Purpose: Recent advances in laser technology have facilitated proton (light ion) acceleration using laser‐induced plasmas. In this work, we investigate target chamber designs and their shielding requirements for a laser‐proton therapy system. Method and Materials: This new therapy system employs laser‐accelerated protons. If successfully developed, it may provide a compact and cost‐effective solution to energy‐ and intensity‐modulated proton therapy (EIMPT). Since laser‐accelerated protons have broad energy and angular distributions, which are not suitable for radiotherapy applications directly, we have designed a compact particle selection and beam collimating system for EIMPT beam delivery. The target chamber contains the laser focusing and target assembles and is connected to the protonbeam collimation and particle selection device. Monte Carlo simulations using MCNPX and FLUKA have been performed to verify the shielding walls for the experimental setup, which consist of stainless steel, polystyrene and lead.Results: The primary particles resulting from the laser‐target interaction are protons and electrons. Our particle in cell simulation predicted energy spectra with 300 MeV maximum energy for protons and 20 MeV for electrons for a laser intensity of 1021 W/cm2. The maximum number was 1011 and 1012 per pulse for protons and electron, respectively. Our Monte Carlo simulations showed that a combination of 1/4″ 304 stainless steel, 6″ polystyrene and 3″ lead will reduce the combined leakage dose equivalent to 0.32 μSv (0.032 mrem) per laser pulse at 1 m from the chamber, which included the effect of all primary and secondary particles. Conclusion: We have designed an experimental setup to accommodate the laser focusing mirror, the target assemblies, the beam collimator and the particle selection system. Different shielding walls are designed to ensure the leakage dose equivalent to within 20 μSv (2 mrem)/week.


The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for COVID-19 pneumonia, a pandemic that precipitates huge pressures on the world's social and economic systems. Disease severity varies among individuals. SARS-CoV-2 infection can be associated with e.g. flu-like symptoms, dyspnoea, severe interstitial pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan dysfunction, and generalized coagulopathy. Nitric oxide (NO), is a small signal molecule that impacts pleiotropic functions in human physiology, which can be involved in the significant effects of COVID-19 infection. NO is a neurotransmitter involved in the neural olfactory processes in the central nervous system, and some infected patients have reported anosmia as a symptom. Additionally, NO is a well-known vasodilator, important coagulation mediator, anti-microbial effector and inhibitor of SARS-CoV replication. Exhaled NO is strongly related to the type-2 inflammatory response found in asthma, which has been suggested to be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several reports indicate that the use of inhaled NO has been an effective therapy during this pandemic since the ventilation-perfusion ratio in COVID-19 patients improved afterwards and they did not require mechanical ventilation. The aim of this mini-review is to summarize relevant actions of NO that could be beneficial in the treatment of COVID-19.


Calcium carbonate particles with different morphologies were fabricated by the precipitation reaction of sodium carbonate with calcium chloride in the absence and presence of the copolymer poly(styrene-alt-maleic acid) (PSMA) at 80oC, respectively. The as-prepared products were characterizedwith SEM, XRD, Infrared and BET surface areas. The results showed that the pH of solution and the concentration of PSMA and CaCO3 significantly influenced the morphologies of CaCO3 particles. Various crystal morphologies of calcium carbonate, such as plates, rhombohedras, rods, ellipsoids, dumbbells, peanuts, spheres etc., could be obtained depending on the experimental conditions.


Based on Landau-Devonshire theory, the electrothermal properties of PbTiO3 bulk and film are computed near the temperatures of their phase transitions. A first-order ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition is present in PbTiO3 bulk. The coercive electric field at 700 K is about 25 MV m-1. High applied electric fields drive the transition to higher temperatures and the P−T curves to be continuous. For PbTiO3 film, the second-order phase transition reduces the excess entropy, and thereby the isothermal entropy change. With increasing electric field, the excess specific heat capacity becomes small, despite higher transition temperatures. The change of in-plane tensile misfit stress lowers the transition temperature. Besides, the adiabatic temperature change and the refrigerant capacity of PbTiO3 bulk are 4.76 K and 94.1 kJ m-3, respectively.


MAE 1106. INTRODUCTION TO AEROSPACE ENGINEERING. 1 Hour. An introduction to human flight and to the field of aerospace engineering through a combined theoretical and hands-on approach. Topics covered include history of flight and aerospace engineering and introductions to aerostatics and aerodynamics, aerospace structures, stability and control, and propulsion. Some College of Engineering requirements are satisfied by the content of this course. Prerequisite: C or better in MATH 1426 (or concurrent enrollment) or MATH 1426 qualifying score in Math Placement Test; or student group.


ABSTRACT Earlier work has indicated that communal wine consumption events (e.g. wine tourism) are driven through employing a market orientation, namely, the firm-wide implementation of the marketing concept. Although market-oriented activities are intended to create value for customers, many vineyards and wineries are small and lack the resources and capabilities that are needed to achieve these outcomes. Consequently, there could be merits in owner-managers employing a collaborative (rather than individualistic) business model to overcome their limited tangible and intangible assets. In practice, this could be undertaken via cooperating with their competitors (coopetition) to help them to host or participate in communal wine consumption events. Therefore, grounded in resource-based theory, this current investigation reviews the literature surrounding these issues (focusing on the wine industry) to develop a conceptual framework examining the relationship between market-oriented activities and communal wine consumption events under the moderating role of coopetition. This provides the wider alcohol-focused community of scholars with new evidence on how a market orientation can be enhanced by wine producers collaborating with rival businesses to create positive experiences for their chosen customer segments. This includes drawing upon 'best practices' from several wine-producing nations about how decision-makers can navigate these organisation-wide activities.


The family Solemyidae represents ancestral protobranch bivalves with the shallow-water genus Solemya and the deep-sea genus Acharax. All known members of this family host symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in their gill filaments. Analysis of 18S rRNA gene sequences of Acharax specimens from methane-seeps off Makran (Pakistan), Java (Indonesia), the Aleutian Trench and off the Oregon, Costa Rica, and Peru margins revealed that Solemya spp. and Acharax spp. are well-separated genetically. This supports the current systematic distinction based on morphological criteria. We found 2 clearly distinct clusters within the genus Acharax, with specimens from the Makran, Oregon and Peru (MOP) margins in one (MOP–Acharax) cluster, and those from Java, the Aleutian Trench and Costa Rica (JAC) in the other (JAC–Acharax) cluster. The separation of MOP– and JAC–Acharax clusters from each other and from Solemya (S. reidi and S. velum) is well-supported by phylogenetic calculations employing maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony. Compared to genetic distances among other protobranch groups, distances between the MOP– and JAC–Acharax clusters would justify the affiliation of these clusters to separate species. This implies that species differentiation in Acharax based on shell morphology is likely to underestimate true species diversity within this taxon. Furthermore, our results support the hypothesis that genetic separation of Solemya and Acharax is congruent with the phylogeny of their bacterial endosymbionts.


In this study, artificial defects in various diameters are formed on inner race, outer race and ball bearing which are essential components of a bearing and vibration signals are collected by a data acquisition card from bearing-shaft setup. The signals acquired are decomposed from noise with wavelet transform; thus vibration signal resulting from normal operation of the system is obtained. The energy of noisy and noise-free signal is calculated and the wavelet coefficients that will be used in classifying are obtained. As a conclusion of experimental studies, the technique based on wavelet transform coefficients accomplishes the classifications of different bearings fault types successfully.


The paper aims to explore hybrid organisations focusing on experiences originated by Italian social entrepreneurship. Moving from the assumption that social co-ops can be considered as "original" hybrid organisations, the paper aims to understand new forms of hybrid organisations (so called "second generation hybrids") as result of social innovation paths. In that sense the paper firstly aims to highlight "generative mechanisms" (having exogenous as well as endogenous origins – e.g. the Italian legislative decree n. 179/2012 on start-up enterprises, the promotion of community enterprises, impact investing tools, and so on). Then an additional goal is to point out specific elements to define characteristics of organisational hybrids originated by social co-ops that according to literature on hybrids are: business model, organisational form, leadership style, governance, and financial resources structure. These topics allow to highlight some key elements useful to advise entrepreneurs and policy makers on social innovation promotion and development. Hybrid organisations recently introduced a new way in doing enterprise. Hybrids are entrepreneurial entities whose main goal is pursuing systemic social improvements (social innovation) though their business. In other terms, they are agents of the so called "systemic innovation", that is "an interconnected set of innovations, where each one influences the others, with innovation both in the single parts of the system and in the ways in which they are interconnected" whose "benefits can be realized only in conjunction with related, complementary innovations" and "that require significant adjustments in other parts of the business system they are embedded in". Particularly, in Italy a strong attempt in dealing with social needs to develop well-being and community growth levels is introducing new forms of social entrepreneurship that could be identify within hybridization processes originated by Italian social co-ops (both individually and within networks/consortia). The paper is firstly based on a literature review on hybrid organisations aimed at point out the definition, generative processes, specific elements describing hybrids – business model, organisational form, leadership style, governance, and financial resources structure – at international level. Moreover a database collecting information on 74 hybrid organisations originated from Italian social co-ops (particularly within CGM Co-operative Group) is the second type of resource used. Finally a relevant Italian case study has been developed in order to explore hybridization processes' characteristics more in depth.


We present results of a search for anomalous production of two photons together with an electron, muon, $\tau$ lepton, missing transverse energy, or jets using $p\bar{p}$ collision data from 1.1-2.0 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). The event yields and kinematic distributions are examined for signs of new physics without favoring a specific model of new physics. The results are consistent with the standard model expectations. The search employs several new analysis techniques that significantly reduce instrumental backgrounds in channels with an electron and missing transverse energy.


