Tumor oxygenation affects the biologic behavior of a tumor and also its radiation response. Decreased tumor oxygenation has been associated with an aggressive phenotype and with decreased local tumor control following irradiation. Thus, measurement of oxygenation may be useful for pretreatment evaluation of a tumor. Many methods for assessing tumor oxygenation are available but most are invasive. There is a need for a non-invasive measure of oxygenation, or a surrogate for oxygenation. Measurement of perfusion has been suggested as a substitute for measurement of oxygenation. The use of washin kinetics of iodinated contrast medium to estimate perfusion has been shown to be related to radiation response of human carcinomas. We quantified the washin kinetics of iodinated contrast medium using dynamic CT in 9 dogs. All dogs had a malignant nasal tumor and perfusion was quantified at two sites in each tumor to evaluate intratumoral variation in perfusion. Dogs were given an intravenous bolus injection of contrast medium and arterial and tumor washin kinetics quantified using a helical CT scanner. Perfusion was estimated from these data using previously validated methods. Eight of the 9 dogs received definitive radiation therapy and perfusion was quantified a second time in these 8 dogs midway through irradiation. Pretreatment perfusion varied between dogs by a factor of 16.9. Between dog variation in perfusion was subjectively greater than within tumor variation based on comparison of two intratumoral regions. Changes in perfusion in individual dogs during irradiation were observed, but no identifiable pattern of perfusion alteration was detected. Measurement of perfusion in canine nasal tumors using dynamic CT is possible and further study of this parameter as it relates to radiation response is reasonable.


The increasing use of TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) is inevitably leading to its introduction into different environmental compartments, including soils, surface water and groundwater. Where groundwater is widely used for drinking water, any contamination could have an adverse impact on human health as already shown for TiO 2 NPs on living organisms and human lymphocytes. Consequently, the potential exposure of TiO 2 NPs through groundwater contamination needs to be studied and assessed. The small-scale tracer experiment conducted in a schist aquifer constitutes an attempt to understand the physical and chemical processes occurring if TiO 2 NPs happen to penetrate in a hard rock aquifer. The schist aquifer can be represented by a dual-porosity medium constituted of fractures with low longitudinal dispersivity in which water and solute transport is relatively fast, and of a network of smaller fissures with high longitudinal dispersivity in which transport is slower. One of the major results is that TiO 2 NPs were mobile and transferred in a heterogeneous schist aquifer through its conductive zones under aggregate forms. NPs do not penetrate the entire poral network during transfer, especially the one with very low porosity, due to electrostatic interactions between NPs aggregates and rock. During their transfer, a large amount of NPs was also deposited onto the rock surface, i.e. affected by sedimentation, clogging and adsorption. Weakly negatively charged NPs may be adsorbed onto the rock surface and especially on the positively charged iron oxi-hydroxides that coat the main pathways due to natural denitrification process. NPs aggregation is reversible due to the mineralogical heterogeneity of the schist and is likely to evolve rapidly after injection and during transport according to the environmental conditions. Any modification of the aquifer chemical conditions is likely to impact the groundwater pH, the nitrate content and the denitrification process that controls the precipitation of iron oxides in the flow pathways, and thus change NPs aggregation and sorption.


This book looks at some of the important issues that help to understand the challenges of both building up and keeping a democracy working. How should we assess Brazil's experience of democracy? To what extent has the emergence of a democratic regime improved Brazilians' social, economic and political life? Has democracy been consolidated to the point of making a political breakdown unthinkable or improbable? These are questions that any student of Brazil has to address. The answers to them, however, are far from simple.


OBJECTIVES
We identified correlates of racial/ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer screening and changes in disparities under state-mandated insurance coverage.

METHODS
Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, we estimated a Fairlie decomposition in the insured population aged 50 to 64 years and a regression-adjusted difference-in-difference-in-difference model of changes in screening attributable to mandates.

RESULTS
Under mandated coverage, blood stool test (BST) rates increased among Black, Asian, and Native American men, but rates among Whites also increased, so disparities did not change. Endoscopic screening rates increased by 10 percentage points for Hispanic men and 3 percentage points for non-Hispanic men. BST rates fell among Hispanic relative to non-Hispanic men. We found no changes for women. However, endoscopic screening rates improved among lower income individuals across all races and ethnicities.

CONCLUSIONS
Mandates were associated with a reduction in endoscopic screening disparities only for Hispanic men but may indirectly reduce racial/ethnic disparities by increasing rates among lower income individuals. Findings imply that systematic differences in insurance coverage, or health plan fragmentation, likely existed without mandates. These findings underscore the need to research disparities within insured populations.


Disruptive times often paved the way for great leaders to rise. This thesis intends to reveal organisational leaders behaviour during times of crisis, portraying the course of events and their influence from their and a subordinates perspective. The environmental context of the research is regarded through the application of the organisational ecology approach, emphasising the analogy of the struggle for life in nature and business. This intends to depict the challenges that leaders have to meet in the current times considering environmental changes. The identified behavioural patterns sum up to a certain leadership style with is identified and discussed later to draw conclusions and determine crucial patterns that have a decisive impact on the events. The findings are discussed on the background of the recent leadership theory to drawing conclusions and find analogies with the recent research.


The cyclability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is often affected by the components of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer which is generated from electrochemical decomposition of electrolyte. Here, lithium difluorophosphate (LiPO2F2) is studied in this work. When 1.6 wt% LiPO2F2 additive is incorporated into the reference electrolyte, the capacity retention of graphite/Li half-cell is increased from 82.53% to 98.04% and the capacity retention of LiCoO2/Li half-cell is increased from 89.60% to 97.53% after 160 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicates that the SEI layer containing LiPO2F2 can decrease the surface impedance of cells in the last stage cycle. In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM), DFT calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that LiPO2F2 is deposited on the surface of both LiCoO2 and graphite electrodes, which effectively protects the graphite anode and suppresses the degradation of the cathode during the long-term cycling of LIBs.


Abstract Background Recent evidence documenting high success rates following microvascular diabetic foot reconstruction has led to a paradigm shift in favor of more aggressive limb preservation. The primary aim of this study was to examine reconstructive and functional outcomes in patients who underwent free tissue transfer (FTT) for recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) at our tertiary referral center for advanced limb salvage. Methods Between June 2013 and June 2016, 29 patients underwent lower extremity FTT for diabetic foot reconstruction by the senior author (K.K.E.). In all cases, microsurgical reconstruction was offered as an alternative to major amputation for the management of recalcitrant DFUs. Overall rates of flap survival, limb salvage, and postoperative ambulation were evaluated. The lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) score was used to assess functional outcomes after surgery. Results Overall rates of flap success and lower limb salvage were 93 and 79%, respectively. Flap failure occurred in two patients with delayed microvascular compromise. Seven patients in this series ultimately required below-knee amputation secondary to recalcitrant infection (n = 5), intractable pain (n = 1), and limb ischemia (n = 1). The average interval between FTT and major amputation was 8 months (r, 0.2–15 months). Postoperative ambulation was confirmed in 25 patients (86%) after a mean final follow-up of 25 months (r, 10–48 months). The average LEFS score for all patients was 46 out of 80 points (r, 12–80 points), indicating the ability to ambulate in the community with some limitations. Conclusion FTT for the management of recalcitrant DFUs is associated with high rates of reconstructive success and postoperative ambulation. However, several patients will eventually require major amputation for reasons unrelated to ultimate flap survival. These data should be used to counsel patients regarding the risks, functional implications, and prognosis of microvascular diabetic foot reconstruction.


Abstract In 1737 the German philologist Johann Georg Wachter (1663–1757) published an etymological dictionary of the German language, Glossarium Germanicum. This book had a great influence on the most prominent Swedish philologist of the eighteenth century, Johann Ihre (1707–1780), professor at Uppsala University. In 1769 Ihre published, along the same lines as Wachter's work, a Swedish etymological dictionary. The present article aims at tracing Wachter's influence on Ihre, and is partly based on manuscript evidence.


Family and twin studies suggest that up to 50% of individual differences in human fertility within a population might be heritable. However, it remains unclear whether the genes associated with fertility outcomes such as number of children ever born (NEB) or age at first birth (AFB) are the same across geographical and historical environments. By not taking this into account, previous genetic studies implicitly assumed that the genetic effects are constant across time and space. We conduct a mega-analysis applying whole genome methods on 31,396 unrelated men and women from six Western countries. Across all individuals and environments, common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) explained only ~4% of the variance in NEB and AFB. We then extend these models to test whether genetic effects are shared across different environments or unique to them. For individuals belonging to the same population and demographic cohort (born before or after the 20th century fertility decline), SNP-based heritability was almost five times higher at 22% for NEB and 19% for AFB. We also found no evidence suggesting that genetic effects on fertility are shared across time and space. Our findings imply that the environment strongly modifies genetic effects on the tempo and quantum of fertility, that currently ongoing natural selection is heterogeneous across environments, and that gene-environment interactions may partly account for missing heritability in fertility. Future research needs to combine efforts from genetic research and from the social sciences to better understand human fertility. Authors Summary Fertility behavior – such as age at first birth and number of children – varies strongly across historical time and geographical space. Yet, family and twin studies, which suggest that up to 50% of individual differences in fertility are heritable, implicitly assume that the genes important for fertility are the same across both time and space. Using molecular genetic data (SNPs) from over 30,000 unrelated individuals from six different countries, we show that different genes influence fertility in different time periods and different countries, and that the genetic effects consistently related to fertility are presumably small. The fact that genetic effects on fertility appear not to be universal could have tremendous implications for research in the area of reproductive medicine, social science and evolutionary biology alike.


