Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFA's) are a key technology for the design of all optical communication systems and networks. The superiority of EDFAs lies in their negligible intermodulation distortion across high speed multichannel signals, low intrinsic losses, slow gain dynamics, and gain in a wide range of optical wavelengths. Due to long lifetime in excited states, EDFAs do not oppose the effect of cross-gain saturation. The time characteristics of the gain saturation and recovery effects are between a few hundred microseconds and 10 milliseconds. However, in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical networks with EDFAs, the number of channels traversing an EDFA can change due to the faulty link of the network or the system reconfiguration. It has been found that, due to the variation in channel number in the EDFAs chain, the output system powers of surviving channels can change in a very short time. Thus, the power transient is one of the problems deteriorating system performance. In this thesis, the transient phenomenon in wavelength routed WDM optical networks with EDFA chains was investigated. The task was performed using different input signal powers for circuit switched networks. A simulator for the EDFA gain dynamicmodel was developed to compute the magnitude and speed of the power transients in the non-self-saturated EDFA both single and chained. The dynamic model of the self-saturated EDFAs chain and its simulator were also developed to compute the magnitude and speed of the power transients and the Optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). We found that the OSNR transient magnitude and speed are a function of both the output power transient and the number of EDFAs in the chain. The OSNR value predicts the level of the quality of service in the related network. It was found that the power transients for both self-saturated and non-self-saturated EDFAs are close in magnitude in the case of gain saturated EDFAs networks. Moreover, the cross-gain saturation also degrades the performance of the packet switching networks due to varying traffic characteristics. The magnitude and the speed of output power transients increase along the EDFAs chain. An investigation was done on the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) or the WDM Internet protocol (WDM-IP) traffic networks using different traffic patterns based on the Pareto and Poisson distribution. The simulator is used to examine the amount and speed of the power transients in Pareto and Poisson distributed traffic at different bit rates, with specific focus on 2.5 Gb/s. It was found from numerical and statistical analysis that the power swing increases if the time interval of theburst-ON/burst-OFF is long in the packet bursts. This is because the gain dynamics is fast during strong signal pulse or with long duration pulses, which is due to the stimulatedemission avalanche depletion of the excited ions. Thus, an increase in output power levelcould lead to error burst which affects the system performance.


The European Union is seen to operate at the international level by promoting ideas and values, rather than by exerting military or economic power. As a gender actor, the EU has played a key role in the development of formal equality, which is presented as a foundational principle of European integration. It therefore follows that normative power Europe should seek to promote these values in external affairs. This article interrogates the role of the EU as a normative gender actor in relation to its implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions. Documentary analysis will be supplemented by a detailed assessment of speeches and public statements about the role of the EU as a gender actor in external affairs. This data will be used to assess whether there is a disjuncture between the dominant narrative about gender equality as a fundamental value of the EU and the actions of the organization. It will also allow us to assess whether gender mainstreaming is a tool for public diplomacy or has made a significant change to the way the external relations agenda is formulated and implemented. Additionally, the article will draw attention to the institutional obstacles to the EU performing a role as a gender actor in external affairs. It identifies a critical tension between framing the WPS resolutions as an extension of the EU's equality on the one hand, and understanding that gender mainstreaming is a mere policy tool in international affairs. In doing so, it highlights how competing institutional demands can ultimately undermine core values (e.g. equality) when they are used instrumentally.


Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in adequate amount are essential in the diet of marine finfish for larval and broodstock nutrition, and as nutraceutical supplements for human health because of the inability of the animal kingdom to synthesize de novo these fatty acids in adequate levels from precursor molecules. These fatty acids are widely available in a large variety of marine fish, and therefore, they are preferentially used as raw material to prepare PUFA concentrates. This work relates to screen low-value fish for essential PUFAs, especially n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), concentrating these essential fatty acids by chemical and enzymatic process. This study further contemplated to develop n3 PUFA enriched formulation(s) comprising fatty acid concentrate and individual or combination of natural ingredients with potential antioxidant properties to form a stabilized form of concentrated PUFAs. The present study demonstrated that the marine pelagic fish Sardinella longiceps is a valuable source of EPA and DHA, for human diet, as well as the extraction of oil in view of commercial exploitation. The spatial and seasonal variation of this study indicated that oil sardine collected from the Southwest coasts during the monsoon season have superior quality with respect to their fatty acid profile, especially EPA and DHA. newline


What is sex? Some feminists have harboured suspicions about this form of question, given its philosophical (or 'metaphysical'1) pedigree. But philosophy no longer has the disciplinary monopoly on it. Indeed, with regard to sex, the more interesting task today is to pose and to attempt to answer the question from within a transdisciplinary problematic. For the question requires a theoretical response capable of recognizing that it concerns a cultural and political (and therefore neither a specifically philosophical nor a merely empirical) problem. It requires an account of sex which is theoretically satisfying whilst being both adequate to and critical of everyday experience; a critical-theoretical account capable of embracing the everyday experience of sex, its lived contradictions. This article represents a first attempt to construct a transdisciplinary concept of sex to this end. It traces a line from Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex to some recent attempts to define 'sex' and various related but importantly different concepts, and ends by proposing an answer to the question 'What is sex?' that draws on the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. For our transdisciplinary efforts will of necessity spring from some specific discipline(s) while not remaining confined within them, and not allowing them to remained confined within themselves (which has been something of a problem for philosophy, historically).


Considering that Hilbert-Huang Transformation (HHT) can be used to analyze instantaneous frequency in structural dynamic analysis, this paper proposes the concept of HHT marginal spectrum based time frequency response function. It also defines "central frequency", which is used to reflect the change of structural dynamic properties during earthquakes, and discloses time-varying development of seismic structural damage. Using a three-story shear frame model, which is subjected to the El Centro seismic wave, the HHT time frequency response analysis of its acceleration response has been made, results show that the adoption of central frequency can successfully indicate the damage inception instant and its development.


The authors of this timely reference provide an updated and global view on ocean wave energy conversion and they do so for wave energy developers as well as for students and professors. The book is orientated to the practical solutions that this new industry has found so far and the problems that any device needs to face. It describes the actual principles applied to machines that convert wave power to electricity and examines state-of-the-art modern systems.


This research provides an investigation into the impact of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) on the risk and returns of listed and delisted property companies on the Johannesburg stock Exchange. The study was investigated to understand the impact of BEE Property Sector Charter and effect of government intervention on property listed markets.The study examines the performance trends of the listed and delisted property companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange from January 2006 to January 2012. The data was obtained on McGregor to compute the risk and return measures of the listed and delisted property companies. The study employs a capital asset pricing model (CAPM) to derive the alpha (outperformance) and beta (risk) to examine the trend amongst the BEE and Non-BEE companies, Sharpe ratio was also employed as a measurement of performance. A comparative study is employed to analyse the risks and returns between listed property companies that are BBBEE compliant and BBBEE non-compliant. The study creates a dummy variable to rank BBBEE ratings to test whether there is a correspondence between BBBEE levels of the listed and delisted property company and its risks and returns. Results show that there exists differences in returns and risk between BBBEE compliant firms and non- BBBEE compliant firms. The study shows that non-BBBEE firms have higher returns that BBBEE firms and are less riskier than BBBEE firms. By establishing this relationship, this possibly affects the investor's decision to invest in BBBEE companies versus non- BEE companies. This can assist the government in strategically adjusting the policy.


The bacterial outer membrane proteins OmpA and OmpX were modified in such a manner that they yielded bulky crystals diffracting X‐rays isotropically beyond 2 Å resolution and permitting detailed structural analyses. The procedure involved semi‐directed mutagenesis, mass production into inclusion bodies, and (re)naturation therefrom; it should be applicable for a broader range of membrane proteins. Proteins 1999;34:167–172. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of developing a Community of Practice (CoP) around Technology Facilitated Learning (TFL) that strives to enhance and develop best practice in TFL around learning and teaching, specifically assessment and feedback. It has become apparent in recent years that such an informal community exists in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and more widely within the Ulster Business School, in relation to the uptake and adoption of TFL, specifically in relation to assessment and feedback. Hence, this project seeks to galvanise that progress and further develop this community for the benefit of staff and students alike. This CoP focuses on the development of guides, case studies, wikis and a mentor system in the implementation of particular aspects of TFL. The evaluation of this project is through an evaluation of the effectiveness of the technologies with students and interviews with staff who have been involved with the CoP in order to implement TFL technologies in their own teaching, seeking to determine their effectiveness and the effectiveness of the support of the CoP in doing so.


