Despite advances in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote-sensing technology and software, to date most systematists and other botanists working on the Neotropical flora, particularly on the monographic series Flora Neotropica, have used hard-copy maps. These maps make it possible to see basic distribution patterns, but they are highly inaccurate, and the fact that the data are not compiled in digital form means that it is difficult or impossible to retrieve the metadata (i.e., the collection data and attributes of the specimen(s) associated with each point on the map), select and combine distribution datasets for various organisms, perform spatial statistics on the distributions, or overlay species distributions onto maps of soils, climate, and other environmental variables. In an effort to help modernize Neotropical plant studies and make GIS more accessible to botanists, we have developed a digital base map ofthe Americas with multiple registered map layers that can be superimposed in any combination and can be used to easily create digital distribution maps from collection lists for dissemination and analysis. This base map, freely available to botanists and systematists, was made using ArcView® GIS. Several of the layers were derived from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) datasets (ArcWorld®, ArcAtlas®, Digital Chart of the World®). For a basic version of this system we obtained additional datasets on vegetation and soils (Woods Hole Research Center), elevation (U.S. Geological Survey), and EcoRegions (World Wildlife Fund); for our own projects, we have added layers from a number of additional sources and more appropriate in scale for Amazonia and the state of Acre, Brazil. The layers are being expanded upon as new datasets become available, and we are actively seeking additional sets from other sources, including geographical institutes in individual Neotropical countries. This system makes it possible to carry out a number of rather elegant analyses and visualizations, including the following: (1) plot the distributions of species and use the overlays to easily visualize coincidence of distribution patterns with geographic and environmental features; (2) map values for morphological characters onto the distribution points in order to examine character variation over the range of the species (e.g., plotting leaf size to see latitudinal or longitudinal patterns); (3) quantitatively analyze spatial statistics (e.g., examining the relationship between fruit size and rainfall); and (4) vastly increase the agility and versatility of historical biogeography techniques. Though any botanist adept at using GIS theoretically could conduct these analyses, the Americas Base Map assembles a disparate set of high-quality, botanically relevant environmental and geographic data in one place and provides instructions that obviate the need for deep expertise in GIS. This dramatically improves access to relevant geospatial data for botanists, especially in the developing world, and should serve to expand the use of GIS in plant biogeography. We anticipate that this multifaceted approach to mapping species distributions will facilitate the work of systematists and floristicians, and that it will help Neotropical plant geography to progress from conjecture to testable hypotheses. The Americas Base Map may be utilized by any botanist affiliated with a non-profit institution and with access to Arcview®, and it is available on CD by request.


In Plasmodium falciparum, deoxyguanylate was found to be a substrate for several DNA metabolizing enzymes. Guanylate kinase utilizes dGMP with very low specificity, which is estimated to be the lowest among well-known prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes. Furthermore, thymidylate kinase, which is a pyrimidine specific enzyme, was found to phosphorylate dGMP with a surprisingly high specificity similar to that of the natural substrate. The above mentioned distinctions are specific for the Plasmodium protozoa and provide an interesting method for tracking dGMP metabolism during development and a starting point for drug development.


In order to protect and promote ethnic sports culture in China, the National Ethnic Games (The Games) were launched in 1953; these Games have been held nine times between 1953 and 2011. Equality, unity, struggle, mutual savings and harmony are important elements for the maintenance of national relationships in China. With that in mind, this study focuses on the 9th Games, held in 2011, with three main aims. First, we ask how the Chinese government practised the ideology of national union and social harmony during the Games. Second, we consider the motivations of local organizers. Finally, we ask: what was the purpose of athletes at the 9th Games? Our study found that the Chinese government operationalized the concepts of unity and harmony during the National Traditional Games. For the local organizers, the 9th Games were an important opportunity to demonstrate to citizens certain capabilities. For the ethnic athletes, competing at the 9th Games offered important career choices that could improve their way of life and its quality.


There is a definite lack of formal support for modeling real- istic context-awareness in pervasive computing applications. The Conawa calculus presented in this paper provides mechanisms for modeling complex and interwoven sets of context-information by extending ambient calculus with new constructs and capabilities. In connection with the calculus we present four scenarios which are used to evaluate Conawa. The calculus is a step in the direction of making formal methods applicable in the area of pervasive computing.


A key dimension of the institutional response to sexual assault is the forensic medical examination of a victim's body conducted for purpose of documenting, collecting and testifying to corroborative evidence. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with forensic examiners and forensic nurse practitioners in one region of England, this study addresses a gap in the existing research on medico-legal processes, and critically examines the nature and dynamics of the relationship between doctors and nurses involved in this intervention. Using an analytic framework based on Thomas Gieryn's notion of 'boundary-work', we explore how this historically gendered dyadic relationship is experienced and understood in a context influenced by both medicine and law. We demonstrate very clear boundaries demarcating (i) physicians as experts and nurses as non-experts in the collection and representation of medical evidence, and, (ii) physicians as equated with technical competence and nurses with 'caring' duties. We conclude by positing implications that may stem from these professional relations with respect to sexual assault evidence, professionals and victims.


This article analyzes different ways of nominating that the Brazilian prison system establishes to mention the subject that lives in a freedom deprived prison system. Furthermore, we are mainly guided by the theoretical basis of the French Discourse Analysis, in an attempt to understand the meaning effects that arise from each lexical choice. The focus is on the Extension Project of the Law Course at the University of the West of Santa Catarina entitled "Law and Jail - Remission by Reading", established and supported by the Criminal Execution Law (BRAZIL, 2011), Recommendation n. 44 (CNJ, 2013), Guiding Principles of the National Guidelines for Education in Criminal Establishments (BRAZIL, 2010) and the State Prison Education Plan 2016-2026: Education, Prison and Freedom, Possible Dialogues (SANTA CATARINA, 2017). Thus, these normative frameworks for Education in Prisons in Brazil and in Santa Catarina are analyzed discursively, regarding the nomination of the subjects behind bars, seeking to understand the implication of making sense in the discursive processes of the nominations on law textuality choices. Through the linguistic analysis of the corpus materiality, there are signs of how the nominations are marked by power structures, rooted, crystallized and naturalized in society, which are perpetuated for centuries.


Recently, graph neural networks (GNNs) have been successfully applied to recommender systems. In recommender systems, the user's feedback behavior on an item is usually the result of multiple factors acting at the same time. However, a long-standing challenge is how to effectively aggregate multi-order interactions in GNN. In this paper, we propose a Graph Factorization Machine (GFM) which utilizes the popular Factorization Machine to aggregate multi-order interactions from neighborhood for recommendation. Meanwhile, cross-domain recommendation has emerged as a viable method to solve the data sparsity problem in recommender systems. However, most existing cross-domain recommendation methods might fail when confronting the graph-structured data. In order to tackle the problem, we propose a general cross-domain recommendation framework which can be applied not only to the proposed GFM, but also to other GNN models. We conduct experiments on four pairs of datasets to demonstrate the superior performance of the GFM. Besides, based on general cross-domain recommendation experiments, we also demonstrate that our cross-domain framework could not only contribute to the cross-domain recommendation task with the GFM, but also be universal and expandable for various existing GNN models.


Land-based and boat-based surveys were conducted to collect data during whale-watching excursions in July/August and October 2020. Occurrence and behavior of cetaceans south of Pico Island (Azores) were determined. 10 species were sighted. The most frequently sighted species were: Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus). 51 different behaviour patterns were recorded. The majority, 32 behavior, were observed from two or more species. 19 behavioral patterns were observed only once from a single species, Atlantic spotted dolphins showed nine and Sperm whale showed six. The most behavioral patterns were displayed by Stenella frontalis with 26 and Pseudorca crassidens with 22. Interspecific cooperative hunting and intraspecific food sharing were observed, for the latter there were no known observations in the Azores so far.


: In a prospective clinical study we investigated 115 patients prior to vaginal surgical interventions to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of six different procedures for vaginal antisepsis. To sample the microorganisms we used a cotton swab moistened with a neutralising fluid. Immediately after the time of action of the antiseptic procedures (3 minutes), providone-iodine solution, applied undiluted or diluted 1:10, yielded the strongest median reduction of the vaginal flora (log RF 3.60 and 2.68, respectively). Of three detergents with antiseptic efficacy, octenidine 0.1% was the most efficient formula (log RF 2.32). After 30 minutes the log reduction factors (log RF) of almost all procedures (log RF 2.79-3.25) were in a fairly close range, excepting chlorohexidine 0.05% (log RF 2.07). Overall, the antiseptic detergents showed a marked residual effect, which was less pronounced, if at all, with providone-iodine solutions. A germ-reducing effect of povidone-iodine vaginal suppositories, applied 2 to 3 hrs prior to surgery, was not confirmed, while additional findings indicated that providone-iodine solution applied with the help of a vaginal douche yields a similarly strong germ reduction as the application by means of a ball swabs.


To move efficiently in an unknown environment, a mobile robot must use observations taken by various sensors to detect obstacles. This paper describes a new approach to detect obstacles for serpentine robot. It captures the image sequence and analyzed the optical flow modules to estimate the deepness of the scene. This avoids one or higher order differential in the traditional optical flow calculation. The data of ultrasonic sensor and attitude transducer sensor are fused into the algorithm to improve the real-time capability and the robustness. The detecting results are presented by fuzzy diagrams which is concise and convenient. Indoor and outdoor experimental results demonstrate that this method can provide useful and comprehensive environment perception for the robot.


