This article presents a compact wideband high gain patch antenna for CubeSat. The proposed metal-only antenna mainly consists of an upper patch, a folded ramp-shaped patch and shoring pins connecting the antenna with the ground plane. By adjusting the lengths and widths of two arms of the upper F-shaped patch, a second resonant frequency is generated, and hence, the −10 dB bandwidth is increased. Moreover, the effect of arms' lengths and widths on reflection coefficients, operating frequency and bandwidth is presented. To validate the design and the simulation results, a prototype metal-only patch antenna was fabricated and tested in a Chamber. A good agreement between the simulated and measured results is achieved. The measured results show that the fabricated prototype achieves a −10 dB bandwidth of 44.9% (1.6–2.7 GHz), a small reflection coefficient of −24.4 dB and a high efficiency, i.e., 85% at 2.45 GHz. The radiation performance of the proposed antenna is measured, showing a peak realized gain of 8.5 dBi with cross polarization level less than −20 dB at 2.45 GHz and a 3 dB gain bandwidth of 61.22%.


Racial constructionists, anti-naturalists, and anti-realists have challenged users of the biological race concept to provide and defend, from the perspective of biology, biological philosophy, and ethics, a biologically informed concept of race. In this paper, an onto- epistemology of biology is developed. What it is, by this, to be "biological real" and "biologically meaningful" and to represent a "biological natural division" is explained. Early 18th century race concepts are discussed in detail and are shown to be both sensible and not greatly dissimilar to modern concepts. A general biological race concept (GBRC) is developed. It is explained what the GBRC does and does not entail and how this concept unifies the plethora of specific ones, past and present. Other race concepts as developed in the philosophical literature are discussed in relation to the GBRC. The sense in which races are both real and natural is explained. Racial essentialism of the relational sort is shown to be coherent. Next, the GBRC is discussed in relation to anthropological discourse. Traditional human racial classifications are defended from common criticisms: historical incoherence, arbitrariness, cluster discordance, etc. Whether or not these traditional human races could qualify as taxa subspecies - or even species - is considered. It is argued that they could qualify as taxa subspecies by liberal readings of conventional standards. Further, it is pointed out that some species concepts potentially allow certain human populations to be designated as species. It is explained why, by conventional population genetic and statistical standards, genetic differences between major human racial groups are at least moderate. Behavioral genetic differences associated with human races are discussed in general and in specific. The matter of race differences in cognitive ability is briefly considered. Finally, the race concept is defended from various criticisms. First, logical and empirical critiques are dissected. These include: biological scientific, sociological, ontological, onto-epistemological, semantic, and teleological arguments. None are found to have any merit. Second, moral-based arguments are investigated in context to a general ethical frame and are counter-critiqued. Racial inequality, racial nepotism, and the "Racial Worldview" are discussed. What is dubbed the Anti-Racial Worldview is rejected on both empirical and moral grounds. Finally, an area of future investigation - the politics of the destruction of the race concept - is pointed to.


A need has been identified to identify a strict subset of the PWE3
over MPLS pseudowire functionality suitable for the construction of
transport networks. This draft describes the IETF recommended profile
for such cases. This document describes the IETF-recommended profile
for such a configuration. In particular the profile of an RFC4448 PWE3
Ethernet pseudowire that can be used to address these requirements is
described.


In psychiatry the definition of psychosis has been sustained in the symptoms, without attending practically to the person who suffers them. This phenomenon has intensified since the appearance of the Diagnostic Manuals. In this article we consider psychosis as a "structure", with defined characteristics, and according to this, we will determine which its subjective keys are. To achieve this, we rely on a strategy that allows the study of "interiority" and makes it scientific. The result is a new way of understanding psychosis, so that the classic idea that the psychotic is a person "enclosed in itself" and "incapable of being objective" is destroyed. On the contrary, it is demonstrated a "subjective collapse" that prevents him from having "internal" formations (fantasies, desires, projects, schemes of life, and so on) and keeps him prisoner of the exterior. This explains the lack of sense of the phenomena that he suffers and the absence of insertion in the culture.


BACKGROUND
Performance characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests among children are limited despite the need for point-of-care testing in school and childcare settings. We describe children seeking SARS-CoV-2 testing at a community site and compare antigen test performance to real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and viral culture.

METHODS
Two anterior nasal specimens were self-collected for BinaxNOW antigen and RT-PCR testing, along with demographics, symptoms, and exposure information from individuals ≥5 years at a community testing site. Viral culture was attempted on residual antigen or RT-PCR-positive specimens. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and the performance of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests, were compared among children (<18 years) and adults.

RESULTS
About 1 in 10 included specimens were from children (225/2110); 16.4% (37/225) were RT-PCR-positive. Cycle threshold values were similar among RT-PCR-positive specimens from children and adults (22.5 vs 21.3, P = .46) and among specimens from symptomatic and asymptomatic children (22.5 vs 23.2, P = .39). Sensitivity of antigen test compared to RT-PCR was 73.0% (27/37) among specimens from children and 80.8% (240/297) among specimens from adults; among specimens from children, specificity was 100% (188/188), positive and negative predictive values were 100% (27/27) and 94.9% (188/198), respectively. Virus was isolated from 51.4% (19/37) of RT-PCR-positive pediatric specimens; all 19 had positive antigen test results.

CONCLUSIONS
With lower sensitivity relative to RT-PCR, antigen tests may not diagnose all positive COVID-19 cases; however, antigen testing identified children with live SARS-CoV-2 virus.


Total 40 sluices which are all front-line facing the seas have been surveyed, for the hydraulic concrete durability research in the coastal area. The corrosion and damage of concrete, including cracking, carbonization, chloride-induced corrosion and abrasion have all be counted and analysed. It has been found that the inadequacy of concrete cover ply is quite common and leading to severe reduction for structural durability. The carbonation depth of concrete in coastal area, especially impacted by wind and rain directly, is apparently larger than others. The correlativity between carbonation depth and age of concrete has also been analysed, involved the influence of concrete compressive strength. The chemical attack and biological erosion, according to the survey result, led to relatively light damage to the sluice concrete. In the end of this paper, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation(FCE) method has been adopted, for the quality evaluation of sluices concrete structure.


Ballet Body Narratives is an ethnographic exploration of the social world of classical ballet and the embodiment of young ballet dancers as they engage in "becoming a dancer" in ballet school in England. In contrast to the largely disembodied sociological literature of the body, this book places the corporeal body as central to the examination and reveals significant relationships between body, society and identity. Drawing on academic scholarship as well as rich ballet body narratives from young dancers, this book investigates how young ballet dancers' bodies are lived, experienced and constructed through their desire to become performing ballet dancers as well as the seductive appeal of the ballet aesthetic. Pierre Bourdieu's critique of the perpetuating social order and his theoretical framework of field, habitus and capital are applied as a way of understanding the social world of ballet but also of relating the ballet habitus and belief in the body to broader social structures. This book examines the distinctiveness of ballet culture and aspects of young ballet dancers' embodied identity through a central focus on the ballet body.


This is the 15th fully documented case of retroperitoneal malignant schwannomain the Englishlanguage literature. The histogenesis and morphological features are described. Apart from recommending radical surgical resection with adequate tumour margins, the literature provides very little guidance on management. Our patient received adriamycin and dacarbazine as adjuvant therapy and is clinically without evidence of disease 6 months after definitive surgery.


Evaluation of effect of the aqueous, alcohol and chloroform extract of Psoralea corylifolia on sexual behaviour of male albino rats. Plant extracts (aqueous, alcohol and chloroform) at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg were administrated for 21 days. The female rats involved in mating were made receptive by hormonal treatment. The general mating behaviour, libido and potency along with orientation behaviour were studied. The effect of the extract on body weight, reproductive and vital organ weight were determined. The effective chloroform extract were further studied for its effect on hormonal assay and compared with the standard reference drug sildenafil citrate. Similarly adverse effects and acute toxicity of the extract were also evaluated. Oral administration of aqueous, alcohol and chloroform at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg were significantly increased the Mounting Frequency, Intromission Frequency and Ejaculation latency with reduction in Mounting Latency, Intromission Latency and Post Ejaculatory Interval. It also significantly increased libido as well as Erection, Quick Flips, Long Flips and the aggregate of penile reflexes with penile stimulation. There was significant increase in level of testosterone in the serum. The extract was also observed to be devoid of any adverse effects and acute toxicity. The results of the present study demonstrate that aqueous, alcohol and chloroform extract of Psoralea corylifolia seed enhance sexual behaviour in male rats. It also thus provides a rationale for the traditional use of Psoralea corylifolia as acclaimed aphrodisiac and for the management of male sexual disorders. Keywords:


Sisvar is a statistical analysis system, first released in 1996 although its development began in 1994. The first version was done in the programming language Pascal and compiled with Borland Turbo Pascal 3. Sisvar was developed to achieve some specific goals. The first objective was to obtain software that could be used directly on the statistical experimental course of the Department of Exact Science at the Federal University of Lavras. The second objective was to initiate the development of a genuinely Brazilian free software program that met the demands and peculiarities of research conducted in the country. The third goal was to present statistical analysis software for the Brazilian scientific community that would allow research results to be analyzed efficiently and reliably. All of the initial goals were achieved. Sisvar gained acceptance by the scientific community because it provides reliable, accurate, precise, simple and robust results, and allows users a greater degree of interactivity.


