semantics of the objects in the group's state.


Background: Peptic ulcer disease is a common clinical problem. Binge drinking has been shown to increase the risk of ulcer at the individual level. Purpose: To estimate the aggregate level effect of binge drinking on duodenum ulcer mortality rate. Method: Trends in age-adjusted, sex-specific fatal alcohol poisoning and duodenum ulcer mortality rates in Russia from 1965 to 2005 were analyzed employing an ARIMA analysis in order to asses a bivariate relationship between the two time series. Results: Time series analysis indicate the presence of statistically significant association between the two series for male (r = o.51; SE = 0.16). The association between the two time series for female is also positive, however, statistically not significant ( r = 0.25; SE = 0.14). Conclusion: This paper present new epidemiological evidence of aggregate level relationship between alcohol and duodenum ulcer mortality rate. The outcome of this study also supports the hypothesis that binge drinking of strong spirits is a risk factor of ulcer at the individual level.


Abstract Repeated first-order triangulation measurements made from 15 monuments in central and southern California are used to explore the structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath southern California, as well as to estimate the distribution of slip during the great 1857 earthquake. The monuments are divided into two subnetworks, with repeated observations covering the respective time intervals from 1884 to 1923 and from 1898 to 1923. The angle changes occurring within these times are modeled as a sum of two contributions: postseismic displacements following the 1857 earthquake and plate tectonic loading. The postseismic displacements have been calculated using a elastic / viscoelastic coupling model that, for any fault geometry, yields the exact displacements on a spherically stratified Earth. The southern California crust and upper mantle are modeled as an upper elastic plate underlain by a viscoelastic asthenosphere. For several different combinations of structural parameters, inversions are performed for the slip distribution of the 1857 earthquake. In general, the best fits to the data are achieved with a triangular slip distribution, an elastic plate thickness of 16 km, a crustal thickness of 16 to 33 km, and a mantle viscosity of 0.4 to 0.8 · 10 19 Pa-s. Although these inversions identify the best rheological models, they lead to observed residuals that are inconsistent with a normally distributed data set. A preferred model of slip is constructed that accounts for the budget of total slip during the earthquake cycle and satisfies a normally distributed data set. The preferred slip distribution is similar in shape to the mapped surface slip distribution, but is greater in amplitude by a factor of 1.5 to 2. In addition, the San Jacinto fault, which has no known surface slip associated with the 1857 earthquake, is inferred to have accommodated 1 to 3 m of slip during the 1857 earthquake and appears to be the favored site for tectonic strain accumulation since 1857. Inferred fault slip exceeding known surface slip implies either unrecognized secondary faulting or a slip deficit at the surface relative to the slip at depth.


A new technique for ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, using catheter-directed continuous wave Nd-YAG laser light, 1064 nm, via a novel pin-electrode laser catheter, was applied in 10 patients aged 15-63 years (mean 43 years). A total of 22 laser pulses, 1-5 per patient, at 20 or 30 W, of 10-45 s (mean 27 s) were aimed at the postero-inferior aspect of the tricuspid annulus. In all patients the tachycardia was rendered non-inducible at baseline as well as during orciprenaline administration. The amplitudes of the local atrial potentials diminished from 20 ± 0-5 before to 0-4 ± 0-4 mV after ablation, atrio-His intervals increased from 73 ± 1 to 157 ± 36 ms. Antero-grade atrioventricular nodal refractory periods (212 ± 31 vs 238 ± 31ms) and Wenckebach rate (174 ±8 vs 167 ±8 beats. min ~ ') did not change significantly (P>0-05). There were no complications or recurrent arrhythmias in a follow-up of 12-35 (mean 27) months. Anatomically guided laser catheter coagulation of the postero-inferior aspect of the tricuspid valve ring is a safe and effective method for the cure of patients with common atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia. (Eur Heart J 1997; 18: 487^195) nodal reentrant tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia.


This investigation was made for the purpose of determining the aerodynamic pressure distribution encountered on a "C" class airship in flight. It was conducted in two parts: (a) tests on the tail surfaces in which the pressures at 201 points were measured and (b) tests on the envelope in which 190 points were used, both tests being made under as nearly identical flight conditions as possible, so that the results could be combined and the pressure distribution over the entire airship obtained.


This guide will help students in the Political Research and Analysis class in finding background resources, developing a research question and in discovering appropriate resources in support of their research project.


Recent risk sharing tests strongly reject the hypothesis of complete markets, because in the data: (1) the individual consumption comoves with income and (2) the consumption dispersion increases over the life cycle. In this paper, I revisit the implications of these risk sharing tests in the context of a complete market model with discount rate heterogeneity, which is extended to introduce the individual choices of effort in education. I find that a complete market model with discount rate heterogeneity can pass both types of the risk sharing tests. The endogenous positive correlation between income growth rate and patience makes the individual consumption comove with income, even if the markets are complete. I also show that this model is quantitatively admissible to account for both the observed comovement of consumption and income and the increase of consumption dispersion over the life cycle.


The paper presents the basic ideas and the mathematical foundation of the partition of unity nite element method PUFEM We will show how the PUFEM can be used to employ the structure of the di erential equation under consideration to construct e ective and robust methods Although the method and its theory are valid in n dimensions a detailed and illustrative analysis will be given for a one dimensional model problem We identify some classes of non standard problems which can pro t highly from the advantages of the PUFEM and conclude this paper with some open questions concerning implementational aspects of the PUFEM


Lowering energy consumption is one of the biggest challenges in today's society. Each and everyday we use a large amount of electricity to support our lifestyle. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the energy usage will increase by 56% by 2040. Thus new innovative solutions to reduce power consumption are in great need. Consumers typically do not have the information they need to take proactive decisions about their energy usage. Therefore, the potential for saving energy might rely on the awareness and involvement in energy conservation and waste reduction.
One of smart grid's visions is to enable utilities and consumers to more effectively monitor, control energy usage and cost. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is an
important part of smart grid, it is a two-way communication system between smart meters and utilities, where smart meters transmit consumption data to the utilities. Smart
meter is a digital metering device, which not only shows real-time feedback of the energy consumption but also supports remote communication with utilities. Consumers can
receive their power consumption data in real-time, which allows them to make informed choices about their energy usage. In this sense, smart grids, AMIs and smart meters can
be used to make people aware of their energy consumption. Additionally, energy usage trends can be illustrated to consumers by applying different queries to extract energy
consumption data from the AMIs. At the same time, social media is one of the biggest communication tools used to reach millions of people. By integrating energy usage data
produced by AMIs on social media, consumers can inspire and influence others to match the energy they use with their needs and lifestyles.
As more and more smart meters are installed across power grids, huge volumes of data are generated. In order to capture and analyze large data sets generated by smart
meters within AMIs, challenges such as how to cope with huge volumes of data appears. Data Stream Processing models, utilized to process the huge amount of continuous data and extract interesting data, emerge as a possible approach to transform these real-time operational data into applied insights.
This master thesis presents BCStream, a data streaming based application, which consumes energy consumption data on the fly and produces feedback to users on social media in order to raise their energy usage awareness. BCStream utilizes a Stream Processing Engine to process a large amount of continuous data in real-time. In order to show that it is possible to address the aforementioned challenges, we implement and evaluate BCStream using several use-cases. These use-cases provide consumers different insights of their energy usage. For instance, in the first use-case, the proposed system determines at which hour of a day and which day of a week the power is consumed the most. In the second use-case, BCStream helps users find the top five houses using the most energy in the consumers' neighborhood. Finally, the third use-case locates top five
most energy consuming devices per household. In order to evaluate the performance of BCStream, real energy readings are modified and used as input data to the use-cases.
In order to conduct the evaluation, we use a single machine that relies on a multi-core architecture to demonstrate good performance (between 160,000 and 170,000 energy
consumption readings) and scalability.


We studied the role of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β, TGF-β) as markers of osteolysis in patients who underwent to a hip prosthesis implantation subdivided in two groups: group A with an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) insert articulating against a metal ball head , and group B with an all alumina ceramic combination. Profibrogenic (TGF-β) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β) are secreted by the periprosthetic synovial-like fibrous membrane in hip artificial implants. They are secreted by inflammatory activated cells and trigger the cascade of biochemical events leading to the activation of osteoclasts and bone resorption. A statistically significant increase of TGF-β serum levels was observed between TGF-β values in implanted patients as compared to normal subjects and between TGF-β values after versus before implantation in Group A. A progressive decrease in TNF-α and IL-6 serum levels has been observed in both Groups, when compared with the initial values before the implantation. IL-1β levels decreased up to 60 months after the implantation Our data suggest that monitoring circulating cytokines could be a good indicator for the proliferation and activity of the periprosthetic synovial-like membrane and potential osteolysis. This could allow for an adequate early treatment.