Optogenetics has a lot of potential to become an effective neuromodulative therapy for clinical application. Selecting the correct opsin is crucial to have an optimal optogenetic tool. With computational modeling, the neuronal response to the current dynamics of an opsin can be extensively and systematically tested. Unlike electrical stimulation where the effect is directly defined by the applied field, the stimulation in optogenetics is indirect, depending on the selected opsin's non-linear kinetics. With the continuous expansion of opsin possibilities, computational studies are difficult due to the need for an accurate model of the selected opsin first. To this end, we propose a Hodgkin-and-Huxley based model (22HH) as alternative to the conventional three and four state Markov models used for opsin modeling. Furthermore, we provide a fitting procedure, which allows for nearly automatic model fitting starting from a vast parameter space. With this procedure, we successfully fitted two distinctive opsins ChR2(H134R) and MerMAID. Both models are able to represent the experimental data with great accuracy and were obtained within an acceptable time frame. This is due to the absence of differential equations in the fitting procedure, with an enormous reduction in computational cost as result. The performance of the proposed model with a fit to ChR2(H134R) was tested, by comparing the neural response in a regular spiking neuron to the response obtained with the non-instantaneous, four state Markov model (4SB), derived by Williams et al. (2013) [1]. Finally, a computational speed gain was observed with the 22HH model in a regular spiking and sparse Pyramidal-Interneuron-Network-Gamma (sPING) network simulation with respect to the 4SB-model, due to the former having two differential equations less. Consequently, the proposed model allows for computationally efficient optogenetic neurostimulation and with the proposed fitting procedure will be valuable for further research in the field of optogenetics.


The stories of this collection describe and navigate mysterious social relations and the spaces that influence their dramas. Linguistic play and metafictional devices aim to emphasize emotive and intellectual ties to urban habitations, and, moreover, the difficulties in knowing one's or another's identity within these shifty civic milieus. Verbal slippages confound the vulnerable protagonist of "The Slideshow," leading him to question his own perception and the possibility of knowing the intentions of a love interest. Buildings enact a central role in "A Positive Piece on Buildings: A Love Story," "At An Architect's Apartment," "The Long-exposure Photograph," "The Prosperity of Walter May," "The Addition," and "The Eight Brightly Lit Windows." In each story, the protagonist is forced to understand the influence of architectural surroundings on his own agency; and alongside these meditations on buildings, he attempts to understand the relationship between himself and an acquaintance, a friend, or a lover. In "The Asrah Levitation," a mind-altering drug allows the protagonist to shed his inhibitions and confront his relationship to the city by way of viewing it from above. As images within texts draw attention to a blurry line between fictional and documentary representation, photographs are included in "The Slideshow," "The Long-exposure Photograph" and "The Eight Brightly Lit Windows" to embolden this line. This inclusion does not replicate information within the stories, but rather works in tandem to expose other angles from which the texts may be interpreted.


Solar modules are currently characterized at standard test conditions (STC), defined at 1000 W/m2 and 25 °C. However, solar modules in actual outdoor operating conditions typically operate at lower illumination and higher temperature than STC, which significantly affects their performance ratio (average harvesting efficiency over efficiency in STC). Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) technology displays both good temperature coefficient and good low-illumination performances, leading to outstanding performance ratios. We investigate here SHJ solar cells that use a-SiCx(n) layer as front doped layer with different carbon contents under different climates conditions. Adding carbon increases transparency but also resistive losses at room temperature (compared with carbon-free layers), leading to a significant decrease in efficiency at STC. We demonstrate that despite this difference at STC, the difference in energy harvesting efficiency is much smaller in all investigated climates. Furthermore, we show that a relative gain of 0.4%–0.8% in harvesting efficiency is possible by adding a certain content of carbon in the front (n) layer, compared with carbon-free cells optimized for STC.


It is now almost a quarter of a century since Boserup's put women on the development agenda with her seminal work Woman's Role in Economic Development. Yet the question remains open as to whether women are mainstreamed within development processes and, if they are, if they have benefited from this inclusion. This paper reviews the main debates and perspectives on these issues and re-asserts the relevance of many of the classic questions that have been raised. It concludes by arguing that feminist perspectives still have a significant contribution to make to the development debate


The reduction of oxamyl and related oxime carbamate pesticides (OCPs; methomyl and aldicarb) by FeII is an important pathway for the degradation of these compounds in soil and groundwater. A series of batch kinetic experiments was carried out to assess the effects that selected carboxylate and aminocarboxylate ligands have on these reactions. In the absence of FeII, no OCP reduction by the ligands is observed. In the presence of FeII, the rate of OCP reduction varies by several orders of magnitude and can be described by the expression k(red) = [FeII]sigma(i)k(i)alpha(i) where k(red) is the observed pseudo-first-order rate constant for OCP reduction, [FeII] is the total FeII concentration, alpha(i) is the fraction of each FeII species in solution, and k(i) is the second-order rate constant for OCP reduction by each FeII species. The reactivity of individual FeII species is dependent upon the standard one-electron reduction potential of the corresponding FeIII/FeII redox couple (E(H)o) and the availability of inner-sphere FeII coordination sites for bonding with Lewis base donor groups within the OCP structure. A linear free energy relationship is proposed. Kinetic measurements demonstrate that natural organic matter from the Great Dismal Swamp facilitates OCP reduction by FeII in the same manner as the individual organic ligands. Results from this study improve our understanding of the pathways and rates of pesticide degradation in reducing subsurface environments, especially those rich in organic matter.


Central nervous system actinomycosis is a rare but treatable chronic suppurative bacterial infection. The case of a young immunocompetent male with actinomycosis of the CNS is presented. The abscess originated from a primary cervico-facial infection and was located in the left parasellar region. After excision of the mass, that showed Actinomyces colonies, the patient was treated with intravenous Penicillin for 42 days followed by oral administration of the drug for 30 days. After surgery the patient was left with mild sequelae that had improved by the last follow-up, 7 months later. A new CT scan at that time revealed no residual disease or recurrence. The early diagnosis of cerebral actinomycosis relies essentially on a clinical suspicion. Hence it is imperative to be aware of the natural history of this infection and its various modes of presentation.


This paper presents a novel coupled flow-vegetation interaction model capable to resolve the flow and motion of flexible vegetation with large deflections simultaneously on a hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian grid. The hydrodynamics model is based on a Navier–Stokes flow solver with the Volume of Fluid surface capturing method in OpenFOAM. The deforming and moving vegetation are tracked through a series of Lagrangian grids attached to the vegetation and embedded in the computational domain of OpenFOAM. The governing equations for the flexible vegetation motion are based on a slender rod theory and are solved by a Finite Element Method on a vegetation-following Lagrangian grid. The hydrodynamics and vegetation models are coupled through the vegetation-induced hydrodynamic forces using a novel diffused immersed boundary method to avoid excessive fluid grid refinements around the vegetation. The standard two-equation k − ε turbulence model is extended for vegetated flow by incorporating additional closure terms of vegetation effects. The newly developed coupled flow-vegetation model is validated against experiments for both individual single-stem vegetation and a vegetation patch in a large-scale wave flume. Model results of asymmetric displacement of the vegetation motion, wave height decay, and wave kinematics within and outside the vegetation patch are in good agreement with measurements. The drastical change in wave radiation stress by the presence of vegetation patch leads to a strong current jet near the top of vegetation patch, which in turn drives a local circulation pattern around the vegetation patch. The effect of vegetation bending stiffness on the model results and empirical drag and inertia coefficients for calculating the hydrodynamic forces are examined in detail. Maximum turbulence energy is observed close to the bed and the top of vegetation patch just before and after the wave crest/trough, where the relative flow velocity to vegetation is large.


Fiducials are commonly placed in environments to provide a uniquely identifiable object in the scene. In quad copter applications, these fiducials are often used to evaluate planning algorithms given that ground truth positions can be detected from the quad copter's camera. Low cost quad copters, however, are subject to quick and unstable motions that can cause significant motion blur that severely affects the detection rate of existing fiducials. This problem motivated us to design a fiducial that is robust to motion blur. Our proposed design uses concentric circles with the observation that the direction perpendicular to the motion blur direction will be relatively unaffected by the blur. As a result, an appropriate fiducial code orthogonal to the blur direction can be recognized. Since the direction of motion blur is unknown, the circular design is good for all motion blur directions. We describe the design of binary fiducials, and also a detection algorithm. We show that our marker can significantly outperform existing fiducials in scenes captured with a quad copter.


Camptothecin (CPT) is one of anticancer drug that is widely used for treating various cancers. In India, the drug is primarily sourced from natural habitats of the red listed species Nothapodytes nimmoniana. Ecological niche models are potential tools to define and predict the "ecological niche" of a species that exhibit ecological variations. The predicted ecological niche of a species indicates their survival fitness against Bioclimatic variables. The habitat suitability was predicted using Maxent for different ecotypes of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham.) Mabb. In this study the synonymised populations of N. nimmoniana in the Western Ghats were cogitated as five different ecotypes. The predicted habitat suitability of different ecotypes were evaluated and correlated against CPT content using high performance thin layer chromatography. The study shows a significant positive correlation between the predicted habitat quality and chemical content. The ecotypes growing in sites predicted as highly suitable showed high content of camptothecin compared to those growing in poorly suitable sites. Thereby enabling precise identification of "chemical hot-spots" which will eventually establish a strong foot hold on monoculture of the species, an effort towards conservation.


