Criticism of the effects of the international investment regime on state regulatory space (SRS) is on the rise, much of it focusing on the impact of binding arbitration. Specifically, the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions found in most bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and other investment agreements have a profound effect on the balance between investor rights and state regulatory space (SRS), raising a debate on their legitimacy.We explore how states perceive the legitimacy of ISDS provisions in light of their experiences with the investment regime through the lens of BIT renegotiation and termination. Renegotiation provides an empirical window for understanding how dissatisfaction with BITs translates into concrete decisions by governments to recalibrate their treaty obligations, perhaps rendering them more legitimate.Based on an original data set comprised of 161 renegotiated agreements, we find that states have not made a systematic effort over the years to recalibrate their BITs for the purpose of preserving more regulatory space. In fact, most renegotiations either leave ISDS provisions unchanged or render them more investor-friendly. However, recent renegotiations show a greater tendency to limit investor protections in ISDS provisions.


Normalization of heart muscle phospholipid metabolism and reactivation of the activity of membrane-bound enzymes participating in the reactions of biosynthesis of nucleic acids have been studied. These investigations were carried out under the conditions of experimental myocardial infarction. The effects of essential forte have been examined when it was combined with both a tocopherol, and sodium nucleinate. It was pointed out that essential forte using without other reagents leads to the depression of nucleic acids biosynthesis in affected heart muscle, while the combinations of it with a-tocopherol, and especially with sodium nucleinate are accompanied by the significant intensification of reactions of formation of desoxynucleic and ribonucleic acids biosynthesis in necrotic areas as well as in peripheral regions of affected myocardial tissue. These positive changes are accompanied also by the pronounced normalization of haemodynamic activity of infarcted myocardium.


Four methods of riboflavin content estimation in urine were studied: they are based on specific titration of vitamin B by riboflavin-binding protein (1), riboflavin decomposition by boiling in alkali (2), riboflavin fluorescence suppression by dithionate (3), and high-performance liquid chromatography. A conclusion has been made on the necessity of a home standard for riboflavin estimation by methods 1-3. The results obtained with the above methods correlated well, regression equations were derived describing correlation of these results. Methods 1 and 3 are most simple and highly specific and sensitive, therefore they could be recommended for wide use in large-scale clinical investigations.


— Medical images play a vital role in identifying diseases and detecting if organs arefunctioning correctly. Image processing related to medical images is an active research area in which various techniques are used in order to make diagnosis easier and various image processing techniques can be used. In this project, image processing is done for automatically detecting the presence of brain tumors in a given brain scan. We propose an automatic brain tumor detection and localization framework that can detect andlocalize brain tumor in magnetic resonance imaging. The proposed brain tumor detection comprises following steps: Image pre-processing (BGR to gray scale conversion), Histogram equalization, Smoothening, Erode and dilate, Blob detection.


Given the continuing economic growth in Brazil, there is a growing interest in examining the variables that fuel such growth. The immense literature on economic growth in Brazil is composed of studies that investigate different aspects of this nation's growth in GDP. However, no study has examined the causality between economic growth and its determining elements. The purpose of this study is: (1) to determine the economic variables that contribute to Brazil's GDP growth over time, and (2) to examine the causality between these variables and economic growth. To achieve these goals the study uses a model that is based on the postulates of de Mello. Employing annual data, the model will be estimated by using the Beach Mackinnon technique which corrects for autocorrelation.


Economics needs to change from being a linear theory into being circular because of the need to be more scientific due to the use of both quantitative and qualitative, which reflects science in theory and practice. The application of circular economics to businesses, both in existing and new entrepreneurship, provides a construct way to address, change and reverse climate problems.


ABSTRACT Creating comic strips can be a viable mechanism when utilizing cognitive behavioral interventions. Generating comic strips, which involves a process of constructing sequenced panels and a story-narrative through drawing, can reveal dysfunctional cognitions that can consequently be addressed. The authors of this article discuss a qualitative case study of a 14-year-old high school boy who came for psychotherapy due to severe anxiety during math tests. Creating comic strips was found to be beneficial in externalizing problematic thinking processes, which were then utilized for cognitive restructuring and behavioral modification. The use of comic strips provided a concrete medium for analyzing maladaptive thoughts and practices, leading the way for the emotional management of anxiety with math.


Antimicrobial and anti-proliferative meleagrin and oxaline are roquefortine C-derived alkaloids produced by fungi of the genus Penicillium. Tandem O-methylations complete the biosynthesis of oxaline from glandicoline B through meleagrin. Currently, little is known about the role of these methylation patterns in the bioactivity profile of meleagrin and oxaline. To establish the structural and mechanistic basis of methylation in these pathways, crystal structures were determined for two late-stage methyltransferases in the oxaline and meleagrin gene clusters from Penicillium oxalicum and Penicillium chrysogenum. The homologous enzymes OxaG and RoqN were shown to catalyze penultimate hydroxylamine O-methylation to generate meleagrin in vitro. Crystal structures of these enzymes in the presence of methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine revealed an open active site, which lacks an apparent base indicating that catalysis is driven by proximity effects. OxaC was shown to methylate meleagrin to form oxaline in vitro, the terminal pathway product. Crystal structures of OxaC in a pseudo-Michaelis complex containing sinefungin and meleagrin, and in a product complex containing S-adenosyl-homocysteine and oxaline, reveal key active site residues with His313 serving as a base that is activated by Glu369. These data provide structural insights into the enzymatic methylation of these alkaloids that include a rare hydroxylamine oxygen acceptor, and can be used to guide future efforts towards selective derivatization and structural diversification and establishing the role of methylation in bioactivity.


Research question What is the lowest number of sperm that can be used for oocyte insemination during either conventional or the Walking Egg simplified IVF? Does the use of low numbers of sperm in high volume (1 ml) culture media have an effect on sperm DNA fragmentation and reactive oxygen species formation? Also, does the extended co-incubation of embryos with sperm and cumulus cells in the Walking Egg culture tubes induce higher levels of reactive oxygen species? Design Binding of sperm to the zona pellucida was compared using a modified hemi-zona assay. In the first part of the study, the binding capacity of decreasing concentrations of motile spermatozoa was evaluated, followed by a comparison of sperm binding after simulated insemination by conventional or the Walking Egg simplified culture protocol. Sperm DNA fragmentation was determined between test and control samples in the second part of the study and reactive oxygen species was measured in spent culture media. As a supplementary examination, reactive oxygen species formation, with the simulated co-incubation of cumulus and sperm cells, was compared between the conventional and Walking Egg IVF culture systems. Results Sperm-zona binding in 50 μl culture media, indicated mean sperm binding of more than 20 sperm per hemi-zona with as low as 1000 sperm used for insemination. Using a higher volume of culture media, as is done in the Walking Egg simplified IVF culture system, resulted in 42.8% reduced sperm-zona binding. No significant difference in DNA integrity was observed between the two test groups. The amount of ROS generated during conventional IVF in the first 18 hours of incubation was more than that produced in the simplified culture system over sixty-six hours. Only during extended culture for 114 hours in the simplified culture system, did the ROS generated slightly surpass that of conventional IVF at 18 hours. Conclusion Oocyte insemination with as little as 2 x 103 motile sperm showed sufficient sperm-zona binding capacity to be indicative of fertilization potential, supporting the Walking Egg simplified IVF insemination protocol. No difference in DNA fragmentation was observed between conventional and the simplified IVF culture systems, while reactive oxygen species formation was indicated to be at a slower rate during incubation with the Walking Egg simplified IVF culture system than with conventional IVF.


SUMMARY: The treatment of bacteria with antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents or various chemicals influences the nature of the viruses with which the bacteria are infected. In the ease of Corynebacterium diphtheriae many strains are infected with two or more distinct kinds of virus. Cultivation of these lysogenic strains in the presence of certain drugs may result in the removal of one of the viruses with a consequent alteration in the characters of the strain. Apart from changes in the host specificity of virus preparations yielded by the treated strains, these viruses may also differ in their capacity to transfer virulence to avirulent strains. For example, one diphtheria strain after treatment with certain antibiotics and chemicals developed the capacity to transfer virulence which it had not originally possessed. An avirulent strain after subcultivation in presence of certain drugs became susceptible to virulence-transfer from virus preparations not able to convey virulence to the parent strain. It appears that in lysogenic bacterial strains infected with two kinds of virus, one of the viruses may be more labile or easily removed than the other. Possibly the easily removable virus may be carried in the cytoplasm of the cell whilst the more stable virus may have some attachment to the nuclear apparatus of the bacterial cell. In one case investigated the stable virus was able to transfer virulence to an avirulent strain, whilst the cytoplasmic virus was not. It appears that there are two distinct mechanisms by which drugs may affect the viruses carried by bacterial strains: (i) by the selection of bacterial variants carrying a certain virus; (ii) by the preferential removal of the more labile viruses and inhibition of their multiplication. The results suggest criteria to be applied to the selection of potential chemotherapeutic agents for treating animal virus infections.


