The understanding of P sorption and desorption by soils is important for safeguarding water quality and for fertilizer management. Little is known about the P-sorption characteristics of the calcareous soils and limestone bedrocks in southern Florida. In this study, 19 samples of calcareous soil and subsurface limestone bedrock were collected from the southern Everglades wetland, pineland, and nearby farmland. At very low P concentrations. P sorption in these soils fit the linear isotherm. The equilibrium P concentration at zero-net P sorption (EPCo) of soils correlated positively with P saturation. Phosphorus-sorption data of soils at medium P concentrations fit the Freundlich and Langmuir equations up to a point at high P concentrations where the slope of the isotherm changed abruptly. In bedrock samples the sorption-isotherm-inflection point, which is caused by P precipitation, occurred at much lower solution P concentrations than in the case of soils (4-18 vs. 400-600 mg mL -1 ). Also bedrock samples had significantly lower Freundlich values, K f, Than soils. The sorption of P in soils occurred at relatively low solution P concentrations (as indicated by Freundlich value, K f ), and appears to be caused by strong affinity of the noncarbonate clay, while the P sorption at relatively high solution concentrations (as indicted by Langmuir maximum sorption, S max ) appears to be caused by the affinities of both the noncarbonate clay and carbonate clay. Phosphorus-sorption values (P sorption ) estimated from the one-point isotherm were comparable with the S max values calculated from the Langmuir isotherm. Phosphorus saturation and the P-retention capacities (S max of P sorption ) were correlated strongly to the percentage of P desorption.


Understanding the implementation of a certain feature of a system requires identification of the computational units of the system that contribute to this feature. In many cases, the mapping of features to the source code is poorly documented. In this paper, we present a semiautomatic technique that reconstructs the mapping for features that are triggered by the user and exhibit an observable behavior. The mapping is in general not injective; that is, a computational unit may contribute to several features. Our technique allows for the distinction between general and specific computational units with respect to a given set of features. For a set of features, it also identifies jointly and distinctly required computational units. The presented technique combines dynamic and static analyses to rapidly focus on the system's parts that relate to a specific set of features. Dynamic information is gathered based on a set of scenarios invoking the features. Rather than assuming a one-to-one correspondence between features and scenarios as in earlier work, we can now handle scenarios that invoke many features. Furthermore, we show how our method allows incremental exploration of features while preserving the "mental map" the analyst has gained through the analysis.


Contemporary urban sprawl and urban functional centrality at the regional scale have made the classical urban-rural dichotomy no longer valid. Instead, urban development generates a range of peri-urban transitional areas in which urban and rural uses are mixed in a fragmented land mosaic. The main objective of this paper is to detect opportunitites for the revitalisation of peri-urban agriculture based on an analysis and comparison of its evolution in two different regional contexts in Spain. The peri-urban space is delimited according to density, topography and perceptual criteria. Aerial images and cartographic bases are used to identify land quality and land use changes in the areas, concluding that peri-urban agriculture has suffered both urban occupation and internal changes in crops and agricultural uses, experiencing a process of decline. Innovative initiatives performed in these spaces are also explored as opportunities for revitalisation from a multifunctional approach, linking urban population to peri-urban agriculture, organic farming or landscape management. This analysis serves as a prerequisite to develop new policies for the planning of peri-urban agriculture at local and regional scales, based on a deep understanding of the territory and its evolution.


All organisms are exposed to countless environmental effects, which influence in a disadvantageous way their life processes. They continuously adapt to the changing conditions and respond to the stress impacts by defence mechanisms. Through different signal transduction pathways they are able to increase or decrease the expression of their genes and consequently modify their metabolic processes. My interest focuses on alternative oxidase (AOX) enzyme whose expression is often increased under biotic and abiotic stress. The so far proven and putative functions of the AOX play a role in the ability of organisms to adapt to different conditions, such as heavy metals accumulation, pathogenic infection, oxidative stress and lack of oxygen or nutrients.
AOX is a member of the di-iron carboxylate protein family. Members of the di-iron carboxylate protein family are present in all kingdoms of life. They are considered to have ancient origin. It is believed that their sulfide-resistant and oxygen-reducing ability played a role in the survival of organisms during the transition between the anaerobic and the aerobic world. It is assumed that the AOX arose in eukaryotes through a primary endosymbiotic event, and this event made possible the development of mitochondria. Afterwords, vertical inheritance, and secondary and tertiary endosimbiotic events led to its spread among eukaryotes. It is assumed that bacteria obtained AOX by horizontal gene transfer from plants.
AOX-catalyzed alternative respiration plays an important role in the operation of energy-producing and biosynthesizing system of microorganisms. In these cases, the regeneration of reduced cofactors is an essential condition, and therefore may be rate-limiting for biotechnological processes, including the citric acid production.


CONTEXT
Identifying ways to meet the health care needs of older adults is important because their numbers are increasing and they often have more health care issues. High resilience level may be one factor that helps older adults adjust to the hardships associated with aging. Rural community-dwelling older adults often face unique challenges such as limited access to health care resources.

PURPOSE
To determine the resilience level of rural community-dwelling older adults and to determine if socio-demographic factors, social networks, and health status are associated with resilience.

METHODS
Data were collected from 106 registered voters, aged 65 years or over from a rural area in New York State using a cross- sectional design. The instruments used in the study include the Resiliency Scale, the SF-12v2, and the Lubben Social Network Scale-Revised.

FINDINGS
The mean resilience level of the sample was high. Resilience was not correlated with any of the socio-demographic factors which included gender, age, income, education, marital, and employment status. There was a weak positive correlation between social networks and resilience levels of rural older adults. Both physical and mental health status were positively correlated with resilience. In a regression model, mental health status was the strongest predictor of resilience levels.

CONCLUSION
If low resilience levels are identified in rural community-dwelling older adults, interventions to build resilience may be helpful in promoting independence; however, further research is needed to determine this.


The adenosine A2B receptor is found on human lung mast cells and is believed to mediate the bronchoconstriction in response to adenosine characteristic of asthmatics. As such it represents an attractive therapeutic target for asthma and allergic rhinitis. As genetic variability in drug targets may affect an individual's response to treatment, the adenosine A2B receptor gene was analyzed for polymorphisms and their prevalence defined in a Caucasian population. The coding region of the A2B receptor gene as well as the intron-exon boundaries of the gene were found to be free of genetic variation. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the promoter region of the gene, one of which created a BamHI restriction fragment length polymorphism. The prevalence of the three single nucleotide polymorphisms in an unselected population was <5%. The prevalence of the BamHI polymorphism was investigated in a British population of 40 asthmatics and 40 non-asthmatics: no excess of the BamHI variant was observed in asthmatic subjects. The data indicates that any variability in drug response would likely not be due to direct structural variation of the A2B receptor protein. Further, polymorphism at the A2B receptor genomic locus is unlikely to contribute to the population risk of developing asthma.


Recent judicial interpretations of U.S. copyright law have prompted businesses to design technologies in ways that enable the making and transmission of copies of works to consumers while falling outside the scope of the owner's exclusive rights. The archetypal example is Aereo Inc.'s system for providing online access to broadcast television, which the Supreme Court has now ruled results in infringing public performances by Aereo. In previous work we urged the Court to develop a principled reading of the transmit clause focusing on the particular use rather than on the technical architecture of the delivery service (Giblin & Ginsburg, 'We Need to Talk About Aereo: Copyright-Avoiding Business Models, Cloud Storage and a Principled Reading of the "Transmit" Clause' http://ssrn.com/abstract=2443595). Although we approach copyright law and policy from very different perspectives, we unite in the view that it is undesirable for legal outcomes to depend so heavily on technical design. Here, we evaluate the extent to which the Supreme Court was successful in reducing the law's vulnerability to technological exploitation, consider the ramifications of the decision for other technology providers and users, and debate the merits and weaknesses of the decision.


We study deadline-aware scheduling with adaptive network coding (NC) for real-time traffic over a single-hop wireless network. To meet hard deadlines of real-time traffic, the block size for NC is adapted based on the remaining time to the deadline so as to strike a balance between maximizing the throughput and minimizing the risk that the entire block of coded packets may not be decodable by the deadline. This sequential block size adaptation problem is then cast as a finite-horizon Markov decision process. One interesting finding is that the optimal block size and its corresponding action space monotonically decrease as the deadline approaches, and that the optimal block size is bounded by the "greedy" block size. These unique structures make it possible to significantly narrow down the search space of dynamic programming, building on which we develop a monotonicity-based backward induction algorithm (MBIA) that can find the optimal block size in polynomial time. Furthermore, a joint real-time scheduling and channel learning scheme with adaptive NC is developed to adapt to channel dynamics in a mobile network environment. Then, we generalize the analysis to multiple flows with hard deadlines and long-term delivery ratio constraints. We devise a low-complexity online scheduling algorithm integrated with the MBIA, and then establish its asymptotical utility optimality. The analysis and simulation results are corroborated by high-fidelity wireless emulation tests, where actual radio transmissions over emulated channels are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the MBIA in finding the optimal block size in real time.


