A key element of an organizational safety culture is maintaining an environment of professionalism that encourages communication and promotes high-quality care. Behavior that undermines a culture of safety, including disruptive or intimidating behavior, has a negative effect on the quality and safety of patient care. Intimidating behavior and disruptive behavior are unprofessional and should not be tolerated. Confronting disruptive individuals is difficult. Co-workers often are reluctant to report disruptive behavior because of fear of retaliation and the stigma associated with "blowing the whistle" on a colleague. Additionally, negative behavior of revenue-generating physicians may be overlooked because of concern about the perceived consequences of confronting them. The Joint Commission requires that hospitals establish a code of conduct that "defines acceptable behavior and behavior that undermines a culture of safety." Clear standards of behavior that acknowledge the consequences of disruptive and intimidating behavior must be established and communicated. Institutions and practices should develop a multifaceted approach to address disruptive behavior. Confidential reporting systems and assistance programs for physicians who exhibit disruptive behavior should be established. A concerted effort should be made within each organization to educate staff (ie, medical, nursing, and ancillary staff) about the potential negative effects of disruptive and inappropriate behavior. A clearly delineated hospital-wide policy and procedure relating to disruptive behavior should be developed and enforced by hospital administration. To preserve professional standing, physicians should understand how to respond to and mitigate the effect of complaints or reports.


In this paper a concise outline for improving throughput and average end to end delay of information gathered from the agriculture field for precision agriculture, using a distributed clustering mechanism has been outlined. This algorithm offers a throughput of 180 bits/seconds. Besides delivery of water level information packets/signals to base station, it also computes a threshold as well as calculates the values based on transmission range. This overall computational mechanism helps us to build a robust mechanism for delivery of information to the base station, thus reducing the packet loss. A wireless sensor network is a system consisting of sensor nodes, which incorporates a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, sensor, microcontroller and a power source. Recent advances in wireless sensor networking technology have led to the expansion of low cost, low power, multifunctional sensor nodes. Sensor nodes facilitate environment sensing together with data processing, are able to network with other sensor systems and exchange data with external users. Sensor networks are used for a variety of applications including wireless data acquisition, environmental monitoring, irrigation management, safety management and in many other areas. In this paper, a review of incorporating a distributed clustering algorithm for an agricultural application has been elaborated.


A new green method has been developed for the extraction of the pseudo-total content of the heavy metals Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd from marine sediments using a mixture of biodegradable micellar media (SDS, Triton X-100) as extractants and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) for their determination. This work is the first one that uses only surfactants as extractants, without the addition of chelating agents to increase the extraction efficiency of the method, proving to be effective in the extraction of metals from these types of matrices. The proposed method has shown high recovery percentages for all the metals considered (>68%), good linearity and reproducibility (RSD < 5.9%), as well as detection limits ranging from 0.06 to 2.78 μg g−1. The method was applied to the determination of the heavy metals under study in samples with different physicochemical properties. Finally, our results were compared with those obtained using microwave assisted extraction – graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (MAE/GFAAS) described in ISO 11047:1998 obtaining comparable results.


Catch shares fishery management schemes, including individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs, have become a popular tool for fishery managers trying to stop overfishing. IFQ, in theory, provides quota owners with the "right" to a share of both the current catch and all future harvests. By making quota a perpetual asset it is in the fishermen's best interest to protect future harvests by not overharvesting in the current period. Overharvesting now will decrease future landings and the value of quota going forward. In most IFQ programs quota is tradable; and many IFQ programs allow for not only the sale of quota (the perpetual asset) but also the leasing of quota during a given year (the lessee attains the right to harvest the quota this year but the lessor retains the right for all subsequent years). In a number of IFQ fisheries leasing is the predominate form of quota trading. During the first five years of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper IFQ program (2007-2011) there were 16 times more quota lease than sale trades and the amount of quota pounds traded through leasing was 12 times the amount of pounds traded through sales. Newell, Sanchirico, and Kerr (2005) found that quota lease transactions increased 10-fold in New Zealand IFQ fisheries from approximately 1,500 in 1986 to about 15,000 in 2000 representing approximately 45% of the total allowable catch (TAC), while sales of quota only accounted for about 5% of the TAC. Quota leasing in the British Columbia halibut IFQ program rose steadily from program implementation in 1993 to reach 79% of the TAC in 2006 (Pinkerton and Edwards 2009). The Tasmanian rock lobster IFQ program saw similar large amounts of quota leasing with 44% of the TAC leased in 2007 the ninth full year of the program, during the same year only 3% of the TAC was sold (van Putten et al. 2010). The predominance of leasing as the major form of quota exchange in these IFQ programs has been accompanied by the growth of two distinct types of quota fishery participants: investors and lease-dependent fishers. Investors are quota owners that do not fish and simply hold quota as an investment that pays dividends through lease payments. Lease dependent fishers are those fishers that do not own quota and lease in their entire quota. During the first five years of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper IFQ program the percentage of red snapper landings caught by lease dependent fishers increased from 9% to 26% while the share of quota owned by investors increased from 13% to 27%. The preponderance of quota leasing in these markets leads to the question: do potential buyers and sellers of quota have inherently different valuations of quota that preclude trading in the quota sale market? The implementation of a catch shares management program that allows for both the sale and lease of quota provides an opportunity to analyze discount rates in the fishery. In an IFQ fishery each fishing firm has an incentive to buy, sell, or lease quota until it attains just enough quota to cover a level of catch that maximizes its profits. The value of quota is the discounted value of all future cash flows provided by the quota or the resource rent earned from harvesting the quota. The quota lease price should equal the profit from harvesting that fish. If we assume fishing firm i has the generic profit function shown in equation 1 where p is the exogenously determined dockside price of fish, qi is the amount of fish landed, and c(qi) is a function representing firm i's cost of catching qi fish; then maximizing profits with respect to landings, subject to the constraint that firm i holds enough quota to cover qi level of catch, the firm will be willing to pay λi to lease quota as shown in equation 2. πi=pqi- c(qi) (1) λi=p- c'(qi) (2) The expected present value of quota for firm i then is the expected future values of leasing that quota discounted back at an appropriate discount rate, r, as shown in equation 3. E(V_(i,0))= ∑_(t=0)^∞▒λ_(i,t)/〖(1+r_i)〗^t (3) This research inspects the link between IFQ lease and sale prices using survey data and examines the variation in implied discount rates between different groups of quota market participants, namely potential quota buyers and potential quota sellers. Respondents were classified as either potential quota buyers or potential quota sellers based on past trading activity (those that historically leased in quota were classified as potential buyers while those who usually leased out quota were classified as potential sellers). Using survey data from the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper and Grouper-Tilefish IFQ program participants we were able to examine participants implied discount rates using a dividend discount valuation model. IFQ participants were surveyed to determine at what prices they would buy and sell quota and lease in and out quota, their expectations about future growth of the quota, and their expectations regarding the longevity of IFQ management in the fishery. By accounting for participant expectations regarding the growth of the quota and the future of IFQ management in the fishery we are able to not only measure fundamental differences in respondents' expectations regarding the future of the fishery, but also control for differences in quota valuation due to factors other than the implied discount rate.


The inverse probability weighted Cox proportional hazards model can be used to estimate the marginal hazard ratio. In multi-site studies, it may be infeasible to pool individual-level datasets due to privacy and other considerations. We propose three methods for making inference on hazard ratios without the need for pooling individual-level datasets across sites. The first method requires a summary-level eight-column risk-set table to produce the same hazard ratio estimate and robust sandwich variance estimate as those from the corresponding pooled individual-level data analysis (reference analysis). The second and third methods, which are based on two bootstrap re-sampling strategies, require a summary-level four-column risk-set table and bootstrap-based risk-set tables from each site to produce the same hazard ratio and bootstrap variance estimates as those from their reference analyses. All three methods require only one file transfer between the data-contributing sites and the analysis center. We justify these methods theoretically, illustrate their use, and demonstrate their statistical performance using both simulated and real-world data.


This paper presents the design and measurement results of a low power high linear digital-to-analog converter in 0.13 mum CMOS. It is powered by a single 1.5 V power supply offering rail-to-rail output capability. The DAC circuit is based on segmented resistor strings to scale the bandgap voltage references. The design of the advanced class-AB amplifier with rail-to-rail input/output for analog output buffering is given in details. Techniques to improve resistor string matching performance to 10-bit resolution are discussed. An effective output de-glitching circuitry is presented. The DAC can operate at 2.0 MSPS with power consumption of 0.5 mW.


on serum sickness, published in the Lancet of March 2nd, 1918. Cases such as those described in the memorandum in the British Medical Journal of February 7th were recorded as far back as 1898 (see Appendix III of the Clinical Society's Report of the Committee on the Antitoxin of Diphtheria, 1898). -May I draw attention to the use of the word " anaphylaxis " in connexion with serum sickness? I have noticed that in accounts of cases which have been recorded from time to time in various periodicals the word is employed almost entirely to denote a serious condition (rigors, collapse, dyspnoea, etc.). But, as a matter of fact, the anaphylactic or supersensitive state may be shown by symptoms varying from a slight local erythema up to the serious ones mentioned above. That they are anaphylactic, however mild they may be, is revealed by the fact that their latent period is much shortened. Most of the severe cases occur within twelve hours of the secondary injection (von Pirquet's and Schick's " immediate reaction "). Of seventeen cases of this reaction recorded in a paper on the supersensitization of persons by horse serum, published in the Journal of Hygienze for July, 1907, only eight or nine could be considered as severe.-I am, etc.,


: The familiar history of hypertension in healthy young offsprings is associated with hyperinsulinemia, which could lead to increased serum cortisol, resulting in renal endothelial damage and the presence of microalbuminuria. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in healthy young offsprings of hypertensive parents, association between insulin levels, serum cortisol and microalbuminuria attending to its relationship with increased cardiovascular risk. We performed a cross-sectional correlational study in Santa Fe, Argentina, including 145 healthy individuals aged over 18 years, allocated to two groups: those with a history of essential hypertensive parents (study group) and those without such history (control group). We evaluated fasting serum insulin, cortisol, and microalbuminuria levels in the first morning urine. The mean age was 20 ± 2.9 years, and 58% were women. The study group included 48% (n = 69) of the sample. 4.8% had insulin resistance, microalbuminuria 13.8% and 52% hipercortisolinemia, with no significant differences in serum insulin, cortisol, or microalbuminuria between groups. No correlation was found between these variables. In this study there was no association between a history of first degree hypertension and impaired insulin or cortisol homoeostasis.


