Background The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted structures and communities across the globe. Numerous regions of the world have had varying responses in their attempts to contain the spread of the virus. Factors such as public health policies, governance, and sociopolitical climate have led to differential levels of success at controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Ultimately, a more advanced surveillance metric for COVID-19 transmission is necessary to help government systems and national leaders understand which responses have been effective and gauge where outbreaks occur. Objective The goal of this study is to provide advanced COVID-19 surveillance metrics for Canada at the country, province, and territory level that account for shifts in the pandemic including speed, acceleration, jerk, and persistence. Enhanced surveillance identifies risks for explosive growth and regions that have controlled outbreaks successfully. Methods Using a longitudinal trend analysis study design, we extracted 62 days of COVID-19 data from Canadian public health registries for 13 provinces and territories. We used an empirical difference equation to measure the daily number of cases in Canada as a function of the prior number of cases, the level of testing, and weekly shift variables based on a dynamic panel model that was estimated using the generalized method of moments approach by implementing the Arellano-Bond estimator in R. Results We compare the week of February 7-13, 2021, with the week of February 14-20, 2021. Canada, as a whole, had a decrease in speed from 8.4 daily new cases per 100,000 population to 7.5 daily new cases per 100,000 population. The persistence of new cases during the week of February 14-20 reported 7.5 cases that are a result of COVID-19 transmissions 7 days earlier. The two most populous provinces of Ontario and Quebec both experienced decreases in speed from 7.9 and 11.5 daily new cases per 100,000 population for the week of February 7-13 to speeds of 6.9 and 9.3 for the week of February 14-20, respectively. Nunavut experienced a significant increase in speed during this time, from 3.3 daily new cases per 100,000 population to 10.9 daily new cases per 100,000 population. Conclusions Canada excelled at COVID-19 control early on in the pandemic, especially during the first COVID-19 shutdown. The second wave at the end of 2020 resulted in a resurgence of the outbreak, which has since been controlled. Enhanced surveillance identifies outbreaks and where there is the potential for explosive growth, which informs proactive health policy.


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS
Despite the well-documented comorbidity between disordered alcohol use and problem gambling, little is known about the co-occurrence of drinking and gambling in gambling venues. This paper appears to be the first to investigate the association between drinking and gambling behaviour among a large sample of gamblers during a specific, non-laboratory gambling episode.

DESIGN AND METHODS
We conducted a mail survey of all available households in the Northern Territory of Australia, including questions on drinking and gambling behaviour on the last visit to a gambling venue. We estimate the effect of moderate (1-4 standard drinks) and risky (>4 standard drinks) alcohol consumption on gambling participation and gambling duration for both problem and non-problem gamblers using regression analysis of 7044 survey responses.

RESULTS
The probability of participating in electronic gaming machine (EGM) gambling decreased with alcohol consumption for non-problem gamblers, while the probability of participating in TAB (Totalisator Agency Board, off-course totalisator) gambling increased with risky alcohol consumption for all gamblers. Alcohol consumption was not associated with EGM gambling participation for problem gamblers. Moderate alcohol consumption was negatively associated with EGM gambling duration, with a stronger effect observed for problem gamblers.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Moderate alcohol consumption is inversely correlated with both the duration of play and probability of participation for EGM gambling. Current laboratory studies do not predict the drinking-gambling behaviour of the general population in non-laboratory settings. Future research on alcohol and gambling co-occurrence must explicitly consider the drinking and gambling environment in order to produce policy-relevant findings.


Pharmaceutical excipients that developed from waste products are economical because they are coming from natural sources. The present study aimed to extract pectin from Mango peels (Mangifera indica) and exploring its property as binding agent. Extracted mango pectin was evaluated with its capacity to bind by determining the presence of carbohydrates through Molish's, functional groups present by FTIR spectroscopy, physic-chemical characterization by determining its ash content, pH value, solubility behavior, surface tension, loss on drying, bulk and true density, powder flow property and powder compressibility based on the standards set by USP/NF (1995). Acetaminophen tablets containing starch as a binding agent was used as standard for comparison with the Acetaminophen tablets with pectin as binding agent. On the other hand, mango pectin and starch were compared individually as tablet binder in Paracetamol tablet formulation. Formulated tablets were prepared following the standards of USP/NF. Results have shown no significant difference between the mango pectin and starch in post-compression analysis of the formulated tablets in terms of the disintegration and dissolution. It was also revealed that in hardness test there is a significant difference in the binding capacity of pectin being much harder than starch. Meanwhile, friability test was less than one percent. These test results conform to the specification and standards set by USP/NF. Study revealed that mango pectin is comparable to starch as binding agent. Mango peels were considered waste products and utilizing it can help the environment.


Urothelial carcinomas (UC) are the most common cancer type of the urinary system. The early diagnosis and treatment of UC are very important.The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of the nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) in early diagnosis of UC and to present its variation in cystitis and urothelial dysplasia (UD). Twenty patients with UC, 20 patients with UD and 20 patients with cystitis diagnosed by urinary cytological examination were enrolled in this study. In addition, 20 healthy people constituted the control group. Urine samples were collected from all patients and control subjects for NMP22 measurement and cytology. Those who were diagnosed with cytological malignancy were also histologically evaluated for accuracy. Additionally, the NMP22 levels of all participants were measured by ELISA. When compared according to the cytologic results, the NMP22 levels in the UC group were found significantly higher compared to those having UD, cystitis and control group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between other groups. It has been concluded that NMP22 can be used in the early diagnosis and determination of recurrences in UC. However, as the NMP22 level may be increased by other factors such as UD, cystitis, bladder stones and non-urothelial carcinomas of bladder, it is suggested urinary cytology that showed be jointly used with NMP22 measuring.


A View of Language from Somewhere in Particular Jarek Sierschynski University of Washington Abstract: There are many ways of representing language as a physical organ that are made available by the human and the natural sciences. Shaping our understanding, such representations generate views of language that are simultaneously abstract and physical. These views are mediated both by theoretical accounts and imaging tools which both implicitly and explicitly localize and imagine language as an internal component of the mind/brain (e.g., Hauser, Chomsky & Fitch, 2002). This discussion attempts to extend existent representations of language as a physical structure by focusing on how and where language is localized in the neurosciences, philosophy, and linguistics. Viewed as a natural element of the world (Chomsky, 1995), hence also emerging from within the natural environment, language could be understood as not bound to a particular scale of representation. Blending theoretical with physical depictions of language, a perceptual model of language as a structure in the physical environment is explored.


A tabular Reinforcement Learning algorithm, such as Q-learning, is incapable of solving problems with large state spaces due to explosive growth of the table required to be kept in fast memory (e.g. RAM). Neural Networks offer a solution at the expense of representation, among other things. Yet if we analyze the learning task in terms of the goal arity, we can approach problems of larger state spaces with Discretized Q-learning algorithm, by dramatically reducing memory requirements for the Q table.This paper demonstrates the methodology using the well-known LightsOut puzzle. While analytical methods of solving some variants of this puzzle are known, we proceed under a different premise of putting the learning agent in a much more difficult position of having virtually no initial information about the rules of the puzzle and often not being able to perceive the symmetries inherent in the two-dimensional puzzle grid.Without the described savings a standard and already thrifty Q-learning solution to a 5×5 variant of the puzzle would require over 3 gigabytes of RAM with 4 bytes per table entry, while our Discretized Q-learning solution required only 5 bits per table entry, allowing us to solve the puzzle on a 1 gigabyte machine. Finally, we also consider a variant of this puzzle for which no analytical solutions are known. The Discretized Q-learning algorithm is equally applicable to the new puzzle and can solve it with exactly the same effort.


Lymph node cells of rats sensitized with hen ovalbumin produced lymphotoxin after 6 to 12 hours of exposure to specific antigen. Lymphotoxin was assayed by its cytotoxicity for fibroblasts from syngeneic embryos during a 72-hour incubation. Cytochalasin B inhibited lymphotoxin production, as well as later DNA synthesis, at concentrations (0.1 to 5.0 micrograms per milliliter) comparable to those which affect microfilament function and cell motility in other systems, and this inhibition was reversible. Binding of antigen was not affected.


INTRODUCTION
Oocyte Culture of Germinal Vesicle (GV) and its growth improves Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) invitro and infertility. Inappropriate culture medium environment, low quality of oocytes, increase in Oxidative Stress (OS) events, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and free radicals production are the main factors that result in unsuccessful Invitro Maturation (IVM) and decrease in reproduction.

AIM
The present study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the effect of β-mercaptoethanol (BME) and Cysteamine (CYS) on IVM improvement, embryo fertilization and development of blastocyst of mouse immature oocyte.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Oocytes were obtained from 4-6 weeks old Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) female mice, 48 hours after stimulation with Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 10 IU Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG). GV oocyte with and without cumulus cells were isolated from ovaries and cultured in Tissue Culture Medium (TCM) 199 with availability of 100 μM of antioxidants (BME and CYS). After 24 hours, mature oocyte in metaphase II (MII) were fertilized with sperm in In vitro Fertilization (IVF) medium (T6) and evaluated for fetal development into blastocyst.

RESULTS
BME and CYS could significantly (p<0.05) increase the rate of IVM and oocyte evolution, and embryo formation in medium culture. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that existence of Cumulus Oocyte Complexes (COC) significantly showed better IVM, fertilization and evolution trend as compared to oocytes without cumulus cover or Denuded Oocytes (DO), especially in TCM199 plus BME and CYS. So that the change in GV stage oocytes to MII (maturation rate), fertilization rates or 2PN formation, and two cell embryos formation or blastocyst development rate in the treatment group with addition of BME & CYS and COC was statistically significant as compared to the DO group (p-value < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION
Both cellular and environmental factors could be important and involved in ART improvement.


