This study was carried out to investigate the development of the midbrain in the grey breasted helmeted guinea fowl. Domestication of grey helmeted guinea fowl is increase but scanty documentation on the development of midbrain (mesencephalon) and how it relates to the neurobiology of this bird is lacking. A total of sixty six (66) fertilized guinea fowl eggs were purchased from National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom, Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria and used for this study. Grossly, in the wild grey breasted helmeted guinea fowl, the optic lobe develops following development of midbrain and the midbrain appeared first on day 10 of incubation flank by the optic lobes on each sides. There was steady increase in the weights of the midbrain up to day 28 of incubation. This was expressed graphically at pre-hatch period which went up at day 17 and dropped at day 20 of incubation. Significant increases (P ≤ 0.0001) of the midbrain were seen on days 23 and 26. This indicates that as body and brain weights were increasing, there was a concurrent increase in midbrain weight. Morphologically, the midbrain was fully developed at pre-hatch period. This indicates that contribution from optic lobe to auditory-visual systems is fully developed in the wild grey breasted helmeted guinea fowl immediately after hatching and is capable of surviving independently. Keywords: Grey, Helmeted, Midbrain, Morphogenesis, Pre-hatch


In this thesis, we present a universal framework for hydrodynamics starting from the fundamental considerations of symmetries and the second law of thermodynamics, while allowing for additional gapless modes in the low-energy spectrum. Examples of such fluids include superfluids and fluids with surfaces. Typically, additional dynamical modes in hydrodynamics also need to be supplied with their own equations of motion by hand, like the Josephson equation for superfluids and the Young-Laplace equation for fluid surfaces. However, we argue that these equations can be derived within the hydrodynamic framework by a careful off-shell generalisation of the second law. This potentially provides a universal framework for a large class of hydrodynamic theories, based on their underlying symmetries and gapless modes. Motivated by this newly found universality, we present an all-order analysis of the second law of thermodynamics and propose a classification scheme for the allowed hydrodynamic transport, including arbitrary gapless modes, independent spin current, and background torsion.

In the second half of this thesis, we look at the construction of null fluids which are a new viewpoint of Galilean fluids. These are essentially fluids coupled to spacetime backgrounds carrying a covariantly constant null isometry, but with additional constraints imposed on the background gauge field and affine connection to reproduce the correct Galilean degrees of freedom. We discuss the Galilean version of quantum anomalies and their effect on hydrodynamics. Finally, we follow our relativistic discussion to allow for arbitrary gapless modes in Galilean hydrodynamics and present a classification scheme for the second law abiding hydrodynamic transport at all orders in the derivative expansion.

We apply these abstract ideas to review the theory of ordinary relativistic/Galilean hydrodynamics and provide novel constructions for relativistic/Galilean (non-Abelian) superfluid dynamics and surface transport. We also comment on the possible application to the theory of magnetohydrodynamics.


Total spinal block in a patient with a dural tap has This case illustrates that flow reversal between been reported.' Dr Park in his letter (Anaesthesia 1984; epidural and intrathecal spaces may not occur until a 39 289) suggests a migrating cannula as a possible few hours after a dural tap. All epidural top ups to a cause for massive spinal anaesthesia after a dural tap. patient with a dural tap should be given by an anaesInjection of local anaesthetic in the epidural space thetist. causes a rise in epidural pressure.* Immediately after a dural tap the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure is Dudley Road Hospital, likely to be normal and local anaesthetic injected into Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH the epidural space may cause none or only partial CSF contamination. The continued leakage of CSF from the dural puncture would cause a lowering of CSF pressure and a subsequent epidural top up is more likely to cause CSF contamination. Thus the reversal of flow from the higher epidural pressure immediately after a top UP to


We have examined the isolated postsynaptic density (PSD) fraction for the presence of a G protein. First, we found specific binding of guanosine 5'-[gamma-[35S]thio]triphosphate to the PSD. Second, pertussis toxin-activated ADP-ribosylation of the isolated PSD fraction resulted in the appearance of a G protein with an apparent molecular mass of 41 kDa, and two G proteins with apparent molecular masses of 41 kDa and 39 kDa in synaptic membrane (SM) fraction and total homogenate (H). The amount of the 41-kDa G protein per unit protein was in the order of SM greater than H greater than PSD. Anti-G(i0 antibodies recognized the 41-kDa G protein in both PSD and SM, whereas anti-G(o) antibodies reacted with the 39-kDa G protein in the SM. The absence of G(o) protein in the PSD suggested that there was no contamination with SM. Moreover, unlabeled PSD incubated with an extract of SM that contained the labeled G proteins resulted in no label in the subsequently reisolated PSD, suggesting that the G protein found in the PSD was not due to adsorption of the G protein onto the PSD during its isolation from the SM. PSD pretreated with EGTA gave an 11-fold increase in the ADP-ribosylation reaction of the G(i) protein; similar effects on the G(i) and G(o) proteins of SM were obtained. Restoration of Ca2+/calmodulin to the PSD, but not of either Ca2+ or calmodulin alone, removed the effect of EGTA, indicating a strong complex formation between G(i) and Ca2+/calmodulin that decreased the ADP-ribosylation reaction. Preincubation with the Ca(2+)-channel blocker nifedipine decreased the ADP-ribosylation reaction in the PSD. We conclude that G(i) is present in the PSD, that it may interact with calmodulin and that it is involved in the regulation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel. We present a theory of the involvement of the G protein and calmodulin in postsynaptic neurophysiological events.


Burkholderia cepacia belongs to a family of Burkholderia species previously described as Pseudomonas cepacia, especially in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. There are also many studies about this agent in the last decade due to their life-threatening infections and ability to invade mucosal and cellular surfaces. Here, we report a case of soft tissue infection caused by B. cepacia in a child with an underlying condition of polyarteritis nodosa. Her complaints started at two months of age and she was on cyclosporine therapy. She was treated several times because of soft tissue infections especially in her extremities. The most common causative agents were Pseudomonas spp. and Escherichia coli, but recently, another soft tissue infection accompanied by fever and signs of sepsis had developed. All blood, urine and tissue (debrided from the necrotic area) specimens were incubated. Empirical antibiotherapy with clindamycin was started and cyclosporine therapy was discontinued. B. cepacia was grown in the tissue specimen culture and was only susceptible to carbapenems. Meropenem therapy was administered throughout 14 days with a daily dosage of 60 mg/kg, and she was treated successfully at least in this attack of soft tissue infection, which caused more severe sepsis and tissue damage than the previous infections with other agents.


Abstract. Variations of the plasma pressure in a magnetic flux tube can produce MHD waves evolving into shocks. In the case of a low plasma beta, plasma pressure pulses in the magnetic flux tube generate MHD slow shocks propagating along the tube. For converging magnetic field lines, such as in a dipole magnetic field, the cross section of the magnetic flux tube decreases enormously with increasing magnetic field strength. In such a case, the propagation of MHD waves along magnetic flux tubes is rather different from that in the case of uniform magnetic fields. In this paper, the propagation of MHD slow shocks is studied numerically using the ideal MHD equations in an approximation suitable for a thin magnetic flux tube with a low plasma beta. The results obtained in the numerical study show that the jumps in the plasma parameters at the MHD slow shock increase greatly while the shock is propagating in the narrowing magnetic flux tube. The results are applied to the case of the interaction between Jupiter and its satellite Io, the latter being considered as a source of plasma pressure pulses.