Are people wiser when reflecting on other people's problems compared with their own? If so, does self-distancing eliminate this asymmetry in wise reasoning? In three experiments (N = 693), participants displayed wiser reasoning (i.e., recognizing the limits of their knowledge and the importance of compromise and future change, considering other people's perspectives) about another person's problems compared with their own. Across Studies 2 and 3, instructing individuals to self-distance (rather than self-immerse) eliminated this asymmetry. Study 3 demonstrated that each of these effects was comparable for younger (20–40 years) and older (60–80 years) adults. Thus, contrary to the adage "with age comes wisdom," our findings suggest that there are no age differences in wise reasoning about personal conflicts, and that the effects of self-distancing generalize across age cohorts. These findings highlight the role that self-distancing plays in allowing people to overcome a pervasive asymmetry that characterizes wise reasoning.


The American establishment media is in crisis. With newsmakers primarily driven by profit, sensationalism and partisanship shape news coverage at the expense of information necessary for effective self-government. Focused on cable news in particular this Note proposes a Journalism Ratings Board to periodically rate news programs based on principles of good journalism. The Board will publish periodic reports and display the news programs' ratings during the programs themselves, similar to parental guidelines for entertainment programs. In a political and legal climate hostile to command-and-control regulation, such an incentive-based approach will help cable news fulfill the democratic function of the press.


The divine religions i.e. Islam, Christianity and Judaism have numerous features in their respective legal systems. They have common or distinctive provisions (ahkam) about various sins such as murder, theft, adultery, bribery, false witnessing, oppression and injustice. In addition to the legal rulings pertaining to these cases, respect for parents and elders have always been an issue of critical nature. In the aforementioned universal religions, respect for parents and elders constitutes a religious obligation. Therefore, by complying with this order one deserves to be rewarded and one who fails to comply with it would be severely punished. This article deals with perception of parents in Judaism. It endeavours to ascertain the status of the parents in Jewish culture by examining a number of Judaic sources regarding this issue.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioavailability and health effects of plastic contaminants on borehole water stored in plastic containers. Three brands of plastic containers filled with borehole water were collected from homes in Ugbowo, Benin city. Physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. Total bacterial and coliform counts were determined using the pour plate technique. Conductivity, TDS, Chloride, Sulphate and Nitrate were within the recommended standards while turbidity and total iron were above recommended standards. The isolates identified include: Klebsiella sp, Bacillus sp, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus flavus, Saccharomyces sp and Aspergillus niger. The total bacterial count in the water samples ranged from 1.4×10cfu/ml to1.8×10cfu/ml at week four while fungal counts was 1.3×10cfu/ml to 1.6×10cfu/ml. Bisphenol A was discovered to leach at detectable levels from the plastic containers as storage increased. The result of the BPA analysis revealed that BPA congeners ranged from 0.023mg/l within days of collection to 0.251ml/l at the fourth week of storage. This study has shown that storage of borehole water in plastic containers for prolonged period affects the bacteriological and chemical properties of the water, hence storage of borehole water in plastic for prolonged periods should be discouraged and discontinued.


Background Indicators to evaluate progress towards timely access to safe surgical, anaesthesia, and obstetric (SAO) care were proposed in 2015 by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery. Despite being rapidly taken up by practitioners, datapoints from which to derive them were not defined, limiting comparability across time or settings. We convened global experts to evaluate and explicitly define - for the first time - the indicators to improve comparability and support achievement of 2030 goals to improve access to safe affordable surgical and anaesthesia care. Methods and findings The Utstein process for developing and reporting guidelines through a consensus building process was followed. In-person discussions at a two day meeting were followed by an iterative process conducted by email and virtual group meetings until consensus was reached. Participants consisted of experts in surgery, anaesthesia, and obstetric care, data science, and health indicators from high, middle, and low income countries. Considering each of the six indicators in turn, we refined overarching descriptions and agreed upon data points needed for construction of each indicator at current time (basic data points), and as each evolves over 2-5 (intermediate) and >5 year (full) timeframes. We removed one of the original six indicators (one of two financial risk protection indicators was eliminated) and refined descriptions and defined data points required to construct the 5 remaining indicators: geospatial access, workforce, surgical volume, perioperative mortality, and catastrophic expenditure. Conclusions To track global progress toward timely access to quality SAO care, these indicators – at the basic level - should be implemented universally. Intermediate and full evolutions will assist in developing national surgical plans, and collecting data for research studies.


Estimation of mineral resources and reserves with low values of error is essential in mineral exploration. The aim of this study is to estimate and model a vein type deposit using disjunctive kriging method. Disjunctive Kriging (DK) as an appropriate nonlinear estimation method has been used for estimation of Cu values. For estimation of Cu values and modeling of the distribution of Cu in Chelkureh, samples have been taken from 48 drill holes in Chelkureh, and the values of Cu have been analyzed. Resulting data from analyzing Cu values were converted to standard normal values using Hermite polynomials. Variography has been done in the Chelkureh deposit. After studying variograms in different directions, it was found out that the ore deposit has a mild anisotropy. The best-fitted variogram model was considered for disjunctive kriging estimation. The model consists of a pure nugget effect with 0.46 amplitude plus a spherical scheme with sill 1.20 and range 140 m. Consequently, a three-dimensional model of estimated value and error estimated value was provided by disjunctive kriging to divide the ore into an economic and uneconomic part. The models based on the estimate of the DK method in the study area exhibited an increasing trend of concentration from the center to North. Finally, validation between the disjunctive kriging carried out by using cross-validation. The result showed that the correlation of estimated values and real values was strong (63.4%).


Gastrointestinal (GI) disease in the elderly has evoked little interest in GI clinicians and researchers, yet causes major disability. The clinical care of the bed-bound nursing home resident is greatly complicated by swallowing difficulties and fecal incontinence, but the gastroenterologist has little to offer. Peptic ulcers now are found in the elderly, where 90% of deaths occur. Research is beginning to clarify how the susceptibility to peptic ulcer disease may increase with age. Gastroenterologists are uncertain whether or when malabsorption may contribute to malnutrition in older subjects. Novel malabsorptive disorders, such as bacterial overgrowth without a structural cause, may result in nutritional disorders. Overall, physicians tend to reduce drug dosages and therefore undertreat the elderly: evidence suggests that little reduction in GI drug dosage is needed because of age alone. Gastrointestinal disturbances in the elderly require the attention and acumen of clinical gastroenterologists.


Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to analyze the effect of financial inclusion on sustainable economic growth for Indonesian banking companies, and to investigate the effect of financial inclusion on sustainable economic growth through financial system stability. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research is a quantitative study using secondary data taken from annual financial statements of banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) over the period 2010-2017. Findings: The results show that (a) the financial inclusion does not affect sustainable economic growth in Indonesian banking companies, and (b) the financial system stability mediates the effect of financial inclusion on sustainable economic growth in Indonesian banking companies. Practical Implications: This study provides deeper insight into the factors that drive financial inclusion and an increase in market share and financial performance of banks. With conditions of inclusion that are still low in Indonesia while the number of banks is increasing, it is necessary to have strong financial system stability. By understanding the matrix in financial inclusion, managers are well-positioned to understand the strategies needed to promote financial inclusion so that market share increases. Likewise, the results of the present study are probable to be an input for other stakeholders for their consideration in decision making. Originality/Value: Empirical research that explores the effects of financial inclusion, and sustainable economic growth in Indonesia is still very limited. According to our knowledge, no one has examined the use of financial system stability as mediation as it is used in this study.


Silviculture is about the deliberate manipulation of a forest to achieve defined objectives. It can be thought of as the art of producing and tending a forest. The notion of "appropriate" silviculture is very important when considering silviculture for community forests because silvicultural approaches and prescriptions need to be appropriate for local users while also ensuring that they promote the long term sustainability of the forest. Experience suggests that not all community forests require the application of sophisticated silvicultural regimes or the use of inventory data to schedule yields. Many can be managed perfectly well by the application of very simple silvicultural regimes and little or no need to collect inventory data. The needs of the most complex situation (sophisticated silvicultural system and inventory) should not be the model for all community forestry silviculture. At best, conventional silvicultural regimes and inventory practices require major revision for community forestry. It is clear that community forestry will achieve its full potential only if a holistic view is taken and a number of enabling conditionalities are met. These include: secure tenure, an enabling regulatory framework, strong governance, viable technology (including appropriate silviculture), adequate market knowledge and a supportive bureaucracy. These all need to be present for community forestry to operate at its full potential to deliver the biophysical and socio-economic outcomes that are expected of it. Viable technology, including appropriate silviculture informed by good science, is one of these important conditionalities but it is not the only one. Sustainable outcomes require much more than the application of technical forestry. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page : 6-14


Since reinforcement learning algorithms are notoriously data-intensive, the task of sampling observations from the environment is usually split across multiple agents. However, transferring these observations from the agents to a central location can be prohibitively expensive in terms of the communication cost, and it can also compromise the privacy of each agent's local behavior policy. In this paper, we consider a federated reinforcement learning framework where multiple agents collaboratively learn a global model, without sharing their individual data and policies. Each agent maintains a local copy of the model and updates it using locally sampled data. Although having N agents enables the sampling of N times more data, it is not clear if it leads to proportional convergence speedup. We propose federated versions of on-policy TD, off-policy TD and Q-learning, and analyze their convergence. For all these algorithms, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to consider Markovian noise and multiple local updates, and prove a linear convergence speedup with respect to the number of agents. To obtain these results, we show that federated TD and Q-learning are special cases of a general framework for federated stochastic approximation with Markovian noise, and we leverage this framework to provide a unified convergence analysis that applies to all the algorithms.