Wolves ( Canis lupus ) primarily provision pups by catching mammalian prey and bringing remains of the carcass to the pups at a den or rendezvous site via their mouths or stomach. In August 2017, we observed an adult wolf regurgitating wild blueberries ( Vaccinium spp.) to pups at a rendezvous site in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem, Minnesota, USA, which is the only known observation of wolves provisioning pups with wild berries. This observation, in combination with other evidence from the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem, suggests wild berries might be a more valuable food source for wolves in southern boreal ecosystems than previously appreciated. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.


Products that require extensive and complex information flows among suppliers, intermediary vendors, and customers often pose particular challenges to the vertical marketing system. Using social network theory, the authors investigate buyers' preferences for specific patterns of relationships among buyers, intermediary vendors, and suppliers of complex products. Using a conjoint experiment with actual and prospective buyers of integrated computer networks and services, the authors find that beyond their dyadic interaction with a vendor, buyers take into account the buyer-vendor-supplier triad. Specifically, buyers value sequences of selective strong ties as well as sequences of more numerous weak ties. This is consistent with theoretical propositions that strong ties facilitate the mobilization of support and the transfer of complex knowledge, whereas nonoverlapping weak ties facilitate the gathering of intelligence and the monitoring of new developments. The authors find only mixed evidence that buyers value direct access to suppliers when strong ties exist between the vendor and suppliers, as predicted by the third-party sanctioning argument in social network theory. In addition, they find that interaction intensity and valence do not always have the same effects, thus providing criterion validation to the bidimensional nature of tie strength that has been documented in previous research.


cussion of individual cases in therapy and of the comments ofthe invited consultants. The book reveals the sorts of things that happen in the clinic, the concepts upon which therapy is based, the type of language in which they are couched, the diversity ofapproaches which are tried. It is not a resource book for all libraries, but students and practitioners may care to read it if they want to understand the resources, the time spent in individual therapy, the sorts of things that are actually said and the things which happen during the sessions in a distinguished American child guidance clinic. Some of the concepts, "¿ True Fluid Borderline―, for example, may be foreign to British clinic staff, but there is usually enough clinical information to be gleaned to give the reader an idea of the sort of way in which the child was responding to its predicament.


Background We investigated the association between severe hypoglycemia (SH) and the risk of cardiovascular (CV) or all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods The study included 1,260 patients aged 25 to 75 years with type 2 diabetes from the Vincent Type 2 Diabetes Resgistry (VDR), who consecutively enrolled (n=1,260) from January 2000 to December 2010 and were followed up until May 2015 with a median follow-up time of 10.4 years. Primary outcomes were death from any cause or CV death. We investigated the association between the CV or all-cause mortality and various covariates using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results Among the 906 participants (71.9%) who completed follow-up, 85 patients (9.4%) had at least one episode of SH, and 86 patients (9.5%) died (9.1 per 1,000 patient-years). Patients who had died were older, had a longer duration of diabetes and hypertension, received more insulin, and had more diabetic microvascular complications at baseline, as compared with surviving patients. The experience of SH was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39 to 5.02; P=0.003) and CV mortality (HR, 6.34; 95% CI, 2.02 to 19.87; P=0.002) after adjusting for sex, age, diabetic duration, hypertension, mean glycosylated hemoglobin levels, diabetic nephropathy, lipid profiles, and insulin use. Conclusion We found a strong association between SH and increased risk of all-cause and CV mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.


Stable burrows in wet sediments dug by tidal and shore animals play important roles not only in the ecological behaviors of the animals, but also in material circulation in the substrate and the sediment conditions. Thus, the burrow stability problem has been a challenging topic in the fields of sedimentology and biology. Modern ocypodid crabs are known to dig deep burrows in a sandy beach (Seike and Nara, Palaeogeog., Palaeoclimat., Palaeoecol, 252 (2007) 458). However, it has not been clarified that how stable these burrow structures are against the external loading. For the quantitative understanding of strength of a burrow in sandy beach, we modeled it by a tunnel structure in wet granular layer, and focused on mechanical property of wet granular matter. According to the previous works, tensile strength of wet granular column nonlinearly depends on liquid content (Scheel et al., Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 20 (2008) 494236, Herminghaus, Wet Granular Matter: A Truly Complex Fluid, World Scientific (2013)). The origin of this nonlinear response of wet granular matter to external loading has not yet been revealed sufficiently. Moreover, little is known about the strength of a tunnel structure formed in wet granular layer. In this study, we conducted a simple experiment to investigate the mechanical property of a tunnel structure in wet granular layer. In the experiment, we observed how the tunnel structure deformed when it was uniformly loaded from the top of the layer with a very slow loading rate. By taking and analyzing the movies of deforming tunnel structures, we examined the temporal evolution of a projected cross section of the tunnel structure. Furthermore, based on the discussion of stability of tunnels in the soil (Knappett and Craig, Craigs Soil Mechanics, Spon Press (2012)), we estimated the maximum shear stress applied to the tunnel structure at each state. The experimental result showed that the mode of deformation depends on both liquid content and packing fraction. Particularly, the liquid-content dependence of the mechanical response is not monotonic. In addition, we defined two types of strengths characterizing a tunnel structure: yield and maximum stresses. As a result, we found that these strengths strongly depend on packing fraction. Besides, they show qualitatively different liquid-content dependence in relatively high liquid content regime. Finally, we briefly discussed a possible application of the experimental result for estimating the upper limit size of tunnel structure in a sandy beach environment by using the experimental result and information obtained in previous works (Seike, Marine Biology, 153, (2007) 1199-1206, Sassa and Watabe, Report of the Port and Airport Research Institute, 45, 4,(2006) 61-107). SCG58-P01 日本地球惑星科学連合2016年大会


Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family member capable of inducing apoptosis in many cell types. Data suggest that TRAIL/TRAIL receptor expression profiles on Tcells might be important in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis.

 To characterize the role of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to explore whether TRAIL investigated in serum and synovial fluid were associated with clinical, laboratory, and radiological variables of RA disease activity and severity.

 Circulating levels of TRAIL were measured by ELISA in serum samples obtained from 50 patients with RA (during activity and quiescence), 20 patients with osteoarthritis, 15 patients with spondyloarthritis, and 50 normal healthy individuals serving as controls.

 The median serum TRAIL concentrations were increasingly higher across the following groups: healthy controls (185pg/ml), and RA patients with active disease (1625 pg/ml; P=0.0001 vs. controls) and inactive disease (1750 pg/ml; P=0.0001 vs. controls) (inactive vs. active RA; P = 0.07). It is noteworthy that RA patients had significant higher median TRAIL concentrations as compared with osteoarthritis patients whether during activity or during quiescence. However, the median levels of TRAIL were statistically comparable in RA and spondyloarthritis patients. The median and mean ± SD synovial fluid TRAIL concentrations were 2100 and 1765.8 ± 752 pg/ml, respectively. The levels of TRAIL in synovial fluid from the patients were higher than those in sera from both the patients and the healthy individuals. TRAIL concentrations in paired sera and synovial fluid samples could be related to each other. Serum and synovial concentrations of TRAIL were correlated positively with the total number of joints with active arthritis and with the overall articular severity score. Patients with Larsen index and total radiographic score of at least 1 had significantly higher serum TRAIL levels than patients with indices and scores 1 or less.

 Upregulated expression of TRAIL might be somewhat useful for the evaluation of RA disease activity and progression, although its increment is not disease specific.


Powerful interactions affect the performance of many rubber and plastics processes. Unfortunately, these critical effects cannot be revealed by the traditional scientific method, which dictates changing one factor at a time (OFAT). This case study provides inspiration to overcome the limitations of OFAT via a very simple design of experiment (DOE) called a two-level factorial. 1 By employing a multifactor approach, the technical staff at a custom rubber molder uncovered a combination of material selection and manufacturing protocol that created unacceptable results. Armed with this process knowledge, they achieved a breakthrough in quality improvements.