Abstract Roma teenagers are often excluded from participation opportunities, when they could be informing a wide range of law, policy and practice. CoE and EU recommendations make it clear that improvements in living conditions can only be achieved through active participation of Roma people. The 2018 Roma Civil Society Monitoring report reinforces that 'it is essential for Roma to be involved not only in narrowly defined 'Roma issues', but also in a wider range of topics and policies'. We address the question of what methods enable Roma children to become involved in influencing health policy and service design, focusing on the case of Bulgaria. A qualitative European survey (Feb - June 2020) in English, French, Spanish and Bulgarian identified professional perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on children, with a focus on Roma families. Case studies of Roma children's experiences, and examples of their participation, were analysed of these case studies was conducted by the authors (combining sociological, public health and community perspectives). Accuracy of emergent findings were assessed through dialogue with survey participants. Preliminary results indicate that participatory practices that enable Roma children's participation in designing public health policy, services and responses are limited and pre-existing inequalities are deepening. However relevant isolated examples of inclusive participation were identified: information design, peer-administered questionnaires, arts-based activities, dialogue events, and campaigning in Bulgaria and beyond. Inclusive methods that enable Roma teenagers' engagement in health policy and service design are closely tied to methods used with other communities facing discrimination. However, significant structural barriers, related to economic inequalities and anti-gypsyism are additional barriers faced by some Roma children. International exchange of examples of such practices could inform future health promotion practice.


Productivity and longevity of sugarcane plantations may currently be affected by the expanded cultivation activities in low fertility areas, which can result in micronutrient deficiencies. Zinc is important in this regard because its deficiency in sugarcane can cause reduced tillering, shorter internodes and thinner stalks. Therefore, the agronomic performance of sugarcane was evaluated (plant-sugarcane and first-ratoon-sugarcane), grown on a sandy soil with low zinc content, in response to rates and sources of zinc applications in the planting grooves. The experiment was conducted in an eutrophic Alfisol in Suzanápolis, São Paulo State, Brazil. A randomized blocks design in a factorial scheme (5x3), with five zinc rates (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 kg ha and three sources of zinc (sulfate, FTE (Zn silicate powder) and EDTA chelated Zinc) applied only in the planting furrow of the plant-sugarcane, with four replications, was used. The zinc sources had a similar effect on the Zn foliar and stalk contents, number of internodes per stalk, number of stalks per meter and sugarcane stalk productivity (cultivar RB867515), in two crops. Increasing zinc rates afforded a linear increase in the levels of foliar Zn and Zn in the stalks of the plant-sugarcane and first-ratoon-sugarcane, independent of the Zn source used. The zinc rates did not affect the production components and productivity of the plant-sugarcane stalks and first-ratoon sugarcane, grown on a sandy and acid soil with low zinc content.


Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict large gatherings, nuclear medicine professionals worldwide are looking forward to the Society of Nuclear Medicine's (SNMMI) annual meeting. This year, we will meet virtually to celebrate our profession's many successes, share new advances, and explore presented scientific work and technology. Although we're meeting virtually, there are 2 events you won't want to miss, including the Technologist Section's 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday evening, June 12. The evening will include an entertaining interview with a board-certified internist and actor, Dr. Ken Jeong. Dr. Jeong has appeared in several wellknown movies, including The Hangover, The Hangover Part II and Part III, and Crazy Rich Asians, as well served as a judge on The Masked Singer. He will discuss his show business success and then address presubmitted medical questions, offering his spontaneous (and hopefully appropriate!) responses. It's an event that you won't want to miss! Another don't-miss event is the SNMMI-TS Award Recognition and Plenary Session on Tuesday, June 15, with inspirational speaker Dr. Sampson Davis. Dr. Davis is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and the youngest physician to receive the National Medical Association's highest honor, The Scroll of Merit. This program will also highlight the many accomplishments of the Technologist Section and present multiple awards, including the JNMT Best Paper awards. Each year, published manuscripts written by technologists as the first author are judged in the following categories: Scientific Papers (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place), Continuing Education Article, Teaching Case Studies, and Educators' Forum Article. You can find a complete list of the JNMT 2020 Best Paper Awardees at https://www.snmmi.org/AboutSNMMI/ Content.aspx?ItemNumber=35346... and don't miss the September issue of JNMT, in which the best paper awards and photos of the authors will be included. So my question to you—is your name on that list? If not, consider sharing your expertise by writing about the clinical research performed in your department, or help educate JNMT readers by writing a continuing education (CE) article, or highlight an unusual finding as a teaching case study, or perhaps share a technique that has resulted in a successful outcome in the classroom—maybe next year we'll see your name on JNMT's 2021 Best Paper awards! In this issue, 4 CE articles offer a wide diversity of topics, including the value of PET/CT in evaluating tissue oxygenation in radiation therapy planning and subsequent dose escalation (1); image quality recommendations for DaTscan imaging (2); the challenges with establishing a PET/MR facility (3), the first in a 4-part integrated CE series on PET/MR (with subsequent articles focusing on technology principles [part 2], protocols and procedures [part 3], and applications and clinical case studies [part 4]); and an essential review of basic infection prevention in the era of COVID-19 (4). Educators worldwide have been challenged with translating inclass instructions to an online format in the restrictive COVID-19 environment. In the Educators' Forum, several discussions present the adaption and impact of in-class instructions in nuclear medicine technology to online learning. The Practical Protocol Tip (PPT) selected for this issue on F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) imaging (5) complements the discussion on F-NaF PET/CT imaging using an LYSO PET/CT System (6). The PPT provides an imaging-specific protocol that can be added to your department's procedure manual. I would also like to draw your attention to Shannon Youngblood's discussion on bullying (7). We hear a lot about bullying in grades 1–12, yet how many of us consider this concept as it relates to technologists or students working in nuclear medicine departments? The discussion provides several interesting findings and summarizes the potential occupational hazards and health-care safety concerns related to workplace bullying in the medical field. It's an important discussion, with conclusions that each of us should carefully reflect on from a personal perspective and as they apply in our workplace. Don't forget to explore the many scientific articles and teaching cases in this issue and the book review summarizing the newly published book Clinical Nuclear Medicine Neuroimaging (8). Also note the SNMMI Statements on COVID-19 and ventilation/ perfusion (V/Q) lung studies and the effect of the COVID-19 vaccination on FDG PET/CT in this issue (9,10). As always, if you have suggestions or comments to enhance JNMT content, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Kathy S. Thomas, MHA, CNMT, PET, FSNMMI-TS


Range-Query is an important associative form of data access in distributed simulations and Distributed Virtual Environments. This paper discusses the problem of Range-Queries in the context of distributed simulation of multi-agent systems. An algorithm is presented for performing instantaneous Queries within an optimistic synchronisation framework and in the presence of dynamic migration of the simulation state. A quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of the algorithm under different conditions is also presented.


Barchan dunes can be found in sand barren regions under steady wind conditions. They translate in the direction of the wind while their shape remains unchanged. They have a minimal length in the order of ten meters, which renders laboratory experiments almost impossible. The length scale is set by the details of the sand-wind interaction. Smaller dunes do not evolve into the typical barchan dune shape. Our experimental approach produces dramatically scaled down barchan dunes. The idea is to modulate gravity by vertical oscillation of the sand bed. We produce small dunes that travel in the turbulent boundary layer of an open windtunnel. Particle image velocimetry on the surface of moving dunes reveals the flux of creeping sand, while measurement of sand grains flying through the air quantifies the key mechanism that moves sand by wind: saltation. While the amount of sand flying with the flow does not vary strongly in an oscillation cycle, the sand creeping over the dune surface is only in motion when the effective gravity is smaller than g. Thus, modulation of gravity provides a unique view on sand transport in wind. Saltation is an activation process, and we demonstrate the importance of turbulence. To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2008.DFD.AV.10


Multivariate calibration models are developed for the determination of sulfur dioxide (SO2) by passive Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) remote sensing measurements. In a series of experiments designed to simulate the measurement of SO2 from industrial stack emissions, low-angle sky backgrounds are viewed through the windows of a heated flow-through gas cell. With this apparatus, infrared emission from the hot SO2 is measured against the cold background of the sky. The FT-IR interferogram data collected are analyzed directly in the construction of the calibration models. Bandpass digital filters are applied to the interferograms to isolate the modulated infrared frequencies corresponding to either the asymmetric or symmetric S–O stretching vibrations at 1361 and 1151 cm−1, respectively. Quantitative calibration models are constructed by submitting short segments of the filtered interferograms to partial least-squares regression analysis. The experimental design allows the impact of variation in the temperature of the SO2 to be evaluated for its effect on the calibration models. Three data sets are constructed consisting of data with increasing temperature variation. When the temperature variation in the data is less than 30 °C, the calibration models are able to achieve a cross-validation standard error of prediction (CV-SEP) of approximately 27 ppm-m across the 185 to 727 ppm-m range of density-corrected, path-averaged concentration. These calibration models are applied to an interferogram segment of only 250 points, and do not require any separate measurement of the infrared background. A comparison of the results from the interferogram-based analyses with those obtained in an analysis of single-beam spectral data reveals similar performances for the models computed with both types of data.