As the level of international remittances sent home to developing countries overtakes official development assistance and continues to rise, it is becoming dubbed by some as the new development finance. International agencies are recognizing the importance of remittances, and this article reflects on a conference organized by the World Bank and DFID on this subject which explored, among other issues, what governments and donors can do to enhance the positive impact of the remittance industry on the poor. Areas discussed include: lowering transfer costs by promoting competition, appropriate levels of regulation, researching underserved markets, widening access to rural communities and seeing the potential for boosting banking services among the previously unserved.


Objective: To monitor and control the total area of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) without any coverage holes that impair the sensor node functionalities. Methodology: We propose an exhaustive arrangement, which operates in two phases, hole detection and hole healing. We design our system based on Least-Disruptive topology Repair (LeDiR) algorithm. LeDiR scheme enhances the conventional and the extant route discovery techniques in the network, easing the tasks of hole detection and hole healing. Finding/Improvements: We implement our system in NS-2. Our proposed system implements LeDiR, effectively controls the WSN of coverage holes and successful in implementing hole detection and hole healing. We also demonstrate that our scheme is successful in overcoming both the coverage holes and routing holes.


Recently, more research has focused to find occupational hazards in minimally invasive interventions, such as angioplasty, placing stents and the replacing of heart valves. A procedure is a minimally invasive intervention when the operating specialist uses a needle to insert a catheter into the patient's body. X-ray based imaging techniques are used to provide imaging that help the physician to precisely visualize and locate the tissue to be treated. The visualization is enhanced by injecting contrast fluids in the patient whilst using x-rays. Interventional specialists are exposed to a lot of radiation during these long-lasting procedures hence they have to wear a heavy lead apron for protection. Both wearing the heavy lead apron and these long-lasting interventions may result in muscle fatigue in the legs and feet and ergonomic problems such as neck, back and knee complaints. This graduation project shows the development of X-eRgo: a solution for the physical problems interventional specialists face during these image-guided interventions. The solution improves the current work environment and reduces the physical problems that physicians are confronted with. Research (literature study, observations and interviews) was done to identify the specific problems and needs of the operators during these interventions. The results and insights of the research were used to define an appropriate design to diminish or prevent physical complaints. The design of X-eRgo supports and protects interventional specialists when they perform image-guided procedures in the cathlab. The physician is now able to work seated whilst being protected against scattered radiation below the Xper table. It fits the current cathlab workflow. X-eRgo consists of a high stool and a mobile lead protection with its lead protection drapes. The product is adjustable in height in order to ensure that it can be comfortably used by both taller and shorter physicians. Many actions can be performed easily, like the positioning of the C-arc(s), Xper table and the TSO modules, moving with the X-eRgo while seated, bending forward, rotating and controlling the x-ray buttons of the foot switch. A working model was made to test the product with actual users working in two different hospitals. The user test resulted in positive and helpful feedback leading to useful recommendations.


This book chapter focuses on laser ablation employed in elemental analysis and discusses the fundamentals and instrumentation of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) techniques. The analytical performance of such techniques, challenges related to calibration, and strategies to improve sensitivity are discussed. In addition, the processes involved in data acquisition and imaging for acquiring the elemental spatial distribution are highlighted, and some representative examples in environmental, biological, medical, and forensic researches are presented.


Increasing evidence in both experimental and clinical studies suggests that oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of both types of diabetes mellitus. The disease is also known to adversely affect some haematological parameters and cause dyslipidemia. This study was designed to investigate the effect of chronic administration of ethanolic leave extract of Senna fistula on haematological values, oxidative stress and dyslipidemia in experimental diabetic rats. Twenty-four albino rats weighing 120-150 g were divided into 4 experimental groups of six rats each; control, diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with glibenclamide and diabetic treated with 100 mg/kg b.w of Senna fistula. Diabetes was induced by 100 mg/kg b.w. of alloxan monohydrates. The control and diabetic groups received normal saline while the diabetic treated groups were administered with 5mg/kg and 100mg/kg body weight of glibenclamide and ethanolic leaves extract of Senna fistula respectively for 28 days. At the end of experimental period blood samples were taken from the animals for the determination of Red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), marker of lipid peroxidation. The result showed that in diabetic rats, PCV, RBC and Hb were decreased but the application of the extract increased the parameters. Similarly, the result showed a significant increase in total cholesterol, TG and LDL level of the diabetic group when compared with the control, glibenclamide and extract treated diabetic groups, however, there was no significant difference in HDL level in all the groups. The result also showed a significant decrease in elevated MDA of diabetic treated rats. These findings suggest that ethanolic leaves extract of Senna fistula might improve the diabetic induced disturbances of some haematological parameters, reduces the plasma lipid imbalances and decreases the production of free radicals associated with diabetes.


Nature is rich in marvels, but most of us are so busy or removed from the natural world, we never get to witness those elusive moments of breathtaking beauty, drama, intimacy and humour. This is what makes the annual ANZANG Australasian Nature Photography competition so special. Every year, hundreds of photographers from around the world take part in a competition that celebrates 'the depth and diversity of nature in Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea'. The winning entries are published in a book, with this year's being the sixth collection since the competition began. In its promotion of the book, the South Australian Museum – which runs the annual event – points out that the bioregion of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea possesses 'a unique natural heritage stretching back over 50 million years since the break-up of the great southern continent of Gondwana'. The winning entries show just how unique and dramatic our natural world is – an action-packed moment snapped during a NSW bushfire; gangly jabirus fighting midair over a fish; a live cane toad being devoured by a freshwater snake; a tiny, querulous wagtail taking on an osprey (and getting the better of it!); the bold gaze of a wedge-tailed eagle at close quarters; the breathtaking beauty of a lily in a pond in Brisbane; and two hawksbill turtles embracing before mating. For sheer excitement, it's hard to go past the shot of two male goshawks on the ground, wings outstretched, sizing each other up for a fight. This is just a taste of the 150 extraordinary photos assembled in the book. Each is accompanied by technical information about the camera equipment used, and anecdotes about how and where the picture was taken. The additional information provides an insight into the dedication, patience and skill of the 1500 photographers who participated in the ANZANG competition. With Christmas on the horizon, this book would make an ideal gift for anyone who loves nature and photography. For South Australian readers, a selection of photographs from the competition will be on display at the South Australian Museum from 2 October to 22 November. • Mary-Lou Considine A set of dazzling postcards from nature


The study appraised the effects of Carotino oil on in vitro rumen fermentation, gas production, metabolism and apparent biohydrogenation of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. Carotino oil was added to a basal diet (50% concentrate and 50% oil palm frond) at the rate of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8% dry matter of the diet. Rumen inoculum was obtained from three fistulated Boer bucks and incubated with 200 mg of each treatment for 24 h at 39°C. Gas production, fermentation kinetics, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), volatile fatty acids (VFA), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), metabolizable energy and free fatty acids were determined. Carotino oil did not affect (P > 0.05) gas production, metabolizable energy, pH, IVOMD, IVDMD, methane, total and individual VFAs. However, Carotino oil decreased (P < 0.05) the biohydrogenation of linoleic and linolenic acids but enhanced (P < 0.05) the biohydrogenation of oleic acid. After 24 h incubation, the concentrations of stearic, palmitic, pentadecanoic, myristic, myristoleic and lauric acids decreased (P < 0.05) while the concentration of linolenic, linoleic, oleic and transvaccenic acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLAc9t11) increased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of Carotino oil. Carotino oil seems to enhance the accumulation of beneficial unsaturated fatty acids without disrupting rumen fermentation.


The Thirty Years' War, while still regarded as primarily a European war, also has, as some historians recognize, an Atlantic dimension. That Atlantic dimension in turn is widely recognized as centering on the Dutch Republic's seizure of Bahia and then Pernambuco in Brazil, and on the other side of the Atlantic, the island colony of São Tomé, the Portuguese fort at Elmina, and the biggest African prize, the colony of Angola, a project that Dutch historians have labeled the "Groot Dessyn" (Great Design). What is more generally overlooked is that on the African side, the Kingdom of Kongo, hostile and independent northern neighbor of Portuguese Angola, played a crucial role in shaping the Dutch strategies on the African side of the Atlantic. It was Kongo's initiative, as I will demonstrate, that caused the Dutch to conceive of having an African colony at all, and it was Kongo diplomacy that led the Dutch to attack Angola, first in 1624 and then, successfully in 1641. Recognizing this African initiative helps us to understand the multilateral and even multicontinental nature of the Thirty Years' War.


