Mobile data traffic is currently growing exponentially and these rapid increases have caused the backhaul data rate requirements to become the major bottleneck to reducing costs and raising revenue for operators. To address this problem, caching techniques have attracted significant attention since they can effectively reduce the backhaul traffic by eliminating duplicate data transmission that carries popular content. In addition, other system performance metrics can also be improved through caching techniques, e.g., spectrum efficiency, energy efficiency, and transmission delay. In this paper, we provide a systematical survey of the state-of-the-art caching techniques that were recently developed in cellular networks, including macro-cellular networks, heterogeneous networks, device-to-device networks, cloud-radio access networks, and fog-radio access networks. In particular, we give a tutorial on the fundamental caching techniques and introduce caching algorithms from three aspects, i.e., content placement, content delivery, and joint placement and delivery. We provide comprehensive comparisons among different algorithms in terms of different performance metrics, including throughput, backhaul cost, power consumption, and network delay. Finally, we summarize the main research achievements in different networks, and highlight main challenges and potential research directions.


During the Late Cretaceous the northeastern margin of the Arabian plate (Zagros-Fars Area) is characterized by significant variations in sedimentary facies, sedimentation patterns, accommodation space and by shifting depocentres. A succession of events recording the evolution of the region from a passive to an active margin is documented by the study of eight outcrop sections and one well. This new study uses new age dating (benthic and planktonic foraminifera, nannoplankton and radiolarian biozonations and strontium isotope stratigraphy). Three tectono-sedimentary phases are recognised indicating the evolution from a passive to an active margin: Phase I (Late Albian to Cenomanian, before obduction) comprises three depositional 3rd order sequences comparable to the other parts of the Zagros and Arabian Plate. This interval is composed of shallow-water platform carbonates and intrashelf basins. Phase II (Turonian to Late Campanian, obduction phase) is characterized by major changes in depositional environments and sedimentary facies, due to obduction and foreland basin creation. Phase III (Late Campanian to Maastrichtian, after obduction) shows the development of rudist-dominated carbonates in the NE ,deep basinal facies in the centre of area. In the most-NE no sediments of this age have been recorded suggesting uplift at that time.


The glucose tolerance test remains the most acceptable approach to the early diagnosis of mild diabetes in adults in the absence of significantly elevated fasting blood sugar levels. Current reappraisal of what is a "normal" fasting blood glucose level is necessary to avoid the error of false-positive diagnosis of diabetes.


Abstract Purpose: To examine repetition of stress and tonal word accents in real words and non-words in Swedish-speaking children with developmental language disorder (DLD), and to investigate the relation of prosodic repetition to measures of language ability. Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 30 monolingual Swedish-speaking children with DLD, mean age 4;11 (years;months) and 29 age-matched controls, mean age 5;1, who repeated words and non-words with systematically varying prosody. Group differences for the repetition of prosodic features, and correlations between repetition and phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, were explored. Result: Children with DLD performed below controls on repetition of prosodic features of words and non-words. Repetition of stress and tonal word accent was not correlated with phonological production or receptive vocabulary, but a significant correlation was found between stress repetition in words and expressive grammar. Conclusion: Repetition of stress and tonal word accents is challenging for children with DLD acquiring Swedish as their first language, but may not be a good indicator of general language ability. Prosody should be taken into account when interpreting results from clinically used word repetition (WR) and non-word repetition (NWR) tasks.


This dissertation extends the literature on the efficacy of technical analysis in the direction of the `risk premium view' as an explanation for excess trading rule returns. First, we generally rely on the theoretical alternatives to the efficient market hypothesis which encourages possibilities for markets to be inefficient. We then
investigate the link between the risk involved in trading rule strategies and the resulting excess returns. The empirical analysis is based mainly on a sample of stocks drawn from the London Stock Exchange, (LSE), portfolios constructed from three US markets; the New York Stock Exchange, (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange, (ASE), and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
Quotation market, (NASDAQ). Data from ten small emerging markets of Africa is also used in empirical analyses.

Focusing on documented evidence of differences in risk levels among several markets or market segments, the empirical analyses examined whether these risk differentials can explain excess trading rule profits as compensation for bearing risk. The empirical analyses find that, to a large extent, liquidity, book-to-market ratio,
and institutional arrangements can explain the excess profits from technical analysis. These empirical analyses are carried out in chapters three, four and six.

As part of the analysis, I conduct empirical tests to assess the appropriateness of some risk estimates for trading rules. Using recently developed techniques, the
evidence in chapter five is consistent with the notion that certain risk estimates may not be appropriate for adjusting trading rule returns for risk.


Scientists interested in the study of life in the context of the cosmos have limited resources to dedicate to missions. The use of these resources can be made more effective by applying spatial reasoning to projects. If you were to collect data on Earth with the hope of finding life, you probably would not search the Sahara Desert first. You could search the Pacific, but even given the bounty of life in our planet's waters there would be significant difficulties asosciated with landing in the middle of the ocean. Accordingly, astrobiologists use the discipline of geography to inform their search, a dicipline with a rich history of visualizing data about the universe. This essay will discuss that history, address the spatial reasoning involved in more current projects at NASA, and inquire into breaking applications for astrobiologists extending farther than our own solar system.


Abstract We need a brief assessment of the international security environment in order to have a more realistic picture of the world we live in, having the perspective of threats, risks and vulnerabilities. The current and future security environment is characterized, among other things, by its complexity of actors, dynamism of threats as a result of the rethinking of the political-military postures of some states with military potential ore emerging states and non-state actors. In the foreseeable future, the security environment will continue to be influenced by multiple challenges, risks and threats, caused by the globalization phenomenon and political, economic, military and technological interdependencies which can provoke strategic surprises. The European area is in a continuous process of transformation with strategic implications. The systemic transformation will affect the European states and their adjacent regions visibly but distinctly, but the impact on European and Romanian security will be differentiated in the long run.


The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a widely used questionnaire to assess the subjective usability of interactive products or services. It is a cost-effective and time-efficient method which makes it a convenient instrument in the industry context worldwide. Past research has already demonstrated psychometric reliability and validity of the SUS in different languages. The translated SUS questionnaires were considered to be capable of measuring perceived usability. However, there are no international psychometric studies that empirically proof that the SUS can be applied for the same product in different international markets.Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate if the SUS provides comparable results for the evaluation of the same product, an automotive infotainment system, in different markets. Participants from China (n = 36), Germany (n = 30) and the USA (n = 36) were asked to perform nine different use cases using the infotainment system of a series production vehicle. After completing the use cases, they evaluated the infotainment system using the SUS in their corresponding language. We assessed various psychometric quality measures to evaluate the SUS in the different markets.Cronbach's α was used to measure reliability of the questionnaires. For further evaluation of sensitivity, an ANOVA with country being the independent variable and the score of the SUS being the dependent variable was conducted. Construct validity was examined by conducting factor analyses.The mean SUS scores ranked similar across the three languages and did not differ significantly between countries, F(2,99) = 1.07, p = .346, ηp2 = .02. Reliability analyses revealed high internal consistency in all three countries with Cronbach's α ≥ .87. Item analyses indicated that correlations between single items and total scores were high across languages. However, there are inconsistencies in single item reliability analyses. Despite the overall consistent results on reliability, differences were found when comparing which item deletion would increase internal consistency in each language. This finding might question the assumption of the SUS being a global questionnaire with regard to its item structure. Furthermore, the assumption of a unidimensionality of the SUS could not be confirmed by factor analyses conducted for each country. The one-factor solution yields acceptable results, but an explorative two-factor solution is capable of explaining a higher total variance and also shows higher factor loadings. In addition, the items of each SUS translation load differently on the respective factors in both factor solutions, making it difficult to assess the globality of the SUS.Based on the results, the English, German, and Chinese translations of the SUS received validation support to a certain extent, but further research or adjustments of the translations are necessary to validate the SUS as a global questionnaire in the context of an infotainment system.


On February 27, 2007, the Stromboli volcano, which has usually been characterized by moderate explosive activity,
started an effusive eruption with a small lava flow down the NW flank. The permanent broadband network
installed on the island allowed the revealing of anomalies in the seismicity before the effusive eruption and for
the phenomena to be followed over time, thus obtaining meaningful information about the eruption dynamics.
During the effusive phase, a major explosion occurred on March 15, 2007. On that occasion, two strainmeters
deployed on the volcano in the previous year recorded a strain increment before the blast. After this explosion,
which further destabilized the upper part of the edifice, swarms of Long-Period (LP) and hybrid events were
recorded. The characteristics and locations of these events suggest that they were associated with the fracturing
processes that affected the summit area of the cone. During the effusive phase, changes in the Very Long Period
(VLP) event location were recorded. This type of events accompanied the change in the eruptive style, providing
information about the magmatic conduit involved in their seismogenetic processes. The effusive phase
stopped on April 2, 2007, and the typical Strombolian activity restarted some months later.


Collection and delivery of laundry is an important process in the laundry business. The laundry businesses have adopted diverse models such as over the counter collection/delivery, online booking etc. The laundries are collected or delivered from customers' doorstep or from customers' desired location at a convenient time. In this paper, business process re-engineering concept has been incorporated to improve the collection and delivery process of laundry using RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tagging and Automated Laundry Collection Drop Box. The Devil's Quadrangle has been used as a tool for evaluation. The proposed model will result in reduction in cost, time and improvement in service quality. It ultimately results in customers' loyalty, economic efficiency and gain of a competitive advantage over competitor. Other advantages for laundry business include automatic collection and delivery, enhanced customer convenience, enhanced flexibility and industry economic savings, enhanced customer satisfaction and decreased labor work. In the proposed automated laundry collection model, reputed laundry businesses will make a consortium and outsource collection and delivery process to a courier company. Different collection and delivery options are proposed in the model.


Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) fiber reinforced cement-based composites (MWFRC) with 0.1 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% weight concentration of MWCNT (wcM)were prepared, associated with the reference. The electrical resistances and compressive strains of these cured nanocomposites under cyclic uploading/unloading were real-time collected, to explore their stress/strain-sensitive properties. Results reveal as follows, there is no self-sensing trait for the reference, but exists good piezoresisitivity and high strain sensitivity (above 110) for MWFRC; the fractional change in resistivity (Δρ) regularly descends or ascends following the compressive stress, or the longitudinal strain of MWFRC; the resistance caused by pore electrolyte polarization has obvious impact on the time-stability of the Δρ trendline of MWFRC with 0.1 wt.% wcM, similar to the reference, but negligible effect on that of MWFRC with 0.5 wt.% wcM.


We present a new analysis of the lithospheric architecture of Africa, and its evolution from ca. 3.6 Ga to the present. Upper-lithosphere domains , generated or reworked in different time periods, have been delineated by integrating regional tectonics and geochronology with geophysical data (magnetic, gravity, and seismic). The origins and evolution of lower-lithosphere domains are interpreted from a high-resolution global shear-wave tomographic model, using thermal/compositional modeling and xenolith/xenocryst data from volcanic rocks. These data are integrated to map the distribution of ancient highly depleted subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), zones of younger or strongly modified SCLM and zones of active mantle upwelling, and to relate these to the evolution of the upper lithosphere domains. The lithospheric architecture of Africa consists of several Archean cratons and smaller cratonic fragments, stitched together and flanked by younger fold belts; the continental assembly as we see it has only existed since lower Paleozoic time. The larger cratons are underlain by geochemically depleted, rigid, and mechanically robust SCLM; these cratonic roots have steep sides, extending in some cases to ≥300-km depth. Beneath smaller cratons (e.g., Kaapvaal) extensive refertilization has reduced the lateral and vertical extent of strongly depleted SCLM. Some cratonic roots extend ≥300 km into the Atlantic Ocean, suggesting that the upper lithosphere may detach during continental breakup, leaving fragments of SCLM scattered in the ocean basin. The cratonic margins, and some intracratonic domain boundaries, have played a major role in the tectonics of Africa. They have repeatedly focused ascending magmas, leading to refertilization and weakening of the SCLM. These boundaries have localized successive cycles of extension, rifting, and renewed accretion; the ongoing development of the East Africa Rift and its branches is only the latest stage in this process. The less depleted SCLM that underlies some accretionary belts may have been generated in Archean time, and repeatedly refertilized by the passage of magmas during younger tectonic events. Our analysis indicates that originally Archean SCLM is far more extensive beneath Africa than previously recognized, and implies that post-Archean SCLM rarely survives the collision/accretion process. Where continental crust and SCLM have remained connected, there is a strong linkage between the tectonic evolution of the crust and the composition and modification of its underlying SCLM.


BACKGROUND
Tattoos of natural red/brown henna obtained from the indigenous tree Lawsonnia have been traditionally performed with a few side-effects. Nowadays black henna tattoos are usually performed even in children. The addition of several chemical agents to improve its cosmetic properties has increased the risk of developing contact dermatitis after exposure. Our aim is to determine the causative agents of contact dermatitis in two children wearing henna tattoos.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Case 1: A 12-year-old girl with no atopy presented local vesicles 10 hours after a black henna tattoo was applied. She had presented similar symptoms with a previous tattoo. Case 2: A 7-year-old atopic boy presented vesicles 2 weeks after a black henna tattoo was applied. He had dyed his hair previously without side effects. Both patients cured, after 3-4 weeks of treatment with topic corticosteroids, with residual hypo-pigmentation. Skin prick test with natural and commercial henna and epicutaneous test with TRUE-TEST, PABA derivatives compounds tests, textile dyes and natural and commercial henna were performed.

RESULTS
The epicutaneous tests were positive for p-Metilaminophenol, p-Aminobencene, p-Phenilendiamine and p-Toluenodiamine in both patients. The first patient had also positive tests for Benzocaine, Hydroquinone, Isobutyl p-aminobenzoate, Yellow 1 and Orange 1 disperse; the second one for Red 1 and Orange 1 disperse. In both cases the prick and epicutaneous tests for henna were negative.

CONCLUSIONS
Two children presented contact dermatitis after black henna tattoo due to added additives such as paraphenilendiamine.


The epidemiological link between hypertension and Alzheimer disease is established. We previously reported that hypertension aggravates the Alzheimer-like pathology in APPPS1 mice (amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1, mouse model of Alzheimer disease) with angiotensin II–induced hypertension, in relation with hypertension and nitric oxide deficiency. To provide further insights into the role of nitric oxide in the hypertension—Alzheimer disease cross-talk, we studied the effects of nitric oxide blockade in APPPS1 mice using N(&ohgr;)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) alone or in combination with hydralazine, to normalize blood pressure. Compared with normotensive APPPS1 mice, those with L-NAME–induced hypertension had greater amyloid burden (P<0.05), increased cortical amyloid angiopathy (P<0.01), decreased regional microvascular density (P<0.05), and deficient long-term spatial reference memory (P<0.001). Blood pressure normalization with hydralazine did not protect APPPS1 mice from L-NAME–induced deterioration except for cortical amyloid angiopathy, linked to hypertension-induced arterial wall remodeling. By testing the cerebrovascular response to hypercapnic breathing, we evidenced early functional impairment of cerebral vasomotor activity in APPPS1 mice. Whereas in control wild-type normotensive mice, carbon dioxide breathing resulted in 15±1.3% increase in the mean blood flow velocity (P<0.001), paradoxical mild decrease (1.5±0.4%) was recorded in normotensive APPPS1 mice (P<0.001). Carbon dioxide–induced decrease in mean blood flow velocity was not significantly modified in L-NAME–treated hypertensive APPPS1 mice (2.5±1.2%) and partly reversed to mild vasodilation by hydralazine (3.2±1.5%, P<0.01). These results suggest that impaired nitric oxide bioavailability exacerbates the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease, essentially impacting amyloid load and cognitive impairment, independently of L-NAME–induced hypertension. Only cerebral amyloid angiopathy seems to be dependent on hypertension.


Reducing power consumption and increasing efficiency is a key concern for many applications. How to design highly efficient computing elements while maintaining enough flexibility within a domain of applications is a fundamental question. In this paper, we present how broadcast buses can eliminate the use of power hungry multi-ported register files in the context of data-parallel hardware accelerators for linear algebra operations. We demonstrate an algorithm/architecture co-design for the mapping of different collective communication operations, which are crucial for achieving performance and efficiency in most linear algebra routines, such as GEMM, SYRK and matrix transposition. We compare a broadcast bus based architecture with conventional SIMD, 2D-SIMD and flat register file for these operations in terms of area and energy efficiency. Results show that fast broadcast data movement abilities in a prototypical linear algebra core can achieve up to 75× better power and up to 10× better area efficiency compared to traditional SIMD architectures.


Completely bio-based, high molecular weight (>100 kDa) poly(limonene carbonate) (PLimC) with attractive thermal (glass transition temperature, Tg = 130 °C) and optical properties (transmission 94%, haze 0.75%) was prepared by coupling bio-based limonene oxide (LO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) using a β-diiminate zinc catalyst (bdi)Zn(OAc). The molar mass of the polymer could be controlled by changing the ratio of catalyst and monomer, keeping molar mass dispersities low. The synthesis of the LO with very high content (>85%) of trans-isomer and absence of impurities with hydroxyl functionality was also established, which was necessary to obtain a high molar mass of polymer and almost quantitative conversion of epoxide during polymerisation. The upscaled syntheses of both the monomer and the polymer (>1 kg per batch) were readily realised, suggesting an easy transfer to pilot plant scale. The polymerisation kinetics were studied suggesting a second order dependence on LO concentration, wherefrom a mechanism is proposed with an alternating insertion of LO and CO2. The effect of chain-ends on the thermal stability of PLimC was studied with a thermal desorption unit coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) experiments. PLimC with thermal stability as high as 240 °C could be achieved using appropriate end-capping agents. PLimC is characterised by excellent transparency and hardness.


Collaborative teaching happens when two or more instructors assume liability for arranging, educating, and checking the accomplishment of learners in a class.
Every lecturer adds to the class in view of his or her experience and mastery. Especially, since numerous new projects/courses rise out of more than one conventional control, employees think that its important to join their skill keeping in mind the end goal to address the requirements of these courses or projects (Kulynch, 1998). Collaborative teaching can likewise happen when staff cooperates arranging a few classes as "group courses" (Dugan and Letterman, 2008).


The presence of potential morphologic anomalies associated with tibiotarsal rotation was determined in 10 ostrich chicks. Seven of the 10 chicks displayed various degrees of unilateral tibiotarsal rotation, whereas 3 were unaffected. Pelvic limb musculature and joint anatomy were similar between affected and control limbs. External rotation of clinically affected tibiotarsal bones (n = 7) ranged between 25 and 75° (median, 53°), whereas that of clinically normal bones (n = 13) ranged between 0 and 17° (median, 8°). The tibiotarsal nutrient foramen, in the midshaft, was more caudal in clinically affected limbs than in normal limbs (P = .002) and its displacement was correlated with the amount of tibiotarsal rotation (P < .001, r = .709). The distal aspect of the nutrient foramen was more craniad in clinically affected limbs than in normal limbs (P = .01). The cortical thickness and diaphyseal trabecular patterns of affected and control tibiotarsi were identical. The distal tibiotarsal physis of all birds had an atypical conformation, with transverse and longi tudinal portions. Abnormal growth of the longitudinal portion of that physis might contribute to the development of tibiotarsal rotation. However, the caudal displacement of the nutrient foramen sug gests that the deformity originates in the proximal portion of the bone.