This work applies a statistical methodology involving the calculation of success rates to evaluate a total of 28 tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams: four bivariate (Ti/Y-Zr/Y; Zr-Zr/Y; Ti/1000-V; and Nb/Y-Ti/Y); six ternary (Zr-3Y-Ti/1000; MgO-Al2O3-FeOt, Th-Ta-Hf/3; 10MnO-15P2O5-TiO2; Zr/4-Y-2Nb; and La/10-Nb/8-Y/15); and three old (Score1-Score2; F1-F2; and F2-F3) and three sets of new discriminant function diagrams (each set consisting of five DF1-DF2 type diagrams proposed during 2004-2008). I established and used extensive geochemical databases of Miocene to Recent fresh rocks from island arcs, back arcs, continental rifts, ocean-islands, and mid-ocean ridges. Rock and magma types were inferred from a SINCLAS computer program. Although some of the existing bivariate and ternary diagrams did provide some useful information, none was found to be totally satisfactory, because success rates for pure individual tectonic settings typically varied from very low (1.1-41.6%) to only moderately high values (63.6-78.1%) and seldom exceeded them. Additionally, only "combined" tectonic settings were discriminated, or numerous samples plotted in overlap regions designated for two or more tectonic settings or even in areas outside any field. Furthermore, these old diagrams are generally characterized by erroneous statistical basis of closure problems or constant sum constraints in compositional data and by subjective boundaries drawn by eye. All such diagrams, therefore, should be abandoned and replaced by the new sets of discriminant function diagrams proposed during 2004-2010. These diagrams, especially those of 2006-2010 based on the correct statistical methodology and the boundaries drawn from probabilities, showed very high success rates (mostly between 83.4% and 99.2%) for basic and ultrabasic rocks from four tectonic settings and should consequently be adopted as the best sets of tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams at present available for this purpose. Three case studies from Turkey (Kula, Eastern Pontides, and Lycian-Tauride) were also provided to illustrate the use of two new sets of discriminant function diagrams (2006-2008). For the Kula area, both sets of major- and trace-element based diagrams provided results consistent with a rift setting. For the Pontides area, trace-element based diagrams suggested an arc setting to be more likely, according to both basic and intermediate rocks. For the Lycian ophiolites, however, only the major-element based set of diagrams could be applied, and because of alteration effects, the tectonic inference between an arc or a MORB setting could not be decisive. A newer set of immobile element based, highly successful diagrams currently under preparation (2010) should provide a complementary set to the existing diagrams (2006-2008) for a better application of this important geochemical tool. Further work on these lines is still necessary to propose discrimination diagrams for other types of magmas such as those of intermediate silica compositions.


Background There is an unmet need for biomarkers in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Despite its shortcomings, the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) has remained the standard disease assessment tool for SSc. Expression of certain genes, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), thrombospondin-1 (THS1), interferon-induced 44 (IFI44) and sialoadhesin (SIG1), and, more recently, Tenascin-C (TNSC), have been shown to correlate with skin fibrosis. However, assessment of the expression of these genes requires a skin biopsy. Hence, we used an open-ended approach to identify a serum-based biomarker of SSc. Objectives To identify small molecules in serum that correlate with mRSS and profibrotic genes that are upregulated in skin of SSc patients Methods We obtained serum and skin biopsies from 25 consenting adult patients with SSc and serum from 25 age- and sex-similar controls. mRNA levels of five genes: COMP, THS1, IFI44, SIG1, and TNSC were estimated as fold-change relative to Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a housekeeping gene. H1NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) based metabolomics studies were performed on the sera using standard protocols. Principal component analysis (PCoA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) were used to delineate metabolites that were different between patients and healthy controls. Then spearman correlations (ρ) of these metabolites with mRSS and the fold-expression of the five pro-fibrotic genes were estimated. Results H1NMR based metabolomics identified 126 peaks that were different between patients and controls. Out of these, the levels of glycine had the best correlation with pro-fibrotic gene expression (ρ=0.5, p<0.05 for IFI44; ρ=0.44, p<0.05 for TNSC). Choline inversely correlated with SIG1 (ρ=-0.41; p=0.05) while Glycerophosphocholine correlated with mRSS (ρ=0.50, p<0.05). Conclusions H1NMR based metabolomics identified glycine, choline and their metabolites as potential biomarkers for skin fibrosis in SSc. These findings require validation in a larger cohort. References Farina G, Lafyatis D, Lemaire R, Lafyatis R. A four-gene biomarker predicts skin disease in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum. 2010 Feb;62(2):580–8. Bhattacharyya S, Wang W, Morales-Nebreda L, Feng G, Wu M, Zhou X, Lafyatis R, Lee J, Hinchcliff M, Feghali-Bostwick C, Lakota K, Budinger GR, Raparia K, Tamaki Z, Varga J.Tenascin-C drives persistence of organ fibrosis. Nat Commun. 2016 Jun 3;7:11703. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Each year, 12,500 pediatric cancer cases are diagnosed in the U.S. Although a majority survives these illnesses, challenges associated with prolonged, intensive treatment periods disrupt the entire family system, and effects on siblings are poorly understood. We have employed a developmentally-sensitive, transactional stress framework to study adjustment in 20 adolescent siblings (ages 10-17) of children undergoing cancer treatment. We aimed to (1) determine if contextual threat and treatment intensity are associated with sibling distress, as measured by perceived and posttraumatic stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression; (2) identify factors that may moderate these relationships; (3) understand the nature of sibling stress using qualitative data; and (4) compare adjustment between younger and older adolescent siblings. Qualitative data were collected using a semi-structured interview consisting of open-ended questions and probes about contextual details of the cancer experience. Qualitative findings fell into three broad categories consistent with the transactional theory of stress: (1) uncertainty regarding diagnosis, prognosis, and family changes; (2) loss of normalcy; and (3) cancer as a serious, adult illness. Quantitative analyses revealed positive associations between contextual threat and depression, anxiety, and perceived stress scores; and between treatment intensity and anxiety scores. In terms of potential moderators, older siblings endorsed more symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress than younger siblings, and siblings younger than the child with cancer endorsed more symptoms of depression and higher levels of perceived and posttraumatic stress than siblings older than the child with cancer. Overall, results suggest that contextual threat is a promising approach to predicting sibling distress and that sibling adjustment can be conceptualized using a transactional stress framework.


: Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of the general public in the Middle Eastern countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted between the 19th of March and the 6th of April 2020 in three Middle Eastern countries (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait) to explore the knowledge and practices of the Middle Eastern population regarding COVID-19. A previously developed questionnaire was adapted and used for this study. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of COVID-19 knowledge. Results: A total of 1208 participants (members of the public) participated from the three countries (Jordan = 389, Saudi Arabia = 433, and Kuwait = 386). The majority of participants ( n = 810, 67.2%) were females aged 30 to 49 years ( n = 501, 41.5%). Participants had moderate overall COVID-19 knowledge, with a mean (SD) score of 7.93 ( ± 1.72) out of 12 (66.1%). Participants had better knowledge about disease prevention and control (83.0%), whereas the lowest sub-scale scores were for questions about disease transmission routes (43.3%). High education level was an important predictor of greater COVID-19 knowledge scores ( p < 0.01). Conclusions: Further public education is needed to address the relatively low level of education regarding the transmission of COVID-19 in the Middle Eastern countries. Policymakers are recommended to develop informative COVID-19 related campaigns that specifically target young people (university students), unemployed individuals, and those with lower levels of education.


Background: Young people are affected to a higher extent by early and unprotected sexual relations in Turkey . They do not have healthy sexual attitudes, are ignorant about reproductive health and engage in risky practices and behavior. It is therefore necessary to provide effective and confidential reproductive health services to young people . Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive health behaviors of male and female university students. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted between January and May 2008. The study population was composed of university students from Istanbul University, Florence Nightingale Nursing High School, Faculty of Forestry and Department of Science Teachers' Training, as well as students residing at the Students Dormitory of the Regional Directory of Forestry. Questionnaires were distributed in envelopes during the breaks in the university buildings, cafeterias and in the dormitories; completed questionnaires were also collected under cover in envelopes. The data were collected by four students from the nursing school. Results: A total of 647 students were enrolled. Among the participants, 75% (n=490) were female students and 24,3% (n=157) were male students. The mean age was 21,38 (SD=1,92). The rate of sexually active participants was 26% (n= 169) and the rate of participants who masturbated was 36% (n= 233). The rate of using a family planning method was determined as 25% (n=163) and the most frequently used family planning method was use of condoms (67,4%). The rate of pregnancy was determined as 1,5% and the rate of abortion was 1,4%. In 69% of the students, the main source of knowledge on sexuality was the internet. The rate of students stating that Sexually Transmitted Diseases are transmitted by sexual intercourse and via blood was 72,6%, and the percentage of students who were vaccinated against Hepatitis B was 61,8%. Conclusion: Twenty six percent of the students are sexually active and students are unable to reach information on reproduction and sexual health through reliable sources. These results indicate the need for organization of health education programs for university students with regard to reproductive and sexual health.


Although crucial to our understanding of nuclear structure, probes of gluonic components in the nucleus can be elusive, as gluons are accessed only indirectly in deep inelastic scattering. In 1989, Jaffe and Manohar identified a gluonic transveristy structure function $\Delta(x,Q^2)$ which is sensitive to exotic gluonic states in the nucleus, and is accessible via an inclusive measurement on a transversely polarized nucleus of spin greater than or equal to 1. We are developing an experiment to utilize Jefferson Lab's 12 GeV electron beam with a transversely polarized $^{14}$N target to mount a first measurement of the $\Delta$ structure function. The Jefferson Lab experiment will probe $\Delta$ from from $x$ of 0.3 to 0.05, but the vast kinematic reach of an electron-ion collider would allow a thorough probe of this quantity. We will discuss the impact of exciting new lattice QCD results on this quantity, our proposal to measure $\Delta(x,Q^2)$ at JLab, and what a measurement might look like at an EIC.