We used vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data collected in shallow bore- holes (about 40-60 m deep) to determine the shear-wave velocity at four sites in the Mississippi embayment in southwestern Tennessee. The source was an air-powered hammer that produces repeatable SH waves, which were recorded by source monitor geophones deployed on the surface very close to the source. Three approaches were used to determine interval velocities: an approximate zero-offset method, a layer- stripping method, and a waveform-matching method. The first two methods use arrival-time picks, whereas the latter is based on the fit of synthetic VSP data to the first half-cycle (approximately) of each trace. The advantage of this method over the other two is that it uses a segment of the data, rather than a single data point. There- fore, the velocities determined using the waveform-matching method are better con- strained and are not affected by picking errors, which may translate into significant spurious velocity variations. The source wavelets recorded by one of the monitor geophones and the velocity model computed with the layer-stripping method were used to generate synthetic vertical seismic profiling data for comparison with the actual data. Then the model velocities were modified interactively, one layer at a time, until a satisfactory match was achieved. This required including attenuation in the computation of the synthetic data. The four sites investigated in this study can be divided into two groups: low-velocity sites (Shelby Farms and Covington) and high-velocity sites (Brownsville and Jackson). These last two sites are at larger dis- tances from the embayment axis than the other two, which means that the difference in velocities probably corresponds to the presence of different geologic units. Good agreements between the lithology in the boreholes and the velocity profiles were obtained for all the four sites.


In the last decades, enhancing social trust and improving social quality have been often considered as the antidote to the problems produced by the neoliberal makeover of the social life. However, it remains unclear whether higher social quality and trust actually produce more pro-social attitudes among people. Based on a statistical analysis of a cross-national survey administered in five countries, this article shows that social quality and social trust, as empirical indicators of the social, do not always generate pro-social attitudes. It demonstrates that perceived social quality and trust on social institutions can generate both conservative and liberal attitudes toward social welfare and taxation. In order to explain the varying effects of social quality and trust, we propose a heuristic model of political cognition and motivation, which illustrates how the political variety of the social is possible. Our model highlights the contextual contingencies of the political meaning of the social.


Ditch blocking in blanket peatlands is common as part of peatland restoration. The effects of ditch blocking on flow regimes and nearby water tables were examined in a field trial. After an initial 6-month monitoring period, eight ditches had peat dams installed 10 m apart along their entire length (dammed), four of these ditches were also partially infilled through bank reprofiling (reprofiled). Four ditches were left open with no dams or reprofiling (open). These 12 ditches and the surrounding peat were monitored for 4 more years. An initial five-fold reduction in discharge occurred in the dammed and the reprofiled ditches with the displaced water being diverted to overland flow and pathways away from the ditches. However, there was a gradual change over time in ditch flow regime in subsequent years, with the overall volume of water leaving the dammed and the reprofiled ditches increasing per unit of rainfall to around twice that which occurred in the first year after blocking. Hence, monitoring for greater than one year is important for understanding hydrological impacts of peatland restoration. Overland flow and flow in the upper ~4 cm of peat was common and occurred in the inter-ditch areas for over half of the time after ditch blocking. There was strong evidence that topographic boundaries of small ditch catchments, despite being defined using a high-resolution Light Detection And Ranging-based terrain model, were not always equivalent to actual catchment areas. Hence, caution is needed when upscaling area-based fluxes, such as aquatic carbon fluxes, from smaller scale studies including those using ditches and small streams. The effect of ditch blocking on local water tables was spatially highly variable but small overall (time-weighted mean effect <2 cm). Practitioners seeking to raise water tables through peatland restoration should first be informed either by prior measurement of water tables or by spatial modelling to show whether the peatland already has shallow water tables or whether there are locations that could potentially undergo large water-table recoveries.


Cervical cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in women. The presence of macrophages as well as other inflammatory cells has been noted in many of these tumors. Intratumoral macrophages/monocytes induce anergy to cytokine therapy and cause apoptosis in natural killer(NK) and T cells. The aim of this study was to better evaluate and quantify the presence of macrophages in these tumors. Twenty-four cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix seen at our institution were evaluated. Sections were stained with CD68, a marker for macrophages. Staining was graded microscopically by two reviewers together on a scale of 0–4+, with 4+ representing the greatest number of positive cells. Image analysis was conducted to quantify the percent area stained in a given lesion. For each lesion, 10 fields were evaluated, and a mean percentage area stained was calculated. 4+ staining was observed in five cases, 3+ in zero cases, 2+ in three cases, 1+ in six cases, 1–2+ in one case, and nine cases were negative. Image analysis results correlated well with the light microscopic scoring. Presence of a prominent infiltrate of macrophages did not correlate with tumor grade or with histologic lymph node status, but showed a strong negative correlation with tumor stage. Some squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix show a prominent macrophage component in the tumor-associated inflammatory infiltrate. The presence of this prominent infiltration of macrophages did not correlate with tumor grade or lymph node status, but showed a strong negative correlation with tumor stage. The results suggest that immunotherapy may have a potential role in the treatment of cervical carcinoma. Computerized image analysis appears to be a valid measure to assess macrophage counts in such lesions.


In 1960, the Dutch journal of the Catholic Social-Ecclesial Institute (Kaski) Sociaal Kompas became Social Compass. This shift rounded off a period now considered as the heyday of Dutch sociology of religion. Ironically, in those years, Catholic sociologists in particular contested the legitimacy of taking religion as an object of sociological study. Each period in the history of sociology of religion appears to present a different face of it due to the interplay between the political field, the religious field, and the academic field, while the self-identification of its practitioners as sociologists of religion is far from self-evident. After 1980, further secularization resulted in a subsequent decline of chairs in sociology of religion. As direct, competitive government funding of academic research gained traction, the social-scientific study of religion continues to be funded. In so far as politicians and religious professionals continue to be concerned about issues such as the rise of Islam and new spirituality, the call for the social-scientific study of religion remains. The identification of these researchers with sociology of religion as a specialty, however, is less self-evident. What makes a sociologist of religion?


The Thesis, which is titled ''Reform of the United Nations Security Council: A Requirement of the Times'', consists of six chapters. Chapter I, ''Overview'', begins with the very brief historical background of the United Nations, the Charter and the UNSC. The focal point in this Chapter is about the functions and powers, the reasons - both objective and subjective - presenting the need for reform of the UNSC. For nearly six decades, except the 1965 increase in the non-permanent membership of the UNSC following an amendment to the UN Charter, the composition of this body remains under-representation of the UN membership, particularly representatives from developing or least-developed countries, in the UNSC's permanent and non-permanent membership categories&semic while the United Nations saw substantial growth in its membership, from 51 in 1945 to 191 at present. Additionally, some of the current permanent members of the UNSC are no longer major players in the international arena, could not bear the responsibilities entrusted on them by the UN Charter as permanent members with the veto power. Therefore, challenged by the intricate world situation, it is more than ever the high time for the UNSC to change. Chapter II, ''Membership'', is the first of the five remaining chapters dealing with each specific topic on the agenda of the UNSC reform debate. The UNSC is the representative body acting ''on behalf of'' and its decisions binding all the UN member states. Thus, the international community requires that more countries should be brought in the UNSC on the principle of ''geographical equality''. Going into the concrete nature of the above requirement, this Chapter discusses a series of questions: Why the UNSC should be expanded? How large the UNSC should be? What criteria should be used for new admissions? And, more specified is the expansion of the permanent and non-permanent membership. The answer for the question concerning the reason for enlargement is clear, but debates on the composition and criteria are never ended. For instance, with regard to the increase in the permanent membership, it is far from agreement in how many and who should be elected for the permanent membership, even there is nothing to guarantee for Japan and Germany - the world-wide influential potential candidates - for permanent membership&semic or concerning the criteria, whether or not contributions to the UN by member states should be the basic criterion. Finally, a bold point challenging all readers in this Chapter is the discussion about the term ''permanent''. As for the author, this term should be reinterpreted in accordance with the reality of modern politics. Chapter III is about the ''Working methods''. Since the GA officially launched the reform of the UNSC in 1993 with the establishment of the WGSC, revision of the UNSC's working methods has been most probably clear. To some extent, the picture of a transparent, democratic, accountable and efficient UNSC could be seen. However, criticisms on the UNSC's working methods in general remain. Two of the procedures relating to the UNSC's routine work are meetings and voting particularly discussed in this Chapter. Though much has been improved in the former with different and more open types of meeting, such as open debates, open meetings and Arria formula meetings, the latter seems to be the job of the UNSC's members only, even that it is dominated and used by the permanent members for their own sake. Therefore, a question raised in this connection is the significance of this procedure. Is voting a substantial or formula act? Chapter IV is especially reserved for discussing one of the most controversial issues on the UNSC's reform agenda, ''The Right to Veto''. In fact, this issue challenged the existence of the UN at the outset of this organization. ''Without the veto there would be no United Nations''. That was the feeling of many states participating in the San Francisco conference for the establishment of the UN in 1945. Nevertheless, like the Charter itself, the right to veto is deemed by many the relic of the past. The permanent members constitute the elite in the most powerful body of the UN thanks to the stupidly magic and supreme sword - the right to veto - in their hands. This Chapter reviews different types of veto&semic discusses the question of use of the veto power. After all, in connection with the enlargement of the UNSC's membership, questions relating to the abolition of the veto power&semic or giving the right to veto to new members, and if any, the basis for giving this right to permanent members, are deliberated in this Chapter as well. Chapter V, ''Cooperation with the Other UN Main Bodies, Regional Arrangements and Civil Society'', focuses on the cooperative mechanisms between the UNSC and the other five UN main bodies, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations in the framework of the Charter provisions and the UNSC's Rules of Procedures. In order to emphasize the importance of these cooperative mechanisms, each of them is discussed separately in three separate items of this Chapter: (1) cooperation with the other main UN bodies&semic (2) cooperation with regional arrangements&semic and (3) cooperation with civil society. The first two mechanisms are basically based on and governed by the provisions in the Charter. With regard to cooperation between regional organizations and the UNSC (item 2), this is a rather complicated mechanism, not only governed by the Charter, but also subject to operational rules of individual regional organizations. The case of cooperation between ASEAN and the UNSC was taken as an example in this regard, aiming at pointing out difficulties as well as solutions to improve that relationship. The last cooperative mechanism discussed in this Chapter is between NGOs and the UNSC (item 3). Though there is no point to deny their increasingly important role in the UN work, NGOs involvement in the UNSC is something revolutionary. Therefore, this item took a cautious approach by citing only recent developments in the relationship between the highly political sensitive body, on the one hand, and the free and outspoken society. Chapter VI is something like the so-called ''last but not least''. This Chapter titled ''Breakthroughs to the UN Charter'' aims to point out the organic interaction between the UN Charter amendments and the UNSC's reform. To reform the UNSC, it is necessary to revise the UN Charter&semic and vice versa, amending the UN Charter is to reform the UNSC. Therefore, this Chapter essentially focuses on possible amendments to the UN Charter, paving the way for the UNSC's reform. To justify the need for the UN Charter's revision, this Chapter begins with arguments based on philosophical standpoints of K. Marx on material dialectics. However, whatever it is, as K. Marx said, ''reality is the measurement of the truth''. The world has profoundly changed and the UN Charter is anachronistic. This is a crucial precondition for the call for UN Charter's amendments. The 1965 amendment to the UN Charter is considered in this Chapter as the first breakthrough, which becomes a comparative argument for the question of the possible second breakthrough to the reform of the UNSC. Finally, this Chapter discusses basic obstacles to the UN Charter's amendments. Unlike many considering politics decisive to the UN Charter's amendments, the author argued that differences in viewpoints and division among the UN members are the most fundamental obstacle in that process. The Thesis is wrapped up with the Conclusion, which summarizes the whole reform process of the UNSC. The last sentence of the Conclusion is a borrowing act by the author, from a popular English idiom, to emphasize the importance of personality, which is ''A talent in difficulty is a talent indeed''. This is always true, and also complies with the motto ''people are placed at the centre of development process''.