Purpose Maps are required to relate visual field locations to optic nerve head regions. We compare individualized structure-to-function mapping (CUSTOM-MAP) to a population-derived mapping schema (POP-MAP). Methods Maps were compared for 118 eyes with glaucomatous field loss, circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) thickness measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and two landmarks: the optic nerve head (ONH) position relative to the fovea and the temporal raphe angle. Locations with visual field damage (total deviation < −6 dB) were mapped to 30° ONH sectors centered on the angle given by each mapping schema. The concordance between damaged function and damaged structure was determined per location for various cpRNFL damage probability levels, with the number of concordant locations divided by the total number of damaged field locations providing a concordance ratio per eye. Results For the strictest concordance criteria (minimum cpRNFL thickness < 1% of normal), CUSTOM-MAP had higher mean concordance ratio than POP-MAP (60.5% c.f. 57.0% paired Wilcoxon, P = 0.005), with CUSTOM-MAP having a higher ratio in 43 eyes and POP-MAP having a higher ratio in 21 eyes. For all cpRNFL probability levels <20% of normal, more locations concorded for CUSTOM-MAP than POP-MAP. Inspection of the spatial patterns of differences revealed that CUSTOM-MAP often performed better in the arcuate regions, whereas POP-MAP had benefits inferior to the macula. Conclusions Anatomic parameters required for individualized structure-function mapping are readily measured with OCT and can provide improved concordance for some eyes. Translational Relevance Personalizing structure-function mapping may improve concordance between these measures. We provide a web-based tool for creating customized maps.


Robotics researchers often require inexpensive hardware that is freely distributable to the public domain in large numbers, yet reliable enough for use in different applications without fear of the hardware itself becoming a burden. In the past, researchers have moved towards robot simulations, in favor of the lack of hardware and ease of replication. In this paper we introduce an implementation of Q-Learning, a reinforcement learning technique, as a case study for a new open-source robotics platform, the Brookstone Rover 2.0. We utilize a Theano-based implementation of Google DeepMind's Deep Q-Learning algorithm, as well as OpenCV for the purpose of state-reduction, and determine its effectiveness in our rovers with a color-seeking "rover-ina- box" task.


SUMMARY Bloodstream infections are associated with considerable morbidity and health care costs. Molecular rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) are a promising complement to conventional laboratory methods for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections and may reduce the time to effective therapy among patients with bloodstream infections. The concurrent implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) may reinforce these benefits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectivenesses of competing strategies for the diagnosis of bloodstream infection alone or combined with an ASP. To this effect, we constructed a decision-analytic model comparing 12 strategies for the diagnosis of bloodstream infection. The main arms compared the use of mRDT and conventional laboratory methods with or without an ASP. The baseline strategy used as the standard was the use of conventional laboratory methods without an ASP, and our decision-analytic model assessed the cost-effectivenesses of 5 principal strategies: mRDT (with and without an ASP), mRDT with an ASP, mRDT without an ASP, conventional laboratory methods with an ASP, and conventional laboratory methods without an ASP. Furthermore, based on the availability of data in the literature, we assessed the cost-effectivenesses of 7 mRDT subcategories, as follows: PCR with an ASP, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis with an ASP, peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) with an ASP, a blood culture nanotechnology microarray system for Gram-negative bacteria (BC-GP) with an ASP, a blood culture nanotechnology microarray system for Gram-positive bacteria (BC-GN) with an ASP, PCR without an ASP, and PNA-FISH without an ASP. Our patient population consisted of adult inpatients in U.S. hospitals with suspected bloodstream infection. The time horizon of the model was the projected life expectancy of the patients. In a base-case analysis, cost-effectiveness was determined by calculating the numbers of bloodstream infection deaths averted, the numbers of quality-adjusted life years gained, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). In a probabilistic analysis, uncertainty was addressed by plotting cost-effectiveness planes and acceptability curves for various willingness-to-pay thresholds. In the base-case analysis, MALDI-TOF analysis with an ASP was the most cost-effective strategy, resulting in savings of $29,205 per quality-adjusted life year and preventing 1 death per 14 patients with suspected bloodstream infection tested compared to conventional laboratory methods without an ASP (ICER, −$29,205/quality-adjusted life year). BC-GN with an ASP (ICER, −$23,587/quality-adjusted life year), PCR with an ASP (ICER, −$19,833/quality-adjusted life year), and PCR without an ASP (ICER, −$21,039/quality-adjusted life year) were other cost-effective options. In the probabilistic analysis, mRDT was dominant and cost-effective in 85.1% of simulations. Importantly, mRDT with an ASP had an 80.0% chance of being cost-effective, while mRDT without an ASP had only a 41.1% chance. In conclusion, our findings suggest that mRDTs are cost-effective for the diagnosis of patients with suspected bloodstream infection and can reduce health care expenditures. Notably, the combination of mRDT and an ASP can result in substantial health care savings.


Background: Fructus Corni is derived from the dry ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF) is an important active composition of the Fructus Corni. However, there have been no reports on the concentration of 5-HMF in freely moving rats using microdialysis coupled with HPLC. Materials and Methods: The concentration of 5-HMF in free-moving rats after intra-gastric (i.g.) administration of the water extract of Fructus Corni and JZP was analyzed by microdialysis coupled with high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC). Results: Results demonstrated that the concentration of 5-HMF in microdialysate was 1.4951 μg/l, but higher in rat microdialysate after i.g. administration of the aqueous extract of JZP (5.2662 μg/l). Conclusion: This method is proved to be rapid, accurate and simple. Real-time in vivo monitoring the concentration of 5-HMF provides the theoretical basis for further explaining the processing mechanism of Fructus Corni.


In this paper, the updated rainfall data of 50 years (1961-2010) for 30 selected rain gauge stations of Bangladesh have been used. The data were analyzed to investigate the variability and trends of summer monsoon (June- September) rainfall over Bangladesh. The possible teleconnection of monsoon rainfall variability with ENSO has also been investigated. Annual profile of the station mean monthly rainfall of Bangladesh shows a unimodal pattern with high rainfall between June-September (monsoon season) with highest in July and low rainfall between December – February with lowest in January. All Bangladesh mean summer monsoon rainfall is 1769.14 mm, standard deviation 209.16 mm (coefficient of variance 11.82 %) and annual country average rainfall is 2456.38 mm. Summer monsoon rainfall widely varies over the geographical areas with lowest in central-western part and highest in southeastern part with next highest in northeastern part of the country. The trend analysis shows that the trend of the country average monsoon rainfall is decreasing (-0.53 mm/year). The spatial distribution of the trend values indicates that the summer monsoon rainfall exhibits increasing trends at the rate of 5-6 mm/year in the NW region and 3-4 mm/ year in the south-central and extreme SE region. The eastern region exhibits decreasing trends of about -2 to -7 mm/year with highest (-6 to -7 mm/year) in the east-central part. The time series plot of country average summer monsoon rainfall shows the inter-annual variability in the timescales of 2-3 years and 4-6 years. The time series of 5 year moving average reveals existence of low frequency variability of timescales of 9-14 years. The time series of Bangladesh monsoon rainfall shows that there were 11 strong monsoon years and 8 weak monsoon years within the periods of 1961-2010 (50 years). The analysis of the decadal mean rainfall shows that the decades 1961-1970 and 1981-1990 were wet and the decades 1971-1980, 1991-2000 and 2001-2010 were dry. Floods in Bangladesh result from the excess rainfall occurring both inside and outside the country. Summer monsoon rainfall is characterized by active and weak (break) spells, which are associated with the fluctuation of monsoon rainfall in the time scales of 20-25 and 40-50 days. Such fluctuations are caused due to north-south movement of the monsoon trough. The fluctuations in the time scales of 4-7 and 10-14 days are associated with the formation of low pressure systems over the head Bay. The possible atmospheric teleconnections of summer monsoon rainfall with ENSO have also been investigated. It is found that there is strong impact of ENSO on the monsoon system of subcontinent scale, though the relationship is weak in case of Bangladesh. The variability of Bangladesh rainfall has been investigated with respect to that for Nepal, Bhutan and the neighbouring sub-divisional regions of India. The results show that Bangladesh rainfall has positive correlation with that of the Indian regions of Naga-Monipur-Mizo-Tripura, Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, and Bhutan. The above analysis shows the homogeneity of rainfall activities over these areas. Orissa shows negative correlation with Bangladesh. Keywords: Rainfall; Variability; Summer Monsoon; ENSO; Trend DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jhm.v7i1.5612 JHM 2010; 7(1): 1-17


Maize production in West and Central Africa (WCA) is constrained by a wide range of interacting stresses that keep productivity below potential yields. Among the many problems afflicting maize production in WCA, drought, foliar diseases, and parasitic weeds are the most critical. Several decades of efforts devoted to the genetic improvement of maize have resulted in remarkable genetic gain, leading to increased yields of maize on farmers' fields. The revolution unfolding in the areas of genomics, bioinformatics, and phenomics is generating innovative tools, resources, and technologies for transforming crop breeding programs. It is envisaged that such tools will be integrated within maize breeding programs, thereby advancing these programs and addressing current and future challenges. Accordingly, the maize improvement program within International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is undergoing a process of modernization through the introduction of innovative tools and new schemes that are expected to enhance genetic gains and impact on smallholder farmers in the region. Genomic tools enable genetic dissections of complex traits and promote an understanding of the physiological basis of key agronomic and nutritional quality traits. Marker-aided selection and genome-wide selection schemes are being implemented to accelerate genetic gain relating to yield, resilience, and nutritional quality. Therefore, strategies that effectively combine genotypic information with data from field phenotyping and laboratory-based analysis are currently being optimized. Molecular breeding, guided by methodically defined product profiles tailored to different agroecological zones and conditions of climate change, supported by state-of-the-art decision-making tools, is pivotal for the advancement of modern, genomics-aided maize improvement programs. Accelerated genetic gain, in turn, catalyzes a faster variety replacement rate. It is critical to forge and strengthen partnerships for enhancing the impacts of breeding products on farmers' livelihood. IITA has well-established channels for delivering its research products/technologies to partner organizations for further testing, multiplication, and dissemination across various countries within the subregion. Capacity building of national agricultural research system (NARS) will facilitate the smooth transfer of technologies and best practices from IITA and its partners.