Abstract(2E,4E,6E,8E)-2,4,6,8-Tetramethyldeca-2,4,6,8-tetraen-1-ol 267 was synthesised via three successive sequence of reactions comprising Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination, followed by DIBAL-H reduction and then oxidation with activated manganese dioxide. When coupled with mono-methyl fumarate 273, the resulting tetraene methyl fumarate 272, comprising of a tri-substituted diene and doubly activated dienophile, cyclised in an intramolecular Diels Alder reaction to create adduct 274, with exclusive endo-stereochemistry. Four contiguous stereogenic centres were created in the reaction, one of which was a quaternary centre. This demonstrated the feasibility of the conjugated tetraene to successfully undergo Diels Alder reactions.A condensation reaction of (R)1-benzoyl-5-benzylpyrrolidin-2-one 303 with (5E,7E)-1-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-5,7-dimethylnona-5,7-dien-1-one 324, followed by installation of the double bond of the dienophile, resulted (S)-1-benzoyl-5-benzyl-3-((5E,7E,)-5,7-dimethylocta-5,7-dienoyl)-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one 323. Adduct 323 cyclised in a Diels Alder reaction to give (3S,3aR,6aR,10aR)-2-benzoyl-3-benzyl-4,5,6a-trimethyl-2,3,3a,4,6a,7,8,9-octahydrobenzo(d)isoindole-1,10-dione 322. This intramolecular Diels Alder reaction generated four stereogenic centres, of which, two are quaternary centres. The structure exhibited exo-stereo chemistry with respect to the pyrrolinone. Acylation of (2E,4E,6E,8E)-2,4,6,8-Tetramethyldeca-2,4,6,8-tetraen-1-ol 267 gave (2E,4E,6E,8E)-2,4,6,8-Tetramethyldeca-2,4,6,8-tetraenyl-acetate 258, which was reacted with (E)-6-Bromo-1-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-2-hexene 280 to give (2E,8E,10E,12E)-8,10,12,14-Tetramethylhexadeca-2,8,12,14-pentaenal 23 after deprotection and oxidation. An Aldol reaction between (R)-tert-butyl 2-benzyl-5-oxopyrrolidine-1-carboxylate 292 and (2E,8E,10E,12E)-8,10,12,14-Tetramethylhexadeca-2,8,12,14-pentaenal 23 produced (5R)-tert-butyl-5-benzyl-3-((2E,8E,10E,12E,14E)-1-hydroxy-8,10,12,14-tetramethylhexadeca-2,8,10,12,14-pentaen-1-yl)-2-oxopyrrolidine-1-carboxylate 340. This brought the synthesis to within four steps of attempting the domino Diels Alder reactions to put in place the isoindolone core fused to the 13 membered tricyclic system of diaporthichalasin 1.


This thesis shows an approach to geometric quantisation of integrable systems. It extends some results by Guillemin, Kostant, Rawnsley, Sniatycki and Sternberg in geometric quantisation, considering regular fibrations as real polarisations, to the singular setting: the real polarisations concerned here are given by integrable systems with nondegenerate singularities, and the definition of geometric quantisation used is the one suggested by Kostant (via higher cohomology groups). It also presents unifying proofs for results in geometric quantisation by exploring the existence of symplectic circle actions: the tools developed here highlight and unravel the role played by circle actions in known results in geometric quantisation.
The originality of this thesis relies on the following aspects. Firstly, the use of symplectic circle actions to obtain results in geometric quantisation, and secondly, the nonexistence of Poincaré lemmata for foliated cohomology when the foliation has singularities.
Previous results on circle actions, due to Rawnsley, could not be used when the circle action is not free, and it is not straightforward to adapt them to accommodate fixed points. After developing these techniques, the computation of geometric quantisation is performed in a series of situations, which includes: the cotangent bundle of the circle and products of it with any quantisable manifold, and neighbourhoods of nondegenerate singularities of integrable systems (hyperbolic singularities need special treatment, since there is no natural circle action).
These computations imply that the Kostant complex is a fine resolution (for the sheaf of sections of the prequantum line bundle which are flat along the polarisation) when the real polarisations are given by integrable systems with nondegenerate singularities. It is important to mention that the proofs are original, since, contrary to expectations, there is no Poincaré Lemma when singularities are allowed for the foliated cohomology associated to foliations induced by integrable systems. This nontrivial result turns out to be interesting in its own right, but only the aspects related to geometric quantisation are presented in the thesis, e.g. the need for a new proof that the Kostant complex is a fine resolution for the sheaf of flat sections.
The thesis also provides a different proof of a theorem, firstly proved by Guillemin and Sternberg, that shows that the set of regular Bohr-Sommerfeld fibres is discrete -it not only bares the role played by circle actions, it also excludes the compactness assumption from the theorem. The exploitation of circle actions culminate in an alternative proof for the theorems of Sniatycki and Hamilton. It is an original and unifying proof: the argument works for both situations, Lagrangian fibre bundles and locally toric manifolds.
In addition, this approach casts some light on a conjecture about the contributions coming from focus-focus type of singularities. It actually proves that, in degree zero, there is no contribution to geometric quantisation coming from focus-focus fibres for compact 4-dimensional almost toric manifolds.


This chapter aims to provide a complete knowledge over the primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) and a correct clinical approach towards this rare condition, to avoid delays in diagnosis, which is considered the most important prognostic factor. A PIOL arises with no specific symptoms and could mimic both inflammatory and non-inflammatory ocular conditions. Also known as reticulum cell sarcoma in the past, PIOL is an ocular malignant condition, with a strong bond with primary central system lymphoma (PCNSL). This linkage is underlined by the fact that approximately 30% of the patients with PIOL have also PCNSL at presentation, while 45–90% will develop PCSNL in the following months. A correct diagnosis is currently achieved by the means of many different techniques: cytology, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, molecular analysis, and cytokines assay. Treatment of this condition has been completely revolutionized with the introduction of monoclonal antibodies directed against specific proteins present on the surface of lymphomatous cells.


A sequence of thousands of small to moderate earthquakes has been occurring since spring 2010 in the Pollino Mountains area, southern Italy (Fig. 1), where a seismic gap was previously hypothesized by paleoseismological evidence associated with the lack of major earthquakes in historical catalogs (Michetti et al. , 2000; Cinti et al. , 2002). Seismic activity is in progress at the time of writing of this paper (December 2012) after quite a disturbing long‐term acceleration of earthquake rate and strain release (Fig. 1b). The strongest earthquake ( M L 5.0 according to the Italian Seismological Instrumental and parametric Data‐basE [ISIDE], http://iside.rm.ingv.it; last accessed September 2013) was recorded on 25 October 2012 and produced damage in the epicentral area corresponding to a maximum intensity of 6 on the European Macroseismic Scale 1998 (EMS‐98) in the localities of Mormanno, Campotenese, and Piano Incoronata (Fig. 2; D'Amico and Scarfi, 2012). Because of this earthquake, more than a thousand people were evacuated from their homes and emergency actions have been carried out by the competent institutions. This earthquake with its effects, and the increasing number and intensity of events felt by the population in the preceding months, have further encouraged the attention and efforts of civil defense operators and scientific researchers toward this peculiar seismic crisis occurring in a presumed seismic‐gap area. It should also be remarked that the Pollino area, lying at the northern edge of the Calabrian subduction zone (Fig. 1a), represents a highly deformed, very intricate sector of great geodynamic interest and still not fully understood (see, e.g., Bonini et al. , 2011; Frepoli et al. , 2011; Spina et al. , 2011; Neri et al. , 2012). The present study, which focuses on the ongoing Pollino …


Abstract Numerical models for channel flow in the Himalayan—Tibetan system are compatible with many tectonic and metamorphic features of the orogen. Here we compare the provenance of crustal material in two channel flow models (HT1 and HT111) with observations from the Himalaya and southern Tibet. Thirty million years after the onset of channel flow, the entire model crust south of the India—Asia suture still consists only of 'Indian' material. The model Greater Himalayan Sequence ('GHS') is derived from Indian middle crust originating ≤1000 km south of the initial position of the suture, whereas the Lesser Himalayan Sequence ('LHS') is derived mainly from crust originating ≥1400 km south of the suture. Material tracking indicates little or no mixing of diverse crustal elements in the exhumed region of the model 'GHS', which is derived from originally contiguous materials that are transported together in the top of the channel flow zone. These results are compatible with provenance data indicating a clear distinction between GHS and LHS protoliths, with the GHS originating from a more distal position (relative to cratonic India) than the LHS. In model HT111, domes formed between the suture and the orogenic front are cored by 'Indian' middle crust similar to the 'GHS', consistent with data from the north Himalayan gneiss domes. Material tracking shows that plutons generated south of the suture should have 'Indian' crustal signatures, also compatible with observations. Model 'GHS' pressure—temperature—time (P-T-t) paths pass through the dehydration melting field between 30 and 15 Ma, consistent with observed leucogranite ages. Finally, exposure of midcrustal 'GHS' and 'LHS' material at the model erosion front is consistent with the observed appearance of sedimentary detritus in the Lesser Himalaya. We conclude that channel flow model results are compatible with provenance data from the Himalaya and southern Tibet.


We propose a new modification made in the morphology of biological imaging methods based on new types of components and nets. Shown its applicability not only in the comparative morphology and evolutionary and systematic, but also in abiogenetic studies. An approach of deterministic or directed transformation of the grid, allowing to control the result of process according to its trend. Its been made the transition from a purely geometric («CAD») to model «CAE» - analysis of the structure affecting distorting factors. We propose a method for detecting deformations of the lattice for subsequent blending with computer engineering biomimetic structures. Showing the limitations of the theory of transformation by d'Arcy-Thompson-sampling and scaling of the original signal. A system for gel documentation reaction-diffusion processes, simulate-regulating morphogenesis in partially ordered media that displays the result on the PC for 3D-visualization of the perturbed transformation of the grid. Using this method showed the presence of nonlinear pulse waves and currents in the active medium in the photoinduced assembly of artificial cells. Based on the methods of computer optics developed a method of forecasting the likely strains of the simplest artificial cells.