In order to clearly visualize the video structure and provide a user-friendly video content review and retrieve system, we firstly apply total variation (TV) metric to video shot segmentation and propose a novel video visualization method in this paper. Firstly, video data visualization design principles are proposed based on the analysis of video data characteristics. Secondly, a TV metric is proposed to measure the distance between two video frames. Then, video shots are detected by TV metric, and video key frames are extracted by K-means algorithm. Finally, according to the proposed video visualization design principles, a spiral video visualization method is proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed video visualization method can express the video content and the whole structure directly and clearly.


Background: Aquatic leech invade mucosal membrane and causes anemia. Until now, there is not any commercial effective drug for controlling of this parasite. In this experimental study, investigated the effect of some chemical and herbal drugs against leech (Limnatis nilotica). Methods: Methanolic extract of Artemisia kermanensis and Artemisia spp and hydroalcoholic extracts of Scrophularia deserti, Quercus brantii and Achillea spp was prepared. . Each drugs was tested in one group with 9 replicates. Each leech preserve in one separated jar and drugs were added to each jar. Albendazole used as commercial anti-parasite and distilled water was used as negative control. The movement and respond of each Leech was recorded for 720 minutes. Also, the leeches were monitored for paralysis and death in this duration. Results: In this study, leeches receiving albendazol (600mg) died at 138 min after exposure with albendazol. But exposure with methanolic extracts of Artemisia kermanensis (600 mg), Artemisia spp (600 mg) and hydroalcoholic extracts of Quercus brantii (600 mg), Achillea spp (600 mg) and Scrophularia deserti (600 mg) have no effect on liviability of leeches. Methanolic extract of Artemisia kermanensis with doses of 1800 and 2400 mg, caused death in leeches after 720, 635 and 188 minutes, respectively. Also, methanolic extracts of Arthemisia spp with doses of 1200, 1800 and 2400 mg, caused death in leeches after 720 , 600 and 601 minutes, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the herbal drugs that used in this study with compare to albendazole have no considering effect on Limniatis nilotica.


Location-awareness can be applied to the various consumer applications. A received signal strength (RSS) based localization system is relatively inexpensive and simple to be implemented without additional hardware supports. However, the radio signals are strongly affected by the obstructed interferences. This is a difficult problem for the RSS based localization systems to be implemented in real world. To solve this problem, we propose a practical and robust localization algorithm in the obstructed environments. The proposed algorithm uses the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) based on the position probability grid. In addition, the proposed algorithm detects and compensates the large measurement error using the Min-Max algorithm. We evaluated the performance of the proposed algorithm in the obstructed environments. Performance results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other algorithms on the obstructed environments.


The Lena River Delta in Northern Yakutia forms one of the largest deltas in the Arctic and its catchment area (2 430 000 km2) is one of the largest in the whole of Eurasia. The study site is one of the coldest and driest places on Earth, with a mean annual air temperatures of about -13 °C, a large annual air temperature range of about 44 °C and summer precipitation usually less than 150 mm. Permafrost plays a major role for storage and release of water to rivers and surface and subsurface water bodies. Very cold continuous permafrost of about −8.6°C underlays the area between about 400 and 600 m below the surface and since 2006 the permafrost has warmed more than 1°C at 10.7 m.

Roughly half of the land surface is dominated by wet surfaces, such as polygons, thermokarst lakes and ponds. Ponds are generally well mixed and experience high water temperatures up to 23°C during the summer and therefore are hotspots for biological activity and CO2 emission. Compared to the gaseous emissions, however, the lateral export of dissolved carbon from the polygonal tundra was negligible due to the small volumes of runoff. The ponds in the study area freeze completely in winter, whereas the deeper thermokarst lakes do not freeze to the bottom. These deep thermokarst lakes are thermally stratified during winter and reach maximum water temperatures of up to 19°C during summer. There are distinct differences in the zooplankton community between ponds and lakes, depending on their hydrological and chemical characteristics. Most productive ecosystems are thermokarst ponds with a high abundance of zooplankton and biomass.

The summer water balance at the catchment scale was found to be mainly controlled by vertical fluxes (precipitation and evapotranspiration). Overall, the long-term summer storage (precipitation minus evapotranspiration) in the polygonal tundra from 1958-2011 is reasonably balanced with an average surplus of 5 mm. But it is also characterized by high inter-annual variability due to changes in precipitation. During negative water balance years where evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, shallow water bodies dry out. This indicates that the extent of wetlands and water bodies will shift with changes in vertical water fluxes as well as permafrost warming and thaw.


It remains unknown whether tobacco smoke induces DNA hypermethylation as an early event in carcinogenesis or as a late event, specific to overt cancer tissue. Using MethyLight assays, we analyzed 316 lung tissue samples from 151 cancer-free subjects (121 ever-smokers and 30 never-smokers) for hypermethylation of 19 genes previously observed to be hypermethylated in nonsmall cell lung cancers. Only APC (39%), CCND2 (21%), CDH1 (7%), and RARB (4%) were hypermethylated in >2% of these cancer-free subjects. CCND2 was hypermethylated more frequently in ever-smokers (26%) than in never-smokers (3%). CCND2 hypermethylation was also associated with increased age and upper lobe sample location. APC was frequently hypermethylated in both ever-smokers (41%) and never-smokers (30%). BVES, CDH13, CDKN2A (p16), CDKN2B, DAPK1, IGFBP3, IGSF4, KCNH5, KCNH8, MGMT, OPCML, PCSK6, RASSF1, RUNX, and TMS1 were rarely hypermethylated (<2%) in all subjects. Hypermethylation of CCND2 may reflect a smoking-induced precancerous change in the lung.


New research into the medicinal properties of compounds within Cannabis is changing the way this convert plant material is used, both in Western Australia and around the world. The abuse of Cannabis as an illicit and recreational drug has been the focus of research for many decades, however this focus is shifting towards potential therapeutic benefits, such as pain relief and anti-seizure applications. Cannabis contains many compounds of pharmacological relevance, but the group of most interest is the cannabinoids. These include the main psychoactive component of Cannabis, Δ 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the focus of legislation in Australia, with regulation for manufacture of hemp materials restricting content to less than 0.3% w/w. There are numerous other cannabinoids that may be of benefit for medicinal applications, as they appear not to exhibit the negative psychoactive effects of THC. In order for them to be better understood and developed, new analytical techniques are needed to identify and quantify these other cannabinoids.

The aim of this study was to utilise current instrumentation to develop and optimise a method to separate and quantify 11 common cannabinoids. The target cannabinoids were: Δ 8 and Δ 9THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidivarin (CBDV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A). The three instrumental techniques explored were gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), liquid chromatography/photodiode array (LC/PDA) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).

GC/MS is well-established for both cannabinoid analysis and Δ 9THC quantification. The method optimised in this study utilized previous work, with a focus on neutral cannabinoids. After optimisation of ramp rates and columns for GC/MS, 8 neutral cannabinoids were separated and quantified. Peak signals and retention times varied between analyses, meaning that identification was challenging.

LC/PDA provided some advantages to GC/MS, as the cannabinoids were more stable using this 'softer' technique. LC/PDA method optimisation focused on flow rate, buffers and gradients, with all 11 cannabinoids separated and quantified. Retention times variability was observed, but this was found to be due to instrumental problems. The key disadvantage of this method was the inability to discriminate between cannabinoids based solely on their UV spectra. Oil and plant material samples were successfully analysed via this method and found to contain a range of cannabinoids at various concentrations. The data was compared with previous methods and found to be equivalent or better. Full validation of the LC/PDA method could not be completed, but data to date is promising.

LC/MS/MS was able to individually detect and identify several cannabinoids, with 7 peaks observed in the mixed standard. This demonstrated issues with co-elution, in addition to higher noise levels for this method. LC/MS/MS combined the best of both GC/MS and LC/PDA, using a 'softer' chromatographic technique (LC) with a detection method with greater discriminatory power (MS).

The ability to separate and analyse all 11 cannabinoids simultaneously would be an advantage to the medicinal Cannabis industry, as a commercial method that has high throughput, and is time and material efficient would provide essential information on composition of products. It would also allow us to identify products that may produce a desired or undesired therapeutic effect. Additionally, this research aids monitoring of the products for legislative purposes. When fully developed and optimised, the method could be implemented in a commercial setting to quantify cannabinoids in Cannabis and Cannabis products such as oils.


ABSTRACT Pitx2, a paired-related homeobox gene that is mutated in Rieger syndrome I, is the earliest known marker of oral ectoderm. Pitx2 was previously shown to be required for tooth, palate, and pituitary development in mice; however, the mechanisms regulating Pitx2 transcription in the oral ectoderm are poorly understood. Here we used an in vivo transgenic approach to investigate the mechanisms regulating Pitx2 transcription. We identified a 7-kb fragment that directs LacZ expression in oral ectoderm and in many of its derivatives. Deletion analysis of transgenic embryos reduced this fragment to a 520-bp region that directed LacZ activity to Rathke's pouch. A comparison of the mouse and human sequences revealed a conserved nuclear factor 1 (NF-1) recognition element near a consensus T-cell factor (TCF)/LEF binding site. The mutation of either site individually abolished LacZ activity in transgenic embryos, identifying Pitx2 as a direct target of Wnt signaling in pituitary development. These findings uncover a requirement for NF-1 and TCF factors in Pitx2 transcriptional regulation in the pituitary and provide insight into the mechanisms controlling region-specific transcription in the oral ectoderm and its derivatives.