Abstract In this essay, I call for an "unshackling" of intersectionality from the narrow and restrictive ways in which legal scholars and activists interpret and mobilize the theory and critique the single-axis framework that has been deployed by legal scholars and advocates in the context of mass incarceration. Specifically, I assert that a single-axis analysis of mass incarceration is insufficient to capture the broad impact of the prison and the raced and gendered logics that animate its operation. As a consequence of the failure to engage intersectionality in the context of the prison, legal scholarship on incarceration tends to obscure the centrality of Black women's gender in the racialized system of control and posits Black men as the primary targets of mass incarceration. This undertheorization of incarceration also hinders the development of a framework that can account for why both Black women and Black men are vulnerable to multiple systems of social control.


An analysis of 11230 case histories of children aged to 15 who had fractures of the extremity bones has shown multiple fractures of the extremity bones in 3% of the patients. It was established that traumatic shock in children with multiple fractures of the extremities was diagnosed in 14,1% (I degree--in 51%, II--in 42,6% and III--in 6,4%). The article concerns the incidence and severity of shock in children of different age groups as well as fractures of bones of various character and localization.


The organotin complex dibutyltin-3-hydroxyflavone bromide [Bu2Sn(of)Br] has been shown to bind to the 16 kDa proteolipid of Nephrops norvegicus, either in the form of the native protein or after heterologous expression in Saccharomyces and assembly into a hybrid vacuolar H(+)-ATPase. Titration of Bu2Sn(of)Br against the 16 kDa proteolipid results in a marked fluorescence enhancement, consistent with binding to a single affinity site on the protein. Vacuolar ATPase-dependent ATP hydrolysis was also inhibited by Bu2Sn(of)Br, with the inhibition constant correlating well with dissociation constants determined for binding of Bu2Sn(of)Br complex to the proteolipid. The fluorescence enhancement produced by interaction of probe with proteolipid can be back-titrated by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), which covalently modifies Glu140 on helix-4 of the polypeptide. Expression of a mutant proteolipid in which Glu140 was changed to a glycine resulted in assembly of a vacuolar ATPase which was inactive in proton pumping and which had reduced ATPase activity. Co-expression studies with this mutant and wild-type proteolipids suggest that proton pumping can only occur in a vacuolar ATPase containing exclusively wild-type proteolipid. The fluorescent enhancement of affinity of Bu2Sn(of)Br for the mutant proteolipid was not significantly altered, with the organotin complex having no effect on residual ATPase activity. Interaction of the probe with mutant proteolipid was unaffected by DCCD. These data suggest an overlap in the binding sites of organotin and DCCD, and have implications for the organization and structure of proton-translocating pathways in the facuolar H(+)-ATPase.


This study reports on the analysis of South African Life Sciences and Biology textbooks for the inclusion of the nature of science using a conceptual framework developed by Chiappetta, Fillman and Sethna (1991). In particular, we investigated the differences between the representation of the nature of science in Biology textbooks that were written for a previous curriculum and the new Life Sciences textbooks that are in accord with the National Curriculum Statement. The analysis reflects that both Life Sciences and Biology textbooks still overwhelmingly represent the theme "Science as a body of knowledge" according to this framework. Despite significant curriculum reform that underlines a more balanced perspective of science encompassing the acquisition of knowledge through inquiry, the limited coverage given to the themes "The investigative nature of science", "Science as a way of thinking" and "The interaction of science, technology and society" does not reflect this reform. Keywords: Biology textbooks; Life Sciences textbooks; nature of science; school science curriculum; science textbook analysis


Ti45Zr38Ni17 powders were thermally sprayed onto mild steel substrates in air and under a reduced pressure of argon. Two kinds of powder samples were used in this study. For one type the elemental powders were gently (manually) mixed in a vial, and for the other type they were mechanically alloyed by a planetary ball mill. Several kinds of oxides were formed after thermally-spraying the mechanically-alloyed powders in air. After spraying in a reduced pressure of argon, on the other hand, the coating layers obtained from the gently mixed powders consisted of the three elemental metals (Ti, Zr, Ni), but an amorphous phase primarily appeared in the thermallysprayed mechanically-alloyed powders. This amorphous phase transformed into the icosahedral quasicrystal phase and a minor Ti2Ni-type crystal phase after annealing in vacuum at 828 K. The Vickers hardness and the contact angle with pure water for the quasicrystal layers were about 7 GPa and 92˚ respectively.


A 61-year-old man with glioblastoma and positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) developed acute hepatitis due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation after concomitant postoperative treatment with temozolomide (75 mg/m2/day) and radiation therapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions). Corticosteroids were not used during chemo-radiation therapy, and grade 4 lymphocytopenia was observed. The levels of liver function tests (LFTs), including levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, increased 5 weeks after the completion of chemo-radiation therapy, and reached the maximum levels of 1,549 IU/l (normal 13 to 33 IU/l) and 1,653 IU/l (normal 8 to 42 IU/l), respectively, after 2 weeks. At this point, serum HBV-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) level had increased to 630-fold over the baseline, and therapy with the antivirus agent entecavir (0.5 mg daily) was started. Over the next 2 weeks, the levels of LFTs and HBV-DNA improved. The present and previous cases suggest that grade 3/4 lymphocytopenia or grade 2 lymphocytopenia with corticosteroid use might have a significant effect on HBV reactivation. To avoid this complication, HBsAg-positive patients with glioblastoma should consult a hepatologist for initiating antivirus therapy before temozolomide treatment.


The purpose of this article is to analyze the socioeconomic background of elementary school students from public schools in the Brazilian municipalities, through a synthetic measure, the Student Socioeconomic Index of the Municipalities (ISE-M). It also aims to analyze the achievement in educational assessments and the conditions for the provision of education in the municipalities. The ISE-M was generated through factor analysis with the use of data from the contextual questionnaire of Prova Brasil 2007 (2007 Brazil Test) held with approximately 4.1 million students in 5,553 municipalities. The results ratified the association between the socioeconomic level of students and the educational outputs observed in other studies. In addition, they showed that there is a relationship between the socioeconomic status and the educational infrastructure available in the municipalities, because there is evidence that the conditions for the provision of education are lower in places that have a higher proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students.


Medical undergraduate education and postgraduate training must adapt and adjust to the pressures and problems associated with traditional methods of teaching anatomy and pathology. This paper presents a 3D anatomical model visualization within a grid-enabled environment. The resource-aware visualization environment (RAVE) is a distributed, collaborative visualization system that supports complex models even with PDAs and other thin clients.


Psalms, with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry, is Volume XIV of The Forms of the Old Testament Literature, a series that aims to present a form-critical analysis of every book and each unit in the Hebrew Bible. Fundamentally exegetical, the FOTL volumes examine the structure, genre, setting, and intention of the biblical literature in question. They also study the history behind the form-critical discussion of the material, attempt to bring consistency to the terminology for the genres and formulas of the biblical literature, and expose the exegetical process so as to enable students and pastors to engage in their own analysis and interpretation of the Old Testament texts. Erhard Gerstenberger begins this volume with an examination of the nature of cultic poetry, its role in ancient Near Eastern religion, and more specifically its role in the religion of Israel. He goes on to survey the genres of cultic poetry, including lament, complaint, and thanksgiving. He then focuses on the book of Psalms as an example of cultic poetry, first analyzing the book as a whole and then working through Psalms 1-60 unit by unit, discussing structure, genre, setting, and intention. The work is enhanced by extensive bibliographies and a glossary of genres and formulas that offers clear, thorough definitions with examples.


In this study, we design and synthesize a new non-fullerene electron acceptor, SF(DPPB)4, in which a spirobifluorene (SF) core is installed with four benzene endcapped diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) arms. SF(DPPB)4 exhibits energy levels matching perfectly with those of the commonly used poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) donor in polymer solar cells (PSCs). Furthermore, a designed cross-shaped molecular geometry helps in suppressing strong intermolecular aggregation in the P3HT : SF(DPPB)4 blend, leading to efficient non-fullerene PSCs. The resultant devices give a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.16% with an extremely high open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.14 V. In contrast, the devices based on P3HT : PC61BM blends provide a PCE of 3.18% with a Voc of 0.62 V. Finally, we observe that the P3HT : SF(DPPB)4 devices exhibit significantly improved thermal stability from that of the P3HT : PC61BM devices; upon thermal treatment at 150 °C for 3 h, the PCEs of P3HT : SF(DPPB)4 devices remain unchanged, whereas those of the P3HT : PC61BM devices drop drastically to below 1%. The abovementioned results demonstrate that the new design strategy of employing a high-performance non-fullerene acceptor, SF(DPPB)4, is promising for the future practical application of PSCs.