Scanning (SEM) and cross-sectional transmission (TEM) electron microscopy analyses have been performed to study the transformations induced on the surface of titanium implants by a sequence of chemical treatments having as goal to induce the nucleation and growth of hydroxycarbonated apatite (HCA). In the first step, an acid etching forms a rough titanium hydride layer, which remains unchanged after subsequent treatments. In a second step, soaking in a NaOH solution induces the growth of nanobelt tangles of nanocrystallized, monoclinic sodium titanate. In a third step, soaking in a simulated body fluid transforms sodium titanate into calcium and phosphorus titanate, by ion exchange in the monoclinic structure. Then, HCA grows and embodies the tangled structure. The interfaces between the different layers are shown to be strong enough to prevent from interfacial decohesion. The role of the titanate structure in the nucleation of HCA is finally discussed.


Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), extensively used as flame‐retardants have been classified as persistent environmental pollutants. PBDEs have also been shown to cause neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity and endocrine disruption; however, the exact mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we propose to investigate PBDE‐induced immunotoxicity in mast cells. We examined the effects of two of the most commonly occurring brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners, BDE‐47 and −99, and a metabolite of BDE‐47, 6‐OH‐BDE‐47 on MC/9 mast cells. MC/9 cells treated with BDE‐47, −99 and 6‐OH‐BDE‐47 (0.25, 0.5, 5, 20 and 40μM, 24h) were stimulated with IgE/antigen (1μg/ml), and levels of IL‐6 and TNF‐α were measured by ELISA. Our results indicate that PBDEs inhibit the IgE‐mediated cytokine release in MC/9 cells in a concentration‐dependent manner. Interestingly, exposure to BDE‐47 and 6‐OH‐BDE47 decreased IL‐6 release in a concentration‐dependent manner; however, BDE‐99 decreased IL‐6 release only at concentrations above 20 μM. These results demonstrate that tetra‐brominated BDE‐47 and its 6‐OH metabolite can suppress cytokine release with increasing concentrations, while penta‐brominated BDE‐99 congener inhibits IL‐6 release only at higher concentrations. Mast cell degranulation measured by β‐hexoaminidase also showed that BDE congeners decreased degranulation in a concentration‐dependent manner in IgE stimulated mast cells. In order to test effects on cell viability, we exposed the MC/9 cells to increasing concentrations of the BDE congeners and measured cytotoxicity at 24 and 48h by MTS assay. We found that tetra‐brominated BDE‐47 exhibited more potent cytotoxicity (EC50 μM =42.38 at 24h and 32.33 at 48h) in comparison to the penta‐brominated BDE‐99 (EC50 μM =48.41 and 35.04 at 48h) in the MC/9 cells. However, the 6‐OH metabolite of BDE‐47 was more cytotoxic in comparison to its parent compound BDE‐47 as well as penta‐brominated BDE‐99 (EC50 μM =25.82 at 24h and 20.16 at 48h). We are further characterizing development of apoptosis in the MC9 cells in the presence of BDE congeners. Our results suggest that PBDE congeners can modulate cytokine release in mast cells and the extent of inhibition is dependent on the bromination of PBDEs. These results address the need to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which PBDE exposure can mediate immunotoxicity.


The FOKN Bois are an irreverent, cosmopolitan hip-hop duo from Ghana. They came to fame as part of the digital-music boom centered in Nigeria that has dominated African popular culture since the mid-2000s. Their most popular track, "Thank God We're Not a Nigerians," mocks the national rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria and the idea of national allegiance itself. The song's production and circulation reveal that digital parody is increasingly central to how a rising generation of urban Africans live. Through sounds and images circulating on social media, young cosmopolitan Africans rely on a smartphone-driven social media–scape to reimagine national territorial identity in virtual terms. The FOKN Bois' work shows that uncertainty and contradiction can be modes of knowing.


A 59-year-old man with hypertension and Crohn's disease that was complicated by fistulas was found unconscious at home. He was being treated with infliximab administered through a central venous access device , which had been placed for long-term intermittent treatment. The patient had been treated unsuccessfully with sulfasalazine, glucocorticoids, and immunomod-ulatory therapies, including methotrexate, azathioprine, and mercaptopurine. He was intubated and brought to the emergency department. Vital signs were stable, and the physical examination was notable for cyanosis of the head, neck, upper torso, and arms. Venography showed occlusion of the superior vena cava, a finding consistent with the superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). Ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis was performed along with bare-metal stenting of the superior vena cava, which alleviated the obstruction. After 2 weeks of hospitalization, the patient recovered with only residual visual impairment in the right eye (20/200) as a result of prolonged congestion of the retinal veins. SVCS is often due to external compression from cancers (e.g., cancers of the lung and lymphomas) but may be caused by intravascular thrombosis associated with the placement of a central catheter.


BACKGROUND
Late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) is used as a screening test for Cushing's syndrome (CS), but there is no community derived normative data for the normal upper limit in the South Asian population. This study aimed to determine the upper limit of normal (97.5th centile) for late night salivary cortisol in an Asian Indian population using commercially available second generation ECLIA.

METHODS
LNSC in apparently healthy community dwelling subjects was assessed by multi stage cluster sampling. Healthy subjects 18 to 60 years of age from 8 Urban and 8 rural clusters of Thiruvananthapuram district were studied. Thirty subjects from an approximate population of 1000 persons from each cluster participated in the study. Saliva sample was collected between 2300hrs and 0000hrs and analysed using Roche COBAS-e-411 and ultrasensitive Cortisol-II kits the next day.

RESULTS
Cortisol values from 474 salivary samples were available for final analysis after exclusion of improperly collected samples. The 97.5thcentile of the LNSC concentrations was 0.25mg/dl (6.89nmol/l) [90% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.23-0.27μg/dl i.e. 6.34-7.45 nmol/l]. In post-menopausal subjects, median LNSC was significantly higher but the 90% CI for upper limit of their LNSC (0.28mg/dl or7.72nmol/l) overlapped with that of premenopausal subjects.

CONCLUSION
This study establishes the normal value of late-night salivary cortisol estimated by second generation ECLIA in healthy community dwelling Asian Indian subjects for the first time. Salivary cortisol at 2300-0000hrs is less than 0.25μg/dl(6.89nmol/l)in normal Asian Indian population. Menopause causes a significant increase in LNSC and may lead to over diagnosis of CS if not interpreted carefully.


Introduction Dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST) accounts for less than 1% of all strokes. The presenting symptoms are diverse and include headache, blurred vision, diplopia, hemiparesis, aphasia, or even psychosis. Physical examination can demonstrate findings of increased intracranial pressure, papilledema, and distended scalp veins. The recommended treatment for DVST is anticoagulation; however, up to 13% have poor outcomes with anticoagulant therapy alone and more invasive endovascular therapies may be necessary. The prognosis of DVST has improved, with up to 79% experiencing complete recovery, though death and dependency rates vary from 13–28%. Methods We present a 40-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), who developed diffuse DVST. A literature review was conducted to determine current treatment guidelines, risk factors, and adverse events associated with the treatment of DVST. Results Thirteen days into her treatment for AML, she began to complain of headache that was worse with coughing, blurred vision and difficulty reading. Initial head CT was negative. Her headaches and blurred vision continued for six days and she developed altered mental status. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bilateral papilledema with flame-shaped hemorrhages and a repeat CT demonstrated new hyperdensity suggesting DVST. Magnetic resonance venogram confirmed extensive thrombi throughout the entire dural sinus system. She was placed on an intravenous heparin infusion but her symptoms did not improve. Cerebral venography (CV) confirmed subacute pan-dural sinus thrombosis and a continuous microcatheter infusion of thrombolytic was begun. Multiple microcatheter rechecks with repositioning were performed over the next two days and revealed fluctuating areas of recanalization and rethrombosis without adequate venous outflow. The right transverse sinus was never crossed due to the organized clot in this segment and access to the superior sagittal (SSS) and left transverse (LTS) sinuses was always from the left internal jugular vein. She also underwent thrombectomy that successfully extracted large volume clot from the SSS and LTS. However, an underlying stenosis of the LTS required angioplasty and stenting in order to achieve good venous outflow. She was monitored in the intensive care unit and converted to enoxaparin sodium with headache improvement noted over the first week. However, recurrent headaches prompted a CT venogram several weeks later. There was a severe stenosis in the downstream end of the stent with recurrent obstruction and upstream venous pressure of 53 mmHg at the time of repeat microcatheter venogram. A second overlapping stent was required for definitive treatment and she was subsequently restarted on her chemotherapy regimen. Conclusion DVST is an uncommon cause of stroke. The appropriate diagnosis is imperative as the treatment for DVS is vastly different from the treatment of arterial stroke. Patients who suffer from DVST have a good prognosis and often achieve complete recovery. This case demonstrates the utility of more invasive endovascular treatments for extreme cases that fail to improve, or worsen, following a trial of conventional care. When thrombolysis and thrombectomy alone were not successful, stenting of an underlying dural sinus stenosis was ultimately required for successful recanalization. Disclosures: D. Leonard: None. A. Haider: None. R. Thakur: None. C. Gottlich: None. U. Khan: None. K. Layton: None.