This dissertation describes how to design dielectric pads that can be used to increase image quality in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and how to accelerate image reconstruction times using a preconditioner. Image quality is limited by the signal to noise ratio of a scan. This ratio is increased for higher static magnetic field strengths and therefore there is great interest in high-field MRI. The wavelength of the transmitted magnetic RF field decreases for higher field strengths, and it becomes comparable to the dimensions of the human body. Consequently, RF interference patterns are encountered which can severely degrade image quality because of a low transmit efficiency or because of inhomogeneities in the field distribution. Dielectric pads can be used to improve this distribution as the pads tailor the field by inducing a secondary magnetic field due to its high permittivity. Typically, the pads are placed tangential to the body and in the vicinity of the region of interest. The exact location, dimensions, and constitution of the pad need to be carefully determined, however, and depend on the application and the MR configuration. Normally, parametric design studies are carried out using electromagnetic field solvers to find a suitable pad, but this is a very time consuming process which can last hours to days. In contrast with these design studies, we present methods to efficiently model and design the dielectric pads using reduced order modeling and optimization techniques. Subsequently, we have created a design tool to bridge the gap between the advanced design methods and the practical application by the MR community. Now, pads can be designed for any 7T neuroimaging and 3T body imaging application within minutes. In the second part of the thesis a preconditioner is designed for parallel imaging (PI) and compressed sensing (CS) reconstructions. MRI acquisition times can be strongly reduced by using PI and CS techniques by acquiring less data than prescribed by the Nyquist criterion to fully reconstruct the anatomic image; this is beneficial for patient's comfort and for minimizing the risk of patient's movement. Although acquisition times are reduced, the reconstruction times are increased significantly. The reconstruction times can be reduced when a preconditioner is used. In this thesis, we construct such a preconditioner for the frequently used iterative Split Bregman framework. We have tested the performance in a conjugate gradient framework, and show that for different coil configurations, undersampling patterns, and anatomies, a five-fold acceleration can be obtained for solving the linear system part of Split Bregman.


Finite fields have been used for numerous applications including error-control coding and cryptography. The design of efficient multipliers, dividers, and exponentiators for finite field arithmetic is of great practical concern. In this paper, we explore and classify algorithms for finite field multiplication, squaring, and exponentiation into least significant bit first (LSB-first) scheme and most significant bit first (MSB-first) scheme, and implement these algorithms using semisystolic arrays. For finite field multiplication (for programmable as well as fixed field order) and exponentiation, we conclude that LSB-first algorithms are more efficient as their basic cells have less critical path computation time. Another advantage of LSB-first scheme is its capability of achieving substructure sharing among multiple operations, which could lead to savings in hardware when these arithmetic units are used as building blocks for a large system. For finite field squaring operation, it turns out that the MSB-first algorithm is more efficient as it leads to simpler architectures. Bit-level pipelined semisystolic architectures utilize broadcast signals. As a result, these require much less number of latches and lead to much smaller latency than the corresponding systolic array, with the same cycle time (the computation time in one basic cell). Efficient VLSI implementation of semisystolic multipliers, squarers and exponentiators are designed and compared with existing architectures. A novel architecture for computing AB/sup n/+C using power representation is also presented.


This article explores the outer and inner boundaries of the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age as established by European Union (EU) law and implemented in a selected number of member states. The case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the matter is marked by a broad interpretation of the material scope of the prohibition of age discrimination. A large range of situations thereby fall within the scope of EU law; yet the European Court has overall adopted a rather flexible approach to acknowledging the legitimacy of justifications as well as the adequacy and necessity of measures having a discriminatory effect. Some of the key substantive challenges faced by courts relate to the delicate link between age and capabilities as well as to the interaction between the prohibition of age discrimination and retirement ages. It will be argued that the complexity of the CJEU's case law on the matter is regrettable.


Abstract Imaging spectroscopic measurements of Mars acquired by the ISM instrument on Phobos-2 are used to investigate the NIR spectral properties of aerosols and the effects of atmospheric scattering on inferred mineralogy of the surface. Estimates of aerosols spectra between 0.77 and 2.6 μm are derived above Tharsis and Ophir Planum. The spectral continua are consistent with the particle size distribution derived using data from the solar occultation experiment on-board the spacecraft (effective radius ≈1.2 μm, with an effective variance ≈0.2). The aerosols spectra contain water-ice absorption features and possibly absorptions due to clay and/or sulfates. For these particular observations, aerosol opacity is apparently uncorrelated with surface altimetry, suggesting a spatially uniform column density. The largest effect of the aerosols on surface spectra is in dark regions, where the continuum spectral slope becomes more negative and the 1-μm absorption due to Fe in pyroxene is shifted toward longer wavelengths. The effects of aerosols on spectra of bright regions are insufficiently large to change mineralogic interpretations based on ISM data, i.e., that bright regions in Tharsis are dominated spectrally by hematite, but that additional ferric minerals are probably present in other areas including Arabia.


DIET ANALYSIS OF STRANDED BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN VIRGINIA Kristen Marie Volker Old Dominion University, 2020 Director: Dr. Ian Bartol This study describes the diet of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Virginia via stomach content analysis and considers factors such as proportion of numerical abundance and reconstructed mass, frequency of occurrence, average reconstructed prey size, prey diversity and quantity, and otolith degradation code. Fish size was estimated via regression equations established from local fish collected during the study that derive wet weight directly from otolith length or width. Squid size is estimated from previously published equations. Soniferous fishes dominated the diet, especially Atlantic croaker, spot, and seatrout spp., adding evidence to the theory that bottlenose dolphins passively listen for their prey. Noise pollution should be an important consideration for the conservation of this species. The diet was influenced by ontogenetic and seasonal changes. Prey that are relatively difficult to capture or not available to calves due to habitat, such as striped bass or longfin inshore squid, were absent in the diet of that age class. However, easy to capture prey, such as spot, became progressively less important with age. Seasonal variation in the diet was observed, with differences likely being due to changes in prey availability (due to seasonal migrations) and detectability (due to increased vocalizing during spawning) rather than changes in prey preference. Lastly, the stomachs of dolphins with external evidence of an entangling interaction contained a significantly higher proportion of recently ingested fish (using otolith code as a proxy) than those that did not. The presence of recently ingested prey is commonly referenced as an indicator of peracute underwater entrapment; however, this is the first study to quantitatively establish a significant relationship. The data presented in this study promise to enhance policy and management by establishing baseline information on natural history as well as a quantitatively assessed indicator for peracute underwater entrapment that can be referenced to study local shifts in natural history or incidence of bycatch.


The study assessed accountants' perspectives regarding the influence of external audit services on the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in Tanzania. IPSAS is seen as a necessary tool for addressing accountability, management and decision-making challenges that have hampered the effectiveness of Public Sector Entities (PSE). External audit services were grouped into three categories; namely, assurance services, attestation services and consulting services. Adopting the positivist research paradigm, the study employed a cross-sectional survey with a sample of  379 respondents. These respondents comprised PSE financial accountants, internal auditors and external auditors. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data analysis techniques employed were means, percentages, standard deviation and structural equation modelling. The findings suggest that external audit services influence IPSAS implementation. In the study context, a  combination of assurance services, attestation services and consulting services is important for successful IPSAS implementation. On testing the sub-hypotheses, the findings suggested that assurance services have no significant influence on IPSAS implementation. Attestation services and consulting services were found to have significant positive influences on IPSAS implementation. External auditors in Tanzania conduct annual external audits of PSE to provide assurance that financial statements comply with IPSAS. It was, therefore, expected that assurance services would influence IPSAS implementation. One practical implication of the findings is that external audit services may have a profound impact in terms of solving the aforementioned challenges that have hampered PSE. Hence, the government should develop mechanisms to ensure that external audit services strengthen public financial management. Keywords :  Assurance Services, Attestation Services, Consulting Services, IPSAS, Public Sector Entities


We consider a class of multistage stochastic linear programs in which at each stage a coherent risk measure of future costs is to be minimized. A general computational approach based on dynamic programming is derived that can be shown to converge to an optimal policy. By computing an inner approximation to future cost functions, we can evaluate an upper bound on the cost of an optimal policy, and an outer approximation delivers a lower bound. The approach we describe is particularly useful in sampling-based algorithms, and a numerical example is provided to show the efficacy of the methodology when used in conjunction with stochastic dual dynamic programming.


The objective of this paper is to estimate the impacts of medium and long term participation in microfinance programs. It utilises a new, large and unique panel dataset collected from treatment and control households from 1997 to 2005. The data enables us to identify continuing participants in the program as well as newcomers and leavers. We employ different estimation strategies including triple-difference and propensity score matching methods to control for selection bias. The impact estimates indicate that the benefits from microfinance vary more than proportionately with the duration of participation in a program. Larger benefits are realized from longer-term participation, and that the benefits continue to accrue beyond departure from the program. The findings indicate the need to observe longer periods of participation to provide a reliable basis for assessing the effectiveness of microfinance lending. JEL Classification: C21, C33, H43, G21, I31, O12, O16


The integration of electronic communication into the teaching and learning of languages has opened up new horizons. This paper discusses a project involving the use of email exchanges in the Italian program at the Australian National University. Approximately eighty students participated in the project which consisted of two iterations of a one-to-one email conversation. This article examines the language and content of the messages constructed by students in terms of the following features: • the implications of the physical, psychological and temporal distance inherent in email communication • the differences between email communication of native speakers and learners • the dialogic nature of email communication and its relationship to both written and spoken communication • the importance of "empty" messages • the creativity of expression and the relationship between form and content.