THE COMMENTS by Dr. Pierson, concerning our work with athletes (as cited previously), represent a remarkable demonstration of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of published findings. Most of his critique is devoted to the question of whether the data reported in the first of our 3 papers justify the conclusion that amphetamine improved the performance of the athletes we studied. His conclusion is that "none of the 6 experiments demonstrated differences between placebo and amphetamine performances which could not be attributed to chance, i.e., a probability of 0.01 or less. They [Smith and Beecher] have thus presented no evidence that a 'true' difference does exist, and conclusions to that effect are not justified by the data." The facts are that 57 athletes were tested. They performed after receiving placebo and after receiving amphetamine sulfate (14 mg. per 70 kg. of body weight). Their scores are presented in the table. A plus score


This thesis examines whether urban residential areas, where small private gardens are
the main wildlife resource, offer wild birds ecological opportunities as habitat or impose
ecological constraints on them. Ecological opportunities should facilitate the
establishment of an avifauna that does not depend on immigration, is similar in
composition and structure to those in less-urbanised gardens and comprises individuals
within normal ranges of biometrics, behaviour and condition. Ecological constraints
may compromise the sustainability of this avifauna and restrict successful exploitation
of the habitat to birds of particular characteristics.
The analyses presented first investigate which bird species urbanise and why, and
secondly which species use gardens and how. Patterns and trends in the use of gardens
by British birds are examined, in general and in urban areas. A case study builds on
these two themes, linking urban and garden ornithology by investigating an avifauna
that uses gardens as its primary habitat but within a highly-urbanised context. Field
studies of the breeding avifauna and some aspects of its ecology are presented, together
with data from a ringing study on the use of feeding stations and the mobility and
persistence of individual birds.
More bird species urbanise than might be expected and urbanisation is not restricted to
species with high behavioural flexibility. Gardens are an extension of natural habitat for
many species, but in urban gardens utilisation rates are declining more than in gardens
elsewhere, raising concerns for urban conservation policy. Small gardens in a highlyurbanised
area support a breeding avifauna that is of low density but appears sustainable
and of stable composition with individual birds maintaining normal territoriality and
persisting over time. The spatial distribution of breeding territories is related to all-year
artificial feeding but not to cat activity, and the mechanisms of birds' adaptation to
urban life show interesting variation between species.


This poster presents a lowcost remote control for SAR applications. The use of multi robot systems makes it difficult to control all robots from one operator base. The case described herein with a maximum weight of <10 kg is easy to handle and transport and fits the requirements for cabin baggage by airlines. To save space current lowcost embedded systems are used which are very energy efficient and provide a long operation time. In order to build a flexible and modular system, the communication and energy supply are able to work with different sources. The communication between robot and operator base is possible with a LAN cable or via wireless LAN. The energy can be delivered by a battery or an external energy grid. The batteries have enough power to run the operator station for 2 hours and enables rescue operations to be fulfilled under the harshest conditions. Because of the "Spacemouse" and the ergonomic control elements used, the unit is userfriendly and can be operated with gloves and in dark environments. The elements are clearly structured and make using the robots more intuitive. The control elements are focused in three groups: the engine, the arm control and special functions. All components and joints are sealed with rubber seals. Therefore, rain or dusts in harsh environment guess no problem for the remote control unit. Experts from first responder organizations will test the control in the coming years and contribute their experience to its further development.


Background There is full awareness of the urge to integrate patient perspectives in guidelines. Active patient participation in guideline development is advocated, the passive use of research results on patient preferences is rather limited. Objectives To explore ideas and opinions regarding potential barriers and facilitators for integrating research results on patient preferences in guideline development. Methods Eight interviews were held with patient representatives, guideline developers, policy-makers and researchers. Interviews were semi-structured along three themes: definition of patient preferences; consideration of research on patient preferences in guideline development and aspects of obtaining patient preferences through research. Results Most interviewees defined preferences broadly, using terms as ideas, values, wishes, needs, expectations and experiences. Others described preferences exclusively as comparative judgments. Interviewees had difficulties reflecting on considering patient preferences by using research results, instead of active participation. Although the general increasing focus on patient participation facilitates the use of research results, many barriers were mentioned: relevance of collective preference for individual decision-making; focus of evidence-based medicine on "hard evidence"; lack of reliable and valid data; unclear how to integrate research results into the development procedure.. Patient- and professional organisations often generate own evidence, with unclear scientific character. Discussion The results show which issues are important and need further clearance. Interviewees define patient preferences differently, do not believe in using such research results or do not know how to do it. Implications for Guideline Developers/Users Several issues need to be addressed to facilitate the integration of research results on patient preferences in guideline development.


This study aims to analyze the factors that influence
product innovation bakeries in the city of Semarang. The sample used in
study of 100 respondents. In this research, how to capture
sample using purposive sampling is sampling
conform to certain criteria, while criteria are:
respondent is a manager of a company engaged in the manufacture of bread in
Semarang City, and has conducted innovation or product development. Data
The collected were analyzed using Pearson Corellation to
test the validity of the item, the Cronbach's Alpha to test the reliability
instruments, multiple regression analysis, to examine the influence of
independent variables were tested by t test to test and prove the influence
partially each independent variable.
The results showed that: (1). Results of regression equation
indicates that the variable is a variable of personal characteristics
most influence on product innovation, followed by a variable force
leadership and environmental dynamics. (2). The value of adjusted R square
0.610, meaning that 61 percent of the variation of product innovation can be explained by variation
of three independent variables. (3). Leadership style, personal characteristics
and environmental dynamics has positive and significant impact on innovation
product.
The suggestions which can be found for a period to be progress
come, are as follows: (1). Personal characteristics can be improved
by increasing the ability of a good job and build relationships
good work. (2). Leadership styles need to be considered in improving
product innovation with more attention to freedom of employees to
finish the job. (3). The dynamics of the environment needs to be improved to
meet consumer demand is very diverse.


Eddy current testing with excitation and pickup coils is widely used to detect defects in metals. The detection of submillimeter defects is difficult because of limitations on pickup coil size. We have developed an integrated magnetic probe for detecting submillimeter defects in both nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic materials. The sensor probe consists of a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device and an excitation wire. This probe can apply small, localized magnetic fields to a sample that is near the TMR sensor. The direction of the field excitation is perpendicular to the sensing direction of the TMR sensor to minimize magnetic coupling between the excitation wire and the sensor. A change in the line-scanned signal was detected when measuring pits from 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm in diameter at depths of more than 0.1 mm in both steel and aluminum plates. Signal changes depended on defect size. As the frequency was increased from 1 kHz to 50 kHz, the defect signal change for the aluminum plate increased due to an increase in eddy currents. A clear defect signal for the steel plate was obtained even at a low frequency of 1 kHz because the detected signal for steel consists of a frequency-dependent eddy-current component and a magnetization component even at low frequencies.


This study deals with the socio-cultural subjectivities of landlessness with a focus on the Sarki people in the central hills of Nepal who are among the extremely marginalized groups of people in terms of the access and ownership to land resources. It reviews the process of landlessness among the Sarki people and examines the social, economic and cultural process of the landlessness of Sarki people in the historical perspective. The paper is primarily based on a review of existing literature on the land resource distribution and management in Nepal supplemented by information obtained from a field study carried out during September to November 2007 at Naubise of Dhading district. The study has used both quantitative and qualitative information obtained from the field. DOI: 10.3126/opsa.v11i0.3028 Occasional Papers in Sociology and Anthropology Vol.11 2009 16-37


The principles of computer skills have been included in primary and secondary educated since the early 2000s, and the reform of curricula is related to the development of IT. Therefore, curricula should reflect the latest technological trends and needs of society. The development of a curriculum involves the subjective judgment of a few experts or professors to extract knowledge from several similar documents. More objective extraction needs to be based on standardized terminology, and professional terminology can help build content frames for organizing curricula. The purpose of this study is to develop a smart system for extracting terms from the body of computer science (CS) knowledge and organizing knowledge areas. The extracted terms are composed of semantically similar knowledge areas, using the word2vec model. We analyzed a higher-education CS standards document and compiled a dictionary of technical terms with a hierarchical clustering structure. Based on the developed terminology dictionary, a specialized system is proposed to enhance the efficiency and objectivity of terminology extraction. The analysis of high school education courses in India and Israel using the technical term extraction system found that (1) technical terms for Software Development Fundamentals were extracted at a high rate in entry-level courses, (2) in advanced courses, the ratio of technical terms in the areas of Architecture and Organization, Programming Languages, and Software Engineering areas was high, and (3) electives that deal with advanced content had a high percentage of technical terms related to information systems.


In order to assess the presence or absence of fluids under peak metamorphic conditions within the inner aureole of the Etive igneous complex in west Scotland, eight suitable metabasic hornfels samples and one suitable pelitic hornfels were used to calculate water activities using a mineral equilibria. Calculated activities for water are lower than unity in t he pelitic sample and extremely low in the metabasic rocks. These low H2O activities due to dilution of water by other fluid species are unlikely, since no mineralogical evidence for the presence of other fluids were found in the studied rocks. As aconsequence, the low H 2O activities support fluid -absent conditions during the peak metamorphism of the inner aureole rocks. The findings from this study are in good agreement with calculated water activities using water contents of cordierite in the pelitic rocks for the same part of the aureole, suggesting that cordierite in metapelites retained its syn -metamorphic volatiles.