In forensic science, striation marks form a large and important portion of relevant cues. They comprise the groove patterns on the circumferential surface of bullets, where the individual characteristics of the barrel production marks as well as damages due to usual wear are concentrated in strictly straight grooves. Moreover, many tools produce groove-shaped marks when used in a dragging movement. To suppress irrelevant regions without grooves and consequently improve an automated comparison system, a segmentation of the actual groove area on the specimen is useful. In this contribution, an image processing method is presented that uses an illumination series to robustly segment striation patterns from mainly isotropic background areas. The illumination series is obtained with a spot illumination whose azimuth is varied systematically. The strategy is based on the modeled characteristics of local contrast with respect to the azimuth of the illumination: Whereas pronounced maxima of the local contrast can be observed when the striae are illuminated perpendicularly, an isotropic background texture shows less distinct maxima for random azimuth angles. The quali cation of the approach is demonstrated on the segmentation of faint tool marks. Experimental results show that the methodology ensures the correct segmentation of such marks.


The purpose of this dissertation is to study the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the Information Systems (IS) development processes. The study describes and evaluates TQM concepts and techniques in the IS development processes and interprets sub-organizational elements in the application of TQM in the public sector. This dissertation uses a multiple case study methodology to study the development processes of IS in three public agencies. This study attempts to examine what quality means across these public organizations and to discover the differences between IS development methodologies that do or do not apply TQM concepts and techniques. The late Dr. W. Edwards Deming, regarded as "father" of post war Japanese economic miracle as well as leading advocate of the TQM movement in the United States, developed a systematic approach to solving quality related problems which aims to fulfill customer expectations. His system of management is adopted as the theoretical basis to this dissertation. The "lessons learned" from these case studies, empirically and in literature, reveal multiple experiences of TQM applications to IS development processes in the public sector.


Photosynthetic uptake of inorganic carbon can raise the pH adjacent to cyanobacterial cells, promoting CaCO3 precipitation. This effect is enhanced by CO2 concentrating mechanisms that actively transport into cells for carbon fixation. CO2 concentrating mechanisms presumably developed in response to atmospheric decrease in CO2 and increase in O2 over geological timescales. In present‐day cyanobacteria, CO2 concentrating mechanisms are induced when the atmospheric partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) falls below ∼0.4%. Reduction in pCO2 during the Proterozoic may have had two successive effects on cyanobacterial calcification. First, fall in pCO2 below ∼1% (33 times present atmospheric level, PAL) resulted in lower dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations that reduced pH buffering sufficiently for isolated CaCO3 crystals to begin to nucleate adjacent to cyanobacterial cells. As a result, blooms of planktic cyanobacteria induced precipitated 'whitings' of carbonate mud in the water column whose sedimentary accumulation began to dominate carbonate platforms ∼1400–1300 Ma. Second, fall in pCO2 below ∼0.4% (10 PAL) induced CO2‐concentrating mechanisms that further increased pH rise adjacent to cells and promoted in vivo cyanobacterial sheath calcification. Crossing of this second threshold is indicated in the fossil record by the appearance of Girvanella 750–700 Ma. Coeval acquisition of CO2 concentrating mechanisms by planktic cyanobacteria further stimulated whiting production. These inferences, that pCO2 fell below ∼1%∼1400–1300 Ma and below ∼0.4% 750–700 Ma, are consistent with empirical and modelled palaeo‐atmosphere estimates. Development of CO2 concentrating mechanisms was probably temporarily slowed by global cooling ∼700–570 Ma that favoured diffusive entry of CO2 into cells. Lower levels of temperature and DIC at this time would have reduced seawater carbonate saturation state, also hindering cyanobacterial calcification. It is suggested that as Earth emerged from 'Snowball' glaciations in the late Neoproterozoic, global warming and O2 rise reactivated the development of CO2 concentrating mechanisms. At the same time, rising levels of temperature, calcium ions and DIC increased seawater carbonate saturation state, stimulating widespread cyanobacterial in vivo sheath calcification in the Early Cambrian. This biocalcification event promoted rapid widespread development of calcified cyanobacterial reefs and transformed benthic microbial carbonate fabrics.


The secondary structure peptidomimetic approach is a rational way to develop novel nonpeptide pharmaceutical agents based upon biologically significant proteinaceous leads. A part of this approach elaborated in this laboratory over the past ten years is reviewed along with the recent developments in this field.


Abstract Pain resulting from needle injection is a serious problem for patients that self-administer medication at home. We studied impressions of needle use by comparing PenNeedle® 32G Taper (NovoFine® 32G Tip), developed to reduce the sense of fear and pain of injection, with a conventional needle, in children self-injecting GH. A total of 34 patients self-injected themselves with needles coupled with Norditropin® NordiFlex® pre-filled recombinant human GH, and impressions of use were evaluated by a series of questionnaires. Compared to the conventional needle, PenNeedle 32G Taper was slightly less painful at time of insertion according to patient responses, though the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.06). PenNeedle 32G Taper has the same inner diameter as the conventional needle, thus there was no difference in the pain felt at time of injection between these two needles. Large differences in pain perception between the two needles were not seen probably due to their similar shape and appearance and as the subjects of this study were young. Nevertheless, based on the results of post-study questionnaires, significantly more patients (68%, P=0.02) expressed a desire to use PenNeedle 32G Taper for daily injections of GH. PenNeedle 32G Taper thus appears to be a superior needle which reduces insertion-associated pain in children receiving recombinant GH and improves patient QOL.


This paper aimed to discuss the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. The 2010 Cheonan tragedy became a momentum for political instability in the East Asia region. Based on the theory of Balance of Threat (BOT), when there is an imbalance of threats (from other countries or coalitions), a country will build an alliance or increase its internal capacity to reduce its vulnerability. Increasing alliances between South Korea and the United States have resulted in a security dilemma of East Asia neighbour countries. It examines the alliance of South Korea-the United States argued as an embodiment of Korea's national interests which must defend itself from a threatening environment. This is influenced by the history and rollercoaster relations with North Korea. In dealing with Cheonan tragedy, Russia supported North Korea by stating that North Korea did not need to be responsible. China abstained from the UN Security Council and was disrupted by US and South Korean military exercises. Meanwhile, Japan is seeking a trilateral agreement to increase security cooperation in East Asia with South Korea and the United States. The U.S. continues to apply economic sanctions and international pressure to bring North Korea back to the negotiation agenda.


IN THE more advanced stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, characteristic electrocardiographic changes of right atrial enlargement and right ventricular hypertrophy frequently develop.1It is extremely rare to have such a pattern disappear and the electrocardiogram return to normal in chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema, which so often is slowly progressive. The patient reported herein had typical chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with emphysema, cor pulmonale and right-heart failure, and secondary polycythemia when first seen, but complete return of the ECG to normal occurred in a two-year period with vigorous treatment. Report of a Case A 53-year-old white man was examined in June 1964 because of shortness of breath and ankle swelling. He had smoked two packs of cigarettes per day for 37 years. The shortness of breath had developed progressively over a two-year period, and the ankle swelling had begun three months prior to his examination. Physical examination disclosed plethora,


Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare disorder seen in elderly persons, wherein the urinary bag and the tubing turn in to purple colour. It is usually seen in patients who are on urinary catheters for a long time. Purple coloured urine occurs due to the accumulation of indigo and indirubin, which are the end products of tryptophan metabolism due to the action of sulfatases and phosphatases formed by bacteria like Providencia, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella etc. We present this interesting phenomenon of purple urine in a young male who was on prolonged urinary catheterization. The urine culture was positive for Providencia and constipation was an added risk factor for the purple urine. The urinary catheter and tubing was changed along with a course of antibiotics which lead to the normalization of the urine colour.


: Tires equipped with sensors, the so-called "intelligent tires", can provide vital information for control systems, drivers and external users. In this research, tire dynamic strain characteristics in cornering conditions are collected and analysed in relation to the variation of tire working conditions, such as inflation pressure, rolling speed, vertical load and slip angle. An experimental tire strain-based prototype and an indoor tire test rig are used to demonstrate the suitability of strain sensors to establish relations between strain data and lateral force. The results of experiments show that strain values drop sharply when lateral force is decreasing, which can be used to predict tire slip conditions. As a first approach to estimate some tire working conditions, such as the slip angle and vertical load, a fuzzy logic method has been developed. The simulation and test results confirm the feasibility of strain sensors and the proposed computational model to solve the non-linearity characteristics of the tires' parameters and turn tires into a source of useful information.


We study the problem of training personalized deep learning models in a decentralized peer-to-peer setting, focusing on the setting where data distributions differ between the clients and where different clients have different local learning tasks. We study both covariate and label shift, and our contribution is an algorithm which for each client finds beneficial collaborations based on a similarity estimate for the local task. Our method does not rely on hyperparameters which are hard to estimate, such as the number of client clusters, but rather continuously adapts to the network topology using soft cluster assignment based on a novel adaptive gossip algorithm. We test the proposed method in various settings where data is not independent and identically distributed among the clients. The experimental evaluation shows that the proposed method performs better than previous state-of-the-art algorithms for this problem setting, and handles situations well where previous methods fail.