Cover crops are
important components of cropping systems due to their role in improving soil
quality. Lack of adequate levels of soil micronutrients prevents the success of
cover crops in highly weathered tropical soils. A greenhouse experiment was
conducted with the objective to evaluate copper use efficiency of nine tropical
legume cover crops. The copper levels used were 0, 5, 10 and 20 mg Cu kg-1 of soil. Shoot dry weight, maximum root length and root dry weight
significantly increased in a quadratic fashion with increasing soil Cu levels
in the range of 0 to 20 mg kg-1 soil. Cu x cover crops interactions
for shoot dry weight, root dry weight, maximum root length and contribution of
root to the total dry weight were significant, indicating different responses
of cover crops with the variation in soil Cu levels. Overall, maximum shoot dry
weight was obtained with the application of 13 mg Cu kg-1. Similarly,
maximum root dry weight and maximum root length were obtained with the
application of 12 and 14 mg Cu kg-1 of soil. Root dry weight and
maximum root length were significantly and positively related to shoot dry
weight, indicating that a vigorous root system is important for improving
productivity of cover crops grown on Brazilian Oxisols, especially where
deficiency of micronutrients such as Cu exists. The Cu concentration in the
plant tissue decreased in a quadratic fashion whereas, Cu uptake increased with
increasing Cu application rate from 0 to 20 mg kg-1 soil. There was
a significant variation observed in Cu use efficiency among cover crop species.
Increasing applied Cu levels significantly increased soil pH and Mehlich 1
extractable soil Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe concentrations in the soil solution.


An Open source "OpenFOAM" CFD modelling tool and multi-phase solvers are used to solve two-phase flow problems of relevance a variety of engineering applications. Validation of several benchmark two-phase model predictions is presented and discussed. For the different cases considered, the comparison showed that this CFD simulation tool is suitable for modelling multi-phase problems. Furthermore, the comparison revealed that the sclsVOFFoam (LS+VOF) solver is more accurate than interFoam (VOF) and showed better agreement with previous studies. Hence, it is concluded that OpenFOAM with the sclsVOFFoam (VOF+LS) solver is suitable for simulation of multi-phase problems, and so is chosen for implementation in this research study. Numerical studies of two multi-phase problems of practical significance are studied in detail, namely: (i) the coalescence of two droplets and (ii) the jet-burst phenomena of a high speed laminar jet. The numerical framework (geometrical, computational and physical settings) for the two problems are constructed and validated against relevant studies from literature. For the interaction of two droplets problem, numerical results are obtained for the flow phenomena to investigate the final composite droplet location at different lateral separation, impact speed and liquid properties (viscosity and surface tension). It is found that the composite droplet location (centre-of-mass ) relative to the initial condition (initial centre-of-mass) is influenced significantly by the impacting droplet velocity and liquid properties, but showed the same non-intuitive final location displacement for the three overlap ratios (lateral separation) studied in this research. For the high speed laminar jet problem, at ReL=2200, results are obtained for different inflow velocity profile, ambient gas viscosity and reduced liquid viscosity. From the results for the high speed laminar liquid jet, it is concluded that this is predominantly a laminar phenomenon, where the inlet velocity profile plays a critical role in determining burst onset. Secondary flow due to the axial velocity relaxation is found to be influential in determining the onset of the jet burst. Also, the results demonstrate that aerodynamic effects play a minimal role in influencing liquid jet burst characteristics. These results are useful in informing estimates of jet breakup length in practical problems, such as (explosive) area classification for accidental releases of high-flashpoint fuels.


Germinal centers (GCs) are a structure in which B cell populations are clonally expanded, depending on their affinities to Ag. Although we previously isolated a characteristic protein called dedicator of cytokinesis 11 (DOCK11) from GC B cells, limited information is available on the roles of DOCK11 in GC B cells. In this study, we demonstrate that DOCK11 may contribute to the expansion of Agspecific populations among GC B cells upon immunization of mice. The lack of DOCK11 in B cells resulted in the lower frequency of Ag-specific GC B cells along with enhanced apoptosis upon immunization. Under competitive conditions, DOCK11-deficient B cells were dramatically prevented from participating in GCs, in contrast to DOCK11-sufficient B cells. However, minor impacts of the DOCK11 deficiency were identified on somatic hypermutations. Mechanistically, the DOCK11 deficiency resulted in the suppression of B cell–intrinsic signaling in vitro and in vivo. Although DOCK11 expression by B cells was required for the induction of T follicular helper cells at the early stages of immune responses, minor impacts were identified on the expansion of Ag-specific populations among GC B cells. Thus, DOCK11 appears to contribute to the expansion of Ag-specific populations among GC B cells through the stimulation of B cell–intrinsic signaling. ImmunoHorizons, 2020, 4: 520–529.


Groups of 6 male rats were painted twice weekly with 1 ml of a 0.2% solution of an azo dye in acetone. The dyes used were aminoazobenzene, 4-monomethylaminoazobenzene, their 3-methoxy analogs, and 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene. In each case, all rats developed multiple skin tumors of histologic types similar to those found in rats treated with other chemical classes of carcinogen. 3-Methoxy-4-monomethylaminoazobenzene was the most potent carcinogen, followed by 4-monomethylaminoazobenzene, 3-methoxyaminoazobenzene, and 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene, and finally aminoazobenzene.

3-Methoxy-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene, which is also a potent carcinogen for rat skin, was found to be totally ineffectual when painted on the skins of 280 mice.


are so intractably opposed, in their models of behaviour as well as ethically, that adherents are unlikely to be persuaded at this level of debate. Critically, there is no analysis of moral responsibility. The second half of the book, with its penal policy review and proposal is easier, more persuasive and more rewarding. Bean attacks the conceptual confusion and moral dishonesty of the treatment ideology. There is a lengthy chapter on juvenile justice, where rehabilitation still holds sway, which is of particular value. Another chapter, 'Modern Trends', is important and compelling, especially in its critique of semiindeterminate sentences (not just parole). Deterrence makes a late bid for recognition, but it remains unclear how it relates to retribution in Bean's theory. The book lacks the pace and power of the author's Rehabilitation and Deviance. The present work takes the debate forward, but Bean remains more convincing in demolition than in construction. Retribution requires a relative tariff, but no clue is (or could be) given as to how it must be constructed. Retribution is sociologically naive. Finally, it admits of no (non-circular) answer to the question 'Why punish?' It is no longer sufficient for proponents of the justice model to content themselves with anti-treatment polemic. ROB CANTON Probation Officer, Nottingham


ABSTRACT Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is frequently associated with localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP); however, longitudinal cohort studies relating A. actinomycetemcomitans to initiation of LAP have not been reported. A periodontal assessment was performed on 1,075 primarily African-American and Hispanic schoolchildren, ages 11 to 17 years. Samples were taken from each child for A. actinomycetemcomitans. A cohort of 96 students was established that included a test group of 38 A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive students (36 periodontally healthy and 2 with periodontal pockets) and 58 healthy A. actinomycetemcomitans-negative controls. All clinical and microbiological procedures were repeated at 6-month intervals. Bitewing radiographs were taken annually for definitive diagnosis of LAP. At the initial examination, clinical probing attachment measurements indicated that 1.2% of students had LAP, while 13.7% carried A. actinomycetemcomitans, including 16.7% of African-American and 11% of Hispanic students (P = 0.001, chi-square test). A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes a, b, and c were equally distributed among African-Americans; Hispanic students harbored predominantly serotype c (P = 0.05, chi-square test). In the longitudinal phase, survival analysis was performed to determine whether A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive as compared to A. actinomycetemcomitans-negative students remained healthy ("survived") or progressed to disease with attachment loss of >2 mm or bone loss (failed to "survive"). Students without A. actinomycetemcomitans at baseline had a significantly greater chance to remain healthy (survive) compared to the A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive test group (P = 0.0001). Eight of 38 A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive and none of 58 A. actinomycetemcomitans-negative students showed bone loss (P = 0.01). A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype did not appear to influence survival. These findings suggest that detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans in periodontally healthy children can serve as a risk marker for initiation of LAP.


Perceiving the geometry of surrounding space is a multisensory process, crucial to contextualizing object perception and guiding navigation behavior. Auditory cues are informative about the shape and extent of large-scale environments: humans can make judgments about surrounding spaces from reverberation cues. However, how the scale of auditory space is represented neurally is unknown. Here, by orthogonally varying the spatial extent and sound source content of auditory scenes during magnetoencephalography (MEG) recording, we report a neural signature of auditory space size perception, starting ~145 ms after stimulus onset. Importantly, this neuromagnetic response is readily dissociable in form and time into representations of the source and its reverberant enclosing space: while the source exhibits an early and transient response, the neural signature of space is sustained and independent of the original source that produced it. Further, the space size response is robust to variations in sound source, and vice versa. The MEG decoding signal was distributed primarily across bilateral temporal sensor locations, significantly correlated with behavioral responses in a separate experiment. Together, our results provide the first neuromagnetic evidence for a robust auditory space size representation in the human brain, sensitive to reverberant decay, and reveal the temporal dynamics of how such a code emerges over time from the transformation of complex naturalistic auditory signals.


Abstract: This article looks at the music of a borderland region in Southeast Asia and how a particular drum accompaniment common to several local folk genres found there connects different social, linguistic, and/or religious communities. It focuses on the Andaman Coast of Malaysia and Thailand: a confluence of people and cultures in what was once a rural backwater prior to World War II but an area that has also long been exposed to contemporaneous cosmopolitan society from its neighbors in the region. These interrelationships produced a rich musical environment with a shared "Andaman" character, but as the twentieth century progressed and the region became divided along national lines, people and culture ceased to flow as they had previously. Legacies of a common Andaman Coast culture, however, remained extant despite being under-acknowledged. I explore those legacies through ethnographic and musical data from several cases that are united by a shared drumming practice. I refer to it as the changgong rhythm (borrowing the name of its best-known manifestation) and describe its archetypal features and appearances in four separate songs—including two mixed-sex social dances, a musical folk theater, and a ceremonial consecration, each of which holds an important position in the repertoires of its respective musical community. By using this musical phenomenon to bring attention to the common character and social networks of the Andaman Coast region (across borders, genres, and time), we can gain better understanding of some of the complex social dynamics that have shaped the region in recent decades, particularly in the transformations to the livelihoods, lifestyles, identities, and allegiances of its once-mobile populations.