Abstract Eight cores were recovered from Buck Island Underwater National Monument (U.S. Virgin Islands). Facies were defined based on recovered coral species, fabrics observed in core slabs and thin sections, and detailed notes on drilling character. Thirty-six radiometric dates constrained the timing of reef accretion. Together, these data provide a detailed history of reef development under varying regimes of sea-level rise and physical oceanography. Holocene reefs around Buck Island initiated atop a broad antecedent bench at 13–16 meters below present sea level. Shelf flooding near Buck Island occurred as early as 9,500 years ago (CalBP), but preserved reefs lagged by as much as 1,800 years. Earliest reef development was dominated by branching Acropora palmata near the shelf edge and massive corals closer to Buck Island. By 7,200 CalBP, A. palmata apparently declined near the platform margin and was absent until ca. 5,200 CalBP throughout the study area. Over time, the reefs closer to Buck Island built upward (ca. 16 m) and seaward (ca. 50 m), as the rate of sea-level rise slowed and carbonate production increasingly exceeded the accommodation space that was being created. Reef topography and zonation became progressively more distinct, with A. palmata dominating the shallow reef crest. Branching coral apparently disappeared again between ca. 3,030 and 2,005 CalBP for reasons that are not clear. This and the previous decline of A. palmata mimic patterns seen around St. Croix and throughout the Caribbean. By 1,000 CalBP, the reefs close to Buck Island had largely assumed their present character and continued to track slowly rising sea level until the present. Around 1,200 CalBP, vertical accretion along Buck Island Bar apparently ceased. Paradoxically, the surface of this outer reef has historically been dominated by large stands of A. palmata since the area was first described, but rapid coral growth has not resulted in preservation of this species over the last millennium. Modern community structure mimics facies patterns seen in cores. Over the past 7,700 years, the southern reef crest appears to have remained slightly shallower than its northern counterpart, a condition that persists today. Observations after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 suggest that this difference in elevation is related to the piling up of debris on the broader, southern reef crest by high waves from storms passing south of St. Croix. Also, facies along the southern reef are more variable in species composition than their northern counterparts, a condition that is exhibited by the modern reef community. Coral abundance and diversity in the cores (total coral = 20–30%; dominated by A. palmata) are comparable to the community structure present in the late 1970s (Bythell et al. 1993; Hubbard et al. 1993). In contrast, fossil-coral abundance and diversity are consistently higher than what was measured in the 1980s and early 1990s (total coral = 7–14%; A. palmata ≤ 2%), after the onset of White Band Disease, a putative pathogen, which has recently decimated branching acroporids throughout the region. The dominance of branching A. palmata in the cores would seemingly reflect an absence of disease or other factors that would discourage its continued abundance. In apparent contrast, two lengthy gaps in the A. palmata record reflect previous disappearances that roughly correspond to similar lapses elsewhere in the Caribbean. Thus, the spatial persistence of a species in the fossil record cannot necessarily be equated with its temporal continuity. Comparisons between changes in modern reefs on a time scale of decades and their fossil forebears must be made with great care. Understanding the role of short-term changes and how they are reflected in the preserved record is thus critical to relating the late Holocene A. palmata gaps to the recent decline of the species. This has important implications for our understanding of how preserved community structure relates to what actually existed in the past, and could limit our ability to use the recent geologic record as a proxy to short-term, future changes in coral reefs.


Beckwith-Wiedeman Syndrome (BWS) is a rare genetic overgrowth disorder associated with various fetal structural anomalies. It affects approximately 1/14000 births. More frequent fetal features are macrosomia, abdominal wall defect, macroglossia, visceromegaly and associated polyhydramnios. In affected child a few case reports describe elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels related to hepatoblastoma or mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver. A thirty-year-old patient, gravida 3, para 2, was referred to our unit at 34 weeks + 5 days gestation, for fetal macrosomia. The scan confirmed a macrosomic fetus and a 3D/4D scan of the fetal face showed a protruding macroglossia and a fixed opened mouth caused by an increased tongue thickness. Hepatomegaly, nephromegaly, cardiomegaly and polyhydramnios were visualized. The patient had performed a second trimester maternal serum screening, giving a Down Syndrome risk of 1 : 6085 and an elevated AFP level (3.05 MoM). On the basis of ultrasound scan a BWS was suspected. A female newborn was delivered by Cesarean section at term. Clinical evaluation of the neonate confirmed the prenatal features and BWS. The liver scan revealed hepatomegaly with no evidence of liver tumors. AFP was checked after birth and remained elevated. A surgical tongue reduction was performed. Follow-up at 12 months confirmed elevated AFP levels without evidence of liver tumors. Prenatal diagnosis of BWS is important to prevent hypoglycemia that occurs in 30–50% of affected neonates. In our experience when an elevated second trimester serum AFP is associated with fetal macrosomia at the twenty weeks scan a BWS should be included in the possible diagnosis. 3D/4D ultrasound evaluation of fetal face and tongue may be useful in the visualization and definition of macroglossia and viscera size. Elevated serum AFP level in fetuses affected by BWS is not always associated with liver tumors and therefore more causes should be searched for this feature.


This paper presents a Colombian-based study on hydrological modelling metrics, arguing that redundancies and overlap in statistical assessment can be resolved using principal component analysis. Numerous statistical scores for optimal operator water level models developed at 20 hydrological monitoring stations, producing daily, weekly and ten-day forecasts, are first reduced to a set of five composite orthogonal metrics that are not interdependent. Each orthogonal component is next replaced by a single surrogate measure, selected from a set of several original metrics that are strongly related to it, and that in overall terms delivered limited losses with regard to 'explained variance'. The surrogates are thereafter amalgamated to construct a single measure of assessment based on Ideal Point Error. Depending on the forecast period, the use of three or four traditional metrics to deliver a combined evaluation vector, is the minimum recommended set of scores that is needed for analysis to establish the operational performance at a particular station in the gauging network under test.


The lowest-order nonlocal small slope approximation (NLSSA) reflection coefficient is derived, and numerical results are presented for one-dimensional (1D) surfaces, satisfying the Dirichlet boundary condition. Reduction to the perturbation expression occurs in the small height limit, and the first term of the reflection coefficient gives the Kirchhoff approximation (KA) result. Numerical results for the reflection loss at low grazing angles using a Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum are compared with those of other approximate methods as well as with exact integral equation (IE) results. For those cases when exact results are available, the NLSSA is found to give accurate results, comparable to those of the small slope approximation (SSA) and superior to those of classical perturbation theory (PT) and the KA.


Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK, E.C. 18.104.22.168) interconverts ADP + 1,3-bisphospho-glycerate (1,3-bPGA) to ATP + 3-phosphoglycerate (3PGA). While most bacteria have a single pgk gene and mammals possess two copies, plant genomes contain three or more PGK genes. In this study, we identified five Pgk genes in the Zea mays var. B73 genome, predicted to encode proteins targeted to different subcellular compartments: ZmPgk1, ZmPgk2, and ZmPgk4 (chloroplast), ZmPgk3 (cytosol), and ZmPgk5 (nucleus). The expression of ZmPgk3 was highest in non-photosynthetic tissues (roots and cobs), where PGK activity was also greatest, consistent with a function in glycolysis. Green tissues (leaf blade and husk leaf) showed intermediate levels of PGK activity, and predominantly expressed ZmPgk1 and ZmPgk2, suggesting involvement in photosynthetic metabolism. ZmPgk5 was weakly expressed and ZmPgk4 was not detected in any tissue. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the photosynthetic and glycolytic isozymes of plants clustered together, but were distinct from PGKs of animals, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria, indicating that photosynthetic and glycolytic isozymes of plants diversified after the divergence of the plant lineage from other groups. These results show the distinct role of each PGK in maize and provide the basis for future studies into the regulation and function of this key enzyme.


side effects of progesterone usage (headaches, bloating, mood swings, and so on) and this threatens their long-term compliance with the most worthwhile of prophylactic regimes, HRT. And of course a hysterectomy removes the cervix also, henceforth disposing of the need for regular Pap smears, something no-one can claim to be fun! Over a lifetime extended by use of HRT, is it possible that the short-time benefits of a procedure such as endometrial ablation are outweighed by the ongoing costs involved in the purchase of extra drugs, tests, drug-associated side effects and morbidity, doctors' visits, sanitary napkins, and so on? I feel the answer lies in the adequate education of our patients in the understanding of the shortand longterm benefits of procedures such as endometrial ablation and hysterectomy for the individual. Maybe our rates of hysterectomy are greater than comparable nations because Australian women are more intelligent than we are given credit for? Juliet T Bochan, MB BS 32 Shepherds Drrve Cherrybrook. NSW 2126


In rural Ethiopia, firewood and animal dung is the main source of energy which is factors to forest deforestation and degradation of land all severe environmental problems. However, Ethiopia has a vast potential of alternative renewable energy resources (like solar and biogas) that are still unutilized. The aim of study was to assess the determinants of adopting renewable energy sources for minimizing burden on biomass energy source at rural household level in the study area. In order to achieve objectives of the study; data were collected from 452 household heads randomly sampled using survey questionnaire (scheduled interview). In addition to this sample, key informants such as rural village leaders, development agents (government and non-governmental organizations), renewable energy source users and elder people were also sources of primary data using interview checklist and field observation were also done for triangulation of quantitative data. Collected survey data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and econometric model (probit model) using Stata and SPSS software. The statements from key informant interview were often used to substantiate the responses of questionnaire. The findings of the study confirmed that the probability of a household adopting renewable energy sources (biogas and solar) technology increases with decreasing age of head of household, increasing household income, increasing number of cattle owned, increasing size of farm land, increasing location of traditional fuels and while adoption decreases with increasing remoteness of household location from agricultural extension center, health extension center & market service. With respect to renewable energy source adopter households confirmed that more advantages in terms of contribution to reducing environmental pollution and minimize burden on biomass fuels, economical energy source, saves time of women & children and reduce smoke/ashes as compared to non-adopters. Based on the findings, it is recommended that development planers should be work at grass root level for scale up expansion of renewable energy sources. Since, the most bottle neck in expansion of renewable energy sources in the study area were fail to adopt because they fail to understand their immediate use and inadequate information. Finally, both governmental and non-governmental organizations must be encouraged, promoted, implemented, and demonstrated by full-scale plan especially for use in remote rural areas. Keywords: Adoption, deforestation, determinants, households, renewable energy source


Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) aid the growth of national economy to assume increasing importance especially in job establishment, poverty reduction and reducing income variation. Numerous organizations have treaded in to finance their operations, resolve this problem and uphold their commercial success. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of financial factors on success of MSEs business firms in three selected zones. Success of MSEs is measured in expressions of their working-capital, number of workforces, revenue, expansion plus diversification of the work. It was possible to identify finance as the major problem of MSEs firms. Respondents were selected using stratified sampling method. This study focused on MSEs sectors in three selected zones of Afar region. From the study, the most problems identified are credit availability and inappropriate delivery of the finance. MSEs are facing difficulties such as loan payment duration, interest rate, loan amount, as well as other accessibility of monetarist instruments. Thus, most designated independent variables have meaningfully explained the differences in the dependent variable at 10% degree of significance. MFIs should identify appropriate businesses for region before credit.