The regulation of proteolysis is an efficient way to control protein function in cells. Here, we present a general strategy enabling to increase the spatiotemporal resolution of conditional proteolysis by using light activation as trigger. Our approach relies on the auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system obtained by transposing components of the plant auxin-dependent degradation pathway in mammalian cells. We developed an optimized version of the AID which enables to significantly destabilize target proteins in presence of auxin. Parallely, we developed a photoactivatable auxin that acts as a photoactivatable inducer of degradation. Upon local and short light illumination, auxin is released in cells and triggers the degradation of a protein of interest with spatiotemporal control. This generic method was implemented in nuclear and cytoplasmic contexts.


The goal of this study was to enhance rigidity and to reduce cost of the PBS-based composites by blending with recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (r-PET) and Eucalyptus fibers. Prior compounding, Eucalyptus fibers were treated with alkali and γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS) solution for compatibility improvement. PBS and r-PET were melt blended in a twin-screw extruder with the weight ratio of 95/5, 90/10, and 80/20 wt%, and compounded with MPS treated Eucalyptus fibers using fiber loading of 3, 5, and 7 wt% of composites. Samples were characterized by tensile test, notched Izod impact test, SEM, NMR, and DSC. It was found that r-PET increased rigidity of PBS matrix but reduced impact resistance. Glass transition temperature of PBS and r-PET shifted toward each other indicating compatibility between them via transesterification. Chemical shifts in NMR indicated chemical interaction between PBS matrix and MPS grafted on Eucalyptus fibers, which illustration of interaction was proposed. Blending PBS with r-PET and Eucalyptus fibers synergistically increased rigidity for the PBS matrix. Composites of PBS/r-PET 80/20 wt% blends with 7 wt% fiber presented Young's modulus 67.3% higher than that of neat PBS. For impact property, it was found that it depended on r-PET content in the composites that the composites from PBS/r-PET 95/5 wt% blend was the best. SEM images revealed that there were fine particles of r-PET domains dispersed inside PBS matrix, and wetting of PBS on silane treated fibers was clearly obtained.


Probabilistic connectivity problems arise naturally in many social networks. In particular the spread of an epidemic across a population and social trust inference motivate much of our work. We examine problems where some property, such as an infection or influence, starts from some initially seeded set of nodes and every affected node transmits the property to its neighbors with a probability determined by the connecting edge. Many problems in this area involve connectivity in a random-graph - the probability of a node being affected is the probability that there is a path to it in the random-graph from one of the seed nodes. We may wish to aid, disrupt, or simply monitor this connectivity. In our core applications, public health officials wish to minimize an epidemic's spread over a population, and connectivity in a social network suggests how closely tied its users are. In support of these and other applications, we study several combinatorial optimization problems on random-graphs. We derive algorithms and demonstrate their effectiveness through simulation, mathematical proof, or both.


Self-perceived identity means individuals' having a state of cognitively, emotionally and behaviourally consistent interpretation of themselves, the environment and all factors of their lives, which is specific but also in compliance with the society. In that sense, it is considered to be a very important concept in psychology, especially for the adolescence period. Considering that it will contribute to the literature, it was intended in this study to develop a valid and reliable liker type scale to identify the level of such a substantial perception. Findings of the confirmatory factor analysis also indicated that the obtained fit indices confirmed a twodimensional structure. Results of reliability analysis for the negative perception of identity and positive perception of identity factors were .87 and .86, respectively. Psychometric characteristics of the Self Perceived Identity Scale suggested that it is a valid and reliable scale to be used for determining the Self Perceived identity level of university students.


In this thesis it is shown the development, implementation and numerical solution of several computational fluid dynamics models for the study of liquid metal flows. The work is organized in two main parts in which different modeling techniques are analyzed. These two parts are introduced by a brief chapter on the finite element methods and on the computational platform developed during the Ph.D. studies which have been the basis for the implementation and numerical solution of all the developed mathematical models.
In the first part, turbulence modeling based on Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations is considered for the study of turbulent heat transfer in liquid metal flows. A new four parameter turbulence model is introduced and validated in two different k-e and k-w formulations. Several results in four geometries interesting for the fast nuclear reactor field are reported in order to assess and prove the feasibility of this model for the study of turbulent heat transfer in liquid metal flows.
In the second part the adjoint optimal control theory is introduced. Some numerical cases are presented by solving the optimality system with state and adjoint variables. The first application is a temperature boundary optimal control in which an improved way of setting boundary conditions in weak form has been developed. The second application is a distributed optimal control problem for the RANS system. Numerical simulations in two and three dimensions have been carried on for this type of applications and are reported in the final chapter.


In 2007, Matthew Philip Gill, a resident of Derbyshire, England, announced the formation of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ. He claimed to be acting under angelic direction, and produced a new scripture, the Book of Jeraneck, to usher in his new faith. Gill9s church is a restoration of a restoration: he claims to have restored the Mormon movement, which Joseph Smith founded as a restoration of the church Jesus organized, but which Gill claims has fallen into apostasy——particularly its primary iteration, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), which Gill was raised in but has abandoned. This article analyzes the relationship between Gill9s movement and the LDS church, pointing out the ways in which Gill draws upon the Mormon tradition to claim authority for his new church, but also the ways in which Gill seeks to alter the balance of tension between the LDS church and the culture around it. The article particularly explores Gill9s founding narrative, comparing its language, motifs, and forms of spirituality with those of Joseph Smith; the Book of Jeraneck9s intertextual relationship with the Book of Mormon; and Gill9s story of LDS apostasy.


We are giving a good effort on trying to improvement the manuscript submitted by the authors in our PMJN. Sometimes there is delay in processing and publication due to various reasons. Every journal has its own format. Author should follow its guidelines. We generally receive the scientific paper in a diverse style of writing which generally prolongs the process of reviewing and publication. There may be many factors as the authors are not aware of the respective medical journal style, the guideline may not be user friendly, the author may not know it or they are neglecting the rules.
Questions arise are the submitting the paper just for getting the academic promotion but not developing the academic carrier. We are not thinking such fact we can get such reasons for publishing paper more in favour of promotion than in disseminating knowledge and reporting genuine research.


Immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases is an essential component of women's primary and preventive health care. Despite the importance of vaccination and clear guidance from public health agencies, rates of vaccination lag behind national goals. Obstetrician-gynecologists can play a major role in reducing morbidity and mortality from a range of vaccine-preventable diseases, including pertussis, influenza, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis. Given demonstrated vaccine efficacy and safety, and the large potential for prevention of many infectious diseases that affect adults, pregnant women, and newborns, obstetrician-gynecologists should include immunizations as an integral part of their practice. To do so, they must embrace their role as important sources of information and advice on immunization for adults, adolescents, and pregnant women, and advance their patients' well-being with continued efforts to augment immunization services in their offices. Increasing awareness combined with the many suggestions in this document will work to enhance immunization uptake.


A new decoder is proposed to decode the (23, 12, 7) binary Golay-code up to five errors. It is based on the algorithm that can correct up to four errors for the (24, 12, 8) extended Golay-code proposed by Lin
 et al.
, thereby achieving the soft decoding in the real sense for the Golay-code. For a weight-2 or weight-3 error pattern decoded by the hard decoder for correcting up to three errors, one can find the corresponding 21 weight-4 or weight-5 error patterns and choose the one with the maximum emblematic probability value, which is defined as the product of individual bit-error probabilities corresponding to the non-zero locations of the error pattern as the ultimate choice. Finally, simulation results of this decoder over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels show that the proposed method provides 0.9 dB coding gain than that of Lin
 et al.
's algorithm at bit-error rate of 10
 -5
.