Background Recently the RCOG published Green-Top Guideline 'Late Intrauterine Fetal Death & Stillbirth'.1 The North East has the highest adjusted mortality for stillbirth,2 therefore an audit of the parental care pathway following stillbirth was appropriate. Objectives To establish whether all aspects of a DGH care pathway following stillbirth are being followed and to detect areas for improvement. Method A retrospective audit of stillbirths at SRH from May 2008–June 2010. Data was collected against a proforma of 19 standards expected to be met in 100% of cases, regarding actions, advice and documentary evidence. Sample size=45. Results The following standards were met in >90% of cases. Offering: ▶ Cytogenetic investigation other than Post Mortem (PM). ▶ 'Chaplaincy visit'. ▶ Parental medical photography. ▶ Support group information for example, SANDS. ▶ Fetal lock of hair, hand/foot prints. Only 55% were counselled about cytogenetic investigations by a consultant (or supervised SpR). In 91%, it was not documented whether the parental copy of the PM consent form was given. Support group leaflets were given to just 33%. Only 13% of patients were offered lactation suppression. Parental medical photography was unavailable at follow-up in 36%. Conclusions 5 of the 19 standards are being met in >90% which is encouraging. Ensuring that parents are given their copy of the PM consent form is a key area for improvement, also documentation of the offer of lactation suppression, support group leaflets and ensuring that parental medical photographs are available for the follow-up appointment.


Experiments were made with 3 groups of inbred CDF (F344) Crl rats: 30 germ-free, 30 conventional and 18 germ-free animals infected orally with Shigella flexneri 2aN 516. Secretory IgA (S-IgA) was isolated from gut secretion of the conventional rats to obtain rabbit antiserum against it. The levels of S-IgA, IgA and IgG in blood serum and gut secretion were determined. It was shown that gut secretion of the germ-free rats contained no less S-IgA than that from the conventional rats, at the same time IgG was not found in the germ-free rats. After injection of the germ-free rats with Shigella flexneri the content of S-IgA in gut secretion did not rise but there appeared IgG which differed immunochemically from serum IgG2. Within the first week after the injection, gut secretion showed specific antibodies to Shigella flexneri, which was ascertained with the aid of the hemagglutination inhibition test. The titers of antibodies exceeded 1:4096 by day 21. Antibodies in serum appeared much later and in low titers (1:16, 1:32). Therefore, the local immune response was marked to a greater degree than the generalized one. In spite of the presence of specific antibodies in high titers, Shigella flexneri persisted in the hosts, i. e. one could observe a clinically normal bacterial carriage.


Background: Infant and maternal mortality has raised serious concerns since ages. Ongoing researches in this field aim to develop insights in successful maternal and infant care programmes. Objective: A comparative study of haematological changes in cord blood and morphological changes in placenta in hypertensive pregnant women with normal pregnant women. Method: This study was conducted in the department of Physiology in collaboration with the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and department of Pathology, after taking permission from the institutional Ethics Committee. Sample size included 100 third trimester pregnant women of 20-40 yrs. Study group included subjects (n=50) with Blood Pressure ≥ 140/90mmHg. Control group included subjects (n=50) with normal Blood Pressure (Systolic=100-139 mm Hg; Diastolic= 60-89 mm Hg). foetal details i.e. foetal weight, maturity, Apgar scores at the first and fifth minute, Haematological parameters (haemoglobin concentration, total RBC count, Blood Indices, total platelets count, total WBC count, differential leucocyte count in cord blood) and gross changes in placental morphology (weight, shape, surface area, thickness, no of cotyledons) and histopathological changes (syncytial knot formation, fibrinoid necrosis, syncytial trophoblastic proliferation, hyalinised villi, calcification in placenta) were duly studied. Results: The gestational age was significantly lower in hypertensive group (37±1.3). Premature babies were delivered more to hypertensive mothers. Cesarean sections were more done in hypertensive mothers (n=33). The weight of newborn baby was found lower in hypertensive group (2408±413). Absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), platelets count were significantly lower in hypertensive mother's cord blood when compared with maternal blood (p<.05). The reduced placental weight was found in hypertensive group as compared to normal group. In hypertensive group, the less thickness and surface area were noted. The less mean number of cotyledons were observed in anaemic group. Calcified areas, Syncytial knot formation, Fibrinoid necrosis, hyalinised villi, perivillous fibrin deposition, intervillous space, hypovascular villi were seen significantly more in hypertensive group as compared to normal group. Calcified areas, Syncytial knot formation, Fibrinoid necrosis, hyalinised villi, perivillous fibrin deposition, intervillous space, hypovascular villi were seen significantly more in hypertensive group as compared to normal group. European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine (EJMCM) ISSN: 2515-8260 Volume 07, Issue 11, 2020 7516 Conclusion: Hypertension in pregnancy influence haematological changes in cord blood and morphology of placenta which in turn adversely affect the perinatal outcome.


: Results of surgical treatment of 253 patients with glial tumors and 47 patients with metastatic tumors of the brain are analyzed. An analysis with CT and MRT was used in the preoperative diagnosis for the calculation of the tumor volume and the dislocation degree. Microsurgical technologies used in the treatment allowed to shorten the period of postoperative rehabilitation, to reduce the development of neurological deficit that created conditions for early postoperative X-ray and chemotherapy.


The functional response and variation in foraging efficiency of captive Barnacle Geese was measured on pasture sward. Intake rates were calculated for a range of grass sward heights using direct measurements of peck rate, bite height and number of leaves removed with each bite. The functional response was found to be curved reaching a maximum at 85 mm and then declining. Each of the three components of intake rate responded differently to sward height. Peck rate declined steadily with increasing sward height whereas bite height increased throughout the sward heights used. The number of leaves per bite showed a curved response to sward height, increasing to a maximum at sward height of 90 mm then declining. There were significant differences between individuals for bite height and leaves taken per bite. Multiple regression analysis using age, sex, body size and bill size found that 73% of the variation in leaves taken per bite could be explained by the age of the goose, where more leaves were taken per bite by older geese. The results are discussed in relation to other studies on geese foraging on salt-marsh sward and other grazers foraging on pasture.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to image three-dimensional dose distributions of ionizing radiation in tissue equivalent gels infused with ferrous sulphate solutions, commonly known as Fricke gels. In this technique, ferrous (Fe2+) ions are oxidized to ferric (Fe3+) ions by free radicals produced by ionizing radiation. A limitation on this technique is the diffusion of ferric (Fe3+) ions in the gel. A method is presented for evaluating the diffusion coefficient in Fricke gels. Finite elements are used to model variations of the concentration in space, coupled with an analytical scheme to integrate the resulting system of equations through time. This method may be used for problems with one, two or three space dimensions and with arbitrary initial and boundary conditions. Results are presented for one- and two-dimensional data.


This research works to bridge the gap between the knowledge of social scientists in the field of genocide studies, and that of computational experts who have the ability to produce powerful models and simulations that can assist in the study and prediction of genocide. A thorough understanding and visualization of the system level dynamics of the problem inform the implementation of an agent-based model that simulates local interactions in a society composed of two identity groups. The model explores how dynamics between agents with different identities, ideology, influence, susceptibility, and threshold to act against those of a different group, lead to the emergence of genocide. Early results indicate the model's usefulness in exploring these dynamics and revealing the underlying factors of importance. The majority of simulations quickly result in genocide. However, the occasional appearance of sustained environmental stability points to the model's strong potential for revealing significant differentiating factors between a stable society and one that experiences genocide. Given further refinement, this study has the potential to become a generic model for social scientists and genocide researchers that is useable, interpretable, and useful for predictive and analytic purposes.


Highly defected tubular SiO2 is found to outperform the activity of TiO2-P25 and the SiO2–TiO2 composite in photocatalytic H2 generation from methanol–water solution under simulated solar light AM 1.5. The enhanced performances of SiO2 come from the particularities of the reaction mechanism and ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation. The SiO2 exposed to light generates solely 1O2 (singlet oxygen). The TiO2-P25 produces uniquely large quantities of ˙OH radicals whereas the formation of O2− is evidenced only over SiO2–TiO2, along with small amounts of ˙OH. The TiO2 works as a photocatalyst by intermediation of ˙OH radicals. In contrast, the organic substrate is activated on the surface of SiO2 by the intra-band gap, isolated, surface quantum defects. Distinct reaction mechanisms, involving the participation of photogenerated charges and ROS, are proposed. The material-related ROS production can be of great practical importance in fields such as biology (germ inactivation), medicine (photodynamic therapy by 1O2), and synthesis of oxygenated organic compounds of great added value.


A highly active and cost-effective Pt-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is significantly important for air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, a novel low-cost iron–nitrogen–carbon nanorod network-anchored graphene (Fe–N–C/G) nanohybrid was prepared for use as an efficient ORR catalyst. The morphology, chemical composition, and ORR catalytic activity of the as-prepared Fe–N–C/G were investigated by a series physical measurements and electrochemical tests. Finally, it the nanohybrid was employed as an ORR electrocatalyst in the practical air-cathode MFCs. Remarkably, Fe–N–C/G exhibited a comparable catalytic performance and stability in a neutral medium along with even better power generation performance (1601 ± 59 mW m−2) in MFCs as compared to the-state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst (1468 ± 58 mW m−2). The superior ORR activity of Fe–N–C/G should be attributed to its N/Fe co-doping, the introduction of graphene, as well as the unique micro-nano structure, which can dramatically favor the oxygen reduction kinetics. Therefore, the cost-effective Fe–N–C/G can be one of the most promising ORR catalysts for application in a neutral medium and practical air-cathode MFCs.