The purpose of the study is to investigate and provide an overview of the science and technology systems of three countries, namely South Africa, India and Malaysia. The study seeks to describe the process of science and technology policy development; the relationship of science policy with national policies of these countries and the link between the science and technology policies and national goals. It also identifies the differences, strengths and weakness of the three systems and shows their relevance to Lesotho. The methodology followed in the study was qualitative, conducted through desk research. The source of data was archival, specifically in the case of historical background of the three science systems and documentary, in terms of the current situation of the science systems of each country. The comparative analysis was textual based on the findings of the three case studies of each country. The comparative analysis depicts the common features, strengths and weaknesses, pertaining to each country. The common features were identified in the areas of; National System of Innovation, Politicisation of Science, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Pubic Understanding of Science. The differences of the three systems were characterised on trends in investment on science and technology, in terms of inputs in research and development, institutionalisation of science, nature of the policies and their implementation process inclusive of the policy instruments, and provision of conducive environment for the prolific growth of science and technology, as a key to socio-economic development of any nation. The comparative analysis also provides lessons to be learned for a Least Developing Country (LCD) like Lesotho. This is in view of the current situation where the country is at its infancy stage to establish a stable, well-coordinated science and technology system. The study recommends pragmatic solutions and strategies that can be copied and be employed, in order to enable science and technology have meaningful contribution towards socio-economic imperatives of Lesotho.


Collective narrative practice facilitates geographically separated groups of people to share their experience and wisdom in standing up to common problems. This article documents a particular collective narrative practice between a group of youth in prison at Burnaby Youth Custody Services and a group of youth in treatment for substance misuse at Peak House in Vancouver, Canada. The purpose of outlining this exchange of solution knowledges is to highlight certain practical and theoretical aspects of collective practices that were effective for the youth, in order to continue the narrative discussion for future practitioners. By assuming the youth had healing knowledges, by providing them with a relevant audience, and by offering them the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to others; this writer was able to facilitate young people in sharing their own solutions with each other in mutual encouragement against a common social issue. Exchanging collective narrative documents with other youth seemed to cultivate a sense of self-determination towards therapeutic work, a feeling of solidarity and belonging with similar strugglers, and a sense of hope and enthusiasm that change is indeed possible.


Background & objectives: Purified protein derivative (PPD) is currently the only available skin test reagent used worldwide for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study was to develop a Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific skin test reagent, without false positive results due to Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination using recombinant antigens. Methods: Proteins in PPD IC-65 were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry and compared to proteins in M. tuberculosis culture filtrate; 54 proteins were found in common. Top candidates MPT64, ESAT 6, and CFP 10 were overexpressed in Escherichia coli expression strains and purified as recombinant proteins. To formulate optimal immunodiagnostic PPD cocktails, the antigens were evaluated by skin testing guinea pigs sensitized with M. tuberculosis H37Rv and BCG. Results: For single antigens and a cocktail mixture of these antigens, best results were obtained using 3 μg/0.1 ml, equivalent to 105 TU (tuberculin units). Each animal was simultaneously tested with PPD IC-65, 2 TU/0.1 ml, as reference. Reactivity of the multi-antigen cocktail was greater than that of any single antigen. The skin test results were between 34.3 and 76.6 per cent the level of reactivity compared to that of the reference when single antigens were tested and 124 per cent the level of reactivity compared to the reference for the multi-antigen cocktail. Interpretation & conclusions: Our results showed that this specific cocktail could represent a potential candidate for a new skin diagnostic test for TB.


Different types of noise from the surrounding always interfere with speech and produce annoying signals for the human auditory system. To exchange speech information in a noisy environment, speech quality and intelligibility must be maintained, which is a challenging task. In most speech enhancement algorithms, the speech signal is characterized by Gaussian or super-Gaussian models, and noise is characterized by a Gaussian prior. However, these assumptions do not always hold in real-life situations, thereby negatively affecting the estimation, and eventually, the performance of the enhancement algorithm. Accordingly, this paper focuses on deriving an optimum low-distortion estimator with models that fit well with speech and noise data signals. This estimator provides minimum levels of speech distortion and residual noise with additional improvements in speech perceptual aspects via four key steps. First, a recent transform based on an orthogonal polynomial is used to transform the observation signal into a transform domain. Second, the noise classification based on feature extraction is adopted to find accurate and mutable models for noise signals. Third, two stages of nonlinear and linear estimators based on the minimum mean square error (MMSE) and new models for speech and noise are derived to estimate a clean speech signal. Finally, the estimated speech signal in the time domain is determined by considering the inverse of the orthogonal transform. The results show that the average classification accuracy of the proposed approach is 99.43%. In addition, the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms existing speech estimators in terms of quality and intelligibility measures.


study aims to determine and explain the results of the implementation of the authority of the Camat in fostering the Implementation of Village Government in Rokan IV Koto Sub-District Rokan Hulu and to know the factors inhibiting the tasks of the sub-district Head in fostering the Village Government, and to know the appropriate pattern of coaching for the implementation of the village government in Rokan IV Koto Subdistrict, this research is in the form of field research by way of survey with Likert-scale processing, while viewed from the nature of this research is descriptive analysis that explains and develops various research findings in the field and analyze the data so that obtained an answer to the problems formulated, the population is mostly and some are small, so the researchers do the sampling. For the Village Head is directly limited to 3 Villages with 3 Village Heads, Village Secretaries with 3 Sekdes, Village Governors 3, Dusun Head 3, and BPD 19 using techniques using saturated sampling techniques other term census techniques. To analyze the data, in this case the data that have been collected are grouped according to each data type then presented in Likert scale table. Furthermore, the data that has been presented in the form of the table is analyzed descriptively, ie analysis in the form of descriptions and explanations of the table presented, from the results of the discussion that has been done it can be drawn conclusions, among others are: Evaluation of District Camat in Fostering the Implementation of Village Government in Rokan IV Koto Sub-district Rokan Hulu District with 6 indicators of assessment are: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Responsiveness, Supervision, Consultation of Government Affairs Implementation, it can be categorized as Good Enough. Based on observation items obstacles observation faced in the implementation of village administration is the budget for the implementation of these activities so that the element of the builder is a major element that must be improved prior to coaching on the specially developed in Rokan IV Koto District Rokan Hulu District.


Sensor nodes are usually battery operated and therefore energy constrained. Thus, energy conservation becomes one of the foremost priorities in designing the wireless sensor networks (WSNs). We present the enhancements at the medium access control (MAC) layer in order to improve the energy efficiency and increase the longevity of wireless sensor networks. The proposed MAC uses an optimal frame size instead of using a fixed frame size for every transmission. We present our study of the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) approach to predict the optimal frame size. The proposed variable frame size conserves energy as well as enhance the system performance by minimizing the throughput degradation caused by a time varying wireless channel. We designed and verified a different network model to evaluate and analyze the proposed approach. The simulation results show an improvement in energy efficiency of up to 15 %.


Extracting temporal and representation features efficiently plays a pivotal role in understanding visual sequence information. To deal with this, we propose a new recurrent neural framework that can be stacked deep effectively. There are mainly two novel designs in our deep RNN framework: one is a new RNN module called Context Bridge Module (CBM) which splits the information flowing along the sequence (temporal direction) and along depth (spatial representation direction), making it easier to train when building deep by balancing these two directions; the other is the Overlap Coherence Training Scheme that reduces the training complexity for long visual sequential tasks on account of the limitation of computing resources. We provide empirical evidence to show that our deep RNN framework is easy to optimize and can gain accuracy from the increased depth on several visual sequence problems. On these tasks, we evaluate our deep RNN framework with 15 layers, 7× than conventional RNN networks, but it is still easy to train. Our deep framework achieves more than 11% relative improvements over shallow RNN models on Kinetics, UCF-101, and HMDB-51 for video classification. For auxiliary annotation, after replacing the shallow RNN part of Polygon-RNN with our 15-layer deep CBM, the performance improves by 14.7%. For video future prediction, our deep RNN improves the state-of-the-art shallow model's performance by 2.4% on PSNR and SSIM.


Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is once thought to be the genome transcriptional "noise". However, it has received considerable attention in the past few years and is emerging as potentially important player in biological regulation. Recent studies have revealed that increasing number of lncRNA plays pivotal roles in regulating the gene expression which involves in the development of the human disease. Functions of lncRNA include 3 types of interaction: RNA-RNA, RNA-DNA, and RNA-protein, which may participate in gene expression regulation through epigenetic modifications, transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation, acting as biological media. Due to the prevalence of obesity and related diseases, some attempts have been done to explore the pathogenesis of obesity from the field of noncoding RNA. Several lncRNAs have been identified to be involved in the regulation of the adipogenesis (white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue) and energy metabolism. In this review, we summarized recent advances of lncRNAs to provide a new sight for the mechanism of obesity.


Abdominal conditions in children are always a challenge to a general surgeon working at a district hospital in a developing country like Zambia, in most situations working alone with limited resources. The situation is compounded by the shortage of special ized pediatric surgeons in the vicinity, shortage of specialized investigations like CT scan or MRI and limited laboratory investigations. Our focus of the research was Chingola, a mining town in the Copperbelt province of Zambia with a population of 200,0 00(2011 census). Below are the tools used and experience we had with children who presented with abdominal problems that needed operative surgery. This was a prospective study carried out from June 1997 to May 2002, a period of five years.At laparotomy the most frequent finding was peritonitis, seen in 26 patients. (54.2%), intestinal obstruction seen in 16 patients, (33.3%), worm infestations seen in 13 patients (27.1%) and abdominal trauma of about 5 patients(10.4%). There was a complication rate of 31.25 %. The commonest complication was Pneumonia in 5patients (10.4%), wound site infection in 4 patients (8.3%), wound dehiscence in 2 patients (4.2%), sepsis in 2 patients (4.2%) and malnutrition in 2 patients (4.2%). All but two children were discharged from the hospital the average stay was 10.3 days. Two children died from complications of surgery. Children who present with acute abdomen will be mostly from an infective process; therefore, taking a thorough history and physical examination will help in arr iving at the diagnosis.


