This survey article discusses two basic issues that semantic theories of questions face. The first is how to conceptualize and formally represent the semantic content of questions. This issue arises in particular because the standard truth-conditional notion of meaning, which has been fruitful in the analysis of declarative statements, is not applicable to questions. This is because questions are not naturally construed as being true or false. Instead, it has been proposed that the semantic content of a question must be characterized in terms of its answerhood or resolution conditions. This article surveys a number of theories which develop this basic idea in different ways, focusing on so-called proposition-set theories (alternative semantics, partition semantics, and inquisitive semantics).
 The second issue that will be considered here concerns questions that are embedded within larger sentences. Within this domain, one important puzzle is why certain predicates can take both declarative and interrogative complements (e.g., Bill knows that Mary called / Bill knows who called), while others take only declarative complements (e.g., Bill thinks that Mary called / *Bill thinks who called) or only interrogative complements (e.g., Bill wonders who called / *Bill wonders that Mary called). We compare two general approaches that have been pursued in the literature. One assumes that declarative and interrogative complements differ in semantic type. On this approach, the fact that predicates like think do not take interrogative complements can be accounted for by assuming that such complements do not have the semantic type that think selects for. The other approach treats the two kinds of complement as having the same semantic type, and seeks to connect the selectional restrictions of predicates like think to other semantic properties (e.g., the fact that think is neg-raising).


Pharmacological activities of 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-hexanonic acid (HMPHA), a phenolic compound, isolated from the extract of Pycnocycla spinosa was investigated on ileum motility in vivo and in vitro. Ileum motility was examined by measuring charcoal movement through the gut in mice. In addition, antidiarrhoeal activity of HMPHA was assessed and compared with standard drug; loperamide (2 mg/kg) and the hydroalcoholic extract of P. spinosa (2 mg/kg). Furthermore, concentration response curve to contraction induced by acetylcholine (ACh), 5-hydroxy triptamine (5-HT) and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were obtained after incubation of ileum segment with various concentrations of HMPHA or hydroalcoholic extract of P. spinosa. HMPHA (2 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg, orally) significantly inhibited gut movements in vivo and reduced diarrhoea induced by castor oil or sulphate magnesium. In addition, HMPHA reduced ileum contraction induced by ACh (IC50=33 ± 6 μg/ml), 5-HT (IC50=87 ± 12 μg/ml) and EFS (IC50=36 ± 3 μg/ml) in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect was reversible following washing off the drug. These studies indicate that HMPHA as an active component of P. spinosa extract has significant antispasmodic and antidiarrhoeal activities and therefore, has the potential as a lead compound for further development of a new spasmolytic remedy.


Estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential for the evaluation of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Cockcroft-Gault (CG) and modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) formulas are serum creatinine-based equations, and the most widely used tests for renal function. Recently, serum cystatin C-based equations were proposed as markers for estimation of GFR. The present study compares our serum cystatin C-based equation (cystatin C formula) and serum creatinine-based equations for a large group of patients with CKD. In this study, 592 adult patients with CKD were enrolled. In each patient, serum creatinine was determined and creatinine clearance was calculated using the CG and MDRD formulas. The serum cystatin C was determined by an immunonephelometric method and our own cystatin C formula (GFR = 90.63 x cystatin C-1.192) for estimation of GFR was developed. GFR was measured using 51CrEDTA clearance, and the correlation, accuracy, bias and precision were determined. Ability to correctly estimate the patient's GFR with different equations compared to gold standard below and above 60 ml/min/1.73 m2; was analyzed. The mean 51CrEDTA clearance was 47 ml/min/1.73 m2, the mean serum creatinine was 269 micromol/l and the mean serum cystatin C was 2.68 mg/l. Statistically significant correlation between 51CrEDTA clearance with the CG (r = 0.861) and MDRD (r = 0.909) formulas and the cystatin C formula (r = 0.899) was found. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis (cut-off for GFR 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) showed that the cystatin C formula had a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than the CG formula (p < 0.003). All equations underestimated the measured GFR and lacked precision. Analysis of ability to correctly predict the patient's GFR below or above 60/ml/min/1.73 m2 showed a higher prediction for the cystatin C formula than the MDRD formula (91.6 versus 84.1%, p < 0.0005) and a higher prediction trend than the CG formula (91.6 versus 88.3%, p = 0.078). Our results indicate that serum cystatin C-based equation is a reliable marker of GFR with a very high diagnostic accuracy and ability to predict patients with CKD and GFR under 60/ml/min/1.73 m2.


The direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOD) was revealed at a carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified glassy carbon electrode, where the enzyme was immobilized with a chitosan film containing gold nanoparticles. The immobilized GOD displays a pair of redox peaks in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solutions (PBS) with the formal potential of about −455 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) and shows a surface-controlled electrode process. Bioactivity remains good, along with effective catalysis of the reduction of oxygen. In the presence of dissolved oxygen, the reduction peak current decreased gradually with the addition of glucose, which could be used for reagentless detection of glucose with a linear range from 0.04 to 1.0 mM. The proposed glucose biosensor exhibited high sensitivity, good stability and reproducibility, and was also insensitive to common interferences such as ascorbic and uric acid. The excellent performance of the reagentless biosensor is attributed to the effective enhancement of electron transfer between enzyme and electrode surface by CNTs, and the biocompatible environment that the chitosan film containing gold nanoparticles provides for immobilized GOD.


Locate and use numeric, statistical, geospatial, and qualitative data sets, find data management templates, find data repositories to house your own data and find tools for data visualization.


Pedicle screw instrumentation is a widely used technique for fixating the spine in fusion surgery. One of the complications associated with pedicle screw placement is when a screw breaches the pedicle medially and causes the patient radicular pain or numbness or weakness. Revising a breached pedicle screw in a patient who has undergone a multilevel fusion surgery often requires that the patient undergo a very invasive revision surgical procedure. Here the authors present a technical note on decompressing an S1 nerve compressed by a breached pedicle screw by performing an endoscopic surgical approach through a 1-cm incision and drilling down the threads of the pedicle screw, directly decompressing the nerve without removing the screw.


BACKGROUND
Quality and quantity of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) may be associated with cardiovascular risk. We investigated the effect of rosuvastatin on cholesterol efflux (CE) for HDL function and vascular health.Methods and Results:We enrolled 30 dyslipidemic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 20 healthy subjects as controls. Vascular health was assessed on flow-medicated dilation (FMD), nitroglycerin-induced dilatation of the brachial artery and carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT). These parameters were compared between patients and controls, and between baseline and at 12 weeks of treatment with rosuvastatin 20 mg. Age and body mass index were 49.8±11.3 years and 25.8±3.7 kg/m2in the patients, and 28.8±3.2 years and 22.4±2.4 kg/m2in the controls, respectively. The biomarkers related to lipid and glucose metabolism and lipoprotein (a), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and cIMT were significantly higher, and CE and FMD were significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. In the patients, rosuvastatin 20 mg decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 54.1% and increased HDL-C by 4.8%. The CE increased significantly after rosuvastatin treatment (12.26±2.72% vs. 14.05±4.14%). FMD also increased, and lipoprotein (a) and cIMT decreased significantly and were associated with changes of CE.

CONCLUSIONS
Rosuvastatin-induced changes in HDL function are significantly associated with cardiovascular benefit.


Background There have been few prospective studies of the long-term outcome of psychosis in people of Afro-Caribbean origin in the UK. Method We followed-up a population-based, consecutive series of 34 Afro-Caribbean and 54 White people with psychosis who had been extensively investigated during their first admission in 1973/74. Diagnoses were made by direct interview using the Present State Examination at both first admission and follow-up. Results Ninety-seven per cent of the original sample were traced. A slightly greater proportion of the Afro-Caribbean people were assigned to the S+ Catego class (schizophrenia), both on first assessment and at follow-up. No difference was found between the two groups in the consistency of diagnosis over the 18 years or in the proportion of patients considered psychotic but Afro-Caribbean people tended to have fewer negative symptoms at follow-up. There were striking differences between the two groups in their experience of psychiatric care; Afro-Caribbean people were more likely to have been readmitted, to have experienced longer hospitalisations, and to have undergone more involuntary admissions than their White counterparts. Conclusions Afro-Caribbean people who met clinical and research criteria for schizophrenia had a less satisfactory experience of, and response to, psychiatric care over 18 years than their White counterparts.


A Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) is a collection of autonomous nodes that communicate with each other by forming a multi-hop radio network. Routing protocols in MANETs define how routes between source and destination nodes are established and maintained. Multicast routing provides a bandwidth-efficient means for supporting group-oriented applications. The increasing demand for such applications coupled with the inherit characteristics of MANETs (e.g., lack of infrastructure and node mobility) have made secure multicast routing crucial yet challenging issue. Recently, several multicast routing protocols have been proposed in MANETs. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on multicast routing protocols along with their security techniques and the types of attacks they can confront. A comparison for the capability of the various secured multicast routing protocols against the identified attacks is also presented.


Successful limb reconstruction surgery not only relies on surgical skill but probably more on assessment and planning before intervention. A clear appreciation of the child as a whole, an understanding of natural history and the ability to carefully evaluate the patient clinically are key to successful treatment. The appropriate use of investigations and the ability to analyze, plan and execute a treatment plan is challenging and requires experience and training. This paper outlines some of the steps required to assess the patient with a complex limb deformity.