CASE DESCRIPTION
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred mare was evaluated because of abnormal upper respiratory tract sounds (that had become apparent during race training) of 3 to 4 months' duration.

CLINICAL FINDINGS
On initial physical evaluation, there were no abnormal findings. During trotting, an abnormal upper airway expiratory sound was audible. Endoscopic examination revealed a small mass protruding into the right ventral nasal meatus. Radiographic images of the skull revealed no abnormal findings. Computed tomography of the head revealed an abnormal structure in the same location as the mass that was observed during endoscopy. The x-ray attenuation of the mass was identical to that of dental tissue.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
The mass was surgically removed with endoscopic guidance. On gross examination, the excised mass appeared to be a nearly normal molariform tooth. Histologic examination revealed that it was a well-formed tooth, with no other associated cellular populations. The mass was determined to be a molariform supernumerary intranasal tooth. Six months following discharge from the hospital, the trainer reported that the abnormal respiratory tract sound was no longer audible. During a follow-up endoscopic examination performed at the training facility, no abnormalities were detected.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
In horses, an intranasal tooth should be considered as a differential diagnosis for expiratory stridor. Clear definitions of heterotopic polyodontia, dentigerous cyst, and temporal teratoma can be used to clinically diagnose these separate anomalies. In the horse of this report, computed tomographic findings contributed to determination of a diagnosis and formulation of a treatment plan.


BACKGROUND
Chemotherapy induced neuropathy pain remains as a major dose limiting side effect of many commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs. Presently newer antiepileptic agents have been developed with improved safety and tolerability profiles in alleviating neuropathic pain.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effect of Gabapentin and Pregabalin in Paclitaxel (Taxol) induced neuropathic pain and to compare the effect of these drugs in animal models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Rats were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each. Group 1- vehicle, Group 2 - Paclitaxel (2mg/kg), Group 3 - Gabapentin (60mg/kg) with Paclitaxel, Group 4 - Pregabalin (30mg/kg) with Paclitaxel. Pain was induced by intraperitoneal injection of Paclitaxel on four alternate days. After taking the baseline values, the drugs treated groups (group 3 and 4) were administered with respective drugs once a day orally for eight consecutive days along with paclitaxel. All the animals were tested for thermal hyperalgesia and cold allodynia on day 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 with Radiant heat method and Tail immersion test, Acetone drop method respectively.

RESULTS
In Radiant heat method, gabapentin and pregabalin treated animals found to have significant increase in the tail latency period compared to control and paclitaxel treated groups in all periods of observation. Acetone drop test and tail immersion test also showed significant response similar to Radiant heat method. Pregabalin showed highly significant effect when compared to gabapentin group.

CONCLUSION
Both gabapentin and pregabalin produced significant anti-hyperalgesic and anti-allodynic effects in experimental animal models. Pregabalin treated group showed highly significant effect compared to gabapentin treated animals.


An understanding of the hydrodynamics of Lake Champlain is critical to our ability to accurately model and predict the movement and eventual disposition of contaminants within the water column. Although our knowledge of lake circulation has increased dramatically over the past, it is nevertheless based entirely upon Eulerian observations at a few selected sites within the lake. By their very nature. Eulerian measurements (observations made at a fixed location over time) possess intrinsic limitations in their ability to map complicated flow dynamics within large regions. Specifically for Lake Champlain, large oscillatory currents created by the internal seiche mask our ability to define average flow conditions due to low average values bounded by high standard deviations. Additionally, documenting circulation throughout the entire lake using existing techniques is cost prohibitive. This proposal seeks to test the practicality of using a Lagrangian mapping technique known as RAFOS to define complicated flow trajectories of fluid parcels at different levels within the water column over time. While this technique has been used within the oceans over the past several decades to look at oceanographic problems ranging over a wide spectrum of temporal and spatial scales, it has never been employed, to our knowledge, in any lake environment. This project is a feasibility study using acoustically traced, neutrally buoyant, free-drifting subsurface floats within Lake Champlain. If successful, both Eulerian and Lagrangian measurements could be coupled to produce the next significant level of understanding of circulation dynamics within Lake Champlain.


Function of most electronic devices is based on the microprocessor control. A microprocessor must scan and evaluate function of many controlled equipment that can be transformed into 2 statuses - "free" or "busy". Microprocessors in a digital exchange are the typical example of that. It can be said the microprocessors are in a discrete dialogue with the controlled parts. They ascertain in regular time intervals whether the status of the controlled equipment has changed. 1 or more "busy" statuses may exist in the same time. As the changes from "free" to "busy" and from "busy" to "free" occur randomly, the state of i busy statuses lasts for a random period too. If the changes have pro-perties of Markov process, the probability which each change will be detected with and hence the scanning rate needed can be derived.


Background:
Host-associated microbial communities play a significant role in a species' environmental interactions, often performing functions unachievable by the eukaryotic host, and is essential in developing a comprehensive understanding of the species and its impact on the local and global ecosystem.

Earthworms (Lumbricina) habituate almost every type of soil environment globally, including sites of severe environmental stress and is an essential ecosystem engineer, central to healthy natural and agricultural soils. To date, only a singular symbiotic species (Verminephrobacter sp.) has been identified, but the earthworm impact on transient microbial communities and the surrounding soil microbiome is profound.

Methods:
Previous culture and molecular based studies found earthworm-associated microbiota unlikely however, this has not been explored using High Throughput Sequencing. Utilisation of Illumina, 454 and Ion Torrent sequencing has enabled production of the highest resolution microbial analysis of host-associated bacteria of any single eukaryotic species to date, including spatial bacterial localisation of the entire Lumbricus rubellus organism and impact analysis of a wide range of anthropogenic contaminants and environmental stressors on the basal microbiomic community.

Results:
A core bacterial community has been described which is distinct from the surrounding soil. A number of novel species have been associated with the earthworm crop, body wall and hindgut, contravening claims that the earthworm has limited or no impact on ingested soil bacteria. This demonstrate that the host properties impart significant effects on the transient population, demanding further analysis to determine potential symbiotic functionality. However, while a biologically important community has been described, the significant impact of anthropogenic contamination on the host microbiome must be considered given the observed eradication of the Verminephrobacter symbiont during the host's exposure to arsenic and the potential subsequent implications on host health.


Abstract This paper will explore the role of universities as one of the most important gatekeepers that facilitate the appropriation of Indigenous medical knowledge (IMK) from Indigenous communities to transnational pharmaceutical corporations. The first section will deconstruct the "denial of dependency" upon IMK. Using case studies, the critique will demonstrate a complex mystification of Indigenous knowledge and labour, and a de-identification of Indigenous people and nature as the source of the medicines appropriated. The last section will analyse the law and policy context of the past 20 years that is responsible for creating a process of academic capitalism that has strengthened this phenomenon.


Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the presence Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) which was created by a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 (t [9;22] [q34;q11]. The approval of the 2 nd generation TKI ( Nilotinib) takes the treatment of CML patients into new erea with more efficiency and mild to moderate adverse effects. This study was aimed at evaluation of molecular cytogenetic response by (FISH) for Nilotinib in Iraqi patients with assessment for electrolytes disturbances of Nilotinb by measuring a panel of electrolyte (Na + , K + , Ca ++ , PO4 --and Mg ++ ) , where thirty Iraqi patients with CML who have resistance or no response to Imatinib treatment, attending to Baghdad Teaching Hospital/Hematology Department, have been submitted to this study. Blood samples have been taken pre and post starting treatment with Nilotinib, FISH study was done only for CML patients, while 30 normal healthy control volunteers submitted to the same panel of electrolytes measurements (Na + , K + , Ca ++ , PO4 --and Mg ++ ) in addition to pre and post treatment Nilotinib patients. The results show out of 30 patients (17) males and (13) females with male to female ratio 1.3:1, FISH results for patients (pre and post) treatment mean±SD were(58.7%±26.2 % and 45.7%±29.9%) obviously significant with good cytogenetic response in resistance CML for Imatinib. Sodium levels in mmol/L pre, post treatment and control mean±SD were (139.2±6.9 , 142.4±9.2 and 140.4±2.52) respectively, with no significant difference between each other with P value > 0.05 in all comparisons. Potassium levels mean±SD in mmol/L results for patients (pre, post) and control were (4.6±0.69, 4.3±0.68 and 4.46±0.76) respectively, with no significant difference between each other with P value > 0.05 in all comparisons. Calcium levels in mg/dL results for patients (pre, post) and control as mean±SD were (8.68 ±1.68, 8.1±1.72 and 9.12±0.38) respectively with no significant differences except between post treatment and control group with P value > 0.05 in all comparisons. Phosphate levels in mg/dL results for patients (pre, post) and control as mean±SD were (2.5±0.84, 2.95±1.04 and 3.4±0.49) respectively with significant difference with P value < 0.05 in all comparisons. Magnesium levels in mg/dL results for patients pre, post and control as mean±SD were (1.93±0.34, 2.06±0.44 and 2.1±0.34) respectively with no significant difference between each other with P value > 0.05 in all comparisons. This study sheds a light on the molecular cytogenetic response for CML patients who have already resistance to Imatinib and Nilotinib that has much more potent effect as approved by studies and this study has used FISH technique. This study emphasizes on the importance of evaluation of electrolyte panel for CML patients before starting Nilotinib study taking in to consideration if these patients are *Department of Chemistry College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad. **Consultant hematologist, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical. Baghdad Science Journal Vol.12(1)2015 111 already receiving Imatinib which can also affect bone metabolism and calcium and


: Metrizamide, a new non-ionic, triodinated contrast agent has been considerable for intravenous urography. Theory predicts that lower osmotic diuresis with this agent should lead to higher urinary iodine concentrations than with ionic agents, at equivalent iodine doses. However, a distinct advantage with metrizamide has not been observed with doses of 175 mgI/kg or less. In this study metrizamide and sodium locarmate were given intravenously to dehydrated dogs at a dose level of 600 mgI/kg. During the studies the concentrations and outputs of major urinary solutes were compared. Comparisons of urinary iodine concentrations and outputs showed that at this dose the predicted advantage with metrizamide can be observed.