Objective To assess the inter-evaluator reproducibility of the Modified Merle d'Aubigné and Postel Method. Method Forty-five patients took part in the study, with a mean age of 57.93 (±13.35) who underwent total hip arthroplasty. All were evaluated by three researchers, who received training to standardize their criteria. The evaluation was held by the Modified Merle d'Aubigné and Postel Method (association of prefixes A, B and C) the same day at random, and the researchers did not report to one another throughout the evaluations. For mobility assessment, passive hip movements were performed and measured with the universal goniometer. The statistical analysis was carried out by the Cronbach Test (p≤0.05 and 0.7≤ α<1.0). Results The statistical analysis showed significantly high inter-evaluators reliability for the items: prefix (p<0.001; α = 0.961), pain (p<0.001; α= 0.892), gait (p<0.001; α= 0.898), mobility (p<0.001; α=0.810) and total score (p<0.001; α=0.917). Conclusion There was high significance and reliability among the three evaluators for all items of the Modified Merle d'Aubigné and Postel Method, suggesting that this method is reliable, provided its items are parameterized and previous training of evaluators is carried out. Level of Evidence II, Diagnostic Study.


A class of Neumann type systems are derived separating the spatial and temporal variables for the 2+1 dimensional Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon-Kotera-Sawada (CDGKS) equation and the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) hierarchy. The Lax-Moser matrix of Neumann type systems is worked out, which generates a sequence of integrals of motion and a hyperelliptic curve of KdV type. We deduce the constrained Hamiltonians to put Neumann type systems into canonical Hamiltonian equations and further complete the Liouville integrability for the Neumann type systems. We also specify the relationship between Neumann type systems and infinite dimensional integrable systems (IDISs), where the involutivity solutions of Neumann type systems yield the finite parametric solutions of IDISs. From the Abel-Jacobi variables, the evolution behavior of Neumann type flows are shown on the Jacobian of a Riemann surface. Finally, the Neumann type flows are applied to produce some explicit solutions expressed by Riemann theta functions for the 2+1 dimensional CDGKS equation and the mKdV hierarchy.


The present paper analyses Portuguese concessive constructions introduced by apesar de ('in weight of') and embora (from Old Portuguese em boa hora, 'in good time'). From the standpoint of Cognitive Grammar, it is argued that the constructions display a prime example of iconicity. Thus, it is shown that iconic principles such as linear ordering, formal complexity and formal distance explain the reason why the apesar de construction prototypically designates a more direct concessive relation, while the embora construction designates a more complex relation to the main clause. Further, it is claimed that the complex relation between the embora construction and the main clause represents a prime example of subjectification. Finally, the analysis shows that the subjunctive mood in the embora construction is related to the notion of dominion.


The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the effects of a 2-year, community-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise program on cardiovascular fitness, body fatness, and blood lipids in middle-aged (</=65 years, n=42) and elderly (>65 years, n=40) male cardiac patients. Estimated maximal metabolic equivalents increased in both groups; however, the increase was greater for middle-aged patients (p=0.003). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased significantly after 1 year in both groups, but the change was greater for the middle-aged subjects by Year 2 (p=0.02). The total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and serum triglyceride levels decreased in both groups, whereas total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased only in the elderly group (p<0.01). Body fatness did not change in either group. These findings reinforce the importance of referring elderly as well as middle-aged patients to community-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs.


Aggregated tau protein is a core pathology present in several neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the development and application of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging radiotracers that selectively bind to aggregated tau in fibril form is of importance in furthering the understanding of these disorders. While radiotracers used in human PET studies offer invaluable insight, radiotracers that are also capable of visualizing tau fibrils in animal models are important tools for translational research into these diseases. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a novel library of compounds based on the phenyl/pyridinylbutadienylbenzothiazoles/benzothiazolium (PBB3) backbone developed for this application. From this library, we selected the compound LM229, which binds to recombinant tau fibrils with high affinity (Kd = 3.6 nM) and detects with high specificity (a) pathological 4R tau aggregates in living cultured neurons and mouse brain sections from transgenic human P301S tau mice, (b) truncated human 151-351 3R (SHR24) and 4R (SHR72) tau aggregates in transgenic rat brain sections, and (c) tau neurofibrillary tangles in brain sections from Alzheimer's disease (3R/4R tau) and progressive supranuclear palsy (4R tau). With LM229 also shown to cross the blood–brain barrier in vivo and its effective radiolabeling with the radioisotope carbon-11, we have established a novel platform for PET translational studies using rodent transgenic tau models.


Superconducting-tunnel-junction (STJ) array detectors with an effective sensitive area of 4 mm2 were fabricated for mass spectrometry. An array detector has one hundred Nb/Al/AlOx/Al/Nb junctions with a 200 mum-square sensitive area. The junctions are quasi-horizontally arranged on a 10 mm-square chip. In the course of fabrication processes, we have found that an anomalous nanometer-step structure appears within the junctions located in the outer region of the array detectors at a specific stage of the fabrication processes. The anomalous steps cause an increase of the leakage current from ~5 nA to a few 100 nA. In order to characterize and prevent the step structure formation, we performed structural analyses with atomic force microscopy, interference microscopy, differential interference contrast microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Vertical fault and blister formations were identified in the junctions around the periphery of the array arrangement even on a low stress sputtering condition of 40 MPa. In addition, it is reasonable that a horizontal slip in the AlOx barrier layer is induced by a nanoscale plastic deformation, which causes the large increase of the leakage current.


The paper evaluates strategies for developing successful special economic zones and transnational zones for Southern African countries to spur growth and employment. Most special economic zones implemented in Southern Africa have largely failed to bring adequate growth and employment due to numerous constraints. Globally, selected countries have successfully implemented export-oriented industries through such spatial industrial policy. We review case studies across the world by comparing different regions on selected indicators related to the best-practice framework developed through this study. The framework represents the five key components of successful special enterprise zones, namely: institutional arrangements; running (operational) framework; expansion framework; attaining/achieving framework; and reflection/review mechanisms. We identify best practice and review the implications for implementation and sustainability strategy in Southern Africa. The main findings point to unique lessons from international best practice on the establishment and operational strategy for zones and opportunities for transnational zones.


Among the lesions of the respiratory system associated with exposure to aluminum, revealed aluminosis, developing under the influence of aluminum dust and bauxite pneumoconiosis, develops mainly in workers of bauxite mines.These are relatively rare pneumoconiosis.The relationship of lung cancer and bauxite pneumoconiosis poorly understood. Objective: Identify associated cases of lung cancer and bauxite pneumoconiosis based on resection material. Material and Methods: The study included 263 cases of lung cancer based on resection material.Classical methods used to assess lung resectate samples in the last 5 years.Identified occupational history specially. Results: Occupational exposure occurred to dust in the 107 cases (40.7%),including aluminum in 10 cases (3.8%),2 of them had a clinical diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.Bauxite fibrosis was diagnosed in 6 cases.All patients were males.The median age was 59±7.1years.Smoking history noted in 5 cases,the median index of pack/years was 2.7.The occupation experience ranged from 19 to 38 years,an average was 30.7±6.7 years.Central lung cancer was diagnosed in 5 cases,massivetumor in 1 case;non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinomadetected in 5 cases,small cell cancer - 1 case.Histologically:interstitial fibrosis,dust deposits, «smoker9s macrophages»,the anisotropic crystals of quartz and fine-grained sediments with glow on polarization microscopy. Conclusion: These data suggest possible carcinogenic effects of inhaled dust in the professional environment containing bauxite, and require further research.


AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE BONDING PROPERTIES OF NEW GENERATION CERAMIC BRACKETS AS COMPARED TO A STAINLESS STEEL BRACKET Ami Inoue, D.D.S. Marquette University, 2014 Introduction: More patients are seeking esthetic alternatives for their orthodontic treatment options, which has led to increased use of ceramic brackets in recent years. These brackets were marketed before independent scientific research was completed. Many of the early ceramic brackets used a silane coupling agent to allow for a chemical bond between the bracket and the adhesive resin. Early reports from clinicians of increased bond strengths and iatrogenic tooth damage after bracket removal were common. Manufacturers have made changes to their base designs, relying more on mechanical retention for bond strength. The goal of this study was to test the shear bond strength of two newer generations of mechanically retained ceramic brackets and compare them to a traditional stainless steel bracket. Materials and Methods: Two types of ceramic brackets, Clarity Advanced (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA), and Avex CX (Opal Orthodontics, South Jordan, UT) and one type of metal bracket, Victory Series MBT (3M, Unitek, Monrovia, CA) were used in this study. Exemption from IRB Application was granted by the Marquette University Institutional Review Board (IRB) on 7-12-13. The shear bond strength of the three groups of brackets were examined after bonding to extracted premolars. Brackets were debonded with a universal testing machine (Instron Corporation, Canton, MA) in a motion parallel to the bracket/tooth interface. Each tooth and bracket was viewed under an optical stereomicroscope at 10x magnification and given an adhesive remnant index (ARI) score. The one way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests were used to determine significant differences in bond strengths, and the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney post hoc tests were used to analyze the difference in ARI scores. Results: Statistically significant (p<0.01) differences were found between the shear bond strengths of the Victory Series and Clarity Advanced groups, with the Victory Series having a mean strength of 199.4 N and the Clarity Advanced having an average of 136.0 N. Significant (p<0.0001) differences in ARI scores were found between the Victory Series and both ceramic groups, with an average score of 1 for the Victory Series and an average score of 2 for both ceramic groups. The two ceramic brackets were not statistically different from each other in bond strength or ARI score. Conclusions: The shear bond strengths of the new generations of ceramic brackets are lower than those of the metal bracket tested, which suggests a safer bond to enamel. Further research on clinical debonding characteristics and behavior intra-orally are needed to support the in vitro results found in this study.