Light-by-light (LbyL) scattering is a quantum-mechanical process with a small cross-section, but possible to observe in ultra-peripheral high energy heavy-ion collisions. The signature of LbyL scattering consists of two low-$E_{\mathrm{T}}$ photons with absence of any other activity in the detector. Triggering on such events in the ATLAS experiment is challenging as the rate of LbyL events is tiny compared to hadronic inelastic interactions.
Based on 2015 Pb+Pb data, an evidence of LbyL scattering was reported by ATLAS in 2017. The starting point for developing the LbyL trigger for the upcoming 2018 Pb+Pb run is a trigger strategy from the 2015 Pb+Pb data taking. The work presented here is focused on lowering down the photon transverse energy requirement, which can provide almost a factor of two gain in the observed signal rate. In addition, trigger requirements need to be adjusted to the potentially larger instantaneous luminosity delivered by the LHC. This document presents an approach to address the challenges of triggering on LbyL scattering in the 2018 Pb+Pb data taking.


Abstract : A study of 45 cases of denial of hemiplegia and/or neglect of the affected limbs indicated an alteration of perceptual-symbolic function, in which one side of the body was represented in metaphorical and delusional language and non verbally in analogous acts and gestures. Delu sions and attitudes concerning absence of the affected side were concepts rather than manifes tations of failure to receive stimuli. In each case, such alterations in the relationship in the environment were noted by accompanying changes in the designation of place, time, objects and/or person. The predominance of lesions of the right brain is explained by the inability of many pa tients with left brain lesions and aphasic diffi culties to use metaphor, idioms, and synonyms. The etiology is multi-factorial. The brain lesion produces the somatosensory deficit and, in addi tion, provides the necessary conditions for an altred threshold of interaction in the environ ment. As both the verbal and non-verbal mani festations are to an extent artefacts of the situation in which they are observed, responses varied with the conditions of examination. The content of the patterns of anosognosia, as shown, for example, in personification of the affected limbs, can be correlated with pre-morbid social relationships and cultural roles. (Author)


This paper reports results from a qualitative study on social representations of health and illness among the Chinese community in England. It is assumed that representations of health and illness are grounded in cultural frameworks and are constructed through communication, social interaction and the practices of daily life. Our findings show that in spite of differences related to age and degrees of acculturation, Chinese people in England share a common representational system with respect to health and illness. This system is based on the traditional notions of "balance" and "harmony" between the interdependent forces of Yin and Yang. Health results from balance, whereas illness is brought about by disequilibrium. It is through these traditional Chinese concepts that Western biomedical knowledge is incorporated, producing a mixed representational field where Chinese and Western knowledge co-exist. This representational field is transmitted through the most fundamental dimensions of culture: food, language and kinship relations. We conclude by showing that social representations of health and illness are inseparable from the struggles over identity experienced by the Chinese people in England. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Six-membered heterocycles, 1,4-dithiane and 1,4-thioxane, were treated with [Fe2(CO)6(μ-pdt)] (pdt = propanedithiolate) in order to synthesise [2Fe3S] complexes with well positioned heteroatoms as potential base. Monosubstituted compounds of general formula [Fe2(CO)5L(μ-pdt)] (L = 1,4-dithiane, 1,4-thioxane) were mainly obtained and characterised by 1H NMR, IR, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction studies. Electrochemical behaviour of these monosubstituted derivatives was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. An original tetranuclear cluster with a [4Fe8S] core was also isolated as a minor product and structurally characterised.


Objective The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possible prophylactic effects of saxagliptin (SAX), a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor, and Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn extract (HSE) and their combination against Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME)-induced hypertensive nephropathy in rats; in addition, their effects on proinflammatory and fibrogenic cytokines involved in renal injury induced by hypertension were investigated. Materials and methods Rats were randomly divided into five groups (eight each) as follows: control group; l-NAME-treated group (50 mg/kg/day in drinking water); SAX+l-NAME-treated group (10 mg/kg/day postoperatively); HSE+l-NAME-treated group (100 mg/kg/day post operatively); SAX+HSE+l-NAME-treated group that received the same doses. Systolic blood pressure was measured. Kidney function tests (blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, total protein contents in 24-h urine, and creatinine clearance rate) and renal tissue oxidative biomarkers (malondialdehyde, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase activity) were assessed. Proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6) levels were assessed in renal tissue homogenate; in addition, renal tissue transforming growth factor-β1 mRNA expression level was assayed. Histopathological analysis of the kidney and scoring were also performed. Results Administration of either SAX or HSE for 8 weeks attenuated l-NAME-induced increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in the kidney of rats, associated with improvement of the impaired renal function and histopathological changes, but their combination was found to be more effective in the protection against l-NAME-induced hypertensive renal damage than each drug alone. Conclusion A combination of SAX and HSE protected the kidney tissue against l-NAME-induced hypertensive nephropathy through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic activities.


Near-infrared images of Venus, obtained from a global network of ground-based observatories during January and February 1990, document the morphology and motions of the night-side near-infrared markings before, during, and after the Galileo Venus encounter. A dark cloud extended halfway around the planet at low latitudes (>�40�) and persisted throughout the observing program. It had a rotation period of 5.5 � 0.15 days. The remainder of this latitude band was characterized by small-scale (400 to 1000 kilometers) dark and bright markings with rotation periods of 7.4 � 1 days. The different rotation periods for the large dark cloud and the smaller markings suggests that they are produced at different altitudes. Mid-latitudes (�40� to 60�) were usually occupied by bright east-west bands. The highest observable latitudes (�60� to 70�) were always dark and featureless, indicating greater cloud opacity. Maps of the water vapor distribution show no evidence for large horizontal gradients in the lower atmosphere of Venus.


This is the first study to explore fish community structure and its relations to habitat and topographic complexity in the shallow coastal waters of the Cyclades Archipelago, North-eastern Mediterranean Sea. In situ visual surveys were carried out at 233 sampling sites in 26 islands of the Cyclades Archipelago. Fish community parameters and biomass were estimated across seven substrate types: sand, seagrass, vertical walls, boulders, horizontal/subhorizontal continuous rock, rocky substrate with patches of sand, and rocky substrate with patches of sand and Posidonia oceanica . Topographic complexity and percentage of algal cover were estimated on hard substrate. Substrate type was found to be a determining factor affecting the structure and composition of fish assemblages. Species number, abundance and biomass were significantly lower in sandy areas and always higher on hard substrates, with seagrass habitats presenting intermediate values. Topographic complexity in rocky bottoms did not seem to affect species richness, density or biomass. This study provides a baseline for future evaluation of changes produced by potential management actions such as the creation of marine protected areas in the study region.


The guinea pig sperm protein, PH-30 (also known as fertilin), is postulated to participate in the interaction between the sperm and egg plasma membranes. The beta subunit of guinea pig PH-30 (gpPH-30 beta) contains a domain with homology to disintegrins, snake venom proteins that bind to integrins via an integrin-binding domain containing the tripeptide RGD. This raises the question of whether an egg integrin serves as a receptor for PH-30. Although mouse eggs express integrin subunits, their role in mouse fertilization is unresolved. Therefore, we examined fertilization for two different hallmarks of integrin function, namely, dependence of ligand binding on divalent cations and the ability to inhibit ligand binding with RGD peptides. We demonstrate that sperm binding to zona pellucida-free eggs is supported by Ca2+, Mg2+, or Mn2+. Ca2+ was necessary and sufficient for sperm-egg fusion, with 2.5 mM Ca2+ being the most effective concentration. In addition, fertilization could be partially inhibited with various RGD peptides, which caused a decrease in sperm-egg fusion by 30-58%. This partial inhibition of fusion with RGD peptides prompted the cloning of the mouse homologue of gpPH-30 beta (hereafter referred to as mPH-30 beta) to determine if it possessed the tripeptide RGD or a different amino acid sequence in its disintegrin domain. mPH-30 beta, which is expressed during meiotic and post-meiotic phases of spermatogenesis, shares significant similarities to gpPH-30 beta throughout the length of the molecule, from the signal sequence to the cytoplasmic tail. The full-length deduced amino acid sequence of mPH-30 beta. The disintegrin domain of mPH-30 beta has the tripeptide QDE (instead of RGD) in its cell recognition region. Peptides containing this QDE sequence decrease the binding and fusion of sperm with zona pellucida-free eggs by approximately 70%, suggesting that the disintegrin domain of mPH-30 beta participates in the interaction between sperm and egg membranes.


The Nankai hydrate field, Japan, is an example of gas-hydrate deposits associated with an active subduction zone. In order to determine the origin of gas hydrates in this area, 129I/I ratios together with halogen concentrations were measured in a set of pore-water samples collected from two boreholes in the Nankai hydrate field. Iodine concentrations are between 100 and 230 μM, i.e., strongly enriched compared to seawater, while Cl concentrations were found to be close to that of seawater. Except for one sample, 129I/I ratios are between 180 and 520 × 10−15, giving minimum ages between 24 and 48 Ma. Because these ages are considerably older than present host sediments (<2 Ma) and subducting marine sediments (<21 Ma) in this area, iodine (and, by association, methane in the gas hydrates) must have been derived from source formations located in the continental side of the subduction zone. The results do not support derivation of gas hydrates from present host sediments or currently subducting sediments, but could be related to release and long-time recycling of fluids from marine formations of early Tertiary age.


