Much has been written about how 'learning by doing' increases the level of retention and indeed experiential learning is quite popular at business schools. Business enterprise simulations are a tool used to assimilate a business environment and allow students to apply what they learned in the classroom.  Business enterprise simulations have been part of the business school landscape for decades. Simulations do a wonderful job helping students to learn and retain business acumen. This paper provides an overview of an approach used in an MBA Capstone course. The objective of the course is to provide a real-life assignment or internship experience to the students before they graduate so that there are better prepared for their careers.  The MBA program uses an off-the-shelf simulation as a platform for the assignment. There are many unique features added to this capstone that provides a deeper and broader learning experience for the students.


This paper describes the process of development network management application in the IT infrastructure using the Java Management Extension (JMX). Control system, based on SNMP protocol, consists of management applications, management agents and managed devices. Agents are software modules that are managed on the devices. They collect information about the managed objects, send the information for management application and manage with the managed devices, in accordance with the feedback that they receive from management applications.


The economic shock and government response to COVID-19 highlight weaknesses in Australia's tax system. COVID-19 puts pressure on a system under strain from long-term structural forces and the tax-free and tax-reduced status of certain sources of income. Returning to a sound structural budget position cannot be accomplished through passive action that relies on 'natural' revenue growth from current tax sources. Discussions should focus on comprehensive reform. Reducing reliance on income (particularly labour) taxes and applying a more equal tax treatment to different individuals and income sources over time are priorities which will support improved well-being and labour market activity.


The objective of this review is to examine factors influencing African adolescents' identity development. The review begins with defining identity and discuses major theories of identity development. Moreover, this review focuses on colonialism, globalization, media and other factors which are considered to influence youth identity development. The author has used the terms 'adolescence' and 'youth' interchangeably though they are not exactly synonymous. Identity development is the major developmental task during the time of adolescence including social identity formation. Africans are characterized by collective identity and they have indigenous cultural values and traditions. Despite this, African youth have been losing their cultural identity as a result of the influence of Western value. The old generation in Africa also seems to have ignored to socialize the young ones in line with African values and norms. This ignorance has paved way for young people to be attracted to western value systems and ignoring their own. Meanwhile, absence of contextualized school curricula and migration are also additional negative factors that lead African adolescents to be ignorant of their own culture and adhere to western values.

 Key words: Adolescence, Africa, globalization, identity crisis, media, parenting style.


The paper presents relationships between strain level generated by creep process and two parameters determined form non-destructive tests, i.e. acoustic birefringence and amplitude of magnetoacoustic emission for three kinds of steel: 40HNMA, P91 and 13HMF. Moreover, the relationships between prior deformation level and selected mechanical parameters resulting from the standard tensile tests subsequently carried out at room temperature were established. As a consequence, this enabled to formulate mutual relationships between these mechanical parameters and parameters obtained from the ultrasonic/magnetic investigations.


This article asserts that Russian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) contribute to processes of transitional justice in Chechnya through their litigation in front at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Having delivered more than 200 judgments on atrocities which occurred during the two recent conflicts in Chechnya, the ECtHR has repeatedly ruled that the state should pay financial compensation to the victims. While the Russian Federation has been following through on such payments, human-rights monitors allege that domestic authorities have failed to take active measures to address the atrocities themselves.Through a qualitative interview study with Russian lawyers and NGO representatives, this article seeks to scrutinize how NGOs have been using the ECtHR's mechanisms and judgments by way of leverage to initiate processes of transitional justice in post-conflict Chechnya. It appears that the ECtHR is not an end-station for human-rights claims and individual grievances but, rather, the start of a series of further claims. NGOs: (a) engage in political advocacy in implementing the judgments; and (b) create leverage for the criminal prosecution of perpetrators.


Using fiber optics and micro optics technologies we designed innovative fiber optic index of refraction transducer that has unique properties. On the base of this transducer a laboratory equipment type fiber optic refractometer was developed for liquid index of refraction measurements. Such refractometer may be used for medical, pharmaceutical, industrial fluid, petrochemical, plastic, food, and beverage industry applications. For example, it may be used for measuring the concentrations of aqueous solutions: as the concentration or density of a solute increase, the refractive index increases proportionately. The paper describes development work related to design of laboratory type fiber optic refractometer and describes experiments to evaluation of its basic properties.


Nocturia is a prevalent and highly bothersome lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) affecting men and women of all ages. In waking to void there is disruption to an individual's sleep that can lead to daytime tiredness and a loss of vitality. This may significantly impact upon physical, mental, and social wellbeing. It is recognised that nocturia has a multifactorial aetiopathogenesis that encompasses systemic, psychogenic, as well as lower urinary tract factors, necessitating separate evaluation to other LUTS. In particular, nocturnal polyuria is an under-recognised cause of nocturia that may respond well to antidiuretic pharmacotherapy.


Objective:  The present study examines the relationship between parenting self-efficacy, social support in parenting tasks, and parenting-related stress for parents with and without type 1 diabetes (T1D). Research Design and Methods: Parents with and without T1D completed self-report measures addressing demographic, parenting (e.g., parental stress, support, and self-efficacy), and diabetes-related variables. One-way ANOVAs examined the effect of parent T1D diagnosis on parent demographic and parenting-related data. In addition, regression analyses examined main and interactive effects of parent T1D diagnosis and perceived parenting support in accounting for parenting stress. Results:  Parents with a T1D diagnosis self-reported more parenting-related stress than parents without a T1D diagnosis. In addition, for parents with T1D, parenting stress was significantly positively correlated with parent age at diagnosis and significantly negatively correlated with most recent HbA1c, parenting self-agency, and perceived parenting support; however, among parents without a T1D diagnosis, the relationship between parenting stress and support was null. A regression analysis examining main and interactive effects of parent T1D diagnosis and perceived parenting support on parenting stress was significant, yielding a significant two-way interaction. Conclusions:  Results suggest that parents with T1D may experience more parenting-related stress than parents without a chronic illness. Furthermore, higher levels of social support are associated with lower levels of parenting stress for this group of parents with T1D. Thus, results underscore the importance of parenting support for parents with T1D and further emphasize the importance of continued research in the area of parenting with T1D.


This article analyzes the challenges of political representation of lesbian and gay communities, arguing that a proportional representation system would serve the communities better. Although lesbian and gay communities have increased their political power, few elected officials represent lesbian and gay interests. Three characteristics of lesbians and gay men affect the representation of their interests: lesbians and gay men are officially unidentifiable, they have intersectional identities, and they are often geographically dispersed. Although many lesbians and gay men choose to live in areas with large lesbian and gay populations, sexual orientation does not necessarily correlate to geography, a fact that sharply limits district-based systems' ability to represent lesbian and gay interests. A proportional representation system would greatly expand possibilities for lesbian and gay interest representation. Although lacking the political power to force a change to a proportional system, the article argues that coalitions with other minority communities may help lesbians and gay men to achieve the broader goal of proportional representation to realize a more complete democracy.


Fractal dimensions (D) of image perimeters of 4 macroalgae (Macrocystis pyrifera, Desmarestia menziesii, Schizoseris condensata, Palmaria georgica) collected a t South Georgia, Southern Ocean were established over a wide scale range For 3 species (M, pynfera, S, condensata, F! georgica) cross-frond D was also estimated. At large scale all species showed complex perimeters ( D 1.26 to 1.83, depending on species), but showed reduced complexity (loxv D) at small scale, and so have mixed fractal characteristics. Cross-frond D was low in the 3 species studied, indicating anisotropy, and was markedly low in P. georglca which has extensive, smooth, flat fronds. Epifaunal community analysis demonstrated that epifaunal abundance and biomass were related more to the scale at which complexity occurs than degree of complexity itself. S condensata and D. menzjesji (part~cularly complex, high D) show high epifaunal abundance and biomass and a predominance of large animals, M. pyrlfera and P. georgica (simpler, lower D) have low abundances and biomasses and the epifauna is dominated by small animals. M pyrifera is fairly complex (D ca 1.3) at scales above 50 mm; its complexity will impinge on flsh, birds and mammals, not epifauna M. pyrifera beds have a perimeter D (ca 1.4) similar to those of convoluted coastlines.


Background: Air pollution due to road traffic is a solemn health hazard and vehicular emissions due to huge population in the cities are the main reason for the air quality crisis. The study was conducted to assess the degree of impairment in lung function in traffic police personnel exposed to traffic pollution compared to less-exposed healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 traffic police personnel, aged 20–55 years, working in Chennai city, as compared to a matched control group, consisting of 250 less-exposed subjects. Measurement of pulmonary function testing was done with an RMS Helio 401. Statistical analysis was carried out with R statistical software. Results: The traffic police personnel had significantly (P < 0.05) declined FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio and FEF 25–75% (L/s) as compared to controls. Traffic personnel with longer duration of exposure showed significantly (P < 0.05) reduced lung functions than those with shorter duration. We have found a significant negative correlation with all pulmonary function parameters such as FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR, and FVC 25%–75% among the traffic police personnel. Conclusion: The impairment of pulmonary function among the traffic police personnel might be due to the effect of pollution by vehicular exhausts and they should be offered personal protective or preventive measures.


Nowadays endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a minimally invasive technique with a complication rate around 2.5% in expert hands, being the most frequent: acute pancreatitis, cholangitis, hemorrhage and perforation. An exceptional complication is subcapsular hepatic hematoma, first published in the literature in 2000, with few cases reported. Regarding the case published by Del Moral Martinez et al (Hepatic Hematoma after ERCP: presentation of two new cases. Rev Esp Enferm Dig 2017, Vol. 109, No. 6, pp. 470-473) we would like to contribute a reflection based on a recent clinical case in our center.