ABSTRACT Where, when and how much animals eat provide valuable insights into their ecology. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis between Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Input Delay Neural Network (IDNN) models to identify prey capture events from penguin accelerometry data. A pre-classified dataset of 3D time-series data from back-mounted accelerometers was used. We trained both the models to classify the penguins' behavior at intervals as either 'prey handling' or 'swimming'. The aim was to determine whether IDNN could achieve the same level of classification accuracy as SVM, but with reduced memory demands. This would enable the IDNN model to be embedded on the accelerometer micro-system itself, and hence reduce the magnitude of the output data to be uploaded. Based on the classification results, this paper provides an analysis of the two models from both an accuracy and applicability point of view. The experimental results show that both models achieve an equivalent accuracy of approx. 85% using the featured data, with a memory demand of 0.5 kB for IDNN and 0.7 Mb for SVM. The raw accelerometer data let us improve the generalizability of the models with a slightly lower accuracy to around 80%. This indicates that the IDNN model can embed on the accelerometer itself, reducing problems associated with raw time-series data retrieval and loss.


Abstract The diamictites of the Neoproterozoic Kapp Lyell Sequence in northern Wedel Jarlsberg Land, southwest Spitsbergen, have long been recognized as ancient glacial deposits, but their place within the global stratigraphic framework of 'snowball Earth' has remained unclear, owing to the complexity of superimposed Caledonian deformation and to the relatively inaccessible terrain in which they occur. Recently deglaciated exposures of the rocks now provide a more complete picture of the changing environment in which the diamictites were deposited, and new understanding of regional correlations help constrain their place in the global chronostratigraphy of the Cryogenian Period. The 2500 m thick Kapp Lyell Sequence consists of three distinct types of glaciomarine diamictite. The succession begins with about 1000 m of finely laminated diamictite containing abundant lonestones. The millimetre- to centimetre-scale laminae, apparent suspension deposits, consist of sand- to silt-sized particles of quartz and dolomite alternating with thin films of graphitic phyllite. The laminated unit gives way abruptly to 500–1000 m of unsorted, unlayered diamictite that alternates and interfingers with graded beds of conglomerate to sandstone. These apparent turbidite deposits become increasingly prevalent toward the top of the exposed section. Regional lithostratigraphic relationships suggest that the Kapp Lyell sequence corresponds to the second major stage of Neoproterozoic glaciation at c. 635 Ma. The graphitic material in the laminated unit yields δ13C values in the range of −20 to −22 ‰, pointing to a biogenic origin and an active marine biosphere at the time of deposition. The preservation of organic carbon and unusually large ratios of highly reactive Fe to total Fe suggest that low oxygen conditions prevailed in the deep basin that received these sediments. The transition from laminated, to unsorted, to graded diamictites may represent change from (1) a stable ice margin that released rare icebergs into a deep, quiet basin to (2) a collapsing ice sheet that unleashed flotillas of icebergs and large volumes of sediment to (3) submarine landslides that triggered turbidity flows from the rapidly deposited, gravitationally unstable sediments. The Kapp Lyell diamictite sequence appears to chronicle the demise of a large ice mass in this part of the Neoproterozoic world.


Insurers and pension funds must value liabilities using mortality rates that are appropriate for their portfolio. Current practice is to multiply available projections of population mortality with portfolio-specific factors, which are often determined using Generalised Linear Models. Alternatively, one of the well-known stochastic mortality models can directly be applied to portfolio data to construct portfolio-specific projections without the use of population data. However, this requires a sufficiently large historical dataset for the portfolio, which is often not available.We overcome this problem by introducing a model to estimate portfolio-specific mortality simultaneously with population mortality. We use a Bayesian framework, which automatically generates the appropriate weighting of the limited statistical information for a given portfolio and the more extensive information that is available for the whole population. It also allows us to incorporate parameter uncertainty when projecting portfolio-specific mortality rates.We apply our method to a dataset of assured lives in England & Wales. We find that uncertainty in portfolio-specific factors can be significant, and that confidence intervals for portfolio-specific mortality projections are slightly wider than those resulting from frequentist projections.


The new wave of technological innovation is expected to fundamentally change the future of jobs. The debate on the impact on jobs, however, is controversial. Some expect a jobless future, while others argue that history will repeat itself, and new technologies will eventually create new and better jobs. This research aims at a better understanding of the dynamics of job destruction and job creation. The paper develops a framework to explain the nexus new technology, innovation and job, and the forces driving labour-saving as well as job-creating innovations. Technological change is explained as a non linear and complex process which comes in waves and different phases, and market, social and political forces are driving the dynamics of job destruction and job creation.The paper firstly explains the role of market forces in driving automation and fragmentation as two forms of process innovation that destroy jobs in industrial production regimes. Secondly, markets also create jobs by adjusting to increased productivity and jobs losses. However, due to country- specific social capabilities the net impact on jobs differs significantly across countries. Finally, this paper explains the long-term process of moving towards a golden age of job creation. Such a phase of massive job creation can only be achieved by transformative changes in the economy where radically new products and new growth industries emerge in a process of creative destruction. Such changes cannot be generated by markets, they are a social and political choice. The paper argues that unintended consequences of past technological changes have disruptive effects in societies and natural environment which trigger social debates and movements, societal learning processes, and eventually, new social and political demand and new capabilities. It is this social transformation that propels transformative structural changes in the economy and massive job creation.This paper concludes that technological change and the future of jobs is not deterministic, but needs to be shaped. Both, market adjustment and societal learning processes drive endogenously the job-creation dynamics. The challenge for public policies is to foster the dynamics of societal learning and economic transformation.


Applications of molecular techniques have become integral to most fields of biological research, including evolutionary biology. Over the past two decades, studies of molecular genetics of foraminifers have emerged to enhance taxonomic identification with broad applications, including biodiversity, environmental assessments, and paleoceanographic studies. However, the results are widely scattered across the literature, thereby inhibiting advances in such research on foraminifers, especially regionally. In this review, we discuss the developments and contributions in the field of molecular genetics as applied to foraminifers, offering a guide to beginners in this area of research. Furthermore, this review highlights new opportunities for foraminiferal research that will pave the way for future studies in this field.


This project focuses on the improvement of the mix design and the development of guidelines for construction and maintenance of permeable friction courses (PFC). The study started with an information search documented in Technical Report 0-5262-1 that summarizes information from a worldwide literature review and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) district interviews focused on performance, maintenance, and construction of PFC. The information gathered was used to define an experimental design directed to evaluate four main aspects of PFC mix design: volumetrics, functionality (or drainability), durability, and aging. These aspects were evaluated for mixtures fabricated with both TxDOT asphalt types: PG-76-22 and asphalt rubber. Dimensional analysis and calculation of the theoretical maximum specific gravity of the mixture were recommended for evaluating total air voids (AV) content and water accessible AV content. The computation of water accessible AV was suggested for future application in design and performance evaluations. In addition, the density specification was modified (from 78-82 percent to 76-80 percent) to ensure adequate drainability. Field evaluation of drainability during construction was recommended to ensure adequate initial functionality properties in terms of permeability. For durability, the draindown test and the Cantabro loss test (conducted in both dry and wet conditions) were recommended. In addition, density requirements for field compaction were suggested to improve the control of functionality and durability. Technical Report 0-5262-2 constitutes the second interim report and documents construction and maintenance guidelines for PFC.


Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has relied on fluorophores that emit in the 700-900 nm NIR-Ia or 1,000-1,700 nm NIR-II window for generating deep-tissue images. Up until now, there have been few fluorophores developed for the 900-1,000 nm NIR-Ib window. This is largely because NIR-Ib light is thought to be strongly absorbed by water. Methods: Here we found that six heptamethine dyes had distinct emission peaks in both the NIR-Ia and NIR-Ib window. We tested the performance of these contrast agents by introducing them into the leaves of the common house plant Epipremnum aureum with early stage anthracnose leaf infections from Khaya senegalensis, as well as injecting them into the hind feet of nude mice and tails of tumour-bearing mice in vivo. Results: Heptamethine dyes yielded superior images of leaf venation, anthracnose infection locations, sentinel lymph nodes, brain tumours and subcutaneous tumours in the NIR-Ib window. We found that NIR-Ib images had markedly enhanced signal-to-background ratio because autofluorescence, scattering and light absorption by biological tissues and water were weaker at longer wavelengths. Conclusion: NIR-Ib fluorescence imaging was a powerful method for studying sentinel lymph nodes, tumours, leaf veins and early anthracnose infection locations in plant leaves. The findings challenge our current view of NIR fluorescence imaging and may have important implications for biomedical research and image-guided cancer surgery.


The Australian Meat Board (AMB) can influence the quantities sent to and the prices received for Australian beef and veal in the domestic and various export markets. Through its power to grant export licences and the conditions to be met in obtaining export licences the AMB can adopt the role of a price discriminating monopolist without supply control. This paper evaluates the price, quantity, efficiency and distribution effects of the export diversification scheme introduced by the AMB in 1968, of some modified schemes proposed in 1976, and of an alternative system whereby rights to export to premium export markets with quota restrictions are auctioned.