Motivation and Objectives Advances in DNA/RNA sequencing technologies and the contemporary introduction of the so-called "next-generation" sequencing instruments during the last decade, made it possible to automate several steps of the laboratory processes, leading to an increased throughput. As a direct consequence, there has been an exponential growth of data being generated and the development of more efficient and complex laboratory procedures. To efficiently handle the large amounts of data produced and to implement a quality control plan, a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is highly-recommended. A LIMS is a complex software platform aimed to the management of the laboratory data and processes. Several LIMS are currently available, but most of them have prohibitive costs and have proprietary code, lacking often flexibility and scalability. We have designed and implemented a QUALITY and TRacEability Data System (QTreds), a software platform born to address the specific needs of the CRS4 sequencing laboratory. The main purpose of our in-house software solution was to provide a system that could help researchers to have a complete knowledge of the laboratory processes at each step, managing and verifying the: •workflow creation •samples traceability; •diverse experimental protocols definition; •inventory of reagents; •users' roles and privileges; •customized report generation. Tracking and monitoring all the phases of the laboratory workflow can help to identify and troubleshoot problems more quickly, reducing the risk of process failures and their related costs Methods To develop QTreds, we followed a software approach commonly referred to as Agile. Starting from a general description of the needs of the laboratory and the main functional requirements that the system was expected to have, we created a working but incomplete prototype, refining it constantly through a continuous interaction with the researchers and the personnel of the laboratory until obtaining the desired results. QTreds is a web application with a client-server architecture developed in the Ruby programming language - Ruby web site: http://www.ruby-lang.org (Last accessed on July 2nd, 2012), using the framework Rails - Rails web site: http://www.rubyonrails.org (Last accessed on July 3rd, 2012). QTreds has been developed following a design pattern known as Model-View-Controller (MVC) which assigns to objects of our system one of these three roles (Model, View or Controller) and defines the way objects communicate with each other. Model objects encapsulate the data and define the logic and computational methods to manipulate them. The View is responsible for generating a user interface, usually based on data in the Model. The Controller acts as an intermediary between one or more application's Views and one or more of its Models. The persistence layer of the platform was developed using Active Record, a Rails implementation of the object-relational mapping (ORM) pattern introduced by Martin Fowler – Active Record web site: http://ar.rubyonrails.org (Last accessed on July 2nd, 2012). The latter enables the communication between QTreds and the MySQL relational database used to store data, thus reducing the need to use the Structured Query Language (SQL), but allowing us to use it whenever we needed it – MySQL website: http://www.mysql.com (Last accessed on July 4th, 2012). The implementation of QTreds also relies on the use of different open-source programming libraries. The web user interface integrates the Views generated through the Rails Action View module with the Prototype Javascript Framework which enabled us to deal with the Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) technology in a very easy and efficient way - web site: http://www.prototypejs.org (Last accessed on July 4th, 2012). Furthermore the use of the script.aculo.us set of Javascript libraries - web site: http://script.aculo.us (Last accessed on July 4th, 2012) provides us with a visual effects engine, that we used to enhance the interactive user experience with the application. All the activities and operations allowed by the QTreds platform can be assigned to four functional areas shown in the graphical representation below: The protocol definition is a crucial phase performed by the lab supervisor. A protocol is a sort of template that describes the workflow, that is the sequence of steps of a particular class of experiments (for instance, the Exome Enrichment Protocol, will list all the steps of that kind of experiments: First Hybridization, First Wash, Purification, PCR, etc). Each step, that we call "activity", provides a detailed description of the instruments involved, the reagents used and the items consumed at a given point of an experiment . The lab supervisor can perform this protocol definition task using a graphical user interface or writing an eXtensible Markup Language Schema (XML) document, that must be compiled following a set rules that we defined and collected in an XML Schema Definition (XSD) document. The resulting XML protocol will be processed and exploited by the system to graphically represent the experiment workflow as a "state diagram" that will guide the user step by step, enabling him to manage and monitor the progression of his experiment. QTreds is also provided with a system for privilege management and authorization. The Authorization module defines different user roles, each with a different access profile; each role includes a set of features and privileges to which the assigned user will have access. At the moment we have implemented six main roles: administrator, supervisor, user, inventory manager, analyzer and viewer. Depending on the role assigned, each user will be able to perform different levels of operations and to access different kinds of information. For example a simple user will be allowed to see only data related to his experiments or to the projects in which he is involved, while the administrator will have a complete view of all the activities and data processing operations. A user can have different roles in different projects. The Inventory Management module tracks all the reagents and items used by the researchers for their experiments. It includes different components: 1) a Catalog where all the typologies or categories of items used in the laboratory have to be inserted; 2) a Stock to register the reagents and other items physically present in the lab; 3) a Topology, which defines a virtual representation of the laboratory to keep track of the locations of the instruments in which the items are stocked; 4) a Personal Stock, that is a sort of "shopping cart" in which each researcher must insert all the reagents and items needed to perform his experiments. QTreds integrates all aspects of the DNA sequencing process which includes sample submission, handling and tracking and also allows to design the workflow of each experiment providing the data needed for subsequent analyses. Results and Discussion QTreds has been developed, starting from the needs of the CRS4 Sequencing and Genotyping Platform (CSGP), where it has been used since June 2011 to make almost 100 DNA library preparation and sequencing experiments, processing over 1500 samples. A new version of QTreds is currently under test and will be released soon. The new release will be provided with an efficient Application Programming Interface (API) in order to allow smart and automated access to information. The API has been implemented according to the REpresentational State Transfer (REST) architecture (Fielding, 2000). Using this API, any authorized user or system will be able to retrieve resources and information via a standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request, providing the opportune parameters. The API will also enable to insert data into the QTreds database, creating a bi-directional communication channel between our system and any other external application or tool. The upcoming release will also provide a complete reporting system to visualize and export data in different file formats. A trial version of QTreds is available on demand for academic users. We are setting up a web site to give public access to the system. We intend to put it online in time for the conference. QTreds will be distributed as an open source software: the exact license model (copyleft-style or "permissive" open source) is currently under discussion. Also in this case we will disclose our choice very soon. Thanks to its flexibility our system can be easily adapted to address the issues and the needs of other kinds of laboratories; therefore we are currently developing prototypes for some research groups in the fields of Metabolomics and Proteomics, with whom we are actively collaborating. Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to the personnel of the CSGP for their precious suggestions and the help provided in each phase of the development of the platform. References Melo A, Faria-Campos A, et al (2010) SIGLa: an adaptable LIMS for multiple laboratories, BMC Genomics 11(Suppl 5):S8. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-11-S5-S8 Stocker G, Fisher M, et al (2009) iLAP: a workflow-driven software for experimental protocol development, data acquisition and analysis, BMC Bioinformatics 10, 390. doi:10.1186/1471-2105-10-390 Triplet T, Butler G (2012) The EnzymeTracker: an open-source laboratory information management system for sample tracking, BMC Bioinformatics 13, 15. doi:10.1186/1471-2105-13-15 Note: Figures and tables are available in PDF version only.


A novel analytical framework for evaluating the statistics of the product of independent random variables is proposed. Compared with other methods, which use either infinite series or special functions, the new method provides simple and efficient closed-form approximations, in terms of elementary functions, such as powers and exponentials. Numerical results, which are used to check the accuracy of the new approximations, show that it is quite accurate in most regions of interest. As an application, the proposed analytical results can be efficiently used in wireless communications theory to evaluate in closed form the outage probability of cascaded fading channels, as well as the rate offset of the hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) transmission. Numerical examples show that the derived expressions provide significant insights on the behaviors of important system parameters as the outage probability and the rate offset.


Abstract This paper traces the economic impact of the costs of foodborne illness on the U.S. economy using a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) framework. Previous estimates of the costs of seven foodborne pathogens are disaggregated by type, and distributed across the population using data from the National Health Interview Survey. Initial income losses resulting from premature death cause a decrease in economic activity. Medical costs, in contrast, result in economic growth, though this growth does not outweigh the total costs of premature death. A SAM accounting of how the costs of illness are diffused through the economy provides useful information for policy makers.


Nonlinear eddy viscosity models have received significant interest because of the shortcomings of linear eddy viscosity models used in the numerical simulation of flow around building structures. There are many kinds of nonlinear eddy viscosity models. This paper adopts one of them to simulate backward facing step flow, which aims to evaluate the properties of this turbulence model. Compared with linear eddy viscosity model and experimental measurements, the simulation of nonlinear eddy viscosity model gives better results, especially for the reattachment length and pressure coefficient values. For this reason, this nonlinear eddy viscosity model is more suitable for numerical simulation of complex flow around building structures than linear eddy viscosity model.


The Human Factors in Airway Management course was designed to emphasise the importance of human factors and non-technical skills in difficult airway management scenarios, whilst teaching the practical skills of using specialised airway devices. A validated version of the Operating Room Management Attitudes Questionnaire (ORMAQ) was used to assess changes in twelve delegates' attitudes as a result of attending the course. This measures attitudes to leadership, communication, teamwork, stress and fatigue, work values, error, and error management. Pre-course attitudes to leadership hierarchy, stress and fatigue, and information sharing were more positive than those reported in previous ORMAQ surveys of anaesthetists. Eight weeks following the course, there was a preference for a reduced authority gradient within the operating theatre team, increased assertion in the face of seniority, and an improvement in attitude to multidisciplinary team-working. By demonstrating these changes in attitude to patient safety, we believe the impact of non-technical skills training can translate into positive changes in clinical practice.


The Lower Palaeolithic colonisation of Europe has traditionally been considered in terms of its antiquity. However, whilst establishing the antiquity of European colonisation is vital for gauging the range expansion of Pleistocene hominins, this alone provides little insight to the pattern of that colonisation. That is, establishing antiquity alone does not greatly help to address questions such as: how many dispersals were there into Europe? How long did each dispersal last? Were some regions more densely populated than others? This research investigates the pattern and character of the Lower Palaeolithic hominin colonisation of Europe, approached from four angles: 1. Long versus short chronology (antiquity of colonisation); 2) Dispersals versus in situ evolution (permanency of colonisation); 3) Population continuity versus discontinuity (palaeodemography of colonisation); 4) Mode 1 versus Mode 2 (cognitive capabilities of contemporaneous populations).