This ethnographic study explores how people in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, engage words as cultural performance, whether they are spoken, written, or manifest themselves as cultural artifacts. Informed by their depth philosophical contemplation about the boundary between the universe and language, and made possible through their unique linguistic constructions, many Chinese treat various forms of expression as art and signs of wisdom, whether for expressions of solemnity, playfulness, or humor. Through poems, common sayings, matched couplets, chengyu, and so on, words entertain and enrich social life, help relieve human suffering, connect one life to another, and instill modern everyday encounters with a dash of traditional cultural ethos. This artistic endeavor also offers explanations for Chinese indirectness, as shades of meanings are seen as displays of varying degrees of engagement to cultural performances. Interview accounts and data collected through participant observation during several field trips conducted in Taiwan were analyzed to show how words participate in and give meaning to the construction of Taiwanese interpersonal life.


Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTMRI) as a noninvasive modality providing in vivo anatomical information allows determination of fiber connections which leads to brain mapping. The success of DTMRI is very much algorithm dependent, and its verification is of great importance due to limited availability of a gold standard in the literature. In this study, unsupervised artificial neural network class, namely, self-organizing maps, is employed to discover the underlying fiber tracts. A common artificial diffusion tensor resource, named "phantom images for simulating tractography errors" (PISTE), is used for the accuracy verification and acceptability of the proposed approach. Four different tract geometries with varying SNRs and fractional anisotropy are investigated. The proposed method, SOFMAT, is able to define the predetermined fiber paths successfully with a standard deviation of (0.8–1.9) × 10−3 depending on the trajectory and the SNR value selected. The results illustrate the capability of SOFMAT to reconstruct complex fiber tract configurations. The ability of SOFMAT to detect fiber paths in low anisotropy regions, which physiologically may correspond to either grey matter or pathology (abnormality) and uncertainty areas in real data, is an advantage of the method for future studies.


Recent experience taught us that advanced economies can be subject to debt crises, with tremendous impact on the economy. Such crises are -fortunately- rare events with which policy makers do not have to deal on a daily basis. They do have to incorporate sovereign risk, the probability that such a crisis occurs, in their decisions tough. The main motivation and focus of this thesis is the challenge the presence of sovereign risk brings for policy makers. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 deal with assessing the probability of a debt crisis. Chapter 2 uses long term time series of public finances for 9 OECD countries and shows that a simulation that takes economic uncertainty and the expected response of the government to that into account can inform on future debt sustainability. Chapter 3 uses financial market data on default risk for sovereigns and banks in Europe and investigates the directional spill-overs between them. It finds that prior to the crisis bank and government bonds were substitutes, whereas they are complements now. Three channels contribute to this effect: direct holdership of government bonds by banks, implicit bail-out guarantees and effects via the state of the economy. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 then take sovereign risk as given and ask what the presence of sovereign risk implies. In Chapter 4 the goal is to see whether a stable and unique macroeconomic solution exists under sovereign risk as a function of monetary and fiscal policy stance. In a stable and unique solution the debt level is non-explosive and the price level is determinate. The central bank and the government need to coordinate their policies in the presence of sovereign risk. A deficit target for the government makes this easier to achieve. Chapter 5 focusses on the interaction of sovereign risk and the exchange rate regime. It shows that under a flexible exchange rate regime the exchange rate depreciates as the fiscal position deteriorates. The exchange rate depreciation supports exports, which is a stabilizing effect that counteracts the initial deterioration. When exchange rates are fixed, as they are for monetary union members, this mechanism is absent. Chapter 6 asks what the optimal fiscal policy is in the presence of sovereign risk. It finds that the optimal policy should respond much stronger to deviations in unemployment and debt from the steady state than it currently does. When this policy is applied variation in these variables is reduced at the cost of much more variation in fiscal policy.


During drug discovery and development the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystal form transitions must be studied and the fundamental properties of polymorphs must be identified. However, despite the accumulation of knowledge and experimental evidence that support the understanding of crystallization, its predictability still presents significant challenges. With the continuous development of new drug delivery technologies, even more complex situations arise such as difficult cases of polymorph selection, co-crystallization of different molecules, and manipulation of the crystallization environment for example amorphous solids. This review covers some fundamental thermodynamics and kinetics of simple system, before the discussions consider at these special cases and how the manipulation of thermodynamic and kinetic processes has increased our knowledge, understanding and application of crystallization science during the drug development process.


Medical Education: A Comparative Study. By ABRAHAMN FLEXNER. Pp. 334. 1925. New York: The Macmillan Company. Price lOs. 6d. net. No one is better qualified to write a book of this peeuliarly informative and critical character than Dr. Abraham Flexner, who has visited officially all the chief schools in the Old World, and is equally conversant with the conditions of the New. Written largely from the viewpoint of internal medicine, it covers the whole field of medicine in the sense that the general tendencies and principles herein discussed are applicable to all departments of medical study and research. The author sets out clearly the diffcrent lines along which medicine progresses; he compares the clinical type, the university type, and the proprietary type of mnedical school, assessing their respective advantages and disadvantages. His owni penichant, unidoubtedly, is for the university type, with whole-time professors, anid he passes some very shrewd criticisms on the difficulties under which the clinical type, so called, labours. Many of his strictures contain profound truths, as far at least as Great Britain is concerned. For instance, he emphasizes the fact that most medical school teachers among us are medical meni in practice; he points out how little of educational or scientific value there is in ordinary consulting practice, and roundly states that this ' double life ' impedes rather than aids medical advance. " The physician, as such, has never been highly esteemed in England; the rank of his patients rather than the scientific valuc of his work gives him such social consideration as he obtains." He animadverts on the wretched system whereby many hospital staffs are recruited from those who have been there educated, to the exclusion of the ' best man,' wherever he is to be found. " There is on the Continent no such thing as a Berlin, a Tuibingen, a Leiden or a Stockholm 'nman '." Cogent pleas arc offered for the dissemination of the whole-time idea, although Dr. Flexner is candid enough to admit that while it is designed to lignten the burdens and to increase the efficiency of the clinician, " it will not produce ability and enthusiasm where they do not exist; it will not make the sterile clinician fertile." All who have the welfare of British medicine at heart will do well to read and inwvardly digest this valuable contribution to a problem which cannot much longer be quictly set on one side. S. A. K. W.


Purpose: Antiangiogenic therapies can be an important adjunct to the management of many malignancies. Here we investigated a novel protein, FKBPL, and peptide derivative for their antiangiogenic activity and mechanism of action. Experimental Design: Recombinant FKBPL (rFKBPL) and its peptide derivative were assessed in a range of human microvascular endothelial cell (HMEC-1) assays in vitro. Their ability to inhibit proliferation, migration, andMatrigel-dependent tubule formation was determined. They were further evaluated in an ex vivo rat model of neovascularization and in two in vivo mouse models of angiogenesis, that is, the sponge implantation and the intravital microscopy models. Antitumor efficacy was determined in two human tumor xenograft models grown in severe compromised immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Finally, the dependence of peptide on CD44 was determined using a CD44-targeted siRNA approach or in cell lines of differing CD44 status. Results: rFKBPL inhibited endothelial cell migration, tubule formation, and microvessel formation in vitro and in vivo. The region responsible for FKBPL's antiangiogenic activity was identified, and a 24-amino acid peptide (AD-01) spanning this sequence was synthesized. It was potently antiangiogenic and inhibited growth in two human tumor xenograft models (DU145 and MDA-231) when administered systemically, either on its own or in combination with docetaxel. The antiangiogenic activity of FKBPL and AD-01 was dependent on the cell-surface receptor CD44, and signaling downstream of this receptor promoted an antimigratory phenotype. Conclusion: FKBPL and its peptide derivative AD-01 have potent antiangiogenic activity. Thus, these agents offer the potential of an attractive new approach to antiangiogenic therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 17(5);


Abstract Background: Little information is available regarding medical utilization and cost in patients with overlap syndrome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The purpose of this study is to analyze medical utilization and cost in patients with overlap syndrome and to compare them to COPD patients without asthma. Methods: Using the 2009 Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) database, COPD patients were identified. Medical utilization and costs were also analyzed. Results: Of a total of 185,147 patients identified with COPD, 101,004 patients were classified with overlap syndrome of COPD and asthma and 84,143 patients with COPD without asthma. In 2009, the percentages of emergency room visits, admissions, and intensive care unit admissions were 14.6%, 30.5%, and 0.5%, respectively, in the patients with overlap syndrome group and 5.0%, 14.1%, and 0.2%, respectively, in the COPD patients without asthma group (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). The cost of medical utilization was 790 ± 71 US dollars per person and 3,373 ± 4,628 dollars per person for outpatient and inpatient services, respectively, in the patients with overlap syndrome and 413 ± 512 and 3,010 ± 5,013, respectively, in the COPD patients without asthma (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Multiple linear regression showed that age, sex, overlap syndrome, hospitalization in the last year, low socioeconomic status, and type of hospital use were significant factors affecting medical utilization and cost. Conclusions: In patients with overlap syndrome, both medical utilization and cost were higher than in COPD patients without asthma.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
More than 80% of Crohn's disease (CD) patients undergoing resection suffer recurrence of their disease. Therapy with aminosalicylates, antimetabolites, or antibiotics leads to a modest reduction in the incidence of recurrence.

GOAL
We sought to examine whether metronidazole for 3 months together with azathioprine (AZA) for 12 months is superior to metronidazole alone to reduce recurrence of postoperative CD in "high-risk" patients.