The paper presents an improved method for evaluating antenna performance in a multipath propagation environment. It demonstrates, theoretically and experimentally, that by using polarization and phase terms of the incident field and the antenna system in the evaluation of the antenna effective gain (AEG), the AEG can be evaluated more efficiently as compared with the conventional method. First, a theoretical expression of the received power is given by using the open-circuit voltage at the antenna terminals, in which both the polarization and the phase of the incident field and antenna gain patterns are explicitly used. Secondly, a newly developed system for the measurement of field parameters, such as polarization and phase as well as amplitude, is introduced. Thirdly, incident field parameters measured in urban and suburban areas of Tokyo are described. It was confirmed that major incident waves were counted in up to five or six directions at a mobile terminal and their polarizations and phases were different depending on the direction of incidence. Also, measurement of the antenna gain patterns of the latest personal digital cellular handset at a talk position finds the dependence of the AEG on polarization and phase, which were significantly varied by the body effect. Finally, the AEG is evaluated based on the method introduced here, and its usefulness is compared with that of the conventional method.


The conidia of Neurospora crassa entered logarithmic growth after a 1-h lag period at 30 degrees C. Although [14C]leucine is incorporated quickly early in growth, cellular protein data indicated that no net protein synthesis occurred until after 2 h of growth. Neurospora is known to produce ethanol during germination even though respiratory enzymes are present. Also, Neurospora mitochondria isolated from cells less than 3-h old are uncoupled. Since oxygen uptake increased during germination, was largely cyanide-sensitive, and reached a maximum at 3 h, it is hypothesized that during early germination the uncoupled electron transport chain merely functions to dispose of reducing equivalents generated by substrate level ATP production. The rate of protein synthesis in vitro by mitochondria isolated from 0-8-h-old cells increased as did cell age. Mitochondrial protein synthesis in vivo, assayed in the presence of 100 mug cycloheximide/ml, increased from low levels in the cinidia to peak levels at 3-4 h of age and then slowly decreased. The rate of mitochondrial protein synthesis in vivo was linear for at least 90 min in 0-4-h-old cells, but declined after 15 min of incorporation in 6 and 8-h-old cells. The products of mitochondrial protein synthesis in vivo were analyzed with dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Early in germination 80% of the synthesis was of two small proteins (molecular weights 7200 and 9000). At 8 h 85% of the radioactivity was in 10 larger proteins (12 200 to 80 000). Within the high-molecular-weight class, proteins of between 12 000 and 21 500 molecular weight were preferentially lavelled early in germination, whereas after 8 h of growth proteins of 27 500 to 80 000 molecular weight were preferentially labelled. It is hypothesized that the 7200 and 9000-molecular-weight products of mitochondrial protein synthesis combine with other proteins to form the larger proteins found later in growth. The availability of these other proteins in cells of different ages could affect the rate of mitochondrial protein synthesis in vivo.


Parametric shapes model objects as programs producing a geometry based on a few semantic degrees of freedom, called hyper-parameters. These shapes are the typical output of non-destructive modeling, CAD modeling or rigging. However they suffer from the core issue of being manipulated only indirectly, through a series of values rather than the geometry itself. In this paper, we introduce an amendment process of the underlying direct acyclic graph (DAG) of a parametric shape. This amendment enables a local differentiation of the shape w.r.t. its hyper-parameters that we leverage to provide interactive direct manipulation of the output. By acting on the shape synthesis process itself, our method is agnostic to the variations of the connectivity and topology that may occur in its output while changing the input hyper-parameters. Furthermore, our method is oblivious to the internal logic of the DAG nodes. We illustrate our approach on a collection of examples combining the typical nodes found in modern parametric modeling packages - such as deformation, booleans and surfacing operators - for which our method provides the user with inverse control over the hyper-parameters through a brush stroke metaphor.


Clothing combining knitted and woven fabrics gets more and more favor of people. In this study, three knitted fabrics and three woven fabrics which are common on market were selected and seamed. The tensile breaking strength, elongation at break and the fracture reason of the joint of knitted and woven fabrics were tested using the one-way vertically stretching method. The test results were analyzed and it was found there are many factors affecting the seam strength of knitted and woven fabrics. Experiment shows that the main factors include: stitch density, joint method and choice of the joining material. The study of this subject provides the basis for designing better joint wear and improving sewing quality and efficiency.


Negotiated Openness: U.S.-Japan Financial Negotiations and the Network of Financial Officials Masako Suginohara This study examines the role of intergovernmental negotiations in facilitating liberalization of finance in terms of market opening to foreign business. The theoretical focus is on the significance of the international network of financial officials. Recognized as a highly technical area, the financial issues have been often separated from other issue areas in trade negotiations, and administered by a small number of governmental financial experts. However, in reality, the exclusivity of financial officials on this issue largely resulted from their preexisting international network; these officials behaved strategically to maintain this exclusivity in such an institutional context. Yet, financial issues became politicized overtime and more actors, including politicians and governmental agencies other than financial authorities participated in the negotiations after the late 1980s. I argue that the structure of intergovernmental negotiations can have a significant impact on the outcomes of those negotiations. If negotiations are held exclusively among a small number of financial officials who share the understanding of the issues on the table and have long-term relationships with each other, the demands and offers in the negotiations tend to be more moderate and realistic, and the outcomes involve incremental changes. On the other hand, when the issues are politicized and more actors are involved, the demands tend to be tougher and the negotiations often break off. To assess this assertion, this study examines the United States–Japan financial negotiations, which were the world's first intergovernmental negotiations on financial liberalization, started in 1983. Initiated as bilateral negotiations, the financial negotiations were later incorporated into a multilateral framework, which changed the institutional settings. This study divides a series of bilateral negotiations into four periods. In the first period, the financial authorities started the bilateral negotiation. The second period followed in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, when the involvement of the American Congress had brought a considerable change in the nature and the outcome of the negotiation. In the third time period, the bilateral negotiations were held under the multilateral framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The case of financial services negotiations and that of insurance are compared in this period, as different sets of actors were involved in them. In conclusion, the study discusses the implications of the United States–Japan financial negotiations for the more recent developments in opening up the financial markets of newly industrialized economies.


The research examined the influence of family climate on acculturative stress and adaptation for Muslim emerging adults in New Zealand (n = 155) and the United Kingdom (n = 147). A path model was proposed with family climate (congruence and obligations) as predictors of acculturative stress and having both direct and indirect (via stress) effects on life satisfaction and behavioral problems. The model was tested in order to determine if paths varied significantly as a function of national context. Although New Zealand Muslims had better adaptation outcomes and lower levels of stress than their British peers, there were very few differences in the family climate-stress-adaptation pathways. Acculturative stress predicted decrements in life satisfaction and greater behavioral problems, and obligations predicted fewer behavioral problems in both cultural contexts. Also, in both countries, the structural pathways in the model were not significantly different across cultures with the exception of the positive relationship between obligations and life satisfaction, which was only evident in the New Zealand sample. For Muslim emerging adults, family obligations functioned as a protective factor, exerting direct effects on adaptation (increased life satisfaction and decreased behavioral problems), although they also posed risks, predicting poorer adaptation via heightened acculturative stress. The results are discussed in terms of the positive and negative influences of family in the acculturation process for emerging adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)


The application of single mode fibre to the local network environment opens up major opportunities for service provision via shared access networks. Previous technologies (copper pair, coaxial cable and multimode fibre) had bandwidth limitation problems that placed a severe restriction on both the level of resource sharing and the service package that could be delivered. The enormous bandwidth capability of single mode fibre can be used to provide significant resource sharing without incurring fundamental restrictions on the capacity of the services carried. The paper briefly outlines some of the activities within British Telecom on shared access systems. Early systems concepts were either based on fibre feeders to remote multiplexers for the delivery of telephony and data services to large customers or the use of advanced wavelength multiplexing techniques over passive optical networks for the transmission of wideband services to business and residential customers. Recently activity has concentrated on a passive optical network that shows good potential for the economic provision of telephony services. The structure of the network allows the later addition of broadband services via additional wavelengths without disturbing existing telephony/data customers. The basic network has a fibre feeder from the exchange to passive optical splitters housed at the Cabinet and Distribution Points (DP). Each customer receives a fibre from DP and via this a TDM multiplex broadcast from the exchange which carries the customer's traffic. The customer equipment accesses the time slots destined for the customer and delivers the data via a suitable interface to provide the services required. Customers transmit back to the exchange in a time multiplex synchronised by a ranging protocol that sets an appropriate delay in the customer equipment to avoid collisions at the optical combiners in the DPs and Cabinet. Present studies are considering a total optical split of 128 ways with a transmission rate of 20 Mbit/s. This allows an attractive set of service options for both business and residential customers. Sufficient capacity is available to feed up to 120 customers (allowing 8 spare optical test points within the network) with 144 kbit/s ISDN connection. Business customers requiring more capacity would access multiple time slots as required up to the limitations of system capacity.