ABSTRACT Coherence is a core objective in most multinational interventions and seems of particular relevance to UN peacekeeping missions with their increasing complexity and multidimensionality. Yet, coherence has rarely been studied empirically. We borrow the concept of 'fit' from organizational theory and use it to develop a conceptual framework to study coherence in peacekeeping operations. Fit is the degree of match between what is required by the mandate, on the one hand, and an institutional set-up and the implemented practices, on the other. We identify three relevant dimensions of fit to study coherence: strategic and organizational, cultural and human and operational fit. Our empirical material focuses on the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and in particular on the interplay between the intelligence components and the rest of the mission. We draw upon a large empirical dataset containing over 120 semi-structured interviews, field observations and participation in pre-deployment exercises and evaluation sessions. Our empirical analysis suggests that low level of fit across several dimensions leads to inertial and widespread frictions in the practice of peacekeeping and could potentially undermine peacekeeping effectiveness. Building on existing scholarship on micro-level approaches to peacekeeping, we hope to further the debate on organizational dynamics within peace operations.


A new junction termination method employing shallow trenches filled with oxide, which successfully decreased the junction termination area, is proposed and fabricated without any complicated process such as Si-deep etching. Shallow trenches between the floating field limiting rings successfully redistributed the single electric field peak into two peaks so that the breakdown voltage could be increased with the same junction termination area. The experimental results show that the proposed method decreased the junction termination area by more than 25% compared to a conventional field limiting ring structure when breakdown voltages are equal.


Monte Carlo simulations of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films by using the Metropolis algorithm and a nearest neighbor classical Heisenberg model were carried out. Films were simulated by considering system sizes of L × L × d magnetic ions, being d the film thickness, which was varied, and L the linear dimension of the basal plane, which was kept fixed at a high enough value. In the simulation we have differentiated three types of ions, namely Mn4+d3, Mn3+eg, and Mn3+eg' with their corresponding coupling constants. Hence, the effect of substituting Mn ions by vacancies upon the magnetic properties of the films was addressed. Magnetization, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat curves as a function of temperature were obtained. Results indicate that the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition temperature Tc increases until reaching the value reported for the bulk material (~260 K) as the film thickness increases above 9 magnetic unit cells. Moreover, as the vacancies percentage increases, Tc exhibits a linear decrease without depending of the sample thickness; this is caused by the decrease in the magnetic bonds density.


Among different adsorbents, a new support for immobilized metal affinity chromatography was used for lysozyme separation from egg white. For this purpose, acrylamide, bisacrylamide, bentonite, and L-histidine in the presence of an initiator (azobisisobutyronitrile, AIBN) were mixed and bentonite-acrylamide-histidine microcomposites were prepared by bulk polymerization. Characterization studies were performed by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and BET. Specific surface area of the bentonite and BABH microcomposite was found to be 33.4 and 1.42 m2/g, respectively. Cu2+ ions (20 µmol/g) were chelated on these bentonite-acrylamide-histidine (50 µmol/g L-histidine incorporation) microcomposites. The lysozyme adsorption capacity of the Cu2+ ions chelated microcomposites increased the lysozyme adsorption up to 100 mg/g while the lysozyme adsorption capacity of the bentonite-acrylamide-histidine was 24 mg/g. More than 89% of the adsorbed lysozyme was desorbed in 1 h in the desorption medium containing 1.0 M NaCl. Bentonite-acrylamide-histidine-Cu(II) was used for the purification of lysozyme from chicken egg white. The purity of lysozyme was estimated by SDS-PAGE. Specific activity of the purified lysozyme was found as 50,000 U/mg using Micrococcus lysodeikticus as substrate. The new metal-chelate affinity microcomposites were suitable for repeated use for five cycles without a noticeable loss of capacity.


Unilateral presentation of pulmonary edema, though well known to occur, is an uncommon entity. Previous reviews of this subject have discussed the different etiologies, which include rapid reexpansion of collapsed lung, down lung syndrome (gravitational edema), systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunts, heart failure, compression or occlusion of pulmonary vasculatures, obstruction of a bronchus and an acute manifestation of neuropulmonary reaction (neurogenic pulmonary edema). Occurrence of this complication during surgery, however, is even rarer. We report 2 cases of unilateral pulmonary edema occurring during general anesthesia for elective surgery.


This paper details how magnetic hysteresis and remanence measurements can provide improved, rapid, non-destructive characterization of multiple mineral and fluid components in reservoir samples. This extends previous work (Potter, 2007), which only considered low field magnetic susceptibility. Low-field results alone can sometimes be influenced by small amounts of ferro- or ferrimagnetic minerals that can obscure the major diamagnetic matrix minerals and paramagnetic clays. The advantage of hysteresis measurements is that, by acquiring magnetic susceptibility data over a range of low and high applied fields, they can identify ferro- or ferrimagnetic components at low fields and highlight the combined effect of the diamagnetic and paramagnetic components at high fields. Diamagnetic components, including matrix minerals such as quartz or calcite, or most reservoir fluids, give straight lines with negative slope on hysteresis plots, whilst paramagnetic components, such as permeability controlling clay minerals such as illite give straight lines with positive slope. Mixtures of diamagnetic and paramagnetic components exhibit a slope that is dependent upon the mixture composition. Characteristic "kinks" or "loops" at relatively low fields can identify extremely small concentrations of ferro- or ferrimagnetic minerals (such as magnetite) that may not be detected by XRD measurements. Furthermore, remanence measurements can independently identify the remanence carrying ferro- or ferrimagnetic particles without any influence from the diamagnetic or paramagnetic components (which do not acquire a remanence). The techniques have allowed one to distinguish (i) subtle variations in clastic reservoir samples, (ii) different turbidite types, (iii) different carbonate types, and (iv) different reservoir fluids such as formation waters and crude oils.


In the past 10 years, numerous observation programs in the Mediterranean deployed autonomous platforms (moorings, argo floats, gliders) and thus considerably increased the number of in-situ observations and the data coverage. In this study, we analyse time series built with profile data on interannual scales. Sorting data in regional boxes, we follow the evolution of different water masses in the basin and generate indexes to characterize their evolution. We then put those indexes in relation with external (atmospheric) forcings and present an intercomparison with the NEMO-Med12 model to estimate both the skill of the model and the relevance of the data-sampling in reproducing the evolution of water masses properties.


The Sparse Matrix-Vector Multiplication (SpMV) kernel ranks among the most important and thoroughly studied linear algebra operations, as it lies at the heart of many iterative methods for the solution of sparse linear systems, and often constitutes a severe performance bottleneck. Its optimization, which is intimately associated with the data structures used to store the sparse matrix, has always been of particular interest to the applied mathematics and computer science communities and has attracted further attention since the advent of multicore architectures. In this article, we present SparseX, an open source software package for SpMV targeting multicore platforms, that employs the state-of-the-art Compressed Sparse eXtended (CSX) sparse matrix storage format to deliver high efficiency through a highly usable "BLAS-like" interface that requires limited or no tuning. Performance results indicate that our library achieves superior performance over competitive libraries on large-scale problems.


This Article does not assume that professional oaths accomplish what they are intended to do. Yet, I believe that oaths can fulfill important functions once they are crafted as part of carefully designed, more comprehensive approaches to managing ethical culture. Or better, I believe that by investigating more closely what an oath really is and what its preconditions are, we may gain insights that will help to change corporate culture for the better, even if companies do not wish to adopt oaths to manage ethics. Methodologically, this Article is grounded in various strands of philosophical research. In particular, I build on work from political philosophy on the value of freedom, and on work from epistemology (the philosophical theory of knowledge) on the value of knowledge and common knowledge (which borrows from economics to some extent). I strive to keep technicalities to a minimum to make my argument accessible to a wide range of interested readers and to highlight the main idea of this Article. However, a disclaimer must be made that philosophy is a conceptual rather than an empirical discipline, and as a result it has its own style of researching and writing that distinguishes it, sometimes starkly, from social science and legal scholarship.


The objective analysis of scientific production is analysed by scientometric methods that measure the development and progress in science through the analysis of productivity and impact of the scientific production in different universities, countries, research groups, etc. In this context, the aim of present study was to analyse scientific literature in the field of environmental studies that apply biomarkers in Latin America. The selected period of analysis was from 1999 to 2008. Brazil was the country that presented the highest number of published articles (872), followed by Mexico (559), Argentina (368) and Chile (232). The analysis of the h index showed that the four Latin American countries with higher scientific productivity presented lower values when compared with countries outside this region, meaning that the establishment of collaborative studies could be one of the strategies to improve Latin American visibility in environmental studies.


SIR,-May I draw your attention to an error in the leading article on "Benign Forms of Multiple Sclerosis" (12 February, p. 392) where it states: "In 1959 McAlpine and N. Compston surveyed 241 cases of multiple sclerosis . . . ." The paper which your reviewer must have had in mind was published in 1961.1 A further point-these 241 cases were seen within three years of onset-not a truly prospective study as implied but a "quasi-prospective" one (a term I use in the new edition of Multiple Sclerosis: A Reappraisal). I would be glad if this error could be put right.-I am, etc.,


Home medical care is recently being promoted thanks to the establishment of the related medical insurance system and by patient choice. Home medical care requires a collaboration of home treatment, home nursing, and drug supply, and within this collaborative network, pharmacists also play the role to supply drugs (dispensing). Drugs that used for home care include injectable agents for pain control or hygiene management. Therefore, pharmacies need to be furnished with clean rooms and clean benches to dispense drugs aseptically. However, because of the enormous costs of capital investment and the uncertainty of the number of patients who will use pharmacies, a very few pharmacies are adequately furnished. The survey has revealed that 76 pharmacies are adequately furnished. It is presumed that home medical care will continuously promoted in the future so a network of pharmacies that can dispense injectable drugs must be set up under the home care support system.