Dark matter with a non-zero self-interacting cross section ($\sigma_{\rm SIDM}$) has been posited as a solution to a number of outstanding astrophysical mysteries. Many studies of merging galaxy clusters have given constraints on $\sigma_{\rm SIDM}$ based on the spatial offset between the member galaxy population and the dark matter distribution. Assuming $\sigma_{\rm SIDM} = 0$, how likely is it for us to see the galaxy-DM offset values observed in merging clusters of galaxies? To answer this question, we formulate a hypothesis test using data from Illustris, a $\Lambda$CDM cosmological simulation. We select 43 Illustris clusters and their galaxy members at z~0 and examine the accuracy of commonly used galaxy summary statistics, including kernel-density-estimation (KDE) luminosity peak, KDE number density peak, shrinking aperture, centroid and the location of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG). We use the dark-matter particles to reproduce commonly adopted methods to identify dark-matter peaks based on gravitational lensing cluster maps. By analysing each cluster in 768 projections, we determine the optimistic noise floor in the measurements of the galaxy-DM offsets. We find that the choice of the galaxy summary statistics affects the inferred offset values substantially, with the BCG and the luminosity peak giving the tightest 68-th percentile offset levels, $\lesssim$ 4 kpc and $\lesssim$ 32 kpc, respectively. Shrinking aperture, number density and centroid give a large offset scatter of about 50-100 kpc at the 68-th percentile level, even for clusters with only one dominant mass component. Out of the 15 reported offsets from observed merging clusters that we examined, 13 of them are consistent with Illustris unrelaxed cluster offsets at the 2-sigma (95-th percentile) level, i.e. consistent with the hypothesis that $\Lambda$CDM is the true underlying physical model.


BACKGROUND
Disasters have a significant impact on mental health that may be mitigated by promoting resilience. This study explores the lay perspective on public health interventions that have the potential to facilitate resilience of adults who experience a natural disaster.

METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were conducted 6 months post-disaster between June 2011 and January 2012 with 19 people who experienced the 2010/11 Victorian floods. Twenty lay witness statements from people who presented to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission were also selected for analysis. Transcripts were analysed using an interpretive and comparative content analysis to develop an understanding of disaster resilience interventions in an ecological framework.

RESULTS
The participants identified resilience focused interventions such as information that help individuals manage emotions and make effective decisions and plans, or enable access to resources; face-to-face communication strategies such as public events that restore or create new social connections; rebuilding of community capacity through coordination of volunteers and donations and policies that manage disaster risk.

CONCLUSIONS
Disaster recovery interventions designed within an ecological model can promote a comprehensive integrated systems approach to support resilience in affected populations.


Introduction: The success of any organization depends on the existence of an effective evaluation system. The usages of accreditation standards are very useful. Accreditation signifies the external evaluation in order to examine the performance of health centers. The study of present research is done by the aim of sketching the executive structure of accreditation from stakeholder's perspective Methods: The descriptive study research was done through cross-sectional method in throughout the country stakeholders; 2014. A total of 200 stakeholders contributed in the study. Stakeholders are the ones who are involved in the presentation of accreditation and also well aware of the current structures and its goals. The checking tools of this questionnaire research are closed. At the first phase, a semi-open questionnaire was completed by 72 people, after adding their points of view the closed questionnaire was given to 128 stakeholders. Individuals answered the questions by giving points from 0-10. The validity and reliability of date was derived by experts and also from Cronbach's Alpha exam, and analyzed by spss18 software. Results: The results has shown much of the stakeholders believe that hospitals should be voluntarily in implementing accreditation at first then be compulsory by an NGO organization such as JCI along with international standards. Also should be evaluated annually with the training of accreditation. Conclusions: Generally stakeholders were not satisfied with the present accreditation procedures and base on results of descriptive and analytical assessment respondents were analyzed, the final accreditation Administration was presented.


Introduction Medical treatments have limited long-term effect in task-specific dystonia. Whilst evidence supports the use of rehabilitation, no randomised controlled trials have been undertaken. This small-scale study determined the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a mixed sensory–motor task-specific dystonia rehabilitative programme. Methods Participants with writer's or musician's dystonia were recruited from a movement disorder and hand therapy clinic. Feasibility measures were recruitment rate, retention, session attendance, adherence to exercises. Self-report measures at 0, 3 and 6 months included: Arm Dystonia Disability Scale (ADDS), Tubiana and Chamagne Scale (TCS), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), Health Status (EQ-5D 5L), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). Task performance was video-recorded at baseline and 6 months. At 6 months, interviews explored participant experiences of the intervention. Results Fifteen patients were recruited over 6 months (rate 2.5/month, musician's dystonia = 8, writer's dystonia = 7). Complete data sets were collected for twelve people(80%). The programme comprised a maximum six sessions plus daily home exercises. Nine completed the home programme at ≥75%. No adverse events were reported. Effect sizes at 3 and 6 months, respectively, were ADDS 3-month = 0.28, 6-month = 0.23; TCS 3-month = 0.13, 6-month = 0.53; BIPQ 3-month = 0.38, 6-month = 0.71; EQ-5D-5L 3-month = 0.34, 6-month = 0.59; video analysis at 6 months = 0.78. Eleven (92%) improved on the CGI. Interviews supported acceptability of the intervention. Conclusions This intervention was feasible to deliver with high retention, adherence and acceptability. Improvements occurred across measures. This informs the development of future randomised controlled trials.


Atypical antipsychotics are a class of novel agents increasingly employed for the treatment of psychotic disorders. The pharmacodynamic properties of the atypicals appear to impact a broader spectrum of psychotic symptoms than had been appreciated with older generation antipsychotics. In addition, the atypical agents appear to have a reduced risk of neurologic side effects compared with conventional antipsychotic use. Both of these features enhance the appeal of the atypical antipsychotics and may be associated with enhanced patient compliance. The atypical antipsychotics appear to be effective for schizophrenia as well as other psychotic disorders, including schizoaffective disorder and mood disorders with psychotic features. Consequently, atypical antipsychotics are now considered to be the first-line treatment for schizophrenia, with the exception of clozapine, which is considered a second-line agent because of risks associated with its use. This review will discuss the literature on atypical antipsychotic efficacy in psychotic disorders. Issues related to antipsychotic use, dosing, adverse effects, and drug interactions are also discussed.


Entrepreneurship education has traditionally focused on formal education, but many initiatives have been taken parallel with the 21st century teaching and learning strategies to engage student experience through learning by doing. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education on students' entrepreneurship interest, intentions and competencies by implementing fashion entrepreneurship program. This study was held at Universiti Putra Malaysia for a period of five months. Samples were selected among undergraduate students who enrolled in Entrepreneurship Courses in First Semester 2016/2017. Screening process comprises interviews and basic sewing test were conducted to select 40 students as the respondents of the program. This program emphasized mentor-mentees system which involved 10 fashion entrepreneurs from the community. Respondents were exposed to entrepreneurship seminars, business and skills trainings, e-marketing workshops, sewing classes as well as evaluation sessions. Qualitative data were gathered through questionnaires adapted from Mc Clellandand Mc Ber & Co (1985) as well as questionnaires by Hisyamudin Hassan (2007). Meanwhile qualitative data were collected through continuous observations and the output of the fashion products. The findings indicated that there is a significant positive correlation between entrepreneurship interests with entrepreneurship intentions. Although the findings showed no significant relationship between fashion entrepreneurship program with entrepreneurship intentions and competencies, respondents' perceptions towards their interest, intentions and competencies at the end of the program are high. Due to time constraints, it was suggested that future entrepreneurship program should be scheduled more structured and in a timely manner to ensure that student can gain benefit throughout the program and the objective of the program can be achieved.