Nuclear spins show long coherence times and are well isolated from the environment, which are properties making them promising for quantum information applications. On the other hand, these same qualities make the initialization and the readout of nuclear spin qubits challenging. Here, we present a method for nuclear spin readout by probing the transmission of a microwave resonator. We consider a single electron in a silicon double quantum dot interacting with a microwave resonator via the electric dipole coupling and subjected to a homogeneous magnetic field and a transverse magnetic field gradient. In our scenario, the electron spin interacts with a $^{31}\mathrm{P}$ defect nuclear spin via the hyperfine interaction. We theoretically investigate the influence of the P nuclear spin state on the microwave transmission through the cavity and show that nuclear spin readout is feasible with current state-of-the-art devices. Moreover, we identify optimal readout points with strong signal contrast to facilitate the experimental implementation of nuclear spin readout. Furthermore, we investigate the potential for achieving coherent excitation exchange between a nuclear spin qubit and cavity photons.


«No man can act before the camera in the face of death». This statement by EmestHemingway does not only claim authority for the images from the Spanish Civil war ofJoris lvens' Spanish Earth (1937). The decidedly dry and restrained diction ofHemingway's performance as author and speaker of this Voice of God was not onlymuch admired for its difference to contemporary newsreel and documentary practicewhen the film was released in the US; its very factual mode of presentation also transports Hemingway' s assertions to a level of universal and pragmatic truth about an essential affinity of documentary modes of representation the mise en scene of military combat.


Background Many neurointerventionalists have transitioned to transradial access (TRA) as the preferred approach for neurointerventions as studies continue to demonstrate fewer access site complications than transfemoral access. However, radial artery spasm (RAS) remains one of the most commonly cited reasons for access site conversions. We discuss the benefits, techniques, and indications for using the long radial sheath in RAS and present our experience after implementing a protocol for routine use. Methods A retrospective review of all patients undergoing neurointerventions via TRA at our institution from July 2018 to April 2020 was performed. In November 2019, we implemented a long radial sheath protocol to address RAS. Patient demographics, RAS rates, radial artery diameter, and access site conversions were compared before and after the introduction of the protocol. Results 747 diagnostic cerebral angiograms and neurointerventional procedures in which TRA was attempted as the primary access site were identified; 247 were performed after the introduction of the long radial sheath protocol. No significant differences in age, gender, procedure type, sheath sizes, and radial artery diameter were seen between the two cohorts. Radial anomalies and small radial diameters were more frequently seen in patients with RAS. Patients with clinically significant RAS more often required access site conversion (p<0.0001), and in our multivariable model use of the long sheath was the only covariate protective against radial failure (OR 0.061, 95% CI 0.007 to 0.517; p=0.0103). Conclusion In our experience, we have found that the use of long radial sheaths significantly reduces the need for access site conversions in patients with RAS during cerebral angiography and neurointerventions.


a Pesquisador do CNPq. IN VITRO EVALUATION OF THE ACTION OF THE NEMATOPHAGOUS FUNGI Duddingtonia flagrans, Monacrosporium thaumasium AND Pochonia chlamydosporia ON Eurytrema coelomaticum EGGS The present study assessed in vitro action of nematophagous fungi species Duddingtonia flagrans (AC 001), Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF 34) and Pochonia chlamydosporia (VC1 and VC4) on eggs of Eurytrema coelomaticum. Eggs were placed on Petri dishes with fungus isolate grown in water- agar 2% and in the control (no fungus). After seven, 10 and 14 days, the eggs were removed and classified according to the following parameters: type 1, lytic effect without morphological damage to eggshell; type 2, lytic effect with morphological alteration of embryo and eggshell; and type 3, lytic effect with morphological alteration of embryo and eggshell, besides hyphal penetration and internal egg colonization. The isolate AC001 and NF34 had not demonstrated percentages to type 3 effects, however isolated VC1 presented results percentages for the type 3 effect that it determines the ovicida activity of one fungus: 27.2% to the seven days, 23.1% to the 10 days and 25.0% to the 14 days. The isolated VC4 presented: 15.0% to the seven days, 25.4% to the 10 days and, 21.8% to the 14 days. P. chlamydosporia is a promising fungus can be used in the biological control of E. coelomaticum.


Abstract Densities and transport properties (dynamic viscosity) of pure imidazolium ionic liquids 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide and their binary mixtures with water and ethanol were measured within the temperature range of 293.15—333.15 K. Obtained experimental data were used to calculate excess molar volume and viscosity deviation. For the chosen binary mixtures, variations of excess molar volume, partial molar volumes of mixture components and of the viscosity deviation with the binary mixture composition were correlated using the Redlich-Kister equation. In addition, variation of viscosity with the binary mixture composition and temperature was fitted using the Jouyban-Acree model.


Abstract Alkali feldspars in syenite from the Cerro Balmaceda pluton in the Patagonian Andes, Chile, show various petrographic microtextures formed during the magmatic to high- and low-temperature hydrothermal stages in which cathodoluminescence (CL) shows a wide range of blue, violet, and pink to red colors with variable brightness. Their CL spectra exhibit two emission bands: one at 405-420 nm in the blue region and the other at 700-760 nm in the red-infrared (IR) region. Asymmetrically shaped spectral peaks in energy units suggest overlapping of each individual emission, which corresponds to various luminescence centers. Blue emission bands were separated into two spectral peaks fitted by Gaussian curves centered at 3.055-3.076 and 2.815-2.845 eV. A positive correlation is found between emission intensities at 3.055-3.076 eV and TiO2 contents, suggesting the activation of a Ti4+ impurity as an emission center. The intensities at 2.815-2.845 eV, where clear and featureless feldspar (CF; not affected by hydrothermal metasomatism) is shown under optical microscopy, which have intensities appreciably higher than those showing patched microperthite (PMP), formed during low-temperature hydrothermal reactions, correlate reciprocally with the intensities of red-IR emission caused by a Fe3+ impurity center. The peak at 2.815-2.845 eV can be attributed to oxygen defects associated with Al-O-Al and Al-O-Ti bridges. Most of the areas show CL emissions at 700-760 nm in the red-IR region, in which intensities increase with an increase in Fe2O3 contents as impurities. The Fe3+ ion acts as an activator for the red-IR emission. The Ab-rich and Or-rich phases of PMP have emission components at 1.644 eV (754 nm) and 1.727 eV (717 nm), respectively. The red-IR emission from CF consists of emission components at 1.677 eV (739 nm) and 1.557 eV (796 nm), according to an Fe3+ impurity center in the Or-rich phase and in the Ab-rich phase as cryptoperthite, respectively. Both components are centered at a wavelength longer than the emission band of Ab-rich and Or-rich phases of PMP, suggesting a change in configurational state around the Fe3+ ion from the T2 to the T1 site by low-temperature hydrothermal metasomatic reactions. Accordingly, the peak positions of the red-IR emission are controlled by the ordering state of Fe3+ ion into the T1 site, the existence of multiphase perthite and chemical composition.