 Key words: Finance, interest-rate, loan, MSEs, success.


Background: It is unclear how each bundle of the posterior cruciate ligament contributes to posterior knee stability. Hypothesis: Changes in bundle orientation and length occur such that neither bundle dominates in restraining posterior tibial motion throughout knee flexion and extension. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Six fresh-frozen cadaveric knees were studied in a joint-testing rig with individual quadriceps and hamstring muscle loading. Kinematic data for the tibia and femur were obtained at knee flexion angles from 0° to 120°. The joint was then disarticulated, and the insertions of the two bundles on the tibia and femur were digitized. Results: Length of the anterolateral bundle increased with increasing knee flexion angle from 10° to 120°. Length of the posteromedial bundle decreased with increasing knee flexion angle from 0° to 45° and increased slightly from 60° to 120°. Length of the anteromedial bundle was significantly less than that of the posteromedial at 0°, 10°, and 20° of knee flexion. The anterolateral bundle was significantly more horizontal at flexion angles of 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, and 45° (P < 0.05). The posteromedial bundle was more horizontal at 120°. Conclusions: Changes in orientation take place such that neither bundle dominates in restraining posterior tibial motion throughout knee flexion and extension. Clinical Relevance: Double-bundle reconstructions achieve more physiologic knee function.


Evolutionary principles have been increasingly applied to the health sciences over the past 30 years. The discipline that is emerging from these applications, often referred to as evolutionary medicine, has already provided a better understanding of what disease is and why it occurs, and frameworks for more effective interventions. It emphasizes that disease may result from mismatches between present and past environments, but also that humans are continually evolving in response to current environments. It clarifies when treatment of disease manifestations may be helpful or harmful and how interventions to control infectious diseases may lead to antibiotic resistance and vaccine escape.


Thailand is experiencing more acute population aging than most developing Asian countries. Its population aged 60 and older is anticipated to grow from 10% in 2000 to 38% by 2050. Meanwhile, the oldest-old population that is most likely to require long-term care (LTC) is estimated to increase tenfold during the first half of the 21st century. Family has remained a linchpin of support for Thai elders with LTC needs. Given population aging and other demographic trends such as smaller family size, migration of adult children, and lengthening survival at older ages, policy makers are concerned how such socio-demographic changes may have implications for familial support for older persons with LTC needs and in turn, the wellbeing of the elderly. The Thai government has thus far played a limited role in addressing LTC. While Thailand's recent National Plan for Older Persons recognizes the importance of LTC management, empirical evidence to support such policy planning remains lacking. This study provides a situation analysis of recent LTC needs among older persons in Thailand based on nationally representative surveys. Specifically, we examine prevalence of self-care disability (i.e., elderly with difficulty in activities of daily living) and how such disability varies by sociodemographic characteristics of older persons. Moreover, we assess patterns of caregiving, whether care needs are met, and who primarily takes care of older Thais with LTC needs. We are particularly interested in whether older persons with ADL disability take care of him/herself, or whether they have family members (spouse, children, other relatives) or others (friends, paid carers) as the main caregiver. Furthermore, we examine how types of familial and non-familial caregivers and the quality of caregiving (measured by caregiving knowledge) are associated with the wellbeing of older persons with self-care disability. Our analysis is based primarily on the 2014 Survey of Older Persons in Thailand (SOPT), which is the fifth in a series of Thai government surveys of older persons. The sample consists of 34,173 persons aged 60 and over, of which, 2,020 report having self-care disability. Caring for Thai Older Persons with Long-term Care Needs 3


This paper embraces a creative approach to writing—a practitioner's experience of creative pedagogy-in-the making at the intersection of affect and memory. Creativity is understood as energy, a force, soul and spirit, where memory is part of the affective dimension of the continuity of a life and how this is experienced in the author's practice of experimenting with a creative pedagogy-in-the-making. Inner world and the outer world collide as she meanders through the effects and affects of prevailing ideology, sediments of philosophical assumptions yet to be unpacked, and the struggle to express something that cannot be captured in language easily.


Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the perspectives of Hospitalists and Oncologists on Hospitalist-led inpatient oncology care. Methodology: We developed two related surveys, one for Oncologists and one for Hospitalists. These surveys focused on perspectives, communication, and coordination of care. All Hospitalists and Oncologists in our academic health system were invited to participate in this study. Results: A joint total of fifty-two hospitalists and oncologists completed the survey. Oncologists and hospitalists generally agreed that solid tumor patients should be admitted to an oncologist-led service and that the oncologist should lead the discussion of cancer-related concerns, although there appeared to be a misalignment with what happens in practice. Hospitalists indicated that most of the solid tumor patients admitted to their service were "end-of-life" and should have been in palliative/hospice care, while most oncol-Arch ogists reported that they only "occasionally" transitioned these patients to hospice in the in-patient setting. Overall, only 37% of hospitalists rated their overall experience of taking care of solid tumor patients as positive. Ratings indicated they wanted more input from the oncologists. Discussion: The hospitalist-led model for managing solid tumor inpatients has been adapted in many cancer institutions across the United States. This study revealed that there is room for improved coordination of care and communication between hospitalists and oncologists, especially with end-of-life care. It would be very insightful to have both oncologist and hospit-alist-led services and compare metrics for length of stay, mortality, readmission rates, transition to hospice care and physician and patient satisfaction.


Intercropping forage grasses with upland rice is an alternative cropping system to improve agroecosystem diversification and could potentially enhance sustainability in tropical regions. However, nitrogen (N) immobilization and nutrient competition between rice and forage grasses could reduce rice grain yield and decrease overall productivity. Therefore, fertilizer N requirements of upland rice intercropped with forage grasses needs to be better defined. Field experiments were carried out during three growing seasons on a Typic Haplorthox soil in São Paulo state of Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block design with a 3 × 4 factorial scheme with four replications. Treatments were cropping system [monocropped rice (Oryza sativa L.), rice intercropped with palisadegrass (Urochloa brizantha), and rice intercropped with guineagrass (Megathyrsus maximus) and sidedress N application rate (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg N ha−1). Intercropped grasses were sown between upland rice rows 30 days after rice emergence. On average, intercropping of rice with palisadegrass or guineagrass decreased rice shoot dry matter and grain yield by 11% and milled rice productivity by 10% compared with monocropped rice. Grain yield, grain protein, and milled productivity of rice increased as N application rate increased. Forage dry matter production (first and second cut) and crude protein (second cut) were greatest in the rice + palisadegrass intercropping system. Production of both forage grasses increased with up to 80 kg N ha−1 in the first cut and increased linearly with N in the second cut. Intercropping of rice with palisadegrass or guineagrass with 80 kg N ha−1 application resulted in the greatest land equivalent ratio (1.96 and 1.55, respectively). Relative N yield was greatest at 120 kg N ha−1 (220 and 173%, respectively). Although rice monocropping had greatest grain yield, intercropping systems with forage grasses were more favorable from both economic and environmental perspectives by enhancing plant diversification, nutrient cycling with forage grasses, land use production per unit area, and profitability throughout the year.


Semantic web services (SWS) provide rich and formal representations of services by capturing the semantics of requests and service descriptions as well as the context of service interactions. Recently, multiple SWS standards such OWL-S, WSMO, and SAWSDL have emerged making service interoperability increasingly a challenge. In order to leverage the true potential of Semantic Web services, this service heterogeneity problem must be overcome. This paper introduces an OWL-S based mediator for service level and data level mediation across heterogeneous semantic service descriptions. We consider WSMO and SAWSDL service description formalisms and present mediation strategies via OWL-S, by converting service descriptions and mapping the underlying core ontology from WSML to OWL. Through experiments, the proposed mediator is found to be promising.


Aim: Our objective was to develop and implement an intervention program in collaboration with workplace personnel, to evaluate the process as a vehicle to prevent and combat bullying. Methods: The project emanates from a community-based participatory approach. We obtained data from individual and focus group interviews. We used grounded theory methodology, and made a comparative analysis before and after the intervention. Results: Focus group interviews at the three first meetings indicated that those best positioned to prevent and combat bullying were the immediate supervisors, in collaboration with co-workers and upper management. The goal of zero tolerance toward bullying can be achieved if all concerned work together, using a humanistic value system, an open workplace atmosphere, group collaboration and conflict resolution. We developed an intervention, including lecturers and reflection groups, which ultimately resulted in an action plan. Focus group interviews at the fourth meeting, after the implementation, showed that employees were then more aware of bullying problems; the atmosphere at the workplace improved; the collaboration between and within the group was stronger; and the supervisor worked continuously to prevent and combat bullying, using the humanistic values suggested. We propose additional systematic work to implement our action plan and a conflict resolution system. Conclusions: The anti-bullying program implementation in the workplace achieved some success, but the intervention process is ongoing.