Five sets of questions puzzle observers of Japanese financial markets, particularly from the U.S. viewpoint. They concern: the apparently low corporate cost of capital, low real interest rates, high equity prices, high land prices, and the rising real yen. The paper surveys writings on these issues, in brief enough form that one can see how the questions fit together. Topics covered include: the leverage of Japanese firms, dividend payout, equity price/earnings ratios, corporate taxation, cross-ownership, land price/rental ratios, speculative bubbles, the household saving rate, international capital mobility, expected real appreciation of the yen, the lower cost of financing investment internally and through "main bank" relationships, and the move to a more market-oriented system as these relationships break down. Conclusions include: (1) the real interest rate in Japan may remain below that in the United States, despite international arbitrage, (2) the main relevant effect of the internationalization in Japan may have been to accelerate the process whereby corporate finance becomes market-oriented, so that (3) affiliated firms are losing the special privilege of borrowing at a cheaper rate, while (4) unaffiliated firms are able to borrow more cheaply than before, and (5) the increased availability of funds for asset-market arbitrage allowed the great run-up in equity and land prices in the 1980s.


La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ thin films of varying thicknesses (20–170 nm) were prepared by pulsed laser deposition on yttria-stabilized zirconia (100) substrates, and their electrochemical electrode performance was correlated with the chemical surface composition and microstructure (e.g. porosity, surface area). The surface cation composition was analyzed by an atomic etching procedure with on-line inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry detection. The surface sensitivity of the method was increased by dynamically switching the etching reagent during the on-line analysis and quantitative results for even the top atomic layer were obtained. A water-soluble Sr-rich surface species could be quantified on top of the LSC films and in combination with electrochemical analysis of the films by impedance spectroscopy an improved understanding of the surface exchange resistance could be obtained. Microstructural features such as the effective porosity of the films became accessible by a combination of these methods.


Background: In nondemented aging, higher levels of everyday physical activity (EPA) and mobility performance are associated with better executive function (EF) trajectories. However, these associations may be moderated by both sex and Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk. Objectives: In a longitudinal study, we investigate sex differences in (a) EPA and mobility effects on EF performance (level) and change (slope) and (b) AD genetic risk moderation of these associations. Methods: The longitudinal design included nondemented adults (n = 532, mean age = 70.4 years, range 53–95) from the Victoria Longitudinal Study. Using structural equation analyses on an EF latent variable, we tested (a) sex moderation and (b) interactive effects of sex and APOE on observed EPA-EF and mobility-EF performance and change relationships. Results: First, we observed independent sex effects for the EPA-EF and mobility-EF predictions. Whereas EPA had a significant effect on EF performance and change only for females, mobility had a significant effect for both sexes. Notably, males with lower mobility levels experienced steeper EF decline than females with lower mobility levels. Second, we observed significant sex × APOE interaction effects. The combination of lower genetic risk and higher EPA benefitted females but not males. In contrast, lower genetic risk and higher mobility benefited both sexes, although male APOE no-risk carriers with lower mobility levels had EF decline patterns that were similar to APOE risk carriers. Conclusions: Longitudinal analyses across a broad band of aging show that sex moderates the effects of both EPA and mobility on EF performance and change. Notably, this moderation occurs differentially across the AD genetic risk status. These results point to a precision health approach to observational and interventional research in which effects of physical activity and mobility on EF trajectories and dementia are examined in the personalized and interactive context of sex and AD risk.


New specimens of Cooksonia and Hostinella are described from the Bertie Group of Ontario and New York State, which is dated by faunas as latest Silurian (Přidoli). The rare plant fossils are unusual in that they are preserved in fine-grained, slightly argillaceous dolostones ('waterlime') rather than clastic rocks. At least two species of Cooksonia are present, one with ± globular sporangial morphology close to C. hemisphaerica Lang. Those with ellipsoidal/discoidal sporangia are compared with C. pertoni Lang, C. paranensis Gerrienne et al. and C. bohemica Schweitzer, the latter represented by a single specimen from the Přidoli of the Czech Republic. However, the paucity of specimens, which prevents assessment of taphonomic influences on shape, combined with the absence of any anatomical features and the gross morphological simplicity of the fossils, precludes specific assignment. Specimens of Hostinella include one in which apices and a lateral basal structure resembling a root are preserved. It is concluded that the Laurentian assemblage of Ontario and New York State is less diverse and disparate than coeval assemblages, which are also preserved in marine rocks. Its preservation in limestones may have been facilitated by the hypersalinity inferred from various sedimentary features, which would restrict the activity of many decomposers.


Inability to use knowledge is one of the major problems that university graduates face. Some instructional designers recommend situated learning for the solution. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of situated learning on students' school motivation and achievement. The two main hypotheses are: 1- Situated learning increases learning. 2- Situated learning increases school motivation. Thirty four psychology junior students at Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran participated in the study. Classes were randomly selected for situated learning curriculum and lecturebased curriculum. Lecture-based curriculum was performed in face to face classroom. Situated learning was carried out in blended learning approach. Data was collected by school achievement test and the short form of Mc Inerney and Sinclaier standard motivation questionnaire, before and after interventions. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software version 15. It was shown that situated learning increased academic achievement (p<0.001) and motivation (p<0.001) in comparison to lecture- based learning and can serve as a good method in instructional programs.


Abstract Hypervalent iodine reagents have found wide application in organic synthesis as versatile, efficient, and environmentally sustainable reagents. Particularly important hypervalent iodine reagents used as atom and group transfer reagents include: iodosylbenzene, (PhIO)n, (tosylimino)iodobenzene, (PhINTs)n, and iodonium ylide, PhI = C(CO2CH3)2. Despite the significant interest in these reagents as primary sources of "O", "NR" and "CR2" units in transition metal catalyzed processes, their practical application is hampered. In particular, their tightly aggregated and polymeric structures in the solid state render these polyvalent iodine species insoluble in all nonreactive media and prevent their use in chemical reactions under homogenous conditions, which can be undesirable for many synthetic and mechanistic studies. In this review we describe our work on the rational design and development of new soluble, thermally stable, and highly reactive hypervalent iodine reagents based on structural modifications that lead to redirection of secondary bonding from intermolecular to intramolecular modes. Specifically, the introduction of a coordinating donor in the ortho-position of the phenyliodine (III) moiety leads to a significant improvement of solubility of a hypervalent iodine reagent. Based on this approach, we have developed a series of new hypervalent iodine reagents, which can be used as selective oxidants, nitrene or carbene precursors, and atom transfer reagents. Specific examples of these new reagents are represented by iodosylarenes and iminophenyliodanes bearing tert-butylsulfonyl group in the ortho-position of the phenyl ring and by the ortho-alkoxy substituted iodonium imides and ylides. These new pseudocyclic (and cyclic) reagents have excellent solubility in organic solvents and can be used as efficient reagents for catalytic formation of new C O, C N and C C bonds, as well as to enable the generation and detection of highly reactive metal species involved in catalysis and biomimetic reactions.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine cognitive functioning in postpolio syndrome (PPS) after controlling for the effects of depression and illness behavior.

BACKGROUND
Few studies have investigated the possible cognitive sequelae of PPS, despite widespread documented subjective complaints of "mental fatigue."

METHOD
A total of 23 PPS sufferers, 20 polio survivors without PPS, and 22 matched controls were compared using the Beck Depression Inventory-II; the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire; a chronic fatigue syndrome symptom checklist; and several measures of memory, attention, and concentration, including the Brown-Petersen Task, Stroop Test, Austin Maze, California Verbal Learning Test, Trail Making Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Symbol-Digit Modalities Test.

RESULTS
In those participants with a medically confirmed diagnosis of PPS, there was a significantly higher level of depressive and hypochondriacal symptomatology as compared with the other two groups. Nevertheless, no significant differences existed between the three groups on neuropsychological measures.

CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the attention and memory difficulties reported by PPS sufferers may be linked to the physical or psychological manifestations of the illness rather than to objective decrements in cognitive performance.