CDC37 has emerged as a promising target in antitumor chemotherapy because of its significant role in oncogenic signaling networks. In an effort to discover novel CDC37 inhibitors, a shape-based model derived from celastrol was built. A high-throughput virtual screening of ChemDiv based on the ROCS model has led to the identification of several pentacyclic triterpenes with high shape similarity with celastrol, among which betulinic acid acetate was the most attractive. Bio-layer interferometry assay demonstrated that betulinic acid acetate binds to CDC37 with a KD value (25.7 μM) on the same order of magnitude as that of celastrol. This compound not only shows comparable antiproliferative activity against a series of cancer cell lines, but also causes the degradation of HSP90 client proteins in PC-3 cell lines without inducing the expression of HSP70. In addition, betulinic acid acetate inhibits the function of HSP90 in a manner different from celastrol. The HTRF assay indicated that it cannot inhibit the association between HSP90 and CDC37. Given that it is not an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound, betulinic acid acetate can be recognized as the first inhibitor that binds to CDC37 through non-covalent binding.


Background An increasing number of patients bring Internet-based health information to medical consultations. However, little is known about how physicians experience, manage, and view these patients. Objective This study aimed to advance the understanding of the effects of incorporating Internet-based health information into routine medical consultations from physicians' perspectives, using a qualitative approach. Methods Six focus groups were conducted with 48 family physicians practising in Toronto. The data were analyzed using qualitative methods of content analysis and constant comparison, derived from grounded theory approach. Results Three overarching themes were identified: (1) perceived reactions of patients, (2) physician burden, and (3) physician interpretation and contextualization of information. Physicians in our study generally perceived Internet-based health information as problematic when introduced by patients during medical consultations. They believed that Internet information often generated patient misinformation, leading to confusion, distress, or an inclination towards detrimental self-diagnosis and/or self-treatment. Physicians felt these influences added a new interpretive role to their clinical responsibilities. Although most of the physicians felt obliged to carry out this new responsibility, the additional role was often unwelcome. Despite identifying various reactions of patients to Internet-based health information, physicians in our study were unprepared to handle these patients. Conclusion Effective initiatives at the level of the health care system are needed. The potential of Internet-based health information to lead to better physician-patient communication and patient outcomes could be facilitated by promoting physician acknowledgment of increasing use of the Internet among patients and by developing patient management guidelines and incentives for physicians.


A new type of Acetobacter, provisionally named Acetobacter acidophilum, has been isolated in pure culture from an experimental vinegar generator originally inoculated with active industrial beechwood shavings. In contrast to other bacteria, this organism needs an acidic medium for growth and has a very specific oxidizing capacity. It does not grow above pH 4.3 and oxidizes only primary alcohols. Other substrates, including glucose and acetic acid, are not oxidized at a rate higher than 1 yo of the oxidation rate for ethanol. The new isolation procedure, which has been applied for the strain described in this paper, allows the isolation of the bacteria present on active shavings, suggesting that this type of bacteria belongs probably to the group of organisms responsible for the acetification in the 'quick vinegar process '.


This study was intended to assess the comparison on the color fastnessof cotton and silk fabrics dyed with turmericnatural colorant by usingthree mordants.Since textiles have no affinity towards turmeric, so mordantingtreatment of selectedfabric samples wascarried out at three conditions,with the alum, ferrous sulphate and alumferrous sulphatecombination.In this work, turmeric provided better color fastness yieldson silk comparing to cotton dyed fabric. Among three mordants, alum and alum-ferrous sulphatecombination rendered better color fastness properties on silk dyed fabric comparing to ferrous sulphate mordant itself.On the other hand, more color fastnesswas resulted from the ferrous sulphate and alum-ferrous sulphate combination in cotton dyed fabrics. Hence,this research work was imperative to select the suitable mordant to be used in the textile dyeing with turmeric natural colorant.


For cost and design simplicity, various optical network architectures have been proposed in which downstream traffic from the optical line terminal to the optical networking unit is transmitted by carriers in the 1550 nm window, and upstream traffic by those in the 1300 nm window. A new generation of multimode fiber (MMF) has been designed to accommodate this requirement and to address technical challenges associated with fiber coupling. By restricting the number of modes at both fiber input and output, using off-the-shelf single-mode transceivers, single-wavelength 40 Gbit/s data transmission over a 1 km broad wavelength window multimode fiber has been demonstrated with only a 1.5 dB power penalty. The capacity in this new class of MMF is expected to increase with conventional technologies in single-mode fiber such as wavelength-division multiplexing and polarization multiplexing.


I discuss in this article Judge Posner's decision in Kikalos v. United States, 400 F.3d 908 (7th Cir. 2005). I open with the following:I am a Judge Posner fan. My vantage point is tax procedure and tax crimes, areas in which I practice and teach as an adjunct at the University of Houston Law School. I require my students to read more Posner opinions than any other judge's opinions. Judge Posner is concise, erudite, pungent, and rigorously logical; and he avoids footnotes. His opinions are good for teaching and learning.In the article, I quibble, perhaps, on points of tax procedure, use of estimation methodologies by the taxpayer that are normally used by the Government, the presumption of correctness, and burdens of production and persuasion.


In the first part of this thesis we consider the performance of various block algorithms for the inversion of large sparse matrices. By computing the eigenvalue spectra of the matrices under consideration we are able to directly relate the performance of the algorithms to the difficulty of the calculation. We find that the block Lanczos algorithm is superior to all others considered for the inversion of the Kogut Susskind fermion matrix. Furthermore we investigate the performance of the block Lanczos algorithm on matrices constructed to have specific eigenvalue spectra. From this study we are able to make quantitative predictive statements about the number of iterations that the algorithm will take to converge given the form of the eigenvalue spectrum of the matrix whose inversion is attempted. The rest of this thesis is concerned with lattice Higgs systems. Specifically we study a model where staggered fermions are coupled to Ising spins via an on-site Yukawa term with coupling constant y. This is a very simple model that seems to embody most of the relevant phenomena observed in more complicated systems. Most importantly there are two symmetric regions PM1 and PM2 where the renormalised fermion mass my is non-zero for large y in the PM2 region despite the scalar field having zero expectation value. We study the model in the quenched approximation and by examining the distribution of the eigenvalues of the fermion matrix M in the complex plane we qualitatively explain the features of the model as being due to the transition of eigenvalues from the imaginary to the real axis via the origin as y is increased. An approximate method for calculating mf from the value of a fermion condensate is developed and we reproduce the values for mf obtained by other authors who calculate it using the standard method involving the fermion propagator. However, our method has the advantage that it is applicable on very small volumes where the propagator definition breaks down. We investigate the behaviour in the quenched infinite volume limit by evaluating the low lying eigenvalues of the matrix A+M. We show that the small eigenvalues observed in the spectrum of M at intermediate y on finite lattices imply that there is a finite density of zero modes in the infinite volume limit. By performing dynamical simulations on a small lattice we determine the phase diagram of the model and demonstrate the validity of mean field calculations of the phase boundaries. From calculations of mf we identify the PM1 and PM2 phases. It is shown that the inclusion of fermion dynamics eliminates the small eigenvalues of M present in the quenched model and as y is increased the eigenvalues now transfer from the real to imaginary axis via a path avoiding the origin. It is only by using the block Lanczos algorithm that simulations in certain regions of the phase plane are feasible, and only by our method of considering a fermion condensate can we calculate mf on such a small volume.


A first principle model of cement precalcination system is developed for the purpose of controller's design and synthesis. The dynamic model is based on the mass and energy balance principle and consists of a set of ordinary differential equations. Based on some logical assumptions, the model not only considers the reaction mechanisms but also reduces the complexity of precalciner system. The model is divided into a preheater submodel and a calciner submodel. Separate submodel for preheater and calciner are initially developed and coupled together to build an integrated model. The model takes the gas content into account and can obtain the values of all key output variables in precalcination process. A stationary solution for the model is found and dynamic simulations of step changes in the input variables are shown.


BACKGROUND
Military training represents a significant physical challenge. Low fitness levels are strongly associated with an increased risk of injury and training attrition. To increase pass rates for Royal Navy (RN) Phase I training, a pre-joining fitness test (PJFT) was introduced (2.4 km treadmill best effort run). The PJFT was designed to identify candidates with poor levels of aerobic fitness who may be prone to leave training prematurely.

AIM
To examine the impact of the PJFT on training length and outcomes.

METHODS
Time taken to run 2.4 km and training outcomes were measured before and after the introduction of the PJFT. Information was collected from RN Phase I training establishments and the network of careers offices between 2002 and 2005. Recruits were placed into quartile groups based on 2.4 km overground running performance. The no PJFT and PJFT groups and the 2.4-km run performance quartiles were compared for training outcomes and time spent in training.

RESULTS
Training measures were available for 4818 recruits who entered training before the PJFT's introduction (no PJFT) and 3305 after its introduction (PJFT). The pass rate increased from 78 to 88% following the introduction of the PJFT (P < 0.01). The number of recruits applying for voluntary release decreased from 15% (no PJFT group) to 6% (PJFT group) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The PJFT positively impacted on RN Phase 1 training pass rates. A greater number of recruits successfully completed training, fewer applied for voluntary release and the number and length of training extensions were reduced.


Addressing some of the most perilous, controversial issues in international law and governance, this volume brings together legal scholars from diverse geographic, personal and scholarly perspectives. They reflect on the pervasive feeling of crisis in the world today and share their views on the possibilities and limits of the international legal architecture and its expert communities in shaping the world of tomorrow. What exactly is this feeling that the contemporary international legal architecture is at a tipping point? What do these possible risks expose about the fragility and limits of our current conceptual and institutional order? What commitments drive our hopes and anxieties? Authors explore these questions across a wide range of possible tipping points and offer readers a unique snapshot of the lived experience of what it means to be an expert engaged right now in international law and governance. Each chapter covers both theory and practice in analysing a current problem.