Background and Purpose of the Study: 50%-65% of stroke survivors have residual motor deficits;principal among them is hemi paretic gait that limits mobility, increases the risk of falls and promoting sedentary life style. Motor imagery (MI) an active process during which a specific action is reproduced within working memory without any real movements. There are evidences for MI training in enhancing motor learning, neural reorganization and cortical activation in stroke patients. However efficacy of Mental practice training involving lower extremity mobility tasks are limited in literature. Aim: To investigate the effects of combining mental practice with physical practice on functional mobility in Chronic stroke subjects. Methodology: Quasi Experimental Study design of 12 chronic hemi paretic subjects who can able to ambulate 10 m and good imagery ability in KVIQ20 e" 60 and Time dependent motor imagery screening test were recruited for the study. All Subjects underwent task orientated training for lower extremity 45 min per day and mental practice program for15 minutes for 3 weeks. Results: All the 12 subjects improved in Functional Gait Assessment from median score of 20 to 26 and in Timed Up and Go test from mean score of 56.5 to 45 seconds with the pvalue <.05. Discussion: This improvement can be explained by the principles of motor learning which is divided into 3 stages: cognitive, associative and autonomous stages. The cognitive stage is primarily declarative knowledge and must be interpreted through problem-solving. Participants used comparative information for feedback while comparing their task with that of a normal young adult through a five-stage protocol which includes progressive relaxation, external imagery (analysis of task sequences), problem identification, internal imagery and mental rehearsal. Another theoretical hypothesis is that role of mirror neuron system in humans which facilitates the motor learning. Conclusion: Motor imagery with mental practice provides additional benefits to regular physiotherapy to improve functional mobility in chronic stroke.


QUANTUM CONTROL AND GENERATION OF QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT In this thesis, the generation of entanglement is studied in a controlled environment. The model system of interest includes a cavity field interacting with a pair of atoms. The cavity field is heavily damped and it is pumped in order to maintain a steady state field population. Thus, we can eliminate the cavity field adiabatically and obtain the master equation describing only the qubits evolution in time. At first, this system is analyzed in the steady state, without making any measurement on the photons leaking through the cavity walls. In this way, the ideal physical parameter set for maximum entanglement in this model is investigated. In the second step, we assume a direct measurement on the leaking cavity photons, and observe the evolution of entanglement in a quantum trajectories approach. We simulate quantum trajectories approach by applying Monte Carlo method. The amount of entanglement is obtained as a function of time and number of photon detections.


Airflow dynamics over beach-foredune systems can be complex. Although a great deal is known about the effects of topographic forcing and vegetation cover on wind-field modification, the role of large woody debris (LWD) as a roughness element and modifier of boundary layer flow is relatively understudied. Individual pieces of LWD are non-porous elements that impose bluff body effects and induce secondary flow circulation that varies with size, density, and arrangement. Large assemblages of LWD are common on beaches near forested watersheds and collectively have a degree of porosity that increases aerodynamic roughness in ways that are not fully understood. A field study on a mesotidal sandy beach with a scarped foredune (Calvert Island, British Columbia, Canada) shows that LWD influences flow patterns and turbulence levels. Overall mean and fluctuating energy decline as flow transitions across LWD, while mean energy is converted to turbulent energy. Such flow alterations have implications for sand transport pathways and resulting sedimentation patterns, primarily by inducing deposition within the LWD matrix.


The authors describe the principal methods of assisted ventilation of the lungs used for smooth and safe transition from artificial ventilation to spontaneous respiration: trigger method, intermittent forced ventilation of the lungs, pressure support, permanent positive pressure respiration, jet high-frequency ventilation of the lungs, and two systems of the respirator response to spontaneous attempts of the patient: to pressure change and flow-by change. Basing on their own experience, the authors claim that patients with parenchymatous respiratory insufficiency better tolerate the method of pressure support, whereas those with ventilation respiratory insufficiency can be best treated by intermittent forced ventilation of the lungs. Jet high-frequency ventilation of the lungs may serve a full-value alternative to the flow-by method.


Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data were acquired across shallow streams and/or drainage ditches at 10 bridge sites in Missouri by maneuvering the antennae across the surface of the water and riverbank from the bridge deck, manually or by boat. The acquired two-dimensional and three-dimensional data sets accurately image the channel bottom, demonstrating that the GPR tool can be used to estimate and/or monitor water depths in shallow fluvial environments. The study results demonstrate that the GPR tool is a safe and effective tool for measuring and/or monitoring scour in proximity to bridges. The technique can be used to safely monitor scour at assigned time intervals during peak flood stages, thereby enabling owners to take preventative action prior to potential failure. The GPR tool can also be used to investigate depositional and erosional patterns over time, thereby elucidating these processes on a local scale. In certain instances, in-filled scour features can also be imaged and mapped. This information may be critically important to those engaged in bridge design. GPR has advantages over other tools commonly employed for monitoring bridge scour (reflection seismic profiling, echo sounding, and electrical conductivity probing). The tool doesn9t need to be coupled to the water, can be moved rapidly across (or above) the surface of a stream, and provides an accurate depth-structure model of the channel bottom and subchannel bottom sediments. The GPR profiles can be extended across emerged sand bars or onto the shore.


Limb asymmetries in loading and movement patterns persist up to 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and are related to re-injury risk. PURPOSE: To determine changes in limb asymmetry across the first year following ACLR. METHODS: 23 adolescent ACLR athletes participated in the study (14 female, 9 male). Movement and loading mechanics were collected using an 8 camera motion capture system (120Hz) and 2 embedded force plates (2400Hz) during five vertical stop-jump trials. All analyses were completed using the MIXED models ANOVA procedure in SAS (version 9.3, Cary, NC), with a type I error rate of α=0.05. RESULTS: An interaction between time and surgical limb was observed for the peak knee extension moment (KEM) (p=0.041) with the surgical (Sx) and non-surgical (NSx) limbs converging across time (Figure 1). When examining side-to-side symmetry, there were no differences in frontal plane knee range of motion (ROM), sagittal plane hip ROM, and sagittal plane knee angle at contact independent of time. For the peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) (p<0.001), impulse (p<0.001), limb stiffness (p<0.001), peak posterior GRF (p<0.001), and peak knee flexion angle (p=0.049) the NSx side demonstrated an increased value when compared to the Sx side. The peak vertical GRF and impulse were asymmetric up to 12 months after ACLR. However, loading rate and peak posterior GRF demonstrated asymmetry up to 6 months after ACLR, while limb stiffness asymmetry perpetuated until 5 months after ACLR. CONCLUSIONS: Movement and load asymmetry remain up to 12 months following surgery indicating that these patients are at risk for subsequent injuries even after being released to return to sports. Additional therapeutic interventions need to be implemented to restore symmetry and improve landing mechanics prior to athletes being return to sports. Figure 1: Peak knee extension moment differences between limbs and across time


The objective of present study was to investigate the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Arthrospira platensis (ASP) against sodium fluoride (NaF) induced hematological alterations. Thirty-six male Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups of six animals each. Group I served as normal control. Group II served as toxic control. Group III served as plant control received ASP at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight (p.o). Groups IV-VI served as treatment groups, which received the hydro alcoholic extract of ASP at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg body weight (p.o), respectively. All except group I and III received NaF (100 ppm) through drinking water for 30 days. Various blood parameters such as leukocyte count, erythrocyte count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and platelet count were estimated. Results showed that ASP restored fluoride induced hematological changes. In conclusion, the present study revealed that ASP has the good mitigative effect against sodium fluoride-induced hematological changes.


Recently, ceramics was used extensively as structural materials and ceramics components became larger and more complex. Fracture sometimes occurs during firing because of large and complex shape, and this fracture interrupts manufacturing process. The simulation of sintering has been studied to prevent this fracture. However, it was difficult to simulate fracture process because there was little data on strength of green compact. It is necessary to measure strength during sintering in order to perform a useful simulation. In this study, we measured strength of two kind of alumina green compact during sintering. Three point bending test at elevated temperature was performed and strength was estimated at each temperature. A model for strength at relative low temperature was also proposed using the temperature dependence of specific surface area. Furthermore, fracture toughness test was performed and the relationship between strength and fracture toughness was obtained. Strength at relative low temperature increased with temperature. Fracture toughness was proportional to strength at the temperature range where materials demonstrated brittle fracture manner. Strength of each alumina was analyzed using this model.


Abstract This paper explores how student teachers navigated moving between different modes of representation from written text to image. This enabled some students to play with genre conventions, rethink the relationship between word and image, and explore multimodality in interesting ways. Working at the intersection of Kress' work on Multimodality, Newfield's transmodal moment and the critical literacy project, I designed and implemented a course for English secondary education in one school of education in South Africa. Firstly, this article outlines the course's aims and assessment to consider how multimodality might feature in a unit of work for student teachers. Specific focus is given to the final assessment task that required students to make a 'transmodal shift' from linguistic to visual-linguistic; from written narrative to multimodal storytelling. Secondly, a critical multimodal discourse analysis of students' visual narratives is applied to explore how critical transmodality enabled some student teachers to imagine beyond traditional narrative structures and explore multimodal semiotic resources in innovative ways, relevant to the secondary English classroom. Finally, I conclude by considering the implications of multimodal semiotic play for both research and classroom practice in language and literacy education, including assessment, the value of non-linguistic modes, and genre as a construct of power.