METHODS
CD patients undergoing curative ileocecal resection with >or=1 risk factor for recurrence received metronidazole (3 months) and AZA/placebo (12 months). The primary end point was the proportion of patients with significant endoscopic recurrence 3 and 12 months after surgery. Secondary end points included clinical recurrence, safety, and tolerability of treatment.

RESULTS
Eighty-one patients were randomized; 19 discontinued the study early. Significant endoscopic recurrence was observed in 14 of 32 (43.7%) patients in the AZA group and in 20 of 29 (69.0%) patients in the placebo group at 12 months postsurgery (P = .048). Intention-to-treat analysis revealed endoscopic recurrence in 22 of 40 (55%) in the AZA group and 32 of 41 (78%) in the placebo group at month 12 (P = .035). At month 12, 7 of 32 patients had no endoscopic lesions in the AZA group, versus 1 of 29 in the placebo group (P = .037).

CONCLUSIONS
Despite the enhanced risk of recurrence, the overall incidence of significant recurrence was rather low, probably owing to the metronidazole treatment that all patients received. Concomitant AZA resulted in lower endoscopic recurrence rates and less severe recurrences 12 months postsurgery, predicting a more favorable clinical outcome. This combined treatment seems to be recommendable to all operated CD patients with an enhanced risk for recurrence.


Greenhouse-grown Tapeinochilus ananassae Hassk. were fertilized with 1110, 2220, or 4440 g of Osmocote 17N-3P-10K/m 2 per year for 4 years. Plants receiving the medium rate of fertilizer produced the most flowers, while the highest fertilization rate resulted in the fewest. Flower stalk length decreased each year after planting, but cutting back the vegetative shoots to the ground resulted in increased flower stalk length the following year. Fertilization with the highest rate resulted in reduced flower postharvest life, but floral preservatives and ethylene inhibitors had no effect on postharvest life.


Most deciduous trees drop their leaves before winter, a process which is referred to as
leaf abscission. Leaf abscission is thought to be regulated by the action of auxin and
ethylene. In order to test the function of auxin in leaf abscission, an experimental
system in Populus was established to induce leaf shedding synchronously under
controlled greenhouse conditions. Exogenous auxin and an auxin transport inhibitor
delayed the abscission of dark-induced leaves and a new auxin response maximum
preceded the formation of an abscission zone. The analysis of microarray results
revealed that several genes encoding auxin transporters were strongly down-regulated
during abscission, suggesting their involvement in the formation of the auxin maximum
in the leaf axil. In ethylene-insensitive trees, leaf abscission could be delayed by the
application of auxin and ethylene signaling was not required for the regulation of gene
expression of auxin transporters during abscission. Thus, auxin and ethylene act partly
independently of each other on leaf abscission in Populus.

In order to study the effects of auxin on cell separation, isolated from its action on
the development of an abscission zone, we examined root cap abscission in
Arabidopsis. An auxin response gradient, spanning the root cap, was found to be
established prior to the separation of the outermost root cap layer. Inhibition of polar
auxin transport abolished the auxin response gradient in the root cap and disrupted
abscission. Intriguingly, auxin efflux carriers of the PIN family were not expressed in
the cell layer proximal to the abscising layer indicating that the outermost columella
tier is disconnected from the auxin source in the quiescent center.

A Populus homolog of the Arabidopsis WALLS ARE THIN1 (WAT1) was among
the most strongly regulated genes during abscission. We found that WAT1 localizes to
the tonoplast and facilitates auxin export from the vacuole. Whereas, WAT1-mediated
auxin homeostasis is needed for secondary wall deposition, wat1 mutants do not
display any phenotype related to abscission.

While auxin gradients have been implicated in various growth-related processes our
work provides novel data in support of a regulatory role of distinct auxin maxima and
minima in organ and tissue abscission.


The unmanned control of the steering wheel is, at present, one of the most important challenges facing researchers in autonomous vehicles within the field of intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). In this paper, we present a two-layer control architecture for automatically moving the steering wheel of a mass-produced vehicle. The first layer is designed to calculate the target position of the steering wheel at any time and is based on fuzzy logic. The second is a classic control layer that moves the steering bar by means of an actuator to achieve the position targeted by the first layer. Real-time kinematic differential global positioning system (RTK-DGPS) equipment is the main sensor input for positioning. It is accurate to about 1 cm and can finely locate the vehicle trajectory. The developed systems are installed on a Citroe/spl uml/n Berlingo van, which is used as a testbed vehicle. Once this control architecture has been implemented, installed, and tuned, the resulting steering maneuvering is very similar to human driving, and the trajectory errors from the reference route are reduced to a minimum. The experimental results show that the combination of GPS and artificial-intelligence-based techniques behaves outstandingly. We can also draw other important conclusions regarding the design of a control system derived from human driving experience, providing an alternative mathematical formalism for computation, human reasoning, and integration of qualitative and quantitative information.


The aim of this paper is to compare the evolution of antidepressant consumption in France, Germany and the United Kingdom between 1998 and 2002. Commercial databases (IMS Health) have been used in conjunction with administrative data (PACT for the UK, GKV for Germany and Afssaps for France) to estimate antidepressant consumption in Daily Defined Doses. The main results are: (1) Antidepressant consumption has increased significantly over the last decade in France (x2), Germany (x2.4) and the UK (x3.8); (2) SSRIs are the most heavily consumed drugs in France (67%) and the UK (60%); (3) Germany is distinguished by an overall level of antidepressant consumption twice as low as the other two countries and a relatively low use of SSRI antidepressants (31%), in favour of TCAs. In conclusion, the combined use of administrative and commercial data is possible for an evaluation of the volume of consumption. This study sheds both medical and economic light on the differences in both the level and structure of consumption in these three countries.


The video-based fire detection is the system of choice when reliable video motion and fire detection is needed, e.g. applications which are not subjected to construction product regulation or a supplementation to existing fire detection systems. AVIOTEC IP starlight 8000 operates as stand-alone unit and doesn't need a separate evaluation unit. Furthermore, it contains all features of the Intelligent Video Analytics which allows analyzing and evaluating moving objects in parallel. Video-based fire detection and Intelligent Video Analytics operate independently from each other and are separately adjustable. A 10/100 Base-T Fast Ethernet port on the back part of the device is available to connect the camera to Ethernet. This allows easy configuration and monitoring through network devices such as Client PCs or mobile devices. A video recording management system may be integrated optionally. Furthermore, there is a relay output to transmit alarm signals, e.g. to the FPA-5000 fire alarm panel. In this case the camera acts as supervisory signal-initiating device. Alarms have to be verified by an operator in a monitoring center owing to non-existing standards. Automatic alarm-forwarding to fire services is not provided.


Results of singling-out regions of the Russian Federation using two criteria of self-developing gross domestic product and financial balance are considered in this paper. Classification of regions of the Russian Federation based on type of economy development on the basis of calculation is made and self-developing regions are classified by the type of economy advance.


"Effective digitalization of public administrations and economies requires rethinking of how e-government and digital services with increasing e-participation can support corruption reduction and social development. This paper aims to study the interdependencies and differences between the multidimensional phenomena of administrative corruption and digitalization in the EU member states. The research methods applied are Canonical Correlation Analysis and Principal Component Analysis. Ten relevant variables for 2019 and 2020 were selected and integrated into this research. The research results showed that digitalization significantly improved the quality of public administrations and reduced corruption. The new composite index designed and determined for EU member states showed a vast gap between the Nordic and Eastern European countries. Our results confirm that the level of e-government was found to be the best predictor of control of corruption and government effectiveness suggesting that digitalized and less corrupt governments also made economies more competitive. The digitization of public administration and services is a strategic objective of EU member states and should become a priority in the new technological era."


Abstract Against a worsening backdrop of climate stress and population growth, drought-resistant, highly adaptable, nutritious orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) stands out as a sustainable food crop that supports household resiliency, food security, and health. Recognized as one of the cheapest sources of vitamin A (VA), OFSP holds promise as a food-based approach to combat VA deficiency, a significant public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Because the dominant white-fleshed varieties have no beta-carotene, research initiated in the mid-1990s set out to adapt, develop, and promote VA-rich OFSP as a more nutritious alternative to non-OFSP types. Multisectorial strategies that integrate agriculture with health or education sectors hold promise as effective strategies to ensure OFSP reaches and meets the needs of those populations at greatest risk of VA deficiency – pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children. In this article, we share experiences, findings, implementation challenges, and lessons learned from four integrated programs in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Ethiopia that aimed to improve the nutrition and health of women and children with production and promotion of OFSP. Across these projects, households significantly increased OFSP production. In all but one, changes in OFSP production were accompanied by improved food security and maternal and child diets.