This paper investigates the dynamic response of five instrumented structures in the greater Wellington region during the July/August 2013 Seddon/Lake Grassmere earthquakes. Six events ranging from Mw 5.6 6.6 were considered in the analysis of five different structures: GNS Science at Avalon, BNZ Centre Port, Majestic Centre, Victoria University Te Puni Village Tower, and Wellington Hospital. This preliminary investigation firstly involved determination of the fundamental period of each structure in the principal horizontal directions, and comparison with the simplified method proposed in NZS1170.5:2004. Secondly, the peak floor level acceleration distributions over the height of the structures were analysed and compared with the design provisions in NZS1170.5:2004 and ASCE/SEI7:2010., The results illustrate that the simplified equation for fundamental period in NZS1170.5:2004 often underestimated the fundamental period and could result with unconservative design forces when using forced based design, and that both NZS1170.5:2004 and ASCE/SEI7:2010 provisions for floor acceleration contain significant deficiencies due to the omission of the dependence of peak floor acceleration variation with height on vibration period.


Background There is evidence that the factors contributing to the prevalence and aetiology of hearing impairment vary widely from one country to another. In South Africa, as in other low-income and middle-income countries, more context-specific information on the estimated prevalence of hearing impairment and the factors that contribute to its onset is required. Aim The aim of this study was to provide decision-makers and hearing health professionals with local and accurate information on the prevalence of ear and hearing disorders in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipal (EMLM) area of the Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods The World Health Organization (WHO) protocol for population-based surveys of prevalence and causes of deafness, hearing impairment and other ear diseases was utilised. A random multi-stage cluster sampling strategy, two-stage sampling, was utilised to select the seven municipal wards and 357 households through the probability proportional to size method. A total of 850 participants were included in the study. Results The overall prevalence of hearing impairment was 19.88% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.15–0.2) and 8.94 (95% CI: 0.08–0.12) for disabling hearing impairment. The prevalence of ear disease was 13.19% (95% CI: 0.10–0.15), with impacted cerumen and otitis media reported most often. Associations with hearing impairment were established for age, gender and hypertension. Conclusion The study has shown a higher prevalence of disabling hearing impairment in the rural EMLM area of the Limpopo province compared to global prevalence rates. In addition, known factors associated with hearing impairment were confirmed.


An extensive body of studies exist on the origin, occurrence, classification, functions as well linguistics and morphological properties of slangs. The focus of this study however is to justify slanguage as a variety of register using Mattiello's (2008) sociological properties of slangs. This is premised on the fact that slangs can be categorized by its nature and function which can be either speaker or hearer-oriented depending on the activity engaged in. This study therefore reviewed undergraduates' slangs used to describe academic activities. That is, academic slang register, the motivations for its use and generate a corpus of academic slang register used by undergraduates.The study adopted a quantitative and descriptive research design using a self- designed online questionnaire titled Survey on Academic Slang Register Use by Undergraduates (SASRU) which sought information on the age, institution, slang use, list of academic slang register as well as motivation of use of slangs from 230 undergraduates. Respondents were drawn from 8 higher institutions comprising of 5 federal and 2 private universities, as well as 1 federal college of technology. The data was thereafter subjected to statistical and descriptive analysis. Findings reveal that slanguage is a regular occurrence among undergraduates while engaging in academic activity generating a corpus of academic slang register grouped under academic ability, study habit, study techniques, examination malpractice, absenteeism, enrolment status, moral conduct and other daily in and out of class activities. The motivation for academic slang register amongst undergraduates were found to be social media influence, to generate a sense of comradeship with fellow students and exclude non-students or lecturers. Slanguage is also found to be used in and attempt appeal to emotions, achieve brevity and as a result of youthful exuberance. It is recommended that further studies should document slanguage registers of other student activities ranging from friendship, romance and life style generating a corpus of slanguage registers for these activities.
An extensive body of studies exist on the origin, occurrence, classification, functions as well linguistics and morphological properties of slangs. The focus of this study however is to justify slanguage as a variety of register using Mattiello's (2008) sociological properties of slangs. This is premised on the fact that slangs can be categorized by its nature and function which can be either speaker or hearer-oriented depending on the activity engaged in. This study therefore reviewed undergraduates' slangs used to describe academic activities. That is, academic slang register, the motivations for its use and generate a corpus of academic slang register used by undergraduates.The study adopted a quantitative and descriptive research design using a self- designed online questionnaire titled Survey on Academic Slang Register Use by Undergraduates (SASRU) which sought information on the age, institution, slang use, list of academic slang register as well as motivation of use of slangs from 230 undergraduates. Respondents were drawn from 8 higher institutions comprising of 5 federal and 2 private universities, as well as 1 federal college of technology. The data was thereafter subjected to statistical and descriptive analysis. Findings reveal that slanguage is a regular occurrence among undergraduates while engaging in academic activity generating a corpus of academic slang register grouped under academic ability, study habit, study techniques, examination malpractice, absenteeism, enrolment status, moral conduct and other daily in and out of class activities. The motivation for academic slang register amongst undergraduates were found to be social media influence, to generate a sense of comradeship with fellow students and exclude non-students or lecturers. Slanguage is also found to be used in and attempt appeal to emotions, achieve brevity and as a result of youthful exuberance. It is recommended that further studies should document slanguage registers of other student activities ranging from friendship, romance and life style generating a corpus of slanguage registers for these activities.


Corallivorous Drupella (Muricidae) snails at Koh Tao are reported to have extended their range of prey species following a major coral bleaching event in 2010. Populations of their preferred Acropora prey had locally diminished in both size and abundance, and the snails had introduced free-living mushroom corals in their diet. Although the coral community largely recovered, the Drupella population grew and reached outbreak proportions. For this study, corallivorous muricids at Koh Tao were studied more intensively to examine their identities, distribution and prey choice four years after the bleaching event. Drupella rugosa was identified as the major outbreak species and occurred at densities > 3 m-2 in depth ranges of 2-5 and 5-8 m. The density of D. rugosa was related to the live coral cover, Acropora colony density, and depth. Resource selection ratios revealed that species of Acropora, Psammocora and Pavona corals were attacked more frequently than would be expected based on their availability. Strikingly, fungiid corals were now avoided as prey in the recovered coral community, despite them being part of the preferred diet directly after the bleaching. Although D. rugosa showed a clear prey preference, it appears to be plastic by changing with prey availability. The muricids Drupella margariticola and Morula spinosa occurred in much lower densities and were less often associated with corals. Snails of the opportunistic corallivore D. margariticola usually co-occurred in D. rugosa aggregations, although they also formed feeding aggregations by themselves. Whether M. spinosa generally associates with corals as a corallivore or a scavenger has yet to be determined. Molecular analyses did not reveal cryptic speciation among snails sampled from different coral hosts and also no geographic variation. The present study also showed that corallivory is more common among D. margariticola and M. spinosa than previously known.


: Four or more generations of three Oklahoma-Kansas families in which multiple members have been found to have glomerulonephritis or interstitial nephritis have been studied. Twenty-five of 146 members in kindred A, 16 of 50 members in kindred B, and 33 of 156 members in kindred C were identified as probably to definitely afflicted. Renal tissue from members of the first two families showed an acute or chronic glomerulonephritis. Renal failure often appeared by the third decade. The lesions were less frequent but more rapidly lethal in the male members. Renal tissue from members of the third kindred showed an interstitial nephritis. This appeared later in life and followed a more chronic course. Hearing loss was common in both groups. The hereditary studies are consistent with the hypothesis that the disease is transmitted by an autosomal dominant gene with imcomplete penetrance (not all members carrying the gene develop renal disease) and variable expressivity. Male-to-male transmission was present in all three families but less frequently than would be predicted, suggesting a reduced clinical expression of the disease in males who receive the mutant gene from their father.


Ship maneuvering in close-range maritime operations is challenging for pilots, since they have to not only prevent the ship from collisions and compensate environmental impacts, but also steer it close to the target towards a proper heading. This paper presents a path planner to assist the pilots to foresee the optimal trajectory in the scenario. The path planning is formatted as an optimizing problem to minimize the turning variation fluctuation and the fuel consumption of the ship through ocean current while satisfying the constraint of orientations at the start and the end positions. Taking advantages of Bézier curves' smoothness and adjustability, feasible trajectories are divided into two categories based on the location of the intersection between the start and end directions, and are designed as a set of parameterized Bézier curves. The variables in the Bézier curves become the state space. By searching the space using an evolutionary technique, the candidate of the Bézier curve that has the best turning and the minimized fuel consumption can be obtained. Through two case studies, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed planner is verified.


INTRODUCTION
The aim of this review is to discuss the consequences of potential pharmacokinetic interactions between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antiplatelet therapy on cardiovascular (CV) outcomes and provide guidance on the management of concomitant use of PPIs in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
DAPT combining aspirin and oral P2Y12 receptor inhibitors increases the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, with higher rates of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). PPIs are recommended in patients at risk of bleeding to reduce the risk of GI hemorrhage. PPIs can reduce the metabolism of clopidogrel by competing with CYP450 enzymes, mostly CYP2C19 isoform. The clinical significance of this pharmacological interaction is not uniform in observational studies. The only randomized clinical trial assessing the clinical relevance of clopidogrel-omeprazole interaction showed that the use of omeprazole was associated with a reduction in GI bleeding, without any differences in CV outcomes.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), but not of mortality in patients with concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel. Two meta-analysis studying the interactions between individual PPIs and clopidogrel failed to demonstrate any strong relationships with adverse CV outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS
PPIs should be administered in patients on DAPT at risk for GI bleeding. However the uncertain benefit of PPIs in patients who are not at risk of GI bleeding and the unclear risk in MACE suggest that caution should be used when prescribing PPIs in these patients.