The Process of Change in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Integrating Information and Communication Technology SUSAN JANET ENGLISH The focus of this thesis was inspired by a small study investigating the way in which students could learn co-operatively using computer-mediated communication. Lessons learnt about the significance of purpose, context, nature and design of courses involving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) led to the idea that a holistic view, involving the study of all aspects that contribute to the whole context, would be necessary to reach a better understanding of the process of change in teaching and learning. The opportunity to pursue this route materialised by being part of a team on a national, ESRC funded, project to undertake in-depth qualitative research in sixteen UK universities to explore innovations in teaching and learning. Questions regarding motivation for innovation as well as factors that promote or inhibit this process were posed to innovators and managers. Distance Learning methodologies involving ICT and a student-centred learning ethos were beginning to evolve in campus-based universities. As a result of progressive focusing the Open University was included as a case study and this research has formed the largest part of the thesis. The OU allowed further exploration into the emerging issues which included institutional culture, frameworks, policy and strategies employed to initiate and implement change in teaching and learning. The ways in which individuals or groups negotiate and initiate change were also investigated by two in-depth mini-case studies involving course teams in the process of developing new courses. Topdown and bottom-up perspectives from central managers and course team members contributed to this section. Finally, implementation aspects from one of the mini-case studies an internet-based technology degree course were explored. This produced some powerful insights into the whole process of change involving new technologies. The speed of internet development and global interest in exploiting the potential of ICT in education and training has resulted in pressure on institutions from national policy, funding bodies, market competition and individual educational innovators to move towards the integration of ICT in higher education provision. The findings, which indicate the need for flexibility, collaboration and continual evaluation and development, could assist institutions who have begun making this move.


Liquefaction is one of the most determinant factors in the collapse of transportation infrastructures. This is especially true for roads and railroads located on saturated, fine-sand substrates under seismic conditions. The damage and human casualties resulting from liquefaction highlight the importance of understanding and mapping this phenomenon. Soil liquefaction occurs as a natural hazard in saturated, loose sand due to increased pore pressure and low shear strength. The purpose of this study was to prepare a soil liquefaction hazard zonation map for Kordkuy County, located in Golsetan Province, using data collection, basic digital mapping (soil deposits map, ground water depth and earthquake acceleration map), three parametric Stanford Watershed Models (SWM) and ArcGIS software . An empirical liquefaction model as a function of the three studied variables was used to model liquefaction in four hazard classes using ArcGIS software. According to the results, most areas fall into the nonhazardous and moderately hazardous risk classes. A portion of the Eastern County was classified as highly hazardous due mostly to its close proximity to an earthquake focal point.


Feature selection and classification are the most applied machine learning pro-cesses. In the feature selection, it is aimed to find useful properties containing class information by eliminating noisy and unnecessary features in the data sets and facilitating the classifiers. Classification is used to distribute data among the various classes defined on the resulting feature set. In this chapter, artificial bee colony programming (ABCP) is proposed and applied to feature selection for classification problems on four different data sets. The best models are obtained by using the sensitivity fitness function defined according to the total number of classes in the data sets and are compared with the models obtained by genetic programming (GP). The results of the experiments show that the proposed technique is accurate and efficient when compared with GP in terms of critical features selection and classification accuracy on well-known benchmark problems.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the prevalence of and factors associated with suicidal ideation and intent in adolescent students in Mexico.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 12,424 students from public schools in 2007. We used logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS
A total of 47% of the students reported at least one suicidal ideation symptom and 9% reported an antecedent of suicidal intent. Factors associated with suicide ideation and intent include low confidence in communication with parents (OR=1.30; OR=1.54), sexual abuse (OR=1.92; OR=1.57), depressive symptoms (OR=5.36; OR=1.51), tobacco use (OR=1.30; OR=2.57), alcohol use (OR=1.60; OR=1.31) and, for women, having had sexual relations (OR=1.28; OR=1.65).

CONCLUSIONS
Roughly 50% of high school students had at least one symptom of suicidal ideation. To lessen this problem, associated factors should be considered, including consumption of addictive substances, gender, history of sexual abuse and depression.


We report the results of the broadband dielectric constant and loss tangent of the new complex perovskites Ba3MnTa2O9 with the test frequency f in different ranges from 1 kHz to 15 GHz. For the test frequency f below 1 MHz, the dielectric constant and loss tangent of the specimens were measured using a LCR meter with four-terminal configuration. The measurements at frequencies between 50 MHz and 1 GHz were performed by the lumped impedance method, which uses an impedance analyzer to measure the complex impedance of the specimen. At frequencies above 1 GHz, two samples with diameter 9 mm and different thicknesses (2.73 mm and 5.42 mm) were measured by a home-made Hakki-Coleman resonator. The TE011 resonant peaks were found and identified with an Agilent PNA net-work analyzer. The dielectric constants were found to remain almost constant with the test frequency at room temperature. The calculated values of the real part dielectric constants are 17.74 and 17.53 at 9.86 GHz and 15.43 GHz, respectively. The unloaded Q factors deduced from curve fitting of the peaks are both around 200.


THROUGHOUT the dimly lit hallways of a Newark, NJ, housing project, a musty odor mingles with the smell of urine and cooking food. Darryl Sabu Kilgore takes it in stride as he gently raps on the door of Belinda Warren's one-room apartment. Warren is a young woman, but she moves slowly. She manages a faint smile for Kilgore, who's a regular visitor. So regular, in fact, that he follows Warren's frequent moves—four in the last 6 months alone. If he lost track of her, Warren might not take her tuberculosis (TB) medication. The result could be life-threatening multidrug-resistant TB for Warren and the risk of an outbreak in the building where she lives. "We're aggressive in our approach to getting people cured," says Kilgore, a public health representative at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey—New Jersey Medical School's National Tuberculosis Center in Newark. Getting Results Kilgore, like


Building damage resulting from unequal settling caused by earthquakes occurs often on embankments and along cut-and-fill boundaries in hilly areas. To predict and prevent damage, determining the location of cut-and-fill boundaries is crucial. Boundaries can be determined by comparing digital elevation models (DEMs) of present-day and old terrain. The accuracy of the boundary is dictated by the accuracy of the old terrain data, because present-day 5-m DEMs created from airborne lidar are highly accurate. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) has published procedures for measuring old terrain, but accuracy is not addressed directly. We create 5-m DEMs from a 1:3000-scale old topographic map published in 1956 and from aerial photographs taken by the GSI in 1965, by a private corporation in 1956, and by the US military in the late 1940s, and validate their accuracy by comparing unchanged areas. There are fourmain outcomes. (1) The highest accuracy (SD=0.6 m) is achieved using the aerial photograph taken in 1965. The lowest accuracy (SD=1.14 m) is obtained using the 1:3000-scale topographic map. (2) The accuracy of photogrammetry depends not only on the scale of a photograph but also on the base-to-height ratio. (3) All measures of accuracy are within the range specified in the GSI manual, but better accuracy might be achieved using 1:20000-scale photographs. (4) The accuracy provided when using the 1:3000-scale map is not satisfactory for predicting and preventing damage. Photogrammetry should be carried out where possible to determine the locations of cut-and fill boundaries.


Alternating patterns of small and large amplitude oscillations occur in a wide variety of physical, chemical, biological and engineering systems. These mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs) are often found in systems with multiple time scales. Previous differential equation modeling and analysis of MMOs has mainly focused on local mechanisms to explain the small oscillations. The goal of this paper is to provide a systematic starting point for the study of global return maps that generate the large oscillations. This paper contributes to the understanding of global return maps in the following ways: (a) We provide a detailed numerical study of the singular return maps for the Koper model which is a prototypical example for MMOs that also relates to local normal form theory, (b) we decompose the global return map to provide first steps towards towards analytical proofs of complicated MMO patterns, (c) we develop affine and quadratic return map models based on the previous analysis and (d) we demonstrate how to combine the global map models with small oscillations generated by two types of local normal forms. We find that the local-global decomposition is an efficient way to model, simulate and analyze MMOs.


Climatic change during historic times and their environmental impact are little known for much of the North American Arctic. Instrumental records from the Yukon Coastal Plain have a high uncertainty due to the remoteness of the region and the extreme climatic conditions. We present a data set with about decadal temporal resolution reaching back to the early 1700s. We analyzed a short sediment core from a thermokarst lake on the Yukon Coastal Plain in the Canadian Low Arctic for pollen, 210Pb/137Cs, grain size distribution, stable carbon isotopes, and carbon and nitrogen contents. 210Pb/137Cs dating results show a chronological age-depth relationship and provide a high temporal resolution for the last 70 years. We found no regional vegetation change in the pollen record. Ordination methods do not reveal any changes in ecological groups or a stratigraphic gradient. The minor increase in Alnus pollen during the last century points to an approaching Alnus shrubline. Biogeochemical analyses show changes in organic carbon content and carbon to nitrogen ratio that we attribute to local hydrological changes. The lake level seems to have been lower and more variable pre 1900. Short-term climatic fluctuations have not been verified for the Yukon Coastal Plain, but on a larger spatial scale cooler and warmer periods have been found during the last 300 years. The recent regional warming trend started in the mid 1970s. The small change in the pollen record during the last 30 years could reflect a time lag between climatic change and vegetation response. We infer that there was only little climatic change in the study area during the last 300 years and its effects were buffered within the ecosystem.


This paper aims at investigating two issues. Firstly, whether there is a significant difference in returns between Syariah compliant and non-Syariah compliant firms listed on the Malaysian stock exchange, Bursa Malaysia; and secondly, whether both types of firms react differently to the same selected firm specific variables. Using panel data techniques, we analyse three hundred (300) firms in Bursa Malaysia for the period from 2000 to 2006. The determinants of stock returns used are market capitalisation, market-to-book ratio, price-earnings ratio, market risk and total debt. The results indicate that there is no significant difference between Syariah compliant firms and their counterparts. In addition, using three (3) different models for estimation (i.e. fixed effect, pooled and random effect models), it is found that the fixed effect model is the best model that fits the data. For Syariah compliant firms, it is found that size and market-to-book ratios are the most significant variables explaining returns. However, for non-Syariah compliant firms, market-to-book ratio and market risk (beta) are the most significant variables influencing returns.