Many people believe that excessive risk-taking at large financial firms was an important cause of the financial crisis in 2007-2008 and thus that preventing another crisis requires improving risk-management systems at such institutions. One way to do this would be to use board oversight liability to hold directors personally liable for failing properly to monitor the risks that their firms are running. The purpose of this Article is to determine what role director oversight liability can efficiently play in improving risk-management practices at large financial firms.A key contention of the Article is that previous treatments of this problem have largely failed to appreciate what risk managers at large financial firms actually do, and so the Article begins by explaining some of the financial models that risk managers typically use to measure the market risk and credit risk on portfolios of assets. A realistic appreciation of these models shows that the measurements of risk that they yield necessarily incorporate paradigmatic business judgments, most importantly because the models aim to predict future results on the basis of historical data. The predictive ability of the models is founded, in other words, on the business judgment that the future will resemble the past in relevant respects. Risk-management decisions are therefore always business decisions.With this conclusion firmly established, the Article reviews the principles of director oversight liability, the most relevant in this context being that oversight liability requires a showing that the directors were consciously disregarding their duties. This scienter-based standard practically guarantees that oversight claims based on alleged failures to detect and prevent weaknesses in the firm's risk-management systems will fail, as in fact happened in the Citigroup case, the most important oversight case predicated on alleged risk management failures thus far litigated. The result in Citigroup has been subjected to much academic criticism. The Article considers these criticisms and argues that, in light of the actual nature of risk management and the financial models used therein, these criticisms are generally misguided.The result in Citigroup has also prompted proposals for expanding oversight liability in ways that would allow courts to review substantive risk-management decisions by corporate boards. The Article argues that such proposals are meritless for two reasons. First, because risk-management decisions are always business decisions, and because any business decision leading to losses for the company can be characterized as a risk-management failure, allowing courts to review risk-management decisions in oversight liability cases would in effect repeal the business judgment rule. Second, although such proposed expansions of oversight liability are aimed at limiting the excessive-risking that supposedly contributed to the financial crisis, risk-taking can be excessive in several distinct ways, and the sense in which excessive risk-taking represents a genuine failure of risk-management systems (namely, risk-taking in excess of the risk tolerance of the firm as set by the board) is not the sense in which excessive risk-taking may have been a cause of the financial crisis (namely, socially inefficient risk-taking or excessive systemic risk). Hence, even if expanding oversight liability for risk-management failures did not otherwise involve the tremendous inefficiency of effectively repealing the business judgment rule, such an expansion would still not be well-calculated to address the perceived problem of excessive risk-taking as a cause of the financial crisis.


We report the discovery of significant numbers (500) of large micrometeorites (>100 μm) from rooftops in urban areas. The identification of particles as micrometeorites is achieved on the basis of their compositions, mineralogies, and textures. All particles are silicate-dominated (S type) cosmic spherules with subspherical shapes that form by melting during atmospheric entry and consist of quench crystals of magnesian olivine, relict crystals of forsterite, and iron-bearing olivine within glass. Four particles also contain Ni-rich metal-sulfide beads. Bulk compositions are chondritic apart from depletions in the volatile, moderately volatile, and siderophile elements, as observed in micrometeorites from other sources. The reported particles are likely to have fallen on Earth in the past 6 yr and thus represent the youngest large micrometeorites collected to date. The relative abundance ratio of barred olivine to cryptocrystalline spherule types in the urban particles of 1.45 is shown to be higher than a Quaternary average of ∼0.9, suggesting variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux over the past 800 k.y. Changes in the entry velocities of dust caused by quasi-periodic gravitational perturbation during transport to Earth are suggested to be responsible. Variations in cosmic spherule abundance within the geologic column are thus unavoidable and can be a consequence of dust transport as well as major dust production events.


Background: Astragali Radix and Lycopi Herba were widely used in clinical practice for treating the diabetic nephropathy (DN), but their therapeutic mechanisms were not clear. Objective: To observe the effects of the water-extraction of Astragali Radix and Lycopi Herba on the signaling pathway of TGF-Smads-UPP in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN. Materials and Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the normal control (NC) group and the model group. The NC group was fed with a standard diet and the other five diabetic groups received a high-fat diet. After 4 weeks, five diabetic groups were treated with STZ (30mg/kg i.p.). The NC group rats were treated with citrate buffer. Tail random blood glucose (RBG) was measured 72h later using a strip-operated blood glucose sensor and monitored every 2 weeks until drug intervention. Rats with RBG levels less than 16.7mmol/L were excluded from the diabetic groups. At the end of 4 weeks after STZ injection, 24h microalbuminuria was collected and detected. The microalbuminuria was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The blood glucose was tested using a blood glucose meter. The kidney was dissected from each SD rat. Proteins and mRNA of TGF-β1, Smads and Smurf were tested by western-blot and real-time PCR analysis, and 26S proteasome activity was measured by an ELISA kit. Results: The water-extraction of Astragali Radix and Lycopi Herba significantly lowered fasting glucose and urine albumin in diabetic rats through inhibition of TGF-β1 mRNA and protein expression in the STZ-induced diabetic rats, and regulation of the Smad3, Smad7, Smurf1, Smurf2 mRNA and protein expression, as well as elevated 26S proteasome activity to play control effect in DN. Conclusion: 0.9 g/ml water-extraction of Astragali Radix and Lycopi Herba group has significant therapeutic effects on the STZ-induced diabetic rats, and this regulation depends on TGF-Smads-UPP signaling pathway.


Over the last two decades there has been growing interest in Latin America for using public-private partnerships (PPPs) to catalyse rural development. This has come about largely in response to the failure of state and market-led models to reduce poverty amongst the region's smallholders who today number around 14 million and account for the largest sector of poor people on the continent. Public-private partnerships represent a 'third-way', one which seeks to capitalise on the expertise and investment capacity of the private sector, while at the same time driving forwards pro-poor development goals. Governments across the region have implemented two kinds of partnerships to build bridges between companies and farmers: PPPs for agribusiness development; and PPPs for improving services for rural smallholders. These arrangements have produced interesting results, both in terms of improving market conditions and boosting the livelihoods of the rural poor. This Brief begins by explaining the emergence of PPPs in Latin America, before exploring specific experiences to draw out common success factors and key lessons for policy makers and practitioners working in other regions of the world. SUMMARY Policy Brief


In this paper, a predictive tool for the energy consumption of wheat milling process using multiple linear regression and a new energy performance indicator (EnPI) is proposed. This EnPI does not only consider the production of flour but also the particle size of flour and added water for softening wheat. The results of the study, carried out in a wheat mill plant in Cuba, show a good coincidence between the predicted and real energy consumption for the developed model. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of EnPI proposed as a tool for management and energy savings in the company under study. Due to the complexity of the proposed model, for obtaining the baseline and estimating the energy saving potential, a probabilistic method was used. It was statistically demonstrated by the determination index (R2), that the new proposed model is superior to the conventional model of energy versus production


This paper studies the effect of the Columbic force on piezoelectric fracture. Bound charges emerge on the upper and lower surfaces of a permeable crack when a piezoelectric solid with the crack is subjected to far-field mechanical/electric loading. Taking into account the Columbic force between the bound charges, we obtain a non-linear equation governing the normal component of electric displacement D2(x1)on the crack faces. The results show that D2(x1)is, in general, not a constant along the crack faces and depends on the mechanical/electric loading conditions, the crack profile and the material properties outside and inside the crack. Furthermore, we examine the Columbic force under low mechanical/electric loads and then discuss the effect of the Columbic force on the fracture behaviour of piezoelectric materials.


Reducing self-absorption is one of the most important steps in achieving accurate analyses in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). In this work, LIBS assisted with laser-stimulated absorption (LSA-LIBS) was used to reduce self-absorption effects in LIBS. A wavelength-tunable laser was used to resonantly excite cold atoms and reduce their amount in laser-induced plasmas, and thus fewer cold atoms at the plasma periphery re-absorb light from the plasma center. Accordingly, the self-absorption effect was reduced. Copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) elements in steels were taken as examples to evaluate and compare the self-absorption effects in LIBS and LSA-LIBS. The results of calculated self-absorption coefficients (SAs) supported the effectiveness in reducing self-absorption and improving analytical linearity using LSA-LIBS.


In this paper, a secure data hiding method is introduced. It increases the security of embedded data through combining between the steganography and cryptography. First, the secrete message is divided into blocks with same size according to length of key stream that is generated using nonlinear key generator. This key is used to encrypt the first block in secret message using the stream cipher, whereas the other blocks are encrypted depending on the behavior of cipher block chaining (CBC) mode that turn on the stream cipher in order to guarantee no duplicated encrypted blocks. In our CBC mode the current ciphertext block will became a key stream to encrypt the next plaintext block, and so on. After encryption stage complete, the encrypted massage are embedded randomly in bmp image using LSB insertion method to increase the security.


ABSTRACT:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there are 76 million cases of foodborne disease annually. Foodborne disease is usually associated with beef, poultry, and seafood. However, there is an increasing number of foodborne disease cases related to fresh produce. Consumers may not associate fresh produce with foodborne disease or recognize that these foods require safe handling. To address this learning need, a 1-h educational program was developed and evaluated. Extension agents in 69 Texas counties presented the program to participants. Most participants (n = 2651) were female (89.5%), Caucasian (60.5%), and over age 55 (62%). Participants completed a traditional pretest and then a retrospective posttest at conclusion of the program to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to fresh produce safety. Participants' behaviors and attitudes were assessed using a 5-point scale. To measure the longer-term impact of the program, a follow-up telephone survey was conducted among a random sample (n = 426) of participants. Repeated measures ANOVA, t-tests, and eta-squared were used to determine significant differences. Immediate posttest results indicated improved knowledge and attitudes regarding specific fruit and vegetable safety recommendations. Long-term improvement was also noted for food safety behaviors, but not for overall food safety attitudes. The results suggest that this educational program is an effective tool to teach consumers about safe handling of fresh produce.


The ubiquity of wireless communications, in the home and office environment, introduces information security risks specific to WLANs and handheld devices. It is crucial to continuously monitor their evolution but every threat must be examined in terms of potential impact and likelihood. Only when both conditions are present, it does need to be mitigated. This paper shows how the problem can be addressed in a methodological manner. By conducting a proper risk assessment we can identify the threats, to the security of wireless communications, that are real and the ones that are inoffensive. Examples related to the protection of confidential information, in the wireless home and office environment, are used to illustrate the point.