Carbon-bound hydrogen in sedimentary organic matter can undergo exchange over geologic timescales, altering its isotopic composition. Studies investigating the natural abundance distribution of H and H in such molecules must account for this exchange, which in turn requires quantitative knowledge regarding the endpoint of exchange, i.e., the equilibrium isotopic fractionation factor (aeq). To date, relevant data have been lacking for molecules larger than methane. Here we describe an experimental method to measure aeq for C-bound H positions adjacent to carbonyl group (Ha) in ketones. H at these positions equilibrates on a timescale of days as a result of keto-enol tautomerism, allowing equilibrium H/H distributions to be indirectly measured. Molecular vibrations for the same ketone molecules are then computed using Density Functional Theory at the B3LYP/6-311G** level and used to calculate aeq values for Ha. Comparison of experimental and computational results for six different straight and branched ketones yields a temperature-dependent linear calibration curve with slope = 1.081 0.00376T and intercept = 8.404 0.387T, where T is temperature in degrees Celsius. Since the dominant systematic error in the calculation (omission of anharmonicity) is of the same size for ketones and C-bound H in most other linear compounds, we propose that this calibration can be applied to analogous calculations for a wide variety of organic molecules with linear carbon skeletons for temperatures below 100 C. In a companion paper (Wang et al., 2009) we use this new calibration dataset to calculate the temperature-dependent equilibrium isotopic fractionation factors for a range of linear hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters and acids. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


During the mid-2010s, there appeared a pair of television shows featuring William Shakespeare in the title role, with Christopher Marlowe as a central supporting figure: Craig Pearce's TNT drama Will and Ben Elton's BBC comedy Upstart Crow. Pearce's depiction of Marlowe as a brilliant but tortured, blaspheming homosexual corresponds very closely with what Lucas Erne calls the "mythographic image" of the playwright cultivated by Marlowe scholars and biographers. By contrast, Elton's comic portrayal of Marlowe as a charming but unambitious "posh boy" who did not even write the plays attributed to him turns the stereotypical image of the playwright upside down. These two contrasting depictions of Christopher Marlowe himself correspond to the differing portrayals of his most famous protagonist: the tragic Doctor Faustus of the beginning and ending of that play, whose transgression of orthodox boundaries brings about his demise, and the comic Faustus of the middle scenes of the play, who squanders his considerable intellectual gifts.


This study, based on an original survey on individuals, presents novel findings on the various aspects of personal services. Specifically, we study the structure of demand for services, change in the quality of services, substitution among different types of service providers, intertemporal substitution of demand for services, and substitutability between market services and household production. Consumers perceive that the quality of most market services has improved, suggesting that the true productivity growth rate of the service industries is underestimated. Price elasticity of intertemporal substitution of service demand, on average, is relatively large, which suggests a possibility of smoothing service demand through an appropriate price setting strategy. Although substitutability between market services and household service production is generally strong, we observe great heterogeneity by individual characteristics.


For the last two decades, developments in damage detection algorithms have greatly increased the potential for autonomous decisions about structural health. However, we are still struggling to build autonomous tools that can match the ability of a human to detect and localize the quantity of damage in structures. Therefore, there is a growing interest in merging the computational and cognitive concepts to improve the solution of structural health monitoring (SHM). The main object of this research is to apply the human–machine cooperative approach on a tower structure to detect damage. The cooperation approach includes haptic tools to create an appropriate collaboration between SHM sensor networks, statistical compression techniques and humans. Damage simulation in the structure is conducted by releasing some of the bolt loads. Accelerometers are bonded to various locations of the tower members to acquire the dynamic response of the structure. The obtained accelerometer results are encoded in three different ways to represent them as a haptic stimulus for the human subjects. Then, the participants are subjected to each of these stimuli to detect the bolt loosened damage in the tower. Results obtained from the human–machine cooperation demonstrate that the human subjects were able to recognize the damage with an accuracy of 88 ± 20.21% and response time of 5.87 ± 2.33 s. As a result, it is concluded that the currently developed human–machine cooperation SHM may provide a useful framework to interact with abstract entities such as data from a sensor network.


Background and Aim: Stress can cause physiological and biological disorders in the body. On the other hand, antioxidants from vitamins and minerals are effective for stress treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the administration of Vitamins C and E on serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), testosterone, and cortisol activity in albino rats with chronic variable stress (CVS). Materials and Methods: Twenty albino rats were randomly assigned into four treatment groups: C was administered normal saline; T1 was administered Vitamins C and E; T2 was only induced CVS; and T3 was induced CVS followed by Vitamins C and E administration. All treatments were applied for 4 weeks, respectively. Furthermore, 5 mL of blood samples were collected intracardially. Body weight data were collected for the initial and final weights. From serum samples, SOD, GPx, and CAT were measured using the enzymol method; MDA was measured using the high-performance liquid chromatography method; and testosterone and cortisol were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. All variables were analyzed statistically using analysis of variance followed by the Duncan test (p<0.05). Results: Our findings showed that the T1 and T3 groups significantly decreased (p<0.001) compared to T2 in the following parameters: SOD, MDA, GPx, and cortisol. Meanwhile, CAT and testosterone levels in the T1 and T3 groups were significantly increased (p<0.001) compared to the T2 group. In addition, the weight gain in T1 and T3 groups was significantly increased (p<0.001) compared to T2 group. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the administration of Vitamins C and E had a significant effect to alleviate SOD, MDA, GPx, and cortisol and to improve the testosterone level in albino rats with CVS.


Context. Ionization plays a central role in the gas-phase chemistry of molecular clouds. Since ions are coupled with magnetic fields, which can in turn counteract gravitational collapse, it is of paramount importance to measure their abundance in star-forming regions.

Aims. We use spectral line observations of the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334 I to derive the abundance of two of the most abundant molecular ions, HCO^+ and N_2H^+, and consequently, the cosmic ray ionization rate. In addition, the line profiles provide information about the kinematics of this region.

Methods. We present high-resolution spectral line observations conducted with the HIFI instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory of the rotational transitions with J_(up) ≥ 5 of the molecular species C^(17)O, C^(18)O, HCO^+, H^(13)CO^+, and N_2H^+.

Results. The HCO^+ and N_2H^+ line profiles display a redshifted asymmetry consistent with a region of expanding gas. We identify two emission components in the spectra, each with a different excitation, associated with the envelope of NGC 6334 I. The physical parameters obtained for the envelope are in agreement with previous models of the radial structure of NGC 6334 I based on submillimeter continuum observations. Based on our new Herschel/HIFI observations, combined with the predictions from a chemical model, we derive a cosmic ray ionization rate that is an order of magnitude higher than the canonical value of 10^(-17) s^(-1).

Conclusions. We find evidence of an expansion of the envelope surrounding the hot core of NGC 6334 I, which is mainly driven by thermal pressure from the hot ionized gas in the region. The ionization rate seems to be dominated by cosmic rays originating from outside the source, although X-ray emission from the NGC 6334 I core could contribute to the ionization in the inner part of the envelope.


Introduction: Short-term cancellation of elective ambulatory orthopaedic surgery can result in disruption to the process flow of the operating room, with resultant negative financial implications for the health system. The risk factors for patient-related short-term cancellations within 24 hours of the surgical date have not been well defined. Methods: A retrospective review of a single orthopaedic surgery electronic internal database was done to identify all cancellations from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2019, which were made within 24 hours of the surgical date. Inclusion criteria included elective arthroscopic procedures canceled solely for patient-related issues. Any cancellation for surgeon-related or ambulatory center–related reasons was excluded. Demographic patient and surgical data, including insurance type, employment status, previous history of cancellation for the same surgery, socioeconomic status based on the Area Deprivation Index, and surgery type, were tabulated. Each cancellation was matched 1:2 with noncanceled cases based on the anatomic site of the arthroscopy scheduled. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations of patient demographic and medical characteristics with surgical cancellation. Results: There were 4,715 total arthroscopic procedures done during the study period, of which 126 (2.7%) were canceled within 24 hours of the surgery date. The mean age of the canceled cases was 44.9 ± 16.1 years (range, 14 to 77 years), with 46 females (43%) included. The presence of MRI of the involved joint within 6 months of surgery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.91) and current employment (aOR, 0.56, 95% CI, 0.33-0.94) were independently predictive of noncancellation. Current smokers were more likely to cancel within 24 hours of surgery (aOR, 2.63, 95% CI, 1.4-4.9). Finally, having previously canceled the same surgery was significantly associated with a current surgical cancellation (P = 0.004). Discussion: Identification of the factors associated with short-term patient-related cancellation of elective arthroscopy may serve as the basis for preoperative interventions aimed specifically at those more likely to cancel. In turn, these interventions can minimize preventable cancellations.