Purpose and Background: Despite the rise of back pain disability, objective mechanical assessment is generally lacking. Quantification of intervertebral kinematics using fluoroscopy provides objective measurement, but its use in clinical practice has not been assessed. This study reviewed cases referred to one UK site for lumbar spine quantitative fluoroscopic (QF) examinations and compared the reasons for referral with the findings reported. Methods and Results: Fifty-seven consecutive referrals were reviewed. Patients underwent passive recumbent and/or weight-bearing active examinations in either the sagittal or both the sagittal and coronal planes. Data were extracted from anonymised QF reports and analysed for patient characteristics, reason for referral, working diagnosis at referral, level(s) of interest, previous surgical procedures and findings reported. Reports were also thematically analysed for key findings. Most patients had chronic back conditions of moderate or severe intensity. Most (38/57) were male, mean age 47 (SD 13.1) and mean complaint duration 5.4 years (0.3–32 years). They were referred mainly to investigate segmental instability (19/54) or spondylolisthesis (13/54) to inform either surgical referral or conservative management. Instability was reported in only 8/57 cases, but restricted and hypermobile levels in the same patient was also common (13/57). In 11 cases no mechanical abnormality was found. Conclusion: QF studies were requested mainly to investigate instability and inform surgical referral, but segmental instability was more frequently suspected than found. Disproportionate motion sharing was not unusual. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the effects of this investigation on care allocation, clinical decisions, patient outcomes and health care costs.


The effects of ambient atmospheric conditions, air temperature, and density on rotor harmonic noise radiation are characterized using theoretical models and experimental measurements of helicopter noise collected at three different test sites at elevations ranging from sea level to 7000 ft above sea level. Significant changes in the thickness, loading, and blade–vortex interaction noise levels and radiation directions are observed across the different test sites for an AS350 helicopter flying at the same indicated airspeed and gross weight. However, the radiated noise is shown to scale with ambient pressure when the flight condition of the helicopter is defined in nondimensional terms. Although the effective tip Mach number is identified as the primary governing parameter for thickness noise, the nondimensional weight coefficient also impacts lower harmonic loading noise levels, which contribute strongly to low-frequency harmonic noise radiation both in and out of the plane of the horizon. Strategies for maintaining the same nondimensional rotor operating condition under different ambient conditions are developed using an analytical model of single main rotor helicopter trim and confirmed using a CAMRAD II model of the AS350 helicopter. The ability of the Fundamental Rotorcraft Acoustics Modeling from Experiments (FRAME) technique to generalize noise measurements made under one set of ambient conditions to make accurate noise predictions under other ambient conditions is also validated.


This book concentrates on a few crucial years of Caravaggio s development, in order to cast light on what made the artist such a revolutionary figure. It argues that this revolution was one of technique rather than style, and involved the sophisticated use of a camera obscura and so-called 'burning' or parabolic mirrors, exploiting new advances in glassmaking and optics. Because the results Caravaggio obtained by his new methods were so different he created a sensation, although these innovations were rapidly assimilated and the artistic establishment worked successfully to restore their way of doing things, so that the true novelty of his art in the 1590s has been obscured.Clovis Whitfield uses a lifetime of study of the period to discuss not only Caravaggio's technology but also his patronage and cultural context, the Rome of Clement VIII, concentrating particularly on Caravaggio's homosexual patron Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte and analysing the taste and role of his other early supporters as well. Whitfield's Caravaggio was the son of a bricklayer, untrained in traditional artistic disciplines, who instead took the dramatic step of painting exactly what he saw with his reproductive aids. Galileo s hypothesis drawn from observation and Caravaggio s novel description of what he saw were, according to Whitfield, parallel attempts to explain features of the many-layered reality that surrounds us. The book features remarkable new photographs and especially details of Caravaggio's paintings and those of his followers and rivals that will dramatically refresh hackneyed perceptions of this crucial figure and his world."This revolutionary book will transform studies of the renegade 'people's artist'." Art Quarterly, Spring 2012"


Smooth muscle cells of the digestive, respiratory, and urogenital tracts contain desmin as their major, if not exclusive, intermediate-sized filament constituent and also show a pre- dominance of y-type smooth muscle actin. We have now examined smooth muscle tissue of different blood vessels (e.g., aorta, small arteries, arterioles, venules, and vena cava) from various mammals (man, cow, pig, rabbit, rat) by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of cell proteins and by immunofluorescence microscopy using antibodies to different intermediate-sized filament proteins. Intermediate-sized filaments of vascular smooth muscle cells contain abundant amounts of vimentin and little, if any, des- min. On gel electrophoresis, vascular smooth muscle vimentin appears as two isoelectric variants of apparent-pI values of 5.30 and 5.29, shows the characteristic series of proteolytic fragments, and is one of the major cell proteins. Thus vimentin has been dem- onstrated in a smooth muscle cell present in the body. Vascular smooth muscle cells are also distinguished by the predominance of a smooth muscle-specific e-type actin, whereas y-type smooth


The paper estimates gross credit flows for the U.S. banking system between 1979 and 1999 and shows that sizable gross flows coexist at any phase of the cycle, even within narrowly defined loan categories, bank size categories, and regional units. To investigate the macroeconomic dimensions of gross credit flows, the paper studies the cyclical behaviour of aggregate credit flows and documents three key cyclical facts. First, excess credit reallocation is countercyclical: for any given rate of change of net credit, gross flows are larger in a recession than in a boom. Second, gross credit flows are highly volatile, with a cyclical volatility which appears more than an order of magnitude larger than GDP volatility. Third, credit contraction is more volatile than credit expansion. Furthermore, the behaviour of gross flows over the 1991 recession suggests that persistent and historically high credit contraction is a key feature of the relatively mild cyclical downturn. The results lend some support to aggregate models that emphasize the asymmetric behaviour of credit expansion and credit contractions. Copyright 2005, Wiley-Blackwell.


Since the time of Jenner (1791) it has been recognized that the use of a virus attenuated by passage through animals of another species can confer a high degree of immunity. Nevertheless, in the years since then the technical procedure employed in the inoculation of vaccinia virus as a prophylactic measure against the allied, more severe disease smallpox has undergone few essential modifications. The method employed at present for immunization against smallpox is certainly not completely satisfactory. The local reaction is often quite marked and may result in a rather unsightly scar; at times secondary pox appears at distant sites. The frequent concomitant systemic reaction is also of importance, especially in young infants, in whom the high temperature and general malaise often result in a general lowering of resistance and an increased susceptibility to infection of the respiratory and intestinal tracts. The occurrence of erysipelas about the local lesion is


Abstract This paper argues that exploitation is a form of domination, domination for self-enrichment. In a slogan, exploitation is a dividend of servitude—a benefit the powerful extract by converting the vulnerable into their servants. The paper argues that what makes exploitation wrong is that it constitutes domination-induced unilateral service to others; that this form of servitude is necessarily cashed out in terms of labour time or effort; that competing accounts of exploitation fail to do justice to the servitude dimension; and that what distinguishes capitalism historically is the way it reproduces a structural dilemma between dominated work and no work.


Abstract Multiple direct injection (MDI) is a promising strategy to enable fast-response ignition control as well as expansion of the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine operating window, thus realizing substantial reductions of soot and NOx emissions. The present paper extends a zero-dimensional-probability-density-function-based stochastic reactor model (SRM) for HCCI engines in order to incorporate MDI and an improved turbulent mixing model. For this, a simplistic spray model featuring injection, penetration, and evaporation sub-models is formulated, and mixing is described by the Euclidean minimal spanning tree (EMST) sub-model accounting for localness in composition space. The model is applied to simulate a gasoline HCCI engine, and the in-cylinder pressure predictions for single and dual injection cases show a satisfactory agreement with measurements. From the parametric studies carried out it is demonstrated that, as compared with single injection, the additional second injection contributes to prolonged heat release and consequently helps to prevent knock, thereby extending the operating range on the high load side. Tracking the phase space trajectories of individual stochastic particles provides significant insight into the influence of local charge stratification owing to direct injection on HCCI combustion.


Estimation of stature is taken as a crucial parameter in medico-legal and forensic examinations. Determination of the stature of the person helps in the investigation of an individual in a mass disaster. Odontometric measurements were previously studied as an aid for gender determination. The aim of this study was estimation of the stature from maxillary and mandibular intercanine distance. This study was conducted among 30 females who were studying Ist year BDS in Saveetha Dental College of age group 18 to 20. The measurement of maxillary and mandibular intercanine distance was taken using the digital vernier caliper and also the height of each person was also measured using standard height measurement frame, from collected data linear regression equation was calculated for maxillary intercanine distance as, Y= -1.10 X + 162.20 + 5.38 cm, the correlation coefficient was found to be 0.056, hence having no correlation and for mandibular intercanine distance, Y= 2.52X + 150.23 + 6.38 cm, the correlation coefficient was found to be 0.415, hence having moderate correlation. Where, Y is height in cm and X is mandibular intercanine distance in cm, from our study it is found that maxillary intercanine distance does not have any correlation with stature but the mandibular intercanine distance showed moderate correlation to the stature of the female subjects examined.


Mental health issues often co-occur with other problems such as substance abuse, and they can take an enormous toll on individuals and impact a college or university in many ways. There are staff and departments both onand off-campus who are concerned about the well-being of students and the impact of mental health issues, so partnerships around mental health promotion and suicide prevention make good sense.