Like many, I often divide my computational work between Python and R. For a while, I've primarily done analysis in R. And with the power of data frames and packages that operate on them like reshape, my data manipulation and aggregation has moved more and more into the R world as well. Perhaps my favorite tool of all has been plyr, which allows you to easily split up a data set into subsets based on some criteria, apply a function or set of functions to those pieces, and combine those results back together (a.k.a. "splitapply-combine"). For example, I often use this to split up a data set by treatment, calculate some summary stats for each treatment, and put these statistics back together for comparison. With R and these excellent packages, these steps are about as painless (I actually enjoy them, but that's probably not normal) as it gets. Because of this, R has long been the choice for doing this kind of work.


In the age of globalization, marketization, and decentralization of environmental governance, scholarship on private environmental regimes has proliferated over the past decades and greatly influenced the discourse in international environmental politics. This book aims to argue for the benefits of private governance on climate change. As expressed in the title of the book—Beyond Politics—the authors emphasize the emerging conceptual shift of global climate governance, from the traditionally dominant government policy to a new form of governance by the private sector, including corporations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and individuals (both households and consumers). This work adds to the growing awareness of the role of private environmental governance by demonstrating numerous examples of private climate governance and developing a theory to explain the growing demand of this new type of regime. This extraordinarily ambitious book starts with a comprehensive description of climate change science and social impacts, followed by the history of action and inaction due to various political, social, and psychological barriers. It presents an extensive number of scholarly perspectives on governance challenge, along with numerous cases of private voluntary activities by corporations, NGOs, and individuals. The authors' work will be useful in advancing environmental governance studies both theoretically and practically. The book, therefore, should be read not only by scholars from various fields (such as political science, law, economics, and psychology) but also by businesspeople in various industrial sectors and, needless to say, environmental activists and students. Throughout their discussion, Vandenbergh and Gilligan evaluate opportunities and benefits of private governance from the perspective of (1) how much emission reduction would be possible if all household and corporate behavior change were to occur ("technical potential"), (2) how much behavioral change can be expected ("behavioral plasticity"), and (3) to what extent private voluntary initiatives are accepted and implemented ("initiative feasibility"). They argue that voluntary initiatives based on corporations, NGOs, and individuals' motivation, together with carefully designed private initiatives and continuously developed new technologies, make private climate governance "promising" for


Experiments with glycerol-water thin films flowing down an inclined plane reveal a localized instability that is primarily three dimensional. These transient structures, referred to as "dimples," appear initially as nearly isotropic depressions on the interface. A linear stability analysis of a binary mixture model in which barodiffusive effects dominate over thermophoresis (i.e., the Soret effect) reveals unstable modes when the components of the mixture have different bulk densities and surface tensions. This instability occurs when Fickian diffusion and Taylor dispersion effects are small, and is driven by solutalcapillary stresses arising from gradients in concentration of one component, across the depth of the film. Qualitative comparison between the experiments and the linear stability results over a wide range of parameters is presented.


Understandings of disability are situated within social, political and economic circumstances. Internationally, medical conceptualisations of disability prevail, influencing policy and practice, creating a discourse which encourages categorisation, diagnosis and prescribed ways of understanding behaviour. This body of knowledge has a profound influence, providing powerful explanatory models of disability. Such discourse excludes other ways of knowing, with little attention paid to competences and the construction of worlds especially from the perspectives of disabled children themselves. This article draws upon a small number of UK qualitative studies which have examined disabled child abuse and included the experiences of disabled children. These studies have highlighted how medicalised notions of disability have led to both medicalised and psychiatrised responses to abuse, which have ill-served disabled children. It could be argued that medicalisation has led to disabled children being labelled as either 'too disabled' to be abused or 'not disabled enough' to receive an appropriate response which meets their needs; they are also sometimes regarded as showing signs of mental ill health when such signs are more likely to be an understandable manifestation of the trauma of abuse. Evidence collected indicate that much can be learnt from understanding the construction of disabled childhoods and how our current limited exploration of this affects how society prevents, identifies and responds to disabled child abuse and associated trauma. Drawing upon disabled children's recommendations to 'see me, hear me and understand me', this article will argue that in order to protect disabled children and support them to recover from abuse, we need to move away from a tick-box culture of medicalising, categorising, psychiatrising and 'othering' to a greater understanding of disabled children's worlds, and to a rights-based model of disabled child protection whereby we challenge the increased barriers to support faced by disabled children who have experienced abuse.


Abstract Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested a role for indigenous metal-reducing bacteria in the reduction of sediment-bound As(V), and have also shown that a stable enrichment culture of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria was able to mobilize arsenic (as As(III)) from sediments collected from West Bengal (Islam et al, 2004). To identify the Fe(III)-reducing bacteria that may play a role in the reduction of As(V) and mobilization of As(III), we made a detailed molecular analysis of this enrichment culture. It was dominated by a close relative of Geothrix fermentans, but the type strain of this organism was unable to conserve energy for growth via the dissimilatory reduction of As(V), or reduce As(V) present in a defined medium containing fumarate as the electron acceptor. Furthermore, when the cells were grown using soluble Fe(III)-Citrate as an electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), bacterial Fe(III) reduction resulted in the precipitation of the Fe(II)-bearing mineral vivianite in 2 weeks. This was accompanied by the efficient removal of As from solution. These results demonstrate that Geothrix fermentans, in common with other key Fe(III)-reducing bacteria such as Geobacter sulfurreducens, does not reduce As(V) enzymatically, but can capture arsenic in Fe(II) minerals formed during respiration using Fe(III) as an electron acceptor. Thus, the reduction of arsenicbearing Fe(III) oxide minerals is not sufficient to mobilize arsenic, but may result in the formation of Fe(II) biominerals that could potentially act as sinks for arsenic in sediments. Additional mechanisms, including dissimilatory As(V) reduction by other specialist anaerobic bacteria, are implicated in the mobilization of arsenic from sediments.


Niche market steel producers tend to manufacture a wide range of products that are sold in low quantities. Current steelmaking—continuous casting (SCC) technology forces producers to operate according to combined make–to–stock/make–to–order order policies and keep in–process inventory. This leads to intermediate cooling of workpieces, high energy consumption, and high inventory and reheating costs. This paper evaluates links between product range and process flexibility upstream and downstream form the customer order decoupling point. The operational capabilities that result from improved process flexibility make diversified low cost steel production possible. At the same time the environmental sustainability of production can be improved. The strategic importance of process flexibility improvements are discussed with reference to the concept of competitive frontiers.


Endocrine therapy plays an important role in the management of all stages of breast cancer, and the development of effective endocrine therapies has focused on modifying the response of hormone-sensitive tumors to estrogen. The most widely used agents are the nonsteroidal antiestrogens or selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulators, the class to which tamoxifen, the standard in terms of antiestrogen therapy, belongs. Tamoxifen is effective in both adjuvant and first-line settings and is now used as prophylactic therapy in high-risk individuals. However, the partial agonist activity of tamoxifen on the uterus, coupled with "tumor flare" and the development of tamoxifen resistance, has limited its therapeutic utility. Attempts to eliminate the partial agonist activity of tamoxifen and increase its potency have led to the development of fulvestrant (Faslodex), the first in a new class of pure antiestrogens, the ER down-regulators. Fulvestrant has a high affinity for the ER compared with tamoxifen but has none of the agonist activities of tamoxifen. This new agent is showing promising clinical activity in the treatment of advanced breast cancer after tamoxifen therapy. Fulvestrant's lack of ER agonist activity may provide a longer duration of response compared with tamoxifen, as it did in a preclinical setting. Fulvestrant has demonstrated that it is at least as effective as the third-generation aromatase inhibitor anastrozole in patients whose disease has relapsed or recurred on prior endocrine therapy and is currently being evaluated in Phase III trials v e r s u s tamoxifen for the first-line therapy of advanced breast cancer. Future clinical studies will evaluate fulvestrant in adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, together with its optimal sequencing in relation to tamoxifen and other endocrine therapies.


William James conceptualized I, the self as subject as a stream of consciousness. When this conception is augmented with George Herbert Mead's view of self as a radically socialized and enculturated process, a result is the James-Mead model of dynamic self as a stream of enculturated consciousness. In this paper, we argue that connectionism is best suited to theorize this challenging notion. Based on the view that a connectionist model should describe psychological processes that carry out psychological functions grounded in a biological living system, we propose the I-SELF (Imitative and Sequence Learning Functional) model, which is designed to capture the temporal dynamics of a stream of consciousness whose content can be acquired via symbolically mediated social interaction with others in society. We identify four implications of the James-Mead model of dynamic self (embodiment, narrative and self, individual and collective self, and culture and self), and report computer simulations to show the utility of I-SELF in conceptualizing the dynamic self-processes in the contemporary social psychological literature. Theoretical and metatheoretical implications of the connectionist approach to self are discussed.