Epoxy resins are widely used in many applications, such as paints, adhesives and matrices for composites materials, since they present the possibility to be easily and conveniently tailored in order to display a unique combination of characteristics. In literature, various examples of bio-based epoxy resins produced from a wide range of renewable sources can be found. Nevertheless, the toxicity and safety of curing agents have not been deeply investigated and it was observed that all of them still present some environmental drawback. Therefore, the development of new environmentally friendly fully bio-based epoxy systems is of great importance for designing green and sustainable materials.
In this context, the present project aims at further exploring the possibility of using bio-based compounds as curing agents for epoxy resin precursors. A preliminary evaluation of several amine-based compounds demonstrated the feasibility of using Adenine as epoxy resin hardener.
In order to better understand the crosslinking mechanism, the reaction of Adenine with the mono-epoxy compound Glycidyl 2-methylphenyl ether (G2MPE), was study by 1H-NMR analysis. Then Adenine was investigated as hardener of Diglycidil ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), which is the simplest epoxy resin based on bisphenol A, in order to determine the best hardener/resin stoichiometric ratio, and evaluate the crosslinking kinetics and conversion and the final mechanical properties of the cured resin.
Then, Adenine was tested as hardener of commercial epoxy resins, in particular the infusion resin Elan-tron® EC 157 (Elantas), the impregnation resin EPON™ Resin 828 (Hexion) and the bio-based resin SUPER SAP® CLR (Entropyresins). Such systems were used for the production of composites materials reinforced with chopped recycled carbon fibers and natural fibers (flax and jute). The thermo-mechanical properties of these materials have been studied in comparison with those ones of composites obtained with the same thermosetting resin reinforced with chopped virgin carbon fibers.


Comparing and matching process models is a common task in many process engineering applications such as in querying and refactoring large process model repositories. The first and most challenging task in process model matching is to establish a similarity measure between process activities. Existing works use label similarity techniques to compute activities' similarity. In this paper, we propose a contextual similarity measure that, in addition to label similarity, exploits the similarity of the context surrounding activities. We introduce similarity resonance, a recursive algorithm that computes a global contextual similarity between process activities. Our intuition is that two activities are similar if they are executed in similar contexts which are represented by the surrounding activity neighbors. In turn, the activity neighbors are similar if their neighbors are similar, and so on. In this way, the pairwise similarity between all activities is iteratively computed and updated based on the similarity between their neighbors until the similarity scores have been stabilized and have been propagated to the whole graph. The approach has been implemented as a ProM plugin and was evaluated using several real-life datasets.


Prediction of the mode of delivery is crucial for better labour outcome.
Recent studies suggest that the angle of progression (AOP), measured using transperineal ultrasound,
can substantially aid the assessment of fetal head descent during labor, thereby predicting
the mode of delivery.

To assess the ability of the AOP measured by transperineal ultrasound to predict the
mode of delivery in nulliparous women before the onset of labor.

A prospective observational study was conducted at our hospital, of nulliparous women
who had presented to the antenatal clinic at ≥ 38 weeks of gestation but not in labor. AOP was
measured using transperineal ultrasonography and compared among the women having Caesarean
section (CS) due to labor dystocia and vaginal delivery (VD). Various other confounding factors
which increase the risk of caesarean section were analyzed.

Among total 120 nulliparous women, the mean AOP was narrower in patients undergoing
CS (n = 28) compared to those with VD (n = 92) (91.6 ± 6.1° vs. 100.7 ± 6.9°; P < 0.01). Multivariable
logistic regression analysis revealed that narrow AOP values (OR 3.66; P < 0.001; 95% CI 1.7-
14.5) and occiput-posterior fetal position (OR 1.63; P = 0.04; 95% CI 1.0-7.5) were the independent
risk factors for CS. An AOP ≥ 96° (calculated from the ROC curve) was associated with VD in
95% (76/80) of women and an AOP < 96° was observed among 60% (24/40) of women who underwent
CS.

Narrow AOP (< 96°) and occiput-posterior fetal position are at higher risk for CS due
to labor dystocia. AOP measured at the antenatal period could accurately predict the mode of delivery,
thereby modifying labor outcome.


It was shown some time ago that when the excitation of an ensemble of two-level atoms is swept in the direction of lasing, so that atoms are prepared in the excited state just as the radiation from previously excited atoms reaches them, the resulting laser amplifier is "highly anomalous" and yields superradiant emission without population inversion. We here show that transient gain in a three-level system has common features with Dicke superradiance and can yield strong extreme ultraviolet lasing in, for example, He atoms (at 58 nm) or He-like ions such as B3+ (at 6.1 nm).


Correspondence Samuel L. Perry, Department of Sociology, University of Oklahoma, 780 Van Vleet Oval, Kaufman Hall 335A, Norman, OK 73019. Email: email@example.com Studies often report a negative association between pornography use and marital quality. A number of studies, however, find this negative association to be stronger among religious Americans, suggesting that "moral incongruence" may be a key moderating factor. This theory is tested with panel data from the nationally representative 2006–2012 Portraits of American Life Study (N = 612). Support for the theory is mixed. Any pornography use in 2006 predicts lower marital quality in 2012 regardless of whether the viewer felt pornography use was always immoral. However, among pornography viewers, the negative association between marital quality and viewing frequency is stronger for those who morally oppose pornography. Findings hold regardless of gender. Data limitations and implications for future research are discussed.


When the frequency of light coupled into a cavity is suddenly shifted, the radiation emanating from the input port of the previously excited cavity can beat with the reflection of the frequency-shifted input on the surface of a photodetector. When the beat frequency is stable, the time decay of the resulting optical heterodyne signal can be used to measure intracavity absorption spectra with near quantum-limited sensitivity.


Bamboo is a typical natural building material, which is longitudinally reinforced by robust fibers. This present paper focuses on the three-point bending fracture behavior of bamboo across and along fiber lengths with dense fiber layer upward and downward. The three-point bending strength of bamboo across the fibers is about ten times higher than that along the bamboo fibers, and the value of three-point bending strength with dense fiber layer downward is higher than that with dense fiber layer upward. Based on the microstructure of the fracture surfaces and the loading curves, different fracture processes are concluded to explain the anisotropy of bamboo.


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) improves survival in neonatal and pediatric patients with reversible severe respiratory or cardiac failure, in whom intensive treatment fails. Since 1999, a multidisciplinary team is trained to form the first neonatal-pediatric ECMO center in Chile, according to the norms of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). During 2003 the first three patients were admitted to the program: a male newborn with pulmonary hypertension, a 38 days old female operated for a total anomalous pulmonary venous connection and a 3 months old male with a severe pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus. They remained in ECMO for five, seven and nine days respectively and all survived to the procedure. No neurological complications were observed after one and a half year of follow up. This consolidates the first national neonatal-pediatric ECMO program, associated to ELSO. Up to date, twelve patients have been admitted to the program.


Antiepileptic medication in pregnancy

Epidemiological studies of pregnancy outcomes of women with epilepsy are important, primarily to inform choice of treatment options in clinical care of pregnant women and to inform counselling, the need for prenatal and postnatal screening, and the need for early medical, behavioural, or educational intervention.

In this issue (251), Dean et al report on a long term follow up of the health and neurodevelopment of children exposed to antiepileptic drugs before birth. They did this by consulting obstetric records to identify mothers with epilepsy who delivered in a single maternity unit between 1976 and 2000, inviting mothers to participate in the study by letter via their primary care physicians, conducting an interview with participant mothers, and consulting a variety of medical and child health records. The oldest children in the study were 15 years of age.

There is a fairly solid consensus that epilepsy in pregnancy treated with anticonvulsants is associated with an overall two- to three-fold increased risk of congenital malformation compared to the general population. The first challenge of the epidemiological approach is to mount sufficiently large studies. Since epilepsy is fortunately uncommon (6 per 1000 pregnancies or less), and since major congenital malformations are uncommon (2-3% of all births), every 10 000 pregnancies will yield only three or four cases of major congenital malformation born to epileptic women. Kallen,1 reviewing the results of 24 studies, indicated that nearly half of these studies included fewer than 150 infants born to epileptic mothers and did not have the statistical power to reveal a two- to three-fold raised risk of major malformation. It is generally necessary therefore to make a combined assessment of existing studies, particularly when assessing risks of specific anomalies. Schardein2 reviewed 17 cohort studies including a total of 2168 infants of …


This monograph provides in-depth mathematical logic as the foundational rationale for the novel and innovative online instructional methodology called the 4A Metric Algorithm. The 4A Metric has been designed to address and meet the st meta-competency-based education challenges faced by 21 century students who must now adapt to and learn in a multitude of educational settings (face to face, hybrid, and online). The 4A Metric has a geometrically-spatial infrastructure that mathematically defines its unique online "E–Learning Engineered" methodology for online information delivery. This methodology is defined as a "Quadrilateral Function of E–Learning Engineering" that is grounded in neuroscience of mathematical trichotomy and the "neuromeasurement" of the "Bi-coordinate Scale of Learning". The 4A Metric as an instructional methodology detailed in this narrative also provides an active solution that when implemented via an institutional Learning Management System (LMS)/Content Management System (CMS) uses virtual methods to achieve maximized information delivery in terms of meta-competence-based education for online learning. The explicative nature of the "Quadrilateral Function" also adds further mathematical value to online learning investigative inquiry through measurement, the efficacy of digital instrumentation, and information gathered through tools developed specifically for eduscientifically–engineered (Osler, 2013a and 2013b) research designs (Osler, 2013b and 2015a).