This paper aims at developing a practical automatic parking technology for 4-wheeled cars, which is able to park cars subject to parking space constraint and steering angle saturation. The feedback law is designed based on the switching control method proposed by the authors for chained systems. The focus of this paper is to prove a condition on the initial state under which the stability is guaranteed even when the steering angle is saturated. After that, parking algorithms are proposed based on this condition. The proposed method is validated by numerous parking experiments.


United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals 4 Quality Education has highlighted major challenges for all nations to ensure inclusive and equitable quality access to education, facilities for children, and young adults. The SDG4 is even more important for developing nations as receiving proper education or vocational training, especially in science and technology, means a foundational step in improving other aspects of their citizens' lives. However, the extant scientific literature about STEM education still lacks focus on developing countries, even more so in the rural area. Using a dataset of 4967 observations of junior high school students from a rural area in a transition economy, the article employs the Bayesian approach to identify the interaction between gender, socioeconomic status, and students' STEM academic achievements. The results report gender has little association with STEM academic achievements; however, female students (αa_Sex[2] = 2.83) appear to have achieved better results than their male counterparts (αa_Sex[1] = 2.68). Families with better economic status, parents with a high level of education (βb(EduMot) = 0. 07), or non- manual jobs (αa_SexPJ[4] = 3.25) are found to be correlated with better study results. On the contrary, students with zero (βb(OnlyChi) = -0.14) or more than two siblings (βb(NumberofChi) = -0.01) are correlated with lower study results compared to those with only one sibling. These results imply the importance of providing women with opportunities for better education. can provide their resources to each child equally. Abstract: United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals 4 Quality Education has highlighted major challenges for all nations to ensure inclusive and equitable quality access to education, facilities for children, and young adults. The SDG4 is even more important for developing nations as receiving proper education or vocational training, especially in science and technology, means a foundational step in improving other aspects of their citizens' lives. However, the extant scientific literature about STEM education still lacks focus on developing countries, even more so in the rural area. Using a dataset of 4967 observations of junior high school students from a rural area in a transition economy, the article employs the Bayesian approach to identify the interaction between gender, socioeconomic status, and students' STEM academic achievements. The results report gender has one sibling. These results imply the importance of providing women with opportunities for better education. Policymakers should also consider maintaining family size so the parents can provide their resources to each child equally.


This paper describes implementation guidelines for ubiquitous seamless mobile learning featuring the learning-log system named SCROLL (System for Capturing and Reminding of Learning Log). This system helps users to share and remind ubiquitous learning experiences. We review recent researches on mobile assisted learning in order to set pedagogically-based guidelines for instructors, learning environment designers and the administrative end or decision makers including ICT coordinator, and local authorities. Main foci in our guidelines are for language teachers to practice SROLL-based mobile learning in their classes for both in-class and out-class learning according to their situation or conditions. Our goal is to help educators to implement an effective seamless mobile learning environment with SCROLL.


Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of Pediatric Dentists in the city of Fortaleza-CE about the practice of sedation. Methods: Participated 66 professional's specialists registered in the Regional Council of Dentistry - Ceara who worked in public and private service. Data collection was performed through a structured and self-administered questionnaire. The data obtained were tabulated in the IBM SPSS Statistics program and analyzed through a descriptive and exploratory statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that 36.4% of the professionals had 5 to 10 years of specialization, 93.9% were female and 59.1% both worked in the public and private sectors. Only 21.1% had a sedation course and 33.3% used the technique. Midazolam and Cloral Hydrate were the most commonly cited drugs in the sedation technique. Allergic reactions were the most reported as risk of sedation. Conclusion: Considering the limitations of this study, it is possible to consider that the professionals have reasonable knowledge and few use the technique of sedation, mainly because they do not feel safe. Key words: Pediatric Dentistry, Anxiety, Sedation, Sedation in pediatric patients.


Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) have shown promise for restoring rapid communication to people with neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, to maintain high performance over time, iBCIs typically need frequent recalibration to combat changes in the neural recordings that accrue over days. This requires iBCI users to stop using the iBCI and engage in supervised data collection, making the iBCI system hard to use. In this paper, we propose a method that enables self-recalibration of communication iBCIs without interrupting the user. Our method leverages large language models (LMs) to automatically correct errors in iBCI outputs. The self-recalibration process uses these corrected outputs ("pseudo-labels") to continually update the iBCI decoder online. Over a period of more than one year (403 days), we evaluated our Continual Online Recalibration with Pseudo-labels (CORP) framework with one clinical trial participant. CORP achieved a stable decoding accuracy of 93.84% in an online handwriting iBCI task, significantly outperforming other baseline methods. Notably, this is the longest-running iBCI stability demonstration involving a human participant. Our results provide the first evidence for long-term stabilization of a plug-and-play, high-performance communication iBCI, addressing a major barrier for the clinical translation of iBCIs.


Background Exposure to electro-magnetic fields is a risk factor for abortion. We aimed to review the relationship between exposure to magnetic fields during pregnancy and the risk of abortion. Materials and Methods: Two independent researchers screened the articles with related keywords including: "Radiofrequency", "RF", "RF-EMFs", "Phone", "Mobile phone", "Cell phone", "Electromagnetic field", "Electromagnetic waves", "EMF"," EMW", "Magnetic Field", "Abortion, and "Miscarriage". Following electronic databases: Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science and Medline were searched without time and language restrictions from inception up to March, 2020. Results: In the first study, there was a significant difference in the magnitude of Extremely Low-Frequency Electro-Magnetic Fields (ELF-EMF) between the two groups in the participants´ houses. In the second study, the relationship between the miscarriage risks with high Magnetic Field exposure was evaluated among pregnant women by eliminating various confounding factors. In the third study, there was a relationship between miscarriage risk and prenatal exposure to the highest magnetic field, about 16 mG (95% CI: 1.2-2.7). In the fourth study, the research units exposed to higher MF levels were 2.72 times more at risk of miscarriage compared to the women exposed to lower MF levels. In the fifth study, a significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the magnitude of ELF-EMF in the participants´ houses. A significant likelihood of miscarriage in women who exposed to a significant level of the electromagnetic wave was observed; however, this relationship was not confirmed by the Wald test. Conclusion The effect of exposure on the risk of abortion depends on the distance from the source of radiation and the intensity of the frequency of the waves.


Inversin is a ciliary protein that critically regulates developmental processes and tissue homeostasis in vertebrates, partly through the degradation of Dishevelled (Dvl) proteins to coordinate Wnt signaling in planar cell polarity (PCP). Here, we investigated the role of Inversin in coordinating cell migration, which highly depends on polarity processes at the single-cell level, including the spatial and temporal organization of the cytoskeleton as well as expression and cellular localization of proteins in leading edge formation of migrating cells. Using cultures of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from inv−/− and inv+/+ animals, we confirmed that both inv−/− and inv+/+ MEFs form primary cilia, and that Inversin localizes to the primary cilium in inv+/+ MEFs. In wound healing assays, inv−/− MEFs were severely compromised in their migratory ability and exhibited cytoskeletal rearrangements, including distorted lamellipodia formation and cilia orientation. Transcriptome analysis revealed dysregulation of Wnt signaling and of pathways regulating actin organization and focal adhesions in inv−/− MEFs as compared to inv+/+ MEFs. Further, Dvl-1 and Dvl-3 localized to MEF primary cilia, and β-catenin/Wnt signaling was elevated in inv−/− MEFs, which moreover showed reduced ciliary localization of Dvl-3. Finally, inv−/− MEFs displayed dramatically altered activity and localization of RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 GTPases, and aberrant expression and targeting of the Na+/H+ exchanger NHE1 and ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins to the edge of cells facing the wound. Phosphorylation of β-catenin at the ciliary base and formation of well-defined lamellipodia with localization and activation of ERM to the leading edge of migrating cells were restored in inv−/− MEFs expressing Inv-GFP. Collectively, our findings point to the significance of Inversin in controlling cell migration processes, at least in part through transcriptional regulation of genes involved in Wnt signaling and pathways that control cytoskeletal organization and ion transport.


Insufficient stand establishment of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major problem in the low-precipitation (<300 mm annual) dryland summer fallow region of the inland Pacific Northwest, USA. Low seed zone water potential, deep planting depths with 15 cm or more soil covering the seed, and soil crusting caused by rain before seedling emergence frequently impede winter wheat stands. A 2-yr study involving laboratory, greenhouse, and field components was conducted to determine seed priming effects on winter wheat germination, emergence, and grain yield. Two cultivars were used because of their strong (Edwin) and moderate (Madsen) emergence capabilities. Germination rate was measured in the laboratory by 44 treatment combinations (two cultivars × three priming durations × seven priming media + two checks). Germination rate differed between cultivars as well as by priming duration, priming media, and concentration of priming media. The most promising laboratory treatments were advanced to greenhouse and field experiments where emergence and grain yield (field only) were measured in 10 treatments (two cultivars × four priming media + two checks) from wheat planted deep with 16 cm of soil covering the seed. In the greenhouse, seed primed in potassium chloride (KCI), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and water led to enhanced emergence of Madsen, but not of Edwin, compared with checks. Rate and extent of seedling emergence was greater for Edwin compared with Madsen irrespective of priming media in three of four field plantings at Lind, WA. None of the seed priming media benefited field emergence or subsequent grain yield in either cultivar compared with checks. Overall, results suggest that seed priming has limited practical worth for enhancing emergence and yield of winter wheat planted deep into summer fallow.