At 1-2 h after intragastric administration of ketoconazole, a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor, to rats, there was a 50-60% decrease in the activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase. Inhibition reached a maximum at 6-12 h after the drug was given, but after 24 h enzyme activity was stimulated by 60%. The rates of synthesis of hepatic non-saponifiable lipids in vivo showed a similar time-dependent pattern of change. During the first few hours after drug administration, the hepatic cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolism of lanosterol was suppressed in vivo. However, 24 h after treatment, this activity was stimulated, an effect which was also observed by pre-treatment of the rats with the drug for several days. Suppression of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase and lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase activities was accompanied by a relative increase in the accumulation of labelled polar sterols in the liver in vivo. In the intestine, ketoconazole also resulted in a rapid decline in the rate of synthesis of non-saponifiable lipids and an inhibition of lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation in vivo. However, in contrast with the liver, there was no stimulation of non-saponifiable lipid synthesis after 24 h.


One of the main reasons of the discrepancies between theoretical predictions made by models of absorbers of
H2O-LiBr absorption chillers when they are compared with experimental results under real conditions is the
presence of non-condensables gases. These non-condensables gases are inside the shell of the absorption
chiller mainly for two reasons: i) air leakages (Oxygen-Nitrogen); ii) gases produced by corrosion
(Hydrogen).
A mathematical model of falling film absorption of H2O by LiBr aqueous solutions which considers the
influence of non-condensable gases has been implemented. The model is semi-empirical, based on Navier
Stokes equations together with energy and mass species simplified under the boundary layer hypotheses.
Under such conditions, the differential system of equations in partial derivatives, becomes parabolic and
could be solved by means of finite difference method in a step by step procedure. Detailed heat and mass
transfer balances are applied at the interface to specify the boundary conditions between liquid and gas
phases. In order to calculate gradient of air at the interface, the penetration theory is applied in order to avoid
a detailed calculation of the gas phase. Numerically the presence of air in the interface results in a pressure
drop and consequently in a reduction in heat and mass transfer rates.


Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Uzbekistan, this article looks at the way official state narratives are challenged by silent, unorganised, often unaware gestures of resistance at the bottom of a society. Footing on a framework suggested by Scott's definition of infrapolitics (2012), we propose to incorporate informal practices in a definition of informality that is more inclusive and better explains the anatomy of a modern state, whose functioning rests on a combination of formal and informal practices. We suggest that this everyday dimension is of particular importance here when trying to understand the governance trajectories, as it allows to look critically, and from a broader perspective, at situations where individual and state perception of events, but also individual and state morality, diverge. By doing this, we propose that governance in transition states and societies may be regarded as a space where formal institutions and citizens (or informal institutions) compete for power and resources and thereby produce informal, alternative 'legal orders' and mechanisms that regulate public life in a given area. We will suggest that such a space of informal negotiation is vital in contexts where collective mobilisation and public articulation of social claims is not a preferred, or even available, strategy for citizens.


A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in the Department of Economics at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2015


ABSTRACT More and more tourism destinations have begun to utilize the increasing influence of Asian pop entertainment media, in an attempt to diversify their products and tourists' experiences. This paper investigates Korean TV dramas as the determinant of film-induced tourism using a survey of a sample of Hong Kong young adults (n = 220). The study confirms a moderate correlation between the characteristics of Korean TV drama and the behavioral intention to travel to these film destinations. The results show a moderate level of interest and a small potential market among the respondents only, which is not sufficiently strong according to the relatively low ratings, and the respondents show less inclination to realize their motivations to be a "travel action." Two motivational factors are identified, namely inner conception and outer attributes, to mobilize the respondents to film-induced travel. Specifically, the respondents consider character fantasy, relaxation and romance, and vicarious experience as the strongest determinants in inducing more travel to film destinations in Korea. More respondents perceive themselves to be general or serendipitous film tourists, who regard filming site visitation to only constitute one part of their entire trip's activities and travel experiences, and novelty and prestige as the main motivators. A relatively small group of specific film tourists focus on vicarious experiences, along with the romantic feelings of film characters and scenes. These results provide film destination planners and marketers with useful information about product and experience diversification, as well as an opportunity for market segmentation.


Iron is an essential element for most organisms. As an indispensable co-factor of many enzymes, iron is involved in various crucial metabolic processes, which are required for the survival of plants and pathogens. Conversely, excessive iron produces highly active reactive oxygen species (ROS) that is toxic to the cells of plants and pathogens. Therefore, plants and pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to modulate iron status at a moderate level for keeping their fitness. In the past decades, many efforts have been offered to reveal these mechanisms, and some progress has been made. In this review, we describe recent advances in understanding the roles of iron in plant-pathogen interactions and propose prospects for future studies.


Recently Srivastava et al. [22] introduced the incomplete Pochhammer symbols by means of the incomplete gamma functions γ(s, x) and Γ(s, x), and defined incomplete hypergeometric functions whose a number of interesting and fundamental properties and characteristics have been investigated. Further, Cetinkaya [5] introduced the incomplete second Appell hypergeometric functions and studied many interesting and fundamental properties and characteristics.In this paper, motivated by the above-mentioned works, we introduce two incomplete Srivastava'striple hypergeometric functions $\gamma_{B}^{H}$ and $\Gamma_{B}^{H}$ by using the incomplete Pochhammer symbols and investigate certain properties, for example, their various integral representations, derivative formula, reduction formula and recurrence relation. Various (known or new) special cases and consequences of the results presented here are also considered.


Ideally, taking advantage of synergistic effects, coinage-metallic nanocomposites combining obvious inner hollow structures and exterior unique dendritic shell architectures have a promising potential to provide unprecedented opportunity for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) application. Herein, we report a convenient and robust synthesis of hollow Ag@Au nano-urchins with both obvious inner voids and exterior multi-antennas by employing galvanic replacement reaction between Au3+ ions and Ag nanospheres and then concomitant reduction of Au3+ ions onto precursors. The stable Ag nanospheres play an important role in the seed-mediated growth process, which were fabricated by pulsed laser ablation of Ag target in liquid. Superior to traditional chemical synthesis, the distinctive advantage is that ultra-rapid laser sintering/quenching of Ag nanoseeds enable the Ag outside surfaces to become more stable than those of core regions. The fascinating hollow Ag@Au nano-urchins obtained by adding 6 mL, 0.5 mM HAuCl4 exhibit excellent chemical stability in ionic or oxidative condition. More importantly, the obtained products provide enhanced SERS activity by using 4-Aminothiophenol (4-ATP) as the probe molecules. The obvious inner hollow structure and exterior immense antennas as well as pronounced inter-metallic synergies are integrated to provide ultrasensitive SERS signals with an enhancement factor (EF) up to ~1012. Interestingly, the SERS signals are also clearly distinguishable even the concentration of 4-ATP was decreased to ~10−13 M. The pronounced features are better than many previous works, especially those of smooth-shaped nanocomposites, monometallic nanodendrites or single-phase hollow structures. The superiorities of the hollow Ag@Au nano-urchins will make them become a prominent SERS-based substrate for ultra-trace detection of biomolecules in pathological cell diagnostics, environmental surveillance, and food safety supervision.


Electrosurgery procedures produce airborne contaminants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The effectiveness of commercial grade activated carbon at removing toluene, a typical VOC, from the air in an enclosed simulated operating room (OR) when interfaced with an air recirculation device was tested. The concentration of toluene in the air was measured using gas sensitive semiconductor VOC sensors. When the air recirculation device containing activated carbon was turned on, the concentration of toluene in the air decayed exponentially. When the device was off, the toluene concentration reduced much more slowly. After 130 min, a VOC sensor placed near the air recirculation device showed VOC reductions of approximately 30% when the device is on and less than 1% when the device is off. Changing the activated carbon filter after 22 h of constant use showed an abrupt increase in the rate of toluene removal.