Culture has always been the defining feature and disciplinary asset of anthropology. Before the reflective conversations of the 1980s, anthropology had owned culture. In the aftermath of the "crisis of anthropology" came the expansion and augmentation of culture to disciplines, domains, and settings beyond anthropology. Culture is now present in every aspect of social life and it is possible to buy, sell, design, invent, market, perform, and circulate culture(s) individually or collectively in (in)tangible forms. With the expansion, "culture talk"—not always in benign variety—has also become the predominant mode of addressing citizenship, security, and even economy, which were conventionally considered to be distinct from culture. This article elucidates this expansive venture of culture from being a disciplinary analytical artifact to an authoritative arbiter of rights, difference, heritage, and style, and suggests "projects of culture" as an analytical tool to enter into the burdensome territory of culture today, without getting trapped in culture talk.


Weed management strategies differ in their ability to control weeds, and often have unique agroecological implications. To provide growers with an improved sense of trade-offs between weed control and ecological effects, we implemented several prominent organic weed management strategies in yellow onion in 2014 and 2015. Strategies included cultivation of weed seedlings during the early, weed-sensitive "critical period" of the crop; frequent cultivation events to ensure "zero seed rain"; and weed suppression with polyethylene or natural mulches. As expected, end-of-season weed biomass and weed seed production were greatest in the critical period system and nearly zero for the zero seed rain system. Weeds were also well controlled in natural mulch systems. Average onion yield per treatment was 50.7Mg ha-1. In 2014, the critical period system and the polyethylene mulch systems demonstrated yield loss, likely due to weed competition and excessive soil temperature, respectively. Onion soluble solids content was also diminished in these systems in 2014, but bulb firmness was greatest in unmulched systems. Carabid beetles, earthworms, soil compaction, soil nitrate, and microbial biomass were affected by weed management strategy, with naturalmulched systems generally performing most favorably. However, these effects were not substantial enough to affect yield of a subsequent sweet corn crop grown in weed-free conditions. In contrast, sweet corn managed with only early-season cultivations demonstrated yield loss (P = 0.004) in plots where the critical period treatment was implemented the prior year, indicating that weed competition resulting from abundant weed seed production in that system was the most influential legacy effect of the weed management strategies. Nomenclature: Onion, Allium cepa L.; corn, Zea mays L.


Welcome to the first of this new feature. Epilogue will appear regularly in Education and Practice and is intended to serve as means by which practising paediatricians can assess their own knowledge and skills. Some articles, as this one, will be based on articles already published in the journal. Others will be based on clinical cases, images or current practice guidelines.

By successfully answering the questions, readers will be able to demonstrate to their own satisfaction that they have fully grasped the article, and thereby contribute to their own continuing professional development.

Annotated answers will always be available in the same …


BACKGROUND
Pancreatitis is a common disease in cats that is difficult to diagnose.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES
To determine the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonographic changes of the pancreas with serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) as the standard for diagnosis of pancreatitis.

ANIMALS
35 cats with clinical signs consistent with pancreatitis with an abdominal ultrasound examination and serum fPLI concentration measured within 3 days of the ultrasound.

METHODS
Retrospective study: Pancreatic thickness, pancreatic margination, pancreatic echogenicity, and peripancreatic fat echogenicity were evaluated. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated with an elevated serum fPLI concentration indicative of pancreatitis as the standard for diagnosis.

RESULTS
Serum fPLI was elevated and diagnostic for pancreatitis in 19 of 35 cats. The single ultrasound characteristic with the highest sensitivity was hyperechoic peripancreatic fat at 68% (95% confidence interval = 44-87%), indicating a moderate probability that cats with pancreatitis will have this abnormality on ultrasonographic examination. Specificity was >90% for each of increased pancreatic thickness, abnormal pancreatic margin, and hyperechoic peripancreatic fat. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound were 84% (95% confidence interval = 60-97%) and 75% (95% confidence interval = 48-93%), respectively, in cats with elevated serum fPLI indicative of pancreatitis.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
The presence of a thick left limb of the pancreas, severely irregular pancreatic margins, and hyperechoic peripancreatic fat in cats with appropriate clinical signs and elevated serum fPLI are highly supportive of pancreatitis.


This thesis addresses the problem of global localization from images. The overall goal is to find the location and the direction of a camera given an image taken with the camera relative a 3D world model. In order to solve the problem several subproblems have to be handled. The two main steps for constructing a system for global localization consist of model building and localization. For the model construction phase we give a new method for triangulation that guarantees that the globally optimal position is attained under the assumption of Gaussian noise in the image measurements. A common framework for the triangulation of points, lines and conics is presented. The second contribution of the thesis is in the field of solving systems of polynomial equations. Many problems in geometrical computer vision lead to computing the real roots of a system of polynomial equations, and several such geometry problems appear in the localization problem. The method presented in the thesis gives a significant improvement in the numerics when Grobner basis methods are applied. Such methods are often plagued by numerical problems, but by using the fact that the complete Grobner basis is not needed, the numerics can be improved. In the final part of the thesis we present several new minimal, geometric problems that have not been solved previously. These minimal cases make use of both two and three dimensional correspondences at the same time. The solutions to these minimal problems form the basis of a localization system which aims at improving robustness compared to the state of the art. (Less)


A practical and accessible text on both internal and external communication for those working in local councils and in the provision of public services, this book offers a detailed analysis of the issues that are unique to this challenging and fast-moving environment. In the UK's current climate of budget cuts and policy changes, local government officials need to be aware of best practice in both broadcasting their services and responding to crises in their communities. Given changes in the media - from the rise of social communications such as Twitter and Facebook, through to web access for older consumers - how can local councils convey their key messages to best effect? And how can a council's "brand" be built and protected?

 PR and Communication in Local Government and Public Services reinforces the importance of effective and meaningful communication to both local democracy and the planning and delivery of quality services.


Rod end failures are rare but still happening in the rod eyes of hydraulic cylinders. Stress analysis at the location of failure is very important for design improvement and identification the causes of failure. Performed finite element stress analysis shoved a preference of equivalent stress located at 1 mm distance from the weld toe comparing to the maximal stresses calculated at the root of 1 mm radius artificial fillet. Mounting of the hydraulic cylinder that creates a possible misalignment between the resultant reaction force and the rod, will create a stress increase in the external ring of the rod eye at the location of the reported failure.


Mangrove forests play an important role in facilitating biogeochemical pathways and cycling acting as blue carbon sinks. These services are primarily regulated by the activity of the soil microbiome. However, there is still limited research into spatial and temporal variation patterns of bacterial community assemblages in mangrove soils. This study investigated important ecological scales of microprocesses that govern microbial communities in an arid mangrove ecosystem. Shifts in microbial community composition were influenced by fluctuations in environmental factors within the mangrove forests of the Red Sea influenced by seasonal changes in sea level. Notably, in summer microbial communities in shrub sites differed significantly from the fringe and the winter samples, with lower alpha diversity yet a higher dominance of specialized species capable of surviving in extreme conditions. The onset of dispersal limitation and heterogenous selection and the reduction of drift are likely the main forces shaping community assemblages. Specifically, in summer lower mean tidal levels eliminate tidal inundation creating a harsh high salinity and high temperature environment with no tidal connection thereby influencing the onset of dispersal limitation. An increased understanding of the spatial and temporal variation of bacterial communities is critical when assessing delivery of ecosystem services and their role in soil biogeochemical processes.


Purpose - The Imo State Supervised Agricultural Credit Loans Board (ISACLB) has outright default rates of more than 50 percent. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the major characteristics of the Board's beneficiaries who completely failed to honour their repayment commitment as opposed to those who partially repaid. Design/methodology/approach - Data on 36 potential causes of delinquency were collected through questionnaires distributed to 182 defaulters across ISACLB's three regional zones from 1987 to 1997; ISACLB's only completed loan cycle. Descriptive statistics were obtained using the odds ratio technique. Thereafter, a binary logistic regression estimated the marginal effect on the outright default probabilities of each factor. Findings - ISACLB's large overdue problem was strongly linked to four key factors: age of borrowers, frequency of visits by loan officers-cum-extension agents, amount of savings deposits with informal clubs and total annual savings. Research limitations/implications - The primary drawback is the small size of the sample study, as well as the failure to correctly classify the partial defaulters in terms of the stage in the loan cycle at which they actually ceased to repay. Practical implications - In general, initiatives to attract young entrepreneurs, as well as to incorporate a FINCA-type savings scheme into the design of ISACLB's future lending programme should help to resolve its overdue dilemma. Social implications - Older traditional farmers are the principal defaulters. A targeted monitoring, training and information provision appears to be required. Originality/value - There are very few econometric studies dealing specifically with the characteristics of outright and partial microcredit defaulters.


The long duration of the Rosetta mission allows us to study the evolution of the diamagnetic cavity at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in detail. From 2015 April to 2016 February 665 intervals could be identified where Rosetta was located in a zero-magnetic-field region. We study the temporal and spatial distribution of this cavity and its boundary and conclude that the cavity properties depend on the long-term trend of the outgassing rate, but do not respond to transient events at the spacecraft location, such as outbursts or high neutral densities. Using an empirical model of the outgassing rate, we find a functional relationship between the outgassing rate and the distance of the cavity to the nucleus. There is also no indication that this unexpectedly large distance is related to unusual solar wind conditions. Because the deduced shape of the cavity boundary is roughly elliptical on small scales and the distances of the boundary from the nucleus are much larger than expected we conclude that the events observed by Rosetta are due to a moving instability of the cavity boundary itself.