Despite a vaccination coverage rate of 97%, several poliomyelitis outbreaks occurred in the Netherlands during the last three decades, all among sociogeographically clustered, unvaccinated persons. Therefore, to eradicate polio, insight into poliomyelitis immunity is particularly useful. In 1995-1996, the authors conducted a population-based study and determined neutralizing antibodies against poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 in 9,274 sera from the general population and from religious groups rejecting vaccination. In the general population, the antibody prevalence (>/=1:8) was 96.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 95.9, 97.2), 93.4% (95% CI: 92.3, 94.5), and 89.7% (95% CI: 88.3, 91.0) for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Antibodies persisted for long periods in persons with natural immunity as well as in persons whose immunity was induced by inactivated polio vaccine. In Orthodox Reformed persons, the antibody prevalence of poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 was 65.0% (95% CI: 57.2, 72.9), 59.0% (95% CI: 40.1, 77.9), and 68.7% (95% CI: 65.2, 72.2), respectively. The recent outbreaks clearly affected the seroprevalence profiles of Orthodox Reformed groups but not the general population. At present, there is an insufficient social and political basis for mandatory vaccination; therefore, global eradication of poliovirus seems to be the only way to protect these Orthodox Reformed persons against future poliomyelitis outbreaks.


The vertebrate proto-oncogene Src is a protein-tyrosine kinase that has been implicated as a component of receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways important for cell growth and differentiation. Consistent with this notion, overexpression or activation of Src by mutation induces neoplastic transformation in cell culture, leads to tumorigenesis in laboratory animals, and has been observed in a number of human tumors. Despite years of intensive investigation, neither its role in oncogenesis nor its normal, biological role is understood. To diminish the issue of redundancy that has complicated analysis of Src function in vertebrates and Drosophila, I have chosen to study Src function in the genetically less complex nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The gene src-1 encodes a protein with significant structural and sequence identity to vertebrate c-Src. The first part of this dissertation describes a set of biochemical experiments supporting the hypothesis that SRC-1 is the ortholog of vertebrate pp60c-src. The second part of this dissertation describes the isolation and characterization of a src-1 loss-of-function allele using a reverse genetic approach. src-1(cj293) is a deletion allele generated by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis that encodes a truncated, kinase-inactive protein. It is a recessive maternal effect lethal allele that interacts genetically with components of a conserved Wnt signaling pathway providing the first direct connection between two intensively studied vertebrate signaling pathways: Src and Wnt. The genetic interactions identified in combination with the embryonic defects observed in src-1( cj293) animals suggest that SRC-1 normally plays a role in regulating spindle orientation, morphogenesis, and cell fate decisions of developing C. elegans embryos. This study lays the ground work for additional genetic and biochemical analyses that will help define the molecular details of SRC-1 signaling. Such experiments will shed light not only on the biological role SRC-1 plays in C. elegans development, but also the biological role of Src-family kinases in general. Ultimately, these analyses may provide insight into the mode of action of oncogenic Src mutants.


UNLABELLED
 Objective. This study investigated the effects of Cavilon® No Sting Barrier Film ([NSBF], 3M Healthcare, St. Paul, Minn) on skin surrounding chronic wounds by means of monitoring transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

METHODS
Forty patients were examined; 20 patients had pressure ulcers and the other 20 patients had venous leg ulcers. The patients were divided into 2 groups, the first group (treatment group) was treated with NSBF and the second group (control group) was treated with zinc oxide ointment applied to surrounding skin. TEWL values on surrounding skin were monitored before and after the therapy.

RESULTS
Statistical evaluation showed an overall reduction of 45% in TEWL values in both groups by the conclusion of the study period when compared to baseline values (P < 0.01). The NSBF application was a quick and simple process. Removal of residue was not necessary. An additional benefit is that the skin can be seen through the film.

CONCLUSION
The study objectively demonstrated that the NSBF can help in the management of the skin surrounding chronic wounds.


A new excimer laser annealing (ELA) process that uses a floating amorphous-Silicon (a-Si) thin film with a multichannel structure is proposed for high-performance poly-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs). The proposed ELA method produces two-dimensional (2-D) grain growth, which can result in a high-quality grain structure. The dual-gate structure was employed to eliminate the grain boundaries perpendicular to the current flow in the channel. A multichannel structure was adapted in order to arrange the grain boundary to be parallel to the current flow. The proposed poly-Si TFT exhibits high-performance electrical characteristics, which are a high mobility of 504 cm/sup 2//Vsec and a low subthreshold slope of 0.337 V/dec.


Barrier islands of the Pacific coast of Colombia repeatedly experience severe washover even when breaking waves in the eastern Pacific are low and onshore winds are calm. On the barrier island of El Choncho, recent non-storm washover events have breached a new inlet, caused rapid beach retreat, destroyed a shoreline protection structure, and flooded a small village of indigenous people so frequently that it had to be relocated. Barrier washover may be augmented by lowered land elevations associated with earthquake-induced subsidence or long-term beach retreat, but temporally it is most closely associated with a 20 to 30 cm regional increase in sea level caused by El Nino. The contradiction of a tranquil tropical island scene simultaneously disturbed by hostile turbulent washover may be unique at present, but it exemplifies how coastal plains throughout the world would be affected if sea level were to rise rapidly as a result of global warming.


Introduction . The publication is devoted to the role of laboratory research in ensuring the quality of domestic medicines and is a review and analysis of regulatory documents and current publications on this topic. Text . A number of different types of laboratories are involved in Drug life cycle and ensuring their effectiveness and safety. Today there are a large number of regulations governing laboratory research. Common to all types of laboratories and regulatory documents is the need to organize an effective quality management system (QMS) for the drug life cycle laboratories. The aim of this review is to analyze approaches to regulating the quality of laboratory research of domestic drugs and to consider the most effective QMS model, which is fundamental for all types of laboratories in the life cycle of drugs. Conclusion . The laboratory research quality system serves as a basic tool for achieving the ultimate goal - the clinical value of drugs and is designed to ensure that risks for patients are minimized. At the same time, each stage of the drug life cycle provides a solution to a specific problem on the way to this goal, which must be taken into account when building a QMS in each type of laboratory. The range of regulatory documents and external assessment systems (accreditation, certification, inspection control, etc.) in the field of domestic laboratory research is quite diverse. In this regard, it is advisable for the laboratory to build a harmonious QMS based on priorities in accordance with the goals and objectives. The most effective method for building such a system is an integrated management system model.


This paper presents a comparative study in predicting the monthly average solar radiation for Darwin, Australia (latitude 12.46 deg S longitude 130.84 deg E). The city of Darwin, Northern Territory (NT), has the highest and most consistent sunshine duration among all the other Australian states. This unique climate presents an opportunity for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Reliable and accurate predictions of solar radiation enable potential site locations, which exhibit high solar radiations and sunshine hours, to be identified for PV installation. Three predictive models were investigated in this study—the linear regression (LR), Angstrom–Prescott–Page (APP), and the artificial neural network (ANN) models. The mean global solar radiation coupled with the climate data (mean minimum and maximum temperatures, mean rainfall, mean evaporation, and sunshine fraction) obtained from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) formed the basis of the dataset. Using simple and easily obtainable climate data presents an added advantage by reducing model complexity. Predictive results showed the root mean square errors (RMSEs) obtained were 6.72%, 13.29%, and 8.11% for the LR, APP, and ANN models, respectively. The predicted solar exposure from the LR model was then compared with the satellite-derived data to assess the accuracy of the LR method.


We have developed a robust, CMOS back end of the line (BEOL) compatible, wafer-scale device transfer and interconnect method for batch fabricating system on chip (SOC) that are especially suitable for MEMS or VLSI-MEMS applications. We have applied this method to transfer arrays of 4096 freestanding cantilevers with good cantilever flatness control and high-density vertical electrical interconnects to the receiver wafer (typically CMOS). Such an array is used in a highly parallel scanning-probe-based data-storage system called the "Millipede". A very high integration density has been achieved even at wafer-scale transfer thanks to the interlocking nature of the interconnect structure, which provides easy alignment with an accuracy of 2 /spl mu/m. The typical integration density is 100 canti-levers/mm/sup 2/ and 300 electrical interconnects/mm/sup 2/. Note that only the cantilevers, not a chip with cantilevers, are transferred and, unlike flip-chip technology, our method preserves the device orientation which is crucial for MEMS applications, where often the MEMS device should have access to its environment (in our case, the cantilever tips are in contact with the storage media). After device transfer, the system is mechanically and electrically stable up to at least 500 /spl deg/C, allowing post-transfer wafer processing.


One of the main problems of current system design and architecture tools is the communication between the tool and the user and vice-versa. The tools are too opaque, and the users often don't understand their outputs, which results in loss of confidence in the tool. The users are also frustrated because they don't have an effective way of providing their expert knowledge (acquired either in real time or a priori) to the tools, which results in poor performance. This work describes an on-going effort to improve that communication by incorporating an interactive and "transparent" learning agent into a multi-agent tradespace exploration tool. This learning agent mines the current population of architectures for driving features (combination of architectural variables) that appear to drive architectures towards a "good region" or a "bad region" of the tradespace, and shares that information with the user. This information is then used to produce a surrogate classification model based on a decision tree that predicts whether or not an architecture is likely to be in the "good region". The decision tree model was chosen based on evidence that it is among the most human understandable classification models. The information about driving features is also fed to an adaptive heuristic optimization agent that uses it to intelligently apply "good features" to or remove "bad features" from existing architectures, with the hope of improving the efficiency of the search process. Perhaps most importantly, information about driving features, surrogate models, and heuristics can help the user understand the results of the tool better and gain useful architectural insight, such as dominant features and trade-offs in the architecture space.