Abstract Background: Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is an osseous malignancy of small round blue cells which may manifest even in soft tissue. It is the second most common primary tumor of bone in childhood. The common areas of occurrence are the diaphyses of femur followed by tibia, humerus, pelvis, and clavicle. However, there are many unusual presentations of ES on the basis of the site, e.g., craniofacial bones, paravertebral mass, and visceral organs. Chemotherapy with radiation therapy and cytoreductive surgery/limb salvage surgery is the mainstay treatment along with a strict patient compliance and counseling, critically being important for long-term survival. This study depicts presentations of ES who either presented with some unusuality at the time of diagnosis or developed peculiar features uncharacteristic of ES during their course of treatment. Context: This study provides an insight into the patterns of unusual presentation of ES and prognosis of such patients with current line of management. Multiple sites of metastases have a very poor dismal outlook. Aims: This study purports the importance of considering ES as a systemic disease rather an osseous malignancy and reviews the pattern of unusual sites of presentation. Setting and Design: This observational study was carried out in the Department of Radiotherapy, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. Only patients with unusual patterns of metastases were included in the study cohort. Materials and Methods: We systematically reviewed patients with confirmed and immunohistochemistry-proven ES from July 2014 to July to 2017. A total of 69 patients were registered within the time frame. Of the 69 patients, 36 (52.2%) were males and 33 (47.8%) were females. Of the 11 (16%) unusual presentations, 8 were males and 3 were females. The mean age of presentation was 22.5 (3–52 years). All patients received chemotherapy as per treatment guidelines. Each patient was individually followed up and metastatic workup was performed in a systematic manner. Statistical Analysis: Since the pattern of metastasis was observed, no significant statistical analysis was required for this study. Results: Of the 11 patients, six succumbed during the course of treatment, one patient was lost to follow-up, while four patients are on regular follow-up. Of the six patients who succumbed, four had multiple metastases at the time of presentation to our outpatient department, while the other two patients had paraspinal ES with paraplegia. Two patients, one male and one female, had associated comorbidities with spherocytosis and bronchial asthma. The youngest patient was a 3-year-old child with paraspinal ES, while the oldest was a 52-year-old with extraosseous ES of the right thigh who presented with lung, liver, and supraclavicular metastases. Conclusion: In our study, pattern of metastases determined the patients' survival. Those patients who presented with multiple metastases at the time of presentation had a very poor prognosis, with death occurring within 2–3 months. The chemotherapy protocols were neither modified nor changed. They were evaluated after every cycle. Those patients who had developed multiple metastases at the time of admission to our outpatient clinic fared the worst. Those who had metastases to the brain and lung also succumbed to the malignancy. It is time we consider ES as an osseo-systemic malignancy and incorporate newer techniques such as circulating tumor cells in the investigation and evaluation portfolio for better and aggressive management. A multidisciplinary tumor board is absolutely essential and weekly meetings mandatory to individualize the treatment scenario. In our study, uncustomary as it may seem, their metastatic sites demand a certain degree of limelight in the Annals of Oncology.


Surficial deposits in Bear Lake Valley, Utah and Idaho, demonstrate that Bear Lake and its surrounding wetlands expanded and contracted several times during the Quaternary Period. Deposits in 40 outcrops and the geomorphology of the valley were studied to reconstruct the water-level history. Temporal control was provided by amino acid geochronology on 29 samples of aquatic mollusks, calibrated by 14 C dating and tephrochronology. Samples of three molluscan genera were heated and analyzed to determine intergeneric differences in aspartic (Asp) and glutamic (Glu) acid racemization. The covariance of Asp and Glu racemization in these genera was used to identify aberrant amino acid analyses. The rate of Glu racemization was calibrated by using a parabolic model that was used to estimate sample ages. Although the paucity of exposures, uncertainty of the depositional setting, and postdepositional uplift of deposits hamper an accurate reconstruction of water level in Bear Lake Valley, several conclusions can be drawn. During the middle Pleistocene, lacustrine or wetland environments in northern Bear Lake Valley may have extended up to 1830 masl (meters above sea level; ∼6000 ft) twice between ca. 1000–100 ka (Bear Hollow phase). During the late Pleistocene, the shoreline of Bear Lake transgressed at least three times: (1) to 1817 masl (∼5960 ft) at 47–39 cal. (calendar-year-corrected) ka (Jensen Spring phase); (2) to 1814 masl (5950 ft) at ca. 16–15 cal. ka (Raspberry Square phase); and (3) to 1814 masl at ca. 9 cal. ka (Willis Ranch phase). Bear River currently bypasses Bear Lake, but flowed into the lake during highstands and allowed the water level to rise to the valley threshold at Nounan narrows. Water levels have lowered to 1806 masl (5923 ft) since the middle Pleistocene, likely because of downcutting by Bear River at Nounan narrows. Because downcutting at Nounan narrows controls the maximum attainable water level in Bear Lake Valley, effects of climate change on lake level are limited, and Bear Lake may actually have been smaller than today when Lake Bonneville transgressed to its maximum shoreline during the Last Glacial Maximum.


The Charles Bonnet syndrome represents an organic hallucinosis characterized by the appearance of visual hallucinations in otherwise sane elderly people. As a specific organic factor, a reduced visual acuity due to ophthalmologic disorder can be found in the majority of patients. Clinical, psychopathological and pathogenetic aspects of the Charles Bonnet syndrome are discussed by the means of a review of 46 cases reported in the literature (including an own case observation).


Among the technologies for removal of deposited heavy metals and degradation of persistent organic pollutants, TiO2 semiconductor catalysts have gained extensive attention owing to their excellent catalytic ability, relatively stable physical and chemical properties and competitive price. But there are still some drawbacks associated with these TiO2 semiconductor catalyst materials such as their weak adsorption and photocatalytic abilities in managing the organic pollutants and difficulties in recycling the TiO2 powder (P25). Therefore, a new class of TiO2 nanotube (TiO2-NT) arrays was synthesized using the silane coupling agent KH570 as a modifier and applied in the reduction of heavy metals, and degradation of phenol and persistent organic pollutants like Poly Brominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs). The products were thoroughly characterized by SEM, TEM, DTG, AFM, BET, EDS, DRS and XRD, which confirmed that the surface of TiO2 was well modified by KH570. From the degradation experiment of phenol and BDE47, along with the heavy metal reduction experiment we can see that the catalytic efficiency (2 h) of the modified catalyst was 5%, 15% and 3–20% higher than that of the unmodified catalyst, respectively. As a kind of hole scavenger on the surface of catalysts, the modified TiO2 nanotube arrays could not only enhance the adsorption effect of catalysts on organic pollutants, but also increase the electronic separation efficiency of holes. The results also indicated that this new class of catalyst had advantages both in surface modification and materials recycling, providing a new direction in environment pollution control.


During the past decade, numerous organizations and associations have published recommendations for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. For the primary care physician, the most applicable of these--due to its reliance on clinical trial data and its scope--is the clinical guide published by the National Osteoporosis Foundation. The guide addresses risk assessment, bone mineral density testing, diagnosis, nutritional supplementation, and pharmacologic therapy, including consideration of the newer agents used to slow or manage osteoporosis progression. Reflecting one of the key deficiencies in the clinical trial data, the guide applies predominantly to a patient population of postmenopausal white females. The refined design of new osteoporosis studies will in time allow for recommendations that apply to a more diverse patient population.


Sandia National Laboratories has tested and evaluated two Guralp preamplifiers for use with a GS21 seismometer application. The two preamplifiers have a gain factor of 61.39. The purpose of the preamplifier evaluation was to determine a measured gain factor, transfer function, total harmonic distortion, self-noise, application passband, dynamic range, seismometer calibration pass-through, and to comment on any issues encountered during the evaluation. The test results included in this report were in response to static, tonal, and dynamic input signals. The Guralp GS21 preamplifiers are being evaluated for potential use in the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban-Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Test methodologies used were based on IEEE Standards 1057 for Digitizing Waveform Recorders and 1241 for Analog to Digital Converters


Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a set of wireless mobile computer forming a temporary network with out any wired infrastructure, due to dynamic nature of topology and other constraints transmission routing is a challenging task in MANET. k path splittable routing establish at most k paths between single source and single destination node, this scheme provides better load balancing and increase in reliability of data transmission. This paper presents a comparative study of single path routing and k path routing in mobile ad hoc network.


Molecular techniques are transforming our understanding of cellular function and disease. However, accurate molecular analysis methods will be limited if the input DNA, RNA, or protein is not derived from pure population of cells or is contaminated by the wrong cells. A novel Ultrasonic Vibration Microdissection (UVM) method was proposed to procure pure population of targeted cells from tissue sections for subsequent analysis. The principle of the Ultrasonic Vibration Cutting is analyzed, and a novel microknife is designed. A multilayer piezoelectric actuator is used to actuate a sharp needle vibrating with high frequency and low amplitude (Approx. 16–50 kHz, and 0-3μm) to cut the tissue. Contrast experiment was done to test the feasibility of UVM method. Experimental results show that the embedded tissue can be quickly and precisely cut with the ultrasonic vibration micro-dissection method.


Background Increased expression of TRPV1 receptors in the airways of chronic cough patients and heightened cough responses to inhaled capsaicin are suggestive of a role for TRPV1 receptors in chronic cough. We hypothesised that antagonism with a potent, selective, peripherally acting, oral TRPV1 antagonist, such as SB705498, would offer substantial cough symptom control. Methods 21 patients with unexplained chronic cough (caucasian, 71% female, mean age 53yrs) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single dose, 2-period, crossover study to investigate the relationship between pharmacokinetic (PK) derived TRPV1 receptor occupancy, change in capsaicin (C5) threshold and 24hr cough count following 600mg SB705498. PK samples were taken over the dosing interval, capsaicin threshold was determined at screening, 2hrs (Cmax) and 24hrs post-dose and 24hr objective ambulatory cough counts were recorded on each dosing day via a cough monitor (vitaloJAK™) with manual counting. In addition, CQLQ and VAS urge to cough was measured. A battery of safety and tolerability measures were also recorded, including core body temperature. Results TRPV1 receptor occupancy derived from plasma levels and factoring a plasma/lung ratio of 1, was approximately 45% at 2hrs and 25% at 24hrs. This translated to a 4 fold shift in the capsaicin C5 threshold at 2hrs (2uM to 8uM) maintained at 24hrs. However, there was no difference between hourly cough count profiles between placebo and SB705498 (see figure), with hourly counts of 20–30c/h and the characteristic nocturnal reduction. Cough counts were remarkably stable, repeated one month apart and over the 8 months of the study (including winter). Abstract P152 Figure 1 Conclusions We conclude that despite a clear relationship between receptor occupancy and engagement of the TRPV1 receptor as evidenced by the shift in the capsaicin threshold, there was no translation to any clinical efficacy parameter. This suggests peripheral TRPV1 receptor activation is not an important determinant of spontaneous cough frequency in chronic cough and that reductions in capsaicin responses do not necessarily predict anti-tussive effects.