Thesauri are important tools for many Natural Language Processing applications. Roget's Thesaurus is particularly useful. It is of high quality and has been in development for over a century and a half. Yet its applications have been limited, largely because the only publicly available edition dates from 1911. This thesis proposes and tests methods of automatically updating the vocabulary of the 1911 Roget's Thesaurus.
I use the Thesaurus as a source of training data in order to learn from Roget's for the purpose of updating Roget's. The lexicon is updated in two stages. First, I develop a measure of semantic relatedness that enhances existing distributional techniques. I improve existing methods by using known sets of synonyms from Roget's to train a distributional measure to better identify near synonyms. Second, I use the new measure of semantic relatedness to find where in Roget's to place a new word. Existing words from Roget's are used as training data to tune the parameters of three methods of inserting words. Over 5000 new words and word-senses were added using this process.
I conduct two kinds of evaluation on the updated Thesaurus. One is on the procedure for updating Roget's. This is accomplished by removing some words from the Thesaurus and testing my system's ability to reinsert them in the correct location. Human evaluation of the newly added words is also performed. Annotators must determine whether a newly added word is in the correct location. They found that in most cases the new words were almost indistinguishable from those already existing in Roget's Thesaurus.
The second kind of evaluation is to establish the usefulness of the updated Roget's Thesaurus on actual Natural Language Processing applications. These applications include determining semantic relatedness between word pairs or sentence pairs, identifying the best synonym from a set of candidates, solving SAT-style analogy problems, pseudo-word-sense disambiguation, and sentence ranking for text summarization. The updated Thesaurus consistently performed at least as well or better the original Thesaurus on all these applications.


One main obstacle in building a sophisticated parametric model along an arbitary anatomical manifold is the lack of an easily available orthonormal basis. Although there are at least two numerical techniques available for constructing an orhonormal basis such as the Laplacian eigenfunction approach and the Gram-Smidth orthogonaliza- tion, they are computationally not so trivial and costly. We present a relatively simpler method for constructing an orthonormal basis for an arbitrary anatomical manifold. On a unit sphere, a natural orthonormal basis is the spherical harmonics which can be easily computed. Assuming the manifold is topologically equivalent to the sphere, we can establish a smooth mapping from the manifold to the sphere. Such mapping can be obtained from various surface flattening techniques. If we project the spherical harmonics to the manifold, they are no longer orthonormal. However, we claim that there exists an orthonormal basis that is the function of spherical harmonics and the spherical mapping . The detailed step by step procedures for the construction is given along with the numerical validation using amygdala surfaces as an illustration. As an application, we propose the pullback representation that recon- structs surfaces using the orthonormal basis obtained from an average template. The pullback representation introduces less inter-subject vari- ability and thus requires far less number of coefficients than the tradi- tional spherical harmonic representation. The source code used in the study is freely available at http://www.stat.wisc.edu/ mchung/research/amygdala.


Increasing digital technology has revolutionized the life of people. The banking system in today's world is open to threats of fraud and cyber-attacks. Since todays banking system is built on centralized databases, it is easy for an attacker to penetrate in any such database which will easily compromise all the information and data of the customers of the bank. This vulnerability of today's banking system can be reduced by re-building the banking systems on top of block chain technology, which will remove the centralized database architecture and decentralize the data over the block chain, thus reducing the threat of database being hacked. Since the transactions over the block chain technology is verified by each and every nodes of the chain, it will make the transactions more secure thus making the overall banking system faster and secure.


Existing inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) algorithms have assumed each expert's demonstrated trajectory to be produced by only a single reward function. This paper presents a novel generalization of the IRL problem that allows each trajectory to be generated by multiple locally consistent reward functions, hence catering to more realistic and complex experts' behaviors. Solving our generalized IRL problem thus involves not only learning these reward functions but also the stochastic transitions between them at any state (including unvisited states). By representing our IRL problem with a probabilistic graphical model, an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm can be devised to iteratively learn the different reward functions and the stochastic transitions between them in order to jointly improve the likelihood of the expert's demonstrated trajectories. As a result, the most likely partition of a trajectory into segments that are generated from different locally consistent reward functions selected by EM can be derived. Empirical evaluation on synthetic and real-world datasets shows that our IRL algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art EM clustering with maximum likelihood IRL, which is, interestingly, a reduced variant of our approach.


Countercyclical Economics to enhance business cyclical economics, Global World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank (WB) to change from Instrumental for International Lending and International Investment to 1) Managing their own Monetary Policies by expanding the issuance of SDR and fluctuating Interest Rate, 2) Promotional for Business Development through Low-Interest Finance and Subsidies and 3) Controlling for global Market Balance of demand-to-supply by using Monetary and other Policies.
Natural and/or artificial market agents to create the needed market (1/f noise) that will alleviate the shrinking market activities and the rising unemployment.


The fragmenting of habitats is endangering animal populations and degrading or destroying many plant populations throughout the world. To address this problem, conservationists have increasingly turned to biological corridors, areas of land set aside to facilitate the movement of species and ecological processes. However, while hundreds of corridor initiatives are under way worldwide, there is little practical information to guide their design, location, and management. Applying Nature's Design offers a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on corridors, their design, and their implementation. Anthony B. Anderson and Clinton N. Jenkins examine a variety of conceptual and practical issues associated with corridors and provide detailed case studies from around the world. Their work considers how to manage and govern corridors, how to build support among various interest groups for corridors, and the obstacles to implementation. In addition to assessing various environmental and ecological challenges, the authors are the first to consider the importance of socioeconomic and political issues in creating and maintaining corridors.


One of the most challenging applications of time-frequency representations deals with the analysis of the signal issued from natural environment. Recently, the interest for passive underwater context increased, basically due to the rich information carried out by the natural signals. Taken into account the non-linear multi-component time-frequency behavior of such signals, their analysis is a complex problem. In this paper we introduce a new time-frequency analysis concept that aims to extract the non-linear time-frequency components. The main feature of this technique is the joint use of time-amplitude, time-frequency and time-phase information. This is materialized by a short-time polynomial phase modeling and the fusion of local information according to the best locally matches of local cubic frequency modulations. Tests provided on real data illustrate the benefits of the proposed approach.


It is established that the efficiency performance of most improved ratio and product estimators depend on some optimality conditions. This paper develops a new approach that produces a more precise and efficient exponential ratio and product type estimators that are superior both in efficiency and biasedness without dependence on any optimality conditions. The efficacy of the new exponential estimators was tested through a simulation study that compared their efficiency performances with a corresponding global estimator. Analytical results proved the dominance of these new proposals over the global estimator. Analysis and evaluation are presented.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Auditory prostheses use electric currents on multiple electrodes to stimulate auditory neurons and recreate auditory sensations in deaf people. Cochlear implants have restored hearing in more than 200  000 deaf adults and children to a level that allows most to understand speech. Here we review the reasons underlying these results and describe new directions in restoring hearing to additional patient populations and the design of new devices.

RECENT FINDINGS
From their early development about 50 years ago, cochlear implants have been well received and beneficial to people who had lost their hearing. Although those first implants did not allow high levels of speech understanding, they provided auditory information that worked synergistically with lip reading to improve communication. Present day cochlear implants provide excellent speech understanding in children and in postlingually deafened adults. Research is focused on improved signal processing and new electrode designs. Electric stimulation of the auditory brainstem can also produce excellent hearing in some children and adults.

SUMMARY
Auditory prostheses, both at the level of the sensory nerve and at the brainstem, can restore patterns of neural activation that are sufficient for high levels of speech understanding. These prostheses are not only clinically successful but also important tools for understanding sensory processing in the brain.


The paper describes the techniques of the actinospores investigation under field and laboratory conditions. The methylene blue solution for staining of actinospore processes and estimating of daughter cells of sporoplasm is proposed.


Background Social media is used increasingly by the general public to access health information. However, a lack of models for health information distribution limits the presence of publicly funded services on social media sites. Objective The goal of the study was to present a model for delivering child health information to parents through a social media site. Methods A Facebook site was launched for 11 months based on a question-and-answer service produced by a pediatrician and open to Facebook users over 18 years old. If the answer did not include a further referral to a health care service provider, the question was considered comprehensively answered. The site was funded by a pharmaceutical company, and it included an advertisement of a pharmaceutical product for children's fever and pain. Results During the study, 768 questions were submitted: an average of 69.8 (SD 31.7) per month. There were 245,533 independent Facebook users on the site, with an average of 727.0 (SD 2280.6) per day. Infections were the most common theme in questions (355/768, 46.2%). Questions were more likely to be comprehensively answered if they were related to infections (279/355, 78.6%) than questions related to non-infectious symptoms (265/423, 64.2%, P=.003). Conclusions On this site aimed at parents of small children, personalized answers were an effective way of delivering information. The service is likely to have reduced the need for further contacts with a health care service provider in more than half of the cases. The site could serve as a model for publicly funded health information distribution.