Previous studies in the fields of applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and gender studies have focused upon Chicano linguistic communities as a monolith or have focused entirely upon male-centered aspects of language use, leaving a tremendous gap in works about Chicanas, for Chicanas, and by Chicanas as they pertain to language-related issues. Speaking Chicana bridges that gap, offering for the first time an extensive examination of language issues among Chicanas. Flowing throughout this collection of essays are themes of empowerment and suppression of voice. Combining empirical studies and personal narratives in the form of testimonios, the editors expand the boundaries of linguistic study to include disciplines such as art, law, women's studies, and literature. The result is a multifaceted approach to the study of Chicana speech one that provides a significant survey of the literature on Chicanas and language production. Ten contributors from linguistic to lawyer, from poet to art historian discuss language varieties and attitudes; bilinguality; codeswitching; cultural identity and language; language in literature and art; taboo language; and legal discourse. Speaking Chicana celebrates the complexity and diversity of linguistic contexts and influences reflected in Chicana speech. Various essays explore the speech of rural women; the evolution of linguistic forces over time; the influence of U.S. public education; linguistic dilemmas encountered by literary authors and women in the legal profession; and language used by pachucas and pintas. Speaking Chicana represents a significant contribution, not only to sociolinguistics, but also to other fields, including women's studies, Chicana/o studies, anthropology, and cultural studies. Contents-Part 1. Reconstruction: Language Varieties, Language Use, and Language Attitudes-1. Crossing Social and Cultural Borders: The Road to Language Hybridity, Maria Dolores Gonzales-2. Fighting Words: Latina Girls, Gangs, and Language Attitudes, Norma Mendoza-Denton-Part 2. Reflection: Testimonios-3. Speaking as a Chicana: Tracing Cultural Heritage through Silence and Betrayal, Jacqueline M. Martinez-4. The Power of Language: From the Back of the Bus to the Ivory Tower, Christine Marin-5. Challenging Tradition: Opening the Headgate, Ida M. Lujan-6. Mexican Blood Runs through My Veins, Aurora E. Orozco-Part 3. Innovation: Speaking Creatively/Creatively Speaking-7. Searching for a Voice: Ambiguities and Possibilities, Erlinda Gonzales-Berry-8. Sacred Cults, Subversive Icons: Chicanas and the Pictorial Language of Catholicism, Charlene Villasenor Black-9. Calo and Taboo Language Use among Chicanas: A Description of Linguistic Appropriation and Innovation, D. Letticia Galindo-10. Mascaras, Trenzas, y Grenas: Un/Masking the Self While Un/Braiding Latina Stories and Legal Discourse, Margaret E. Montoya-


Objectives Previous research has suggested that the economic turmoil during the Great Depression led to significant improvements in public health. However, these studies have relied on highly aggregated national data (using less than 25 data points), and employed intermediary measures of economic change, such as employment and Gross Domestic Product. We use a new historical data set of US mortality rates and bank suspensions to analyse both the immediate and underlying causes of mortality change during Great Depression. Design Cause-specific mortality rates covering 114 US cities in 36 states were taken from the US Bureau of the Census. Bank suspensions data were taken from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Epidemiologic analysis was performed of the immediate causes of fluctuations in urban mortality rates weighted by population size. Dynamic fixed effects models were used to assess the immediate and delayed effects of bank suspensions on mortality. Setting 114 US cities and 36 US states, 1929–1937. Participants NA. Main outcome measure Age-standardised all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates Results Reductions in all-cause mortality rates (about 10% between 1929 and 1932) were attributable to declines in death rates due to pneumonia (26.4% of total), influenza (13.1% of total), and respiratory tuberculosis (11.2% of total), while death rates increased from heart disease (19.4% of total), cancer (8.1% of total) and diabetes (2.9%). Of these main causes of mortality changes, only heart disease plausibly relates to contemporary economic shocks. A higher rate of bank suspensions was associated with contemporary higher suicide rates (β=0.32, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.41) but lower death rates from motor vehicle accidents (β=−0.18, 95% CI −0.29 to −0.07); no effect was observed for other causes of death studied. There was no evidence of substantially differing delayed effects. Conclusion In contrast with existing research, we find that the majority of rises and falls in deaths during the Great Depression was unrelated to economic shocks. Spurious correlations can occur when immediate effects are not decoupled from long-term trends, especially problematic with trending variables, such as GDP. Consistent with existing work, we observed that bank suspensions led to rapid rises in suicides and falls in road traffic fatalities. Further research should investigate alternative explanations for the reductions in infectious diseases and their marked variations across cities and states, such as nutrition, sanitation, the New Deal, Prohibition and other public health measures at the time.


Peripheral tolerance may be maintained by a population of regulatory/suppressor T cells that prevent the activation of autoreactive T cells recognizing tissue-specific antigens. We have previously shown that CD4+CD25+ T cells represent a unique population of suppressor T cells that can prevent both the initiation of organ-specific autoimmune disease after day 3 thymectomy and the effector function of cloned autoantigen-specific CD4+ T cells. To analyze the mechanism of action of these cells, we established an in vitro model system that mimics the function of these cells in vivo. Purified CD4+CD25+ cells failed to proliferate after stimulation with interleukin (IL)-2 alone or stimulation through the T cell receptor (TCR). When cocultured with CD4+CD25− cells, the CD4+CD25+ cells markedly suppressed proliferation by specifically inhibiting the production of IL-2. The inhibition was not cytokine mediated, was dependent on cell contact between the regulatory cells and the responders, and required activation of the suppressors via the TCR. Inhibition could be overcome by the addition to the cultures of IL-2 or anti-CD28, suggesting that the CD4+CD25+ cells may function by blocking the delivery of a costimulatory signal. Induction of CD25 expression on CD25− T cells in vitro or in vivo did not result in the generation of suppressor activity. Collectively, these data support the concept that the CD4+CD25+ T cells in normal mice may represent a distinct lineage of "professional" suppressor cells.


American higher education is under attack today as never before. A growing right-wing narrative portrays academia as corrupt, irrelevant, costly, and dangerous to both students and the nation. Budget cuts, attacks on liberal arts and humanities disciplines, faculty layoffs and retrenchments, technology displacements, corporatization, and campus closings have accelerated over the past decade. In this timely volume, Ronald Musto draws on historical precedent - Henry VIII's dissolution of British monasteries in the 1530s - for his study of the current threats to American higher education. He shows how a triad of forces - authority, separateness, and innovation - enabled monasteries to succeed, and then suddenly and unexpectedly to fail. Musto applies this analogy to contemporary academia. Despite higher education's vital centrality to American culture and economy, a powerful, anti-liberal narrative is severely damaging its reputation among parents, voters, and politicians. Musto offers a comprehensive account of this narrative from the mid-twentieth century to the present, as well as a new set of arguments to counter criticisms and rebuild the image of higher education.


The authors present a general purpose digital logic implementer, a tool designed to serve as a workstation for laboratory experiments in the digital logic and computer architecture courses taught in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Washington State University. The logic implementer is a versatile tool suitable for a wide spectrum of experiments, from simple gate-level implementation of logic circuits to the implementation of microprogrammed bit-slice processors. The basic features of the logic implementer include generality of applications, easy-to-use environment, and robust, reliable interconnections. >


Background Incident cases of gonococcal infection are increasing. Antibiotic resistance may compromise the effectiveness of treatment. In 2017, the proportion of azithromycin-resistant strains reached 31% in Quebec and a first strain non-susceptible to ceftriaxone and cefixime was detected. Methods Since November 2014, public health departments are invited to report possible cases of treatment failures. Clinical and epidemiological information is collected using a standardized form for each report of gonococcal infection occurring <42 days after a previous episode in the same person. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is conducted at the provincial reference laboratory (Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec) and the NG-MAST typing is performed at the National Microbiology Laboratory. Cases are classified as retained (presence of all definition criteria) or suspected (not meeting all criteria but reinfection unlikely). Cases classifications are validated by a group of experts. Lack of re-exposure is based on the respondent's reported sexual history between the first treatment and the test of cure (TOC). Case definitions are consistent with those of Quebec and Canadian sentinel surveillance network for gonococcal infection. Results Between November 2014 and December 2018, 44 cases of possible treatment failures were reported. After exclusion of 9 cases, 35 were analysed (25 classified as retained and 10 as suspected). There were 10 women, 24 men (68% MSM) and one trans person. Pharynx was identified as site of treatment failure for 14 cases (40%). AST were available for 23 cases (66%): 78% were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 43% to azithromycin. All strains were susceptible to cephalosporins, but one strain showed reduced susceptibility to cefixime. Eleven cases (31%) received azithromycin monotherapy as initial therapy. Conclusion Treatment failure exist and is not always related to documented resistance. This analysis probably underestimates the real extent of treatment failures since it requires TOC that are not systematically collected. Reinfection cannot be completely excluded. Disclosure No significant relationships.


First paragraphs: An Irishman/Frenchman/Tunisian man is sipping his favorite tipple when he is visited by a fairy, who offers to grant him three wishes. "I'd like an ever-replenishing glass of Guinness/Bordeaux/mint tea," says he. "No problem," she replies, and with a quick flick of her wand the man's now-empty glass is refilled to the brim, and greedily drunk. This happens several times until the fairy interrupts the man's reverie. "I'm sorry, but I can't be hanging around here all day while you get stuck into more Guinness/Bordeaux/mint tea. What is your second wish?" With nary a second's hesitation, the Irishman/Frenchman/Tunisian replies: "I'll have another one of those." This is a tired, old joke, but it is, nevertheless, a powerful parable about humankind's propensity for shortsightedness, simple foolishness, and an almost willful blindness to the value and finitude of the world's precious resources. Food is often bought, consumed, or thrown out with little consideration of its true cost—not just monetary. The pressing question is, how much longer can we be so profligate before we find ourselves in real trouble? Academics and activists have been raising the alarm about the globalized/conventional food system for quite some time, but it is probably fair to say that  Food Utopias: Reimagining Citizenship, Ethics and Community  is something of a trailblazer in its attempt to tackle the food conundrum by reimagining the food system through a utopian lens....