Kamala is a condition characterised by yellowish discoloration of skin, eye, and mucous membrane. Kamala is mainly cause due to excessive intake of ushna (hot), tikshna i.e. pitta prakopaka (aggravating) diet and regimen. Due to this the increased pitta dosha with vitiation of rakta (blood), mansa (muscles) dhatu results in kamala roga. Here in, we report a case of young 26-year-old female who had complains of chhardi (vomiting) ,ajirna (indigestion), dourbalya (weakness) with increased liver function test value i.e. S.G.P.T-2490U/L. On physical examination and as per the liver functional test this case was diagnosed as Koshthaashrita Kamala which is very similar to Hepatocellular jaundice due to its resemblance. In Ayurveda, virechana is the first line of treatment of Kamala followed by virechaka (purgative), Rasayana (Rejuvenator) and Dhatuvardhaka (nourishes body tissues) treatment   for treating Kamala roga. The treatment protocol included internal administration of herbomineral formulations i.e. Arogyavardhini rasa, Tapyadi lauha and Phalatrikadi kwath with Pathya palana for twenty days. Further subsiding of symptoms was observed after sixteen days of treatment. Liver function test was improved by 27 U/L as compared to before (2490 U/L).


At the Surgery Grand Rounds held approximately 1 year ago, Dr Monica Morrow discussed the evaluation and management of a 47-year-old woman with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who decided, after considerable discussion, to undergo bilateral mastectomy.1 Dr Morrow discussed the incidence, prevalence, and natural history of DCIS and current diagnostic and therapeutic options in the management of women with DCIS. We asked the patient and her doctor to comment on the year that has passed. Mrs Y, the patient: Sometimes I resent that I have had to face the decisions I've had to make in the last year; it's been a life-changing experience. I'm comfortable with all the decisions I made and wouldn't change any of them. I feel vulnerable a lot and am still scared about having a recurrence. I attend a support group for women who are being treated for breast cancer and feel that I am


With the advent of new risk-based regulations for financial services firms, specifically Basel 2 for banks and Solvency 2 for insurers, there is now a heightened focus on the practical implementation of quantitative risk management techniques for firms operating within the financial services industry. In particular, financial services firms are now expected to self assess and quantify the amount of capital that they need, to cover the risks they are running. This self-assessed quantum of capital is commonly termed risk, or economic, capital. Economic capital has the potential to make financial services firms more risk-aware in their capital management, enabling investors and regulators to easily compare financial strength and profitability across business lines and sectors.

The first part of the presentation is based on Srinivasan and Tapadar (2008) and Porteous and Tapadar (2005). It focuses on the implementation of economic capital techniques to show how economic capital can be calculated for companies offering different financial products with varying risk profiles. A stochastic approach, using graphical models, is used in conjunction with examples of a capital repayment mortgage, a lifetime mortgage and a life insurance annuity product. This will demonstrate economic capital as a tool that not only meets the needs of all interested parties, but also unifies capital calculation techniques across all financial services firms, irrespective of their line of operation.

The second half of the presentation is based on Porteous and Tapadar (2008) which advances the techniques further to quantify the impact of capital structure and capital asset allocation on a firm's economic capital and risk adjusted performance. It is demonstrated that under certain circumstances, gearing up Tier 1 capital with Tier 2 capital can be in the interests of the firms' Tier 1 capital providers. The technique is again generic and can be applied to any financial services firm.


This article examines some aspects of the effectiveness of a first-year course in quantitative literacy for Humanities and Law students at a South African university. This intervention is necessary to assist students in developing the appropriate quantitative competencies because there is an articulation gap between the quantitative literacy of many first-year students and the demands of their curriculum in this regard. Interventions of this kind should be integrated into the disciplinary curriculum to as great an extent as possible, primarily because quantitative literacy is a practice embedded in the disciplinary practices. Tensions involved in attempting this integration limit the course's effectiveness and are to a large extent due to the conflicting demands on students of both the disciplinary discourses and the mathematical and statistical content. The intervention could be enhanced by being more explicit in clarifying the distinctions between the disciplinary contexts and the mathematical and statistical content, as well as by making more explicit the expectations in terms of student learning and performance in assessments.


Context: Often, vocational education and training (VET) professionals are not systematically prepared for their demanding, mostly diverse and complex tasks. Professional development can be understood as an enlargement of competencies that arise as opportunities in daily work. This study, embedded in a funded research project, focuses on VET professionals and their professional development. The research question is as follows: What challenges and problems regarding their professional development, as well as possible solutions, are described by training professionals in VET in Germany? Approach: The goal of this study is to discover what challenges VET professionals face and how they cope with them. Accordingly, this research was formalised with the following components: (A) An explorative study with group discussions (N = 53 participants in six groups) and (B) result validation with German VET experts (N = 10). The data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Using a theory-based category system, the group discussion results were summarised in 12 systematic, organisational- and individual-level statements. The statements indicated that despite the necessity of formal professional development in the area of further training, most VET professionals must still be able to profit from offers at or below the German Qualification Framework (DQR) level 5. Many VET professionals ultimately sought visible recognition of their activities or personal commitment with regard to pedagogical and company-economic functions. The 10 VET experts also evaluated the 12 statements as important. Conclusion: The results of this study show that there is a huge need for qualification and learning opportunities for VET professionals. The demand is mostly for modern, tried-and-tested concepts and central themes, such as action and competency orientation, practice and transfer orientation, individual and structural reflection, media competency and learning support in all formats and at all levels.


The agri-food industry has great importance to the UK economy while at the same time proven to give rise to significant socio-environmental problems. The UK agri-food chains have faced several crises and undergone extensive change since the 1990s. However, so far, many improvement attempts in this sector have adopted point analysis of single issues rather than a systems view of the interrelated web of concerns. This thesis recognises a lack, of systemic understanding and systemic improvement approacrtes ' within the UK agri-food supply chains and adopts a systems perspective. Therefore, the theoretical background in this thesis is influenced by systems and cognate theories. A review of systems thinking literature is carried out which is subsequently narrowed down focusing on supply chain management and sustainable chain management literature leading to the identification of two gap areas in the body of knowledge. The first gap relates to the improvement of supply chain consumer focus which is identified as a key emerging area in the field of supply chain management. The second gap is about simultaneous improvement of the environmental and economic performance of the UK agri-food chains. The research begins with contextual investigations providing evidence of the misalignment of the UK agri-food chains with the consumer value. Moreover, the contextual research clearly shows that the UK agri- food chains disproportionately pollute the environment and that the existing body of knowledge around the second research gap is in its infancy. The thesis follows by the proposition of a conceptual framework of the evolution of the UK agri-food chain management body of knowledge encapsulating the theoretical propositions of the thesis as well as serving as a guide for the data collection and directing the analyses throughout the thesis. The four rings model of the evolution of the UK agri-food chain management shows how the state of knowledge has evolved in the past and how it should continue to evolve in the future. The rest of the thesis explores and explains how to move the boundary constraints of knowledge within this framework. A multiple case study research strategy is deployed, in line with the research questions posed, the nature of the study and the philosophical approaches underpinning the thesis (the research is argued from a critical realist viewpoint), (enabling the author to develop rich, detailed and contextual knowledge about the UK agri-food chains. In a purposive sample, five case studies have been selected based on the research objectives and in a way to best enable addressing the research gaps. The first research question is addressed through four case studies whereupon significant knowledge is developed about how to improve the consumer orientation of the UK agri-food chains by leveraging the inter- organisational potentials in each case. To that end, a new approach is developed (i.e. the Supply Chain Kano-QFD approach) which is linked to the value stream mapping method. Moreover, the findings of the four case studies are compared and contrasted, and case specific contingencies are discussed. The second research gap is addressed by means of one case study which discusses the challenges ahead in terms of improving the environmental sustainability of the UK agri- food supply chains. The case study challenges the conventional views about the eco- friendliness of the biofuels, provides valuable insights about analysis of the environmental sustainability of the agri-food chains and puts forward key recommendations for future investigation.