To create a better quality of education, it was necessary to take various actions that support learning in the classroom. This laziness causes low quality education. The low quality of education at this time was an indication of the need for professional teachers. The purpose of this study provided an overview of improving teachers' professionalism through learning innovation. The research used a qualitative descriptive study. Data were collected by observation, interviews, and documentation. Objects in this study were teachers of SD Negeri 3 Rejosari, SD Negeri 1 Purwodadi, SD Negeri 2 Srimulyo in Belitang Mulya, SD Negeri 1 Karang Endah, and SD Negeri 1 Taraman, Semendawai Suku III Ogan Komering Ulu Timur, South Sumatra. The results indicated that the teachers must be equipped by knowledge and motivation, then the teachers can improve their service to students through their teaching skills. Learning objectives in educational institutions generally need innovation, so they can develop their skill based on the dynamics of life. The effort can be done in order to improve teachers' professionalism was by learning innovations. The learning innovations were be able to improve the previous learning to a better direction, giving an overview to other parties about the implementation of innovation, and others can also try out the innovations made, encourage them to continue on developing knowledge. The increasing quality of teachers' professionalism will improve the quality of education both process and outcome.
Key words: Teachers' Profesionalism, Learning Innovation, Primary School


In this paper, we use 12 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel to examine the relationship between job insecurity, employability and health-related well-being. Our results indicate that being unemployed has a strong negative effect on life satisfaction and health. They also, however, highlight the fact that this effect is most prominent among individuals over the age of 40. A second observation is that job insecurity is also associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and health, and this association is quite strong. This negative effect of job insecurity is, in many cases, exacerbated by poor employability.


The principle of three-dimensional protein structure formation is a long-standing conundrum in structural biology. A globular domain of a soluble protein is formed by a network of atomic contacts among amino acid residues, but regions without intramolecular non-local contacts are often observed in the protein structure, especially in loop, linker, and peripheral segments with secondary structures. Although these regions can play key roles for protein function as interfaces for intermolecular interactions, their nature remains unclear. Here, we termed protein segments without non-local contacts as floating segments and sought them in tens of thousands of entries in the Protein Data Bank. As a result, we found that 0.72% of residues are in floating segments. Regarding secondary structural elements, coil structures are enriched in floating segments, especially for long segments. Interactions with polypeptides and polynucleotides, but not chemical compounds, are enriched in floating segments. The amino acid preferences of floating segments are similar to those of surface residues, with exceptions; the small side chain amino acids, Gly and Ala, are preferred, and some charged side chains, Arg and His, are disfavored for floating segments compared to surface residues. Our comprehensive characterization of floating segments may provide insights into understanding protein sequence-structure-function relationships.


A major drawback of current Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based speech synthesis is the monotony of the generated speech which is closely related to the monotony of the generated prosody. Complementary to model-oriented approaches that aim to increase the prosodic variability by reducing the "over-smoothing" effect, this paper presents a linguistic-oriented approach in which high-level linguistic features are extracted from text in order to improve prosody modeling. A linguistic processing chain based on linguistic preprocessing, morpho-syntactical labeling, and syntactical parsing is used to extract high-level syntactical features from an input text. Such linguistic features are then introduced into a HMM-based speech synthesis system to model prosodic variations (f0, duration, and spectral variations). Subjective evaluation reveals that the proposed approach significantly improve speech synthesis compared to a baseline model, event if such improvement depends on the observed linguistic phenomenon.


This paper investigates whether the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to CPI inflation is a nonlinear phenomenon for five heavily indebted euro area (EA) countries, namely the so-called GIIPS group (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain). Using logistic smooth transition models, we explore the existence of nonlinearity with respect to sovereign bond yield spreads (versus German) as an indicator of confidence crisis/macroeconomic instability. Our results provide strong evidence that the extent of ERPT is higher in periods of macroeconomic distress, i.e. when sovereign bond yield spreads exceed some threshold. For all the GIIPS countries, we reveal that the increasing of macroeconomic instability and the loss of confidence during the recent sovereign debt crisis has entailed a higher sensibility of CPI inflation to exchange rate movements.


A horse needs to move in different gaits and carry a rider during riding. Therefore, the equine back must be in a good functional state. Preventing back disorders is one of the keys to ensuring a horse's health. This study aimed to assess cranial osteopathy therapy as a treatment and prevention method for preventing and reducing back pain. Thirty-two thoroughbred horses were categorised by their backs' functional status (16 without back pain and 16 with back pain). The mechanical nociceptive threshold was determined before and after osteopathic treatment by an algometer (pain test FPX 100) with pressure points between T14-T15, T18-L1, and L5-L6. The data were analysed with a significance of P < 0.05. The study found that cranial osteopathic therapy raised the mechanical nociceptive threshold average in 83.3% measured points for horses without back pain and in 50% measured points for those with back pain. This study revealed that both horses without back pain and horses with back pain had a positive response to cranial osteopathic therapy, as evidenced by the increased nociceptive threshold limits, indicating that osteopathic therapy can be used as a primary or additional treatment method for back dysfunction.


Electron transfer in nitrogenase involves a gating process initiated by MgATP (magnesium adenosine triphosphate) binding to Fe-protein. The redox site, an 4Fe:4S cluster, is structurally separated from the MgATP binding site. For MgATP hydrolysis to be coupled to electron transfer, a signal transduction mechanism is proposed that is similar to that in guanosine triphosphatase proteins. Based on the three-dimensional structure of Fe-protein, Asp125 is likely to be part of a putative transduction path. Altered Fe-protein with Glu replacing Asp has been prepared and retains the ability for the initial nucleotide-dependent conformational change. However, either MgADP or MgATP can induce the shift and Mg binding to the nucleotide is no longer essential.


Proppant bed can play a critical role in enhancing oil and gas production in stimulated wells. In the last 2 decades, there have been consistent efforts to improve shape characteristics and mechanical strength properties to guarantee high permeability in the resultant propped fracture. However, engineering the surface properties of proppants, such as tuning their wettability, has not received considerable attention. Considering that water-wet proppants can not only limit production because of reduced hydrocarbon relative permeability but also facilitate fines migration through the proppant bed, a methodology is presented here to alter the wettability of proppants using graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs). The idea benefits from the intrinsic hydrophobicity of graphitic surfaces, their relatively low cost, and their planar geometry for coating proppants. Conductivity tests are conducted according to ISO 13503-5:2006 (2006) and API RP 19D (2008) to examine how the coating process changes the relative permeability to water and oil. According to the simulation results, the newly developed graphite-coated proppants speed up the water cleanup and increase long-term oil production in an oil-wet reservoir.


Contrary to received opinion, revolts and popular protests in medieval English towns were as frequent and as sophisticated, if not more so, as those in the countryside. This groundbreaking study refocuses attention on the varied nature of popular movements in towns from Carlisle to Dover and from the London tax revolt of Longbeard in 1196 to Jack Cade's Rebellion in 1450, exploring the leadership, social composition, organisation and motives of popular protest. The book charts patterns of urban revolt in times of strong and weak kingship, contrasting them with the broad sweep of ecological and economic change that inspired revolts on the continent. Samuel Cohn demonstrates that the timing and character of popular revolt in England differed radically from revolts in Italy, France and Flanders. In addition, he analyses repression and waves of hate against Jews, foreigners and heretics, opening new vistas in the comparative history of late medieval Europe.


At many universities, there is a growing realization that the university owes a social responsibility to the community. Society invests in its citizens through the university, and the university empowers its students to realize their potential, both as competent professionals and as responsible citizens. This requires the cultivation of attributes such as social awareness, ethical leadership, and social responsibility, which are generally recognized as being difficult to teach in a classroom setting. Service learning is a form of active learning that integrates meaningful service to the community with academic study and reflective learning. In service learning, the learning goals of the students are as important as the benefits of the service that is rendered to the community; in addition, the two are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Research has shown that service learning contributes positively to the attainment of many of the aforementioned desired graduate attributes for university students. However, there is much controversy about whether service learning should be mandated. There is a need to examine whether and to what extent students' learning and development from completing a mandatory service learning subject are influenced by their initial inclination. Data described in this article were collected from 756 students via an online post-experience survey. Results show that students' total learning experience from service learning had a much stronger impact on their learning and development than their initial inclination or even interest in the subject.


ABS TRACT Objective: To clarify the anatomy of the popliteal artery and to determine key variations in the bifurcation patterns of the popliteal artery. Material and Methods: The popliteal fossae of 28 (12 right and 16 left) fixed lower extremities were carefully dissected, and the arterial pattern from the distal edge of the adductor hiatus (AH) to the proximal portion of each leg was documented. A digital caliper was used to measure the arterial length. The transverse plane between the distal edges of the femoral condyles (FCs), which is easily located, was used as reference. Results: The mean length of the popliteal artery (PA) from the AH to the FCs was 9.26 ± 1.63 cm on the right side and 10.08 ± 2.12 cm on the left side, while the mean distance from the FCs to the site of bifurcation into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries was 7.20 ± 1.98 cm on the right side and 6.69 ± 1.15 cm on the left. The average arterial length from the level of the FCs to the site of origin of the peroneal artery was 10.01 ± 1.78 cm on the right side and 9.18 ± 1.07 cm on the left side, and the PA/extremity ratio was 0.21 ± 0.04 on the right side and 0.22 ± 0.04 on the left. Variable patterns of adult popliteal artery termination were observed. Conclusion: The data presented here can help reduce the complication rate and improve the success rate of both urgent and elective vascular procedures, which often require exposure of the popliteal artery.