Classical notions of "layer-cake stratigraphy" have been denigrated as representing an antiquated "Neptunian" view of the geologic record with the American paleontologist-stratigrapher E.O. Ulrich vilified as its quintessential advocate. Some of the ex- treme "layer-cake" interpretations of E.O. Ulrich are demonstrably incorrect, especially where applied in marginal marine and terres- trial settings. However, close scrutiny of Ulrich's work suggests that the bulk was correct and demonstrated considerable insight for the time. Subsequent development of facies concepts revolutionized geologists' view of time-space relationships in stratigraphy, but rather than focusing on facies patterns within the established stratigraphic (layer-cake) frameworks many geologists in North America came to view strata as parts of diachronous facies mosaics. Recent advances in the development of event and sequence stratigraphic paradigms are beginning to swing the pendulum back the other way. Possible causes of "layer-cake" patterns are numerous and varied, including: (1) parallelism of depositional strike and outcrop belts, especially in foreland basins, (2) very widespread environmental belts developed in low-relief cratonic areas, (3) time-averaging homogenizes facies to a limited extent, resulting in a very subtle signature of lateral change, (4) condensed beds (hardgrounds, bone beds, ironstones, etc.) often form in responses to extrabasinal forces, thus they cross-cut facies, and (5) large events (i.e. hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, eruptions, etc.) are "over represented" in the rock record. A revised ("Neo-Ulrichian") layer-cake paradigm carries many of the original correct empirical observations of pattern, noted by Ulrich, recast in terms of event and sequence stratigraphy.


The palaeomagnetic imprint in the Lewisian metamorphic basement was acquired during early post-Laxfordian times and resides in magnetite-filled microfractures. An early magnetizing event dated c. 1820–1750 Ma was largely overprinted by a second event between 1700 and 1500 Ma which was probably linked to retrogressive amphibolite fades metamorphism. It reaches its greatest intensity in the south of the outcrop while the relict remanence survives most prominently in Scourian terranes. Populations of magnetic components are offset by c. 95 km of (presumed Caledonian) sinistral strike slip in the Minches. Intensities and susceptibilities of magnetization are enhanced in zones of Laxfordian reworking relative to the relict Scourian zones. Their distributions in the Outer Hebrides are reproduced in the Mainland outcrop and can be matched following correction for the same sinistral strike slip. A third line of evidence suggesting this motion is the offset of the deep crustal contribution to the aeromagnetic anomalies. The fault zone accommodating this motion may now be represented by one or more of the low angle detachments bordering the western margin of the Minches Basin. Post-Laxfordian remanences in the Outer Hebrides are rotated by an average of 4° with respect to equivalent vectors on the Mainland and may record later block rotations. A mid-Proterozoic reconstruction of the Lewisian complex derived from the magnetic evidence is presented.


The wide adoption of virtual learning environments such as Moodle in numerous universities illustrate the growing trend of e-learning development and diffusion. These e-learning environments alter the relationship between the students and academic knowledge and learning processes considerably stimulating the students' autonomy by making most of the course material freely available at any time while inducing a progressive reduction of physical student-teacher interactions with virtual ones. Recent advances, as proposed in the TeSLA project, even introduces an e-assessment environment. This entire virtual learning framework raises new concerns in terms of privacy, given that such environments are potentially able to track the students, profile their habits, and retrieve personal data. In this paper, we analyze the influence of conception paradigms of e-learning platforms on personal data protection, based on a classification of these platforms in two antagonistic approaches. We illustrate our analysis with a case study of the TeSLA project and examine how the design choices impact the efficiency and legal compliance of personal data protection means. We finally propose alternative designs that could lead to significant improvements in this matter.


Duodenal flows of hydrogenation intermediates in response to changes in dietary forage:concentrate ratio (F:C) and linseed oil were evaluated using 4 lactating Holstein cows fed a low (65:35 forage to concentrate) or high (35:65) concentrate diet without (LC, HC) added oil or with linseed oil (LCO, HCO) at 3% of DM. A 4 x 4 Latin square design was implemented for 5 wk. Lower hydrogenation of 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 was observed with HC, but it increased with LCO or HCO. Duodenal flow of total conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) increased by 1.40 (LCO) to 3.01 (HCO) g/d with linseed oil. This response was associated with greater flows of cis9,trans11- (+0.21 to +0.55 g/d), trans11,cis13- (+0.33 to +0.36), trans11,trans13- (+1.01 to +1.15 g/d), and trans,trans-CLA (+0.12 to +0.72 g/d). Trans10,cis12-CLA flow averaged 0.08 g/d and was not affected by F:C or oil. trans11,cis15-18:2 flow increased by 8.5 (LCO) to 62 (HCO) g/d in response to linseed oil. Total trans-18:1 flow was 37 g/d in cows fed LC and increased to 81 g/d with HC. Feeding oil increased total trans-18:1 to the greatest extent with HCO. Flow of trans10-18:1 was lower with LC than with HC (1.46 vs. 20 g/d). Linseed oil increased trans11-18:1 flow by 40 (LCO) to 113 g/d (HCO). Feeding LCO and HCO also increased flows of trans6+7+8-, trans13+14-, trans15-, and trans16-18:1. Apparent intestinal digestibility of trans-18:1 isomers was largely unaffected by concentrate level and ranged between 67 and 95%. Linseed oil increased digestibility of nearly all isomers by 3 to 16 percentage units. Digestibility of cis9,trans11-CLA was greater in cows fed HC (55%) compared with cows fed LC (32%) and was not affected by linseed oil. Data suggest that high concentrate diets enhanced ruminal outflow of trans10-18:1. We provide initial in vivo evidence that supplemental 18:3n-3 is hydrogenated to trans11,cis15-18:2, trans11-18:1, trans13+14-18:1, trans15-18:1, trans6+7+8-18:1, and trans16-18:1 primarily.


Aims On our paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) doctors induction traditionally consisted of a series of lectures and small group work. In order to make introduction more interactive and enhance learning, we decided to set up a one day simulation based induction course. Methods Learning needs were identified from informal survey of current trainees and PICU consultants. Four simulation scenarios were designed to encompass the learning objectives established from the learning needs survey and key competencies needed for PICU. Scenarios involved patients transferred to PICU for stabilisation, or deteriorating patients on the unit. 30 min simulations and were followed by 1 h debrief and tutorial. Tutorials focused on medical management and practicalities such how to set up a ventilator or give inotropes. Simulations ran with 2–3 trainees and 2 PICU nurses per scenario, and were set up in a cubicle with standard equipment, using high fidelity manikins. Due to anticipated inexperience, trainees were offered "time out" and "ask the audience" options during the scenarios to enable them to draw on the knowledge of their peers. Results 10 trainees completed the simulated induction course. When asked to use a 5 point likert scale, 90–100% of trainees either agreed or strongly agreed to all but one of the 9 statements related to the course meeting learning objectives and knowledge needs. High frequency oscillation was the single area that was identified by trainees as not being covered in desired depth. Free text feedback was overall very positive. Suggestions for improvement would be to provide a specific ventilation workshop to enable this subject to be covered in greater depth, plus a written handout to supplement the day. We are waiting to see how the induction evaluates in the GMC survey, compared to traditional induction. Conclusion We ran a pilot PICU simulation induction which was well received by trainees, and met all but one learning objective. The course could be easily adapted to address this objective and could be tried in other Paediatric Intensive Care Units.


An association of rapidly metabolized DNA and RNA labeled with P32 has been found in peanut cotyledons by incorporation of either uridine-C14 or thymidine-C14 by peanut cotyledon slices. Chromatography of the extracted nucleic acids on methylated- albumin columns shows that the rapidly metabolized DNA and RNA are contained only in the first half of the DNA peak where RNA and DNA occur in equal amount. One-fourth of the radioactivity is recovered in ribonuc'eotides. Density-gradient centrifugation in cesium chloride indicates that the material containing the P32 has a higher density than most of the DNA.


Present study analyzes value addition of the Jackfruit, its marketing by rural women and women empowerment in Tubagere Hobli in Bengaluru Rural district. Data was collected from all the women entrepreneurs in the study area. Six value added Jackfruit products viz, chips, jam, papad, juice, halwa and mixture are produced. A return per rupee of expenditure was highest in Jam (` 2.54) and lowest in Juice (` 1.05). They transacted an average 240 kg of chips, 120 kg of mixture, 4000 papads, 190 litres of juice, 30 kg of jam and 150 kg of halwa in 2015-2016 through direct marketing. Profit generated through value addition was higher (95 %) compared with marketing of raw fruit. Women empowerment index has shown that 50, 10 and 40 per cent of women had high, medium and low level of empowerment respectively. Thus, value addition and direct marketing have enabled them to become better empowered.


The article presents the results of an experimental study of the corrosion resistance of the ta-C double coating of parts by PVD method with intermediate and final surface polishing with a discrete tool. The influence of regime factors on the results of polishing the ta-C coating with a discrete tool is shown, and optimal processing modes are proposed. Tests of samples in a salt bath showed that the double ta-C coating by PVD method with intermediate and final polishing ensures the absence of corrosion and coating peeling


Within healthcare in Saudi Arabia, there has been a concerted public policy effort to advance quality management in order to improve efficiency in the face of growing demand and cost reduction pressures. There have been suggestions that over reliance on a non-Saudi workforce in Saudi hospitals bring extra costs and challenges that may impede the development of continuous improvement features associated with Total Quality Management (TQM), however there is a lack of research exploring this contention. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an exploratory study investigatingthe current level of TQM maturity within Saudi hospitals and whether workforce national cultural diversity (WNCD) is considered to be influencing its development. A multiple case study research design is deployed to gather the views of managers and employees from three Saudi public sector hospitals. Each case study is compiled using management interviews and employee questionnaires. The findings suggest that, although there are slight variations across the three cases in relation to WNCD, most TQM critical success factors are well established in each hospital. In relation to the influence of workplace national cultural diversity, the conclusion is that the benefits of WNCD are likely to compensate for any limitations in terms of TQM development.