We introduce a novel online mechanism that schedules the allocation of an expiring and continuously-produced resource to self-interested agents with private preferences. A key application of our mechanism is the charging of pure electric vehicles, where owners arrive dynamically over time, and each owner requires a minimum amount of charge by its departure to complete its next trip. To truthfully elicit the agents' preferences in this setting, we introduce the new concept of pre-commitment: Whenever an agent is selected, our mechanism pre-commits to charging the vehicle by its reported departure time, but maintains flexibility about when the charging takes place and at what rate. Furthermore, to make effective allocation decisions we use a model-based approach by modifying Consensus, a well-known online optimisation algorithm. We show that our pre-commitment mechanism with modified Consensus incentivises truthful reporting. Furthermore, through simulations based on real-world data, we show empirically that the average utility achieved by our mechanism is 93% or more of the offline optimal.


Treacher Collins syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder of craniofacial development, the features of which include conductive hearing loss and cleft palate. In the absence of a candidate gene, a positional cloning approach has been used to isolate the mutated gene which maps to chromosome 5q31.3-32. Flanking markers were identified and a yeast artificial chromosome and cosmid contig of the region defined by these markers was created as a prelude to the creation of a transcript map of the region. Analysis of genes isolated using this approach resulted in the identification of the mutated gene. While the function of the gene remains unknown, the identification of 20 mutations spread throughout the gene, all of which would result in the insertion of a premature termination codon into the reading frame, suggests that the mechanism underlying the disease is haploinsufficiency.


Introduction Inconsistency in the time trade-off (TTO) task in EQ-5D-5L occurs when a respondent gives a higher value to a logically worse health state, the occurrence of inconsistency compromises the quality of the data. It is not yet clear which factors are associated with individual level inconsistency. Relating inconsistency to the characteristics of the respondent, interviewer, and the interview process could be helpful in understanding the causes of inconsistency. The objective of this paper is to discover the factors associated with individual level inconsistencies. Methods Twenty interviewers interviewed 1,296 respondents and each respondent valued 10 health states using the EQ-VT platform in 5 cities in China. At the respondent level, inconsistency was identified in terms of severity and quantity and related to the respondent's background characteristics, the time and iterations spent on the wheelchair example task, and the formal TTO tasks, using multilevel multinomial regression analyses. Interviewers' impact on inconsistencies was analyzed using single level multinomial regression analyses. Results In the full dataset, slight inconsistency was more related to the interview process (Time spent on TTO task: RRR = 1.246 with 95%CI: 1.076,1.441; time spent on Wheelchair example: RRR = 0.815 with 95%CI:0.699,0.952) while severe inconsistency was more related to respondent's gender (Gender: RRR = 2.347 with 95%CI:1.429,3.855). One Interviewer (Interviewer 7: RRR = 7.335 with 95%CI:1.908,28.195) and interviewer's experience (Sequence: RRR = 0.511 with 95%CI:0.385,0.678) in general showed strong influence over inconsistency in the TTO task. Conclusion In conclusion, logical inconsistency in the valuation of EQ-5D-5L health states is associated not only with respondents' characteristics but also with interviewers' performance and the interview process. The role of interviewers and the importance of interviewer training may be more crucial than hitherto believed. This finding could be generalizable to other interviewer-administered health-state valuation study.


University Libraries play a crucial role in moving towards Open Science, contributing to more transparent, reproducible and reusable research. The Center for Digital Scholarship (CDS) at Leiden University (LU) library is a scholarly lab that promotes open science literacy among Leiden's scholars by two complementary strategies: existing top-down structures are used to provide training and services, while bottom-up initiatives from the research community are actively supported by offering the CDS's expertise and facilities. An example of how bottom-up initiatives can blossom with the help of library structures such as the CDS is ReproHack. ReproHack – a reproducibility hackathon – is a grass-root initiative by young scholars with the goal of improving research reproducibility in three ways. First, hackathon attendees learn about reproducibility tools and challenges by reproducing published results and providing feedback to authors on their attempt. Second, authors can nominate their work and receive feedback on their reproducibility efforts. Third, the collaborative atmosphere helps building a community interested in making their own research reproducible.
A first ReproHack in the Netherlands took place on November 30th, 2019, co-organised by the CDS at the LU Library with 44 participants from the fields of psychology, engineering, biomedicine, and computer science. For 19 papers, 24 feedback forms were returned and five papers were reported as successfully reproduced. Besides the researchers' learning experience, the event led to recommendations on how to enhance research reproducibility. The ReproHack format therefore provides an opportunity for libraries to improve scientific reproducibility through community engagement.


S9240 crested wheatgrass was produced by colchicine-doubling the chromosome number of diploid A. cristatum cv. Parkway, followed by several cycles of selection for height, seed size, floret fertility, and forage yield. Some inclusion of tetraploid A. cristatum cv. Kirk germplasm occurred during the selection cycles. The goal of this study was compare S9240 with other crested wheatgrass cultivars in seed size, height, crown width, tiller number, tiller weight, and ability to emerge from deep seedings. The seed weight of S9240 was significantly (p<0.05) heavier than other tested crested wheatgrass cultivars. In seedings in greenhouse soil flats at a 7.5 cm depth, S9240 showed higher emergence and larger seedlings. S9240 was significantly (p<0.05) taller than other crested wheats in both spaced-plantings and solid swards, and had narrower crowns and fewer, heavier tillers. From the results of the present study, and associated yield trials, S9240 shows potential as a productive hay-type cultivar of crested wheatgrass that can emerge from deeper seedings.


We present a method of simulating the electron transport in low-temperature-grown GaAs by the Monte Carlo method. Low-temperature-grown GaAs contains microscopic inclusions of As and these inhomogeneities render impossible the standard Monte Carlo mobility simulations. Our method overcomes this difficulty and allows the quantitative prediction of electron transport on the basis of principal microscopic material parameters, including the impurity and the precipitate concentrations and the precipitate size. The adopted approach involves simulations of a single electron trajectory in real space, while the influence of As precipitates on the GaAs matrix is treated in the framework of a Schottky-barrier model. The validity of this approach is verified by evaluation of the drift velocity in homogeneous GaAs where excellent agreement with other workers' results is reached. The drift velocity as a function of electric field in low-temperature-grown GaAs is calculated for a range of As precipitate concentrations. Effect of compensation ratio on drift velocity characteristics is also investigated. It is found that the drift velocity is reduced and the electric field at which the onset of the negative differential mobility occurs increases as the precipitate concentration increases. Both these effects are related to the reduced electron mean free path in the presence of precipitates. Additionally, comparatively high low-field electron mobilities in this material are theoretically explained.


This paper presents much more details on the process of etching n and p type SiC using a dc saddle field source. Here is described a method for stabilizing the dc discharge by adding controlled flow of O2 to SF6 in the source chamber. This kind of etching is used to fabricate 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes with a junction periphery protection. The effect of the junction periphery protection, the source power that terminates the etching process and testing environment on the breakdown voltage are investigated. The optimised p-i-n diodes exhibit a stable reverse bias operation with a breakdown voltage of 1700 V.


China has been actively engaged in developing strategic partnerships with third countries, particularly since the early 2000s. These partnerships have proven a prominent instrument in China's diplomatic toolkit, in order to guarantee a benign environment for its rise. As China rises, and as part of the international community becomes increasingly suspicious of this ascent, Beijing's strategic partnership diplomacy will face unprecedented challenges. China is thus likely to become more proactive and creative, differentiate more between different relationships and strive for a better connection between bilateral partnerships and other diplomatic tools.