The procedure of statistical data processing is considered. The data relate to parameters estimation of deterioration process of the radio equipment technical state in the respective systems of their operation. The analysis of proposed procedure by analytical calculations and mathematical simulation of estimation process is made.


The results presented in this discard atlas are based on landings and discards data from the official database of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) of the European Union. Quantities of landings are derived from the national fisheries statistics which are recorded according to the control regulation (Council Regulation 1224/2009). These include logbook or sales slip records of the volume of landing by species and size grade per management area. Under the European Data Collection Framework, detailed biological data of the biomass, length, age, and species compositions of discards from the most important commercial fisheries are collected via national observer- or self-sampling programmes.


The diet and feeding strategy of thornback ray Raja clavata, from the eastern-central Adriatic Sea, were investigated. Stomach contents of 428 specimens, total length (L(T)) of 14·0-75·1 cm, were collected from commercial bottom trawls. The prey items identified in the stomachs belong to eight major groups: Cephalopoda, Polychaeta, Stomatopoda, Decapoda (Natantia and Reptantia), Mysidacea, Isopoda, Amphipoda and Teleostei. Decapods were the most important prey (index of relative important, %I(RI) ,= 72·8) followed by teleosts (%I(RI) = 20·4), whereas other prey groups were only occasionally ingested. Small-sized individuals (<25 cm L(T)) fed primarily on small crustaceans (mysids and amphipods), whereas large-sized specimens consumed larger prey, such as decapods, cephalopods and teleosts. Diet composition showed little seasonal variation; decapods were the most important prey in all seasons. There was high dietary similarity between sampling locations. The percentage of empty stomachs did not differ significantly among size classes and seasons. In terms of composition by species, the diet of R. clavata was characterized by a variety of rare or unimportant prey. As a result, R. clavata could be considered a generalist predator.


This guide is intended to help you know more about Library and Internet resources in the area of Social Sciences. Use this guide as your starting point, come to the Library or Ask a Librarian for more resources and help.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and risk factors predictive of significant histopathologic findings among women with atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGCUS) on ThinPrep Papanicolaou smears.

METHODS
ThinPrep smears with AGCUS obtained between 1997 and 1999 were reviewed. Patients' charts were reviewed and patients' characteristics, follow-up information, and colposcopy and biopsy results were recorded. Pathologic slides were reviewed. The demographic features of women with favor reactive smears were compared with those with favor neoplasia and risk factors predictive of significant histopathologic findings (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, endometrial hyperplasia, and cervical or endometrial cancers) were calculated.

RESULTS
The rate of diagnosis of AGCUS was 0.65%. Eighty-four patients with follow-up information were identified. The demographic features of women with smears favor neoplasia (n = 43) were similar to those with smears favor reactive (n = 41). The rates of incidence of any dysplasia or cancer and significant histopathologic findings were 32.1 and 22.6%, respectively, and were higher among women with smears favor neoplasia than among women with smears favor reactive (41.9% versus 22.0%, P = 0.051, and 34.9% versus 9.8%, P = 0.006, respectively). The subtype of cytology was the only factor that predicted significant histopathologic findings (odds ratio = 5.0, 95% confidence interval 1.6, 15.6, P < 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS
In women with AGCUS on ThinPrep smears, significant histopathologic findings were found in 34.9% versus 9.8%, depending on the subtype of the smear (favor neoplasia vs reactive). Further studies are needed to validate the cytologic criteria for subtyping AGCUS smears and base management of women with AGCUS cytology on the subtype of the smear.


This illustrated work is intended to acquaint readers with the early maps produced in both Europe and the rest of the world, and to tell us something of their development, their makers and printers, their varieties and characteristics. The authors' chief concern is with the appearance of maps: they exclude any examination of their content, or of scientific methods of mapmaking. This book ends in the second half of the eighteenth century, when craftsmanship was superseded by specialized science and the machine. As a history of the evolution of the early map, it is a stunning work of art and science. This expanded second edition of Bagrow and Skelton's History of Cartography marks the reappearance of this seminal work after a hiatus of nearly a half century. As a reprint project undertaken many years after the book last appeared, finding suitable materials to work from proved to be no easy task. Because of the wealth of monochrome and color plates, the book could only be properly reproduced using the original materials. Ultimately the authors were able to obtain materials from the original printer Scotchprints or contact films made directly from original plates, thus allowing the work to preserve the beauty and clarity of the illustrations. Old maps, collated with other materials, help us to elucidate the course of human history. It was not until the eighteenth century, however, that maps were gradually stripped of their artistic decoration and transformed into plain, specialist sources of information based upon measurement. Maps are objects of historical, artistic, and cultural significance, and thus collecting them seems to need no justification, simply enjoyment.


For more than two decades the framework governing the statutory audit of companies within the European Union (EU) has been the subject of debate and reform. Significant progress has been made with the publication of the European Commission (EC) Green Paper (1996), and the subsequent EC Conference (1997) and EC Communication (1998). The objective of this paper is to provide a commentary on the recent reviews of the regulatory framework for statutory audit at EU level in the context of ongoing developments. The paper concludes that the regulatory framework for statutory audit in the EU is far from complete and much remains to be done. The way forward, at least in the short term, relies on the accountancy and auditing profession taking the lead in finding solutions. The different nature of accounting, financial and legal traditions within the EU, and the need to search for consensus, however, makes it difficult to predict when the EC will be in a position to complete an internal market for audit services within the EU. A significant factor worthy of further consideration is that developments at the international level are in danger of outpacing the EU's ability to respond. Because of the size, power and adaptability of US financial markets, it is possible that US Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (US GAAP) and US Generally Accepted Auditing Practices (US GAAS) may become the dc facto global standards for listed companies.


Larynx preservation in locally advanced laryngeal cancer is intended to obtain cancer control and, if possible, the preservation of laryngeal anatomy and functions (speech, swallowing and airway patency). Eligibility criteria for larynx preservation strategies are medical and surgical. Medical factors include age, performance status, nutrition status and visceral functions. Surgical factors are local factors on which depends tumor resectability and post-treatment larynx functionality. Larynx preservation strategies include radiotherapy as local treatment associated with concomitant or sequential chemotherapy. Concomitant cisplatin-fluorouracil (CDDP-FU or PF) chemoradiation and docetaxel-cisplatin-fluorouracil (TPF) induction chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy increased larynx preservation and are evidence-based validated options. After TFP (docetaxel-CDDP-FU) induction chemotherapy, cetuximab-based immunotherapy with concomitant irradiation showed no superiority to concurrent cisplatin-based chemo-radiotherapy and, consequently, this combination should not be used, except for unfit patients to platinum-based regimen.


PURPOSE
Recent rapid development of non-coplanar planning such as 4pi radiotherapy on robotic radiotherapy platform has shown marked improvements in the plan quality comparing against current coplanar plans. The efficacy of 4pi radiotherapy to significantly reduce radiation dose to normal tissue intrigues an evaluation from the proton therapy perspective.

METHODS
A post-surgical head-and-neck patient with a tumor involving posterior right maxillary sinus was studied. A single-level 60 Gy was prescribed to the PTV. Four treatment plans were developed including volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT, clinically used) using 2 partial arcs, two 4pi non-coplanar plans using 30 1 MV and 6 MV beams, respectively, and a scanning 3-field proton plan. The 4pi plans were generated using the convolution/superposition method and an in-house optimization program. Both VMAT and the proton plans were generated on Eclipse (Varian).

RESULTS
All photon plans achieved 95% coverage of the PTV and less than 10% hot spots in the PTV. The proton plan showed greater dose heterogeneity in the PTV and greater high dose spillage to the surrounding normal tissue. The comparison of the maximum doses between VMAT, 6 MV 4pi and proton plans shows that for the left cochlea, it was reduced from 15.6 to 4.6 and 0 Gy; the chiasm, it was from 31 to 10.6 and 7.2 Gy; for the left lens, it was reduced from 6.2 to 1 and 1 Gy; for the left optical nerve, it was reduced from 31.5 to 16.4 and 10.9 Gy; for the brain stem, it was reduced from 28.6 to 14.5 and 14.2 Gy.

CONCLUSION
The 4pi plan capacity to spare normal organs was benchmarked against the proton plan in a head-and-neck plan. 4pi plan showed remarkable potentials in approaching the proton therapy level of critical organ sparing while maintaining superior PTV coverage.


The annals of Joseon Dynasty is one of UNESCO''s Memory of the World Register. For the safety preservation of the waxed annals of Joseon Dynasty, the acidic and alkaline aging mechanism of beeswax and beeswaxed Hanji has been investigated. The weight loss of beeswaxed Hanji by the acidic aging was higher than those of alkaline beeswax. The acid value and relative intensity of carbonyl groups in beeswax were slowly increased with aging time. The strength of dewaxed Hanji was decreased with aging time. The significant changes of crystallinity of dewaxed Hanji by acidic and alkaline aging were not observed.