Summary. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Piper sarmentosum (PS) water extract on plasma lipid profile in ovariectomized-induced obese rats. Forty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups; four treatments (sham, control, PS and glycyrrhizic acid (GCA)) and two basal (control and sham). All groups underwent ovariectomy excluding sham groups which underwent sham operation and left for 1 month. Basal groups were sacrificed on day 0, while ovariectomized groups were given PS extract (0.125g/kg), GCA (0.120g/kg) and water respectively, while sham received only water.  Lipid profile was measured at 0, 3 and 5 months of treatment. Liver tissues were taken for bioactivity of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme analysis. Our results showed that all the ovariectomized groups had a significant improvement (p<0.05) in the lipid profile compared to the sham group after 3 and 5 months of treatment respectively. However, in the GCA treated group the HDL-c increment and LDL-c reduction was lesser (p<0.05) compared to the PS treated group. The HMG-CoA reductase enzyme activityin both PS and GCA treated groups showed a significant reduction (p<0.05). In conclusion, Piper sarmentosum water extract is suggested as a possible alternative therapy for hyperlipidemia based on the positive effects on lipid profile. Industrial relevance. Piper sarmentosum is used as herbal medicine for several illnesses in Malay traditional society. The current study have shown its potential properties in lowering plasma lipid profile using in vivo approaches and may considered for human use after further studies. Keywords : Piper sarmentosum; GCA; ovariectomized; lipid profile; HMG-CoA reductase.


Humans are social creatures, so it is very necessary ability and skills in social relationships with their environment. Adjustment is an important factor in communicating and interacting with their social environment. There are several things that cause a person difficult to make relationships with others, one of the underlying factors include differences in social status, social status where they can inhibit the process of social relationships, for example in children who lived in an orphanage. This research is a qualitative study aimed to determine the general picture of children's self-adjustment of personal and social environment and research methods used in this research is interview and observation methods, the number of subjects used in this study is one child, which is the subject of meeting criteria for a sample of this research. The results showed that personal adjustment subjects experienced little difficulty because the subject has not been able to accept his condition, conditions of social status makes the subject personal adjustment which affects social adjustment.
Treatment applied by researchers to improve social relations is the subject of treatment that aims to make the subject believe in yourself into a subject that involves joint activities with other students, make the subject feel comfortable with other students. After the researchers gave treatment to improve confidence and enhance social relationships subject the subject, it appears that the subject no longer be passive, shy or awkward when I have to get together and socialize with other students.


Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex condition that has many medical and mental health sequelae. Research has shown that PTSD patients are often not accurately identified, particularly in primary care settings. The result of this underdetection is that these patients often utilize more health care resources. This investigation sought to determine whether the complex nature of PTSD, particularly the frequent presence of comorbid physical symptoms that may overshadow PTSD, makes the disorder difficult to detect in primary care settings. Other factors that could contribute to this underdetection were also investigated. A two-group between-subjects design was utilized for this investigation, using a sample of 144 primary care physicians. Participants were randomly assigned to respond to two different vignettes to assess their ability to accurately diagnose PTSD in a straightforward (PTSD symptoms only) or a complex (PTSD symptoms and several other physical complaints) presentation. Primary care physicians overwhelmingly were able to accurately diagnose PTSD across both conditions. Furthermore, factors such as experience in the primary care and knowledge of PTSD did not significantly contribute to the ability to detect PTSD. These results suggest that primary care physicians are fully capable of accurately identifying PTSD when it presents, regardless of whether the presentation is straightforward or complex. However, limitations must be taken into consideration when interpreting the results, including lack of variance in detection rates. Future studies can apply this design to standardized or live patients to ascertain if the results generalize. PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS' ABILITY TO DETECT PTSD v Table of


Extracellular matrix proteins have been implicated in protein remodelling of the sclera in refractive error. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) falling into the collagenase (MMP1, MMP8, MMP13), gelatinase (MMP2, MMP9) and stromelysin (MMP3, MMP10, MMP11) functional groups are particularly important. We wished to assess their association with myopia, refractive error and ocular biometric measures in an Australian cohort. A total of 543 unrelated individuals of Caucasian ethnicity were genotyped including 269 myopes (≤−1.0D) and 274 controls (>−1.0D). Tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (n = 53) were chosen to encompass these eight MMPs. Association tests were performed using linear and logistic regression analysis with age and gender as covariates. Spherical equivalent, myopia, axial length, anterior chamber depth and corneal curvature were the phenotypes of interest. Initial findings indicated that the best p values for each trait were 0.02 for myopia at rs2274755 (MMP9), 0.02 for SE at both rs3740938 (MMP8) and rs131451 (MMP11), 0.01 for axial length at rs11225395 (MMP8), 0.01 for anterior chamber depth at rs498186 (MMP1) and 0.02 at rs10488 (MMP1). However, following correction for multiple testing, none of these SNPs remained statistically significant. Our data suggests that the MMPs in the collagenase, gelatinase and stromelysin categories do not appear to be associated with myopia, refractive error or ocular biometric measures in this cohort.


Robustness of ecological flow networks under random failure of arcs is considered with respect to two different functionalities: coherence and circulation. In our previous work, we showed that each functionality is associated with a natural path notion: lateral path for the former and directed path for the latter. Robustness of a network is measured in terms of the size of the giant laterally connected arc component and that of the giant strongly connected arc component, respectively. We study how realistic structures of ecological flow networks affect the robustness with respect to each functionality. To quantify the impact of realistic network structures, two null models are considered for a given real ecological flow network: one is random networks with the same degree distribution and the other is those with the same average degree. Robustness of the null models is calculated by theoretically solving the size of giant components for the configuration model. We show that realistic network structures have positive effect on robustness for coherence, whereas they have negative effect on robustness for circulation.


In earlier and in those years the physics department at Brown University was mostly acoustics: Profs. B. Lindsay, A. O. Williams, R. Beyer, P. Westervelt, W. Nyborg, R. Morse, and others were all major acousticians in those days, in fact, I converted from low‐energy physics to acoustics under their guidance. The news of conversion was drowned, however, by the noise that Sputnik generated in 1957. While the physics and engineering departments were engaged in noise control activities in the populace at large, Prof. Beyer characteristically turned his energies to upgrading high schools' proficiency in physics. In a few months, a ''summer teaching for the teachers'' was organized at Brown University and a dozen years later we did get to the moon.


Abstract. A large array of proxy records
suggests that the "4.2 ka event" marks an approximately
300-year long period (∼3.9 to 4.2 ka) of
major climate change across the globe. However, the climatic manifestation of
this event, including its onset, duration, and termination, remains less
clear in the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) domain. Here, we present new oxygen
isotope (δ18O) data from a pair of speleothems (ML.1 and ML.2)
from Mawmluh Cave, Meghalaya, India, that provide a high-resolution record of
ISM variability during a period (∼3.78 and 4.44 ka) that fully
encompasses the 4.2 ka event. The sub-annually to annually resolved ML.1
δ18O record is constrained by 18 230Th dates with an
average dating error of ±13 years (2σ) and a resolution of ∼40 years, which allows us to characterize the ISM variability with
unprecedented detail. The inferred pattern of ISM variability during the
period contemporaneous with the 4.2 ka event shares broad similarities and
key differences with the previous reconstructions of ISM from the Mawmluh
Cave and other proxy records from the region. Our data suggest that the ISM
intensity, in the context of the length of our record, abruptly decreased at
∼4.0 ka (∼±13 years), marking the onset of a multi-centennial
period of relatively reduced ISM, which was punctuated by at least two
multi-decadal droughts between ∼3.9 and 4.0 ka. The latter stands out
in contrast with some previous proxy reconstructions of the ISM, in which the
4.2 ka event has been depicted as a singular multi-centennial drought.


AIM
To evaluate outcome measures, methods of assessment, and analysis in clinical studies on the rehabilitation of full-arch edentulism with implant-supported fixed or removable prostheses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A protocol-oriented search was conducted in MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (PROSPERO registration CRD42021265179) from 1 January 2011 to 27 July 2021 to identify longitudinal studies reporting on the rehabilitation of edentulous patients with implant-supported prostheses. The primary aim of this study was the collection of all objectively reported outcomes in each study. Secondary aims included the description of the methods of assessment and analytical methods. Risk of bias was applied according to the study design (randomized controlled trial, cohort study, or descriptive pre-post study). Individual study data were extracted into an outcomes matrix. Outcomes were grouped into domains and descriptively analysed. A network diagram was generated to establish relationships between domains. The present review follows the PRISMA statement.

RESULTS
The screening and selection processes resulted in the identification of 491 publications, corresponding to 421 different studies (cohorts of patients). Only 24% of the studies reported the use of EQUATOR network guidelines. Implant failure/survival was the most reported outcome (270 studies), but the criterion to determine implant failure and/or survival was frequently not described or was ambiguous. Implant success was much less frequently reported (88) and was based on several heterogenous composite definitions. Marginal bone levels (233 studies), technical complications (158), and clinical outcomes (150), including peri-implant soft tissue and implant stability assessment, were also frequently reported. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (145) and function-based outcomes (40) were predominantly reported in isolation from other outcomes and most frequently in removable restorations. While quality of life was evaluated using valid instruments, patient satisfaction was evaluated based on a common sense concept of satisfaction. Economic outcomes were under-reported (13).

CONCLUSIONS
There is great heterogeneity in the criteria to define implant failure or survival and implant success, which prevents the comparison of rates across studies. Even though studies frequently report multiple outcomes, PROMs are usually reported in isolation from other outcomes. It would be valuable to have a set of core outcome variables and standardized methods of measurement for future studies.