ABSTRACT This paper explores the history of the curriculum vitae (CV) as a medium of job application in the Prussian technical bureaucracy around 1800. A document that so far has not received much attention in historiographical works, appeared as a major tool for bureaucratic innovation at the end of the eighteenth century. Drawing on primary archival sources, this paper will raise three major points. First, the curriculum vitae facilitated the depiction of 'careers': linear sequences of professional formation pointing toward certain positions. It helped applicants stylize their education and employment history as a time of continuous progress and merit, i.e. a veritable career. Second, the CV enabled the organization and control of personnel in a large-scale administrative body. Administrators used the CV as a tool to familiarize themselves with unknown persons and place them to positions according to their past professional trajectory. Finally, the lives recounted in CVs did not correspond to the contemporary concept of self-reflexive Bildung but were embedded in a utilitarian discourse of usefulness. In this vein, only those biographical events mattered for a CV that were useful for the state and pertained to the professional formation of the subject.


The paper analyzes a symmetric image encryption scheme based on a new chaotic two-dimensional map. The map can encrypt image. The numbers of the left-map and the right-map are used as the secret keys of encryption. A diffusion mechanism was used to diffuse the pixels of image. But it isn't enough safe. Firstly there are a lot of week keys and duplicate keys. Secondly the diffusion mechanism is too simple to ensure the information security. The paper designs a new method of keys generation. The keys are non-zero and random. It has a large keys space and avoids the duplicate keys. Then it takes parts of keys as the parameters of a classic chaotic map. The process is the new diffusion mechanism. It solves the problem of weak keys. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the method.


This article examines partnership experiences in a community-based research project that involved an interdisciplinary team composed of nursing and social work clinical faculty and graduate students. Using Bronfenbrenner's social ecology theory, the project assessed individual and community levels of health and quality of life in a low-income housing community. Students were involved in research activities that required community collaboration and needs assessment. They also actively engaged community members in problem solving related to their health concerns. The effects of these experiences on student learning were examined using a student reflection technique. Service-learning activities led to mutual positive regard, increased cultural sensitivity, improved organizational and research skills, growth in ethical decision making, and valuing interdisciplinary teamwork. These findings are discussed in light of the literature on the social determinants of health. Reflection on work in an interdisciplinary team and the importance of mutuality in relationships with community members were determined to be important considerations in service-learning. Student learning in this setting has implications for graduate teaching and learning, and the conduct of research. Keywords : service-learning, research, health disparities, community, reflection, graduate student


Technological advances become one of the important moments in human life, because the technology effect on all areas related to human. Both in the military, health, community services, education, and much more. Education is the key factor in the progress of a nation. Education that is integrated with the technological advances of course be one of the driving force of the nation's progress. One of them using augmented reality technology. Applications Java Encyclopedia Traditional House is the result of the combined two essential components, namely education and technology. Using augmented reality-based technology that can facilitate learning in a familiar custom home on the island of Java. There are 6 custom homes in every province of the island of Java, namely kebaya in jakarta, kesepuhan Cirebon in West Java, East Java situbondo, Padepokan in Central Java, Badui in Banten, and Kencono Traditional House in Yogyakarta. Applications built using the C # programming language, it is very interactive. So that users not only know the 3-dimensional shape of an existing custom home, but know many things about the area tersebut.Telah conducted testing of these applications, functionally works well and reading the marker successfully.


ABSTRACT This article recovers mid-century proposals for sciences of concord and contextualizes them as part of a broader politics of commercial knowledge in eighteenth-century Britain. It begins by showing how merchants gained authority as formulators of commercial policy during the Commerce Treaty debates of 1713–1714. This authority held fast during the Walpolean oligarchy, but collapsed by the 1740s, when lobbying and patronage were increasingly maligned as corrupt by a ferment of popular republicanism. The article then explores how the Anglican cleric Josiah Tucker and country pamphleteer Joseph Massie made use of this vacuum in authority to formulate a novel basis for the production of commercial knowledge. In pamphlets written between 1749 and 1760, they argued that the competing interests comprising the nation's increasingly complex commercial system could only be reconciled and geared to the national interest through the establishment of a science which harnessed an impartial and systematizing epistemology, developing highly idealized accounts of the abstract market as a realm of concord which operated according to regular, rationally deducible principles. The conclusion suggests that their arguments introduced the foundational conceptual bases for later sciences of political economy and legitimated a new form of expertise in statecraft.


Histamine is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and an important modulator of gastric acid secretion, vasomotor control, inflammation, and allergic reactions. In biological systems the formation of histamine from its precursor histidine is catalyzed by the enzyme L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC; L-histidine carboxy-lyase, EC 220.127.116.11). We have cloned HDC-encoding cDNA from a fetal rat liver cDNA library (phage lambda gt11) have deduced the amino acid sequence from the nucleotide sequence. The clone was proven to be HDC cDNA by expression of active recombinant enzyme in COS cells and by chromosomal mapping. The cDNA encodes a protein of Mr 73,450 (655 amino acid residues). The discrepancy between this molecular weight and the size of the purified fetal liver protein subunits [Taguchi, Y., Watanabe, T., Kubota, H., Hayashi, H. & Wada, H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 5214-5221] (Mr = 54,000) suggests that HDC may be posttranslationally processed. The 469 amino acid residues from the amino-terminal portion of the protein share 50% identity with rat and Drosophila L-dopa decarboxylases and much less homology with other characterized amino acid decarboxylases.


In real life, decisions are often made under ambiguity, where it is difficult to estimate accurately the probability of each single possible consequence of a choice. However, this problem has not been solved well in existing work for the following two reasons. (i) Some of them cannot cover the Ellsberg paradox and the Machina Paradox. Thus, the choices that they predict could be inconsistent with empirical observations. (ii) Some of them rely on parameter tuning without offering explanations for the reasonability of setting such bounds of parameters. Thus, the prediction of such a model in new decision making problems is doubtful. To the end, this paper proposes a new decision making model based on D-S theory and the emotion of ambiguity aversion. Some insightful properties of our model and the validating on two famous paradoxes show that our model indeed is a better alternative for decision making under ambiguity.


A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of meperidine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical dosage forms was developed. The method is reproducible and precise with relative standard deviations (based on six readings) of 1.2% with hydroxyzine and 0.93% with hydroxyprogesterone caproate as the internal standards. A variety of other active and inactive ingredients which were mixed with meperidine hydrochloride did not interfere with the assay procedure. Among the ingredients tested were acetaminophen, atropine sulfate, disodium edetate, metacresol, phenol, promethazine, and sodium metabisulfite. This method appears to be stability-indicating since a hydrolyzed sample of meperidine showed zero potency and a new peak with a different retention time.


Baer, G., Shamir, G., Sandwell, D., Bock, Y. 2001. Crustal deformation during 6 years spanning the M w = 7.2 1995 Nuweiba earthquake, analyzed by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. Isr. J. Earth Sci. 50: 9–22. The November 22, 1995, M w = 7.2 Nuweiba earthquake occurred along one of the left-stepping segments of the Dead Sea Transform in the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba). We examine the surface deformation patterns in the region by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) for the period 1993 to 1999, which includes the end of one seismic cycle and the beginning of the next. Because the main rupture was under water, ERS coverage is limited to distances of approximately 5 km or more away from the rupture. Pre-earthquake interferograms do not show any detectable deformation along the Gulf. Coseismic interferograms show deformation at distances of up to 50 km from the main rupture, with the highest fringe rate (strain) NW of the rupture termination. Coseismic phase gradient maps show triggered slip along faults parallel to the main rupture (sinistral or normal with the Gulf side down) along the western shore of the Gulf, and in a belt of extensional faults along the eastern shore, striking at angles of about 30° to the major rupture. Postseismic deformation is observed only in a time window of up to 6 months following the mainshock. It was concentrated in the region of the high coseismic strain, and seems to be related to the M L > 4.5 aftershocks in the respective time window.