This paper proposes a color feature description for image and video retrieving applications such as personal video recorder, which manages a large amount of data. This descriptor specifies the spatial distribution of colors with a few nonlinear quantized DCT coefficients of grid based average colors. The tradeoff between the number of the coefficients enclosed in the descriptor and retrieval cost is studied. The experimental results show that the descriptor enclosing six for luminance and three for each chrominance coefficient achieves the best trade-off between the storage cost and retrieval efficiency. It requires 6 bits for DC and 5 bits for AC coefficients, and therefore total storage cost is just 63 bits per image. This description, named color layout descriptor, has been accepted as a part of the MPEG-7 final committee draft.


Abstract In 2007/2008, the new Labour Contract Law was enacted in China. This law has substantially changed the conditions under which workers and employers can enter into contracts and has had important effects on the ability of workers to shape their conditions of work. This paper outlines the conditions and terms of the 1995 Labour Law and how the new law changes these. It details the legal requirements of the new law and then assesses the consequences of these changes for global buyers sourcing from China and for workers and enterprises in China. In particular, it assesses the differential impacts of the new law on permanent and temporary workers in state-owned and private enterprises, and between private- and public-sector employees.


Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is an important disease of cattle. Many strategies employed for its eradication and control have had shortcomings. This study was conducted to determine the effects of long acting Oxytetracycline on its course. The study involved 30 indigenous zebu cattle sourced from an area free of the disease, infected by contact transmission and randomly allocated to Oxytetracycline or saline treatment groups. Clinical observations were recorded on the two groups concurrently. Cattle were tested for the disease using complement fixation test. The mean clinical scores of the groups for each observation was compared post treatment on GENSTAT using unpaired t-test for single sample in groups. Full post-mortem was conducted on the cattle and samples collected for Mmm SC isolation. The clinical scores were worse in the control treatment group; there was no fever in the Oxytetracycline-treated group post treatment. Lesions were observed in 93% of the control and 27% of the Oxytetracycline-treated group. In this study, as in others, Oxytetracycline was shown to lower the severity of the clinical signs of the disease. This is important at slaughter houses meat inspection where decision on whether to pass or condemn the animal is based on the clinical signs and post-mortem findings.
Keywords:  Contagious bovine Pleuropneumonia, Oxytetracycline, Bovine respiratory distress, Trans- boundary diseases


David Marchant, a Boston University (BU) geologist who faces termination after an investigation concluded that he sexually harassed a graduate student during fieldwork in Antarctica nearly 2 decades ago, appealed that finding this week. The appeal argues primarily that BU's 13-month probe produced insufficient evidence to support its findings, according to Jeffrey Sankey, Marchant's lawyer. The appeals process may take weeks, during which time Marchant will remain off campus on paid administrative leave. On 17 November, BU announced that by a preponderance of evidence Marchant sexually harassed then–graduate student Jane Willenbring by aiming repeated sexist slurs such as "slut" and "whore" at her, creating a hostile learning environment during the 1999–2000 field season in Antarctica. The BU investigators concluded that the account of Marchant's verbal abuse offered by Willenbring, now a geologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California, was credible because several women reported similar sex-based slurs from Marchant in the field around this time. BU Provost Jean Morrison announced that Marchant's violation of the university's sexual misconduct policy is serious enough to warrant his termination if his appeal fails.


Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare anatomical and visual outcomes after using silicone oil (SO) or C3F8 gas as tamponades after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for retinal detachment (RD) associated with giant retinal tears (GRTs). Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted for cases that underwent PPV for GRT-associated RD. We excluded eyes that had prior vitreoretinal surgery, a history of ocular trauma or worse than grade B proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Baseline demographic and ocular characteristics, surgical details and postoperative anatomical and visual outcomes were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results We included 88 eyes; 48 eyes had C3F8 gas and 40 eyes had SO as a tamponading agent. Mean age was 39 years. All eyes underwent 23G PPV with no adjuvant scleral buckling and phacovitrectomy was performed for all phakic eyes. Final retinal reattachment was achieved in 86 eyes (97.7%). One eye from each group had recurrent RD. Postoperative vision was significantly better in the gas group (p= 0.008). Prolonged increase of IOP developed in 6 eyes in the SO group and 5 eyes in the gas group. Prolonged uveitis developed in 4 eyes in the gas group and 6 eyes in the oil group (P= 0.04). Epiretinal membranes (ERM) developed in 10 eyes in the gas group and 9 eyes in the oil group. We found no significant difference between both groups regarding postoperative glaucoma or ERM formation. Conclusion Both agents achieved similar favorable anatomical outcomes in a series of eyes with fresh GRT-associated RD and low-grade PVR, with better visual outcome and less frequent uveitis associated with the use of gas tamponade.


—In order to achieve automatic prediction and warning of hazardous crowd behaviors, a Spatio-Temporal Volume (STV) analysis method is proposed in this research to detect crowd abnormality recorded in CCTV streams. The method starts from building STV models using video data. STV slices – called Spatio-Temporal Textures (STT) - can then be analyzed to detect crowded regions. After calculating the Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) among those regions, abnormal crowd behavior can be identified, including panic behaviors and other behavioral patterns. In this research, the proposed STT signatures have been defined and experimented on benchmarking video databases. The proposed algorithm has shown a promising accuracy and efficiency for detecting crowd-based abnormal behaviors. It has been proved that the STT signatures are suitable descriptors for detecting certain crowd events, which provide an encouraging direction for real-time surveillance and video retrieval applications.


Zootherapy (the use of the therapeutic potential of animals) is at least 6,000 years old, and has been kept active throughout generations until modern days. Animal fat is commonly used in the zootherapeutic folk medicine from South America, specially the green anaconda's fat, which is widely promoted as a natural medicine to treat wounds, even though there is no scientific evidence showing its efficacy. In this study we compared the total healing time and the proportional daily reduction of dorsal epithelial incisions in adult male Wistar rats treated with nitrofural (a commercial cicatrizing ointment) and with anaconda fat. We applied the treatments every two days and measured the incision diameter daily, during ten consecutive days. Differences among the groups in the total healing time and in the proportional daily reduction of the incision consistently showed that the fat-based treatment resulted in a faster healing process compared to the commercial ointment tested. The literature suggests that the efficacy of animal fat on healing may be primarily related to the presence of fatty acids, which have been widely demonstrated to be important for biochemical reactions involved in healing processes. Our findings are widely socially relevant, considering that traditional Amazonian communities that use anaconda fat in folk medicine do not have easy access to pharmacies and hospitals.


We present an endogenous growth model where innovations are factor saving. Technologies can be changed paying a cost and technological change takes place only if the benefits are larger than the costs. Since the gains derived from factor saving innovations depend on factor abundance, biased innovations respond to changes in factors supply. Therefore, as an economy becomes more capital abundant agents try to use capital more intensively. Consequently, (a) the elasticity of output with respect to reproducible factors depends on the capital abundance of the economy and (b) the income share of reproducible factors increases as the economy grows. Another insight of the model is that in some economies the production function converges to an AK in the long run, while in others long-run growth is zero


This paper presents an agent-based, object-oriented ecological model of forest dynamics designed to examine the role of disturbance on diversity. Arborscapes is based on Swarm, an agent-based software platform that offers advantages for ecological modeling, including a suite of standardized libraries of objects, schedules, and probes, and architectural features such as inheritance, message passing, encapsulation, and hierarchical structure. Object-oriented models are more transparent, portable and more easily modified than process oriented models, and therefore promise to facilitate collaboration on computational experiments. The initial application of Arborscapes was the analysis of disturbance dynamics, but the model was designed to be modified for a variety of applications in the simulation of vegetation community dynamics.


This paper argues that the future of learning, and the facilitation of quality teaching within that future, face significant challenge within the current Australian higher education context. A Community of Practice (CoP) approach to meeting the individual, institutional and societal demands on university teaching and learning provides the opportunity to meet these challenges, while supporting teachers and recognising their existing knowledge and expertise in designing the future of learning. CoPs provide a context for sustained professional conversations around identified domain and practice issues. They provide valuable professional support for academics who are increasingly overwhelmed by continuous change, excessive workloads and research output demands. The practice of CoPs generates a range of artefacts that embody jointly constructed knowledge objects, which can then be integrated into the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS). Ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of a CoP within higher education requires the recognition and alleviation of academic time poverty, the provision of appropriate institutional and financial support, and the ability to provide valuable and measurable outcomes from the community.


In this paper, a number of supported metal oxides and perovskite type catalysts were investigated for the NOx reduction from the diesel engine exhaust gas. All catalysts were made into pellets type with diameter of 3-4 mm alumina(Al_2O_3) as a supporter. These samples were tested by real diesel exhaust gas which contains CO, hydrocarbons and soot in the temperature range of 150~550°C with the 3300h^-^1 space velocity (SV). Among the results, several promising catalysts showed NOx conversion above 50% in the temperature range of 150-350℃, From these results supported metal oxides catalysts and perovskite type could be recommended for the practical application to the automobile exhaust treatments.


Stochastic parameterizations account for uncertainty in the representation of unresolved subgrid processes by sampling from the distribution of possible subgrid forcings. Some existing stochastic parameterizations utilize data‐driven approaches to characterize uncertainty, but these approaches require significant structural assumptions that can limit their scalability. Machine learning models, including neural networks, are able to represent a wide range of distributions and build optimized mappings between a large number of inputs and subgrid forcings. Recent research on machine learning parameterizations has focused only on deterministic parameterizations. In this study, we develop a stochastic parameterization using the generative adversarial network (GAN) machine learning framework. The GAN stochastic parameterization is trained and evaluated on output from the Lorenz '96 model, which is a common baseline model for evaluating both parameterization and data assimilation techniques. We evaluate different ways of characterizing the input noise for the model and perform model runs with the GAN parameterization at weather and climate time scales. Some of the GAN configurations perform better than a baseline bespoke parameterization at both time scales, and the networks closely reproduce the spatiotemporal correlations and regimes of the Lorenz '96 system. We also find that, in general, those models which produce skillful forecasts are also associated with the best climate simulations.