Summary.  Thromboelastography (TEG) assesses the global pattern of blood coagulation in the whole blood. Present day management of haemophilia is based on replacement therapy with lost factor by parenteral administration of factor concentrates. It is very well known that interaction of cellular components in the blood also affect the thrombin generation which in turn might produce varied TEG patterns that might reflect the clinical severity in haemophilia patients. We evaluated 66 severe haemophilia A and B patients (as assessed by one‐stage assay) by TEG and correlated the varied TEG patterns with the clinical severity in the patients. Four distinct TEG patterns were observed; Group A consisted of eight patients with hypercoagulable patterns while group B consisted of two patients showing hyperfibrinolytic patterns. Group C comprised of 17 patients whose TEG tracings did not show the initiation of clot formation at all while group D comprising of 39 patients showed varied clot initiation times ranging from almost normal pattern to a highly prolonged split times. Groups A and D patients were relatively milder clinically while groups B and C were clinically severe as assessed by the number of bleeding episodes, the frequency of transfusion and joint deformity. Subsequently we also evaluated the in vitro efficacy of the antifibrinolytic drug, EACA in normalizing the TEG patterns in 12 patients (group C) who did not show the initiation of clot formation in the TEG tracings to see the contribution of fibrinolysis in producing such patterns. The use of EACA in vitro in this group improved the TEG profile of these patients. In conclusion, the classification of severe haemophilia patients based on TEG patterns correlated well with the clinical severity and the ex vivo use of antifibrinolytics like EACA are effective in improving the TEG profile of all patients who had an abnormal TEG pattern without any clot initiation.


This study was aimed at determining whether the protein crosslinking enzymes, transglutaminases, had the potential to be used as tanning agents, using native bovine hide and purified soluble rat tail collagen as real and model substrates, respectively. We demonstrate that transglutaminases (TGs) were capable of covalently crosslinking collagen molecules together such that on average every collagen molecule contained at least one epsilon(gamma-glutamyl)lysine crosslink. However, transglutaminase-mediated crosslinking did not affect the denaturation temperature of either native bovine hide or soluble rat tail collagens when used in isolation or together with other proteins and bifunctional diamines as crosslinking facilitators. In an initial study into the effect of TG-mediated crosslinking on the tensile strength of chrome-tanned bovine hide, such crosslinking led to a 30 per cent decrease in tensile strength. Despite a change in the gel melting point mediated by epsilon(gamma-glutamyl)lysine crosslinking, the use of transglutaminases as alternative tanning agents seems unlikely given the present data.


Molecular imprinted polymers were synthesized using α-methylacrylacid as monomer, acetylsalicylic acid as template. Polyethylene glycol dimethylacrylate was taken as cross-linker. UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to detect the drug-loading and releasing performances of these polymers. The studies showed that the imprinted polymers could load more drugs than non-imprinted polymer, and exhibited a slower drug-releasing rate than the latter at pH 7.4. The content of cross-linker had influences on drug-loading amounts. The imprinted polymer released few drugs at the buffer solution of pH 1.2.


The association of fruit and vegetable consumption and lung cancer incidence was evaluated using the most recent data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), applying a refined statistical approach (calibration) to account for measurement error potentially introduced by using food frequency questionnaire data. Between 1992 and 2000, detailed information on diet and life‐style of 478,590 individuals participating in EPIC was collected. During a median follow‐up of 6.4 years, 1,126 lung cancer cases were observed. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were applied for statistical evaluation. In the whole study population, fruit consumption was significantly inversely associated with lung cancer risk while no association was found for vegetable consumption. In current smokers, however, lung cancer risk significantly decreased with higher vegetable consumption; this association became more pronounced after calibration, the hazard ratio (HR) being 0.78 (95% CI 0.62–0.98) per 100 g increase in daily vegetable consumption. In comparison, the HR per 100 g fruit was 0.92 (0.85–0.99) in the entire cohort and 0.90 (0.81–0.99) in smokers. Exclusion of cases diagnosed during the first 2 years of follow‐up strengthened these associations, the HR being 0.71 (0.55–0.94) for vegetables (smokers) and 0.86 (0.78–0.95) for fruit (entire cohort). Cancer incidence decreased with higher consumption of apples and pears (entire cohort) as well as root vegetables (smokers). In addition to an overall inverse association with fruit intake, the results of this evaluation add evidence for a significant inverse association of vegetable consumption and lung cancer incidence in smokers. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Problem statement: Delivering services online is important in e-health. Services that are delivered through online communications between engaging parties, often involve sensitive information transmitted over the Internet. However, while the Internet successfully facilitates these services, significant threats also come in parallel. Network attacks, information breaches and malicious software on a computer system are common threats to the Internet. These threats can cause severe damage to computer systems and also the information. As we study current security technologies particularly that provide security to online communications, we found out that these technologies do not cater for different kinds of security needs because of the rigid way the security mechanisms are constructed. Therefore, we are interested in developing a security model that facilitates these needs, specifically in e-health. Approach: First, the area where different security requirements are needed are explored, such as the information classification found in ISO17799. This classification is based on the sensitivity levels of the information, where the more sensitive information requires higher security measures compared to the less sensitive information. Then, the information classification is applied to the e-health environment, so that our security model can handle the security processes for each classification. Results: The multilayer communication approach or MLC is the proposed security model. MLC classifies communications in e-health into five categories: Layer 1 to Layer 5 representing extremely sensitive, highly sensitive, medium sensitive, low sensitive and no sensitive data. This classification refers to the different sensitivity of the information exchanged during communications. For example, Extremely Sensitive communication involves exchanging extremely sensitive information, which requires highest security mechanisms, while Low Sensitive communication requires lower security mechanism. Conclusion: MLC provides five different types of security needs, where users can flexibly choose their own security preferences for their online communications, which the current technologies are lacking.


The fascinating tale of one of the most remarkable inventions in human history and its effects on science, myth, religion, manners, and the arts. Of all human inventions, the mirror is perhaps the one most closely connected to our own consciousness. As our first technology for contemplation of the self, the mirror is arguably as important an invention as the wheel. Mirror Mirror is the fascinating story of the mirror's invention, refinement, and use in an astonishing range of human activities--from the fantastic mirrored rooms that wealthy Romans created for their orgies to the mirror's key role in the use and understanding of light. Pendergrast spins tales of the 2,500year mystery of whether Archimedes and his "burning mirror" really set faraway Roman ships on fire; the medieval Venetian glassmakers, who perfected the technique of making large, flat mirrors from clear glass and for who m any attempt to leave their cloistered island was punishable by death; Isaac Newton, whose experiments with sunlight on mirrors once left him blinded for three days; the artist David Hockney, who holds controversial ideas about Renaissance artists and their use of optical devices; and George Ellery Hale, the manic-depressive astronomer and telescope enthusiast who inspired (and gave his name to) the twentieth century's largest ground-based telescope. Like mirrors themselves, Mirror Mirror is a book of endless wonder and fascination.


Background Rivaroxaban is widely used in clinical practice. Although routine coagulation monitoring is not required, quantitative determination of rivaroxaban might be valuable in certain clinical circumstances. Variation in response sensitivity of prothrombin time (PT) reagents to rivaroxaban is well described in the literature, and the conventional international normalised ratio cannot be used for rivaroxaban. Purpose This multicentre study assessed the intra and interlaboratory precision of measurements of rivaroxaban plasma concentrations using the PT assay together with rivaroxaban calibrators and controls. Materials and methods Participating laboratories (Europe and North America) were provided with rivaroxaban calibrators (0, 41, 219 and 430 ng/ml), rivaroxaban pooled human plasma controls (19, 160 and 643 ng/ml) and PT reagent. Evaluation was performed over 10 consecutive days by each laboratory using local PT reagents as well as the centrally provided PT reagent (STA Neoplastine CI Plus; Diagnostica Stago). A calibration curve was produced each day, and day-to-day precision was evaluated by testing three control plasma samples. The control was diluted and re-tested if the level was above the highest concentration of the calibration curve. Results Intralaboratory variations in PT were dependent on the sensitivity of the local PT reagents, regardless of the type of instrument used. A large inter-laboratory variation (in seconds) was observed with local PT reagents; the coefficient of variation (CV) was 13.6–29.7%. When the results were expressed as rivaroxaban concentration (ng/ml), the inter-reagent variations were reduced; less variation was found with both local reagents (CV: 5.1–15.5%) and the central reagent (CV: 2.2–7.5%). However, over-estimation was observed with both local and central reagents. The CV for the calibrator containing 41 ng/ml rivaroxaban was 5.8% when the central reagent was used. Conclusions The PT assay may be useful for measuring rivaroxaban peak plasma concentrations (2–3 h after drug intake) using rivaroxaban calibrators and controls.


We compare two block transmission systems over frequency-selective fading channels: orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) versus single-carrier modulated blocks with zero padding (ZP). We first compare their peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) and the corresponding power amplifier backoff for phase-shift keying or quadrature amplitude modulation. Then, we study the effects of carrier frequency offset on their performance and throughput. We further compare the performance and complexity of uncoded and coded transmissions over random dispersive channels, including Rayleigh fading channels, as well as practical HIPERLAN/2 indoor and outdoor channels. We establish that unlike OFDM, uncoded block transmissions with ZP enjoy maximum diversity and coding gains within the class of linearly precoded block transmissions. Analysis and computer simulations confirm the considerable edge of ZP-only in terms of PAR, robustness to carrier frequency offset, and uncoded performance, at the price of slightly increased complexity. In the coded case, ZP is preferable when the code rate is high (e.g., 3/4), while coded OFDM is to be preferred in terms of both performance and complexity when the code rate is low (e.g., 1/2) and the error-correcting capability is enhanced. As ZP block transmissions can approximate serial single-carrier systems as well, the scope of the present comparison is broader.