Seven papers from the session on Lithics and the Early and Middle Neolithic Chronology in France given at the EAA conference in Lyon in 2004. Work on lithic materials in the widest sense has developed considerably over the last two decades, leading to an almost complete renewal of methods and objectives. From the 1980s onwards there emerged methods which have become classic: investigation of raw materials, creation of reference collections (lithotheques), characterization of procurement modes, studies of technology and analyses of use-wear. Relative chronology, mainly established through study of decorated ceramics, is still an essential aspect of our discipline and new data have stimulated debate on the relations between various cultural groups de fined on stylistic grounds. This volume aims to review the contribution of lithic studies in both France and neighbouring regions for establishing the cultural sequences of the early and middle N Papers in French and English.


Recent outbreaks of bluetongue virus (BTV) serotypes 2 and 8 in many European countries provided an opportunity to investigate the possibility of improving the safety of the modified live vaccines administered mainly in South Africa. Modified live vaccines (MLV) released at a titre of 5 x 104 PFU/mL, raised concerns and prompted the need to determine the minimum titre which will still be protective and also safe. The BTV serotypes 2 and 8 vaccines were produced at the following titres: 102 PFU/mL, 103 PFU/mL and 104 PFU/mL, and were injected into 24 sheep which were then monitored. Blood was collected on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 28 and 4 months post vaccination, for seroconversion and viraemia studies. These sheep were later challenged at 4 months post vaccination using BTV infected cell culture material, they were then observed and bled and again tested for viraemia. There was no viraemia post vaccination, however, a febrile reaction did occur and seroconversion was demonstrated at low titres for both BTV 2 and 8. Although viraemia was demonstrated post challenge, sheep vaccinated with the low titre BTV 2 vaccine showed more than a 90% protection index at a lower titre of 103 PFU/mL, compared with BTV 8 that showed a protection index above 90% at all the titres used. It is recommended that for BTV 2 vaccine, sheep should be vaccinated at a titre of 103 PFU/mL and at a titre of 102 PFU/mL with BTV 8 vaccine.


The objective of this research is to determine the challenges for setting up a community network in a suburban residential area of Selangor, Malaysia. The availability of a community network will allow residents to communicate with one another and inherently will bring them closer and integrate the community. An initial investigation revealed that 12.8% of the residents communicated with one another electronically through mobile phones but not through the proper ICT platform for community networking using the internet. Although the Pearson correlation analysis was positive, the r-value indicated a weak relationship between community networking and citizen integration (r=129, p=.456). Other challenges of implementing a community networking include low levels of education, income and ICT skill. It is suggested that the member of parliament, the state legislative assemblyman, and the Klang Municipal Council work together to promote the awareness of using ICT among the residents as the Federal and State governments' plans for e-government services and achieving the developed nation status by 2020 will not materialize if these suburbanites are marginalized. Also, with the Prime Minister's favored 1 Malaysia concept on citizen integration, this project will also fail in there is limited political will. Integrating the three major races of Malaysia is possible through information and communication technology (ICT) as the enabler.


Create high-quality photorealistic renders of architectural visualizations using 3ds Max and Vray with the project-based tutorials in this book. Learn how to combine lighting and rendering options to end-up with the most realistic final renders possible at a professional level. The tutorials in this book are filled with beautiful full-color images and they teach you how to light both interiors and exteriors and daytime and nighttime scenes. Learn how to save time without sacrificing the quality of your final renders with tips and tricks on rendering with Vray - the most accurate rendering application for 3ds Max. The companion CD includes all the project files that you need to recreate each of the projects presented within the book. Topics include: * AutoCAD to 3ds Max workflow * Vray light sources and materials * IES light sources *Indirect Illumination *Artificial and natural light sources *The Vray overhead system * HDRI lighting * Studio Setup for Product Visualization * Creating a loft in daylight * Interior visualization of a bathroom scene *The Vray Camera *Interior and exterior shots


By representing a system of budget shares as an approximate factor model we determine its rank, i.e. the number of common functional forms, or factors, spanning the space of Engel curves. Once the common factors are estimated via approximate principal components, we identify them by imposing statistical independence. Finally, by means of parametric and non-parametric regressions we estimate the factors as functions of total expenditure. Using data from the U.K. Consumption Expenditure Survey from 1968 to 2006, we find evidence of three common functional forms which correspond to decreasing, increasing and almost constant Engel curves. The household consumption behavior is therefore driven by three factors respectively related to necessities (e.g. food), luxuries (e.g. vehicles), and goods to which is allocated the same percentage of total budget both in rich and in poor households (e.g. housing).


The XML DOM (Document Object Model) provides a logical view of the in-memory structure. It represents the metadata that has a hierarchical treelike structure consisting of nodes. There are several benefits of implementing the XML DOM as a home management server. First of all, the process time decreases by three times in average sense than using general database. Secondly, it would make to meet with the development circumstance change flexibility. Thirdly, it has the advantage of managing and simplifying data effectively. It means to guarantee compatibility.


Excerpt] This issue of Beyond the Numbers article examines fatal and nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses related to insects, arachnids, and mites using data from two Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sources: the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). CFOI data used here are from 2003 to 2010 and aggregated to support extended analysis. SOII data are from 2008 to 2010. BLS began publishing national SOII estimates for state and local government in 2008, so that period was chosen to keep the coverage of CFOI and SOII data in this study as comparable as possible. For this article, the term "insects" refers to the entire category, for short.


Every computer vision level crawl with uncertainty, what makes its management a significant problem to be considered and solved when trying for automated systems for scene analysis and interpretation. This is why fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic is making many inroads into the handling of uncertainty in various aspects of image processing and computer vision. The growth within the use of fuzzy set theory in computer vision is keeping pace with the use of more complex algorithms addressed to solve problems arisen from image vagueness management. Due to the natural linguistic capabilities of high - level computer vision, it is a very appropriate place for applying fuzzy sets. Moreover, scene description, i.e., the language -based representation of regions and their relationships, for either humans or higher automated reasoning provides an excellent opportunity. With this overview we want to address the various aspects of image processing and analysis problems where the theory of fuzzy sets has so far been applied. On the other hand, we will discuss the possibility of making fusion of the merits of fuzzy set theory, neural networks theory and genetic algorithms for improved performance. Finally a list of representative references is also provided.


A field experiment was conducted in three sites of Ilocos Norte, Philippines from March 2008 to March 2009: to evaluate the growth and yield performance of yam bean genotypes grown at different sites; determine the nutrient-use efficiency of yam bean genotypes grown at varying fertilizer treatments; and, compute for the cost and return analysis of the different yam bean genotypes grown at varying fertilizer treatments and sites in Ilocos Norte. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with fertilizer treatments (control, organic, 50% organic fertilizer + 50% inorganic fertilizer) as the main-plot factors and genotypes (G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5) as the sub-plot. Results were tested and compared across three sites. Generally, fertilizer significantly affected yield and yield contributing characters in all sites but not all with genotypes. In site 1, fertilizer significantly affected days to germinate, flower and mature as well as root characteristics, Crop Growth Rate, Dry Matter Production, Harvest Index, yield and Potassium uptake, PFPN and AEN while the rest were not significantly affected. The application of 50% OF + 50% IF with G3 was found out to be best in this site with In site 2, fertilizer significantly affected days to germinate, flower, and mature, shoot fresh and dry weights, yield, N uptake and PFPN. The use of 50% OF + 50% IF with G3 and G4 was also found to be beneficial for it results to best with regards to yield and yield characters as well as nutrient efficiencies. For Site 3, as was observed, OF application to the plants resulted to best plant performance and returns, and the genotype best for the area was G4 or G1. To improve yield and other plant characters as well as enhance soil fertility conditions, the use of organic fertilizer can be done since this is the cheapest, locally available, and gives high returns.


Human T lymphotropic virus type 1–assoicated (HTLV-1–associated) myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a neuroinflammatory disease caused by the persistent proliferation of HTLV-1–infected T cells. Here, we performed a T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis focused on HTLV-1–infected cells to identify and track the infected T cell clones that are preserved in patients with HAM/TSP and migrate to the CNS. TCRβ repertoire analysis revealed higher clonal expansion in HTLV-1–infected cells compared with noninfected cells from patients with HAM/TSP and asymptomatic carriers (ACs). TCR clonality in HTLV-1–infected cells was similar in patients with HAM/TSP and ACs. Longitudinal analysis showed that the TCR repertoire signature in HTLV-1–infected cells remained stable, and highly expanded infected clones were preserved within each patient with HAM/TSP over years. Expanded HTLV-1–infected clones revealed different distributions between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood and were enriched in the CSF of patients with HAM/TSP. Cluster analysis showed similarity in TCRβ sequences in HTLV-1–infected cells, suggesting that they proliferate after common antigen stimulation. Our results indicate that exploring TCR repertoires of HTLV-1–infected cells can elucidate individual clonal dynamics and identify potential pathogenic clones expanded in the CNS.


Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant form of cerebral gliomas, and despite distinct progress in surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with GBM is still very poor. In the past decades knowledge of genomics and proteomics and of diagnostic, prognostic, predictive and pharmakodynamic markers measured in cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF), serum, or tumor tissue biomarkers has improved. This review briefly compiles our concepts on diagnostic markers for GBM, focusing on the latest developments.


People cannot type as fast as they think, especially when faced with the constraints of mobile devices. There have been numerous approaches to solving this problem, including research in augmented input devices and predictive typing aids. We propose an alternative approach to predictive text entry based on commonsense reasoning. Using OMCSNet, a large-scale semantic network that aggregates and normalizes the contributions made to Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS), our system is able to show significant success in predicting words based on their first few letters. We evaluate this commonsense approach against traditional statistical methods, demonstrating comparable performance, and suggest that combining commonsense and statistical approaches could achieve superior performance. Mobile device implementations of the commonsense predictive typing aid demonstrate that such a system could be applied to just about any computing environment.