: Video documentaries are fact based films designed to be educational, informational and instructional with the use of audio-visual inputs. Video documentary has the advantage of sound and sight that can catch, retain and sustain attention for a long period of time. Since number of extension personnel in rural areas is getting reduced in recent years, these documentary films are used as effective extension tool for communicating to farmers. A study undertaken to know the Effectiveness of documentary films in communicating technologies to dairy farmers in Karnataka revealed that more information was gained through documentary film when compared to other sources of information and it was found to be effective mode of technology transfer. In recent years, since mobile penetration has increased in rural areas, accessing to social media has become most convenient communication method. You tube which is most preferred channel in Social media for videos has become much popular and effective source for the farmers. Video documentary films transmitted through social media, the most popular ICT tool for agriculture extension has great potential to be used for knowledge sharing and social networking among farmers. There is wide scope for developing short videos using modern gadgets and editing tools.


Existing conversational datasets consist either of written proxies for dialog or small-scale transcriptions of natural speech. We introduce 'Interview': a large-scale (105K conversations) media dialog dataset collected from news interview transcripts. Compared to existing large-scale proxies for conversational data, language models trained on our dataset exhibit better zero-shot out-of-domain performance on existing spoken dialog datasets, demonstrating its usefulness in modeling real-world conversations. 'Interview' contains speaker role annotations for each turn, facilitating the development of engaging, responsive dialog systems. In fact, experiments on two dialog tasks show that leveraging such labels improves performance over strong speaker-agnostic baselines, and enabling models to generate more specific and inquisitive responses in interview-style conversations.


A chemical engineer's perspective on the science of enlightenment is presented. Rational but open-minded scientists have been relentlessly pursuing evidence which would support the wisdom of our enlightened ancestors. Western scientists have done an awful lot of wonderful work in recent decades that is chipping away at the mystery surrounding the phenomenon of enlightenment. The resulting ideas and concepts cut across all boundaries of religion, race, caste, cultures and nationality. The framework is made possible by ancient Eastern wisdom and the work of Western scientists. The concepts are not only for individual transformation but also for world transformation and as a subset, national transformation. While there appears to be a theoretical limit on national or world transformation and therefore the extent to which global peace can be achieved, the framework in this paper is capable of making a real difference for humanity.


We study point process convergence for sequences of i.i.d. random walks. The objective is to derive asymptotic theory for the extremes of these random walks. We show convergence of the maximum random walk to the Gumbel distribution under the existence of a ( 2 + δ) th moment. We make heavy use of precise large deviation results for sums of i.i.d. random variables. As a consequence, we derive the joint convergence of the off-diagonal entries in sample covariance and correlation matrices of a high-dimensional sample whose dimension increases with the sample size. This generalizes known results on the asymptotic Gumbel property of the largest entry.


: The main purpose of the study is to highlight the close ties between tourism and sports, as reflected in the case study chosen. The Ugolino Golf Club is visited by an average 10,000 foreign tourists a year; the features that make it stand out from other clubs are the high-difficulty courses and its proximity to the Renaissance city of Florence; numerous foreign tourists have listed the desire to visit Florence cultural monuments as a secondary reason. The club's unique features include it in the world's top 50. Since the time of its creation, 120 years ago, the Ugolino Club ensures a tourist stay that involves the harmonious blending of golf with relaxation and experience, offering tourists an opportunity to sample Tuscan cuisine and the famous Chianti wines. A form was used in analyzing the reasons expressed by tourists who come to golf on the club premises. The data obtained were processed using a factorial analysis, grouping the reasons according to the categories of main determining factors.


A classification of the disturbances of consciousness is given, and the possible causes are listed. The criteria used in Switzerland for the diagnosis of brain death are presented in detail.


Abstract Construction of the Rangelands of the Western U.S. web site provides a dynamic model for information outreach. Central to its success is the collaboration between librarians, other information professionals, and rangeland experts committed to working together for a common goal: a selective, centralized, web-based resource designed to help meet the information needs of rangeland scientists, range professionals, students, faculty, ranchers, environmentalists, librarians, and other stakeholders. Begun over eight years ago by a University of Arizona AgNIC Project team, the effort is extending to include participation of range and information professionals from the other Western states. In addition to linking to existing digital content, the project seeks to create or support the creation of critical electronic information resources through an integrated user interface.


Every day nurses are required to make ethical decisions in the course of caring for their patients. Ethics in Nursing Practice provides the background necessary to understand ethical decision making and its implications for patient care. The authors focus on the individual nurse's responsibilities, as well as considering the wider issues affecting patients, colleagues and society as a whole. This third edition is fully updated, and takes into account recent changes in ICN position statements, WHO documents, as well as addressing current issues in healthcare, such as providing for the health and care needs of refugees and asylum seekers, bioethics and the enforcement of nursing codes.


Abstract Several sulfonylurea herbicides are labeled for use on established bermudagrass or seashore paspalum, but label recommendations for many of these chemicals vary for sprigged turf. The objective of this study was to determine the safety of various sulfonylurea herbicides on newly planted, 'Tifway' bermudagrass and 'Aloha' seashore paspalum sprigs in Arkansas and Louisiana. Treatments were arranged as a five by two by two factorial with five herbicides (foramsulfuron at 29 and 59 g ai ha−1, halosulfuron at 35 and 70 g ai ha−1, metsulfuron at 21 and 42 g ai ha−1, sulfosulfuron at 66 and 131 g ai ha−1, and trifloxysulfuron at 28 and 56 g ai ha−1), two herbicide rates (low and high), and two application timings at 2 or 4 wk after sprigging (WAS). There was no discernable herbicide injury to, or reduction in, Tifway bermudagrass coverage in Arkansas, regardless of herbicide, application timing, or application rate. Trifloxysulfuron and metsulfuron were more injurious than other herbicides in Louisiana when applied at 2 WAS to Tifway bermudagrass, but injury levels were acceptable (< 15%), and there was no long-term reduction in establishment. Metsulfuron or halosulfuron applied at 2 or 4 WAS and sulfosulfuron applied at 4 WAS allowed > 90% establishment of Aloha seashore paspalum at both locations. Both trifloxysulfuron and foramsulfuron were injurious to seashore paspalum and reduced its establishment. These results suggest that sulfonylurea herbicides can be safely applied shortly after sprigging to Tifway bermudagrass and that metsulfuron, halosulfuron, and sulfosulfuron could be useful herbicides for establishing Aloha seashore paspalum from sprigs. Nomenclature: Foramsulfuron; halosulfuron; metsulfuron; sulfosulfuron; trifloxysulfuron; hybrid bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy 'Tifway' CYNDA; seashore paspalum, Paspalum vaginatum Sw. 'Aloha' PASVA.


In this study the thermoacoustic behavior of non-premixed kerosene flames from rich to lean combustion conditions is investigated. Flame-transfer-functions measured purely acoustically are compared with results based on flame chemiluminescence. OH*, CH*, C2* and CO2* were selected as potential measures for representing steady and fluctuating heat release when burning non-premixed kerosene. In addition, their ability for the quantification of equivalence ratio fluctuations will be highlighted. The measurements were performed in the primary zone of an atmospheric rich-quench-lean (RQL) combustion test-rig. The new experimental approach allows a characterization of the primary zone independent of the secondary zone. Rich and lean operating points were analyzed by fueling an aero-engine prototype injector with and without acoustic excitation. To improve the quality of the acoustic wavefield reconstruction a thermocouple correction method was implemented. The flame dynamics determined with the multimicrophone method exhibit a frequency and equivalence ratio depending effect for rich combustion conditions. The results for the steady behavior of the chosen radicals by altering equivalence ratio and thermal power indicate proportionality of the chemiluminescence to thermal power. Furthermore, the CH*/C2* ratio is found to be a promising indicator for the global equivalence ratio in the combustion chamber. The flame-transfer-functions based on chemiluminescence show a good qualitative agreement with the multimicrophone method. Based on the experimental findings a calibration curve for the different radicals to obtain quantitatively correct flame-transfer-functions from chemiluminescence is presented.


Most scholars agree that thinking about communication and development as a distinct discipline emerged after World War II, and they usually point out two paradigms: `modernization' versus `dependency'. In this article a new perspective is perceived in terms of a new paradigm, defined as `multiplicity in one world'. It is argued that these three paradigms imply quite divergent communication policy consequences.