: A behavioral measure of personal space was obtained from 84 female undergraduates who had completed a menstrual cycle questionnaire. They ranged in age from 17 to 27 years, with a mean age of 19.2 years. A significant relationship between personal space and the female's menstrual cycle was found. The personal space zone tended to be larger during the menstruous flow than during the approximate middle of the cycle. Results were discussed in the context of sexual responsiveness.


Most of us recognize that conservation is not a practice, a program, a technical standard, or a plan. Neither is conservation another name for a government financial incentive. As Aldo Leopold so eloquently reminded us, conservation is a precarious, never-ending process of seeking harmony between land and people (Leopold 1966). Conservation is a journey. Unfortunately, the conservation journey today, like so many travels, is restricted to well-worn paths. We choose to pursue the conservation journey on the interstate rather than on the blue highway. Conservation is a topic to be addressed with a "tweet" rather than seeking out the subtle nuances and complexities of the written chronicle. We continually seek a conservation path characterized by convenience, speed, and simplicity—a superficial, quick fix to our conservation challenges resulting in a jaunt rather than a journey. Our conservation journey is stuck in a rut. We have created uniform and standardized pathways to conservation with technical guides, models, and consistent program requirements. These regimented processes become prerequisites for an ever-increasing diversity of conservation programs supported by progressively more public dollars. We are slow to learn that more dollars do not necessarily translate into more conservation. More funds, however, do mean more accountability, which…


In this paper, we construct a new mathematical system as Multiplicative Cyclic Group (MCG), called a New Digital Algebraic Generator (NDAG) Unit, which would generate digital sequences with good statistical properties. This new Unit can be considered as a new basic unit of stream ciphers. A (NDAG) system can be constructed from collection of (NDAG) units using a Boolean function as a combining function of the system. This system could be used in cryptography as like as Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) unit. This unit is basic component of  a stream cipher system.


Thermal performance determines the normal operation of electronic circuits and power devices. The required cooling capacity is always increasing with the abroad application of electronic system. Especially in high frequency and large power fields, the defection of fan-cooled radiator comes out. By comparison, liquid cooling system possesses better heat stability and conductivity, which not only improves the stability of system, but also reduces the working costs greatly. Cooling capacity of heat sink is mainly determined by the inner mechanical structure, it is necessary to study the different influences of related structure, so as to guide the structural design of heat sink effectively. Based on thermal analysis by changing a single structure parameter, the structural influences on thermal performance are discussed, and the acquired conclusions are of great importance in thermal design practice of heat sink.


To clarify the effect of the visible spectrum, we collected Trichoptera adults using blue, green, and white light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and black light (BL) lamps. Except for white LED lamps, all lamps emitted broad-band wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectrum. A total of 212 adult Trichoptera were trapped. The most individuals were attracted by BL (96), followed blue (74), green (32), and white (10). Hydroptilidae spp. was the most abundant taxa among the lamps (183 individuals, 86.3%), followed by Cheumatopsyche brevilineata (23 individuals, 10.8%). Only Hydroptilidae spp. was common to all lamps. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H') was highest at 0.96 for BL, followed by green (0.53), and blue (0.28). Trichoptera were attracted to both UV light and visible light. These results suggest that BL is the most useful for faunistic investigations of Trichoptera.


Diabetes is a chronic disease that bears a disproportionate burden among African American populations. The lack of access to affordable, culturally appropriate health care is a key barrier to effective diabetes prevention or disease management for racial/ethnic minority populations. Living in public housing communities, with concentrated poverty, exacerbates the burden of diabetes and reduces access to screening and early detection services to prevent the onset of diabetes. The purpose of the study was to describe the leadership role of lay health advisors, known as Community Health Ambassadors (CHAs), on diabetes-related health behaviors of African Americans living in a public housing authority (PHA) community in one city in Southeastern North Carolina. The research sample included CHAs (n = 17) and the PHA residents (clients; n = 62) participating in the pilot Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP). A mixed methods research design was used to describe the outreach services provided by CHAs and explore associations between outreach and diabetes-related health behaviors among the clients they served. Analyses included secondary quantitative data and primary qualitative focus group data from CHAs and clients. The results of this one sample design pilot study indicated that it is feasible to implement CHAP in public housing communities. While the study's findings suggest there is no association between CHA outreach and clients' health behaviors, the leadership roles of the CHAs are demonstrated. Preliminary data were suggestive, but not significant for key clinical outcomes and health behaviors. From the perspectives of CHAs and their clients, the CHAP was beneficial to them and their community. The study underscores the need for future research to examine the leadership roles of racial/ethnic minorities as partners in community-based programs with a focus on eliminating health disparities.


We investigated whether ammonia-rich constituents are present on the surface of the Uranian moon Ariel by analyzing 32 near-infrared reflectance spectra collected over a wide range of sub-observer longitudes and latitudes. We measured the band areas and depths of a 2.2 μm feature in these spectra, which has been attributed to ammonia-bearing species on other icy bodies. Ten spectra display prominent 2.2 μm features with band areas and depths >2σ. We determined the longitudinal distribution of the 2.2 μm band, finding no statistically meaningful differences between Ariel's leading and trailing hemispheres, indicating that this band is distributed across Ariel's surface. We compared the band centers and shapes of the five Ariel spectra displaying the strongest 2.2 μm bands to laboratory spectra of various ammonia-bearing and ammonium-bearing species, finding that the spectral signatures of the Ariel spectra are best matched by ammonia-hydrates and flash frozen ammonia-water solutions. Our analysis also revealed that four Ariel spectra display 2.24 μm bands (>2σ band areas and depths), with band centers and shapes that are best matched by ammonia ice. Because ammonia should be efficiently removed over short timescales by ultraviolet photons, cosmic rays, and charged particles trapped in Uranus' magnetosphere, the possible presence of this constituent supports geologic activity in the recent past, such as emplacement of ammonia-rich cryolavas and exposure of ammonia-rich deposits by tectonism, impact events, and mass wasting.


In this paper, the basic damage mechanisms and the primary reasons for the property fluctuation of recycled aggregate concrete are investigated experimentally. By a comprehensive literature study and systematic laboratory tests, the interactions between the old and the new interfaces in recycled aggregate concrete are analyzed. In particular, the damage initiation and evolution mechanisms on the old and the new interfaces are studied in details. The essential factors affecting the fluctuation and its extent are investigated from the point of view of material sciences. The present results imply that the qualitative and quantitative changes of the old and the new interfaces during the loading process induce a notable fluctuation of the mechanical and the physical properties of recycled aggregate concrete. To reduce the fluctuation and improve the mechanical properties of the recycled aggregate concrete, effective controlling and processing measures are suggested and discussed.


ABSTRACT To evaluate whether the rectal route of immunization may be used to provide appropriate protection against enteric pathogens such as rotaviruses (RV), we studied the antibody response and the protection induced by rectal immunization of mice with RV virus-like particles (VLP). For this purpose, 6-week-old BALBc mice were rectally immunized twice with RV 8-2/6/7-VLP derived from the bovine RV RF81 strain either alone or combined with various adjuvants including four toxins [cholera toxin (CT) and three attenuated Escherichia coli-derived heat-labile toxins (LTs), LT(R192G), LT(R72), and LT(K63)] and two Toll-like receptor-targeting adjuvants (CpG and resiquimod). Six weeks after the second immunization, mice were challenged with murine RV strain ECw. RV VLP administered alone were not immunogenic and did not protect mice against RV challenge. By contrast, RV VLP combined with any of the toxin adjuvants were immunogenic (mice developed significant titers of anti-RV immunoglobulin A [IgA] in both serum and feces and of anti-RV IgG in serum) and either efficiently induced complete protection of the mice (no detectable fecal virus shedding) or, for LT(K63), reduced the amount of fecal virus shedding after RV challenge. When combined with RV VLP, CpG and resiquimod failed to achieve protection, although CpG efficiently induced an antibody response to RV. These results support the consideration of the rectal route for the development of new immunization strategies against RV infection. Rectal delivery of a VLP-based vaccine might allow the use of adjuvants less toxic than, but as efficient as, CT.


A moving crack in a laminated structure with free boundary subjected to anti-plane shear loading is investigated in this paper. Using the bonding conditions of the interface between different media, all the quantities in our question have been represented with a single unknown function, and the problem is transformed into a dual integrated equation with the method of Fourier transform. The equation is solved using Schmidt method. Finally the numerical results show the relationships among the dynamic stress intensity factor and crack velocity, the height of different laminated material, shear moduli of different laminated material.


OBJECTIVE
We examined rater and test-retest reliability of the Preschool Imitation and Praxis Scale (PIPS).

METHOD
We administered the PIPS to 119 typically developing children ages 1.5-4.9 yr.

RESULTS
The PIPS demonstrated acceptable intra- and interrater reliability on item level (k(w) = 0.45-1) and scale level (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC = 0.996; 95% CI: 0.968-0.999 and ICC = 0.995; 95% CI: 0.990-0.997, respectively). The smallest detectable difference of the PIPS was 5.6%, indicating that the change score rated by different raters for an individual child is valid and that the PIPS can be used by different raters as an outcome measure to determine children's improvement or maturation. Results of test-retest analysis revealed that the PIPS score is stable over time (r = .93).