The titanium and its alloys are getting used more and more as for human implant in recent years. In this paper, the broken titanium palmer-bone implant was investigated with field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray spectrometer and then the reasons of implant fracture was researched. The material composite analysis result shows that the implant is made of industrially pure titanium in which the microelements aluminum, calcium and vanadium are on the high sides. The macro analysis result indicates that the implant did not deform remarkably before cracking. The micro analysis result indicates that there is coarse crystalloid fracture in the SEM macrograph, suggesting that the implant material has low fracture strength. The implant fails in mixed cleavage fracture and intergranular fracture accompanied by fatigue fracture in part region, suggesting that the main fracture type was brittle fracture.


Several simple soil water models with four layers or less, typical of those used in GCMS, are compared to a complex multilayered model. They are tested by applying a repeating wetting/drying cycle at different frequencies, and run to equilibrium. The ability of the simple soil models to reproduce the results of the multilayer model vary according to the frequency of the forcing cycle, the soil type, the number of layers and the depth of the top layer of the model. The best overall performance was from the four layer model. The two layer model with a thin top layer (0.1 m) modelled sandy soils well while the two layer model with a thick top layer (0.5 m) modelled clay soils well. The model with just one layer overestimated evaporation during long drying periods for all soil types.


Since 1979, once Kabat-Zinn developed Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), gradual changes in the domain of health have been observed. Hence, the flow of mindfulness into numerous fields of scientific research. One of fields which mindfulness meditation (MM) has been integrated into is sport. Many investigations have successfully documented how MM can enhance athletes' performance, as well as improving their negative mood state. Notably, the majority of this research has focused on sport performance. Despite the promising theory, there has been no experimental study regarding the increase in pain tolerance (PT), reduction of perception of pain (PP) and psychological distress for athletes once they have become injured.
The Cold Pressor Test (CPT) had been used to discover the effectiveness of MM regarding physical pain with injured athletes (IA). Additionally, this was conducted in order to understand whether MM could benefit them with their condition. Therefore, a commonly used meditation technique, based on MBSR, had been used as an intervention during the period of recovery with IA. The first study set out to determine the role of MM training in increasing pain tolerance, reducing the perception of pain, mindful attention, reducing anxiety/stress and improving mood state. The experimental data found that PP increased in CPT for IA who received 8 weeks of formal and informal MM training. However, no reductions in CPT were observed in PP. Quantitative findings showed that mindful attention had significantly changed for IA in the intervention group. There was also an improvement in the control group, even though they had not received MM. This is might be due to the physiotherapy treatment that had increased their level of awareness.
MM had also been investigated with therapists (physiotherapists and sport therapists) in the second study, through both formal and self-directed practise. Questionnaire assessments of MM were collected from 29 therapists who were involved in 4 weeks of the MM program from different countries and methods of practice. It was important to note that the process of data collection was through a website that was developed only for research purposes. There were two research questions that were investigated. The first was Does MM increase therapists' body-awareness and reduce their burnout in the workplace? Additionally, it looked at the positive effect of MM on their personal attitudes after 4 weeks of formal and self-directed practise. The second research question aimed to understand which methods (face-to-face and Skype (FFG) with an instructor or self-directed (SDG), MM program were more effective with therapists. The findings indicated that there was a positive effect of MM in increasing their body-awareness through the MAIA scale, particularly attention-regulation, self-regulation and trusting and BST personal-achievement for therapists in the FFG. As such, the findings found a significant improvement in FFMQ in acting with awareness, the PANAS positive affect and SCBC. As a result of these findings, therapists who practised MM face to face with an instructor obtained more benefits compared to their peers in the SDG.
In previous studies, MM had been investigated through both experimental and quantitative methods. In order to aid further understanding about the effect of MM, a qualitative approach was implemented with both clinical and non-clinical populations through semi structured interviews. Two research questions were examined with both IA and therapists. In the third study, the qualitative study sought to understand and explain what experiences the "injured athletes" had experienced during the eight weeks' formal and self-directed MM program. In the last study of this thesis, the qualitative investigation sought to discover what the therapists' perceptions of the effectiveness of the MM program were.
Taken together, both IA and therapists emphasised that the MM program had positively affected their attitudes after their participation. With regard to IA experiences', MM is a suitable mental training that can be used during the sport rehabilitation process (SRP). On the other side, the therapists stressed that MM is an effective strategy to use in the workplace and at home.
The findings of this thesis provide a better understanding of practising MM in both clinical and non-clinical populations in sport. This is in addition to the variety of methods that were used to assess MM in all the studies. Consequently, this novel work in sport could contribute towards a broad theoretical and practical foundation in future research.


When interacting with virtual reality (VR) applications like CAD and open-world games, people may want to use gestures as a means of leveraging their knowledge from the physical world. However, people may prefer physical props over handheld controllers to input gestures in VR. We present an elicitation study where 21 participants chose from 95 props to perform manipulative gestures for 20 CAD-like and open-world game-like referents. When analyzing this data, we found existing methods for elicitation studies were insufficient to describe gestures with props, or to measure agreement with prop selection (i.e., agreement between sets of items). We proceeded by describing gestures as context-free grammars, capturing how different props were used in similar roles in a given gesture. We present gesture and prop agreement scores using a generalized agreement score that we developed to compare multiple selections rather than a single selection. We found that props were selected based on their resemblance to virtual objects and the actions they afforded; that gesture and prop agreement depended on the referent, with some referents leading to similar gesture choices, while others led to similar prop choices; and that a small set of carefully chosen props can support multiple gestures.


Until recently, in situ U-Pb zircon geochronology could be carried out only using ion microprobes, requiring lengthy analysis times of c. 20 minutes. However, new developments in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer technologies have resulted in zircon geochronology techniques that are much faster, simpler, cheaper, and more precise than before (e.g. Frei et al. 2006, this volume). Analyses approaching the precision obtained via ion microprobe can now be undertaken in 2–4 minutes using instruments such as the 213 nm laser ablation (LA) system coupled with Element2 sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (SF-ICP-MS) housed at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). The up to tenfold decrease in analytical time means that zircon geochronology can now be used in a much wider range of studies. The Godthabsfjord region, southern West Greenland, contains some of the oldest rocks exposed on the Earth's surface reflecting a very complex Archaean geological evolution (Figs 1, 2). Over recent years GEUS has undertaken a range of mapping projects at various scales within the Godthabsfjord region (see also below). These include the mapping of the 1:100 000 scale Kapisillit geological map sheet (Fig. 1), and regional and local investigations of the environments of formation and geological evolution of supracrustal belts, hosting potentially economic mineral occurrences. Zircon geochronology is an important tool for investigating a range of geological problems in this region. By breaking down the complex geology into a series of simple problems that can be addressed using this tool, the geological evolution can be unlocked in a stepwise manner. Three examples are presented below: (1) the mapping of regional structures; (2) characterising and correlating supracrustal belts; and (3) dating metamorphism and mineralisation. Although focus is on the application of zircon geochronology to these problems, it is important to note that the resulting data must always be viewed within a wider context incorporating geological mapping and structural, geochemical and petrographic investigations.


In recent years, the international economic development has been continuously sluggish. The market environment has been deteriorating, and the competition has become increasingly fierce. The development of small and medium-sized enterprises is restricted by factors such as capital, talents and market. With the development of Internet technology, the emergence of cross-border e-commerce has attracted the attention of Chinese government and enterprises. E-commerce has become a new mode of trade. On the one hand, it can solve the problem of insufficient enterprise resources; on the other hand, it can realize the rational allocation of enterprise resources. E-commerce is of great significance to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises oriented by foreign trade. It can help small and medium-sized enterprises effectively to solve problems in capital, talents and market, and help them develop and grow. The rapid development of e-commerce has given rise to a new form of international trade, namely cross-border e-commerce. Its development has a great influence on the development of traditional foreign trade. Based on the development status of cross-border e-commerce in China, this paper analyzes the influence of the development of cross-border e-commerce on China's foreign trade mode, and proposes foreign trade pattern transformation strategies in order to provide reference for the development of cross-border e-commerce and foreign trade in China.


This article introduced the superwater's action principle for controlling slime pulp and its virtues. And then it studied its bactericidal and ameliorative actions in close system of whitewater. The article also compared superwater with other conventional bactericides. At the use level, concentration, actuation duration and bactericidal ability, superwater system excelled conventional bactericides. Furthermore the superwater can improve a series of problems in close system of whitewater. At last, a pilot scale test about superwater system has been carried out in a packing paper company. The test indicated that the superwater in whitewater can increase yield and save cost.


A well constructed thesaurus is recognized as a valuable source of semantic information for various applications, especially for Information Retrieval. The main hindrances to using thesaurus-oriented approaches are the high complexity and cost of manual thesauri creation. This paper addresses the problem of automatic thesaurus construction, namely we study the quality of automatically extracted semantic relations as compared with the semantic relations of a manually crafted thesaurus. The vector-space model based on syntactic contexts was used to reproduce relations between the terms of a manually constructed thesaurus. We propose a simple algorithm for representing both single word and multiword terms in the distributional space of syntactic contexts. Furthermore, we propose a method for evaluation quality of the extracted relations. Our experiments show significant difference between the automatically and manually constructed relations: while many of the automatically generated relations are relevant, just a small part of them could be found in the original thesaurus.