Solvent treatment has been proved to be a very simple and efficient method to prepare high-performance porous membranes for flow batteries. In this article, the process parameters of solvent treatment were regulated to further investigate the formation mechanism of porous membranes. The effect of the solvent evaporation temperature, the solvent immersion time and the solvent composition on the morphology and performance of porous membranes was studied systematically. The adjustment of these process parameters made the acting mechanisms of the polymer–solvent interaction and the cohesive force of polymers more clear. The factors affecting the polymer–solvent interaction and the cohesive force, along with the acting principles of process parameters, were also elucidated in detail. The formation mechanism of porous membranes during solvent treatment was accordingly clarified distinctly. As a result, an optimized VFB performance of treated membranes with a coulombic efficiency of 98.33%, and an energy efficiency of 81.17% at 160 mA cm−2 was achieved, which was much higher than that of Nafion 115 and among the highest values ever reported. Moreover, this VFB could continually run over 2600 cycles at 200 mA cm−2, without obvious efficiency fade. Thus, this paper provides a simpler, quicker and more economical method to prepare high-performance porous membranes for flow batteries.


The authors effected a comparative examination of morphologic and biochemical investigation of structural and enzymic reactions of the rat liver during different periods of permanent inhalation influence of carbon tetrachloride. Three stages of morphologico-biochemical parllels in the development of hepatotropic effect characterized by certain regularities in the enzymic desorganization of lysosyme, mitochondrias and cytasol by derangement of the exchange of biopolymers containing carbohydrate (of glycoproteids, glycosaminoglycans) and DNK-synthetizing function in liver in comparison with control animals were revealed. Mechanisms of the hepatotropic effect and hygienic importance of structural function changes of hepatocytes due to action of factors polluting the atmosphere are appreciated.


This article explores the production practices employed by children building personal webpages in a semi-structured afterschool program: the Fifth Dimension (5D). Following a critical Multiliteracies (CritMLs) approach to learning design, this ethnographic study introduced web-building practices to the children of the 5D and followed their production of personal webpages over a 9 month period. By structuring the intervention this way, it was possible to simultaneously observe the development of both the webpage as artifact as well as the child-participant. Along these lines, the study describes the unique and particular social contexts from which personal webpages emerge and develop over time. Through ethnographic observations, child interviews and surveys, and the personal webpages themselves, project findings suggest that the children engaged in practices of bricolage made possible via web-based informal information seeking practices. This reliance on web-based information seeking as a method for collecting representations to populate personal webpages made visible important relationships between children's production practices, meaning-making, and the electronic articulation of situated identity/membership and the sharing of expertise and interests.


OBJECTIVE
The aims of the Research Of biomarkers in Alzheimer's diseaSe (ROSAS) study were to determine the biofluid and imaging biomarkers permitting an early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and better characterisation of cognitive and behavioural course of the pathology. This paper outlines the overall strategy, methodology of the study, baseline characteristics of the population and first longitudinal results from the ROSAS cohort.

METHODS
Longitudinal prospective monocentric observational study performed at the Alzheimer's disease Research centre in Toulouse. A total of 387 patients were studied and analyzed in 3 groups: 184 patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type, 96 patients with memory disorders without dementia (Mild Cognitive Impairment) and 107 patients without abnormal memory tests (control group), and were followed up during 4 years. Patient's sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, medical conditions, previous and current medications, neuropsychological assessment and overall cognitive status were recorded. Blood and urine samples were collected at every year, Magnetic Resonance Imaging were performed at inclusion, after one year of follow-up and at the end of the study.

RESULTS
At baseline, three different groups of the cohort differed interestingly in age, level of education, and in percentage of ApoEε4 carriers whereas the history of cardiovascular and endocrine pathologies were similar among the groups. During the follow-up period (3-4 years) 42 mild cognitive impairment patients (43.8%) progressed to dementia, 7 controls progressed into mild cognitive impairment and 1 patient in the control group converted from mild cognitive impairment group to dementia of Alzheimer's type group. During the first year of follow up, the incidence of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia of Alzheimer's type was 12.7 per 100, during the second year 33.9 per 100 and 46.7 per 100 for the third year.

CONCLUSION
This paper presents the baseline characteristics of the unique French prospective monocenter study in which the natural course of dementia of Alzheimer's type was evaluated. Future analysis of blood and urine samples collection from the ROSAS study will permit to identify possible biofluid biomarkers predicting the early stages of the dementia of Alzheimer's type and risk of progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's disease.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the effect of different application modes of a recently introduced self-etching ceramic primer on the microshear bond strength (μSBS) and ceramic surface-etching pattern of two glass-ceramic surfaces.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-two CAD/CAM blocks of lithium disilicate (LD) and feldspathic glass ceramic (VTR) were each cut into 4 rectangular sections (n = 88 for ceramic surface). The LD and VTR specimens were divided into one control group (hydrofluoric acid + silane coupling agent [HF+SII]), and 10 experimental groups using Monobond Etch and Prime (MEP) applied for a combination of scrubbing times (5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 s) and reaction times (20 or 40 s). After each treatment, Tygon matrices (n = 8) were filled with a resin cement and light cured for each ceramic specimen. The specimens were stored in water at 37°C for 24 h and subjected to the μSBS test. The failure pattern and μSBS were statistically evaluated (α = 0.05). In addition, the ceramic surface etching pattern was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS
For the LD groups, the application of MEP 60/40 resulted in a higher mean μSBS compared to HF+SI (p < 0.05). Groups 5/40, 10/40, and 20/40 resulted in mean μSBS similar to that obtained by HF+SI (p > 0.05). For VTR, no significant difference was observed among the groups (p = 0.32). Compared with MEP, HF better promoted the dissolution of glass matrix for both ceramics. However, prolonged MEP scrubbing or reaction caused significant dissolution of the glass matrix for both evaluated ceramics.

CONCLUSION
Active and prolonged application of MEP may be a viable alternative to HF+SI for increasing the bond strength to LD.


Albert Einstein is undoubtedly the father of lasers. But it is not until 1964 that the first dermatological lasers were introduced. The Nd-YAG laser, the CO 2 laser were developed by Kumar Patel. In a 40 year period lasers not only were diversified but have also become safer and miniaturized. This article hopes to strengthen general practionners' and specialist's knowledge of the different categories of available lasers. The most frequently used ones are ablative lasers (CO 2 Erbium), vascular lasers (Nd-YAG, KTP, pulsed dye laser) and the pigment lasers (Q-Switched Nd-YAG, Alexandrite). A description of these lasers and their indications in dermatology will be discussed.