The thirst for vengeance is a timeless subject in popular entertainment. One need only think of Old Testament scripture; Shakespeare's Hamlet; Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill or the TV series Revenge, and we immediately conjure up images of a protagonist striving to seek justice to avenge a heinous wrong committed against them. These texts, and others like it, speak to that which is ingrained in our human spirit about not only holding others responsible for their actions, but also about retaliation as payback. This article seeks to problematise the way the popular revenge narrative effectively constructs the vendetta as a guilty pleasure through which the audience can vicariously gain satisfaction, while at the same time perpetuates law's rhetoric that personal desires for vengeance are to be repressed and denied. In particular, the article will demonstrate the way such popular revenge narratives contribute to the pathologising of human desire for payback.


Background:The number of blood borne infections is constantly increasing. Previous research has discovered attitudes and discrimination in the caring relation among nurses towards patients with blood borne infections. Nurses want to keep a distance from patients with blood borne infections, this can be derived from fear and lack of knowledge.Aim:To explore nurses' experience of the caring relation towards patients affected by blood borne infection.Method:A literature study based on ten qualitative studies.Results:In the result, five sub themes were found that described the caring relation. Emotional stress, powerlessness, attitudes, lack of knowledge/fear and knowledge/security were areas that nurses described as either encouraging or inhibiting the relation towards patients with blood borne infections. Uncertainty and lack of knowledge among the nurses were factors that lead to fear of getting virus infected.Conclusion:Lack of knowledge, stigma, helplessness and fear is main factors that influence the caring relation between nurse and patient. Nurses experience lack of support when it comes to caring for patients with blood borne infections, this leads to unsureness and negative attitudes among the nurses.


Objective Fathers are increasingly involved in care of their babies and young children. We assessed the association of resident fathers' involvement with subsequent behaviour of their children, examining boys and girls separately. Methods We used longitudinal data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study for children born in 2000–2001, divided into three separate analysis periods: ages 9 months to 3 years, 3 to 5 years, and 5 to 7 years. By exploratory factor analysis of self-reported attitudes and engagement in caring activities, we derived composite measures of various types of father involvement at 9 months, 3 and 5 years. Where possible we created equivalent measures of mother involvement. Child behaviour was assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which was completed by the mother when the child was aged 3, 5 and 7 years. We estimated gender-specific odds ratios for behaviour problems per quintile of father involvement, using separate logistic regression models for boys and girls in each analysis period. We controlled for a wide range of potential confounders: characteristics of the child (temperament and development at 9 months, and illness and exact age at outcome), equivalent mother involvement where appropriate, and factors related to socioeconomic status, household change, and parental well-being, where statistically significant. Results Paternal positive parenting beliefs at age 9 months and increased frequency of creative play at age 5 years were significantly associated with lower risk of subsequent behaviour problems (SDQ total difficulties) in both boys and girls (p<0.05), odds ratios ranging between 0.81 and 0.89 per quintile of involvement. No associations were observed for other composite measures of caring activity by the father at 9 months, 3 years or 5 years. Conclusion Quality of parenting, rather than the division of routine care between parents, was associated with child behavioural outcomes.


Satsuma (Citrus unshiu Marc.) has been cultivated for a long time in Turkey, and therefore variations for agronomical traits are likely among cultivated satsumas due to bud mutations. The objectives of this study were to determine variations for some selected agronomical traits and genetic markers among 21 new satsumas derived from selections. Fruit yield, fruit quality and molecular diversification of these clones were determined. The clones of 62 Adana, 4/2 Izmir and 11/1 Izmir indicated the highest yield. The fruits obtained from all clones were heavier than the control (Owari Satsuma). Molecular analysis, as assessed with 9 random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 14 simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers, indicated that satsuma clones showed a narrow genetic base suggesting that the observed morphological polymorphism within the group must be associated with somatic mutations which were not detected by these molecular markers.


Doctrinally, Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIRs) represent information that the commander needs to know in order to make a decision or achieve a desired effect. Networked warfare provides the intelligence officer with access to multitudes of sensor outputs and reports, often from unfamiliar sources. Counterinsurgency requires evaluating information across all PMESII-PT categories: Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure Information, Physical Environment and Time. How should analysts evaluate this information? NATO's STANAG (Standard Agreement) 2022 requires that every piece of information in intelligence reports used to answer PIRs should be evaluated along two independent dimensions: the reliability of its source and the credibility of the information. Recent developments in information retrieval technologies, including social search technologies, incorporate metrics of information evaluation, reliability and credibility, such as Google's PageRank. In this paper, we survey various current approaches to automatic information evaluation and explore their applicability to the information evaluation and PIR answering tasks.


ABSTRACT Background In 2011, the authors published an algorithm summarizing practice guidelines related to the use of long-acting antipsychotics (LAIs) called the Québec Algorithme Antipsychotique à Action Prolongée (QAAPAPLE), and proposed that it be revised every 5–10 years to update it according to most recent scientific knowledge. Therefore, a re-evaluation of the algorithm was conducted to determine which recommendations were still relevant and which needed modification. Methods The authors conducted a two-fold approach: a review of the literature to include new evidence since 2011 (controlled trials, meta-analyses, and practice guidelines); and a participatory component involving electronic surveys, conferences, encounters with opinion leadres, and patients' representatives. Results Overall, prescribers tended to make decisions based on personal experience and conversations with colleagues rather than consulting evidence-based guidelines. To test if the algorithm was useful worldwide, it was presented in the United Arab Emirates, where the feedback was in agreement with the algorithm and its limitations. Conclusions Since its initial publication, the QAAPAPLE algorithm has been updated to guide clinicians on the use of LAIs. The new algorithm has also been assessed outside Canada to test its generalizability worldwide, and indicated its flexibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness in order to guide clinicians on the use of LAIs.


A kinetic theory has been developed within the framework of preexisting nucleation theory and applied, for the first time, to investigate the one-step formation of amyloid fibrils. Atomistic Nucleation Theory (ANT) for fibrils, in particular, has been successfully applied to model real peptides and proteins, in order to investigate at the
molecular level the nucleation of amyloid fibrils from a homogeneous solution. Kinetic parameters predicted by the theory, such as the nucleation rates, have been compared successfully to the results of experiments. The present theoretical study has shown that variations in solubility are the primary origin of the changes in the nucleation
rates between a protein and its point-mutations. The same ANT approach allows the analysis of the fibril size distribution, whose results, once again, are consistent with experimental observations. In the last stage of the investigation, computer simulations have been carried out
to test selected assumptions underlying the theory. For the first time, the nucleation of strongly anisotropic systems has been investigated using kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. Novel and unexpected features, never discussed before in either experiments or simulations studies, have been revealed by the simulations. Although obtained
within the study of amyloid fibrils nucleation, these last results are of general validity, providing useful insight on the nucleation of all systems whose molecules interact via strongly anisotropic forces.


Through a European Union funded project called JOLISAA (Joint Learning in Innovation Systems in African Agriculture), the nature of smallholder  oriented innovation systems have been explored in terms of partnerships, triggers that have given rise to them and the nature of the innovations themselves. The main objective was to analyse a broad diversity of multi-stakeholder agricultural innovation processes involving smallholders. The analysis of 11 cases documented comprises innovation bundles composed of technical, organisational and institutional innovations. The eleven cases documented showed that six exhibited non-technical innovation processes frequently related to market access as well as to inputs and services. Triggers that drive smallholders and other stakeholders to initiate  innovation processes include environment stress, introduction of new  technologies, identification of market change as well as policy or regulatory changes. The cases that have been documented show a variation of  stakeholders responsible for initiating the process. In some cases it was smallholders approaching other stakeholders for assistance with addressing a challenge, while in other cases it was researchers or extensionists who undertook to develop an innovation to address a challenge that they had encountered through their interaction with smallholders. All documented cases have involved the contribution of ideas, knowledge and skills by at least three different types of stakeholders and the role of local knowledge has been acknowledge through the study. Out of the eleven cases three cases have been selected for a collaborative case assessment which strives to assess further key issues such as actual roles and contributions of various role-players, the dynamics of the innovation process and outcome. Several opportunities arise for joint learning with small scale farmers.


Stereo-PIV is used to map turbulent strongly swirling flow inside a pipe connected to a closed recirculating system with a transparent test section of 0.6 m in length and a pipe diameter of 0.041 m. The Perspex pipe was immersed inside a water trough to reduce the effects of refraction. The working fluid was water and the Reynolds number based on the bulk average velocity inside the pipe and pipe diameter was equal to 14,450. The turbulent flow proceeds in the downstream direction and interacts with a circular disk. The measurements include instantaneous velocity vector fields and radial profiles of the mean axial, radial and tangential components of the velocity in the regions between the swirler exit and circular disk and around this later. The results for mean axial velocity show a symmetric behavior with a minimum reverse flow velocity along the centerline. As the flow developed along the pipe's length, the intensity of the reversed flow was reduced and the intensity of the swirl decays. The mean tangential velocity exhibits a Rankine-vortex distribution and reached its maximum around half of the pipe's radius. As the flow approaches the disk, the flow reaches stagnation and a complex flow pattern of vortices is formed. The PIV results are contrasted with LDV measurements of mean axial and tangential velocity. Good agreement is shown over the mean velocity profiles.