CONCLUSION
The PIPS appears to meet the required standards regarding objectivity and stability. The PIPS may assist clinicians and researchers in evaluating and reevaluating preschoolers' imitation ability, which is a primary learning strategy of young children.


Effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on surface quality, microstructure and hot-tearing tendency of direct chill casting of Φ500mm ZK60 magnesium alloy billets were investigated. The results show that with the application of the low frequency electromagnetic field, the surface quality of Φ500mm ZK60 magnesium alloy billets has been markedly improved, and the depth of cold fold is decreased. In the conventional direct chill casting, the microstructures of the billet, especially at the center, are coarse. The distribution of the grain size is non-uniform throughout the billet. From the edge to the center, the microstructure gradually changes from fine to coarse in all billets. However, under the low frequency electromagnetic casting, the microstructures of the billet is significantly refined, the distribution of the grains size is relatively uniform from the billets edge to the billets center. And it also shows that the hot-tearing tendency of direct chill casting Φ500mm ZK60 magnesium alloy billets under low frequency electromagnetic field is significantly reduced.


Every year thousands of young teenagers are afflicted with different types of cancer and receive gonadotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens, causing depletion of germ cells in the gonads and premature gonadal failure. In this review, we discuss and outline the current strategies and the future directions of fertility preservation and ovarian cryopreservation and transplantation in adolescents and young females.


Probing the fluctuating vacuum According to quantum mechanics, a vacuum is not empty space. A consequence of the uncertainly principle is that particles or energy can come into existence for a fleeting moment. Such vacuum or quantum fluctuations are known to exist, but evidence for them has been indirect. Riek et al. present an ultrafast optical based technique that probes the vacuum fluctuation of electromagnetic radiation directly. Science, this issue p. 420 Ultrafast optics can directly probe the electric-field vacuum fluctuations. The ground state of quantum systems is characterized by zero-point motion. This motion, in the form of vacuum fluctuations, is generally considered to be an elusive phenomenon that manifests itself only indirectly. Here, we report direct detection of the vacuum fluctuations of electromagnetic radiation in free space. The ground-state electric-field variance is inversely proportional to the four-dimensional space-time volume, which we sampled electro-optically with tightly focused laser pulses lasting a few femtoseconds. Subcycle temporal readout and nonlinear coupling far from resonance provide signals from purely virtual photons without amplification. Our findings enable an extreme time-domain approach to quantum physics, with nondestructive access to the quantum state of light. Operating at multiterahertz frequencies, such techniques might also allow time-resolved studies of intrinsic fluctuations of elementary excitations in condensed matter.


The use of a host-independent, 68030/68882 AEMS (Advanced Educational Microprocessor System) board as a classroom demonstration tool as well as a laboratory instrument is examined. To demonstrate the interaction of all of the portions of the AEMS, the buses and control signals were made readily available, inviting the easy connection of test equipment, such as logic analyzers and oscilloscopes, to the system. Other AEMS features provide additional educational opportunities: counting events, monitoring activities, and observing system activities. These features also allow students to configure many of the characteristics that affect system performance. In addition, students can easily include devices of their own to tailor experiments to an application or implementation technique. The AEMS system is described, and its incorporation into the curriculum is discussed.<<ETX>>


The structure of the aggregating proteoglycans from human articular cartilage changes continuously from the early fetus to the mature adult, due to variation in both synthetic and degradative processes. The changes due to synthesis are most prominent prior to the end of growth, and are responsible for variations in the structure and abundance of the glycosaminoglycan chains. In contrast, the changes due to degradation occur throughout life, but predominate during aging of the adult. They result in proteolytic fragmentation of both the proteoglycan subunits and the link proteins, with those products possessing hyaluronic acid-binding capability accumulating in the tissue.


Мonocytes in feto-placental circulation are exposed to factors secreted by placental tissue. These factors influence monocyte functions in pregnancy. In present study, an in vitro model (monocyte-like THP1 cells) was used for assessing effects of soluble placental factors obtained from women with physiological pregnancies, or preeclampsia cases. The following effects of placental factors were revealed: increased secretion of VEGF by THP-1 cells along with decreased secretion of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 under the influence of placental factors from the I. trimester of pregnancy in comparison with III. trimester. Secretion of IL-6 and MCP-1 by THP-1 cells was increased, and secretion of soluble TNFRII was decreased upon co-cultivation with soluble placental factors from the women with preeclampsia, as compared with placental products from physiological pregnancies. The work is supported by grants ГК No 02.740.11.0711 from Ministry of Education and Science, and НШ-3594.2010.7 grant from the President of Russian Federation. (Med. Immunol., 2013, vol. 15, N 3, pp 227-234)


Computing averages over a target probability density by statistical re-weighting of a set of samples with a different distribution is a strategy which is commonly adopted in fields as diverse as atomistic simulation and finance. Here we present a very general analysis of the accuracy and efficiency of this approach, highlighting some of its weaknesses. We then give an example of how our results can be used, specifically to assess the feasibility of high-order path integral methods. We demonstrate that the most promising of these techniques—which is based on re-weighted sampling—is bound to fail as the size of the system is increased, because of the exponential growth of the statistical uncertainty in the re-weighted average.


We examine the determinants of managers' use of discretion over employee stock option (ESO) valuation-model inputs that determine ESO fair values. We also explore the consequences of such discretion. Firms exercise considerable discretion over all model inputs and this discretion results in material differences in ESO fair-value estimates. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that a large proportion of firms exercise value-increasing discretion. Importantly, we find that the use of discretion improves predictive accuracy for about half of our sample firms. Moreover, we find that both opportunistic and informational managerial incentives together explain the accuracy firms' ESO fair value estimates. Partitioning on direction of discretion improves our understanding of managerial incentives. Our analysis identifies that financial statement readers can use mandated contextual disclosures to construct powerful ex ante predictions of ex post accuracy.


Two-dimensional windows are generally derived by beginning with a one-dimensional window as a prototype and either rotating that window in the 2-D plane to produce a window with a round region of support or forming the outer product of that window with itself to produce a window with a square region of support. In this paper we present a comparison of results obtained using these two window formulations for 2-D FIR filter design. Design formulas are produced for estimating filter order for a given set of frequency domain specifications when a one-dimensional Kaiser window is used as the prototype window. The results suggest some interesting differences from the one-dimensional case.


HYPER-I (High Density Plasma Experiment-I) is a linear device that combines a wide operation range of plasma production with flexible diagnostics. The plasmas are produced by the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) heating with parallel injection of right-handed circularly polarized microwaves of 2.45 GHz from the high-field side. The maximum attainable electron density is more than two orders of magnitude higher than the cutoff density of ordinary waves. Spontaneous formation of a variety of large-scale flow structures, or vortices, has been observed in the HYPER-I plasmas. Flow-velocity field measurements using directional Langmuir probes (DLPs) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method have clarified the physical processes behind such vortex formations. Recently, a new intermittent behavior of local electron temperature has also been observed. Statistical analysis of the floating potential changes has revealed that the phenomenon is characterized by a stationary Poisson process.


Peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) is a processing enzyme involved in maturation of regulatory peptides. One product of PAM activity is adrenomedullin (bio-ADM), which regulates vascular tone and endothelial integrity. In this study, we examined PAM activity and bio-ADM concentrations in patients with various degrees of hepatic cirrhosis including the role of the liver in net release of the two markers. We enrolled 48 patients with cirrhosis and 16 control subjects: The patients were evenly distributed according to the Child-Turcotte classification. PAM activity was progressively increased in cirrhotic patients but without a net release across the liver, leg, or kidney. In contrast, bio-ADM concentrations were not only associated to severity of disease but also found to be directly released by the liver. Given the major expression of PAM in the heart, we propose that increased PAM activity in plasma from patients with cirrhosis may reflect cardiac involvement, e.g. cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.


Deriving generalization bounds for stable algorithms is a classical question in learning theory taking its roots in the early works by Vapnik and Chervonenkis (1974) and Rogers and Wagner (1978). In a series of recent breakthrough papers by Feldman and Vondrak (2018, 2019), it was shown that the best known high probability upper bounds for uniformly stable learning algorithms due to Bousquet and Elisseef (2002) are sub-optimal in some natural regimes. To do so, they proved two generalization bounds that significantly outperform the simple generalization bound of Bousquet and Elisseef (2002). Feldman and Vondrak also asked if it is possible to provide sharper bounds and prove corresponding high probability lower bounds. This paper is devoted to these questions: firstly, inspired by the original arguments of Feldman and Vondrak (2019), we provide a short proof of the moment bound that implies the generalization bound stronger than both recent results (Feldman and Vondrak, 2018, 2019). Secondly, we prove general lower bounds, showing that our moment bound is sharp (up to a logarithmic factor) unless some additional properties of the corresponding random variables are used. Our main probabilistic result is a general concentration inequality for weakly correlated random variables, which may be of independent interest.


We show the existence of an inherent property of evanescent electromagnetic waves: spin-momentum locking, where the direction of momentum fundamentally locks the polarization of the wave. We trace the ultimate origin of this phenomenon to complex dispersion and causality requirements on evanescent waves. We demonstrate that every case of evanescent waves in total internal reflection, surface states and optical fibers/waveguides possesses this intrinsic spin-momentum locking. We also introduce a universal right-handed triplet consisting of momentum, decay and spin for evanescent waves. We derive the Stokes parameters for evanescent waves which reveal an intriguing result - every fast decaying evanescent wave is inherently circularly polarized with its handedness tied to the direction of propagation. We also show the existence of a fundamental angle associated with total internal reflection (TIR) such that propagating waves locally inherit perfect circular polarized characteristics from the evanescent wave. This circular TIR condition occurs if and only if the ratio of permittivities of the two dielectric media exceeds the golden ratio. Our work leads to a unified understanding of this spin-momentum locking in various nanophotonic experiments and sheds light on the electromagnetic analogy with the quantum spin hall state for electrons.