BACKGROUND:Reports of genetic analyses on pediatric gliomas are few, and those tumors have been far less characterized than adult gliomas. OBJECTIVE:To characterize the genetic and biological features of pediatric gliomas. METHODS:We investigated 23 pediatric nonependymal, nonpilocytic gliomas for chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNAs) by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes by direct sequencing, and proliferative activity and expression of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS:The most frequent CNA was single-copy gain of chromosome 1q, with 10 of 20 successfully investigated tumors showing the abnormality (50%). Other CNAs detected by CGH included gain on 7q (+7q) in 6, +9q in 5, +17q in 5, and + 7p in 4 cases. Gain of entire chromosome 7 was rare (2 cases), and codeletion of 1p and 19q was not detected. Gain of 1q was significantly predictive for shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and even more closely associated with poor clinical outcome than histological grade (P = .0009 for PFS, P = .003 for OS by 1q status; P = .004 for PFS, P = .035 for OS by high-grade vs low-grade). Gain of 1q was also significantly correlated with proliferative activity (P = .0002), and tumors with 1q gain showed a trend toward higher MGMT expression (P = .27). Mutation of IDH1 gene was detected in only 2 of 17 tumors successfully analyzed. CONCLUSION:Single copy gain of 1q is associated with biological features of pediatric gliomas, and is a negative prognostic marker in patients with those tumors.


Objective: In this study, we analyzed self-reported computer use, demographic variables, psychosocial variables, and health and well-being variables collected from 460 ethnically diverse, community-dwelling elders to investigate the relationship computer use has with demographics, well-being, and other key psychosocial variables in older adults. Background: Although younger elders with more education, those who employ active coping strategies, or those who are low in anxiety levels are thought to use computers at higher rates than do others, previous research has produced mixed or inconclusive results regarding ethnic, gender, and psychological factors or has concentrated on computer-specific psychological factors only (e.g., computer anxiety). Few such studies have employed large sample sizes or have focused on ethnically diverse populations of community-dwelling elders. Method: With a large number of overlapping predictors, zero-order analysis alone is poorly equipped to identify variables that are independently associated with computer use. Accordingly, both zero-order and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlates of two types of computer use: e-mail and general computer use. Results: Results indicate that younger age, greater level of education, non-Hispanic ethnicity, behaviorally active coping style, general physical health, and role-related emotional health each independently predicted computer usage. Conclusion: Study findings highlight differences in computer usage, especially in regard to Hispanic ethnicity and specific health and well-being factors. Application: Potential applications of this research include future intervention studies, individualized computer-based activity programming, or customizable software and user interface design for older adults responsive to a variety of personal characteristics and capabilities.


BACKGROUND
The novel coronavirus named COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, has spread to many countries around the world. Currently, no effective medical treatment exists to combat this disease. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) have unique roles in the treatment of viral infections. In this article we analyzed the effectiveness and possible molecular mechanisms of CHM formulas for the prevention of COVID-19.

METHODS
The active ingredients and action targets of CHM formulas were obtained from the TCMSP database. Genes related to severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) were queried on the GeneCards database. The action mechanisms of these genes were predicted using a Gene Ontology (GO)-based functional enrichment and annotation tool and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).

RESULTS
CHM formulas played a positive role in preventing COVID-19 and warrant further application.

CONCLUSIONS
Our research provides new evidence to support the possible value of CHM formulas for the prevention of COVID-19. However, further clinical studies with large sample sizes are required to verify their effectiveness.


Some amorphous Fe-Cr-P-C coating films having high hardness and high corrosion resistance have been produced by a newly developed thermal spraying technique. In order to control the temperatures of the powder particles in the flame spray and the substrate, a newly developed cylindrical nozzle, with external cooling nitrogen gas, was mounted to the front end of the thermal spray gun. Fe70Cr10P13C7 films with various external cooling gas velocities between 20 m/s and 40 m/s exhibited entire amorphous structure without oxides and/or unmelted particles. Corrosion-resistance of the films was observed in immersion tests using various corrosive liquids.


The author argues that states have both the capacity and the opportunity to play a leading role in revitalizing national housing policy. At a time when federal housing programs were declining, state administered housing programs came to the forefront. Detailing the growth of state administered housing policies, the article notes that creative, diverse, flexible, and community planned affordable housing programs being funded by states. States also have opportunities for leadership in housing through coordinated application of state zoning powers in conjunction with state administration of federal housing programs. In conclusion, the article recommends gradually phasing out centralized federal housing in favor of state coordinated programs. Such a goal could be achieved through a national housing policy in which the states would become the centerpiece of a coordinated, multilayered strategy for providing well designed and well managed, neighborhood based, affordable housing.


OBJECTIVE
To construct a single plasmid vector mediating doxycycline-inducible recombined human insulin gene expression in myotube cell line.

METHODS
An expression cassette of rtTAnls driven by promoter of human cytomegalovirus and a furin-cuttable recombined human insulin expression cassette driven by a reverse poly-tetO DNA motif were cloned into a single plasmid vector (prTR-tetO-mINS). The prTR-tetO-mINS and pLNCX were co-transfected into a myotube cell line (C2C12) and pLNCX vector were used as a control. After selection with G418, the transfected cells were induced with doxycycline at concentrations of 0, 2, and 10 microg/mL. RT-PCR was used to determine expression levels of recombinant insulin mRNA at the 5th day. Insulin production in cell cultures medium (at different incubation time) and cell extracts (at the 7th day) were analyzed with human pro/insulin RIA kits.

RESULTS
Immune reactive insulin (IRI) level in cell medium was found increased at 24 hours of doxycycline incubation, and still increased at the 5th day. After withdrawn of doxycycline, IRI decreased sharply and was at baseline three days later. IRI and human insulin mRNA levels were positively related to different levels of doxycycline. A 25-fold increase in IRI was found against background expression at the 7th day.

CONCLUSION
Human insulin expression can be successfully regulated by doxycycline and the background was very low. This single tet-on insulin expression system may provide a new approach to a controlled insulin gene therapy in skeletal muscle.


SUMMARY: The relatedness between several nomen species of the Pseudomonas-Xanthomonas group and some other organisms was numerically fixed through DNA homology and DNA base composition. For Pseudomonas the numerically analysed strains proposed by Lysenko as neotypes were used. The mean % (G+C) was in the range 60-67.5. 14C-DNA from either Pseudomonas fluorescens or P. putida was hybridized with DNA from 17 different species centres and the DNA homology was in the range 50-100%. Genetic species differentiation in the genus Pseudomonas seems justified. In three border cases (P. iodinum, P. diminuta and P. atlantica) DNA homology was only 28-50%, so the inclusion of these organisms in the genus Pseudomonas is uncertain. The species centres P. pavonacea and P. rubescens are omitted from the genus Pseudomonas because of their very low DNA homology and aberrant DNA base composition. Twenty-eight nomen species of Xanthomonas all form a narrow group in the range 63.5-69% (G+C). With two exceptions DNA homology with a median strain Xanthomonas pelargonii was always over 75% and frequently nearly complete. 14C-DNA from P. fluorescens hybridized with Xanthomonas-DNA to the same extent as with the pseudomonads proper. The Xanthomonas cluster overlapped perfectly with part of the Pseudomonas group. It is proposed therefore to gather all xanthomonads in a single genetic species P. campestris. This is such a dense cluster that the preservation of separate species names for the border cases seems undesirable. About one half to two-thirds of Pseudomonas- and Xanthomonas-DNA is identical. The genera Rhizobium, Azotobacter and Azomonas appeared to be rather closely related to Pseudomonas since they shared some 40-50% of their DNA. The genus Serratia appeared to be more closely related to Pseudomonas than to Escherichia. The genera Gluconobacter, Acetobacter, Serratia and Escherichia shared some 20-30% DNA with Pseudomonas, but Bacillus-DNA was almost entirely different. From a comparison between DNA homology and taximetric similarity, it appeared that most pseudomonads would not contain unused genes. The advantages of a classification based on % (G+C) and DNA homology are obvious.


The role of the storage lipid poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in trichloroethylene transformation by methanotrophic mixed cultures was investigated. Naphthalene oxidation rates were used to assay for soluble methane monooxygenase activity. The PHB content of methanotrophic cells grown in reactors varied diurnally as well as from day to day. A positive correlation between the amount of PHB in the cells and the naphthalene oxidation rate as well as between PHB and the trichloroethylene transformation rate and capacity was found. Addition of β-hydroxybutyrate increased the naphthalene oxidation rates significantly. PHB content in cells could be manipulated by incubation at different methane-to-nitrogen ratios. A positive correlation between the naphthalene oxidation rate and the PHB content after these incubations could be seen. Both the PHB content and the naphthalene oxidation rates decreased with time in resting methanotrophic cells exposed to oxygen. However, this decrease in the naphthalene oxidation rate cannot be explained by the decrease in the PHB content alone. Probably a deactivation of the methane monooxygenase itself is also involved.


The charge multiplication process used in the Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) is subject to an ageing effect in which the gain achieved at particular avalanche potentials, gradually decreases during operation. To utilise these devices for both space and terrestrial applications where recalibration of the gain is not feasible, a comprehensive understanding of the ageing process is required. A custom automated test equipment (ATE) has been produced and used to develop the techniques required for investigating the ageing process alongside the verification of simulation work on the subject. Simulation work carried out by e2v technologies has suggested hole build-up at the Si/Si02 interface below one of the transfer gates. This build up of holes has now been linked with a reduction in avalanche potential in the device. A novel experimental technique has therefore been developed to determine the actual potentials within the device and thereby determine the validity of this prediction.The initial results tend to support simulation as an increase in the potential beneath one of the phases is observed.