SETTING
Rural and urban health centres in The Gambia, West Africa.

OBJECTIVES
To estimate the time delay between onset of symptoms and initiation of treatment and identify the risk factors influencing the delay in patients with tuberculosis (TB).

DESIGN
Structured interviews with newly diagnosed TB patients aged over 15 years presenting to TB control staff in four health centres.

RESULTS
A total of 152 TB patients were interviewed. The median delay from onset of symptoms to commencement of treatment was 8.6 weeks (range 5-17). Delay to treatment was independent of sex, but was shorter in young TB patients. The median delay was longer in rural than in urban areas (12 weeks [range 8.5-17] vs. 8 [4-12], P < 0.01) and in those who did not attend school, but this effect disappeared after adjusting for age and area of residence. Patients who reported haemoptysis as one of their initial symptoms had shorter delays to treatment. There was no relation between duration of delay to treatment and cure rate, but longer delay did increase the risk of death.

CONCLUSION
Starting TB patients on treatment as early as possible plays a major role in reducing disease transmission in the community. Key to this is increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of TB and ensuring easy access to diagnostic facilities and treatment.


Some version of the following claim is almost universally assumed: a quantifier must c-command any pronoun that it binds. Yet as I show, the evidence motivating this claim is not particularly strong. In addition, I gather here a wide variety of systematic counterexamples, some well-known, others new. I conclude that c-command is not relevant for quantificational binding in English (nor is any refinement or extension of c-command).


Pronouns carry considerable importance in language. The speaker's identity and connection to the audience emerges through the consistent use of certain pronouns (De Fina, 1995). This research is about the use of we, us, and our in political discourse. Specifically, their use will be examined in the inaugural addresses of George W. Bush in 2005 and Barack Obama in 2009. The aim of this research is to examine the frequencies and the co-occurrences of these pronouns and then compare their use in these two speeches. More specifically, how do the pronouns examined affect the message and enhance hearer credibility. This is done by applying (a) a quantitative corpus linguistics analysis and (b) qualitative analysis of the context of use. The results show that there is a difference in frequency of pronoun use; however, the usage of pronouns is rather similar in the two speeches


UAV incidents were analyzed using data from Transport Canada's Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS). Between 05 November 2005 and 31 December 2016 a total of 355 incidents were reported in Canadian airspace. The largest number involved UAV sightings (66.5%) and close encounters with piloted aircraft (22.3%). These incidents increased markedly after 2013, with the highest number in British Columbia, followed by Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba. The vast majority of UAV incident reports were filed by pilots of piloted aircraft. Typically, airspace at altitudes greater than 400 feet above ground level (AGL) is off limits to UAVs; however, of the 270 incidents in the CADORS database with UAV altitude reported, 80.4% were above 400 feet AGL and 62.6% were above 1000 feet AGL. Of the 268 incidents with reported horizontal distance to the nearest aerodrome, 74.6% occurred or likely occurred within 5 nautical miles (nm), and of those 92.4% and 76.6% were reported above 100 and 300 feet AGL, respectively. Collectively, the CADORS data indicate that the overwhelming majority of UAV incidents reported in Canada were airspace violations. These results can guide future risk mitigation measures, hardware/software solutions, and educational campaigns to increase airspace safety. Page 1 of 16 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/juvs-pubs Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems


"That man is an aggressive creature will hardly be disputed. With the exception of certain rodents, no other vertebrate habitually destroys members of his own species . . . we are the cruellest and most ruthless species that ever walked the earth." Dr. Storr's dramatic apposition of Homo sapiens and Rattus rattus in his opening paragraph is arresting, though to a close neighbour of the Chillingham wild cattle it demands some qualification. The author, a practising psychoanalyst, will already be known to those interested in such matters, especially as the contributor of a perceptive essay to Rycroft's important critical reappraisal Psychoanalysis Observed, published in 1966. The present volume draws selectively on the biologist's observations of animal and piscine behaviour; on criminology, fairy-tale, history, and games theory; on the formulations of clinical psychiatry; and of course on postulations about the emotions of the infant based on the retrospective evidence of adult analysis. Dr. Storr recognizes the extreme suspicion with which evidence in the latter category is regarded, and the ease with which the tables can be turned to categorize it as no more than a projection of the analyst's highly loaded hypotheses. Here, as elsewhere, his modesty disarms. He gently dissociates himself from the fatuity of Melanie Klein's hope that " child-analysis will become as much a part of every person's upbringing as school education is now," and concedes a healthy scepticism about the effectiveness of psychoanalysis in averting universal catastrophe. He represents a new school of third-generation analysts, disavowing the arrogant dogmatism of the founding fathers to stretch tolerance to its limits, and calling to mind the best of Roman Catholic scientists, whose philosophical life is spent in a brave attempt to reconcile their observations of the material world with an inescapable inheritance of superstition. In brief, his theme is that aggression is not merely a conditioned response to the frustrations of a hostile or unyielding environment, but an instinct. His case is convincing that it is an inherent quality of man no less than of other living things, that it is fraught with potential for good as well as for evil, and that we should organize our affairs to allow and cater for it rather than to smother it in favour of an unachievable and stultifying tranquillity. Human Aggression is an enlightened study of which every paragraph furnishes material for disagreement and discussion. It is a tribute to the author's lively style that a presentation ranging from Beethoven to the baboon, from Humperdinck to the hippopotamus, and from geese to Gibbon is comprised in little more than a hundred unfailingly readable pages.


In this work, we present an algorithm that simultaneously searches for a high quality fingertip grasp and a collision-free path for a robot hand-arm system to achieve it. The algorithm combines a bidirectional sampling-based motion planning approach with a hierarchical contact optimization process. Rather than tackling these problems in a decoupled manner, the grasp optimization is guided by the proximity to collision-free configurations explored by the motion planner. We implemented the algorithm for a 13-DoF manipulator and show that it is capable of efficiently planning reachable high quality grasps in cluttered environments. Further, we show that our algorithm outperforms a decoupled integration in terms of planning runtime.


ABSTRACT A course on ethics and history of technology, taught to 1886 first-year engineering students of 14 engineering departments was redesigned using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) by adapting many course elements at the same time. We applied the situational level of Vallerand's hierarchical model, analysing how the elements of this ethics and history course influenced basic needs and motivation in a mediating role, which influenced in turn course outcomes. Regression analysis demonstrated the central role of competence in the assignment for intrinsic motivation. A complementary qualitative analysis showed strong polarisation between different types of students and indicated many remaining challenges. We conclude that the Vallerand model was a useful tool for prioritising redesign in this course. We suggest further research in the use of this model, on the role and meaning of competence and on the role of frustration, in ethics and history courses in particular and engineering courses in general.


The authors have rightly drawn attention to the current status of Engineering Geology. The history of the last 50 years explains the problem. The rapid expansion of interest and activity in the field during the 60s, 70s and 80s, as witnessed by the very successful series of Annual Regional Meetings, coincided with increased Engineering activities, especially the Motorway Construction programme which introduced Engineers to problem materials such as Mercia Mudstone (or Keuper Marl as it was then known) and to relict solifluxion slides and thus made the Engineering fraternity aware of the shortcomings of their geological knowledge. Likewise, overseas activities brought Engineers into regions where their scant undergraduate geology courses provided no guidance to the geomorphological and ground problems they encountered.

Much of the Soil Mechanics applied in this era was …


Fusion of phospholipid vesicles with planar bilayer membranes occurs if the vesicles that contact the planar membrane swell osmotically after the replacement in their medium of an impermeant solute by a permeant one. This finding directly demonstrates that osmotic swelling is a driving force for vesicle-planar membrane fusion. The method used to induce vesicle swelling and fusion may have relevance for biological systems.


This work explores basic properties of the size and growth rates distributions of firms at the aggregate and disaggregate levels. Using an extensive dataset on French manufacturing firms, we investigate which properties of firm size distributions and growth dynamics characterize the aggregate dynamics and are, at the same time, robust under disaggregation. Our analysis is based on nonlinear robust regression methods which have never been applied before to this kind of data. The growth rates distributions we observe are well described by a Subbotin distribution with a shape parameter significantly lower than 1, suggesting a noticeable departure from the Laplace behaviour reported in previous works on Italian and the US data. At the same time, the variance of growth rates depends negatively on size and the relationship does not seem to be linear, with larger firms possibly displaying lower variability in their growth dynamics. At the disaggregate level, we observe significant heterogeneity in the firm size distributions across sectors, while the shape of the sectoral growth rates density displays a surprising degree of homogeneity.


The DNA in human sperm chromatin is packaged into nucleoprotamine (approximately 85%) and nucleohistone (approximately 15%). Whether these two chromatin fractions are sequence-specific subsets of the spermatozoon genome is the question addressed in this report. Sequence-specific packaging would suggest distinct structural and functional roles for the nucleohistone and nucleoprotamine in late spermatogenesis or early development or both. After removal of histones with 0.65M NaCl, exposed DNA was cleaved with Bam HI restriction endonuclease and separated by centrifugation from insoluble nucleoprotamine. The DNA sequence distribution of nucleohistone DNA in the supernatant and nucleoprotamine DNA in the pellet was compared by cloning size-selected single-copy sequences and by using the derived clones as probes of nucleohistone DNA and nucleoprotamine DNA. Two clones derived from nucleohistone DNA preferentially hybridized to nucleohistone DNA, and two clones derived from nucleoprotamine DNA preferentially hybridized to nucleoprotamine DNA, which demonstrated the existence of sequence-specific nucleohistone and nucleoprotamine components within the human spermatozoon.