Our study examines the imitation behavior of UK automobile manufacturers from 1894 to 1981 and supports previous studies on interorganizational imitation by showing that manufacturers tend to imitate other manufacturers that are similar. We also find that the degree of confidence manufacturers have in their imitating behavior affects the intensity of that behavior, where an organizations confidence is determined by the variance of the routines used by its reference group and the number of firms in the reference group. Our results show that (1) manufacturers whose reference groups showed large variance in niche-width changes during the previous year are less likely to imitate (the mean of) those changes, (2) manufacturers who have large reference groups are more likely to imitate the changes, and (3) the negative effect of variance on the imitating behavior is strengthened as the number of reference organizations increases.


The Cierco Pb-Zn-Ag vein deposits, located in the central Pyrenees of Spain, crosscut Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks and are in close proximity to Hercynian granodiorite dikes and plutons. Galena and sphalerite in the deposits have average delta 34 S values of - 4.3 and - 0.8 per mil (CDT), respectively. Coexisting mineral pairs give an isotopic equilibration temperature range of 89 degrees to 163 degrees C which overlaps with the 112 degrees to 198 degrees C range obtained from primary fluid inclusions. Coexisting quartz has a delta 18 O value of 19 + or - 1 per mil (VSMOW). The fluid which deposited these minerals is inferred to have had delta 18 O (sub H 2 ) O and delta 34 S (sub H 2 ) S values of 5 + or - 1 and -1 + or - 1 per mil, respectively. Chemical and microthermometric analyses of fluid inclusions in quartz and sphalerite indicate salinities of 3 to 29 wt percent NaCl equiv with Na (super +) and Ca (super 2+) as the dominant cations in solution. The Br/Cl and I/Cl ratios differ from those characteristic of magmatic waters and pristine seawater, but show some similarity to those observed in deep ground waters in crystalline terranes, basinal brines, and evaporated seawater. Barite, which postdates the sulfides, spans isotopic ranges of 13 to 21 per mil, 10 to 15 per mil, and 0.7109 to 0.7123 for delta 34 S, delta 18 O, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, respectively. The three parameters are correlated providing strong evidence that the barites are products of fluid mixing.We propose that the Cierco deposits formed along an extensional fault system at the margin of a marine basin during the breakup of Pangea at some time between the Early Triassic and Early Cretaceous. Sulfide deposition corresponded to an upwelling of hydrothermal fluid from the Paleozoic basement and was limited by the amount of metals carried by the fluid. Barite deposition corresponded to the waning of upward flow and the collapse of sulfate-rich surface waters onto the retreating hydrothermal plume. Calcite precipitated late in the paragenesis as meteoric or marine waters descended into the fault system, possibly during a regression in the overlying basin.There are other deposits resembling Cierco elsewhere in the Iberian peninsula. Taken as a group, they are evidence that hydrothermal circulation systems were widespread during Mesozoic extension. Differences among the deposits can be related to the fact that H 2 S and other solutes had local and variable sources.


BACKGROUND TTS increasingly being used to detect PTX, however its utility in diagnosis and management of post TBLB PTX largely unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of TTS in detection of post TBLB PTX. SUBJECTS AND METHODS TTS performed on 379 consecutive patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy and TBLB (n=113). Disappearance of sliding lung and comettail artifacts considered evidence of PTX. Upright chest radiography (CXR) was performed after 2 hours of TBLB. CT chest performed in case of discrepancy between TTS and CXR. PTX was sonographically monitored by noting position of the lung point 2 hrly. RESULTS PTX occurred in eight (7.1%) of TBLB patients. TTS depicted all cases of PTX while CXR did not depict one PTX, which was confirmed on CT. All PTX diagnosed immediately post procedure by TTS in the bronchoscopy suite itself. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy were all 100% for TTS and 87.5%, 100%, 100%, 99.6%, and 99.6%, respectively, for CXR. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the sensitivity, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy were 46.7% to 99.3%, 95.6% to 100%, and 56.1% to 100% for CXR. Any shift of the lung point towards the base of lungs(below Mid thoracic line) favored single time aspiration (done in 2 cases) or ICTD insertion(1 case),while conservative management done in cases where lung point shifted towards apex(Above Mid thoracic line). CONCLUSION These preliminary results suggest that TTS is as effective as CXR in the detection of PTX after TBLB and may become the method of choice for excluding, diagnosing, and monitoring PTX after TBLB.


The psychostimulant substances were used by medical students is a phenomenon partially well-known. The aim of present work was to find the prevalence of use and abuse of psychostimulant drugs among medical students. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted A structured questionnaire about potential use of caffeine, nicotine, and amphetamine as psychostimulant drugs use, was distributed by electronic means (google forms), among medical students from various levels at different faculties from 18 Libyan medical universities. A total of 752 students responded to the study. About 81.6% of respondents were caffeine users, 13.4% smokers and 6.8% were amphetamines consumers. More than 50% of Caffeine consumers reported increase in their caffeine consumption after started their university studies and 66.9% of nicotine consumers reported increase in nicotine consumption after started their university studies while 81.1% of amphetamine consumers reported that taking amphetamine only since they have started the university studies. About 73.5% of respondents have consume caffeine mainly during examination period.  Furthermore, nicotine consumers reported different reasons for being smokers. About 52% of amphetamine consumers abuse amphetamine mainly during examination period. Nearly 47.3% of caffeine consumers reported their intention to quit caffeine intake but only 24.3% succeeded to quit. Similarly, 64.4% of nicotine consumers reported their intention to quit smoking but only 25.4% of them succeeded to quit. For amphetamine consumer approximately 39.4% have intention to quit amphetamine intake however only about 27.8% of them succeeded to quit. The use of psychostimulant substances by medical students in Libya is a phenomenon that should be evaluated systematically due to its prevalence and potential impact.


PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a measurement protocol
for the Perometer (400T) and compare it with the tape measure
method for the calculation of lower limb volume in healthy individuals.
RELEVANCE: A variety of musculoskeletal, vascular and neurological
conditions impact on limb volume, therefore its measurement
is important in their management. It is frequently measured using
geometric calculations from limb circumferences using a tape
measure (TM). The Perometer (P) optoelectronic imaging device
demonstrates potential to become a gold standard of measurement.
However, there is a lack of standardised protocol and research into its
validity in the lower limb. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty healthy volunteers
participated in the study (22 women, 8 men; mean age 26.0; mean
height 67.2 cm; mean weight 171.0 kg). Individuals were excluded
if they had relevant specified past medical history. The study was
approved by an ethics committee at Queen Margaret University
College. METHODS: Pilot work was undertaken to establish a
standardised limb position, lower limb landmarks and a percentage
of limb length for measurement. Participants were requested to
avoid vigorous exercise and alcohol consumption 24 hours prior to
testing, and food/fluid intake one hour before. After a 15-minute rest
period with the limb elevated to 90 degrees, standardised reference
marks were placed to indicate the start and end of TM and P
volume calculations. The dominant limb was placed within the P
frame in a standardised position. Three P measurements were taken,
followed by TM measurements at three-centimetre intervals. Volumes
in ml were calculated between the two reference marks using the
P computer software and using the TM Disc model method (Man
et al, 2004: Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging. 24: 352-
358). ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis involved testing for normality of
distribution before using parametric inferential statistics: an ICC (3,1)
was used to assess the correlation, and limits of agreement were
calculated to assess the degree of agreement, between P and TM
limb volume estimates. RESULTS: Limb volume calculations (mean
of 3 readings) were 8560 ml (P) and 8717 ml (TM), with a difference
of 157 ml. Data were normally distributed (Shapiro-Wilk: p = 0.268 P;
0.602 TM). While the ICC (3,1) indicated good associations between
the two measures (r = 0.952), limits of agreement analysis indicated
that 95% of the time P limb volume estimates will be between 519
ml greater, and 834 ml less than TM estimates, indicating 15.67%
variation, and poor agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated
poor agreement and therefore measurement methods are not
interchangeable. However, results cannot determine the respective
accuracy of each method. IMPLICATIONS: This was the first study
to calculate limits of agreement between estimates of lower limb
volume using the TM method and upright 400T model of Perometer.
Further work is needed in relation to different aspects of validity and
reliability to determine which method is more accurate and should
therefore be used as a gold standard


Objective: To investigate the effects of a corrective functional exercise program on postural thoracic kyphosis in teenagers in China. Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial including students with a thoracic kyphosis angle (TKA) >40° measured using the SpinalMouse. Setting: China Institute of Sport Science and three middle schools in Beijing, China. Subjects: A total of 181 subjects were included in this trial; of these, 164 subjects were included in the analyses (intervention group, n = 81; control group, n = 83). Intervention: The intervention group received a functional exercise program designed to correct postural thoracic kyphosis, and the control group received an exercise program designed in accordance with the state-regulated curriculum. Main measures: The primary outcome variable was TKA. Secondary outcome variables were lumbar lordosis angle (LLA), sacral angle (SA), and incline angle (INA) measured in the upright position; thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine range of motion (ROM) and INA ROM (change in center of gravity) measured in the forward bending and extended positions; and changes in TKA, LLA, SA, and INA measured during the Matthiass test. Results: There were significant differences in pretest and posttest TKA in both groups (intervention group: pretest 47.09 ± 5.45, posttest 38.31 ± 9.18, P < 0.0001; control group: pretest 47.47 ± 6.06, posttest 43.59 ± 7.49, P < 0.0001). After adjustment for gender and pretest values, there were significant differences in posttest TKA, change in SA, and thoracic ROM in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The corrective functional exercise program designed for this study improved exaggerated thoracic kyphosis in teenagers.