Intraplate thrusting, involving reactivation of a mid-Proterozoic province boundary within the basement metamorphic rocks of the Arunta block, occurs at the northern margin of the late Proterozoic to mid-Palaeozoic Amadeus Basin in central Australia. Earlier geological and geophysical studies show that the thrust system, referred to as the Alice Springs orogen, is 'thick-skinned' in the central part of the thrust belt and was dominated by the crust-cutting Redbank thrust zone. Several episodes of thrusting, defined stratigraphically, began about 400 Ma ago. Analysis and modelling of 40Ar-39Ar age spectra on K-feldspar from the basement rocks, combined with regional geological constraints, point to cooling rates of 3–10 °C/Ma and moderate overall exhumation rates of 100–400 m/Ma during the Alice Springs orogeny, without appreciably increased heat flow. However, final uplift along the thrust front at 300–320 Ma was rapid, as the time of final closure of small domains in K-feldspar approximates apatite fission track ages. By using 40Ar-39Ar age data as a constraint, together with available geological and geophysical data, crustal shortening across the thrust belt is thought to be approximately 20 to 30%. Overall convergence rates of 0.6–3 km/Ma are slow compared with rates of ≥ 5 km/Ma for continent-continent collision zones.


Scalable interventions remain effective across a range of real-world settings and can be modified to fit organizational and community context. "Smoke-Free Homes: Some Things are Better Outside" has been effective in promoting smoke-free home rules in low-income households in efficacy, effectiveness, generalizability, and dissemination studies. Using data from a dissemination study in collaboration with five 2-1-1 call centers in Ohio, Florida, Oklahoma, and Alabama (n = 2,345 households), this article examines key dimensions of scalability, including effectiveness by subpopulation, secondary outcomes, identification of core elements driving effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Evaluated by 2-1-1 staff using a pre–post design with self-reported outcomes at 2 months postbaseline, the program was equally effective for men and women, across education levels, with varying number of smokers in the home, and whether children were present in the home or not. It was more effective for nonsmokers, those who smoked fewer cigarettes per day, and African Americans. Creating a smoke-free home was associated with a new smoke-free vehicle rule (odds ratio [OR] = 3.38, confidence interval [CI 2.58, 4.42]), decreased exposure to secondhand smoke among nonsmokers (b = −2.33, p < .0001), and increased cessation among smokers (OR = 5.8, CI [3.81, 8.81]). Use of each program component was significantly associated with success in creating a smoke-free home. Using an intent-to-treat effect size of 40.1%, program benefits from 5 years of health care savings exceed program costs yielding a net savings of $9,633 for delivery to 100 households. Cost effectiveness, subpopulation analyses, and identification of core elements can help in assessing the scalability potential of research-tested interventions such as this smoke-free homes program.


Finding an aneurysm in a child is a rare event that should prompt careful evaluation for a secondary disease or a history of trauma or serious infection. Although congenital and idiopathic aneurysms do occur, almost all aneurysms seen in children are acquired. The majority of true aneurysms (including mycotic aneurysms) occur in the aorta, with the primary branches of the aorta (such as the renal or iliac arteries) the next most common site. Most false aneurysms are caused by trauma and usually present in the extremities. Treatment is surgical resection and vascular reconstruction except in patients with arteritis and small stable aneurysms.


The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has previously been reported as more transmissible, but less severe than other SARS-CoV-2 variants. To test this assumption, we linked state-level vaccination data with quality-controlled electronic health records from a large healthcare system, including 13 hospitals, in Massachusetts, USA. We then performed a weighted case-control study to compare risks of hospital admission and mortality across the SARS-CoV-2 waves in over 130,000 COVID patients. Although the unadjusted rates of hospital admission and mortality appeared to be higher in previous waves compared to the Omicron period, after adjusting for confounders including various demographics, Charlson comorbidity index scores, and vaccination status (and holding the healthcare utilization constant), we found that the risks of hospitalization and mortality were nearly identical between periods. Our analysis suggests that the intrinsic severity of the Omicron variant may be as severe as previous variants.


Each person is unique in terms of the integration of individual's traits and competences vs. assigned targets, and so is our Foundryman. The motivation to fruitful deployment of this integration-ability, to the rescue of a given problem, is the combined person's responsibility @stimulus and organisational competences @environment. The organisation must provide a goal (achievable but smart target), and an access to customer's voice. The (foundry) worker must garner the extra edge, so as to extend the organisation's targets to a level which is closer to that of customer's expectation. For realizing this success, people must be properly propelled to narrow the gap between possibilities and prospects, both measured w.r.t. customer's angle. This paper places the challenge before the foundrymen, and attempts to provide a worthwhile solution for implementation. The mechanism is recommended in a 4DM paradigm, based upon the process management methodology, the output part of which may be displayed, for identified parameters and metrics, in the forms of Charts/ graphs. Both the process owners and managers can have simultaneous access to process performance indicators, and a glance at actual performance of stipulated Key Performance objectives will not only validate the process maturity, but also initiate a timely action. The efficacy of this stimulus is termed as the 'xtra edge' leading to an 'xcellence effect'


Objectives:Comparisons of induction chemotherapy (IC) against upfront chemoradiation (CRT) for locally advanced head and neck cancer (LA-HNSCC) have demonstrated no differences except greater toxicity with IC. Effective induction regimens that are less toxic are therefore warranted. To inform future efforts with IC, we present our institutional experience comparing a less toxic IC regimen to CRT. Methods:We included patients with LA-HNSCC treated with organ-preservation CRT (+/−induction) between 2008 and 2011. Patients were of age above 18 years, ECOG performance status 0-1, and had minimum 6 months follow-up. IC consisted of 8 weekly cycles of cetuximab, carboplatin, and paclitaxel followed by CRT. The CRT regimen was platinum based, with cetuximab reserved for patients contraindicated to receive platinum. Results:Of 118 patients, 24 (20%) received IC and 94 (80%) received CRT. Median follow-up was 17 (IC) and 19 (CRT) months (P=0.05). There were no differences in toxicity between the groups. IC patients were more likely male, with more advanced tumor and nodal stage. Even when controlling for these factors, IC was still associated with worse locoregional control (HR=3.6, P=0.02), distant metastasis–free survival (HR=5.3, P=0.02), and overall survival (HR=5.1, P<0.01). Conclusions:IC patients had greater disease burden than those receiving CRT. IC was well tolerated, but with significant rates of locoregional and systemic failures. Given the retrospective nature of the study, our findings are not meant to be definitive or conclusive, but rather suggestive in directing future efforts with IC. For now, we favor CRT as the standard option for treatment of inoperable LA-HNSCC.


The optimal selection of secondary indexes asks for the quantitative evaluation of the performance of a number of candidate secondary indexes in order to determine the particular combination of indexes which satisfies the anticipated user transactions at a minimal cost. Previous studies determine the optimal selection by assuming that the cost of satisfying a query using a secondary index is not affected by the existence of other indexes in the database. This assumption is realistic when the inverted file organization is used to organize secondary indexes. The main reason is that inverted files do not alter the size of the file. However, the assumption is not valid when the next most popular method for structuring secondary indexes is used, namely, the multilist database structures. This is so, because each multilist increases the size of the file. This paper studies the secondary index selection problem by making the assumption that the multilist organization is utilized to structure secondary indexes and develops a dynamic programming algorithm to solve it. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that multilists can be easily implemented on network databases.


Space geodesy showed that broad-scale postseismic deformation occurred after the 1992 Landers earthquake. Three-dimensional modeling shows that afterslip can only explain one horizontal component of the postseismic deformation, whereas viscoelastic flow can explain the horizontal and near-vertical displacements. The viscosity of a weak, about 10-km-thick layer, in the lower crust beneath the rupture zone that controls the rebound is about 10(18) pascal seconds. The viscoelastic behavior of the lower crust may help to explain the extensional structures observed in the Basin and Range province and it may be used for the analysis of earthquake hazard.


By varying the dynamics in a musical performance, the musician can convey structure and different expressions. Spectral properties of most musical instruments change in a complex way with the performed dynamics, but dedicated audio features for modeling the parameter are lacking. In this study, feature extraction methods were developed to capture relevant attributes related to spectral characteristics and spectral fluctuations, the latter through a sectional spectral flux. Previously, ground truths ratings of performed dynamics had been collected by asking listeners to rate how soft/loud the musicians played in a set of audio files. The ratings, averaged over subjects, were used to train three different machine learning models, using the audio features developed for the study as input. The highest result was produced from an ensemble of multilayer perceptrons with an R2 of 0.84. This result seems to be close to the upper bound, given the estimated uncertainty of the ground truth data. The result is well above that of individual human listeners of the previous listening experiment, and on par with the performance achieved from the average rating of six listeners. Features were analyzed with a factorial design, which highlighted the importance of source separation in the feature extraction.