Sandwich Pipes (SP) can be an effective solution for the ultra-deepwater submarine pipeline, combining high structural resistance with thermal insulation. Besides polymer, strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC), a micromechanically designed material with the characteristic of high tensile ductility, can be another choice for the annular material. The purpose of this work is to investigate numerically the limit strength of SP with SHCC under external pressure and longitudinal bending. The mechanical behaviors of SHCC are simulated using a damaged plasticity model whose parameters are estimated by the tension and compression tests. The pressure-curvature ( ) failure envelopes for SP with unbonded and fully bonded interface conditions are presented. The results show that the interface condition and the thickness of the annulus are the main influence factors on the overall structural behaviour. Besides, the lateral confinement effect caused by the inner and outer tubes and the ultra high ductility of SHCC itself lead to the new observations of the pressurecurvature collapse envelops.


A membrane fraction, enriched in Cl- channels, has been isolated from bovine tracheal epithelia and renal cortex homogenates by hydrophobic chromatography. The fraction (MPS) shows a 37-fold enrichment of Cl- channels over crude tracheal homogenates by net Cl- flux measurements. Alkaline phosphatase and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase are not found in these membranes, suggesting that they are not apical or basolateral plasma membranes. Marker enzyme analysis for major subcellular membranes also proved negative. The MPS fraction exhibits a protein profile unlike that of other membrane fractions, with major proteins of 200 and 42 kDa, proteins of 30-35 kDa, and lesser amounts of other proteins. Reconstitution of MPS fractions from both trachea and kidney into planar lipid bilayers demonstrates the presence of a single type of anion channel. The current-voltage relationship of this channel is identical to that of the predominant anion channel observed in tracheal apical membranes under similar conditions (H. H. Valdivia, W. P. Dubinsky, and R. Coronado. Science Wash. DC 242: 1441-1444, 1988). In addition, the voltage dependence, selectivity sequence of Cl- > Br- > or = I-, and inhibition by low concentrations of 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid correspond to those of the predominant apical membrane channel. Thus, although the MPS appear to be of subcellular origin, they may be functionally related to an apical membrane Cl- permeability.


Abstract Malic acid has been implicated as an inducible root mechanism for the detoxification of rhizotoxic A1. The chemical reactions of malate were therefore investigated in four acid soils ranging in pH from 4.30 to 5.00. All the soils behaved similarly, with malate predominantly complexing A1 in solution in favor of other metal cations (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ca and Mg). Comparison of experimental extraction results with theoretical predictions made using Geochem-PC showed a similar agreement, indicating that the behavior of A1 and malate in soil was similar to their behavior in an ideal solution. Competitive anion sorption studies with synthetic Fe and AI(OH)3(s) gels showed similar sorption sites for phosphate, citrate and malate, however, malate was weakly sorped in comparison to phosphate and citrate. Sorption was little affected by solution pH. Malate sorption did not appear to be largely influenced by metal complexation in soils; however, sorption onto Fe and AI(OH)3 gels was markedly reduced in the presence of complexing metal cations. The implications of these results in understanding the role of malate exudation from the root in A1 detoxification in the rhizosphere are discussed.


Advanced ceramics are difficult to do machining due to brittle nature. High cutting forces will generate in the machining, which will affect the surface integrity of final product. Selection of proper machining parameters is important to obtain less cutting force. The present work deals with the study and development of a cutting force prediction model in end milling operation of Aluminum Nitride ceramic. The cutting force equation developed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to analyze the effect of Spindle speed, feed rate and axial depth of cut. The cutting tests were carried under dry condition using two flute square end micro grain carbide end mills.


In an era of scarce social resources the question of the changing social policy constructions and responses to disabled people has become increasingly important. Paradoxically, some disabled people are realising new freedoms and choices never before envisioned, whilst others are prey to major retractions in public services and aggressive attempts to redefine who counts as 'genuinely disabled'. Understanding Disability Policy locates disability policy into broader social policy and welfare policy writings and goes beyond narrow statutory evaluations of welfare to embrace a range of indicators of disabled people's welfare. The book critically explores the roles of social security, social support, poverty, socio-economic status, community safety, official discourses and spatial change in shaping disabled people's opportunities. It also situates welfare and disability policy in the broader conceptual shifts to the social model of disability and its critics. Finally it explores the possible connection between changing official and academic constructions of disability and their implications for social policy in the 21st century.


Early ambulance services often confined their activities to a "scoop and run" approach, conveying sick patients quickly to the nearest emergency department. With the advent of modern ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) management and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), the role of the emergency medical service (EMS) has expanded significantly. This review discusses the critical and evolving collaboration between the EMS and the heart attack centre. Speed of reperfusion is a major determinant of outcome in STEMI and, whilst the patient delay (symptom to call time) has a central role in this, system delay (first medical contact to balloon time) is linked to mortality and is used to measure the response of a PPCI programme and is a key element of contemporary guidelines. In addition to rapid diagnosis and transfer to the heart attack centre, the EMS has to deliver a growing number of established treatments including resuscitation and drug therapy. EMS also continually needs to develop expertise in new techniques such as advanced management of cardiac arrest patients, including automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and will need to deliver newer therapies if trials support their use, including cooling and preconditioning. Ultimately, the EMS has a central role in the management of STEMI patients which needs to be fully aligned with the heart attack centres. This integration of services is perhaps best regarded as the Heart Attack Team.


This thesis focuses on three main areas within the field of SOFC/GT-technology:• Development of a dynamic SOFC/GT model• Model calibration and sensitivity study• Assessment of the dynamic properties of a SOFC/GT power plantThe SOFC/GT model developed in this thesis describes a pressurised tubular Siemens Westinghouse-type SOFC, which is integrated in a gas turbine cycle. The process further includes a plate-fin recuperator for stack air preheating, a prereformer, an anode exhaust gas recycling loop for steam/carbon-ratio control, an afterburner and a shell-tube heat exchanger for air preheating. The fuel cell tube, the recuperator and the shell-tube heat exchanger are spatially distributed models. The SOFC model is further thermally integrated with the prereformer. The compressor and turbine models are based on performance maps as a general representation of the characteristics. In addition, a shaft model which incorporates moment of inertia is included to account for gas turbine transients.The SOFC model is calibrated against experimentally obtained data from a single-cell experiment performed on a Siemens Westinghouse tubular SOFC. The agreement between the model and the experimental results is good. The sensitivity study revealed that the degree of prereforming is of great importance with respect to the axial temperature distribution of the fuel cell.Types of malfunctions are discussed prior to the dynamic behaviour study. The dynamic study of the SOFC/GT process is performed by simulating small and large load changes according to three different strategies;• Load change at constant mean fuel cell temperature• Load change at constant turbine inlet temperature• Load change at constant shaft speedOf these three strategies, the constant mean fuel cell temperature strategy appears to be the most rapid load change method. Furthermore, this strategy implies the lowest degree of thermal cycling, the smoothest fuel cell temperature distribution and the lowest current density at part-load. Thus, this strategy represents the overall lowest risk with respect to system malfunctions and degradation. In addition, the constant mean fuel cell temperature strategy facilitates high efficiency part-load operation. The constant turbine inlet temperature strategy proved to lead to unstable operation at low load, and thus it is considered to be the least adequate method for load change. For both the constant mean fuel cell temperature strategy and the constant TIT strategy, surge might be a problem for very large load reductions. The slowest response to load changes was found for the constant shaft speed strategy. Furthermore, this strategy leads to very low fuel cell temperatures at low loads. This in combination with a possible higher degradation rate makes the constant shaft speed strategy unsuited for large load variations. Nevertheless, operation at constant shaft speed may be facilitated by air bypass, VIGV or compressor blow off.


Dazomet (tetrahydro-3,5-dimethyl-2H-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione) is a soil fumigant labeled for turfgrass renovation. Little is known about dazomet efficacy on annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) seedling emergence, particularly when it is surface-applied. The objectives of this field study were to determine (i) the effects of rate and plastic covering of surface-applied dazomet on annual bluegrass seedling emergence in turf; and (ii) effective creeping bentgrass seeding intervals following surface applications of dazomet. All treatments were applied to established turf during late summer in 2000 and 2001. Covering dazomet treatments with plastic sheets resulted in fewer annual bluegrass seedlings than in noncovered treatments. All plastic-covered dazomet treatments (388, 340, 291, and 194 kg ha -1 ) provided greater than 98% reduction in annual bluegrass seedlings when compared with the plastic-covered controls during 2000 and 2001. When not covered with plastic, the 388 kg ha -1 dazomet treatment provided 97% fewer annual bluegrass seedlings in 2000 and 92% fewer seedlings in 2001 than the noncovered controls. Results of the seeding interval experiment revealed that creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) groundcover and yields were not inhibited when seeded 3 d after a surface application of dazomet at 388 kg ha -1 .


In 85 patients with mild and moderately severe arterial hypertension presenting with signs of hypertensive heart, processes of remodelling of the left ventricle (LV) of the heart were studied using combined echocardiographic criteria. An evaluation was done of effects of different groups of antihypertensive drugs on the revealed changes in the LV structure and geometry. The patients were divided into four groups depending on the antihypertensive drug taken (atenolol, cozaar, norvask, enalapril). All groups patients were found to derive benefit from a 4-month monotherapy: against the background of normalization of arterial pressure (AP) structural-and-geometric indices for LV have gotten improved together with those for pulmonary gas exchange. The antagonist of receptors to angiotensin-II (cozaar) and the inhibitor of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (enalapril) were found to be the most efficacious drugs in the correction of the revealed disturbances. Improvement in LV geometry and regression of its hypertrophy were not directly related to AP normalization, witch fact indicates that there is no relationship between antihypertensive and cardioreparative activities of the drugs studied.