We review and discuss the characteristics of dip-coating of yield stress fluids on the basis of theoretical considerations, numerical simulations of the flow in the bath, and experimental data with different materials. We show that in general, due to the yield stress,viscous dissipations are sufficiently large for capillary effects to be negligible in the process. Dip-coating with yield stress fluids is thus essentially governed by an equilibrium between viscous and gravity effects. In contrast with simple liquids, the coated thickness is uniform and remains fixed to the plate. At low velocities, it appears to tend to a value significantly smaller than the Derjaguin and Levi prediction [B. V. Derjaguin and S. M. Levi, Film Coating Theory (The Focal Press, London, 1964)], i.e., critical thickness of stoppage of a free surface flow along a vertical plate. We show that this comes from the fact that in the bath only a relatively small layer of fluid is in its liquid regime along the moving plate, while the rest of the material is in a solid regime. From numerical simulations, we describe the general trends of this liquid layer, and in particular, its thickness as a function of the rheological characteristics and plate velocity. We finally propose a model for the dip-coating of yield stress fluid, assuming that the solid volume of fluid finally fixed to the plate results from the mass flux of the liquid layer in the bath minus a mass flux due to some downward flow under gravity in the transition zone. A good agreement between this model and experimental data is found for a fluid with a yield stress larger than 20 Pa.


Background: Different types of molds are being used to place resin composite and build composite buildup in shear bond strength test. However, a little information is available in the literature regarding their effects on resinenamel/dentin bond strengths. Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different composite placement molds on shear bond strength (SBS) of composite resin bonded to enamel and dentin. Methods & Material: Three different composite placement molds (silicone mold, one-piece fixed plexiglass mold, two-piece removable plexiglass) and two substrates (enamel and dentin) were used in this study. Composite resins were bonded to enamel and dentin surfaces with using one of the tested placement molds (n=20) and SBS tests were performed using universal testing machine. Results: The findings showed that bond strength was not influenced by different composite placement molds (p=0.147), but influenced by bonding substrate (p=0.000).More cohesive failures in enamel were evident with one-piece fixed mold. It can be concluded that composite placement molds have no effect on resin-enamel and dentin bond strengths, but it affects failure mode distributions in resin-enamel bonding.


A novel three degree-of-freedom micropositioner was developed for deep ultraviolet lithography applications. The design of the micropositioner utilizes the monolithic flexural mechanism with built-in multilayer piezoelectric actuators and sensors to achieve translations in the X- and Y-axes and rotation in the theta(Z)-axis. The compact design aims at high resolution, high stiffness, and extremely low crosstalk interference. Parametric analyses of harmonic and forced vibrations are conducted to solve the derived dynamic models for the near optimum geometry of the micropositioner. Furthermore, the error budget analysis is conducted to minimize the effects of the geometric tolerance, material variation, and hysteresis errors.


In this letter, the design and RF packaging of substrate integrated widely tunable filter is presented. The filter consists of two heavily loaded evanescent-mode cavities embedded into the substrate. The filter is actuated using two piezoelectric discs, which move thin, flexible membranes that form the top of the cavities. To demonstrate the wide tuning a filter is fabricated and measured to cover a very wide frequency range from 0.98 to 3.48 GHz (tuning ratio-3.55:1). The measured insertion loss is less than 3.57 dB for a 1.1% fractional bandwidth filter.


A survey of aphids infesting table, processing and seed potato crops was undertaken in Canterbury during the 1999-2000 season (NovemberMarch). The green peach aphid (Myzus persicae (Sulzer)) was the most common aphid found on potato plants (>85% of all aphids), followed by the foxglove aphid (Aulacorthum solani (Kaltenbach)) and the potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas)). These three aphids are vectors of the potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and other potato viruses. A further eight species were found in low numbers including five species that are vectors of potato viruses (not PLRV). The melon aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover), was found in sizable numbers on sprayed potatoes in the Hawke's Bay. This species, which is known to have developed resistance to some insecticides on other crops in New Zealand, was found in only low numbers in three crops in Canterbury.


This paper studies the economic, poverty, and income inequality impacts of both world and domestic trade reform in Argentina, with a special focus on export taxes. Argentina offers an interesting case study as the only large agricultural exporter that has, at many points in its history, applied export taxes to several of its agricultural products. The paper combines results from a global economy-wide model (World Bank?s LINKAGE model), a national CGE model, and microsimulations. The results suggest that full liberalization of world trade (including subsidies and import taxes, but not export taxes), both for agricultural and non-agricultural goods, reduces poverty and inequality in Argentina. However, if only agricultural goods are included, indicators for poverty and inequality do not improve and even deteriorate somewhat. This is particularly the case if export taxes are eliminated.


Abstract This thesis is to research the before and after changes of physical configurations, blood components and physical strength for normal and geriatric diseased senior citizens at the end of 24 week of combined exercises constructed of aerobic and muscular strength training to create most suitable and effective complex exercise program for geriatric diseased patients. For this experiment 20 normal and 20 geriatric diseased patients in the age of 65 residing in "K" city were selected to carry out the 24 weeks of combined exercises in regularly. The result of the research showed that geriatric patients increased significantly in everything, but normal group showed significant change in only WHR. There was a slight improvement in the blood components for the average participants but it only differed slightly from the diseased participants so there were no major changes reflecting the outcomes from both before and after. After concluding the program both groups displayed positive improvements in stamina but no significant alterations in physical strength., agility, muscle endurance and balance. The positive factors for each groups could be that the norms were able to maintain their health and enhancement in stamina and diseased were able to prevent their condition from worsening. Additionally, over 50 percent of all senior citizens have one or more geriatric diseases but the participation of any physical activity is in the decrease. Henceforth, this is a field that still needs a lot of work and combined exercise programs should be created and followed through so it may enhance in the improvement of health and quality of life as well.


The depth-$3$ model has recently gained much importance, as it has become a stepping-stone to understanding general arithmetic circuits. Its restriction to multilinearity has known exponential lower bounds but no nontrivial blackbox identity tests. In this paper we take a step towards designing such hitting-sets. We define a notion of distance for multilinear depth-$3$ circuits (say, in $n$ variables and $k$ product gates) that measures how far are the partitions from a mere refinement. The $1$-distance strictly subsumes the set-multilinear model, while $n$-distance captures general multilinear depth-$3$. We design a hitting-set in time poly($n^{\delta\log k}$) for $\delta$-distance. Further, we give an extension of our result to models where the distance is large (close to $n$) but it is small when restricted to certain variables. This implies the first subexponential whitebox PIT for the sum of constantly many set-multilinear depth-$3$ circuits.
We also explore a new model of read-once algebraic branching programs (ROABP) where the factor-matrices are invertible (called invertible-factor ROABP). We design a hitting-set in time poly($\text{size}^{w^2}$) for width-$w$ invertible-factor ROABP. Further, we could do without the invertibility restriction when $w=2$. Previously, the best result for width-$2$ ROABP was quasi-polynomial time (Forbes-Saptharishi-Shpilka, arXiv 2013).
The common thread in all these results is the phenomenon of low-support `rank concentration'. We exploit the structure of these models to prove rank-concentration after a `small shift' in the variables. Our proof techniques are stronger than the results of Agrawal-Saha-Saxena (STOC 2013) and Forbes-Saptharishi-Shpilka (arXiv 2013); giving us quasi-polynomial-time hitting-sets for models where no subexponential whitebox algorithms were known before.


Using a combined concentric (CN) and modified single fiber (MSF) electromyography (EMG) needle electrode with both recording surfaces at the tip approximately 25 microns apart, 30 motor unit action potentials (MUAP) were recorded from one extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscle, triggering from the CN and averaging both the CN and MSF recordings. Correlations of MUAP amplitude (r = 0.767), number of turns (r = 0.839), and number of negative-going-positive-going turn (NT) (r = 0.737) between the CN and MSF recordings were statistically significant (p < 0.001). For NTs common to both recordings, correlations of rise time (r = 0.866), amplitude (r = 0.816), and interpeak interval (IPI) (r = 0.999) were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Mean +/- SD single fiber potentials (SFP), approximate SFP with rise times less than 500 microseconds, and NTs for the MSF recordings and NTs for the CN recordings were 0.73 +/- 0.69, 1.20 +/- 0.48, 1.83 +/- 0.87, and 1.93 +/- 0.78, respectively. This study supports evidence that one or a few SFP contribute to the spike component of the MUAP.


Abstract The conventional control system is a controller that controls or regulates the dynamics of any other process. From time to time, a conventional control system may not behave appropriately online; this is because of many factors like a variation in the dynamics of the process itself, unexpected changes in the environment, or even undefined parameters of the system model. To overcome this problem, we have designed and implemented an adaptive controller. This paper discusses the design of a controller for a ball and beam system with Genetic Model Reference Adaptive Control (GMRAC) for an adaptive mechanism with the MIT rule. Parameter adjustment (selection) should occur using optimization methods to obtain an optimal performance, so the genetic algorithm (GA) will be used as an optimization method to obtain the optimum values for these parameters. The Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller will be used as it is one of the most popular controllers. The performance of the proposed controller with the ball and beam system will be carried out with MATLAB Simulink in order to evaluate its effectiveness. The results show satisfactory performance where the position of the ball tracks the desired model reference.