We propose a method to estimate the effect of firm policies (e.g., bankruptcy laws or subsidized credit) on allocative efficiency using (quasi-) experimental evidence. Our approach takes general equilibrium effects into account and requires neither a structural estimation nor a precise assumption on how the experiment affects firms. Our aggregation formula relies on treatment effects of the policy on the distribution of output-to-capital ratios, which are easily estimated in (quasi-) experimental data. We show that this method is valid as long as the true data-generating process belongs to a large class of commonly-used models in macro-finance. Finally, we apply this method to the French banking deregulation episode of the mid-1980s and find that this reform led to an increase in aggregate TFP of 2.7%.


We examined the sera of 94 subjects with insulindependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) for the presence of complement-fixing sympathetic ganglia (CF-SG) antibodies. In a cross-sectional analysis (duration 0–43 yr), 22% had detectable CF-SG antibodies. Subjects at high risk for IDDM were also studied. Four groups were studied: group 1 (aged 4–64 yr) islet cell antibodypositive (ICA+) prediabetic subjects, 10 of 19 (53%) were CF-SG+ ; group 2 (aged 6–14 yr) ICA− prediabetic subjects (first-degree relatives of IDDM subjects with either transient hyperglycemia, impaired oral glucose tolerance, and/or first-phase insulin release after intravenous glucose tolerance testing), 4 of 9 (44%) were CF-SG+ (2 of the 4 ICA− CF-SG+ subjects have progressed to IDDM); group 3 (aged 1.5-43 yr) ICA+ IDDM subjects (≤1 yr duration) 6 of 10 (60%) were CF-SG+; and group 4 (aged 8–59 yr) ICA IDDM subjects (≤1 yr duration), 2 of 11 (18%) were CF-SG+. All groups had increased CF-SG compared with controls. Postural blood pressure and simultaneous CF-SG antibody measurements were performed in 28 IDDM subjects. The drop in systolic blood pressure was greater in the CF-SG+ subjects (P < .05), and the frequency of CF-SG was greater in the mean to – 2SD group (P < .03) when data were analyzed within mean ± 2SD of the normal blood pressure response.


The effects of the atomizing pressure on the microstructures and properties of the lead-free solder powder by the supersonic atomizer method were investigated. The microstructures of the brazed joint of solder paste were also observed. The results showed that with increasing atomizing pressures from 0.4 to 0.7 MPa, the powder particles are refined significantly and the effective atomization efficiency increases rapidly, but the oxygen content slightly rises. When the atomizing pressures increases from 0.7 to 0.9 MPa, the effective atomization efficiency only increases slightly, meanwhile both sphericity and roughness of the powder deteriorate. The atomized powder exhibits high effective atomizing efficiency, uniform size distribution, good sphericity and smooth surface when the atomizing pressure is 0.7 MPa. The diffusion layer brazed welded by Sn3Ag2.8Cu paste with Cu substrate is thicker and more irregular than that of by Sn37Pb paste.


Thymic tumors are rare neoplasms that arise in the anterior mediastinum. The Incidence of ectopic cervical thymoma is very less. A 36-year-old female presented with a swelling in the front of the neck for the duration of around 1 year with a cytology report suggestive of lymphoma. She underwent positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan which showed only low-grade fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the left neck node, no evidence of disease elsewhere. She underwent ultrasound-guided Tru-cut biopsy which was suggestive of round cell tumor favoring lymphoproliferative disorder which needed immunohistochemistry (IHC) for further confirmation. IHC was confirmative of thymoma, for which patient underwent surgery.. Final histology report was of Thymoma AB type, MASOKA Stage IIa. This case briefs about the diagnostic challenge in a case of neck swelling, for which none of the differential diagnosis was correlated. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for thymoma once the tissue diagnosis is confirmed.


Until relatively recently, policy makers and academics directed little attention to trade in services. This has changed in recognition of the increasing role of services in economic growth, trade and investment. In World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other trade negotiations, discussions on services have become as important a. s., if not more important than, those on trade in goods. Despite the growing contribution of services to exports and economic development, trade in services remains highly regulated, especially in developing countries. This article outlines the main methodological and policy challenges facing developing countries, such as South Africa, in trying to understand the economic implications of service liberalisation. This is achieved largely by means of two case studies of the construction and health services sectors. While the findings are preliminary and the policy conclusions speculative, the article provides some examples of the key analytical difficulties that arise in services analysis. More importantly, it highlights the need for the government to develop integrated service sector strategies that recognise the contribution of trade to development policy and the impact of domestic regulations on trade.


Senior engineering students in the School of Engineering, Computing and Construction Management at Roger Williams University are required to take a two-semester senior capstone design-course sequence. Not unlike the experience offered in many engineering programs, the capstone design experience is meant to be an integrative event during which students apply the engineering science and design principles learned during their previous studies to an actual project. At Roger Williams, the course has been undergoing a transition to a client-based format in which all of the student design projects are undertaken for "outside" clients. This fall a major initiative was undertaken that incorporated into the course a unique block of instruction on the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. The Baldrige performance excellence criteria are the framework that any organization can use to improve overall performance. This instructional unit was introduced to enhance the students' awareness of the need for continuous improvement within a highly competitive world marketplace and, by extension, to improve the client base senior design project products. This paper presents the development and implementation of this unique integration with a preliminary assessment of the results.


The generally catastrophic effects of major storms on the geometry of intermediate- and high-order channels in northwestern California contrast with localized storm-related channel changes found in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sediment delivery in northwestern California during storms overwhelms transport capacities throughout the length of most intermediate- and high-order channels and causes long-lasting changes in geometry. In contrast, sediment delivery during storms in the Santa Cruz Mountains overwhelms transport capacities only in localized reaches. This contrast in channel behavior is at least partially caused by contrasts in the style of landsliding found in the two areas.


Factors of tourism into one of the largest and fastest way to grow an economy is suitable for a country that would like to expand it to include Indonesia. The development of tourism through promotion and maximum service is already undertaken by the authorities to attract domestic and foreign tourists in Indonesia. One of the attractions which are experiencing an increase in visiting Goa Pindul. The problems in Goa Pindul are increase tourists revisit intention, but the facilities and infrastructure are less well. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between e-WOM, destination image, perceived value, and return to visit in the tourism industry. Sample techniques used in this research is purposive sampling using accidental sampling. Respondents who used as many as 200 respondents on travelers who already visited one time, aged 17 years, and using the internet to searching for information about Goa Pindul. Data analysis techniques used are PLS-SEM and Sobel test. The empirical results from PLS-SEM showed that e-WOM positive and significant impact on destination image, perceived value, and return to visit. The destination image has a positive and significant impact on perceived value but on return to visit insignificant. Perceived value positive and significant impact on back to visit. Sobel test findings that effect of e-WOM on arrival to visit through perceived value significantly.


This research attempts to integrate a new technology–MultiDisplay Environment (MDE)–into the design and creation of new architectural spaces–multi-display spaces. The research objective is to formulate a set of design guidelines that advise designers on the effective use of the MDE technology, so that the technology may become a new design element and enables designers to show amplification effects of spaces. Two empirical studies are conducted. Based on the results of empirical studies, a set of multi-display space design guidelines is formulated with three key aspects: scene selection, display allocation and display arrangement. The design guidelines require further validations through practical applications. Nevertheless, the research introduces a new design element for designers to think about the future of architectural spaces with more opportunities and possibilities.


Arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) is belongs to lipoxygenase family of enzymes. It metamorphose essential fatty acids substrates into leukotrienes as well as a wide range of other biologically active products. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains one of the most fatal animocity. The incidence of pancreatic cancer has steadily increased over the past four decades. Almost 30% of patients with pancreatic cancer present with large, locally advanced tumors in the absence of distant metastases. Because surgical resection is frequently contraindicated by vascular invasion, locally advanced pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis with a 6-10-month median survival. The majority of patients present with advanced disease at time of diagnosis resulting in a 5-year survival rate of 7%.Previous studies shown that 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) mRNA and protein are expressed in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and that triptolide treatment significantly down regulates 5-LOX expression. Furthermore, LOX inhibitors were found to block proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells whereas the LOX metabolites 5-HETE and 12-HETE were found to stimulate cancer growth through activation of the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and PI3/Akt kinase pathways. ALOX5 products, particularly 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and 5-oxo-eicosatetraenoic acid, promote the proliferation of these ALOX5 aberrantly expressing tumor cell lines suggesting that ALOX5 acts as a pro-malignancy factor for them and by extension their parent tumors. Thus, for deterrence and treatment of pancreatic cancer induction of 15-LOX-1 expression may be an attractive option for the.5-LOX-derived leukotriene in the pathogenesis of cancer.
The present appraisal is sought to identify a high affinity molecule targeting against ALOX 5 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer through molecular docking studies. 27 established compounds were obtained from various literature studies. The ligand compounds were further prepared using Schrodinger suit software. Protein 3D structure of ALOX5 was obtained from Protein Data Bank(PDB) using PDB ID: 3V92 . Molecular docking studies was performed using flexible docking software, Molegro Virtual Docker. The compound AM-679(Pubchem cid: 71308150), found to be the most effective compound which bound with ALOX5. Further studies can be perform on AM-679 by employ molecular descriptors, Virtual Screening, ADMET, Pharamacophore, Pharmacokinetics studies etc.