Nephropathy is one of the causes of premature deaths among diabetic patients. The alarming rise in the mortality rate of diabetics globally due to complications like, kidney diseases is the foremost concern of this undertaking. This study determined the serum levels of cystatin C in diabetic patients as an early marker of glomerular dysfunction. It sought to find if cystatin C, a low molecular weight plasma protein; which is normally being filtered by the glomeruli, totally reabsorbed and catabolized in the proximal convoluted tubule of the kidneys, can detect renal insufficiency earlier than urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Beta 2-microglobulin (b2m), another protein in which plasma level is also being maintained by the kidneys, was included in this study. Pearson coefficient correlation was used forstatistical analysis. One hundred diabetic participants without renal dysfunction were selected by purposive sampling. A control group composed of non-diabetics with the same gender and age bracket as the test group was also included. Fasting blood glucose, urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, b2m and cystatin were measured using the reagents from Abbott Diagnostics and its equipment, the Architect c4000. Computed r-values of -0.118 (0.224) for fasting glucose and 0.195 (0.052) for urea nitrogen implied that the two parameters are not significantly related to the level of serum cystatin. However, computed r-value of 0.526 (0.000) for creatinine indicates that when creatinine level increases, cystatin also increases; while the 0.766 (0.000) for b2m showed that there is a great possibility that when b2m is elevated, the cystatin of diabetic patients is also high. Moreover, serum levels of cystatin were elevated in 27% of the total diabetic participants, while 19% have increased beta 2-microglobulin, that is, in the presence of normal blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. The findings suggested that serum cystatin C is a potential early marker for glomerular dysfunction in cases of incipient diabetic nephropathy, as seen in elevated levels of cystatin with concurrent normal levels of the routine kidney markers. Further, serum cystatin is a superior renal marker compared to beta 2-microglobulin as shown in 27 diabetics with increased cystatin against 19 elevated b2m.


A technique to perform the Collis-Nissen operation through an abdominal approach has been described. This method is especially indicated in patients with severe reflux esophagitis and dilatable esophageal strictures, where existing cardiac and pulmonary disease would make a thoracic approach a greater liability to the patient.


Vaginal birth after Caesarean Section (VBAC) carries risks of uterine rupture, with increased perinatal mortality risk. When labour is induced there may be higher uterine rupture and repeat caesarean section (CS) rates in women with previous CS, compared to when labour starts spontaneously.1 The method of induction of labour (IOL) in women with previous CS remains controversial, as there is a higher risk of uterine rupture when prostaglandins (PGs) are used compared with the use of non-prostaglandin methods.2 For women with previous CS, NICE guidance recommends PGs for routine use in IOL,3 however, obstetricians concerned about the increased uterine rupture risk may prefer to offer elective CS instead, therefore increasing CS rates. Comparisons between the use of cervical dilator balloon catheters versus PGs in nulliparous women have shown similar efficacy in establishing labour, without the risks of uterine hyperstimulation or rupture.4 5 IOL with Cook cervical dilator balloon was introduced into practice at York Teaching Hospital in 2009, as an alternative to repeat CS for women with previous CS. Of 64 women booked for balloon catheter IOL from January 2009 to July 2011, 11 proceeded to placement of a Cook cervical dilator balloon. Of these women nine were suitable for artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) following the procedure and six of the 11 women proceeded to a vaginal delivery. 41 of the 64 women progressed into spontaneous labour whist awaiting IOL giving further weight to suggestions that scheduling elective repeat caesarean sections at 41-42 weeks gestation will improve VBAC rates.


»Eliten, Krisen und Regime in vergleichender Perspektive«. Most political regimes, whether authoritarian or democratic, are born in abrupt, brutal, and momentous crises. In this volume [Mattei Dogan, and John Higley: Elites, Crises and the Origins of Regimes], a group of prominent scholars explores how these seminal events affect elites and shape regimes. Combining theoretical and case study chapters, the authors draw from a wide range of historical and contemporary examples to challenge mainstream developmental explanations of political change, which emphasize incremental changes and evaluations stretching over generations. Instead, the authors argue here, political leaders and elites possess significant autonomy and latitude for maneuver, especially in times of crisis. And their choices are frequently decisive in the making of regimes and the forging of national political histories. Providing a sustained comparative analysis of elites, their circulation, and behavior across times and countries, this lucid volume will be invaluable for scholars and students alike.


This new regular section looks at emerging issues with a definite pan-European focus and high significance for transport and/or infrastructure research. Three general inter-related themes will be examined in the new section – policy, practice and research. The connections between these themes will also be the focus of the section. Sometimes the section will primarily address one of these themes and at other times it will address two or all three of the themes. The policy theme will include recent developments in European transport policy and also recent developments in environmental, regional development and economic policy where there are specific implications for transport. The practice theme will include issues such as European benchmarking and pilot projects as well as recent developments in different transport industries across Europe (shipping, aviation and rail for example) and prospects for the future. The research theme will include topics such as recent developments in European research priorities and funding opportunities for transport and/or infrastructure research.


Horse meat is nutritionally adequate to the elderly, but it has a comparatively hard texture in contrast to most of the food. In practice, the meat intake in the elderly is generally bated because the relatively difficult texture of the meat can diminish mastication. Thus, strategies are being developed to produce meat products remanding detracted mastication exertion and possibly exalt ingestion and nutritional stand, in the elderly. Hence, the effects of enzymes on textural characteristics of horse meat were studied, because they have well-known favorable efficacy on the meat tenderness by causing important demotion of the myo-fibrillar protein and collagen. Four treatments namely, papain, bromelin, pepsin, and pancreatin, alongside one control were invoked to the horse meat. Their effects on the texture parameters were determined. All the above enzymatic treatments significantly reduced hardness and resilience (p<0.001). These results present opportunities to produce essential fatty acids fortified horse meat with soft texture and satisfied technological characteristics. The intake of the essential fatty acids intensified horse meat could aid the elderly to get their aimed essential fatty acid demands. Results also suggest that horse meat tenderized through enzymatic processing stand for auspicious options for the comprehension of texture-revised diets in the elderly population.


Acceleration and deceleration lanes are the critical parts which ensure safety maneuver between main lane and ramp. Due to terrain constraints, the left exit or left entry ramp used in the interchange design doesn't accord with the right-hand driving habits and drivers' expectations. To ensure the safety and efficiency of the operation, it's necessary to study the safety length of the acceleration and deceleration lanes on left-side ramp considering the vehicles' operating characteristic of merging or diverging. According to the headway distribution of main lane in merging area, the probability model of vehicles in the acceleration lane merged into the main lane was established based on the acceptance gap theory. The length of the acceleration lane can be calculated under the different operating speed and merging probabilities. Based on Secondary reduction theory, the required safety length of deceleration lane driving from the inner lane to the left-side exit ramp was determined to ensure that those diverging vehicles do not affect the operation of the vehicles on the main lanes. The recommended length of acceleration and deceleration lane will provide a technical sustain to the safety design of interchange.


This paper aims to provide a comprehensive background and overview of key issues, debates and positions related to the international regulation and application of intellectual property rights over biological resources, including biotechnology, and the use and protection of the traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities. It explores the linkages among biological diversity, rural livelihoods, biotechnology developments and intellectual property with specific view on the relationship between access to biological and genetic resources, agriculture systems, food security, and increased poverty levels around the world. The paper starts by outlining the background and evolution of intellectual property rights. It then provides two case studies on how intellectual property rights affect biodiversity and traditional knowledge. In the main part, the paper indulges on the international governance of biodiversity and intellecutal property rights, especially focussing on the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), the World Intellecutal Property Organization (WIPO), and the World Trade Organization with its Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellecutal Property Rights (TRIPS). However it also sheds light on the increasing impacts of bilateral agreements that govern intellectual property rights in conjunction with the plurilateral International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), and it analyses their relationship with the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the CBD. The paper finishes by sketching out ideas for a way forward.


This thesis explores whether an analytical practice, combining creative writing with activism and based in academia, can help open space for more women scriptwriters within New Zealand feature filmmaking. It links autoethnography with activist and experience-based methodologies within a creative writing framework that includes a memoir, an essay, a report, diaries and emails, an essay screenplay and weblogging, to present multiple views of an investigation into state investment in women's feature filmmaking and the researcher's own experience as an activist researcher and apprentice scriptwriter. It concludes that, within an analytical creative writing practice, autoethnography's accommodation of a single researcher participant's shifting roles may help to open space for women scriptwriters to contribute to New Zealand feature films.


Research Papers: Using Gossips to Spread Information: Theory and Evidence from Two Randomized Co… Policymakers and businesses often rely on key individuals to spread new information to a community. However, obtaining the network data required to identify them can be time consuming and expensive. In this study, researchers conducted two randomized evaluations in India in which they identify effective individuals for information sharing ("gossips") through word-of-mouth. They found that information was disseminated more widely when shared by individuals nominated by others in their community, rather than village elders or randomly selected individuals


Internet access has been shown to play an important developmental role and Internet access to all people has become an international goal. This is also true for South Africa where the 'South Africa Connect' policy was introduced in 2013. The question arises whether Internet access goes beyond meeting developmental goals to improving the subjective well-being of people. Furthermore, if the association between Internet access and subjective well-being vary between different race and age groups. Previous research was performed in developed countries at a national level or for specific small subsamples, like the elderly; however, this study contributes to the literature by analysing a substantial sample, at sub-national level, in a heterogeneous, unequal society, in a developing country. The benefit is that heterogeneities masked in studies at a national, macro level are highlighted in a study at a sub-national, micro level. This article investigated the relationship between subjective well-being and Internet access within a developing region with a heterogeneous, unequal society. The article used a data set representative of the Gauteng population, the economic centre of South Africa, which was collected in 2013 by the Gauteng City Region Observatory. To analyse the data, ordered probit, ordinary least square and instrumental variable regression techniques were used. The results show that Internet access is positively related to subjective well-being and this relationship holds across all race groups and all age groups, from 18 years to over 65 years of age. In addition, it seems that the stark inequalities between race groups present in South Africa are fading among younger generations. Based on the results, the 'South Africa Connect' policy, which aims to give Internet access to all people, including those in Gauteng, the region analysed, is supported, as it not only contributes to the development of the region but also to the life satisfaction of the citizens.