The paper describes a numerical study of the combustion of hydrogen enriched methane and biogases containing hydrogen in a Controlled Auto Ignition engine (CAI). A single cylinder CAI engine is modelled with Chemkin to predict engine performance, comparing the fuels in terms of indicated mean effective pressure, engine efficiency, and pollutant emissions. The effects of hydrogen and carbon dioxide on the combustion process are evaluated using the GRI-Mech 3.0 detailed radical chain reactions mechanism. A parametric study, performed by varying the temperature at the start of compression and the equivalence ratio, allows evaluating the temperature requirements for all fuels; moreover, the effect of hydrogen enrichment on the auto-ignition process is investigated. The results show that, at constant initial temperature, hydrogen promotes the ignition, which then occurs earlier, as a consequence of higher chemical reactivity. At a fixed indicated mean effective pressure, hydrogen presence shifts the operating range towards lower initial gas temperature and lower equivalence ratio and reduces NOx emissions. Such reduction, somewhat counter-intuitive if compared with similar studies on spark-ignition engines, is the result of operating the engine at lower initial gas temperatures.


This paper studies the size and source of exchange-traded funds' (ETFs) price impact in the most ETF-dominated asset classes: volatility (VIX) and commodities. To identify ETF-induced price distortions, I propose a model-independent approach to replicate the value of a VIX futures contract. This allows me to isolate a non-fundamental component in VIX futures prices, of 18.5% per year, that is strongly related to the rebalancing of ETFs. To understand the source of that component, I decompose trading demand from ETFs into three main parts: leverage rebalancing, calendar rebalancing, and flow rebalancing. Leverage rebalancing has the largest effects. It amplifies price changes and introduces unhedgeable risks for ETF counterparties. Surprisingly, providing liquidity to leveraged ETFs turns out to be a bet on variance, even in a market with a zero net share of ETFs. Trading against leverage rebalancing delivers large abnormal returns and Sharpe ratios above two across markets.


This survey aimed to evaluate the level of lead (Pb) pollution in cattle in the vicinity of the Shiraz oil and petrochemical industries using hair samples. Dairy farms located within 10 km of the Shiraz oil and petrochemical industries were identified and divided into four groups. Farms that were located in the radial zones of 0.5-1.5 km, 1.5-5 km, 5-7 km, 7-10.5 km were considered as groups A, B, C and D, respectively. Fifteen cattle from a farm that was located far from the polluting areas comprised the control group (E). Head hair samples were collected from fifteen age-matched cows from each of the five groups in each season round year. Cattle that were located closer to the oil and petrochemical industries had higher hair Pb concentration. In all groups, the hair lead concentrations of cattle that were reared near to the oil industry were significantly higher than of those reared in the region of the petrochemical industry (p


Abstract Three human colon cancer lines (SW480, SW620, WIDR) secrete different levels of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-like and transforming growth factor α (TGFα)/epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like molecules into serum-free conditioned media as measured by competing activity in TGFβ and EGF radioreceptor assays. SW480 cells, the highest producers of TGFβ-like activity, lack detectable TGFβ receptors while SW620 cells, the highest producers of TGFα/EGF-like activity, lack EGF receptors. This study investigated the production of these growth factors at the mRNA level and examined the mechanism of loss of detectable receptors. Using complementary DNA probes for TGFβ and TGFα, it was demonstrated that mRNA levels correlated with the amounts of TGFβ and TGFα produced; TGFβ gene expression was highest in SW480 cells and TGFα gene expression was highest in SW620 cells. Acid washing of the SW480 cells prior to performing the TGFβ binding assay resulted in the unmasking of substantial levels of TGFβ receptors. Neither acid washing nor preincubation with suramin uncovered EGF receptors in SW620 cells. Also, and in contrast to the other two lines, EGF receptor expression could not be detected in SW620 cells by Northern gel analysis of receptor messenger RNA or by immunological analysis of receptor protein. Thus two distinct mechanisms (occupation of TGFβ receptor in SW480 cells, or absence of EGF receptor in SW620 cells) explain the lack of detectable TGFβ and EGF receptors in the binding assays. The autocrine hypothesis remains viable for TGFβ in SW480 cells but not for TGFα in SW620 cells; this would not discount a paracrine role in this latter case.


This comment on Steve Smith's recent article, The Supreme Court and the Politics of Death, draws attention to data and political developments that suggest that American politics is not a one-way ratchet in the direction of severity that makes the death penalty an immutable feature of American criminal justice. Some of those features are well known, such as successful abolition efforts recently in two state legislatures; others are less so, such as less visible legislative action to curtail executions and improve capital litigation in various ways. This variability in capital punishment politics, across states as well as over time, complicates claims about the need for a stronger Supreme Court role in improving death penalty administration, which Smith rightly finds to have been largely unsuccessful. I also present reasons for skepticism about the Court's recent foray into improving capital litigation by strengthening standards for adequate defense counsel. Those standards ultimately depend on legislative action to be effective, and the same variability we find elsewhere among states on capital punishment issues should make one pessimistic that states will move consistently to make those new standards meaningful.


If the cost of health care is to be curtailed, it is necessary to understand physician behavior and decision making. Not only is physician decision making critical from a clinical perspective, but, as the number of physician executives increases, they must be able to integrate their clinical expertise and management skills into the business context. This article explores differences in decision making methods between physician and nonphysician managers.


Abstract Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections (hookworms, Trichuris, Ascaris) and Strongyloides spp. are associated with a substantial global burden and high morbidity. Sensitive and specific methods for diagnosis of these infections are essential for mapping the burden in communities, accurate assessment of infection levels, to guide interventions and monitoring the success of STH control programs. Despite considerable progress to control STH over several decades, we are still far from identifying a fully adequate diagnostic test. Conventional microscopy-based methods such as direct Kato–Katz smear or mounts after stool centrifugation/flotation-based concentration techniques have been the mainstay of diagnosis, especially in resource-poor countries where these infections abound. However, recently, these are being adapted to closed, easy to perform, digital formats, thereby improving the sensitivity as well as applicability in a remote, resource-limited setting. The use of image analysis systems to identify and quantify helminth eggs, with potential adaptation to smartphones, is also promising. Antibody detection tests have a limited role mostly in the case of Strongyloides hyperinfection. Coproantigen detection tests have been developed and used in veterinary practice for detection of STH, but these have not been evaluated for use in humans. More sensitive molecular diagnostics, including assays developed with new bioinformatic tools and techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and loop-mediated amplification assay, can help in the clear and precise assessment of STH burden during elimination phase and are of immense value for diagnosis in areas with low endemicity and in travelers to endemic regions. Moreover, the molecular techniques will help detect new species that may emerge. Sample preservation and efficient DNA extraction are critical and significantly affect the efficiency of molecular diagnostic tests. In addition to the diagnosis of clinical or asymptomatic infection in humans, detection of STH eggs in environmental samples is imperative to boost STH control efforts. Overall the diagnostic performance, cost-effectiveness, ease of performance, rapidity and in-field applicability of any test should be considered when choosing from the various diagnostic assays in areas with different endemicity, in addition to striving towards the development of novel technologies and optimization of existing methods.


South Asian poetry in English comprises an amalgamation of Western literary traditions and an ambiguity regarding the poet's location that subsequently stirs up questions regarding identity. Both these features can be attributed to the relationship between the poet and the use of English language as opposed to his/her mother tongue. The syncretism and hybridity that occurs as a result of cultural clashes and convergences has become increasingly apparent in identity formation in today's diasporic world. However, for those South Asian poets writing in English and borrowing from Western traditions, who can neither be identified as migrants or exiles, anxieties of identity and belonging have been a marked feature of their work. Most of these South Asian poets, despite displaying a strong sense of belonging to their national cultures, also exhibit a global heterogeneity in their identity due to the multiple affiliations that define their cultural consciousness. This paper attempts to explore the poetry of one of the major South Asian poets, Kaiser Haq, who has not only established himself as the leading Bangladeshi poet writing in English but has also carved a niche for himself as a recognized international poet. Like most other poets writing in English from the Indian subcontinent, Haq carries the burden of a colonial inheritance and his work has been and is subject to innumerable labels such as Commonwealth literature, postcolonial poetry, sub-continental poetry, etc. He defends his use of English as the medium of his poetry as a unifying force in fusing the disparate parts of his Bengali psyche. However, in his work, when placed within the context of national identification, there seems to be a refusal to limit "location" within national boundaries and yet there is a continual return to Bangladesh which remains an underlying presence in his poetry. This study focuses on how the perceptions of history and location have impacted and contributed to the identity and creative consciousness that articulates Kaiser Haq's poetry.


textabstractThe hematopoietic system is composed of a variety of cells, whose activity is essential
for the normal functioning of an organism. Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, transport oxygen
and carbon dioxide throughout the body, platelets are essential for coagulation and white blood
cells (lymphocytes, granulocytes and macrophages) are responsible for the protection of the
organism against pathogens. All these different cells originate from a single cell type, the
hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), through a process denominated hematopoiesis.