Awaiting growth to end prior to starting orthosurgical treatment is sometimes extremely difficult for patients suffering from severe facial deformities. In cases of substantial skeletal disharmonies surgery may be indicated during active growth phase when the patient is psychosocially, aesthetically and/or functionally compromised. To indicate this therapy, orthodontic criteria, such as mild intramaxillary discrepancy and the possibility of preoperative preparation without major dental repositioning, must be met. A second orthosurgical treatment will probably prove necessary after growth has ended. This treatment should not be considered as routine, but rather as a therapeutic option in carefully selected cases.


The aim of this work is to use resolvent operator technique to find the common solutions for a system of generalized nonlinear relaxed cocoercive mixed variational inequalities and fixed point problems for Lipschitz mappings in Hilbert spaces. The results obtained in this work may be viewed as an extension, refinement and improvement of the previously known results.


Entrepreneurship has been pointed out as a key driver of economic growth and development by academia, policymakers, and government institutions alike. Globally, youth unemployment figures are alarmingly high and entrepreneurship, especially among the youth, plays an important role in generating employment among this cohort. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the entrepreneurial inclination of employed and unemployed young people between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Measurement on the factors made use of a tested and validated entrepreneurial intention scale. Primary data were collected through the use of questionnaires. The sample was almost evenly split between employed (n=176) and unemployed (n=163) participants. Data were analysed through the use of a principal component analysis (PCA), descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The findings of the study revealed that participants perceived the lack of the necessary entrepreneurial skills, difficulties in acquiring the necessary funding as well as insufficient support towards starting a business as the most important aspects deterring their entrepreneurial inclination. Chi-square tests further showcased significant differences in the perceptions of the employed and unemployed participants regarding the lack of market opportunities and the associated risk in starting a business. The results as presented in the study provide valuable insights to the areas of concern as well as recommendations towards reducing the obstacles for the youths' entrepreneurial involvement.


An automatic transmission of a car is computerized for fuel efficiency improvement with safety and the convenience, and is applied, and is the tendency which expands. The best in new technical development by a domestic and abroad professional part producer to an automatic transmission and system development for gear control. But it"s lack of the quality standard and the reliability by the country and is the standard which evades development and depends on overseas forward part traders for technical development. The automatic transmission attachment rate increases direct hydraulic control system for gear control of an automatic transmission by Customer Request as well as global market competitive power securement and market preceding acquisition through the import substitution effect by development this, so technical development to this field and technological growth are requested by a completed car and a close consortium. In this paper cutting down time being needed for an optimization design and trial product development through an electromagnetic field interpretation and a computational fluid dynamics interpretation in development of the hydraulic control solenoid valve applied to an automatic transmission, and contributing to development expense reduction effect by efficiency-development tends to grasp an hydraulic control solenoid valve and valve body matching


Bacterial pathogens need to acquire nutrients from the host, but for many nutrients their importance during infection remain poorly understood. We have investigated the importance of methionine acquisition and synthesis for Streptococcus pneumoniae growth and virulence using strains with gene deletions affecting a putative methionine ABC transporter lipoprotein (Sp_0149, metQ) and/or methionine biosynthesis enzymes (Sp_0585 - Sp_0586, metE and metF). Immunoblot analysis confirmed MetQ was a lipoprotein and present in all S. pneumoniae strains investigated. However, vaccination with MetQ did not prevent fatal S. pneumoniae infection in mice despite stimulating a strong specific IgG response. Tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated that MetQ has both a high affinity and specificity for L-methionine with a KD of ∼25 nM, and a ΔmetQ strain had reduced uptake of C14-methionine. Growth of the ΔmetQ/ΔmetEF strain was greatly impaired in chemically defined medium containing low concentrations of methionine and in blood but was partially restored by addition of high concentrations of exogenous methionine. Mixed infection models showed no attenuation of the ΔmetQ, ΔmetEF and ΔmetQ/ΔmetEF strains in their ability to colonise the mouse nasopharnyx. In a mouse model of systemic infection although significant infection was established in all mice, there were reduced spleen bacterial CFU after infection with the ΔmetQ/ΔmetEF strain compared to the wild-type strain. These data demonstrate that Sp_0149 encodes a high affinity methionine ABC transporter lipoprotein and that Sp_0585 – Sp_0586 are likely to be required for methionine synthesis. Although Sp_0149 and Sp_0585-Sp_0586 make a contribution towards full virulence, neither was essential for S. pneumoniae survival during infection.


AIM
To detect virulence genes in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli O1 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred and twenty strains of E.coli O1 strains isolated from faeces of patients with acute diarrhea (n = 45) and healthy persons (n = 75) were studied. PCR with primers for rfb and fliC genes, which control synthesis of O- and H- antigens respectively, was used. Fourteen virulence genes (pap, aaf, sfa, afa, eaeA, bfpA, ial, hly, cnf, stx1, stx2, lt, st, and aer) were detected by PCR primers. K1-antigen was determined by Pastorex Meningo B/E. coli O1 kit (Bio-Rad).

RESULTS
rfb gene controlling O-antigen synthesis in serogroup O1 as well as fliC gene controlling synthesis of H7 and K1 antigens were detected in all strains. Thus all E. coli strains had antigenic structure O1:K1 :H-:F7. Virulence genes aafl, sfa, afa, eaeA, bfpA, ial, hly, cnf, stx1, stx2, lt, and st were not detected. All strains owned pap and aer genes regardless of the presence of acute diarrhea symptoms.

CONCLUSION
It was shown that E. coli O1:KI:H-:F7 strains do not have virulence genes which are characteristic for diarrhea-causing Escherichia. In accordance with the presence of pap and aer genes they could be attributed to uropathogenic Escherichia (UPEC) or avian-pathogenic Escherichia (APEC). It is necessary to detect virulence factors in order to determine E. coli as a cause of intestinal infection.


Delaying protective action decision making in wildfire is inconsistent with fire authorities' advice and is associated with fatalities. A comprehensive understanding of why at-risk residents wait and see whether they will evacuate from a wildfire or remain to shelter or defend can better inform wildfire safety policy and practice. This systematic review reports the findings of 40 papers selected from 255 identified through a search of papers in Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar published between 1995 and December 2020 in English. This review establishes the extent of wait and see behaviour; grounds for concern for such behaviour; reasons protective action is delayed; the influence of information and warnings; relevance of gender and other characteristics; delay by those who defend their property; and policy implications. This review also details 11 seminal studies that capture much of the evidence on the delay of protective action in wildfire.


Three HAV variants, H2M20(35 degrees C), H2M20(35 degrees C) and H2M20K5(32 degrees C), were developed by passage in different tissue culture cells and at different temperatures. Virulence for monkeys was assessed by inoculating each of the variants into four monkeys. Weekly bleeding through 16 weeks post-inoculation was assayed for anti-HAV titers and SGPT as well as LDH5 activities. And in some monkeys liver biopsies were also studied. Seroconversion was induced in all of the inoculated monkeys. The anti-HAV titers tested at 16 weeks post-inoculation were: 40-640 with H2M20(35 degrees C), 40-160 with H2M20(32 degrees C) and 20-40 with H2M20K5(32 degrees C). These variants showed different levels of virulence/attenuation for monkeys. Variant H2M20(35 degrees C) showed no evidence of attenuation, variant H2M20(32 degrees C) retained slight virulence and variant H2M20K5(32 degrees C) showed no evidence of virulence for monkeys. Criteria are proposed for assay of HAV virulence tested in monkeys.


Patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), a human autosomal recessive genetic disease, are uniformly hypersensitive to ionizing radiation as measured by colony-forming ability and by chromosomal aberrations. Obligate heterozygotes, i.e., parents of AT patients, are slightly more radiosensitive than normal humans in terms of both colony-forming ability and chromosomal aberrations formed in G2. Thus, this system not only furnishes a model system to study factors that are responsible for radioresistance in normal human beings, but is also a unique tool for determining the role of gene dosage on radiation-induced cell killing. Because AT cells seem to be hypomutable to ionizing radiation, they also can be used to study the relationship between radiosensitivity and mutability and, therefore, carcinogenesis. Isolation of the defective gene that causes hypersensitivity in AT cells and its counterpart in normal cells should lead to a breakthrough in our understanding of radiation effects and how they can be prevented in human beings.


Because the efficacy of new drugs reported in trials may not translate into similar results when used in the real‐life, we analyzed the efficacy of idelalisib and rituximab (IR) in 149 patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated at 34 GIMEMA centers. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 22.9 and 44.5 months, respectively; performance status (PS) ≥2 and ≥3 previous lines of therapy were associated with shorter PFS and overall survival (OS). 48% of patients were on treatment at 12 months; the experience of the centers (≥5 treated patients) and PS 0–1 were associated with a significantly longer treatment duration (p = 0.015 and p = 0.002, respectively). TP53 disruption had no prognostic significance. The overall response rate to subsequent treatment was 49.2%, with median OS of 15.5 months and not reached in patients who discontinued, respectively, for progression and for toxicity (p < 0.01). Treatment breaks ≥14 days were recorded in 96% of patients and adverse events mirrored those reported in trials. In conclusion, this real‐life analysis showed that IR treatment duration was longer at experienced centers, that the ECOG PS and ≥3 lines of previous therapy are strong prognostic factor and that the overall outcome with this regimen was superimposable to that reported in a randomized trial.