In this paper, there are two kinds of material (cermet and cemented carbide) to be used. Different grinding conditions were performed for evaluation of RMS of acoustic emission(AE) signals and understanding the effect of each grinding parameter on AE RMS during grinding process. A kind of on-line monitoring method based on wavelet analysis and acoustic emission was raised and the nonlinear relation model between AE RMS,wavelet energy coefficients and wheel passivation state was built. During the process,the wavelet analysis method was used to decompose the original signals for extracting wavelet energy coefficients. The results of experiments indicates that AE RMS increases with increasing table speed;The corresponding relation between AE RMS and table speed is good and could take the table speed as the main parameter for studying wheel passivation state. As a result, the nonlinear relation model can monitor the wheel passivation degree on-line accurately through training. This provides a kind of viable method which has very high practical value for confirming the wheel dressing cycle.


Murine monoclonal antibodies reactive with at least one of the serological types of staphylococcal enterotoxin were examined for use in assay systems for the detection of enterotoxin at the level of 1.0 ng of enterotoxin per ml. An antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was devised for each toxin type by identifying an effective antibody pair. One antibody (the coating antibody) was coated onto a polystyrene plate and removed the enterotoxin from the test solution; the second antibody (the probing antibody) was conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and detected the captured toxin. Enterotoxins A and E could be detected in the same system by the use of cross-reacting monoclonal antibodies. All subtypes of enterotoxin C could be detected in one assay system. Two effective systems were described for each of types B and D. Each of these systems, when compared with the homologous enterotoxin-specific polyclonal rabbit antibody systems, was found to compare favorably. The monoclonal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay systems for the detection of enterotoxins A and C2 were examined for a variety of food extracts; no abnormal interference could be detected from these extracts. The monoclonal antibody systems were also compared with the homologous enterotoxin-specific polyclonal serum for the detection of enterotoxin by the competitive radioimmunoassay (RIA). Single monoclonal antibodies generally did not perform as well in the RIA as did the homologous toxin-specific polyclonal serum. However, pools of monoclonal antibodies were prepared that approached the sensitivity and precision of the polyclonal system for the detection of each toxin by the RIA.


Extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), the newest member of the mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase family of proteins, is widely expressed in many tissues, including the brain. Here we investigated the activation and subcellular localization of ERK5 by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry as well as its potential role following cerebral ischemia in rat hippocampus. Transient cerebral ischemia was induced by the four‐vessel occlusion method in Sprague‐Dawley rats. Our results first indicated that the strongly activated ERK5 immunoreactivity was seen in the CA3/DG region but not in the CA1 pyramidal cell of rat hippocampus following reperfusion. In cytosol extracts, ERK5 activation was rapidly increased, with a peak at 30 min, and then gradually decreased to basal level at 3 days of reperfusion. In nucleus extracts, both phospho‐ERK5 and its protein expression were persistently enhanced during the later reperfusion period (from 6 hr to 3 days). To elucidate further the possible role of ERK5 activation and subcellular localization in ischemic insult, rats were intraperitoneally administrated with nifedipine (ND) and dextromethorphan (DM), inhibitors of two types of calcium channels, 20 min prior to ischemia. Our findings showed that ND or DM significantly reduced activated ERK5 immunoreactivity in the nucleus and that most of the CA3/DG neurons were lost 3 days later. Most importantly, intracerebroventricular infusion of ERK5 antisense oligonucleotides (AS; every 24 hr for 3 days before ischemia), but not sense oligonucleotides or vehicle, not only markedly decreased the level of ERK5 and p‐ERK5 but also largely caused neuronal loss in the CA3/DG region at 3 days of reperfusion. Taken together, the results strongly suggest that ERK5 was selectively activated in the hippocampal CA3/DG region and subsequently translocated from the cytosol to the nucleus through activation of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor and L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channel, which might act as an important survival signal in ischemia‐induced neuronal cell damage of the CA3/DG region. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This paper presents a convex-QCQP based novel path planning algorithm named ellipsoidal constrained agent navigation (ECAN), for a challenging problem of online path planning in completely unknown and unseen continuous environments. ECAN plans path for the agent by making a tunnel of overlapping ellipsoids, in an online fashion, through the environment. Convex constraints in the ellipsoid-formation step circumvent collision with the obstacles. The problem of online-tunneling is solved as a convex-QCQP. This paper assumes no constraints on shape of the agent and the obstacles. However, to make the approach clearer, this paper first introduces the framework for a point-mass agent with point-size obstacles. After explaining the underlying principle in drawing an ellipsoid tunnel, the framework is extended to the agent and obstacles having finite area (2d space) and finite-volume (3d-space).


[1] Although the solar wind deceleration in the terrestrial foreshock was noticed three decades ago, previous studies show some conflicting results. This paper presents direct evidence of solar wind deceleration in the foreshock of the Earth by using the data of two Cluster satellites. On 2 February 2003, the two satellites (C1 and C3) of Cluster missions are inside and outside the foreshock, respectively, approximately along the solar wind flow line, which can effectively exclude the uncertainty caused by the spatial and temporal changes of solar wind itself. Comparison of the plasma data recorded by two satellites shows that the solar wind velocity decreases in the foreshock and the largest deceleration reaches 22 km/s. The velocity distribution of ions in the phase space indicates that the solar wind ions undergo pitch angle scattering in the foreshock. The solar wind deceleration is associated with diffuse ions and ULF wave activities. The diffuse ion density reached 0.25 cm−3, about 7% of the solar wind density. The interaction of ULF waves with solar wind also deflects the solar wind away from the bow shock in both the ecliptic and the meridian planes. Meanwhile, the solar wind deceleration is accompanied by thermalization during which the solar wind temperature can reach 240 eV.


Introduction: Dengue is caused by 4 different related viruses, DENV 1 to 4, transmitted to humans via Aedes mosquitoes. The disease is endemic in more than 100 countries. In Africa, the estimated dengue burden is 15 million of clinical cases and about 48 millions of inapparent infections. However, dengue remains largely unrecognized in Africa. Due to the lack of laboratory confirmation, a febrile syndrome is frequently misdiagnosed as malarial infection. The circulation of different dengue serotypes is also poorly documented. However, some information is provided by reports of dengue infections in travellers returning from Africa. In the present study we attempt the identification of dengue serotypes and genotypes circulating in Africa from 2010 to 2014 detected in travellers returning to Europe.Methods: We collected samples from viraemic travellers returning from Africa who attended TropNet clinics in Europe from 2010 to 2014. Sequences of the Envelope gene were used to identify the serotype and genotype.Results: During the study period we identified 3 DENV serotypes circulating in Africa. DENV 1 strains were detected in East Africa in 2010 (Eritrea) and in 2012 (Kenia), whereas in Central Africa in 2013(Angola and DRC). Strains from East Africa were grouped within Asian genotype, close to virus isolated in previous years in Djibouti and Kenia; we found American /African genotype in Central Africa. Both genotypes have circulated in West Africa for many years. DENV 2 strains were detected in West Africa (Senegal) and in East Africa (Tanzania) in 2014. Dengue 2 from Tanzania belongs to cosmopolitan genotype, but form a distinct clade different from the old African group. However, DENV 2 from Senegal surprisingly fell into genotype America /Asia. To our knowledge this is the first time identified in Africa. Finally, DENV 3 was detected in 2010 in Mali and Burkina Faso and again in Burkina Faso in 2013. All DENV 3 belong to genotype III and form a cluster with the African strains identified since 2008.Conclusion: DENV 1 of both genotypes was identified previously in Africa indicating endemic transmission as well as with DENV 3. Meanwhile, a new DENV 2 appeared in Tanzania, introduced from South East Asia, and in Senegal from the Americas. These results confirm silent and sustained circulation of dengue in Africa and show the usefulness of travelers for sentinel surveillance to unmask the dengue problem in Africa.Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.


ABSTRACT Lead levels in whole blood and in plasma were measured in 64 non-exposed and in 29 exposed subjects with signs and symptoms of varying severity. Lead was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry after chelation with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and extraction with methyl isobutyl ketone. The method has a sensitivity of 0·4 μg/100 ml (0·02 μmol/l) for whole blood and of 0·2 μg/100 ml (0·01 μmol/l) for plasma and is reliably accurate and precise. Plasma lead increases progressively and significantly with the increase of whole blood lead, while its relative percentage in the plasma remains practically constant at all concentrations in whole blood. In exposed subjects a highly significant correlation was found between lead in plasma and lead in urine (r = 0·549) but the correlation coefficient was higher for whole blood lead versus urinary lead (r = 0·938). Aminolevulinic acid excretion in urine appeared to be significantly related to plasma lead concentration (r = 0·563) but to a greater extent to whole blood levels (r = 0·801). There was no significant correlation between lead in plasma and the logarithm of aminolevulinic acid dehydratase. The hypothesis is advanced that plasma lead, the more biologically active fraction of the metal, could be related to different individual sensitivities which would condition the development of toxic effects in various organs at different levels of lead.


Human service organization are beset by internal and external requests for information. As the scale and complexity of such delivery systems has increased, the use of computer-based information systems has become a necessity. The evolution of a client information system in a large, decentralized mental health center is reviewed in this paper to illustrate several critical issues that can be encountered in the application of computer-based technology to human services. An analysis of the center's existing information system and the development of the data forms and procedures necessary for a second-generation system to meet information needs revealed the unique data structure and analysis problems of human service delivery systems. These problems were complicated by regulatory agencies' imposition of external reporting requirements that frequently were unpredictable and inconsistent. Finally, planning and negotiations with the participation of all involved parties demonstrated that formal and informal administrative constraints and conflicting interests within human service organizations must be accommodated or a system may fail. All of these factors combine to highlight both the problems and the need for highly flexible multipurpose information systems.