The intention of this lessons is to assess the probability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for biometric recognition. The OCT is the foundation on an optical signal acquisition and processing method and has the micrometer-resolution. In this study, we used the porcine skin for verifying the abovementioned means. The porcine tissue was sound acknowledged for structural and immunohistochemical similarity with human skin, so it could be suitable for pre-clinical trial as investigational specimen. For this reason, it was tattooed by the tattoo machine with the tattoo-pigment. We detected the pattern of the tattooed skin by the OCT according to needle speed. The result was consistent with the histology images. This result showed that the OCT was effective to examine the tattooed skin section noninvasively. It might be available to identify morphological changes inside the skin. Keywords—mechanical skin damage, optical coherence tomography, tattooed skin


Bacterial viruses are important in regulating bacterial population densities in natural aquatic environments, but the dynamics of bacteriophage-bacterial interactions in nature are poorly understood. In this study, the attachment and replication of three Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophages (one temperate and two virulent) were investigated under conditions similar to those found in nature. Attachment and replication of bacteriophages were not impaired at host-cell densities equal to or lower (< 105 c.f.u. ml-1) than those frequently found in aquatic environments when the host cells were physiologically competent to allow phage growth. Attachment (45–93%) to either actively growing or starved cells was not impaired in river water, indicating that attachment is efficient in natural freshwater habitats. However, the replication of bacteriophages was significantly altered in starved cells in river water: the latency period was extended (broth, 70–110 min; river water, 110–240 min), and the burst size was reduced (broth, 27–65; river water 5–7). The findings of this study indicate that phages are likely to affect microbial ecology significantly in freshwater ecosystems.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most dominant primary liver cancer, which can be caused by chronic hepatitis virus infections and other environmental factors. Resection, liver transplantation, and local ablation are only a few of the highly effective and curative procedures presently accessible. However, other complementary treatments can reduce cancer treatment side effects. In this present work, we evaluated the activity of Moroccan scorpion venom Buthus occitanus and its fractions obtained by chromatography gel filtration against HCC cells using a 3D cell culture model. The venom was fractionated by gel filtration chromatography, each fraction and the crude venom was tested on normal hepatocytes (Fa2N-4 cells). Additionally, the fractions and the crude venom were tested on MCTSs (multicellular tumor spheroids), and this latter was generated by cultivate Huh7.5 cancer cell line with WI38 cells, LX2 cells, and human endothelial cells (HUVEC). Our results indicate that Buthus occitanus venom toxin has no cytotoxic effects on normal hepatocytes. Moreover, it is reported that F3 fraction could significantly inhibit the MCTS cells. Other Protein Separation Techniques (High-performance liquid chromatography) are needed in order to identify the most active molecule.


Purpose – This paper holds the purpose to investigate the impact of ethical leadership and civility on organizational commitment and also to explore mediating role of work engagement in the relationship. Design/methodology/approach – With questionnaire survey, the current paper uses a sample of 340 employees from manufacturing sector of Lahore Pakistan. To test the hypotheses, analysis was accomplished by using Statistical Package for Social Science Software, through confirmatory factor and regression analysis. Findings – The results revealed that ethical leadership and civility have positive impact on organizational commitment. Strong empirical support also proved that work engagement mediates the relationship between ethical leadership, civility and organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications – This study design is cross-sectional, consequently accuracy of assumption concerning causality is restrictive. Practical implications – Results of this study discovered the importance of ethical leadership behaviors which play noteworthy role in developing employees and ethical organizational culture & support to ascertain an organizational ethical environment that leads to maximize work engagement and organizational commitment. Thus, ethical leadership behaviors & civility might be the key and most suitable practices to be implemented in manufacturing sector of Pakistan. Originality/value – This paper adds to the existing ethical leadership and civility literature by identifying work engagement as an additional mediator in the relationship between ethical leadership, civility and organizational commitment


The population composition of the Carr-Zilber high titer (HT) strain of Rous sarcoma virus (C-Z-RSV) was analysed with regard to 2 features: the capacity to impart oncogenicity for syngeneic recipients to infected but untransformed cultures of mouse embryo tissue (MET), and oncogenicity for mice. With regard to these features the C-Z-RSV (HT) strain was found to be heterogenic and to consist of particles of at least two types: non-oncogenic for mice and incapable of causing early malignization of MET, and oncogenic for mice and causing early malignization.


Ankyloglossia is a congenital oral anomaly characterized by a short frenulum of tongue, which can cause nutritional, speech, and developmental problems. The limited movement of tongue may lead to the development of various anomalies of dentition. Thus, the purpose of this work is to compare the existing methods for surgical treatment of ankyloglossia that involve either laser technologies or scalpel.

 We analyzed literature sources about patients with the ankyloglossia treated with various surgical methods, such as the use of a scalpel, diode laser, CO2 laser, Er:YAG laser and Nd:YAG laser.

 The results showed that lasers have multiple advantages over the scalpel: bloodless surgery, which provides good visualization of the surgery field; no need for suturing; the reduction of inflammation and pain in the postoperative period due to the bactericidal properties of the laser; minimal or no scar tissue; decreased surgery time.

 Thus, the laser technique is an alternative to conventional surgery, and, considering the upper mentioned benefits, it can be stated that the laser beam is more effective than a scalpel or scissors.


Background Brewers' spent grain (BSG) typically contains 20 ~ 29% crude protein (CP) with high concentrations of glutamine, proline and hydrophobic and non-polar amino acid, making it an ideal material for producing value-added products like bioactive peptides which have antioxidant properties. For this study, protein was extracted from BSG, hydrolyzed with 1% alcalase and �avourzyme, with the generated protein hydrolysates (AlcH and FlaH) showing antioxidant activities. This study evaluated the effects of AlcH and FlaH on gas production, ruminal fermentation characteristics, nutrient disappearance, microbial protein synthesis and microbial community using an arti�cial rumen system (RUSITEC) fed a high-grain diet. Results As compared to the control of grain only, supplementation of FlaH decreased ( P < 0.01) disappearances of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), CP and starch, without affecting �bre disappearances; while AlcH had no effect on nutrient disappearance. Neither AlcH nor FlaH affected gas production or VFA pro�les, however they increased ( P < 0.01) NH 3 -N and decreased ( P < 0.01) H 2 production. Supplementation of FlaH decreased ( P < 0.01) the percentage of CH 4 in total gas and dissolved-CH 4 (dCH 4 ) in dissolved gas. Addition of monensin reduced ( P < 0.01) disappearance of nutrients, improved fermentation e�ciency and reduced CH 4 and H 2 emissions. Total microbial nitrogen production was decreased ( P < 0.05) but the proportion of feed particle associated (FPA) bacteria was increased with FlaH and monensin supplementation. Numbers of OTUs and Shannon diversity indices of FPA microbial community were unaffected by AlcH and FlaH; whereas both indices were reduced ( P < 0.05) by monensin. Taxonomic analysis revealed no effect of AlcH and FlaH on the relative abundance (RA) of bacteria at phylum level, whereas monensin reduced ( P < 0.05) the RA of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and enhanced Proteobacteria. Supplementation of FlaH enhanced ( P < 0.05) the RA of genus Prevotella , reduced Selenomonas , Shuttleworthia , Bi�dobacterium and Dialister as compared to control; monensin reduced ( P < 0.05) RA of genus Prevotella but enhaced Succinivibrio . Conclusions The supplementation of FlaH in high-grain diets may potentially protect CP and starch from ruminal degradation, without adversely affecting �bre degradation and VFA pro�les. It also showed promising effects on reducing CH 4 production by suppressing H 2 production. Protein enzymatic hydrolysates from BSG using �avourzyme showed potential application to high value-added bio-products.


Cosmetic-driven research currently yields an avalanche of products and treatments for all dermatological sub-segments. Many treatments aimed at rejuvenating skin have been developed. Although chemical peels have now been used for more than a century–and despite the availability of new technologies–the treatment is still widely known and employed due to its practicality, low cost, and excellent results. The present study offers a review of all types of peelings recognized by the scientific literature – from the most superficial to the deepest – compiling the practical experience of the authors and detailed descriptions of the application technique, results, and complications.


Subcritical instabilities (i.e. finite-amplitude instabilities that occur without any linear instability) in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows are studied by computing finite-amplitude equilibrium solutions of viscous–resistive MHD equations. The plane Couette flow magnetised by a uniform spanwise current is used as a model flow. Solutions are found for broad sub- and super-Alfvénic flow regimes by controlling the magnetic Mach number, but their existence is greatly influenced by the magnetic Prandtl number. When that number is unity, and the walls are perfectly insulating, the solution branch found in the super-Alfvénic regime cannot be continued towards the sub-Alfvénic regime; the boundary between those regimes is called the Chandrasekhar state, where Chandrasekhar (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 42, 1956, pp. 273–276) proved the non-existence of a linear ideal instability. Thus, the result may seem to suggest that the Chandrasekhar theorem holds even when diffusivity and nonlinearity are present. This is certainly true, but only when the perturbation magnetic field on the boundary is small. The boundary effects add more complexity to the nonlinear analysis of the Chandrasekhar state. The Chandrasekhar theorem is known to work for flows bounded by perfectly conducting walls. However, somewhat paradoxically, when the walls are perfectly conducting, our large-Reynolds-number computational results show that the nonlinear solutions do exist in the Chandrasekhar state. We give a theoretical reasoning for this curious phenomenon, using a large-Reynolds-number asymptotic analysis. For small magnetic Prandtl numbers, we also show that the solution can be continued for infinitesimally small magnetic Mach number, where the flow is significantly sub-Alfvénic.