This thesis is concerned with the high-frequency quasi-optical modelling of telescope
systems, with special attention paid to the Planck satellite, but further work is also
performed on the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange And climate Monitor Radiome-
ter (STEAMR) and the Far Infrared Instrument (FIRI). The primary work surrounds
the modelling of far sidelobe (FSL) patterns of the Planck telescope, with a view to
replicating features seen in some of the difference maps made by the 857-GHz channel
of Planck's High Frequency Instrument (HFI). This is done using a variety of techniques
in a number of software packages. The General Reector Antenna Software Package
(GRASP9) is used for accurate characterisation of the FSLs using two analysis methods: Physical Optics (PO), and Geometrical Optics (GO) with the Geometrical Theory
of Diffraction (GTD). This is then compared against two simplified paraxial lens models
of the telescope, namely the Projected-Aperture (PA) technique and Gaussian Beam
Mode Analysis (GBMA). PA is performed by Fresnel integration of fields from source
to sky, while GBM requires decomposition of a field into a set of Gauss-Laguerre modes
which are propagated from source to sky using a ray matrix formalism. The motivation
for analysing the Planck FSL structure is to test the assumption that features in the
difference map are a result of manufacturing imperfections in the detector horns. To
test this hypothesis a number of altered horn geometries are modelled using the NUI
Maynooth Experimental Physics departments in-house waveguide mode-matching soft-
ware called SCATTER, and these are then used in the analysis of the telescope system.
Further use of SCATTER is illustrated in work on ultra-Gaussian horns for STEAMR,
and here it is tested against commercial waveguide modelling software Microwave Wizard
(uWW).
Further modelling is performed for the Cardiff test-bed of the Planck telescope simulator,
which was used for qualification of the Planck HFI
ight horns pre-launch. Here we test
the hypothesis that manufacturing imperfections could be missed if the effects on beam
pattern were imperceptible to measurement. This is done using GRASP9, as is the
modelling of FIRI, a multi-beam spectral/spatial interferometer which will hopefully
break current constraints on angular resolution obtainable at infra-red wavelengths.
In general, this thesis aims to provide insight into the modelling of quasi-optical telescope
systems, with particular emphasis on multi-moded systems, providing useful information
for future data analysis by the Planck project team.


The recent advances in full human body (HB) imaging technology illustrated by the 3D human body scanner (HBS), a device delivering full HB shape data, opened up large perspectives for the deployment of this technology in various fields such as the clothing industry, anthropology, and entertainment. However, these advances also brought challenges on how to process and interpret the data delivered by the HBS in order to bridge the gap between this technology and potential applications. This paper presents a literature survey of research work on HBS data segmentation and modeling aiming at overcoming these challenges, and discusses and evaluates different approaches with respect to several requirements.


This study is a parasitological and clinical study on human scabies. This study was carried out on 100 patients attending the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic at Ain Shams University Hospitals, including 54 males and 46 females. All patients were subjected to detailed history taking, complete dermatological examination including Skin Scraping Test and Burrow Ink Test. Younger patients attended the dermatology clinic earlier than older patients, who usually delayed their visits until complications occurred. Scratching, erythematous papules and secondary infected lesions were the commonest lesions. The hands, wrist and external genitalia were the most frequently affected sites while the feet, ankles, knees and back were the least affected. Burrows could only be detected in 40% of patients. The most frequent sites were the web spaces, external genitalia, and finger sides. Burrow Ink Test was positive among 85% of patients with burrows while mites could be identified by Skin Scraping Test in 55% of patients. The most frequent clinical manifestations in the parasitologically positive patients were itching, burrows, and papules, and the most frequent sites were the web spaces, and the finger sides. Multiple sites affection was the characteristic feature among the preschool age children who represented 14% of cases.


Abstract: Introduction. The beginning of the nano-era started with the appearance of artificial nanosized supramolecular systems called nanomaterials. Their bursting on to the scene has been observed in both fundamental science and modern industry, and has led the appearance of new fields of R&D, notably nanotechnology, nanobiology, nanomedicine. Areas covered. In the present review, we have analyzed the patents on phosphorus-based nanomaterials (fullerenes, quantum dots, graphene, liposomes, dendrimers, gold and silver nanoparticles) in biology and medicine. Their impact in treatment of cancer, viral infections, and cardiovascular diseases is discussed. Expert opinion. Liposomes and dendrimers had the highest number of biomedical patents. The third candidates were quantum dots, and the fourth and fifth were gold and silver nanoparticles. Fullerenes and carbon nanotubes have the fewest applications in biology and medicine. Thus, our first conclusion was about the 'unifying nanotoxicology paradigm' [Kannan, Tomalia et al.], that 'soft' nanoparticles are significantly more biocompatible than 'hard' nanoparticles. The trend of applications of these nanomaterials is in medicine drug and gene delivery, visualization of cells and pathologic processes, using them as antivirals and antimicrobials, contrast agents, antioxidants and photosensitizers. It was unexpected that no patents were found in which phosphorus NPs were used in 3D printing of bones and other biological tissues. The conclusion reached is that nanomaterials are promising tools in future medical applications.


Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is an important regulator of cell growth, differentiation, and function. We show that TGF-beta 1 selectively inhibits IL-3-dependent mouse bone marrow derived mast cell (MBMMC) proliferation without affecting MBMMC function or differentiation. TGF-beta 1 significantly decreased [3H]thymidine uptake by IL-3-dependent MBMMC in a dose-dependent manner with 50% inhibition of proliferation occurring with a TGF-beta 1 concentration of 0.1 ng/ml. A brief (i.e., 30 min) incubation of MBMMC with TGF-beta 1 is sufficient to inhibit IL-3-induced proliferation of MBMMC (cultured in the absence of TGF-beta 1) for 24 to 48 h. The inhibitory effect of TGF-beta 1 on the IL-3-dependent proliferation of MBMMC is not cytotoxic as evident from the absence of MBMMC trypan blue staining, the retained functional characteristics of the MBMMC cultured in TGF-beta 1, and the reversibility of the TGF-beta 1 induced inhibition of IL-3 dependent MBMMC proliferation. MBMMC grown in TGF-beta 1 acutely (24 to 48 h) or chronically (7 to 14 days) do not exhibit functional differences in performed or newly generated mediator secretion (Ag/IgE or calcium ionophore A23187 induced MBMMC beta-hexosaminidase or leukotriene C4 release) from MBMMC grown in the absence of TGF-beta 1. In addition, MBMMC cultured for 2 wk in TGF-beta 1 do not show evidence of differentiation as assessed by cellular histamine content or Alcian blue/safranin staining. Thus, TGF-beta 1 is an important negative regulator of IL-3-dependent mast cell proliferation in vitro, selectively inhibiting IL-3-dependent MBMMC proliferation without affecting MBMMC function or differentiation.


This paper considers the issue of bootstrap resampling in panel datasets. The availability of datasets with large temporal and cross sectional dimensions suggests the possibility of new resampling schemes. We suggest one possibility which has not been widely explored in the literature. It amounts to constructing bootstrap samples by resampling whole cross sectional units with replacement. In cases where the data do not exhibit cross sectional dependence but exhibit temporal dependence, such a resampling scheme is of great interest as it allows the application of i.i.d. bootstrap resampling rather than block bootstrap resampling. It is well known that the former enables superior approximation to distributions of statistics compared to the latter. We prove that the bootstrap based on cross sectional resampling provides asymptotic reflnements. A Monte Carlo study illustrates the superior properties of the new resampling scheme


Targeting guanine (G)-rich DNA sequences, folded into non-canonical G-quadruplex (G4) structures, by small ligand molecules is a potential strategy for gene therapy of cancer disease. BRACO-19 has been recently established as a unique (thermodynamically favorable and highly selective) binder, being involved in the external stacking mode of interaction with a G4-DNA formed in the c-Myc oncogene promoter region (P. M. Mitrasinovic, Croat. Chem. Acta 2019, 92, 43-57). Herein, hit-to-lead ligands are identified using high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS). Search of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases is performed using the key pharmacophore features of BRACO-19. At the very outset, out of a total of 29,009 entries, 95 hits are extracted and evaluated by docking them in the binding sites of G4. Then, 22 hits are chosen by observing the binding free energies. Consequently, 3 hit-to-lead candidates are selected on the basis of structural criteria. Finally, a lead candidate structure is proposed using analog design and considering both the physicochemical requirements for optimal biological activity and a variety of pharmacological standpoints. Implications of the present study for experimental research are discussed.


Choosing to enrol in a university and earn a degree is a decision that all high school graduates have to face. The options and opportunities available in the work field are too diverse and each student has to make a decision, whether to enrol in a university or not. The decision is based on a cost-benefit method, which transforms the pursuance of higher education into an economic matter. Therefore, after finishing high school, a student will utilize a cost-benefit procedure to arrive at the right decision. This leads to the serious question; do the benefits of university education outweigh the costs for Lebanese students? To answer this question a survey comprised of 1000 questionnaires along with ten hypotheses to be tested and analysed was adopted. Responses were divided into two groups. Some believed that, university education is a necessity and considered it as important as school itself for the growth, maturity, and the bright future of each person. Others, however, thought that it is a disadvantage not to enrol in a university and pursue higher education. Based on the results of this paper, a high percentage of Lebanese believe that the university offers an added value, and it is important for employment in the country. However, 53% believe that a non-graduate can perform the same job as a graduate, and finally, 60% believe that skills are more important than a degree when recruiting a new employee. Therefore, it is quite clear that university education is a necessary condition but not a sufficient one to guarantee a successful career. Hence, university education is as important as job experience and skills that add to the person's assets.