We report on the details of inductively coupled plasma etching for achieving low dark current long-wavelength infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs). External factors that influence the etching process are studied. A high-quality hard mask for excellent pattern transfer is discussed. Next, a suitable mounting technique for good thermal contact is described. Finally, the challenges and differences between etching large 200-μm test diodes and small 28-μm FPA pixels are discussed. The complete etching process is then demonstrated on a 320 × 256 complementary barrier infrared detector FPA. The mean dark current density of 2.2 × 10-4A/cm2 is measured at an operating bias of 128 mV with a 50% cutoff wavelength of 8.8 μm. Good imagery is achieved with an array yielding an 81% fill factor with 97% operability. Operating at T = 80 K, the measured mean noise equivalent differential temperature is 18.6 mK, and the mean detectivity is D* = 1.3 × 1011cm-Hz1/2/W.


Terrestrial heat flow is the sum of the radioactive heat generated in the crust and the heat flow from the mantle. If we can evaluate the radioactive heat generation in the crust more precisely, we can better estimate the heat flow from the mantle and the thermal state in the earth crust. In this study, the authors measured the contents of radioactive elements in rocks of Kohistan volcanic arc, Pakistan and Ichinomegata, northeast Japan. We conclude that low density rocks (p s2.9) systematically contain much more radioactive elements leading to high heat generation compared with high density rocks (p 3.0). In the next step, the vertical distribution of radioactive heat generation in the crust was estimated, and the heat generation of the lower crust in the two areas was found to be much lower than previously considered. It means, if the surface heat flow is the same, the estimated temperature at 30 km depth is about 80 °C higher than previous estimates. This temperature change may strongly affect the seismic activity at the depth.


A study on a number of different polyurethane (PUR) elastomer materials based on
different polyester soft segments has been carried out. The soft segments (Mn = 2000)
were varied, both in terms of chemical structure and content. The emphasis of the study
has been put on polycaprolactone (PCL) soft segments based on seven different initiator
diols, but a homologous series of polyadipate soft segments was also investigated (based
on ethyleneglycol, butanediol and hexanediol). The materials were characterised by
means of DSC, DMTA, WAXD, SAXS, density and tear strength measurements and
tensile testing. Additionally, the morphology of one material was characterised by means
of TEM and PFM (Pulsed Force Microscopy). The most significant difference between
the soft segments is a more or less strong tendency towards soft segment crystallisation.
Soft segment crystallinity influences hardness, translucency, tear strength and other
tensile properties. In general, polyadipate-based PURs exhibit much more soft segment
crystallinity than PCL-based PURs. They also crystallise significantly faster. [Continues.]


This paper examines the reuse of secondary data from three oral history archives in a current project on 'Families Remembering Food'. The characteristics of the three archives (The Edwardians, 100 Families and the Millennium Memory Bank) are outlined paying particular attention to how, when and why the original data were collected. The challenges and opportunities of reusing these data are explored under three headings: practicalities, epistemologies and ethics. The paper concludes that the three archives have rich potential for reuse provided that they are adequately (re)contextualised and that the dialogical nature of life history research is sufficiently understood. The paper contributes to recent debates about the reflexive nature of qualitative analysis in general and the reuse of secondary data in particular.


The melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7 (MDA-7) was isolated while screening for upregulated genes in terminally differentiated melanoma cell lines. Preclinical studies attempted to test the theory that oncogenesis arises from a cellular differentiation process culminating in dysregulation of the cell cycle and ultimately malignancy. The MDA-7 gene (gene symbol IL-24) has been classified as part of the IL-10 family of cytokines demonstrating significant anticancer potential. Preclinical studies have shown that MDA-7/IL-24 is effective in inducing cancer cell death by several pathways in various tumor models. A Phase I clinical trial studying intratumoral injections of solid tumors showed evidence of clinical activity with limited toxicity. This small trial suggested therapeutic potential. Results are reviewed. Future opportunities involve combination with different gene delivery systems with systemic potential.


Instruction promoting reasoning and proof should be a part of K-12 mathematics teaching. Preservice teachers (PSTs) need mathematics content instruction that helps them construct valid justifications for mathematical notions and develop positive perceptions of proof. This case study describes instruction with proof-related tasks and manipulatives for middle-grades PSTs that draws on developmentally appropriate modes of argument representation. The purpose of the instruction was for PSTs to explore mathematics content through a lens of how a middle-grades teacher might use manipulatives to engage students in justifying mathematical statements in proof- related tasks. Results indicate that this instruction supported PSTs to justify mathematical ideas and that PSTs characterized their experiences positively. PSTs perceived proof in ways echoed in past literature, saw connections between the PSTs' instruction and future middle-grades classroom instruction they might enact, and identified the role of struggle while engaging in proof-related tasks. This case study provides ideas for mathematics content instructors to develop PSTs' understanding of mathematics through instruction that prepares them to engage their future K-12 students in proof-related tasks.


Through the aid of electronic light amplifiers, observers can view terrain on moonless nights with near-daylight acuity. This improvement in vision is obtained by using imaging sensors with larger lenses, greater quantum efficiencies, wider spectral responses, and larger photosensitive areas than those of the unaided eye. The observer's improved resolving power using these sensors can be calculated in terms of a limiting resolution vs light level and an elemental signal-to-noise ratio at any operating point. The analysis facilitates the comparison of sensors on an equal basis and provides the system designer with more detailed sensor operating data. As examples, the limiting performance is calculated for the image orthicon and the secondary-electron conduction camera tube with and without cascaded image intensifiers. The calculated results are compared to those measured and are found to be in good agreement.


This paper is a retrospection of the management and production process for a multimedia project using a CD-ROM to promote the Faculty of Arts, University of Southern Queensland. Since the existing marketing channels of the Faculty are insufficient to demonstrate the services and education scope of the departments, a CD-ROM, which facilitates presentation of the variety of information including animations, video, audio, text, photos and graphics, was produced. Managing a multimedia project is different from traditional media because it involves different skills and knowledge in management and technology. Clients may have pessimistic or optimistic expectations of the medium and the developer may face confusion in intellectual property issues, difficulty in handling the ever-changing technology and challenges in managing human resources equipped with different skills and expertise. All of these affected the success of this multimedia project. In order to tackle them, a project management methodology has been adopted to ensure that the product meets the defined quality, planned expenditure, the deadline and finally adds value to the Faculty. In order to evaluate the success of the project, an evaluation plan has been developed. A formative evaluation approach was adopted in the development process of the project in order to collect open-ended comments for modification and improvement during the production process. A summative approach was planned to be carried out after the project is launched. A questionnaire designed with close-ended questions was included in the CD-ROM application to collect well-structured data for easy analysis. The result can be used as guidelines to improve the future management and development of other multimedia projects. Although the project has been produced with much effort, no technology is perfect. There are still some limitations. However, with the rapid growth of technology, the current limitations of the project are predicted to be overcome with the advancement of both the technology and the management knowledge in the multimedia industry.


Rooting is a continuous response to the soil physical environment, but root responses in the field are sufficiently complex to require a least limiting approach. Rooting limitations of available water, soil aeration, and penetration resistance are linked into a least limiting water range (LLWR) as a function of bulk density (ρ b ). The LLWR concept and associated measurements were used to evaluate the impact of tillage and tracking on root and hydrologic environment at two depths in a poorly drained clay loam: (i) the 5- to 10-cm depth in nontracked and tracked interrows of three long-term tillage treatments (chisel plow, CH; moldboard plow, MB; and no tillage, NT); and (ii) a plow pan at 25- to 30-cm depth. Soil shrinkage, ρ b , saturated hydraulic conductivity, water retention characteristic (WRC), and penetration resistance characteristic (PRC) were all measured in undisturbed soil cores (5 cm long by 5 cm in diameter). Both the WRC and PRC included ρ b as an independent variable. Linearized fits of the WRC and PRC, with R 2 > 0.70, were sensitive to tracking and to CH vs. MB tillage; compaction in the plow pan and tracking in the NT reduced by 75% the impact of ρ b on the PRC. Tracking reduced the LLWR as much as 0.04 to 0.06 m 3 m -3 in CH and NT treatments, but the reduction in the MB treatment was <0.02 m 3 m -3 . Penetration resistance was more limiting than the wilting point in the NT treatment and the plow pan, but not in treatments receiving annual tillage. Aeration was more limiting than available water in the NT and plow pan than in the MB and CH. The LLWR portrayed a major soil structural impact on physical control of rooting. Soil hydraulic properties associated with the LLWR explained a compaction and drainage problem with conservation tillage that can be linked to shallow penetration of tillage tools in this poorly drained soil.


An area frame sample allocation is developed that will meet the survey cost and precision requirements of NASS in its estimation of the number of farms not on the mailing list (NML) for the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Direct and model-predicted estimates of the stratum standard deviations are obtained for 18 agricultural items (the 8 items used by NASS for determining the area frame sample and 10 NML items) using the 2002 area frame sample data, including the supplemental Agricultural Coverage Evaluation Survey (ACES) segments. Standard deviation estimates of for these 18 agricultural items are considered as input in the current NASS sample allocation procedure. Three different cases that utilize these NML items are considered for determining sample allocations. In each case, the previously available 2007 sample allocation is combined with that obtained for the NML items to determine a combined area frame sample allocation. The results from each case are compared to determine the ones that meet the NASS main objectives for the NML farm survey in 2007. An area frame sample design that includes a supplemental sample of 3091 segments is recommended.


This thesis presents a vision-based approach for hand gesture recognition which combines both trajectory and hand posture recognition. The hand area is segmented by fixedrange CbCr from cluttered and moving backgrounds, and tracked by Kalman Filter. With the tracking results from two calibrated cameras, the 3D hand motion trajectory can be reconstructed. It is then modeled by dynamic movement primitives (DMP) and a support vector machine (SVM) is trained for trajectory recognition. Scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) is employed to extract features on segmented hand postures, and a novel strategy for hand posture recognition is proposed. A gesture vector is introduced to recognize hand gesture as a whole which combines the recognition results of motion trajectory and hand postures, where an SVM is trained for gesture recognition based on gesture vectors.