Canopy height is a simple trait to represent status of plant growth and development and potentially biomass production, as well as having an influence on lodging susceptibility. Measurement is labour-intensive and time consuming, especially in the large breeding trials, which involve thousands of plots. In this study, we developed a methodology to estimate canopy height using a high resolution camera which was mounted on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Aerial images were captured during a wheat growth season with contrasting canopy height at four time points. Digital surface models (DSMs) were generated using structure from motion (SfM) algorithm after 3D reconstruction of the whole field (e.g. phenocopter.csiro.au). Three methods were used to estimate soil surface and canopy heights at plot level after segmentation of DSM into individual plots including 1) background extraction after segmentation mosaic into vegetation; 2) interpolation of soil surface using soil surface around field edges; 3) measured soil DSM by a flight immediately after planting. Estimates of canopy heights were compared to manual measurements close to the flight times. The results indicated Method 2 had the best performance for wheat canopy (R = 0.88; RMSE = 4.5 cm). The proposed method can been integrated into the high throughput phenotyping platform to apply UAV technologies in the breeding program.


In APO, Agricultural water management technology in Asia and the Pacific: Report of an APO seminar 12-16 July 1994, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tokyo, Japan: APO


A computationally fast technique accurately estimates process variables when conditions are dynamic due to changes in steady states. The process variable estimators are unbiased and have known distributions. Thus, confidence intervals for true values of process variables are provided. The formulation of this technique was motivated by a recursive, dynamic data reconciliation technique that obtains very accurate estimators. These two techniques are compared in terms of computational speed and accuracy of estimators. The proposed technique is computationally faster, but not as accurate when variances of process measurements are large. However, the accuracy of the proposed estimators is shown to approach that of the recursive technique by iteratively recalculating estimates and when measurement variances decrease.


One method in improving secondary metabolites in plant tissue culture is through elicitation, by adding elicitor to plant cells which is intended to induce and enhance secondary metabolites production. In this research, Trichoderma sp and Penicillium sp grown on amylum and Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) medium were used as elicitor. The results of this research showed that the best growth of the two fungi was produced on amylum medium, with incubation time six days and one day, wet weight 105,8 g/L and 87,4 g/L respectively. Keywords : elicitor, secondary metabolites


Problem definition: Crowdfunded Supply Chain Finance (SCF) is an innovative Fintech service that transforms financial flows, allowing individual investors to serve as funders under the SCF paradigm. As required by crowdfunded SCF platforms, the unique presence of loan guarantors in the financing process alters how fundraisers and investors interact, which gives rise to investor learning. Academic/practical relevance: Understanding how such learning behavior impacts investors' decision-making leads to actionable recommendations for platform managers who desire to encourage investor participation as well as for capital seekers who wish to stimulate fundraising performance. Methodology: We develop a Bayesian learning model, wherein we conceptualize individual perception of guarantor reliability as a subjective attitude underlying the perceived risk of a loan listing. Given that a guarantor may be involved in multiple loans in this unique market, we consider that individuals can learn about a guarantor's true reliability and dynamically update their perception as they receive more repayments, or lack thereof, over time. We model investor behavior as two separate yet interdependent outcomes: (1) the incidence decision of whether to invest and (2) the amount decision of how much to invest. Results: Our estimation results confirm the existence of investor learning: an individual's incidence decision and amount decision are both driven by her perception of guarantor reliability. In addition, we observe that this latent perception has different moderating effects on investor responses to listing attributes, such as interest rate and loan duration. Managerial implications: Our counterfactual simulations generate useful implications. For platform managers, enabling investor learning from correlated investment experience can help mitigate adverse selection and improve overall market efficiency. For supply chain members, optimizing the structure of loan listings could accelerate investor learning, which in turn can help simulate fundraising performance as a desirable outcome of reputation building.


Electric arc furnace (EAF) slags are basic characteristic slags that include approximately 40 % iron oxide compounds. Iron oxide can be recycled and re-used in the process to decrease amount of waste product besides reducing loss of raw materials. According to result of survey performed by The European Association Representing Metallurgical Slag Producers and Processors (EUROSLAG) in 2010, 8.5 million tons of EAF slag is produced in Europe. High percentage of EAF slag is re-used in road construction as aggregate. However it can be re-cycled in the internal use for metallurgical processes as well. In order to re-use EAF slag in the process as a raw material, direct reduction is a new approach. Direct reduction is reduction of iron containing raw materials with gas or solid reductants without melting of charge. In this study, reduction conditions of 39 % Fe2O3 containing EAF slag in tube furnace was examined. As the reducing agent, metallurgical coke was used. EAF slag was milled and pelletized in raw material preparation step. Pellets were charged to fixed bed type tube furnace in a graphite boat at 1050, 1100 and 1150°C respectively with 150 and 200% of stoichiometrically required amount of metallurgical coke. 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes process durations were performed. Direct reduced pellets were milled to be characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and chemical analysis methods. Results indicate that increased temperature, process duration and stoichiometry have a positive impact on direct reduction of EAF slag in terms of iron metallization. 90 % metallization degree has been achieved as the result of the study with the process conditions of 200 % stoichiometry and 90 minutes process duration at 1150 °C.


To investigate further the cause of the pancreatic enlargment induced by orally ingested soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), antibodies raised against STI and purified by affinity chromatography were used to localise dietary STI in the rat gut by fluorescent immunocytochemical methods. This technique permitted the clear intracellular demonstration of STI in the ileal mucosa of suckling rats. However, in adult rats no entry of STI into mucosal cells of the small intestine could be demonstrated, it being confined to the luminal surface of the mucosa. Although the passage of STI into and across the adult intestinal mucosa could not be excluded through the use of this technique, the results are consistent with an intraluminal mode of action of STI as suggested by Green and Lyman (1972)--namely, that the pancreatic enlargement caused in sensitive species results from the inhibition of trypsin (which acts as the physiological inhibitor of the mucosal secretion of pancreotrophic hormones), thus resulting in the uninhibited secretion of these hormones.


Angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonists, a new class of antihypertensive agents, recently became available for the treatment of clinical hypertension. These agents have a unique mechanism of action: they selectively block the AII receptor type I thereby blocking all known physiological actions of AII that are relevant to hypertension. Controlled clinical trials have shown losartan potassium, the first of the AII receptor type I antagonists approved for clinical use, to be effective, providing long-term control of blood pressure in once daily oral doses in patients who have mild to moderate essential hypertension. Losartan is as efficacious as enalapril maleate and atenolol in these patients. Its antihypertensive effect is enhanced when used in combination with a thiazide diuretic. Losartan is well tolerated and generally free of the side effects that are commonly associated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and other currently available antihypertensive drugs. Thus, AII receptor blockers represent an important therapeutic advance in treating hypertension and provide a targeted treatment approach to block activation of the renin-angiotensin system.


T-cells have been shown to cause insulitis and ultimately be responsible for the destruction of β-cells in animal models of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In one murine model, insulitis and hyperglycemia occur after administration of five low doses of streptozotocin (STZ) (multidose STZ-induced diabetes mellitus [MDSM]). Insulitis can first be identified in the islets after the final (fifth) daily dose of STZ is given. We have studied the T-cells that infiltrate the islets of Langerhans during the early stages of diabetes by preparing Southern blots of T-cell receptor (TCR) β-chain genes amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from islets from C57BL/KsJ mice given multiple doses of STZ. The relative abundance of TCR gene products in islets was compared with spleen cells stimulated with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb). We found that after the fourth dose of STZ, there was a striking increase in the amount of V β 8.2 TCR gene product (37 ± 4% of total PCR signal) compared with T-cells in the spleen (9 ± 2%, P < 0.01), which increased further 2 days after the final dose of STZ (47 ± 5%, P < 0.001). We studied the heterogeneity of the size of the V β 8.2 TCR CDR3 region and found primarily products with only two lengths compared with a heterogeneous population in the spleen. Treatment with anti-Vβ8 mAb, but not anti-V β 9 and anti-V β 13 mAbs, prevented development of hyperglycemia (P < 0.0001) and insulitis (P < 0.0005) after STZ administration. We conclude that there is limited heterogeneity of the T-cell response that causes diabetes in MDSDM. A limited number of Vβ8.2+ cells are preferentially expanded in the islets in the early stages. Our results suggest that in this model of IDDM, a limited number of T-cells cause the disease.


In this paper, the influence of outlet arrangement and plenum structure on impingement cooling is experimentally and numerically investigated in a typical 1-U confined server space. Three outlets include Z-type, bilateral, and U-type arrangements, and the plenum configurations contain partially inclined, fully inclined, and staged layouts. As a result, using the U-type outlet or staged plenum may prominently compromise the impingement cooling performance on the target plates with lower pumping power. With numerical investigation, it is found that, for the case with Z-type outlet, the flowrate of jet impingement increases alongside the streamwise direction. Besides, the impingement stagnation region on target plates with the minimum thermal resistance may shift toward the outlet. Meanwhile, the uniformity of jet impingement can be improved by 10.7% and 50.3% when the bilateral and U-type outlets are applied, respectively, and the jet impingement is changed to perpendicular direction due to the opposite cross flow from the coming flow direction. On the other hand, by applying the inclined plenum and staged plenum, the uniformity of jet impingement can be dramatically improved by 113.9% and 215.1%, respectively. However, the local jet impingement velocity distribution is still nonuniform. Hence, a novel design of impingement plate based on the concept of Coanda effect is proposed. The peak value of the thermal resistance on target plate can be reduced by 21.8% and 16.0% at the center region and the fore part of the jet array.