In many applications, including logistics and manufacturing, robot manipulators operate in semi-structured environments alongside humans or other robots. These environments are largely static, but they may contain some movable obstacles that the robot must avoid. Manipulation tasks in these applications are often highly repetitive, but require fast and reliable motion planning capabilities, often under strict time constraints. Existing preprocessing-based approaches are beneficial when the environments are highly-structured, but their performance degrades in the presence of movable obstacles, since these are not modelled a priori. We propose a novel preprocessing-based method called Alternative Paths Planner (APP) that provides provably fixed-time planning guarantees in semi-structured environments. APP plans a set of alternative paths offline such that, for any configuration of the movable obstacles, at least one of the paths from this set is collision-free. During online execution, a collision-free path can be looked up efficiently within a few microseconds. We evaluate APP on a 7 DoF robot arm in semi-structured domains of varying complexity and demonstrate that APP is several orders of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art motion planners for each domain. We further validate this approach with real-time experiments on a robotic manipulator.


With limited resources and rapidly increasing demands, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue, yet difficult goal to achieve in wadis (Salih and Ghanem, 2003). Sustainability of wadi systems is more complicated due to the conflicts and interactions among the different resource utilizations. Therefore, sustainability of wadi systems, and rather any natural entity, can only be achieved through an integrated management approach. In this study, an attempt is made to summarize the challenges facing sustainable development of a wadi system (Wadi Jerash) and to propose some solutions towards achieving that goal. The challenges considered in this paper include technical, socio-economic, environmental, institutional , political and legal aspects. Wadi Jerash project area, defined as the surface catchment of the Zerqa River in Jordan, is taken as an example due to its characteristics as a natural environmental set-up that need to be managed in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. The proposed methodologies are based on the outcome of wadi al Far' a and Jerash integrated watershed management project. The overall aim of the project is to create sustainable development conditions for the study area through which water resources, natural resources and human resources are protected and conserved.


This paper revisits the added worker effect. Using bivariate random-effects probit estimation on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel we show that women respond to their partners' unemployment with an increase in labor market participation, which also leads to an increase in their employment probability. Our analysis considers within- and between-effects separately, revealing differences in the relationships between women's labor market statuses and their partners' unemployment in the previous period (within effect) and their partners' overall probability of being unemployed (between-effect). Furthermore, we demonstrate that partners' employment in low-paid jobs has an effect on women's labor market choices and outcomes similar to that of his unemployment.


Global Climate change has a negative impact on all sectors of the economy, eco-regions, and social groups. Identifying the risk, the international community is working to reverse the movement. By considering the climate change impacts, the global community is driving an effort of their capacity to prevent the trend. To reduce the impacts of climate change through measures such as reduction of GHG emissions. Linking technological change, climate finance, and the market is a key element for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in climate-smart agriculture. The purpose of this review is to highlight that technological change is closely linked to climate finance and the market in mitigating climate change, the role of technological change in mitigating climate change, the role of climate finance and financing mechanisms in mitigating climate change, and the market perspectives in mitigating climate change.


In this paper (which is a follow up of the accompanying paper by W. Droscher) an in depth analysis of three recent gravitomagnetic experiments is given. These experiments are unique, since there is a possibility that extreme gravitomagnetic fields outside general relativity might have been generated. The experiments were carried out in entirely different environments and are not related in any aspect, except that the effects reported are dependent on cryogenic temperatures. Furthermore, completely different measurement techniques were employed. The set of three experiments comprises the two laboratory experiments by Tajmar et al., Graham et al., and the NASA-Stanford University Gravity Probe-B space experiment. The physical phenomena observed could indicate the existence of novel physics outside both general relativity and the standard model of particle physics, and also would have major implications on the standard model of cosmology. Qualitative as well as quantitative comparisons between a physical model (Extended Heim Theory (EHT), which predicts the existence of extreme gravitomagnetic fields under cryogenic temperature conditions) and experimental results are presented. Several, so far unexplained, observations will be addressed. For instance, a physical explanation for the signal decay in the different experimental setups in the experiments by Tajmar et al. as well as the so called parity violation, seen in both experiments by Tajmar and Graham, will be given. Moreover, the difference in signal strengths between rings and disks, as reported by Tajmar etc., will be discussed. The tangential acceleration and deceleration of the four Nb coated quartz spheres and their mutual interactions in the GP-B experiment are explained through the existence of extreme gravitomagnetic fields. Finally, in order to clarify the currently non-conclusive experimental situation, a gravitational (Gedanken) Aharonov-Bohm experiment is portrayed that utilizes the interference of matter waves to measure the impact of such fields, being independent on the magnitude of gyroscope data, and, if feasible, would provide a yes-no decision on the existence of extreme gravitomagnetic fields.


In order to rescue information technology (IT) projects when they go awry, it is critical to understand the factors that affect bad news reporting. Whistleblowing theory holds promise in this regard and a number of salient factors that may influence whistleblowing intentions have been identified. However, an integrative theory that explains how they influence whistleblowing intentions has been conspicuously absent. In this research, we introduce and test a middle-range theory of whistleblowing that can explain how and why a variety of factors may influence an individual's whistleblowing intentions. Drawing on the social information processing perspective, we propose that individuals holistically weigh the perceived "benefit-to-cost differential" and that this mediates the relationship between whistleblowing factors and whistleblowing intentions. Tests using data collected from 159 experienced IT project managers largely support our theoretical perspective, in which the central explanatory variable (benefit-to-cost differential) significantly mediates a majority of the proposed relationships. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.


Revisionof facial scarspresents a significant challenge toplastic and reconstructive surgeons. In 1969, Webster introduced the geometric broken line closure (GBLC) technique for scar revision. The scar is excised in such a fashion that a series of randomly alternating triangle, rectangle, trapezoid, semicircle, and square flaps are cut on one side of the scar. The same contour is cut on the other side. The wound edges come together with geometric flaps interdigitated. It is complex and time consuming to plan and perform GBLC. To obviate the "sophisticated nature" of GBLC, we developed a flexible broken-line template for revision of facial scars to make the technique quicker, easier, and more effective. The silicone template is 1 mm in thickness and 10 mm in width. The length of the template ranges from 5 to 12 cm. One edge consists of a series of randomly alternating rectangle, triangle, trapezoid, and square patterns. The limbs of the segments are limited to 3 to 6 mm in length (►Fig. 1). Flaps larger than6 mmresult in scars easilynoticeable tonakedeyes and therefore insufficiently camouflage. Flaps less than 3 mm may lead to toomany flaps. The template is filmy and flexible; so, it may be easily bent forward or backward. When the scar axis is curved, thetemplate canbebent tomatch thealignment of thescar. Templateorientation tends tobeparallel to thescar, and the sawtooth side is placed toward the scar. The template should bepositioned as closely to the scar aspossible. Removal of scar tissue should be achieved while minimizing the total amount of tissue loss to help decrease the tension when the incision is closed. After one side margin of the excision is outlined, the start and end points are marked on the template. The template is advanced to the other side of the scar to mark out the complementary margin. The whole scar should then be sandwiched between two uniform geometric broken lines. The lines should be terminated with an angle of no more than 30 degrees (►Fig. 2). Our modified technique has many advantages. First, one silicone template can be sterilized for use in multiple cases. The slim silicone template is flexible. The template can be bent to be parallel to the long axis of line scar whether it is straight, curved, or tortuous. Second, by tracing out the contour of a series of flaps on the template, the two incision lines on both sides of scar aremarked alike.Wedo not need to dealwith odd skinflaps due to design error. The concaves and convexes match accurately with each other and there is no redundant skin to trim. Finally, relying on accurate design, our modified technique significantly reduces the time of planning, designing, and executing.


Significance Attachment theory focuses on the primal form of emotional bonding between humans. Attachment is conceptualized as an innate behavioral system aimed at safeguarding against potential threats by assuring proximity to caring and supportive others. When individuals feel securely attached (thus feeling less threatened in most situations), the activation of the caregiving behavioral system (concern for others) is facilitated. With this research, we show that priming attachment security influences how much people care about and accept climate change via an increased empathy for humanity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this activation bypasses the resistance of politically conservative individuals to mitigate climate change. Overall, we show that attachment security–based stimuli can inform intervention and policymaking strategies to help fight climate change. Attachment theory is an ethological approach to the development of durable, affective ties between humans. We propose that secure attachment is crucial for understanding climate change mitigation, because the latter is inherently a communal phenomenon resulting from joint action and requiring collective behavioral change. Here, we show that priming attachment security increases acceptance (Study 1: n = 173) and perceived responsibility toward anthropogenic climate change (Study 2: n = 209) via increased empathy for others. Next, we demonstrate that priming attachment security, compared to a standard National Geographic video about climate change, increases monetary donations to a proenvironmental group in politically moderate and conservative individuals (Study 3: n = 196). Finally, through a preregistered field study conducted in the United Arab Emirates (Study 4: n = 143,558 food transactions), we show that, compared to a message related to carbon emissions, an attachment security–based message is associated with a reduction in food waste. Taken together, our work suggests that an avenue to promote climate change mitigation could be grounded in core ethological mechanisms associated with secure attachment.