A fundamental tenet of the American justice system is that an impartial jury is an essential component of a fair trial. In addition to a litigant's right to have his or her case decided by jurors free of bias or prejudice, individual citizens enjoy a separate right to be considered for jury service without the taint of improper discrimination. Scholars have called for the elimination of peremptory challenges in jury selection, arguing they lack utility and are exercised in an unconstitutionally discriminatory manner.No one, however, has proposed that prosecutors should voluntarily waive peremptory challenges even if the general practice is retained. A prosecutor's ethical duty goes beyond advocacy; unlike other lawyers, the prosecutor is uniquely duty-bound to "seek justice." Prosecutors' use of peremptory challenges is an exercise of discretion to be evaluated against this distinct ethical standard. A prosecutor cannot deny that peremptory challenges may be exercised in violation of the Equal Protection Clause at least some of the time by some of the lawyers in her office. In addition, prosecutors cannot always elicit adequate information about prospective jurors to form rationally-based reasons for excusing jurors peremptorily, which raises a separate concern about a prosecutor's exercise of peremptory challenges as an irrational, arbitrary, and capricious governmental act.Peremptory challenges are not themselves constitutionally guaranteed; rather, they are a prophylactic safeguard of the constitutional right to an impartial jury, subject to cost-benefit scrutiny. On the one hand, to what extent does the practice risk unconstitutional discrimination, damaging both the actual and perceived fairness and reliability of the prosecution process? On the other hand, to what extent does the practice actually increase the likelihood of a just conviction? In balancing the two, is the benefit of one outweighed by the detriment to the other?In this Article, I review the efficacy of peremptory challenges and conclude that both empirical and anecdotal evidence confirm such challenges are of little utility. I contend that the marginal benefit of peremptory challenges to a criminal prosecutor is outweighed by the damage done to both the actual and perceived fairness of the system, and that imbalance should persuade prosecutors to consider a wholesale voluntary waiver of peremptory challenges.


With the introduction of multiple transmit and receive antennas in next generation wireless systems, real-time image and video communication are expected to become quite common, since very high data rates will become available along with improved data reliability. New joint transmission and coding schemes that explore advantages of multiple antenna systems matched with source statistics are expected to be developed. Based on this idea, we present an unequal power allocation scheme for transmission of JPEG compressed images over multiple-input multiple-output systems employing spatial multiplexing. The JPEG-compressed image is divided into different quality layers, and different layers are transmitted simultaneously from different transmit antennas using unequal transmit power, with a constraint on the total transmit power during any symbol period. Results show that our unequal power allocation scheme provides significant image quality improvement as compared to different equal power allocations schemes, with the peak-signal-to-noise-ratio gain as high as 14 dB at low signal-to-noise-ratios.


Abstract Remains of Halisaurus sternbergi (Wiman, 1920) from the latest Early Campanian (sensu germanico) of the Kristianstad Basin, southern Sweden, represent the first record of this species outside of the USA. The material comprises numerous marginal tooth-crowns, a premaxilla, an incomplete pterygoid, and vertebrae. The Kristianstad Basin population of H. sternbergi was probably derived from individuals that migrated from the Mississippi Embayment in North America sometime during the Early Campanian. Even though H. sternbergi thrived in great numbers in the coastal waters of the southern part of the Baltic Shield during the latest Early Campanian, the population appears to have been short-lived. Available data indicate that H. sternbergi, along with several other species of mosasaurs, vanished from the region following an intercontinental mosasaur extinction event, or a series of events, near the Early/Late Campanian boundary.


Currently, elderly care facilities that do not offer long-term care are not required to employ pharmacists, and duties such as the dispensing and distribution of medicines are entrusted to external pharmacies. Pharmacists seldom spend sufficient time at the facilities for elderly people requiring special care. Thus, in many cases, the pharmacists have insufficient knowledge of the residents' medication status, leading to their inability in determining whether the residents are receiving a suitable drug therapy. We previously documented various problems in the practices adopted by nursing staff (with negligible intervention by pharmacists) for assisting residents in taking their medications. In the present pilot study, we attempted to eliminate the use of potentially inappropriate medications by stationing a pharmacist at a nursing home for 24 h every week (three days per week). We proactively collected information from nurses and other nursing staff and observed the residents' actual living conditions and medication use. As a result of this intervention, 56 prescriptions were changed. However, only two of these were changed exclusively based on the prescription information. Most prescriptions were able to change based on the information obtained by the pharmacist present at the facility. Therefore, pharmacists' presence at the facility (at least for a few hours) is necessary, as they can actively intervene and collaborate with other staff to prevent the use of potentially inappropriate medications.


Background: The radiation effective dose received by the radiologists during procedures such as fluoroscopy or different angiographies are usually evaluated using TL dosimeter. This method is a time-consuming procedure; therefore, radiologists are usually worried and unaware of their exact radiation dose received during each fluoroscopy or angiography. In this study, a new trend for quick estimation of effective dose based on measuring air-absorbed dose of the scattered radiations at body surface of the radiologists has been introduced. Materials and Methods: Scattered radiations of abdominal viscera were simulated by a fluoroscopy unit (Shimatsu, model SF5010MD), and a water phantom (spherical plastic bag 27 cm in diameter filled with water up to 22.5 cm height). Radiation field was 20 × 20 cm on the bed and X-ray tube had 1.5 and 2 mm of Aluminum as an internal and external filtration respectively. A calibrated survey meter model RDS-110 was used to measure the scattered radiation horizontally and vertically around the phantom at different angles and distances, in front and behind of an apron. Results: The scattered dose rate at 1 m from the phantom, during fluoroscopy at 83 kVp and 1.7 mA, was 451 µGy/h. This value reduced to 4.45 µGy/h by passing through lead ribbons of serigraph and to 1.2 µSv/h behind an apron. The scattered dose rate at different angles above the bed was constant and varied by distance from the center of the radiation field. The effective dose received by the radiologist is estimated to be about 174µGy/h, while wearing an apron and staying 50 cm away from the patient during fluoroscopy or angiography of abdominal viscera. Conclusion: The radiologist can estimate his/her effective dose following a fluoroscopy or different angiographies of abdominal viscera, by determining scatter radiation dose at their body surface and applying factor 0.87 for shielding effect of the body. Equivalent organ dose can also be calculated from dose rate in air after applying factor 0.87 for deep organs or 1.1 (the mass energy absorption coefficient ratio of water/tissue to air) for organs near the surface. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2005; 2 (4): 185-190


Objective To assess the performance of three different statistical models in predicting successful VBAC. The statistically most reliable model was subsequently subjected to validation testing in a local antenatal population and a cost saving analysis was performed. Materials and methods The study population included all women who had attempted trial of labour after previous Caesarean Section (TOLAC) within a regional UK obstetric unit, between April 2010 and April 2012. A retrospective observational study was performed with study data collected from the Northern Ireland Maternity Service Database (NIMATs) and subjects' personal medical chart. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft EXCELTM 2007 (v.12)and IBM SPSS statisticsTM v. 20.0 (2011). Results Our study included 385 TOLAC subjects. Of the three predictor models evaluated, area under the curve (AUC) calculations determined the Grobman model, was statistically the most reliable (AUC = 0.724 p < 0.05). The correlation between observed and predicted outcome in our study cohort using the Grobman model was high (R2 = 0.88), validating the model within our population. Had this model been utilised ante-natally, it may have led to a 3.4% reduction in costs over two years had women with a 72% predicted probability of successful VBAC been selected. Conclusion The Grobman model could potentially be utilised within the UK antenatal population to give women and clinicians an informed choice when deciding on mode of delivery after 1 previous CS. This could lead to potential cost savings.


Explores the effectiveness of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in assisting small businesses in debt collection. Highlights the concern of small businesses that taking action under the Act will prejudice commercial relations. Identifies other possible strategies including: (1) "naming and shaming"; (2) factoring; (3) discounts for prompt payment; (4) preventing dependency on one large debtor; (5) researching creditworthiness of debtors; (6) seeking the opinion of a credit insurer; and (7) a cultural change in large companies. Considers the potential for Government action.


The long term marrow-repopulating ability of mouse bone marrow c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) cells was studied. Injection of as few as 100 c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) cells could rescue a lethally irradiated recipient mouse and reconstitute both myeloid and lymphoid cells in their peripheral blood for at least 10 mo. When limiting dilution analysis was performed in the presence of host-derived rescue cells, as low as five c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) cells were shown to be capable of repopulating lymphohemopoietic cells. Subsequently, we examined whether c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) cells had a capacity for self-renewal in vivo. After transplantation of 500 c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) Ly-5.1+ cells into lethally irradiated Ly-5 congenic mice, the expansion of cells with the same phenotypes as the injected cells was monitored. By day 28 post-transplantation, more than 50,000 donor type c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) Ly-5.1+ cells were found in the spleen and over 18,000 cells were found in bone marrow. The expansion in spleen, however, was transient in that by day 60 cells of the donor phenotype were found only in bone marrow. The c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) LY-5.1+ cells expanded in spleen or bone marrow contained as many high proliferative potential colony-forming cells as the originally injected cells. They also contained cells with LTRA, but the frequency appeared to be less compared with naive c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) cells. These data provide evidence that c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin(low/-) cells in bone marrow are capable of multilineage differentiation as well as self-renewal and that spleen is a primary site of stem cell expansion after transplantation.


Previous research has shown that visually responsive neurons in the frontal eye field of macaque monkeys select the target for a saccade during efficient, pop-out visual search through suppression of the representation of the nontarget distractors. For a fraction of these neurons, the magnitude of this distractor suppression varied with the proximity of the target to the receptive field, exhibiting more suppression of the distractor representation when the target was nearby than when the target was distant. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the variation of distractor suppression related to target proximity varied with target-distractor feature similarity. The effect of target proximity on distractor suppression did not vary with target-distractor similarity and therefore may be an endogenous property of the selection process.