The purpose of this study was to examine how geography teachers implement GIS in the class room and examine how they interpret GIS, their attitude towards the implement of it in the curriculum for secondary schools and if it is beneficial to geopgraphy and students learning. Seven interviews were conducted individually, six geography teachers and the person who wrote the curriculum for geography in secondary school. The study revelas that the variation of the teachers education in GIS affect the way they educate their students in GIS. The teachers who were educated in GIS recently are using the tool to teach their students geographical subjects, while the others were often teaching their students about the tool, because they felt that there was lack of time to succesfully teach them more. Some of the teachers were uncertain to what extent they had to implement GIS in their education. All teachers thought GIS was a great tool for learning geography, but they also thought that it could be beneficial in other school related subjects. To make GIS relate closer to the curriculum, teachers need to improve pedagogical content knowledge about the subject, and the way teachers get educated in GIS need to adapt moore in how GIS could be used to learn geography.


Geochemical, microbiological, and molecular analyses of alkaline saline groundwater at 2.8 kilometers depth in Archaean metabasalt revealed a microbial biome dominated by a single phylotype affiliated with thermophilic sulfate reducers belonging to Firmicutes. These sulfate reducers were sustained by geologically produced sulfate and hydrogen at concentrations sufficient to maintain activities for millions of years with no apparent reliance on photosynthetically derived substrates.


Canarium Odontophyllum or known as Kembayau and/or Dabai (Dacryodes rostrata f. cuspidate) is an underutilized exotic (indigenous) fruit that can be found in Borneo region particularly Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan tropical forest. Kembayau is less popular compared to Dabai fruit due to the taste and thickness of flesh. It is rich in minerals, proteins and carbohydrates with milky taste. This study was done to determine the suitability of Kembayau fruit as a sauce. Three formulations, F3, F5 and F8 out of nine were chosen after going through BIB ranking test and F8 then chosen through hedonic test for proximate analysis, microbial storage study and quality sensory. F8 contains 45% Kembayau fruit puree, 30% sucrose, 18% water, 1.53% modified corn starch, 0.1% xanthan gum, 4% margarine, 0.9% salt, 0.4% citric acid and 0.07% sodium benzoate. As result, Kembayau fruit sauce contains 60.43±0.40 moisture, 0.50±0.10 ash, 0.75±0.03 fat, 1.40±0.07 protein, and 0.92±0.02 crude fibre and 35.50±0.04 carbohydrates. Physicochemical shown sample had pH at 3.15±0.10, 34.00±0.01 °Brix, viscosity at 24.42±0.10 cP and L*a*b* was at 39.75±0.18, 6.12±0.07, and 12.42±0.08 respectively. From the view of storage studies, at eight week of storage, sample are contains bacteria and yeast at 3.11x102 cfu/ml and 3.55x102 respectively at concentration 10-1. Consumer test shows that Kembayau sauce is acceptable among consumers. As conclusion, Kembayau is a potential exotic fruit to be studied for the food product development


Roman, M., & Golnik, B. (2019). Current status and conditions for agritourism development in the Lombardy region. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 25(1), 18–25 The aim of the article was to present the development of agritourism in the Lombardy region. Primary and secondary data were used to achieve the goal. Empirical studies were conducted using the diagnostic survey method and its technique a questionnaire survey. They were conducted in two languages (Italian and English) in November and December 2017 with 40 residents of Milan. In addition, research was conducted with selected randomly 70 service providers (from 1551 all owners) conducting their agritourism activity in the region of Lombardy. For this purpose, the CATI method was used. In addition, the information for the article was obtained from the literature on the subject and from online sources. Research made for the article proves that people are generally satisfi ed with presence of tourists. Residents consider them as the chance to improve local economy, create new jobs, make the region more famous. They see some threats, such as more pollution or noise, but chances of development are much bigger. One of the most important aspects of tourism in Lombardy is growth of agritourism.


In 2017, a machine learning algorithm was published online as a tool to insert faces of celebrity actresses into pornographic videos. This "deepfake" phenomenon has since spread across social media, and is no longer confined to sexual contexts. The technology can be used to swap faces in film scenes, or even digitally insert people into their favorite movie clips. Although the results are often comical, deepfake sophistication and realism has rapidly improved over the last several years, making them difficult to spot as fake. There is a growing concern that such videos could be used to extort, intimidate, or otherwise defame an individual. In such instances, could the victim portrayed in the deepfake bring a lawsuit against its creator?

In California, perhaps. There, a person has a statutory and common law "publicity right", which is a cause of action used to prevent or penalize any misappropriation of one's image, photograph, or voice. By contrast, the lack of a recognized image right under English law can be a source of frustration amongst claimants, and debate amongst lawyers. Drawing upon her knowledge of English and Californian law, the author explores whether or not California's codified publicity right is superior to that of the English piecemeal approach, using the deepfake phenomenon as a case study.


OFDM is considered for high data rate transmission. Adaptive modulation is used to make an OFDM system more efficient. It is necessary to guarantee the constant high data rate of a video stream transmission in a wireless LAN. To guarantee the highly reliable communication, a better system performance is required. We propose an adaptive RS code allocation method. In the proposed system, accurate feedback information is required at the transmitter. Thus we propose an error detection method for feedback information error. We show that the system performance is improved, and the proposed system can detect the feedback information error.


DARCI TOO is a universal computer control device for people with physical disabilities. It is connected to the keyboard and mouse connectors on virtually any personal computer and provides complete transparent access to all computer functions. The user selects the input device that best fits their needs and joysticks, switches, matrix keyboards, video game controllers and devices with serial outputs can be used. Timing can be adjusted by the user and DARCI TOO can be configured to match the capabilities of people with almost any type of physical disability.<<ETX>>


The concern about youths development borders on the believe that they constitute an important labour force which can easily become leaders in employing and innovating modern techniques of agricultural production. The National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) in recognition of this potential has established a rural youths extension outreach Project to encourage the youths to adopt modern techniques of agricultural Production. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of this Project on agricultural Production. This study was carried out during the 2000 / 2001 cropping season by comparing the performance of the Project participants with non-participants. The results revealed that the participants had an adoption level of improved practices higher than the non-participants. This was further confirmed by the significant relationship found between respondents' access to extension services and level of adoption (r = 0.46, P=0.01). Yield of major crops was higher among the participants than the non-participants. The results of the study have helped to identify for the benefit of policy makers, the type of extension approaches required to encourage rural youths to adopt modern farming techniques.


This study was conducted to develop web-based distance learning program of basic nursing physical science which was composed of a multimedia contents such as documents, voices and pictures. This was to advance curriculum of basic nursing physical science based on a proper nursing characteristics related to other major nursing subjects and induce a new and creative method to gain a knowledge. Based on a general learning design model, distance learning program was developed centered on a structure and function of heart physical science in 1999. The stages of development were like this. Firstly, at the analytic stage, specific units and contents for developing multimedia contents were decided and presentation methods for each item were designed and then the evaluation items were developed. Secondly, at the design stage, the most effective design of multimedia construction was selected and interfaces, basic frames, and presentation elements were chosen. Thirdly, at the developmental stage, internet files were designed using Namo web editor 4.0 and this files were modified with Adobe Photoshop.


: By law, schools are required to protect the well-being of students against problems such as on-campus bullying and physical abuse. In the UK, a report by the Office for Education (OfE) showed 17% of young people had been bullied during 2017–2018. This problem continues to prevail with consequences including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. Additionally, recent evidence suggests this type of victimisation could intensify existing health complications. This study investigates the opportunities provided by Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) data towards next-generation safeguarding. A new model is developed based on blockchain technology to enable real-time intervention triggered by IoMT data that can be used to detect stressful events, e.g., when bullying takes place. The model utilises private permissioned blockchain to manage IoMT data to achieve quicker and better decision-making while revolutionising aspects related to compliance, double-entry, confidentiality, and privacy. The feasibility of the model and the interaction between the sensors and the blockchain was simulated. To facilitate a close approximation of an actual IoMT environment, we clustered and decomposed existing medical sensors to their attributes, including their function, for a variety of scenarios. Then, we demonstrated the performance and capabilities of the emulator under different loads of sensor-generated data. We argue to the suitability of this emulator for schools and medical centres to conduct feasibility studies to address sensor data with disruptive data processing and management technologies.


AIM
The aim of this study was to examine the decision-making of nursing students during team based simulations on patient deterioration to determine the sources of information, the types of decisions made and the influences underpinning their decisions.

BACKGROUND
Missed, misinterpreted or mismanaged physiological signs of deterioration in hospitalized patients lead to costly serious adverse events. Not surprisingly, an increased focus on clinical education and graduate nurse work readiness has resulted.

DESIGN
A descriptive exploratory design.

METHODS
Clinical simulation laboratories in three Australian universities were used to run team based simulations with a patient actor. A convenience sample of 97 final-year nursing students completed simulations, with three students forming a team. Four teams from each university were randomly selected for detailed analysis. Cued recall during video review of team based simulation exercises to elicit descriptions of individual and team based decision-making and reflections on performance were audio-recorded post simulation (2012) and transcribed.

RESULTS
Students recalled 11 types of decisions, including: information seeking; patient assessment; diagnostic; intervention/treatment; evaluation; escalation; prediction; planning; collaboration; communication and reflective. Patient distress, uncertainty and a lack of knowledge were frequently recalled influences on decisions.

CONCLUSIONS
Incomplete information, premature diagnosis and a failure to consider alternatives when caring for patients is likely to lead to poor quality decisions. All health professionals have a responsibility in recognizing and responding to clinical deterioration within their scope of practice. A typology of nursing students' decision-making in teams, in this context, highlights the importance of individual knowledge, leadership and communication.