Falls are the leading cause of injuries among Canadians who are aged at 65 years and over. The assessment of dynamic stability has been proved as an effective method to identify fall-prone elderly individuals, which is essential to fall prevention. Tai Chi has been recommended as an effective exercise to prevent falls by the American Geriatric Society and British Geriatric Society. It is important to examine dynamic stability among Tai Chi practitioners and to explore the mechanisms of the effects of Tai Chi practice on fall prevention. This study examined the dynamic postural stability which is assessed by center of mass (COM) range of motion, COM center of pressure (COP) separation, and temporospacial measures of gait during obstacle-walking in two groups: Tai Chi group and healthy controls. Fifteen participants in each group were asked to complete two walking conditions, level walking and 20cm-obstacle walking. Results showed that when compared with Tai Chi group, control group adopted a conservative crossing strategy with a significantly smaller crossing stride, higher heel clearance, and smaller pre horizontal distance to make obstacle crossing as safe as possible. This conservative strategy indicates the inability to cross obstacle casually and it may be associated with the decline in muscle strength and proprioception. It also showed that Tai Chi practitioners displayed a significantly larger COM range of motion in both anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) direction (p<0.05) and a significantly larger COM-COP separation in ML direction (p <0.01), as compared with control group. The larger range of motion of COM and distance between COM and COP indicates that Tai Chi practitioners have a better ability to tolerate unsteadiness, which means if perturbation occurs, Tai Chi practitioners have a larger range to shift COM in the boundary of base of support.


1-3 polymer-based piezoelectric composites were fabricated using epoxy as the matrix by the cut-filling method. The influences of PMN volume fraction on the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composite were analyzed, and then the piezoelectric composite was fabricated to transducer whose properties were also analyzed. The results indicate that with increasing the PMN volume fraction, both the hydrostatic piezoelectric voltage gh and hydrostatic figures of merit dh·gh of the composite decrease, while the relative dielectric constant εr increases. The hydrostatic piezoelectric strain dh has the optimum value in the PMN volume fraction range of 40%-60%. The resonant frequency of transducer in water is 306.5 kHz and anti-resonant frequency is 352.6 kHz.


During the period from the rise of the Merovingian dynasty in Frankia to the death of Charles the Fat and the effective end of the Carolingian Empire, each of the principal Germanic peoples, Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Lombards, Ostrogoths and perhaps also Visigoths, saw, on at least one occasion, the exercise of political power by a queen. It is hoped to show that not only did all these women have in common, to a greater or lesser degree, the means they used to achieve power and the ends they pursued while in possession of it, but also that their eminence was only a development of the possibilities which were available to even these v?omen whose place in history is quite obscure. The marks of queenly status in terms of title, ceremony and regalia were not fixed throughout the period, though a certain grandeur does seem to be held in common, as does the title 'regina'. Female coronation as such, however, was a Carolingian development, and the first Anglo-Saxon queen known to have been crowned was a Carolingian princess, participant in a diplomatic marriage. Marriages for diplomatic or other political reasons, whether overt or concealed, are another feature common to all the peoples, though a personal element in the choice of bride cannot always be ruled out" Once married, queens seem always to have played a very similar role in the management of the court and the economic side of the royal household, apparently even acting as, in some measure, the keeper of their husband's treasury. Many, if not definitely all queens, also interested themselves in the cultural and religious life of the court, a few even going so far as to achieve sanctity. It is possible to assume furthermore, that a great majority of queens enjoyed, for a time at least, some measure of influence over the conduct of their husbands. In the cases of those queens who achieved real political power, generally as a kind of regent rather than in their own right, much of their power seems to come from the same roots, to be a more complete utilisation of the possibilities available to any royal wife, rather than something completely new. Ruling queens dispensed/ patronage, gathered and dispensed riches, and even on occasion led military expeditions. There was, however, nothing "feminine" about the policies they pursued, as their interest in, for example, the preservation of their own power and the power of their descendants, can be paralleled in most, if not all, of the male rulers of the period. If there were likenesses between the reasons for marriage, the status of queens, their duties and their chances for power in the various Germanic kingdoms, there were also similarities in the unfortunate ends which could befall these women. In an era when life frequently appears to have been held comparatively cheap, divorce or simple abandonment by their husbands could be the least of their problems. Despite the overall similarities between the queens of the different peoples, within the Franks themselves, the kingdom m.ost intensively studied, there appear to be some rather marked differences between the Merovingian dynasty and the Carolingians who succeeded them, particularly concerning the kind of women they married and the kind of power their queens controlled. On closer examination, however, these differences appear largely circumstantial, based, among other things, on change in the international situation and on a fortuitous series of adult successions. Over the whole period and the whole area, however, a pattern of queenship seems to be established, with particular regard to the duties expected of a queen and the opportunities presented to her.


The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the issues which confront officials in institutions of higher education as they strive to administer affirmative action admissions programs. This study will provide administrators with comprehensive data which will affect the legal and educational issues involved in selecting students for programs of study. The legal and moral foundations of affirmative action are analyzed in this study, and the salient points of the arguments for and against preferential admissions and preferential hiring programs are enumerated and discussed. Documentation which supports the factual base of the study is gleaned from a variety of source material. The sources include books, court cases, laws, letters from officers of the Federal courts, personal interviews, professional journals, and ERIC reports. The American Digest System, American Law Reports Annotated, The National Reporter System, and other legal bibliographical aids were consulted in locating case citations.


Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate three occupational therapy interventions, focused on supporting continued engagement in occupation among older people, to determine which intervention was most cost effective, evaluated as the incremental cost/quality adjusted life year gained. Method The study was based on an exploratory randomized controlled trial. Participants were 77–82 years, single living and without home help. One hundred and seventy seven persons were randomized to an individual intervention, an activity group, a discussion group or a no intervention control group. All interventions focused on supporting the participants to maintain or improve occupational engagement. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, three and 12 months and included general health and costs (intervention, municipality and health care). Based on linear regression models, we evaluated how outcomes had changed at each follow-up for each intervention group in relation to the control group. Results Both group interventions resulted in quality adjusted life years gained at three months. A sustained effect on quality adjusted life years gained and lower total costs indicated that the discussion group was the most cost-effective intervention. Conclusion Short-term, occupation-focused occupational therapy intervention delivered in group formats for well older people resulted in quality-adjusted life years gained. A one-session discussion group was most cost effective.


Background Valproic acid (VPA) frequently causes severe intoxication which is difficult to recognise in critically ill patients (CIP). Hypoalbuminaemia is a common finding in CIP associated with changes in drug protein binding. VPA is extensively bound to albumin and the unbound fraction is pharmacologically active. In patients with hypoalbuminaemia, total serum concentration (TSC) of VPA offers poor clinical usefulness and in several cases, monitoring free VPA has shown to be of greater benefit. However, very few clinical laboratories routinely analyse free VPA concentration. Nowadays, there are methods that predict normalised VPA concentrations in patients with hypoalbuminaemia. These are used by our clinical pharmacists to make dosing recommendations. Purpose We aimed to determine the usefulness of assessing normalised VPA concentrations to take dosing decisions and the rate of intoxication in CIP with hypoalbuminaemia ≤3.5g/dL and VPA TSC ≤75 mg/L. Material and methods A retrospective and observational study was conducted from September 2014 to September 2016. Inclusion criteria: all CIP who had been treated with VPA, with at least one VPA TSC determination ≤75 mg/L and hypoalbuminaemia ≤3.5g/dL. Data collected: VPA dose, VPA TSC ( mg/L), serum albumin concentration (g/dL) and serum ammonia level (SAL) (µmol/L). Therapeutic range for VPA was 50–100 mg/L. Normalised VPA concentration was calculated based on free VPA and albumin concentration. Intoxication was considered as SAL ≥32µmol/L. Results 15 CIP were included. 5 CIP (33.3%) were within the therapeutic range while the others (66.7%) had subtherapeutic VPA TSC (<50 mg/L). VPA dose was increased in 5 CIP based on subtherapeutic VPA TSC without considering normalised VPA concentration. After adjusting TSC according to albumin concentration, 80% (12 CIP) of all patients reached supratherapeutic levels. Serum ammonia levels were evaluated in 7 CIP confirming VPA intoxication in all cases. Conclusion Despite obvious limitations, clinicians often take incorrect dosing decisions based on VPA TSC. Patients with therapeutic and subtherapeutic TSC, after normalisation, frequently reached supratherapeutic levels. Predicted adjusted VPA concentrations show approximate results but these are reasonably concordant with intoxication confirmed by serum ammonia levels. Normalisation of VPA concentrations in hypoalbuminaemic CIP may have a significant influence on dose adjustment. No conflict of interest


The unstructured data available on the websites of manufacturing suppliers can provide useful insights into the technological and organizational capabilities of manufacturers. However, since the data is often represented in an unstructured form using natural language text, it is difficult to efficiently search and analyze the capability data and learn from it. The objective of this work is to propose a set of text analytics techniques to enable automated classification and ranking of suppliers based on their capability narratives. The supervised classification and semantic similarity measurement methods used in this research are supported by a formal thesaurus that uses SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System) for its syntax and semantics. Normalized Google Distance (NGD) was used as a metric for measuring the relatedness of terms. The proposed framework was validated experimentally using a hypothetical search scenario. The results indicate that the generated ranked list shows a high correlation with human judgment specially if the query concept vector and supplier concept vector belong to the same class. However, the correlation decreases when multiple overlapping classes of suppliers are mixed together. The findings of this research can be used to improve the precision and reliability of Capability Language Processing (CLP) tools and methods.