Abstract The federal government program for wetlands regulation is administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Proposals for amending and/or reforming the Section 404 program are included in Congressional deliberations regarding Clean Water Act reauthorization. Specific issues of public policy include the definition of "waters of the United States", criteria for delineation of jurisdictional wetlands, definition of activities exempt from regulation, mitigation and classification of wetlands, and issues of property rights.


Lowto ultralow-permeability formations require "special" treatments/stimulation to make them produce economical quantities of hydrocarbon, and at the moment, multistage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF) is the most commonly used stimulation method for enhancing the exploitation of these reservoirs. Recently, the slotdrill (SD) completion technique was proposed as an alternative treatment method in such formations (Carter 2009). This paper documents the results of a comprehensive numerical-simulation study conducted to evaluate the production performance of the SD technique and compare its performance to that of the standard MSHF approach. We investigated three lowpermeability formations of interest—namely, a shale-gas formation, a tight-gas formation, and a tight/shale-oil formation. The simulation domains were discretized with Voronoi-gridding schemes to create representative meshes of the different reservoir and completion systems modeled in this study. The results from this study indicated that the SD method does not, in general, appear to be competitive in terms of reservoir performance and recovery compared with the more traditional MSHF method. Our findings indicate that the larger surface area to flow that results from the application of MSHF is much more significant than the higher conductivity achieved by use of the SD technique. However, there may exist cases, for example, a lack of adequate water volumes for hydraulic fracturing, or very high irreducible water saturation that leads to adverse relative permeability conditions and production performance, in which the lowcost SD method may make production feasible from an otherwise challenging (if not inaccessible) resource.


This dissertation presents the geological, hydro-geological and geo-mechanical characterization of a large landslide threating a strategic infrastructure.
In the second chapter, the studied site is widely described. Site geography and strategic relevance of the valley segment is explained. The geological settings of the area are described together with the groundwater circulation. The landslide phenomenon is then reported, followed by the local climate settings. The remaining sections treat about the infrastructure.
The third chapter the monitoring instrumentation installed at Passo della Morte is listed. Inclinometers and piezometers measures are compared in order to find a correlation between extreme rainfalls, rapid snowmelt events and landslide activation. A specific section treats the topographic benchmarks displacements.
Fourth, the lab tests carried out on the slope materials is presented. Initially, the borehole selection is explained. Triaxial, uniaxial, point load, Brazilian and sound wave velocity tests results are presented in a subsection each. The chapter is closed by a mineralogical analysis, which support other assumption done in the modeling related to the slip surface properties.
In the fifth chapter, the numerical simulations done are presented. Initially, the slip surface geometrical construction is shown. Then, a slip surface modelling strategy using no-thick elements is explained. The sensitivity analysis carried out on the model settings and mechanical parameters is later discussed in a specific subsection. Finally, a comparison between calculated and measured displacements is done.
In the end, a series of countermeasure works are proposed and explained.


Observations from recent decades show significant salinity anomalies in the Arctic and the subpolar North Atlantic oceans. The evolution of their freshwater budgets has been the focus of many studies, most of which suggest a link between them. However, the nature and the significance of this link is still disputed, as are the driving forces behind it.
Our aim was to perform a series of numerical simulations of the freshwater system of the Arctic and the subpolar North Atlantic oceans and to assess the role of wind stress in shaping it. For this we used the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model and ran model experiments in a partially coupled configuration applying the so called Modini-method with prescribed wind forcing. We constructed idealized scenarios of wind stress forcing associated with large-scale patterns of observed atmospheric variability.
We present our results from scenarios representing prolonged positive or negative states of the AO/NAO. We also analyze the response to a sudden change from one state to another with particular focus on the Arctic and the North Atlantic freshwater reservoirs and the fluxes between them. This enables us to simulate the high freshwater content observed in the Beaufort Gyre concurrent with an unusually persistent anticyclonic wind pattern in the Arctic in recent years, and to study the effect of large-scale circulation shifts on Arctic freshwater export and thus salinity anomalies in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean.


On the basis of a Total Diet Study, the Br, As, Cd and Pb contents in relevant food groups consumed in Portugal were determined. The studied groups were meat products, fatty fish, lean fish, shellfish, cephalopods, fresh and dried fruit, crucifers and other vegetables. It was observed that the concentrations of As, Br, Cd and Pb in fruit, vegetables and meat products were much lower than in seafood. Fresh fruit exhibited the lowest elemental contents. The concentrations of As, Br, Cd and Pb did not show any dependence on season. With respect to proximate composition, elemental content dependence on protein or ash was weak. PCA showed relevant associations: between Br and ash contents in fatty fish; between Cd, Pb and protein contents in crucifers; and between As, fat and protein contents in the other vegetables group. Therefore, the effect of the proximate composition on the studied elemental contents warrants investigation.


Background "Patient-Reported Outcome" (PRO) is used as an umbrella term for different concepts for measuring subjectively perceived health status e. g. as treatment effects. Their common characteristic is, that the appraisal of the health status is reported by the patient himself. In order to describe the informative value of PRO in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) first an overview of concepts, classifications and methods of measurement is given. The overview is complemented by an empirical analysis of clinical trials and HTA-reports on rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer in order to report on type, frequency and consequences of PRO used in these documents. Methods For both issues systematic reviews of the literature have been performed. The search for methodological literature covers the publication period from 1990 to 2009, the search for clinical trials of rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer covers the period 2005 to 2009. Both searches were performed in the medical databases of the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI). The search for HTA-reports and methodological papers of HTA-agencies was performed in the CRD-Databases (CRD = Centre for Reviews and Dissemination) and by handsearching the websites of INAHTA member agencies (INAHTA = International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment). For all issues specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined. The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCT) was assessed by a modified version of the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. For the methodological part information extraction from the literature is structured by the report's chapters, for the empirical part data extraction sheets were constructed. All information is summarized in a qualitative manner. Results Concerning the methodological issues the literature search retrieved 158 documents (87 documents related to definition or classification, 125 documents related to operationalisation of PRO). For the empirical analyses 225 RCT (rheumatoid arthritis: 77; breast cancer: 148) and 40 HTA-reports and method papers were found. The analysis of the methodological literature confirms the role of PRO as an umbrella term for a variety of different concepts. The newest classification system facilitates the description of PRO measures by construct, target population and the method of measurement. Steps of operationalisation involve defining a conceptual framework, instrument development, exploration of measurement properties or, possibly, the modification of existing instruments. Seven out of 59 RCT analysing the effects of antibody therapy for rheumatoid arthritis define PRO as the primary endpoint, 38 trials utilize composite measures (ACR, DAS) and ten trials report clinical or radiological parameters as the primary endpoint. Six out of 123 chemotherapy trials for breast cancer define PRO as the primary endpoint, while 98 trials report clinical endpoints (survival, tumour response, progression) in their primary analyses. Discrepancies in the number of trials result from inaccurate specifications of endpoints in the publications. This distribution is reflected in the HTA-reports: while almost all reports on rheumatoid arthritis refer to PRO, this is only the case in about half of the reports on breast cancer. Conclusions As definition and classification of PRO are concerned, coherent concepts are found in the literature. Their operationalisation and implementation must be guided by scientific principles. The type and frequency of PRO used in clinical trials largely depend on the disease analysed. The HTA-community seems to pursue the utilization of PRO proactively – in case of missing data the need for further research is stated.


Crowdfunding is a buzzword that signifies a sub-set in the new forms of finance facilitated by advances in information technology usually categorized as fintech. Concerns for financial stability, investor and consumer protection, or the prevention of money laundering or funding of terrorism hinge incrementally on including the new techniques to initiate financing relationships adequately in the regulatory framework. This paper analyzes the German regulation of crowdinvesting and finds that it does not fully live up to the regulatory challenges posed by this novel form of digitized matching of supply and demand on capital markets. It should better reflect the key importance of crowdinvesting platforms, which may become critical providers of market infrastructure in the not too distant future. Moreover, platforms can play an important role in investor protection that cannot be performed by traditional disclosure regimes geared towards more seasoned issuers. Against this background, the creation of an exemption from the traditional prospectus regime seems to be a plausible policy choice. However, it needs to be complemented by an adequate regulatory stimulation of platforms' role as gatekeepers.


The accurate assessment of pathological gait for individual subjects is a major problem in rehabilitation centers. Automated or semi-automated gait analysis systems are important in assisting physicians in the diagnosis of various diseases. However, these systems are not only highly sophisticated but also require superior quality cameras and complex software which capture large amount of data that often proves difficult to interpret for clinical staff trying to gain insight into the patient's condition. Automation and simplification of the analysis of gait data is therefore necessary if it is to be used more productively. This research proposes a simple and cost effective approach that utilizes artificial intelligence techniques to automate the analysis and diagnosis processes. It also offers a means to compare different treatment methods and their effectiveness during the course of treatment. Visualization software has also been developed to increase the diagnostic reliability.