To understand how the HSC can originate so many different cell type has been the aim
of many scientists over the years. Advances in molecular biology tools allowed the gathering of
vast amounts of information about the hematopoietic system and the process of hematopoiesis.
However, many questions remain without answers.

The HSC gives rise to the different hematopoetic cell lineages via a series of steps. HSCs
are rare cells that have the capacity to duplicate themselves (self-renewal) as well as to give rise
to all the different hematopoietic cell types (pluripotency). The descendants of the HSC are still
able to give rise to all hematopoietic lineages but they lose the ability to self-renew. These cells
will further differentiate into other cells that can give rise to an increasingly restricted number
of hematopoietic lineages until they reach a stage were they can only differentiate into a single
lineage. Such process is called lineage-commitment and its accuracy is essential for the normal
function of the hematopoietic system.

How this lineage commitment occurs is as yet not clear. It is known that it is dependent
on environmental cues as well as, at least partially, on stochastic events. The identity of each cell
is dependent on their particular gene expression profile. Each cell expresses certain genes that are
responsible for its specific characteristics. Transcription factors, proteins able to bind DNA and
regulate the transcription of particular genes, are essential for the production of such expression
profiles. There are two broad types of transcription factor: general transcription factors, which
are present in every cell, and lineage-specific transcription factors, present only in particular
cell lineages. Lineage-specific transcription factors are the main proteins responsible for the
expression of genes in specific cell lineages, and are therefore responsible for their unique gene
expression profiles. A variety of transcription factors has been identified which are crucial for
the different lineage-commitment steps during hematopoiesis.

To generate the appropriate gene expression profiles, the function of these transcription
factors must be tightly regulated. Expression of particular genes in the inappropriate cell lineage
or at the wrong time may have severe consequences. Transcription factors functions, like any
other protein, can be regulated at transcriptional level, controlling the expression of the protein,
or after the protein is produced by modulating its activity.

This thesis is focused on the importance of the transcription regulation of the
GATA hematopoietic transcription factors. Three of the six members of the GATA family of
transcription factors are expressed in the hematopoietic system. GATA1 is expressed in the
erythroid, megakaryocytic, eosinophil and mast cell lineages. GATA2 in expressed in early
multilineage precursors and in the erythroid and mast cell lineages while GATA3 is expressed
exclusively in T-lymphocytes.

In the studies presented in this thesis transgenic mice, were used where the expression
of these genes is altered, to analyse the importance of the correct spatio-temporal regulation
of these genes for the differentiation of the hematopoietic lineages were they are expressed.


A 64-year-old female developed refractory red-eye with itching and watery discharge 2 weeks after being injured by a comb in the left eye. It presented as diffuse pinkish thickening of the bulbar conjunctiva. Biopsy and histological examinations revealed granulomatous inflammation with microgranuloma. Acid-fast-positive bacilli were found within the tissue, which was identified by culture 5 weeks later as Mycobacterium Abscessus. The orbital computed tomography with contrast medium showed irregular enhancement with an ill-defined margin along the inferior sclera. Due to symptomatic and recurrent bulbar conjunctival thickening and abscess-like lesion formations, wide excision of the conjunctival and orbital granuloma with amniotic membrane transplantation was performed twice. Conjunctiva inflammation subsided after the surgical treatment was combined with 4 months of topical and parenteral antimycobacterial treatment. The presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of ocular nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection will be discussed in this article. NTM can cause infections of all adnexal and ocular tissues in patients with ocular trauma or surgical history. The pathological findings were granulomatous inflammation without true caseating. Periocular cutaneous, adnexal, and orbital NTM infections remain rare and require surgical debridement and long-term parenteral antibiotic therapy.


Background In human leishmaniasis Th1/Th2 dichotomy similar to murine model is not clearly defined and surrogate marker(s) of protection is not yet known. In this study, Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-5, IL-10, IL-13 and IFN-γ) profile induced by purified CD4+/CD8+ T cells in response to Leishmania antigens were assessed at transcript and protein levels in 14 volunteers with a history of self-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis (HCL) and compared with 18 healthy control volunteers. Methodology/Principal Findings CD4+/CD8+/CD14+ cells were purified from peripheral blood using magnetic beads; CD4+/CD8+ T cells were co-cultured with autologous CD14+ monocytes in the presence of soluble Leishmania antigens (SLA). Stimulation of either CD4+ T cells or CD8+ T cells of HCL volunteers with SLA induced a significantly (P<0.05) higher IFN-γ production compared with the cells of controls. Upregulation of IFN-γ gene expression in CD4+ cells (P<0.001) and CD8+ cells (P = 0.006) of HCL volunteers was significantly more than that of controls. Significantly (P<0.05) higher fold-expression of IFN-γ gene was seen in CD4+ cells than in CD8+ cells. In HCL volunteers a significantly (P = 0.014) higher number of CD4+ cells were positive for intracellular IFN-γ production than CD8+ cells. Conclusions/Significance Collectively, the volunteers have shown maintenance of specific long-term immune responses characterized by a strong reaction to leishmanin skin test and IFN-γ production. The dominant IFN-γ response was the result of expansion of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The results suggested that immune response in protected individuals with a history of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) due to L. major is mediated not only through the expansion of antigen-specific IFN-γ producing CD4+ Th1 cells, but also through IFN-γ producing CD8+ T cells.


Insulin imprinting given to the unicellular Tetrahymena considerably increases the uptake and intracellular storage of amino acids even many generations after the actual contact with the hormone. On the other hand, both the first and the second contacts with insulin increase the rate of the excretion of the stored amino acids. On the basis of the results obtained it seems to be possible that both protein synthesis and exocytosis of the Tetrahymena change as an effect of imprinting, either in general or specifically due to the formation of new hormone receptors.


Background The responsibility of caring for patients with advanced cancer in sub-Saharan Africa is mostly shouldered by family members because of paucity of institutional facilities. There is a growing concern that the number of women needing treatment for advanced breast cancer is rising at an unprecedented rate in Nigeria. Aim To assess the caregiver burden and its associated factors amongst family caregivers of women with advanced breast cancer. Setting The study was conducted at the radiation oncology clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted amongst 157 eligible family caregivers of women with advanced breast cancer. The family caregivers completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire, which included the socio-demographic data, the caregiving process and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Logistic regression was used to identify factors, and ethical approval was obtained. Results Over half (53%) of the respondents were males with spousal caregivers dominantly constituting 27.4% of all respondents, closely followed by daughters (25.5%) of the care recipients. The mean ZBI score was 29.84 ± 13.9. Most (72%) of the caregivers experienced burden. Factors associated with caregiver burden were previous hospitalisation of the care recipient (odds ratio [OR] = 3.74, confidence interval [CI]: 1.67 to 8.38) and perceived dysfunction in patients activities of daily living (OR = 2.57, CI: 1.14 to 5.78). Conclusion Family caregivers of women with advanced breast cancer experience burden of care. Recognition of this vulnerable population and the care recipient as a dyad is a sine qua non in mitigating the burden associated with their caregiving role.


Universities are educational institutions where students get knowledge, training and improve their talents before starting professional life. The increase in unemployment rate in especially developing countries has made the quality of education at the universities an agenda. While public universities which has proven itself in the quality education with experienced academicians were adequate for students in last decade, today, private universities with better infrastructures and education opportunities have been established. Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is one of the developing and transitional countries in Eastern Europe. Before ethnic and political tensions of 1990s, the number of public universities was eight. After Dayton agreement in 1995, 34 private universities have been founded following the conflict years. Demographical differences in public and private universities after the conflict years and the impact of these differences on their performance have attracted curiosity. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to make an exploratory analysis at public and the private universities in B&H. 515 surveys were collected from academics and administrative staff at these universities in B&H. Descriptive analysis was used to give demographic information about public and private universities in B&H.

Keywords: the public universities, the private universities, Bosnia and Herzegovina.