Dr. Philip Lee Secrist was the chair of the Cobb County Commission from 1988 to 1992. After receiving an M.S. in Education Administration from Auburn University in 1955, he moved ti the Atlanta area to teach high school. Dr. Secrist also taught History at Southern Technical Institute (later Southern Polytechnic State University) periodically from 1970 to 1984. In 1972 he earned an Ed.D. degree from the University of Georgia. During the 1970s, Dr. Secrist started a historic preservation business with his wife, Kay, renovating a number of properties in Kingston and Marietta. The Secrists were on the founding board of the Cobb Landmarks Society when it was chartered in 1974. He was also an original member of the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission, appointed in 1985 by Cobb County Commission chair Earl Smith. In 1988, Secrist ran against and defeated Smith for commission chair. During his four-year term as chair, the Cobb County Transit program began. After his term ended, Dr. Secrist taught military history courses for several years in the Department of History & Philosophy at Kennesaw State University. He also wrote a book on the Civil War battle of Resaca and served on the Georgia Civil War Commission. Dr. Secrist died in 2008. His papers are held by the Kennesaw State University Archives.


Context: During emerging adulthood, a person takes on several roles and needs to cope up with psychosocial challenges that are connected to an autonomous personal life. Hence, anxiety and its repercussions, though common in this phase, yet may produce a detrimental effect in their life. Aims: The objective of the study was to examine the contributions of anxiety to hopelessness of emerging adults during their transitional phase from late adolescence to adulthood. Settings and Design: The study involved a correlational design where anxiety, academic difficulty, age, and gender were predictors and hopelessness was the criterion. Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty university students, both men and women, in their emerging adulthood were selected, of which 132 completed the Institute of Personality and Ability Testing Anxiety scale, Beck's Hopelessness scale, and a single-item measuring the presence or absence of academic difficulty. These instruments were administered individually along with demographic details. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlations, simple and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The results revealed that the anxiety along with academic difficulty and gender was found to contribute individually to hopelessness, whereas age was not. A significant combined contribution of anxiety, academic difficulty, and gender to hopelessness was observed. Of the five dimensions of anxiety, low self-control and tension were found to be significant predictors of hopelessness. Conclusions: Findings could be useful for screening the vulnerable persons, and also helpful in designing psychosocial intervention for promoting positive health.


Brominated flame retardants (BFR) are molecules added to consumer products to reduce fire hazard. They were banned in North America and Europe because of their persistence and biomagnification. However, BFR are still released in the environment due to continued use of products manufactured before restriction, and from waste and recycling processes of those products. As a result, they remain sources of chronic environmental and human exposure worldwide. BFR are well characterized endocrine disruptors. They have been associated with a wide range of alterations in endocrine and reproductive systems both in humans and experimental models in vivo and in vitro. Paradoxically, the effects of BFR on mammary glands, whose development and carcinogenesis are mainly under hormonal dependency are poorly known. There is increasing weight of evidence that exposure to endocrine disruptors promotes breast cancer, especially if the exposure occurs during sensitivity windows. For the mammary gland, these windows include the perinatal life, puberty, and pregnancy, as important remodeling of the organ happens during those periods. The peak of exposure to BFRs happened during late 1990s and beginning of 2000s in most countries. Women who were pregnant at that time are reaching menopause while their daughters are 20-30 years old. It is thus important to better understand the effects of BFRs on mammary gland development and breast cancer to determine whether these women are more at risk. Thus, this review aims to propose a comprehensive review of data reporting the effects of exposure to BFR on female endocrine and reproductive systems, with a particular focus on mammary gland development and of a potential increased risk of breast cancer.


This paper describes a probabilistic approach to nonmonotonic reasoning which combines the principle of infinitesimal probabilities with that of maximum entropy, and which sanctions inferences similar to those produced by the principle of minimizing abnormalities. The paper provides a precise formalization of the consequences entailed by a defeasible knowledge base, develops the computational machinery necessary for deriving these consequences, and compares the behavior of the maximum entropy approach to those of Ɛ-semantics ([Pearl 89a]) and rational closure ([Lehmann 89]).


A rapid stepwise measurement for the activities of calpastatin and mu- and m-calpains was developed by using 2-stage elution at pH 8.5 and then 7.0. The activities of calpastatin, mu-calpain and m-calpain can be rapidly assayed following the separation on DEAE-Sephacel chromatography by a 2 stage elution with 90 mM NaCl (pH 8.5), and then by 200 and 300 mM NaCl in elution buffer (pH 7.0). No significant differences in the recovery of these proteinases and inhibitor was observed between stepwise gradient and linear gradient methods.


This research analyzes the results of implementing inquiry based science lessons in a middle school classroom to determine if students build critical thinking and inquiry skills. Additionally, the impact of inquiry lessons on my own teaching methods and on student attitude towards science learning was measured. Conclusions have been drawn through analysis of data from pre and post intervention student questionnaires, rubric scoring of student work, as well as analysis of the inquiry lesson plans and impact on teaching methods. Through implementation of specifically designed inquiry based activities requiring students to build upon previous knowledge and providing opportunities to actively construct understanding of science and the natural world, participants showed a minor increase in critical thinking and inquiry skills. Attitude towards science was seen to be more positive after the implementation of the inquiry based lab activities in the experimental group of students. Teaching methods were found to have shifted during inquiry based activity surrounding time management as well as teacher focus and control during student activity. BUILDING INVESTIGATIVE & CRITICAL THINKING v Table of


Bergamot fruits are important for cosmetic, perfumery, food and drug industries. Bergamot essential oil is well characterized and is used extensively in many flavours and fragrances. In the present study, the bergamot fruits cultivated in Adana were collected for the isolation of the volatiles in the peels, by microdistillation and headspace-solid phase microextraction (SP-SPME) techniques. The fresh peels of the fruits subjected to microdistillation were analysed by GC and GC-MS systems, simultaneously. In the same time, to trap volatile compounds in the fresh peels HS-SPME technique was employed. As result, limonene (32.9, 36.8%), linalool (37.3, 16.6%) and linalyl acetate (7.8, 30.2%) were identified as the major compounds comparable in the peels obtained by microdistillation and HS-SPME, respectively.


Residency programs, especially in surgery, have been undergoing constant changes, not only in our country, but also internationally. Due to the depreciation of medical specialties and their lowering compensation, expectations and profile of residents in surgical fields are changing. The assessment of attitudes, experience in training and professional expectations among residents is an important topic. Recent international studies published in the area demonstrate this fact. It is worth noting the absence of similar studies in our country, as well as others. This study aims to assess the residents of the area of surgery, through a questionnaire, their attitudes, experiences during training and professional expectations. We applied and analyzed questionnaires adapted and translated into Portuguese to 50 professionals of both sexes and different years of residence. The results of this study showed high satisfaction with the specialty, but large financial concern and conflicting opinions about the future of the specialty.


NaCo2O4 and 0.5at%-Sb doped Mg2Si have excellent thermoelectric properties. We tried to fabricate a thermoelectric module composed of these materials and using Ni plates as electrodes. The fine powder of NaCo2O4 was prepared by metal-citric acid complex decomposition. 0.5at%-Sb doped Mg2Si bulk was ground to powder and sieved to a powder particle size of 75 micrometers or less. These powders were sintered using spark plasma sintering (SPS) to obtain a body of NaCo2O4 and 0.5at%-Sb doped Mg2Si. These thermoelectric materials were connected to the Ni plates by using the SPS method. The whole process took a very short time (less than 2 min) and could be done at low temperature (below 873 K). The open-circuit voltagevalues were 82.7 mV, and the maxima, maximum output current and maximum output power, for the single module were 212.4 mA and 6.65 mW at ΔT = 470 K.


Definitive judgment about the quality of decision-making is made difficult by twin problems of measurement and identification. A measure of decision-making quality is hard to formalize, to quantify, and to make practical for use in a variety of choice environments; and it is difficult to distinguish differences in decision-making quality from unobserved differences in preferences, information, beliefs, or constraints. In this paper, we describe a widely applicable set of tools for theoretical analysis and experimental methods for addressing these problems. These tools and methods can indicate a more targeted approach to ilight paternalismj polices aimed at improving decision-making quality.


New public management (NPM) arguments on strategy and structure suggest that performance is enhanced if large organizations are disaggregated into smaller units. the NPM perspective reflects the views of public choice theorists who claim that big organizations are unresponsive to public needs, inefficient and fail to achieve their formal goals. These arguments have underpinned many recent changes in the structure of public services at both central and local levels. This paper uses data on six local government services to test the NPM hypothesis that there is a negative relationship between scale and performance. Five dimensions of performance are analysed: service coverage, quality, speed of provision, efficiency, and administrative effectiveness. Scale is measured through indicators of service output, caseload and needs. the impact of scale is tested in multivariate statistical models which control for other potential influences on variations in performance across local authorities. Only around half of the statistical evidence suggests that the smallest local units are the best performers. In addition, even when performance does decline with scale, this trend is reversed in the very largest units. Thus, contrary to NPM arguments, the biggest organizations are seldom the poorest performers.