In the Storyteller, Walter Benjamin writes, 'traces of the storyteller cling to the story the way the handprints of the potter cling to the clay vessel' (92). In this lamenting essay on the question of a vanished art form, Benjamin's  profound thinking on the communicative gesture of art connects at once the sensuous faculty of touch with history of nature and nature of history. However, there is in this passage, a deeper insight, a philosophical one, of nature's role in subjectivization, informed by a mimetic connection that the nature of 'culture industry,' to steal a phrase from Adorno, today has made it to disappear in the 'phantasmagoria' of the object driven world of modern metropolises, traces of which can still be found in the gait of modern day vagabonds, criminals, and flaneurs who roam around the vortex of the city in search of their lost subjectivity. Benjamin himself was a flaneur roaming on the streets of Paris recording the history of modern capitalism. His most promising, unfinished book to come, The Arcades Project which eventually came, traces the development of the modern city, Paris from its ' refuse' of gutters to suburbs. When Benjamin conceived and began to work on The Arcades, sitting in Bibliotheque Nationale, Jean Genet, his contemporary, another nomadic figure perhaps would be serving prison sentences in Paris on accounts of various thefts and criminal activities.


Abstract The distribution of cercariae was studied in 18-cm-sized cuvettes under different lighting conditions, in Plexiglas cylinders (80 cm high) vertically placed in a pond, and when swimming freely in a pond. The vertical distribution and the effect of light intensity on it were relatively similar in the cuvettes, in the cylinders, and in the pond. Each of the species (Schistosoma mansoni, Diplostomum spathaceum, Echinostoma caproni, and Pseudechinoparyphium echinatum) showed its individual distribution within the water column, with distinct changes during the time after shedding. We hypothesize that the species-specific distributions in the water reflect behavioral adaptations to increase the chances of encountering the host spectra.


Zero-shot transfer learning for dialogue state tracking (DST) enables us to handle a variety of task-oriented dialogue domains without the expense of collecting in-domain data. In this work, we propose to transfer the cross-task knowledge from general question answering (QA) corpora for the zero-shot DST task. Specifically, we propose TransferQA, a transferable generative QA model that seamlessly combines extractive QA and multi-choice QA via a text-to-text transformer framework, and tracks both categorical slots and non-categorical slots in DST. In addition, we introduce two effective ways to construct unanswerable questions, namely, negative question sampling and context truncation, which enable our model to handle none value slots in the zero-shot DST setting. The extensive experiments show that our approaches substantially improve the existing zero-shot and few-shot results on MultiWoz. Moreover, compared to the fully trained baseline on the Schema-Guided Dialogue dataset, our approach shows better generalization ability in unseen domains.


With the accelerating pace of discoveries of human genetic variation, and molecular, biochemical, and cellular technologies for cancer care and prevention, there is an urgent need to develop population‐level research, policy and practice processes to translate basic science discoveries into actions that reduce the population burden of cancer in the United States. The emerging scientific translation needs in the genomics era are substantial. Clinical and population sciences are now urgently needed to assess the distribution of genetic variants and their products biomarkers, and interactions with other genes and environmental factors. New methods are needed to assess the contribution of genes and gene‐environment interactions (behavior, nutrition, chemicals, and other exposures) to individual and population risks for various cancers. Behavioral and social sciences are needed to assess how genetic information can be used to effect behavior change to reduce the burden of cancer. As importantly, delivery research on clinical utility, effectiveness, and economics of genomics‐based health care applications are needed to assess their added value in cancer care and prevention. Genomics and related fields will also affect surveillance, dissemination and diffusion research as well as evaluation of cancer progression and survivorship. Without the expansion of clinical and population sciences in genomics, the promise of genome research and discoveries may not reach its full potential in the genomics era. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):PL03-02.


In adult hippocampus, long‐term potentiation (LTP) produces synapse enlargement while preventing the formation of new small dendritic spines. Here, we tested how LTP affects structural synaptic plasticity in hippocampal area CA1 of Long‐Evans rats at postnatal day 15 (P15). P15 is an age of robust synaptogenesis when less than 35% of dendritic spines have formed. We hypothesized that LTP might therefore have a different effect on synapse structure than in adults. Theta‐burst stimulation (TBS) was used to induce LTP at one site and control stimulation was delivered at an independent site, both within s. radiatum of the same hippocampal slice. Slices were rapidly fixed at 5, 30, and 120 min after TBS, and processed for analysis by three‐dimensional reconstruction from serial section electron microscopy (3DEM). All findings were compared to hippocampus that was perfusion‐fixed (PF) in vivo at P15. Excitatory and inhibitory synapses on dendritic spines and shafts were distinguished from synaptic precursors, including filopodia and surface specializations. The potentiated response plateaued between 5 and 30 min and remained potentiated prior to fixation. TBS resulted in more small spines relative to PF by 30 min. This TBS‐related spine increase lasted 120 min, hence, there were substantially more small spines with LTP than in the control or PF conditions. In contrast, control test pulses resulted in spine loss relative to PF by 120 min, but not earlier. The findings provide accurate new measurements of spine and synapse densities and sizes. The added or lost spines had small synapses, took time to form or disappear, and did not result in elevated potentiation or depression at 120 min. Thus, at P15 the spines formed following TBS, or lost with control stimulation, appear to be functionally silent. With TBS, existing synapses were awakened and then new spines formed as potential substrates for subsequent plasticity. © 2015 The Authors Hippocampus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Competitive pressure is lower in markets where goods are more differentiated. I analyze how a change in the degree of horizontal product differentiation affects the incentives of duopolists to disclose quality information. If disclosure is costly, then a firm discloses high qualities but conceals low qualities in equilibrium. The higher the disclosure cost, the higher the equilibrium threshold below which firms conceal quality information. I show that the effect of product differentiation on quality disclosure depends on the cost of disclosure. For low (high) disclosure costs, a firm discloses more (less) quality information if goods become more differentiated.


In the Colombian high-altitude tropics (2,200–3,000 m.a.s.l.), Kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus) is the main feed source for the dairy system. This grass species has good characteristics regarding adaptability and productivity, but is affected by frost, grass bugs (Collaria spp.) and precipitation-related production seasonality. Forage deficits might thus be a problem at several times in a year. As a strategy to maintain production stable, dairy farmers use commercial feed concentrates increasing their production costs. Agrosavia, as a response to this, started in 2005 with the evaluation and selection of new forage species for the Colombian high-altitude tropics. The oat Avena sativa AV25-T was identified as promising alternative to supply the requirements of dry matter in times of deficit and released as cultivar in 2018 under the name Altoandina. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic viability of Altoandina in Colombia's high-altitude dairy systems. Altoandina (Aa) was provided as silage in two different diets: 35%Aa−65% Kikuyu (Yellow Diet) and 65%Aa-35% Kikuyu (Red Diet). The diet for comparison was traditional grazing with 100% Kikuyu grass (Blue Diet). All diets were supplemented with 6kg commercial feed concentrate, 0.5 kg cotton seeds and 0.5 kg Alfalfa meal per cow/day, respectively. To estimate economic indicators, we used a cashflow model and risk assessment under a Monte Carlo simulation model. Including Altoandina incremented productivity per hectare by 82.3 and 220% in the Yellow and Red Diets, respectively. According to the results of our economic model, the Yellow Diet is the best alternative. Its average Net Present Value (NPV) was superior in >80% and showed a lower variability. The indicators Value at Risk (VaR) and probability (NPV < 0) show the Yellow Diet to have the lowest risk for economic loss under different yield/market scenarios. The Yellow Diet also has the lowest unit production costs and uncertainty of productive parameters. According to our findings, supplementation with Altoandina at 35%, i.e., during critical times, has high potential to improve efficiency and profitability. This information is key for the decision-making process of dairy farmers on whether to adopt this technology.


The relationship between the conformational properties of 1-34 human parathyroid hormone [hPTH(1-34)] and the oxidation of its methionine residues, Met8 and Met18, by hydrogen peroxide is analyzed as a function of pH by measuring the rates of oxidation and by performing MD simulations with an explicit representation of water molecules. Between pH 4 and pH 8, both Met8 and Met18 have nearly pH independent rates of oxidation, and Met18 is oxidized at a rate that is 90-100% of that of freeMet and 10-20% faster than that of Met8. We also found that average 2SWCNs calculated from MD simulations correlate well to the rates of oxidation of Met8 and Met18. The use of 2SWCNs is based on the mechanism that we proposed, the water-mediated mechanism, in which water molecules stabilize the transition state via specific interactions, but the transfer of protons (acid-catalyzed mechanism) does not play a role [Chu, J. W., and Trout, B. L. (2004) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126 (3), 900-908]. Only at very low pH values, pH 1 for the oxidation of freeMet, does the acid-catalyzed oxidation mechanism become important. For the oxidation of Met8 and Met18 in hPTH(1-34), the acid-catalyzed mechanism becomes significant at a higher pH value, pH 2, probably due to the proximity of nearby acidic residues to Met8 (Glu4) and Met18 (Glu22). In this study, we have demonstrated that the chemistry of oxidation and the structure of polypeptides can be correlated via a detailed understanding of the reaction mechanism, appropriate sampling of configurational space, and a suitable choice of a structural property, water coordination number.


The primary cesarean section patterns for a two-year premonitoring period, 1967 and 1968, and a two-year postmonitoring period, 1977 and 1978, were determined and compared at a private hospital. The frequency of cesarean section deliveries increased from 5.0% to 14.6% during those times. Cephalopelvic disproportion as an indication for cesarean section was more common than the combined total of breech presentation and fetal distress. Cephalopelvic disproportion increased as a diagnosis from 0.8% to 4.1% (5 X ) of deliveries; breech presentation, from 0.4% to 2% (5 X ); and fetal distress from 0.1% to 0.8% (8 X ). A changing patient population was identified as one contributing factor to the rising cesarean section rate. Allowing patients an adequate trial of labor with or without oxytocin stimulation, applying strict criteria for attempting a vaginal breech delivery and utilizing fetal scalp blood sampling with abnormal fetal heart rate tracings are suggested ways to decrease the cesarean section rate without compromising perinatal morbidity and mortality.