Sir We read this article with interest. The study sought to predict the risk of ischaemia in patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO). Existing evidence in the literature supports a strong association between metabolic acidosis and ischaemic bowel in SBO1,2. Surprisingly, metabolic acidosis was not included as a parameter for evaluating such patients in the study. Furthermore, the predictive factors were analysed by including patients with SBO who were successfully treated conservatively (95 patients) and those who had undergone small bowel resection for ischaemic bowel within 24 h (45 patients), as cited in Table 2. The data for the 93 patients who underwent laparotomy during first 24 h but did not merit bowel resection, and/or those who underwent laparotomy after 24 h of observation (number unknown; these were excluded from the study) were not used in the final analysis for establishing predictive factors. Decision making can sometimes be difficult in the subgroup of patients who have been treated conservatively for an initial 24–48 h and have not improved considerably. Predictive factors can be a useful tool in such a subgroup. By excluding the latter group from the final analysis, an opportunity was lost for assessing the very group of patients who might have warranted critical decision making based on predictive factors. D. Debnath and A. J. Ogedegbe Department of Surgery, Queen's Hospital, Romford, UK (e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com) DOI: 10.1002/bjs.7316


This guide will help you find books, journals, web sites and more related to language and linguistics. It's a great place to get started on your research.


An experiment was conducted in Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, at Guduru Animal  Production and Research Center (GAPRC) of Wollega University to evaluate the effect of Ficus sur (Cv. Forssk) fruits (FSF) supplementation on feed intake, milk yield, composition and profitability of Horro cows. Twelve healthy lactating Horro cows of similar lactation stage, body weight and condition were selected from  GAPRC. All of the selected cows were in early (one weak to 10days) lactation stage. The experiment had three treatments with four replications arranged in a randomized complete block design to which 2-5 parities were used as blocking factor, and three cows were used per parity. The treatments were: T1, Rhodes grass hay +1.7kg Oat grain +0.8kg Noug seed cake, T2, Rhodes grass hay +0.56kg Noug seed  cake+0.97kg oat grain +0.97kg FSF and T3, Rhodes grass hay +0.8kg Noug seed cake+ 1.7kg FSF. The experiment was conducted for 60 days, including 15 days of adaptation. Except for crude protein intake, there were significant (P<0.05)  differences in total dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber and acid  detergent fiber intakes among treatment groups. Milk yields were increased with  increase in levels of FSF in the diets. Except Lactose content, the compositions of milk were significantly differed (P<0.05) among treatment groups. Milk fat was highest for cows fed T1 diet. Supplementation of FSF was more profitable than those supplemented with oats grain (OG). In conclusion, supplementation of Horro cows with different proportion of FSF and OG maintained on basal diet of Rhodes grass hay has increased feed intake, milk yield and milk composition of dairy products. Due to high cost of agro industrial by products and cereal grains, it is advantageous to use FSF as supplement to improve milk production and composition, and profitability of Horro cows. Since FSF is promising energy supplement, further research is suggested to study the propagation and management of Ficus sur trees and estimation of their fruit yields. Keywords : Feed intake Ficus sur Milk yield Composition Horro cows


The main results obtained recently at the Laboratory of Laser Spectroscopy, Institute of Spectroscopy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in researching and developing various 2D optical elements for surface plasmon waves and their characterization using nearand far-field methods are presented. They include an optical medium for plasmon waves, a plasmon interferometer, a parabolic mirror for focusing plasmon waves, a dielectrically loaded plasmon-polariton waveguide, a plasmon nanolaser based on a plasmonic crystal, and a plasmon sensor of fluorescent biomarkers. lenses, mirrors, detectors, interferometers, waveguides, and lasers. We show that state-of-the-art techniques for the development of plasmon optics elements, which are based on utilizing single-crystal ultrahigh quality metal surfaces, enable us to come closer to the theoretically predicted characteristics of these elements.


This paper presents a fuzzy traffic controller for a set of intersections and its simulation results. The controller of an intersection controls its own traffic and cooperates with its neighbors. It gets information from its traffic detectors and its neighbors. Using this information, the fuzzy rule base system gives optimal signals. It manages phase sequences and phase lengths adaptively to its neighbors' as well as its own traffic conditions. To carry out the performance evaluation of the controller, a simulator for intersection groups has been developed. The proposed method is compared with the vehicle actuated method which is one of the typical conventional methods. The average delay time of a vehicle is used as a performance index. The simulation results show good performance in the case of time-varying traffic patterns and heavy traffic conditions.


Complaints document consumers' dissatisfaction with the products or services, which bring out overwhelmingly detrimental consequences like decreasing purchase intention and even threatening brand loyalty. The proliferation of social media further expands such undesirable communications. Therefore, how to deal with consumers' complaining has become one of the greatest challenges for companies. Adapted to the entertainment characteristics of social media, companies are increasingly adopting humorous tactics to cope with consumer' complaints. Previous studies have explored the effects of humor on communication from both cognitive and affective perspectives, these literatures surprisingly achieve no consistent conclusions. To be specific, there are at least two limitations in prior research. One is that most studies make no differentiation on humor design, especially on humor typology. The second is that extant research pays less attention on norms of the relationship between humor communication transmitters and receivers. Contributing new insights to existing work on the topic, the present research tackles this question by investigating the interplay of humor types and relationship norms on brand attitude. To start with, we classify humor responses into self-enhancing humor and self-deprecating humor. By the benign violation theory, these two humor complaining responses may differ in their ability to improve consumer attitude toward the brand. Building on the notion that relationship norms affect consumer behavior in various manners, we put forward that for complaints triggered by lower arousal negative emotions, self-enhancing humor is more effective in improving brand attitude of consumers under communal relationship norm. In contrast, self-deprecating humor has similar effects in improving the brand attitude of consumers under communal and exchange relationship norms. To enrich our understanding on humor, we examine the mediating role of benign appraisal based on benign violation theory. Three studies investigated the hypotheses. In the pretest, we collected 175 sellers' responses to consumers' complaining reviews and coded them as humorous and non-humorous. The analysis of secondary data showed that humorous responses to complaints were followed by more supplementary reviews and more positive supplementary reviews from consumers. Based on these results, study 1 aimed to provide a more robust test on the effect of different humor responses to consumer complaints. Results of the 2 humorous responses (self-enhancing humor vs. self-deprecating humor) and 2 non-humorous response (accommodative strategy vs. defensive strategy) indicated that compared to non-humorous responses, humorous responses exhibited more positive effect on consumers' brand attitude. Study 2 examined the interactive effect of humor types and relationship norms, and also the mediating role of benign appraisal. As expected, the 2 (Humorous responses: self-enhancing humor vs. self-deprecating humor) × 2 (Relationship norms: exchange vs. communal) between-subject design showed that participants in exchange norm condition were more willing to accept self-deprecating humor as response strategies. This is not the case for those in communal norm, for whom the benefits of both self-enhancing humor and self-deprecating humor appear similar. The results further demonstrated that benign appraisal mediated the relationship between humor types and consumers' brand attitude. The research has some theoretical contributions. First, it applies humor to company's complaining responses, which sheds new lights on the studies of complaints management. Second, it contributes to the humor theory by differentiating humor into two types: self-enhancing humor and self-deprecating humor. Third, it deepens our understanding on humor communication by exploring the match between humor types and consumer relationship norms, which is a crucial boundary condition. The availability of and exposure to humorous responses has significantly increased with the growth of the Internet and associated digital communication platforms. Besides theoretical contributions aforementioned, our findings also provide useful implications for companies to respond to consumers' complaining.


Abstract Following a review of existing approaches to translation quality evaluation, this paper describes a proposal for evaluation that addresses some of the deficiencies found in these models. The proposed approach is referred to as componential because it evaluates components of quality separately, and functionalist, because evaluation is carried out relative to the function specified for the translated text. In order to obtain some empirical evidence for the functionalist/componential approach, a tool was developed and pilot-tested for inter-rater reliability. In addition, the research project sought to obtain some data on qualifications of raters/users and their performance using the tool. Forty raters were asked to use the tool to rate three translated texts. The texts selected for evaluation consisted of reader-oriented health education materials. Raters were bilinguals, professional translators and language teachers. Some basic training was provided. Data was collected by means of the tool and a questionnaire. Results indicate good inter rater reliability for the tool; teachers' and translators' ratings were more alike than those of bilinguals; bilinguals were found to rate higher and faster than the other groups. The results provide support for further research and testing of this tool and offer evidence in favour of the approach proposed.


Ekiti State is one of the most literate communities in Nigeria and adjudged to be a politically sophisticated entity within the federation. Expectedly, its politics becomes a research interest for political observers, policymakers and scholars alike. However, the 2014 governorship poll and 2015 general elections in the state present some socio-political paradoxes, contradictions and nuances that need an analytical examination. What could have propelled a state rich in human capital to prefer the choice of "stomach infrastructure" over sustainable development? What could have precipitated the rejection of a manifesto-driven candidature in preference for "I will put smile on your faces" sloganeering? This study interrogates the philosophical and socio-political underpinnings that may have shaped the political behavior of Ekiti people within the context of its larger Yoruba nation in particular and Nigeria in general. It also examines the nexus between performance in government--as a political investment--and electoral rewards by the voters. It employs the concept of prebendalism to further examine the interplay between politics of the belly and voting behavior in an electoral contest.