Abstract In contrast with the archetypal definition of an alluvial fan, this study shows that fans interacting with axial rivers in Yukon and Alaska commonly exhibit asymmetrical morphology in planform. Hypothesis tests relating to the geomorphological characteristics of these alluvial fans were conducted on a dataset of 63 fluvial-dominated fans. A significant relationship existed between fan asymmetry and the direction of axial river flow, which was attributed to two factors supported by examples: (1) axial rivers have a propensity to trim the toes on the up-valley sides of fans; and (2) axial river channels are deflected across the broad valley floors, which allows the profiles on the down-valley sides of fans to be longer than on the up-valley sides. However, an asymmetrical planform morphology does not lead to a significant bias in the spatial distribution of surface streams towards the up-valley sides of fans, which typically have shorter profiles from apex to boundary. If the asymmetry in fan morphology is preserved in the sedimentary record, then the interpretation of fan deposits that developed in broad valleys and that interacted with axial rivers would be improved by understanding this modern analogue.


Diagnostic delay is a major issue among the paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (pIBD) population because of the association with higher risk of complications and growth failure. At present, non-invasive serological and faecal biomarkers lack sufficient sensibility and/or sensitivity to be used as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice and none can discriminate between Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). In this setting, new non-invasive diagnostic tools with better diagnostic performance are needed.Raman Spectroscopy (RS) is a spectroscopic technique that relies on the inelastic scattering process of monochromatic light. Through the analysis of spectra molecular changes can be identified.The overall objective of this study was to explore RS performance as a non-invasive diagnostic test in IBD diagnosis.

 RS was applied to the analysis of stool protein extracts in pIBD patients and a control group. Being directly in contact with the intestine stool can provide information on the bacterial and inflammatory background and represents an excellent sample material to study. At our Paediatric Gastroenterology Unit 55 patients (age 0–18) were enrolled, 32 cases (20 MC, 2 Very Early Onset-IBD, 9 CU, 2014 Porto criteria), 23 controls (functional constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, Rome IV criteria). Protein extract from faecal samples (obtained by the same kit test used to evaluate faecal calprotectin) were analysed with a DXR- Smart Raman Spectrometer (thermos Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) with a 785 nm diode laser. After obtaining a spectrum the analysis focused on the band in the wavenumber range of about 1550–1750 cm-1 which defines the amide-I vibration modes, deconvolution of this band was performed. Ratio of the area of the sub-bands, parameter R, was calculated. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve and Youden Index (J) were used for statistical analysis.

 As represented by the ROC curve R showed a great diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between cases and controls, AUC 0,9389 (0,87-1,00) figure 1. A cut-off value of 1,2 distinguished cases from controls with sensibility 0,9 (0,78-0,95), specificity 1 (0,85-1), figure 2.

 In the group of cases R distinguished CD from UC, AUC 0,83 (0,65-1) figure 3. A cut of value of 1,4 distinguished CD from UC with sensibility 1 (0,69-1), specificity 0,83 (0,58-0,96) figure 4.

 This is the first application of RS as a non-invasive diagnostic tool on stool samples. Preliminary data show that RS may recognize IBD from non-IBD features, and, what is completely new, it can discriminate the two main forms of IBD, CD and UC. Future prospective studies including patients with suspected IBD will help defining the diagnostic performance.


End-to-end automatic speech recognition (ASR) promises to simplify model training and deployment. Most end-to-end ASR systems utilize a bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) acoustic model due to its ability to capture acoustic context from the entire utterance. However, BiLSTM models have high latency and cannot be used in streaming applications. Leveraging knowledge distillation to train a low-latency end-to-end uni-directional LSTM (UniLSTM) model from a BiLSTM model can be an option. However, it makes the strict assumption of shared frame-wise time alignments between the two models. We propose an improved knowledge distillation algorithm that relaxes this assumption and improves the accuracy of the UniLSTM model. We confirmed the advantage of the proposed method on a standard English conversational telephone speech recognition task.


Article history: Received 05 Feb 2021 Revised 15 May 2021 Accepted 20 May 2021 The current study is aimed to evaluate and critically analyze the properties of Light Weight Geopolymer Fly Ash Sand (LWGFAS). LWGFAS has been prepared by geopolymerisation of the fly ash. Liquid solution of 4M NaOH, and Na2SiO3/NaOH=2 was used as an activator and post set heat treatment of 1 hour at 100 oC was applied for preparation of LWGFAS. The LWGFAS sample was analyzed for different physical and chemical parameters along with studies on mineralogy and alkali silica reactivity. The molar concentration of activator solution and duration of post set heat treatment plays vital role on the physical and mechanical properties (particularly specific gravity, bulk density and water absorption) of the Geopolymer fly ash sand. The specific gravity and water absorption of LWGFAS were 1.57 and 17.85% respectively. Experimental concrete mixes made with LWGFAS as a replacement of natural sand were evaluated for compressive strength and different durability properties of concrete. The study indicates that LWGFAS can be suitable for a wide range of applications in making concrete ranging from light weight in nature to normal weight concrete based on the physical and chemical characteristics of Geopolymer Fly Ash Sand.


Abstract Background and aims With expanding available treatment options and evolving understanding of the risks and benefits of medical therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there is the possibility of significant variations in treatment and outcomes. Little is known about the variation in treatment between IBD specialists and other gastroenterology (GI) physicians. Evaluating possible variations is an important first step to help address standardized care and optimize treatment. We studied the differences in use of biologics and immunomodulators in the management of IBD patients at a tertiary care hospital between IBD-trained physicians and other gastroenterologists. Methods A total of 325 IBD patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 216 patients received care with an IBD physician and 109 had other GI/non-IBD physicians as their main caregivers. Results The unadjusted use of immunomodulators (35.6% vs 16.5%, p = 0.001), biologics (45.8% vs 22.9%, p =0.001) and dual therapy (biologics and immunomodulator) (14.4% vs 3.7%, p =0.001) was significantly higher in the IBD-physician group. These differences in therapy between the two groups remained after adjusting for patient and disease characteristics. Conclusion There are significant variations in the treatment of patients with IBD by GI physicians. The use of biologics and immunomodulators is higher in GI physicians with dedicated IBD interest and training.


This article lays the theoretical and methodological foundations of a new historically minded approach to the comparative study of democratization, centered on the analysis of the creation, development, and interaction of democratic institutions. Historically, democracy did not emerge as a singular coherent whole but rather as a set of different institutions, which resulted from conflicts across multiple lines of social and political cleavage that took place at different moments in time. The theoretical advantage of this approach is illustrated by highlighting the range of new variables that come into focus in explaining democracy's emergence. Rather than class being the single variable that explains how and why democracy came about, scholars can see how religious conflict, ethnic cleavages, and the diffusion of ideas played a much greater role in Europe's democratization than has typically been appreciated. Above all, the authors argue that political parties were decisive players in how and why democracy emerged in Europe and should be at the center of future analyses.


Landsat satellite imagery at 30-m ground resolution was analyzed for Glacier National Park (GNP) Montana (United States of America) to determine when and where canopy green cover had changed significantly across the National Park area since the mid- 1980s. Image comparisons for the years 1984 and 2010 showed that consistent increases in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) have been observed at several treeline areas, some of which have been monitored for increased tree cover for more than 75 years. Significant correlations between positive NDVI change and elevation were detected between 1500 and 1800 m elevation. Nonetheless, the greatest changes in NDVI over the past three decades in GNP have been caused by wildfires that burned more than 15% of the Park's forested area over the past 10-15 years. As of 2010, less than 50% recovery of pre-fire canopy green cover was observed in most areas burned at high severity during 2003 and 2006. It is hypothesized that documented snowpack reductions and associated springtime temperature warming may be having detectable impacts on the slowing rate of post-wildfire regeneration rates of forests burned in GNP.


Surveying the major facts, concepts, theories, and speculations that infuse our present comprehension of time, the Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology, and Culture explores the contributions of scientists, philosophers, theologians, and creative artists from ancient times to the present. By drawing together into one collection ideas from scholars around the globe and in a wide range of disciplines, this Encyclopedia will provide readers with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the elusive phenomenon experienced as time. Features * Surveys historical thought about time, including those that emerged in ancient Greece, early Christianity, the Italian Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, and other periods+ Covers the original and lasting insights of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin, physicist Albert Einstein, philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin + Discusses the significance of time in the writings of Isaac Asimov, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Fyodor M. Dostoevsky, Francesco Petrarch, and numerous other authors+ Includes the contributions of naturalists, philosophers, physicists, theologians, astronomers, anthropologists, geologists, paleontologists, and psychologists+ Includes artistsAe portrayals of the fluidity of time, including painter Salvador DaliAes The Persistence of Memory and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, and writers Gustave FlaubertAes The Temptation of Saint Anthony and Henryk SienkiewiczAes Quo Vadis+ Provides a truly interdisciplinary approach, with discussions of Aztec, Buddhist, Christian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Islamic, Hindu, Navajo, and many other culturesAe conceptions of time


Fathers are understudied in parent training studies. This study investigates whether mothers and fathers benefit equally from participating in the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) implemented as a community-wide program in Norway in their parenting behavior, perceived child difficulties, and their psychosocial health. The questionnaire study used a pre–post design comparing 105 mothers and 36 fathers who attended a regular ICDP course. Results showed that the mothers and fathers differed on parenting behaviors prior to the course but showed similar changes, including on emotional and regulative aspects of parenting and autonomy supportive behaviors. However, only the mothers perceived a decrease in their child's difficulties after the course, while the fathers showed a greater increase in behaviors assumed to support the child's meaning making and in self-efficacy and a greater decrease in anxiety after the course. ICDP courses appear to be a useful tool for supporting both mothers and fathers in their parenting role.