The CyberW workshop is motivated by the significant gender imbalance in all security conferences, in terms of the number of publishing authors, PC members, organizers, and attendees. What causes this gender imbalance remains unclear. However, multiple research studies have shown that a diverse group is more creative, diligent, and productive than a homogeneous group. Achieving cyber security requires a diverse group. To maintain a sustainable and creative workforce, substantial efforts need to be made by the security community to broaden the participation from underrepresented groups in cyber security research conferences. We hope this workshop can attract all underrepresented cybersecurity professionals, students, and researchers to attend top security and privacy conferences, engage in cutting-edge security and privacy research, excel in cyber security professions, and ultimately take on leadership positions.


ATR is one of the most important checkpoint proteins in mammalian cells responding to DNA damage. Cells defective in normal ATR activity are sensitive to ionizing radiation (IR). The mechanism by which ATR protects the cells from IR-induced killing remains unclear. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by IR are critical lesions for cell survival. Two major DNA DSB repair pathways exist in mammalian cells: homologous recombination repair (HRR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). We show that the doxycycline (dox)-induced ATR kinase dead (ATRkd) cells have the similar inductions and rejoining rates of DNA DSBs compared with cells without dox induction, although the dox-induced ATRkd cells are more sensitive to IR and have the deficient S and G2 checkpoints. We also show that the dox-induced ATRkd cells have a lower HRR efficiency compared with the cells without dox induction. These results indicate that the effects of ATR on cell radiosensitivity are independent of NHEJ but are linked to HRR that may be affected by the deficient S and G2 checkpoints.


The past three decades have witnessed the rapid development of the Chinese housing market , which is considered as a barometer of and an extremely crucial component of the whole Chinese economic system. Although some important findings have been obtained by previous research, many conclusions have been controversial and a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism and behaviour of the Chinese housing system is a worthwhile endeavour. The existing studies about the Chinese housing market are mostly confined to qualitative analysis, lacking the support of a theoretical basis and empirical research. This thesis aims to employ more recent econometrical methodologies, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, to systematically analyse several prevalent issues of the Chinese housing market. More specifically, this thesis is going to explore the main determinants of house prices, the convergence and ripple effects of regional house prices, and the interactive relationship between housing conditions and individual's subjective well-being. Some empirical findings can be drawn from this thesis: 1) by using the system GMM dynamic panel data models, the results indicate that Chinese house prices are mainly affected by factors related to government policies and speculative demand rather than the urbanization process, which is understandable in a non-fully market-oriented status quo; 2) there is evidence of very limited convergence of regional house prices by employing unit root tests, σ-convergence and β-convergence approaches; however, the alternative methods, such as panel regression models, Engle-Granger/Johansen cointegration tests and Granger Causality tests, imply that house prices can ripple out from some core cities to other cities; 3) the results of the Ordered Probit Models suggest that the housing conditions in urban areas play a significant role in peoples' subjective well-being in respect of housing satisfaction and overall happiness; additionally, the effects of housing factors impact on different groups of residents in different ways. Due to the limitations of data sources in the early days, this thesis is the first to combine such a wide panel data series, on both the time dimension and geographic dimension, to study the Chinese Housing Market. Also, when analysing the convergence and ripple effects models, this thesis transfers the original link indexes used by previous scholars into modified constant growth indexes, which improves the efficiency of empirical models to a greater extent. In addition, approaches using the system GMM method, σ- and β-convergence analysis, Engle-Granger/Johansen cointegration tests and Granger Causality tests are first introduced into the study of the Chinese housing market, generally achieving good results especially in the determinants of house prices and the ripple effects of regional house prices. Moreover, except for the commonly used method of the Ordered Probit Model for the questionnaire survey research, this thesis produces the predicted value of housing satisfaction by using two-stage estimations, to investigate the effects of housing conditions and housing satisfaction on people's overall happiness. Meanwhile, the approach of 'money equivalent effects' is also a new perspective in detecting the effects of housing conditions on overall happiness.


The objective of this study was to examine the effect of nutrition during the first 18 weeks of life on the physiological and transcriptional functionality of the hypothalamic (arcuate nucleus region), anterior pituitary and testes in Holstein–Friesian bull calves. Holstein–Friesian bull calves with a mean (±s.d.) age and bodyweight of 19 (±8.2) days and 47.5 (±5.3) kg, respectively, were assigned to either a HIGH (n = 10) or LOW (n = 10) plane of nutrition, to achieve an overall target growth rate of 1.2 or 0.5 kg/day, respectively. At 126 ± 1.1 days of age, all calves were euthanised. Animal performance (weekly) and systemic concentrations of metabolic (monthly) and reproductive hormones (fortnightly) were assessed. Testicular histology, targeted gene and protein expression of the arcuate nucleus region, anterior pituitary and testes were also assessed using qPCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The expression of candidate genes in testicular tissue from post pubertal 19-month-old Holstein–Friesian bulls (n = 10) was compared to that of the 18-week-old calves. Metabolite and metabolic hormone profiles generally reflected the improved metabolic status of the calves on the HIGH (P < 0.001). Calves offered a HIGH plane of nutrition were heavier at slaughter (P < 0.001), had larger testes (P < 0.001), larger seminiferous tubule diameter (P < 0.001), more mature spermatogenic cells (P < 0.001) and more Sertoli cells (P < 0.05) in accordance with both morphological and transcriptional data. Overall, testicular gene expression profiles suggested a more mature stage of development in HIGH compared with LOW and were more closely aligned to that of mature bulls. Ghrelin receptor was the only differentially expressed gene between LOW and HIGH calves in either the anterior pituitary (P < 0.05) or arcuate nucleus region of the hypothalamus (P < 0.10) and was upregulated in LOW for both tissues. This study indicates that an enhanced plane of nutrition during early calfhood favourably alters the biochemical regulation of the hypothalamus–anterior pituitary–testicular axis, advancing testicular development and hastening spermatogenesis. Reproduction (2018) 156 283–297


Background Laboratory evidence suggests that reduced phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) expression increases the invasiveness of melanoma cells; hence, pharmacological inhibition of PDE5 could affect melanoma risk. Two major epidemiological studies have investigated this and come to differing conclusions. We therefore aimed to investigate whether PDE5 inhibitor use is associated with an increased risk of malignant melanoma, and whether any increase in risk is likely to represent a causal relationship. Methods and Findings We conducted a matched cohort study using primary care data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. All men initiating a PDE5 inhibitor and with no prior cancer diagnosis were identified and matched on age, diabetes status, and general practice to up to four unexposed controls. Ever use of a PDE5 inhibitor and time-updated cumulative number of PDE5 inhibitor prescriptions were investigated as exposures, and the primary outcome was malignant melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma, solar keratosis, and colorectal cancer were investigated as negative control outcomes to exclude bias. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated from Cox models stratified by matched set and adjusted for potential confounders. 145,104 men with ≥1 PDE5 inhibitor prescription, and 560,933 unexposed matched controls were included. In total, 1,315 incident malignant melanoma diagnoses were observed during 3.44 million person-years of follow-up (mean 4.9 y per person). After adjusting for potential confounders, there was weak evidence of a small positive association between PDE5 inhibitor use and melanoma risk (HR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.29, p = 0.04). A similar increase in risk was seen for the two negative control outcomes related to sun exposure (HR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.11–1.19, p < 0.001, for basal cell carcinoma; HR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.17–1.25, p < 0.001, for solar keratosis), but there was no increased risk for colorectal cancer (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.85–0.98, p = 0.01). There was no evidence that risk increased with number of prescriptions received (p-trend = 0.83). In a post hoc analysis, there was strong evidence that solar keratosis was associated with future PDE5 inhibitor use (odds ratio = 1.28, 95% CI 1.23–1.34, p < 0.001), suggesting that men with higher sun exposure were more likely to become PDE5 inhibitor users. However, a limitation of our study was that we did not have individual-level data on sun exposure, so we could not directly control for this in the primary analysis. Conclusions Our results were not consistent with PDE5 inhibitors being causally associated with melanoma risk, and strongly suggest that observed risk increases are driven by greater sun exposure among patients exposed to a PDE5 inhibitor.


Electric chronic stimulation of the human motor cortex (ECSM) has been reported to alleviate chronic severe pain. However the mechanism of action of ECSM is still hypothetical. This is due mainly to the poor knowledge of 1) the electric diffusion through the multiple structures beneath the epidural contacts (i.e. dura matter, cerebrospinal fluid space, arachnoid membrane, grey and white matter layers, pie mere and vascular tree), 2) the absence of consensus concerning the stimulation parameters (mono versus bipolar stimulation, cathodic or anodic current) and 3) the detailed cortical topography of the contacts. In this study we focused on the precise identification of the cortical areas covered by the electric contacts in a series of twelve patients operated on for ECSM. We propose a new automatic tool for topographic analysis able to compute 2D maps from the 3D anatomic MRI with bijective transformation (point- to-point correspondance). Anatomical regions of interest (AROIs) were visually identified, manually outlined and extracted (Iplan, BrainLab, Germany) for further analysis: 1) for the anatomic structures, on pre operative Tl-weigthed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the frontal (superior or Fl, intermediate or F2 and inferior or F3), the pre central and the post central gyrus; 2) for the electrode contacts (Resume, Medtronic, USA), on post operative computerized tomography (CT). After getting white and gray matter membership maps by automatic segmentation, we produced a cortical mask to build a triangular mesh. We defined a homeomorphism between the 3D mesh and a subset of R2 and could apply in consequence the circle packing algorithm. We built depth maps (distance to the skull), distance- to-contact maps (distance to a given electrode contact) and anatomic structure maps. Results showed that it was easier to accurately define the location of the contact projection on the cortex allowing physicians to correlate the benefit with the topography. In particular, because of the unfolding, it was easier to integrate the cytoarchitectonics (i.e. the manually identified AROIs) knowledge in the analysis. Beyond the better understanding of ECSM and indirectly of the pathophysiologic process of chronic pain, this new tool might be used in the future for image guided electrode positioning.