Two black holes are going to merge in this image of a simulation from the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes collaboration. Credit: SXS Lensing/Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes Collaboration


Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined after a single intramuscular injection of 7.5 mg of amikacin/kg to 10 volunteers with impaired renal function (creatinine clearance rate, 2.2-65ml/min per 1.73 m2) and to six volunteers with normal renal function. The mean peak concentrations of amikacin in sera of the two groups did not differ significantly from each other and exceeded by two to five times the reported in vitro minimal inhibitory concentrations for the majority of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae strains. There was a significant linear relation between the elimination rate constant of amikacin and the rate of creatinine clearance; there was a significant nonlinear relation between the half-life of amikacin and the serum creatinine concentration. Knowledge of these relations may aid in adjustment of the dosage of amikacin in patients with impaired renal function, especially when such information is used in conjunction with serum assays of amikacin.


In response to the increasing political and popular demand on e-government to deliver, governments have begun to seek out new, alternative forms of operation. One such development in the domain of e-government is the emergence of private-public partnerships (PPP). However, research on PPPs in the service layer of e-government is virtually silent. In this paper we argue that one possible approach to help close this gap is by investigating key partnership issues from a platform perspective. Building on a case study, and using this novel perspective, we identify three key barriers for developing platform-based partnerships for e-service delivery in local government: the bureaucratic barrier, the interface barrier and the business barrier. Based on experiences from this study, we also conclude that the platform approach have proven useful as a means to close the highlighted gap in research.


Abstract This study investigates the estimated adsorption efficiency of artificial Nickel (II) ions with perlite in an aqueous solution using artificial neural networks, based on 140 experimental data sets. Prediction using artificial neural networks is performed by enhancing the adsorption efficiency with the use of Nickel (II) ions, with the initial concentrations ranging from 0.1 mg/L to 10 mg/L, the adsorbent dosage ranging from 0.1 mg to 2 mg, and the varying time of effect ranging from 5 to 30 mins. This study presents an artificial neural network that predicts the adsorption efficiency of Nickel (II) ions with perlite. The best algorithm is determined as a quasi-Newton back-propagation algorithm. The performance of the artificial neural network is determined by coefficient determination (R2), and its architecture is 3-12-1. The prediction shows that there is an outstanding relationship between the experimental data and the predicted values.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether platelet growth factors are preserved in supernatants obtained from rehydrated trehalose-stabilized, freeze-dried (lyophilized) equine platelets and whether those growth factors stimulate fibroblast proliferation and migration and enhance fibroblast-associated contraction in a collagen gel assay.

ANIMALS
6 clinically normal adult horses.

PROCEDURES
Blood samples were obtained from 6 horses, and washed platelets were prepared via differential centrifugation. Washed platelets were freeze-dried in a physiologic buffer with a mixture of trehalose and polyethylene glycol 4000. Rehydrated platelet supernatants and releasates prepared from fresh washed platelets stimulated with thrombin or platelet-activating factor were evaluated for transforming growth factor beta1 and platelet-derived growth factor-BB by use of ELISAs. Effects of rehydrated freeze-dried platelet supernatants on fibroblast proliferation, migration, and collagen gel contraction were compared with effects of 1%, 2.5%, or 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS).

RESULTS
Supernatants from freeze-dried platelets contained similar amounts of growth factors as thrombin- and platelet-activating factor-stimulated platelet releasates. The supernatants significantly enhanced fibroblast proliferation and migration in a scratch assay, compared with FBS-free control or low (1%) FBS conditions. Additionally, supernatants from freeze-dried platelets enhanced contraction of fibroblast-seeded collagen gels, compared with the effect of 1% FBS.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The preparation technique preserved platelet growth factors, enhanced fibroblast proliferation and migration, and improved fibroblastseeded collagen gel contraction under conditions of low FBS concentration; these platelet supernatant preparations may prove useful as an aid to conventional wound management.


This paper examines Grotius's knowledge of Stobaeus's magnificent anthology of classical literature. After summarizing the contents and significance of that anthology, it shows that Grotius had a life-long interest in and extensive knowledge of the work. Despite this, and even though Grotius made important contributions to the revitalization of Stoicism in the seventeenth century, he never once mentions the material in Chapter Seven of Book II of Stobaeus's work, material which is widely regarded nowadays as a vital source for the ethical views of ancient Stoics. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of this omission for the broader revival of Stoicism in the early modern period.


This English research guide will guide you the the best subject databases, how to read Dewey Decimal call numbers and how to navigate the classification system, how to look for ebooks, and help you cite sources using MLA.


At the Kougarok deposit tin mineralization occurs in association with a Cretaceous granite complex. The tin mineralization is hosted in both granite and pelitic schist country rock.The most significant concentrations of cassiterite occur in a late zinnwaldite granite body which cuts older granite phases of the intrusive complex. The body has a subhorizontal lower contact and an irregular upper contact which merges into higher level dikes and plugs. The intensity of hydrothermal alteration increases upward in the body; successive alteration assemblages, in order of increasing destruction of igneous texture, consist of sericite-tourmaline, brown zinnwaldite-sericite, white zinnwaldite-sericite, and quartz + or - tourmaline greisen. In general, the grade of tin mineralization parallels the intensity of the alteration, ranging from less than 0.10 percent in the sericite-tourmaline zone to over 1.0 percent in the quartz + or - tourmaline greisen. Highly anomalous arsenic (greater than 1,000 ppm), anomalous lead (up to 1,500 ppm), and silver (up to 30 ppm) are associated with tin grades greater than 1.0 percent. Tantalum and niobium, in tantalite-columbite, are also enriched (up to 900 ppm Ta and approximately 600 ppm Nb) upward in the zinnwaldite granite but vary independently of tin.Schist adjacent to and above the zinnwaldite granite contains veinlets and fractures with hydrothermal alteration selvages. Alteration zones are distinguished by the alteration selvages on quartz and/or tourmaline veinlets and hairline fractures in schist, which change from tourmaline enveloped by chlorite in a zone proximal to altered granite, to axinite enveloped by chlorite in an intermediate zone, and to chlorite selvages in a distal zone. Tin grades in quartz and/or tourmaline veinlets in the proximal zone commonly exceed 0.10 percent and give way outward to widespread halos of tin grades above 0.01 percent; tin mineralization is weaker or absent in the intermediate and distal alteration zones in schist.Other granites and schist beneath the zinnwaldite granite body are altered and locally contain anomalous tin. Evidence that the zinnwaldite granite body cuts altered and mineralized older granites implies that hydrothermal activity and tin introduction commenced prior to the intrusion of the late zinnwaldite granite body.


The presence of an acetolysis-resistant polymer (sporopollenin) in the cellular slime moulds is demonstrated. This polymer is located on the stalk sheath of fruiting bodies as a bundle of fine fibrils (4-5 nm diameter). The location and structure of sporopollenin in spores are shown to vary considerably, depending upon the species. In Polysphondylium violaceum spores, sporopollenin is composed of fine spicules (4-5 nm in diameter, 25-50 nm long) that cover both the outermost layer of spore wall and the inner surface of the cell membrane. The sporopollenin of Dictyostelium discoideum spores is located preferentially close to the inner surface of the cell membrane, forming a mass of electron-opaque fine granules (4-5 nm in diameter). D. mucoroides spores, however, appear not to possess a tight network of sporopollenin, since they were less resistant to acetolysis than those of the other species. The biological significance of the results is discussed with special reference to fruiting body formation.


In order to obtain a better fit for the observational data, various cosmological models have been developed in the literature. For this purpose, we propose an adiabatic expansion of the Universe with a polytropic fluid matter-radiation content and a varying cosmological constant. Basic motivation of this study basically differs from the previous models because our model does not neglect the pressure of the matter content of the Universe. We present the details of our new derivations by obtaining the polytropic matter density and luminosity distances. After constructing the model, two large collections of observational data of supernovae type Ia (SNe Ia) are conducted to diagnose the model. Examining the fitness of our new models of a polytropic universe with the observational data, we find a significant influence of polytropic matter on the cosmological parameters of the expanding universe. We find that our flat constant Λ model and varying Λ model describes the SNe Ia data significantly better than the other models including the standard model for Gold Data and Union2.1 Data, respectively.


We report on a theoretical analysis of the suitability of the 7s (2)S(1/2) 6d (2)D(3/2) transition in singly ionized radium to measure parity nonconservation, in the light of an experiment planned at the KVI of the University of Groningen. Relativistic coupled-cluster theory has been employed to perform an ab initio calculation of the parity-nonconserving electric dipole amplitude of this transition, including single, double, and leading triple excitations. We discuss the prospects for a sub-1% precision test of the electroweak theory of particle physics.