A many-particle operator that affects a transformation to the pseudospin basis in heavy nuclei is identified. Both mean-field and many-particle estimates demonstrate that in the helicity-transformed representation the nucleons move in a finite-depth nonlocal potential with a reduced spin-orbit strength. Because of the close relation between the helicity and chirality operations, the results suggest that the pseudospin symmetry in heavy nuclei yields to the chiral symmetry of massless hadrons in the high energy region.


Summary
Field-margin diversification through conservation and restoration of hedgerows is becoming a prominent intervention for promoting biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in intensive agricultural landscapes. However, how increasing cover of hedgerows in the landscape can affect ecosystem services has rarely been considered.
Here, we assessed the effect of increased field-margin complexity at the local scale and increasing cover of hedgerows in the landscape on the provision of pest control, weed control and potential pollination. Locally, three types of field margin were compared as follows: (i) standard grass margin, (ii) simple hedgerow and (iii) complex hedgerow, along two independent gradients of hedgerow cover and arable land cover in the landscape. We performed an exclusion experiment to measure biological control of cereal aphids and assessed natural enemy and pest abundance in the field. We sampled plant weed communities and performed a phytometer experiment to test the effects of pollinators on plant reproductive success.
At the local scale, planting a new hedgerow or improving its structural complexity and vegetation diversity did not enhance the delivery of ecosystem services in the neighbouring field.
However, high cover of hedgerows in the landscape enhanced aphid parasitism (from 12 to 18%) and potential pollination (visitation rate and seed set increased up to 70%) irrespective of local margin quality. The cover of arable land in the landscape reduced the abundance of plant-dwelling predators and weed diversity, but did not affect the delivery of the investigated ecosystem services.
Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight the key importance of the surrounding landscape context, rather than local factors, to the delivery of ecosystem services. This suggests a need for new policies that pay particular attention to the conservation of hedgerows at large scales for promoting multiple ecosystem services in agroecosystems. Specifically, hedgerows can serve to develop a network of ecological corridors that can facilitate the movement of beneficial organisms, such as pollinators and natural enemies in the agricultural matrix. Such interventions may be a 'low cost–high benefit solution', since farmers can create or conserve high-quality habitats taking little or no land from crop production and without the need to change their crop management.


This thesis investigates the catalytic properties of tartaric acid‐nickel supported catalysts, obtained from hydrotalcite‐like compound precursors, in the enantioselective hydrogenation of methyl acetoacetate to methyl 3‐hydroxybutyrate. Variables of reaction during modification such as pH and tartaric acid concentration, as well as Ni particle size above a minimum threshold of ca. 20 nm, proved not to have a major effect on enantioselectivity. However, the nature of the cations constituting the catalyst support was found to influence the enantioselectivity observed. Specifically, when iron or chromium were constituents of the supporting oxide matrix, enantioselectivities were found to be much higher. For systems containing nickel, magnesium (or zinc) and aluminium as the cations present in the parent hydrotalcite phase, when a series of materials of the same composition obtained from different synthetic methods, the urea hydrolysis method leads to catalysts with enantiodifferentiation ability, whereas materials prepared by the coprecipitation method does not. Also, this thesis researches the use of different types of ordered mesoporous silicas as supports of tartaric‐acid nickel in the aforementioned reaction. Even though the techniques of metal deposition explored did not allow incorporation of Ni in the internal surface of the materials, it was found that the morphology of the support plays an important role in enantioselectivity. In addition, for a given material, the incorporation of Ni via solid state reaction resulted in a catalyst with improved catalytic properties compared to one prepared by wet impregnation techniques.


I This thesis has examined the 30km long rail corridor through the Lower Buller Gorge, on the Stillwater Ngakawau Line, between SNL96 and 126km, using a landslide risk management approach. The project area is characterised by high annual rainfall (>2,000mm per year), and steep topography (slopes typically ≥20°) adjacent to the rail corridor. The track formation generally follows the natural contour near the base of the hillslope through the Lower Buller Gorge, and consequently involves many curves but relatively limited cut slopes into adjacent rock outcrops. The distance between the base of adjacent hillslopes and rail is frequently <2m horizontally. A variety of basement and Tertiary lithologies are present, including granite, breccias, indurated sandstone/mudstone, and limestone. The primary focus of this thesis has been on upslope-sourced landsliding onto the rail corridor, and on two short lengths (20m and 450m) that currently have a 25km/hour speed restriction imposed at Whitecliffs and Te Kuha respectively. Rainfall-induced and earthquake-generated landslide triggering mechanisms were examined in detail. A landslide inventory has been compiled to determine the characteristics and distribution of identified slope failures over time, and to establish any correlation with topography and geology. Sixty individual landslide events were identified since the line became fully operational in the 1940s, based on desktop reviews, and field inspections for more recent events. To reflect the presence of small magnitude landslide events, a project-specific logarithmic classification of landslides was adopted from <10m 3 (very small volume) to ≥10,000m 3 (very large volume). An absence of a higher proportion of 'very small' to 'small' landslide volumes (<100m 3 ) in the inventory reflects incomplete reporting of these comparatively lower magnitude, but higher frequency, events. The establishment of a robust landslide inventory to document future events, in a consistent and readily accessible format, is required for continued monitoring and review of landslide risk management practices in the Lower Buller Gorge. Combining landslide inventory data and physical characteristics of the project area enabled the development of a qualitative landslide zonation map that assigned 'high', 'high-moderate', 'moderate' and 'low' landslide susceptibility classes. The principal area of slope instability above the rail corridor is 22.5km in length between SNL103.5 and 126.0km, associated predominantly with basement lithologies (Tuhua Granite; Hawks Crag Breccia; Greenland Group). The most frequently occurring landslides are shallow, typically less than 3m deep, translational failures triggered in regolith or colluvium materials. Rainfall-induced debris slides and flows are dominant, given the high annual rainfall and associated high frequency of high intensity or long duration rainfall events. Very small to medium landslides (<1,000m 3 ) have the potential to impact the rail corridor with an average frequency of around one every two years, causing damage to infrastructure or affecting rail operations. Very large landslides (≥10,000m 3 ) can be expected every 10 to 20 years based on a limited historical record. The narrow rail corridor and absence of sufficient catch areas above or adjacent to the rail causes continual operational challenges due to upslope-sourced landslide debris, and high susceptibility to slope failures, particularly west of SNL103.50km. Development of a rainfallthreshold for proactive inspection of the rail corridor is recommended, including the establishment of a rain gauge network through the Lower Buller Gorge. Earthquake-generated landslides significantly impacted the rail during the magnitude 7.1 Inangahua earthquake in 1968 and to a much lesser extent during the magnitude 6.1 Westport earthquake in 1991. The rail was not fully constructed through the Lower Buller Gorge at the time of the magnitude 7.8 Buller (Murchison) Earthquake in 1929, which generated widespread landsliding in the Buller and Nelson regions. Earthquake-generated landsliding can be expected through the Lower Buller Gorge from earthquakes of magnitude ≥6, and track inspection is recommended in the event of magnitude 5 or greater earthquakes. Detailed geological characterisation and mapping at Whitecliffs and Te Kuha was conducted, including a LiDAR survey at Whitecliffs that enabled visualisation of the ground surface without the interference of vegetation. The limestone outcrop at Whitecliffs comprises 60-70m high near-vertical cliffs with a well-established talus apron at the base, extending to the rail corridor. Three widely spaced open fractures sets are present at the top of Whitecliffs that propagate into the cliff-face. There has been no detectable movement on selected key fracture sets since monitoring commenced in 1993 and there is no confirmed evidence of large-scale cliff collapse during the 1968 Inangahua earthquake. Whitecliffs is not as susceptible to failure as other slopes inspected in the project area due to structural controls, primarily being the dipping of strata back into the cliff-face and widely space joint sets. Establishment of inspection protocols for earthquake events impacting the area, including real-time monitoring of selected fractures at Whitecliffs is recommended. A 2km-length corridor site model produced for Te Kuha demonstrated 'high' landslide susceptibility is not confined to slopes above the existing 450m speed restriction zone. Removal of the speed restrictions at Whitecliffs and Te Kuha can be considered, as the increased exposure time is not considered sufficient justification given the extent of other susceptible areas to landsliding affecting the Lower Buller Gorge rail corridor. The principal conclusion from this thesis project is that there is on-going risk to rail operations predominantly from shallow translational landsliding in regolith-colluvium materials. The majority of these will be generated by long-duration or intense rainfall events. Development of threshold-based methods for effective track management is recommended, including the establishment of a rain gauge network through the Lower Buller Gorge, and landslide inventory database. Site-specific engineering measures could be adopted, such as catch benches or avalanche-type shelters, where justified on a cost-benefit basis.


Nine cases of giant unclippable aneurysms treated with the detachable balloon technique are reported. Adjunctive surgical bypass procedures and arterial ligation were also carried out in four and one cases, respectively. All the patients tolerated occlusion of the carotid artery (eight cases) or of both vertebral arteries (one case). Three patients developed neurologic complications: two transient and one permanent (blindness in one eye). The complications occurred when attempts were made to occlude the aneurysm lumen only to preserve the carotid blood flow. Permanent occlusion of the carotid artery appears safer than aneurysm obliteration. Surgical procedures are necessary if the patient does not tolerate permanent occlusion of the artery or if occlusion of the artery is insufficient to obtain thrombosis of the aneurysm.