Abstract The association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and insulin-dependent diabetes was studied in a large population-based investigation using genotyping of 425 new-onset patients, 0-14 years of age, and 367 matched control subjects. As many as 97% of patients compared with 75% of control subjects were positive for one or several of DQA1*0301, DQA1*0501, DQB1*0302, or DQB1*0201. Asp-57 DQB was present among 28% of patients, indicating that this residue alone does not confer protection. Combining Asp-57 DQB1 with either Arg-52 DQA1 or Leu-69 DQA1 did not explain susceptibility or protection either. DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (DQ8) and DQA1*0301-DQB1*0301 (DQ7) are identical except for four amino acid substitutions in the beta-chain, but DQ8 was positively (odds ratio 8.07; P < 0.001) and DQ7 negatively (odds ratio 0.38; P < 0.001) associated with the disease. Molecular modeling was used to determine whether physiochemical properties such as steric factors and surface electrostatic potentials also differ in a systematic way for various DQ molecules. Amino acids were substituted systematically at the four polymorphic sites, and the solvent-accessible surfaces and electrostatic potentials were computed for each molecule. Dramatic alterations in electrostatic potential were seen for double substitutions at position 45 (G45E) and 57 (A57D) of DQB1. The variation of physicochemical properties due to polymorphic substitutions may be significant to the mechanism of HLA-DQ association with insulin-dependent diabetes, via the effect these property variations have on peptide antigen binding selectivity and subsequent interactions with specific T-cell receptors.


Despite recent drastic cutbacks in federal funding for programs to diversify academic medicine, many such programs survive and continue to set examples for others of how to successfully increase the participation of minorities underrepresented in the healthcare professions and, in particular, how to increase physician and nonphysician minority medical faculty. This article provides an overview of such programs, including those in historically black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, research-intensive private and public medical schools, and more primary care-oriented public medical schools. Although the models for faculty development developed by these successful schools overlap, each has unique features worthy of consideration by other schools seeking to develop programs of their own. The ingredients of success are discussed in detail in another article in this theme issue of the Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, "Successful Programs in Minority Faculty Development: Ingredients of Success."


This research shows that the crime of "misprision of felony" is still an existing statutory provision under federal jurisdiction. However, it does not exist in all states, as a criminal offense. Although, it is believed that such a state statute and offense would be a useful tool in the prosecution of criminal offenses. Law enforcement officials would have the option of using such a statute to impress upon citizen witnesses the importance of their participation as the criminal prosecution process. Unfortunately, not all state judges or legislatures agree with these efforts. At the present time, it appears, that only the federal government has made active use of such an action as the research herein shows.


Based on the premise that a leadership model that supports teachers to improve their practice will have an impact on their instruction and ultimately student learning, an investigation of different academic leadership structures was undertaken, with a specific focus on academic heads of department, the roles they undertake and how they experience these responsibilities. My literature review examined relevant and current research around school leadership, department leadership and the independent school context. Research participants from member schools of the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia completed an online survey that collected demographic data, rankings and level of importance of 45 roles and responsibilities of department heads, and level of satisfaction in their relationships, job satisfaction and efficacy. Organizing department meetings, setting department goals and managing department collaboration were the top three roles that participants undertook, which they also ranked as the most important. Respondents reported strong relationships and support from their administration. Being sufficiently trained and receiving appropriate compensation received the lowest mean responses. A strong correlation was found between job satisfaction and the three questions on support from administration, support from the School Head and receiving sufficient leadership training. Data was further analyzed using the demographics of department specialization, years teaching and school size. Recommendations include improved professional development and compensation for department heads who are being asked to take on the diversity and complexity of roles delegated, while further study is needed into what specific levels currently exist in schools in these two areas. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEPARTMENT HEADS IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS iii


There is broad agreement that a fair tax should be imposed in accordance with taxpayers' ability to pay. A utility-based interpretation of this standard, used in most tax policy discussions today, does not adequately reflect the its historical development and cannot escape long standing and devastating criticisms from within welfare economics and on other general grounds. This article traces the history of ability to pay, with special reference to the standard's emergence along with the British and German income tax laws, and in the theoretical literature that followed the adoption of income tax laws there and elsewhere. The article concludes that the utility-based interpretation is confusing and misleading and that an alternative interpretation is needed.


Many educators have already asked the question, "How should I read and handle the Harry Potter books?". This article describes several criteria that have relevance for the educator of Afrikaans who has to choose prescribed books for the senior school phase. These criteria are discussed to enter the debate about the value of Harry Potter in the lives of young and developing minds. Firstly, the question is asked whether and how the texts are reader-directed, and secondly, the article focuses on the interaction between the text and the reader and the extent to which reading these books can satisfy the needs of young learners in the puberty and early adolescent phases. Thirdly, the article focuses on the functionality of these books in the education process and fourthly, the possibility that the series can contribute to the quality of education gets attention. Fifthly the communicative potential of the texts in a reader response approach is discussed, and lastly the contextual orientation of the books is explored. Eventually this article will be followed up by a second article to focus on the intertextuality to see what the literary value of the Harry Potter texts is.

Keywords: Harry Potter; youth literature, fantasy; teaching strategies; criteria for evaluation, reader's response
[Jnl for Language Teaching Vol.37(2) 2003: 179-196]


BACKGROUND
Patients with mastocytosis and wasp venom allergy (WA) may benefit from venom immunotherapy (VIT). However, fatal insect sting reactions have been described in mastocytosis patients despite previous immunotherapy. We investigated the safety and efficacy of (rush) VIT in patients with mastocytosis and WA.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the safety and efficacy of (rush) VIT in patients with mastocytosis and WA.

METHODS
We describe nine patients with cutaneous mastocytosis and WA who received VIT. Cutaneous mastocytosis was confirmed by histopathology and systemic mastocytosis was diagnosed according to World Health Organization criteria. VIT was given according to a rush protocol. Given the difference in safety and efficacy of VIT in patients with WA and honeybee venom allergy, we reviewed the literature for VIT with the focus on WA patients with mastocytosis and addressed the difference between patients with cutaneous versus systemic mastocytosis.

RESULTS
Nine patients had WA and mastocytosis, of whom six had cutaneous mastocytosis, two combined cutaneous and systemic mastocytosis and one systemic mastocytosis. All patients received rush IT with wasp venom. Most patients had only mild local side effects, with no systemic side effects during the course of VIT. One patient had a systemic reaction upon injection on one occasion, during the updosing phase, with dyspnoea and hypotension, but responded well to treatment. Immunotherapy was continued after temporary dose adjustment without problems. Two patients with a previous anaphylactic reaction were re-stung, without any systemic effects.

CONCLUSIONS
VIT is safe in cutaneous mastocytosis patients with WA, while caution has to be made in case of systemic mastocytosis. VIT was effective in the patients who were re-stung.


INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Malaysian women, and the use of breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography remain low in Malaysia. Therefore, there is a need to develop a valid and reliable tool to measure the beliefs that influence breast cancer screening practices. The Champion's Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS) is a valid and reliable tool to measure beliefs about breast cancer and screening methods in the Western culture. The purpose of this study was to translate the use of CHBMS into the Malaysian context and validate the scale among Malaysian women.

METHODS
A random sample of 425 women teachers was taken from 24 secondary schools in Selangor state, Malaysia. The CHBMS was translated into the Malay language, validated by an expert's panel, back translated, and pretested. Analyses included descriptive statistics of all the study variables, reliability estimates, and construct validity using factor analysis.

RESULTS
The mean age of the respondents was 37.2 (standard deviation 7.1) years. Factor analysis yielded ten factors for BSE with eigenvalue greater than 1 (four factors more than the original): confidence 1 (ability to differentiate normal and abnormal changes in the breasts), barriers to BSE, susceptibility for breast cancer, benefits of BSE, health motivation 1 (general health), seriousness 1 (fear of breast cancer), confidence 2 (ability to detect size of lumps), seriousness 2 (fear of long-term effects of breast cancer), health motivation 2 (preventive health practice), and confidence 3 (ability to perform BSE correctly). For CBE and mammography scales, seven factors each were identified. Factors for CBE scale include susceptibility, health motivation 1, benefits of CBE, seriousness 1, barriers of CBE, seriousness 2 and health motivation 2. For mammography the scale includes benefits of mammography, susceptibility, health motivation 1, seriousness 1, barriers to mammography seriousness 2 and health motivation 2. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients ranged from 0.774 to 0.939 for the subscales.

CONCLUSION
The translated version of the CHBMS was found to be a valid and reliable tool for use with Malaysian women. It can be used easily to evaluate the health beliefs about breast cancer, BSE, CBE and mammography and for planning interventions. For greater applicability, it is recommended that this tool be tested among ethnically diverse populations.


With the development of mobile communications, gallium arsenide integrated circuits (GaAs IC) have been widely used. For example, satellite communication technology, satellite TV, wireless data transmission, fiber optic communications equipment, automatic test equipment etc. At the same time, it demands that the GaAs chips should have high quality surfaces. In this paper, it takes non-abrasive cryogenic polishing technique to polish GaAs chip surfaces. It has recorded the actual measurement results. The results show that the surface roughness of the ice disk polishing can achieve nanometer scale. Through the research of non-abrasive cryogenic polishing, it has analyzed different parameters on the impact of surface quality.