Global economic growth has made great achievements, but with it the shortage of natural resources and increasing environmental pollution. To overcome these problems, countries in the world, including Vietnam, are moving towards a circular economic development in order to solve the challenge between economic growth and environmental protection. The circular economy is an economic model in which all activities from design, production to service delivery move towards reusing matter and eliminating negative environmental impacts. Vietnam is one of the countries with many efforts and achievements in the process of sustainable development. However, Vietnam is also facing an increasing amount of generated waste while the source of raw materials, fossil fuels is increasingly exhausted. In addition, most Vietnamese enterprises have outdated and outdated technology, small production scale and lack of resources to invest in recycling technology. Therefore, the selection of a circular economy is an indispensable requirement to overcome the limitations of the traditional growth model, associated with rapid, sustainable development, energy saving and environmental protection. However, the circular economy also requires strict conditions in terms of institutions and resources. Therefore, the study of the experiences of the previous countries, points out the difficulties and advantages, thereby shines into Vietnam, determines the conditions for the transition to a circular economy.


X-ray diffraction and Raman-scattering measurements on cerium vanadate have been performed up to 12 and 16 GPa, respectively. Experiments reveal at 5.3 GPa the onset of a pressure-induced irreversible phase transition from the zircon to the monazite structure. Beyond this pressure, diffraction peaks and Raman-active modes of the monazite phase are measured. The zircon-to-monazite transition in CeVO4 is distinctive among the other rare-earth orthovanadates. We also observed softening of external translational T(Eg )a nd internalν2(B2g) bending modes. We attribute it to mechanical instabilities of zircon phase against the pressure-induced distortion. We additionally report lattice-dynamical and total-energy calculations which are in agreement with the experimental results. Finally, the effect of nonhydrostatic stresses on the structural sequence is studied and the equations of state of different phases are reported.


Given a social graph, the problem of influence maximization is to determine a set of nodes that maximizes the spread of influences. While some recent research has studied the problem of influence maximization, these works are generally too time consuming for practical use in a large-scale social network. In this article, we develop a new framework, community-based influence maximization (CIM), to tackle the influence maximization problem with an emphasis on the time efficiency issue. Our proposed framework, CIM, comprises three phases: (i) community detection, (ii) candidate generation, and (iii) seed selection. Specifically, phase (i) discovers the community structure of the network; phase (ii) uses the information of communities to narrow down the possible seed candidates; and phase (iii) finalizes the seed nodes from the candidate set. By exploiting the properties of the community structures, we are able to avoid overlapped information and thus efficiently select the number of seeds to maximize information spreads. The experimental results on both synthetic and real datasets show that the proposed CIM algorithm significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of efficiency and scalability, with almost no compromise of effectiveness.


A significant percentage of patients do not return to work after myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass surgery for nonmedical reasons. These reasons include unwarranted medical restrictions, patient anxiety concerning ability to meet job demands, apprehensive family members, and fearful employers. A case study is presented to illustrate how occupational therapists can enhance a patient's work potential by using skills in activity analysis to develop simulated work evaluations. Satisfactory performance on a test that closely simulates work demands can help the physician, patient, family, and employer gain confidence in the patient's ability to return to work.


Background: Blast exposure is a potential hazard in modern military operations and training, especially for some military occupations. Helmets, peripheral armor, hearing protection, and eye protection worn by military personnel provide some acute protection from blast effects but may not fully protect personnel against cumulative effects of repeated blast overpressure waves experienced over a career. The current study aimed to characterize the long-term outcomes of repeated exposure to primary blast overpressure in experienced career operators with an emphasis on the assessment of hearing and vestibular outcomes. Methods: Participants included experienced "breachers" (military and law enforcement explosives professionals who gain entry into structures through controlled detonation of charges) and similarly aged and experienced "non-breachers" (non-breaching military and law enforcement personnel). Responses to a clinical interview and performance on audiological and vestibular testing were compared. Results: Hearing loss, ringing in the ears, irritability, and sensitivity to light or noise were more common among breachers than non-breachers. Breachers reported more combat exposure than non-breachers, and subsequently, memory loss and difficulty concentrating were associated with both breaching and combat exposure. Vestibular and ocular motor outcomes were not different between breachers and non-breachers. Conclusion: Hearing-related, irritability, and sensitivity outcomes are associated with a career in breaching. Future studies examining long-term effects of blast exposure should take measures to control for combat exposure.


The increasing prevalence of overweight & obesity and its related disorders with diabetes was the aim of present study in Miyandoab city / West Azerbaijan province / north-west of Iran which has been chosen because of the lack of available documents about the prevalence of overweight, obesity and diabetes in this city. A cross-sectional study that was done emphasizing on overweight to determine its association with diabetes. The sample of the study included 84 patients referring to nutrition ward of Fatimah Hospital, who were matched in BMI, gender, age group and educational status. The data included demographic and anthropometric parts. Its validity and reliability was confirmed. The data was analyzed by SPSS20 chi-square test, and p<0.05 was considered the significant level. Eighty four patients, females (n=58; 69% of samples) and males (n=26; 31% of samples) entered in this study. The date of the study was from September 2011 up to April 2012.


Background Reticulocytes are the most sensitive index available to authorities who seek to sanction athletes for blood doping based on deviations beyond individual reference ranges. Because such data comprise longitudinal results that are generated by different laboratories, the comparability of reticulocyte counts from different instruments is of crucial importance. Aims To enhance between-instrument comparability of reticulocyte counts reported by the Sysmex XT-2000i automated haematology analyser. Methods We optimised recalibration of instruments towards assigned values of control material (e-CHECK) in tandem with fresh blood verification. Results In terms of reticulocyte counts reported as a percentage of all cells in a fresh blood sample, it was possible to recalibrate all three test instruments so that the mean of 10 samples was within 0.1% of the comparative instrument's mean value. Conclusions This approach provides a straightforward means of reducing between-instrument differences in reticulocyte counts generated by the Sysmex XT-2000i.


This paper explores how port cities and municipal networks can contribute to reducing the climate and environmental impacts of shipping. Specifically, the paper reflects on the process of developing the World Ports Climate Declaration during 2007-2008 and the work of the World Ports Climate Initiative (WPCI) in subsequent years. The Declaration was a voluntary undertaking, adopted by 55 of the world's largest ports, to individually and jointly work to reduce the climate and environmental impacts of port operations, the global shipping industry and related sectors. To do so, the Declaration highlighted a number of themes. The International Association of Ports and Harbours adopted a resolution in support of the Declaration and committed to long-term work on implementation through the WPCI, with thematic working groups and support tools including biannual conferences and a dedicated website. These working groups have subsequently not just implemented measures with regard to particular topics (e.g. installed onshore power supply systems or hybrid cargo handling equipment, or adopted an index for green shipping), but also developed guidance documents and provided support to other ports attempting to begin work with such measures. The impetus for the initial Declaration came from the City of Rotterdam and their engagement in the C40 Large Cities Group. The author will reflect on the origins of the initiative and his personal involvement in development of the Declaration, in order to assess the progress made by participating WPCI ports in subsequent years. Moreover, the author will consider the questions: where did the cities go? What role can port cities and municipal networks play in further developing and expanding the scope of the WPCI or similar initiatives? How can municipalities work together to transform ports and shipping whilst avoiding first mover problems?


Peppers are cultivated in almost all provinces in Turkey, making up approximately 7% of the world's production. In this study, the effects of pre-harvest cytokinin application on the postharvest physiology of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits (cv. Akra and Melek F1) grown in ecological conditions in Turkey (Van, eastern Turkey) were investigated. During the growing period, organic cytokinin(nytrozine) at two concentrations (50 and 100 ppm doses) was applied by spraying. Peppers were harvested in green maturity and then stored at 12 °C for 28 days. Changes in color, respiration rate, exogenous ethylene amount, antioxidative enzyme analysis (SOD, CAT and APX), lipid peroxidation, total phenolic content (TP) and antioxidant activity (AA) were determined just after the harvest and then at the 7th, 14th, 24th and 28th days. L* values for both varieties and the control sample had fluctuations during storage, and they slightly decreased after 28 days, except for the end value of cv. Melek F1 with a 50 ppm addition. In terms of respiration rate values, the difference between applications was found to be statistically significant, except for the 14th and 24th days of storage, for cv. Akra F1; and the 0th and 28th days for cv. Melek F1, respectively. It was observed that cytokinin can delay aging in peppers of both cultivars stored for 28 days. As a result, as the used cytokinin has an organic origin, is not synthetic and does not have a negative effect on human health, it can be used safely and without a significant loss of quality characteristics for peppers. These applications have positive effects on in-package gas composition, antioxidative enzymes, lipid peroxidation, total phenolics and total antioxidant activity.


Maps depicting the spatially explicit fire history of an area, including variables such as fire frequency and fire return interval, are important tools promoting the understanding of processes associated with wildfires (fire ignition and spread), the assessment of the impacts of wildland fires on landscape dynamics, and decisions on appropriate management practices. Remote sensing is a cost- and time-effective alternative to automatically assess a vast amount of spatial information and produce various thematic maps. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the recent fire history of Attica region (Greece), in a spatially explicit mode by means of remote sensing techniques using a series of Landsat images acquired from 1984 to 2011. The results show that the fire scar perimeters were captured with high accuracy. Regression modelling shows that the differences between the area burned estimated from satellite data and that recorded by the forest service can be explained (86.3% of the variance) by the number of satellite images used (standardized coefficient 0.752) followed by the date of the first image (standardized coefficient 0.705). The use of satellite data as the basic source of information alongside automated classification methods should be promoted for the creation of fire history maps. The latter is further supported when considering the long history of data capture from Landsat satellites, which provide a huge, global historical archive of repeat images of the Earth's surface.