This paper is about multi-wavelength airglow observations of a gravity wave event above northern Germany. The peculiar finding is a strong wave signature visible in the O(S) (97 km altitude) and O2 (94 km altitude) bands, a fainter signature in the Na band (91 km altitude), and no wave signature in the OH band (86 km altitude). Auxiliary data used in the study are wind measurements by a meteor radar network and temperature profiles acquired by the SABER instrument on the TIMED satellite. To my knowledge, this is the first report on such a wave event with co-located local measurements of horizontal wind. Information on horizontal wind is of particular importance for the estimation of intrinsic wave parameters. Using the available measurements, the authors derive a vertical wavenumber profile from the gravity wave dispersion relation and conclude that a thermal duct is responsible for the non-detection of wave signatures in the OH band.


Video motion magnification makes subtle invisible motions visible, such as small chest movements while breathing, subtle vibrations in the moving objects etc. But small motions are prone to noise, illumination changes, large motions, etc. making the task difficult. Most state-of-the-art methods use hand-crafted concepts which result in small magnification, ringing artifacts etc. The deep learning-based approach has higher magnification but is prone to severe artifacts in some scenarios. We propose a new phase-based deep network for video motion magnification that operates in both domains (frequency and spatial) to address this issue. It generates motion magnification from frequency domain phase fluctuations and then improves its quality in the spatial domain. The proposed models are lightweight networks with fewer parameters (∼0.11M and ∼0. 05M). Further, the proposed networks performance is compared to the SOTA approaches and evaluated on real-world and synthetic videos. Finally, an ablation study is also conducted to show the impact of different parts of the network.


This study aimed to quantify the methane emissions and feed intake, performance, carcass traits, digestibility, and rumen fermentation characteristics of finishing beef cattle offered diets based on whole-crop wheat (WCW) silages differing in grain content and to rank these relative to diets based on grass silage (GS) and ad libitum concentrates (ALC). In Exp. 1, a total of 90 continental crossbred steers [538 +/- 27.6 kg of BW (mean +/- SD)] were blocked by BW and assigned in a randomized complete block design to 1 of 6 treatments based on 4 WCW silages [grain-to-straw plus chaff ratios of 11:89 (WCW I), 21:79 (WCW II), 31:69 (WCW III), and 47:53 (WCW IV)], GS, and ALC. Increasing grain content in WCW silage resulted in a quadratic (P = 0.01) response in DMI, with a linear (P < 0.001) increase in carcass gain [CG; 577 (WCW I), 650 (WCW II), 765 (WCW III), and 757 g/d (WCW IV)]. The G:F also increased linearly (P < 0.001) in response to increasing the grain content of WCW silage. A quadratic (P < 0.01) response in daily methane output [295 (WCW I), 315 (WCW II), 322 (WCW III), and 273 g/d (WCW IV)], measured using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique, was observed in response to increasing the grain content of WCW; however, linear decreases were observed when expressed relative to DMI (P = 0.01) and CG (P < 0.001). Cattle offered GS exhibited carcass gains similar to those offered WCW silage diets and had greater methane emissions than cattle in any other treatment when expressed relative to DMI. Cattle offered ALC exhibited greater (P < 0.01) carcass gains and decreased (P < 0.001) methane emissions, irrespective of the unit of expression, compared with cattle in any of the silage-based treatments. In Exp. 2, rumen fermentation parameters were determined using 4 ruminally cannulated Rotbunde-Holstein steers (413 +/- 30.1 kg of BW) randomly allocated among WCW I, the average of WCW II and III (WCW II/III), WCW IV, and GS in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Ruminal pH and total VFA concentration did not differ across dietary treatments. Molar proportion of acetic acid decreased (P = 0.01), with propionic acid tending to increase (P = 0.06) with increasing grain content. It was concluded that increasing the grain content of WCW silage reduced methane emissions relative to DMI and CG and improved animal performance. However, the relativity of GS to WCW in terms of methane emissions was dependent on the unit of expression used. Cattle offered ALC exhibited decreased methane emissions and greater performance than those offered any of the silage-based treatments.


The idea that there should be a link between systematically structured knowledge and the policies pursued by governments is not new. Its pre-20th century roots include attempts to establish a 'science of society' by social reformers of the 18th and 19th centuries, aspects of the emergence of the modern state system and, arguably, stretch back to classical philosophy and religious scholarship. Since the late 1990s, however, it has assumed special prominence as a global movement that encourages jurisdictions to explicitly incorporate the language of evidence in their understanding and definitions of good policy. While this agenda goes by a number of names, the most common is 'evidence-based policy' (EBP).
This evidentiary turn in policy has generated an extensive body of associated scholarship, involving a diverse range of theoretical positions, critiques, and debates. However, such literature has largely concentrated on macro- and meso-level system issues: structures for knowledge uptake and transfer, principles for using evidence, and underlying conceptual debates. Far less well-explored – and almost entirely absent in relation to Aotearoa New Zealand – are the experiences and perspectives of the practitioners working in policy development. This gap is especially glaring if policy work is treated not as a process of problem-solving, but rather as a humanistic and socially situated practice. Treating practitioners as active and interested participants in the creation of policy means treating them as the ultimate determinants of how evidence manifests in, and influences the outputs of, policy work. Similarly, through their work policy officials create and adopt formal and informal evidentiary definitions, accepted standards, and relevant weightings. It is through applying these social constructs that 'information' is transformed into 'evidence'. While such practices are constrained by the environments within which they work, it is ultimately the practitioner who locates, analyses, and incorporates evidence within policy work.
In this thesis, I use the concept of interpretive repertoires from discursive psychology as frameworks to explore how those involved in policy work engage with the idea of evidence-based policy. These repertoires are symbolic sets of meanings, characterisations, and relationships that people can use as resources for engaging with phenomena. Just as a musician's repertoire represents a set of pre-existing pieces that they can perform, an interpretive repertoire is a pre-existing conceptual framework that a person can use to interpret (or establish the meaning of) ideas, actions, or settings and link them to each other in a coherent way. I approach this topic from an interpretive and critical perspective, taking policies as the results of a fundamentally social process shaped by the interaction of different values, interests, and cultural assumptions. The research has involved in-depth interviews with senior officials in the field of skills policy, including advisors and analysts, managers overseeing teams of such officials, and officials focused on developing and generating evidence for policy. I analysed interview texts to identify repertoires operating across three domains: repertoires of practice (what it means to work as a policy official), repertoires of context (what influences the environment in which officials work), and repertoires of evidence (the role of evidence in policy work).
I identified three main repertoires each of practice and context, and five main repertoires of evidence. I also found that individual repertoires clustered across domains to produce three interpretive stances toward evidence-based policy work. The Evaluative stance is characterised by valorising diversity, debate, and judgement; the Scientific stance values rigour, truth-seeking, and consistency; and the Pragmatic stance emphasises utility, compromise, and sustainability. Each stance integrates practitioners' constructions of the work they do, the context for that work, and the purpose of evidence into a coherent framework of meaning that supports them to engage with the abstract concept of evidence-based policy.
This work contributes primarily to two key literatures. Firstly, the thesis adds to a relatively small but growing body of empirical research into evidence use in policy work environments. It makes a particularly novel contribution here by situating evidence use as a type of social process, and focusing on deep exploration of practitioner 'voice' as a way of analysing this process. Secondly, the research makes a methodological contribution to the analysis of policy work by demonstrating the value of using concepts from discursive psychology as a way of exploring the position of practitioners within the policy environment. Through discussion of the repertoires and stances I identified in practitioners' interviews, I present a more nuanced picture of approaches towards evidence amongst policy practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand.


The expanded graphite coated with different portions of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (EG/ Fe3O4) were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction and the composite was characterized by scanning electron micrograph (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The catalytic performance of the composite was studied through the degradation of methylene blue. The results indicated that a complete and uniform Fe3O4 nanoparticles coating on expanded graphite could be obtained under routine pressure and temperature and the optimum content of Fe3O4 in the composite was 6wt% in the experiment of catalytic degradation of methylene blue.


Subunit c is an intrinsic membrane component of ATP synthase, and in mammals it is encoded by two expressed nuclear genes, P1 and P2. Both genes encode the same mature c subunit, but the mitochondrial import pre-sequences in the precursors of subunit c are different. The DNA sequences of the human P1 and P2 genes are described. They occupy about 3.0 and 10.9 kb respectively of the human genome, and both genes are split into five exons. The human genome also contains about 14 related spliced pseudogenes, and the sequence of one such pseudogene related to P2 is described. Sequences flanking the 5' ends of the human P1 and P2 coding sequences each contain a CpG-rich island. Potential promoter elements (TATA and CCAAT boxes) are present in the 5' sequences of the P1 gene, but not that of P2, although there is no direct experimental evidence to show the involvement of these sequences in transcription of the genes.