This work investigates the representation of domestic servants within mid-twentieth century novels of female development, which are written by middle class women. The comparison is between the following authors: Rosario Castellanos from Mexico, Jean Rhys from the West Indies, and Clarice Lispector from Brazil. Postcolonial women writers have needed to tackle hegemonic structures within their own fiction, as they confront the privilege of the modern writing subject who frames herself in opposition to the silence of colonized female characters. Working to rewrite history, and to develop texts that speak from the margins, there is a conscious effort to incorporate subaltern voices into their narratives. Nevertheless, anxiety arises within those texts of middle-class writers who are preoccupied with the management of differences, stemming from a realization that in fact there is no place within the privileged writing subject's text from which the subaltern can actually speak. Therefore the authors struggle to write within a masculine-centered literary tradition that privileges certain voices over others, while at the same time recognizing their complicity with that system that works through exclusions. While the servant is silenced, the writing also shields her from being appropriated and defined by the mistress who needs her as a caregiver while she pursues a personal growth and awakening. That is, silences are used to form a protective space in which the marginalized woman cannot be merely the embodiment of alterity for the narrator's quest for subjectivity. An element of shame is therefore revealed by means of an implied author, which reminds them that they are expressing an ideal that they themselves have not lived up to. The marginal character becomes a negative element that points to the inability of the narrative to adequately represent her. It questions the model of solidarity through shared oppression that readings of women's and postcolonial writings often take, suggesting that new forms of community need to be imagined that take into account inequalities and injustices between women.


Analysis of EEG activity usually raises the problem of differentiating between genuine EEG activity and that which is introduced through a variety of external influence. These artifacts may affect the outcome of the EEG recording. In this paper, wavelet denoising and band pass filter for preprocessing and a robustprincipal component analysis algorithm for extraction are proposed to remove the artifacts. The algorithm is designed to adaptively derive a relatively small number of decorrelated linear combinations of a set of random zero-mean variables while retaining as much of the information from the original variables as possible. The proposed method was tested in real EEG records acquired from eight subjects. The experimental result show that the proposed method can effectively remove the artifacts from all subjects.


Understanding mother's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) is essential for the success of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) as poor compliance and follow-up remains a global challenge. To determine content area for a questionnaire that measures PCHI-related KAP in rural mothers, we trained moderators who interviewed 145 pregnant women (17 groups) from 5 ante-natal clinics. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, summarised and analysed using thematic framework analysis. Four knowledge themes were identified: 1) PCHI was perceived as the malfunction of hearing leading to disability; 2) a poorly-responsive/communicative child may have PCHI; 3) lifestyle, hereditary and environmental factors are significant causes of PCHI; 4) medical management of PCHI was doubted, with some advocating birth and ancestral rituals. Two themes were identified for attitude: 1) beliefs that PCHI was emotionalised due to the negative lifelong impact on the child and family; 2) UNHS processes were favourable though some preferred other belief systems. Three themes were identified for practice: 1) doctors were the first choice followed by traditional healers; 2) willingness to continue follow-up although challenges exist; 3) minimal family support during consultation. The contextualised KAP of women regarding UNHS processes and PCHI provided content area for the design of a KAP tool.


Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) differs markedly from other chlorinated benzenes (CBs) as an inducer of cytochrome P-450 (P-450) isozymes as determined by radioimmunoassay and immunoblotting. At greater than 99% pure, HCB induced both the phenobarbital-inducible forms, cytochromes P-450b + e (70 chi), and the 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible forms, cytochromes P-450c (58 chi) and P-450d (8 chi), in rat liver microsomes. The concentration of P-450d was considerably greater than that of P-450c in HCB-induced rat liver. In contrast to HCB, all lower chlorinated benzenes tested were PB-type inducers. Hexachlorobenzene increased the amounts of translatable messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for P-450b, P-450c, and P-450d in rat liver polysomes, suggesting that it increases the synthesis of these proteins. Evidence that HCB interacted with the putative Ah receptor for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was equivocal. Western blots of liver microsomes from Ah-responsive C57BL/6J (B6) and nonresponsive DBA/2J (D2) mice demonstrated that HCB produced a large increase in P3-450 and a very small increase in P1-450 in the responsive strain. The increase in P1-450 was not observed after HCB administration to nonresponsive mice, but a small increase in P3-450 was noted. These findings suggested that HCB may act through the Ah receptor. However, HCB was at best a very weak competitor for specific binding of [3H]-TCDD to the putative receptor in rat or mouse hepatic cytosol in vitro, producing decreases in binding of [3H]-TCDD only at very high concentrations (10(-6) to 10(-5) M).


There has recently been a renewal of interest in work-based learning pedagogy within higher education due to policy changes in the United Kingdom that have introduced degree level apprenticeships as a way to bridge the gap between learning in the workplace and professional education. While many academic practitioners are aware of the history of lifelong learning and policies associated with widening participation within work-based studies, others might be less aware of the practical implications of this legacy in terms of facilitating learning. To inform practice, exploratory interviews with graduates of a part-time workbased degree programme at a single institution in the south-east of England provide insights into why graduates value a more holistic process of learning as a foundation for academic study. Findings indicated that the broader practice knowledge in the work-based curriculum allows graduates to develop a lasting sense of ownership of their studies. Conclusions suggest that academic practitioners now planning work-based studies and degree apprenticeships could consider a wider framework of practice that incorporates fundamental principles from lifelong and work-based learning as well as disciplinary vocational content to inform curriculum. It is argued that aligning current and future work-based studies within higher education with these concepts could provide academic practitioners with a broader and more resilient pedagogic framework.


Self-healing of bitumen is a property that positively contributes to the sustainability, maintenance requirements and cost effectiveness of asphalt pavements. Ideally one would like to design an asphalt mix with a well-defined healing potential. Although substantial research efforts have been dedicated to the healing mechanism in bitumen, complete understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that govern the property of healing is still lacking. Here we investigate the manifestation of damage and healing of bitumen at the microstructural level. Three distinct bitumen grades are subjected to mechanical loading conditions, and the damage is investigated at the microstructural level by atomic force microscopy combined with finite element simulations. One of the bituminous phases appears to display visible signs of cracks, which are found to (partly) disappear at moderate temperature changes. Simulations of mechanical loading of experimentally derived finite element meshes are corresponding well with these experimental observations. Moreover, the simulations provide a measure of mechanical response, i.e. stiffness, of the material as a function of strain level. From this it is found that the microstructural cracks lead to diminished structural response properties, whereas after healing these properties are partly recovered. The experimental observations, together with the simulations, support earlier ideas that relate the phenomenon of self-healing in bitumen to their rheological property of thixotropy. Moreover, the work presented hints that the property of self-healing is governed by processes at the microstructural length scale.


All commercial electron spin polarimeters work in single channel mode, which is the bottleneck of researches by spin-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. By adopting the time inversion antisymmetry of the magnetic field, we developed a multichannel spin polarimeter based on normal incident very low energy electron diffraction (VLEED). The key point to achieve the multi-channel measurements is the spatial resolution of the electron optics. The test of the electron optics shows that the designed spatial resolution can be achieved and an image type spin polarimeter with 100 times 100, totally ten thousand channels is possible to be realized.


To measure the flux of atmospheric neutrons and study the neutron contribution to the background of the main detector of the PoGOLite (Polarized Gamma-ray Observer) balloon-borne experiment, a thermal-neutron detector with a phoswich system of LiCaAlF6 (Eu) and BGO crystal scintillators is developed. The performance to separate thermal-neutron events from those of gamma-rays and charged particles is validated with Cf on ground. The detector is attached to the PoGOLite instrument and is launched in 2011 from the Esrange facility in the North of Sweden. Although the emission wavelength of the LiCaAlF6 (Ce) is ∼ 300 nm and overlaps with the absorption wavelength of the BGO, the phoswich capability of the LiCaAlF6 (Ce) with the BGO is also confirmed with installing a waveform shifter.


The physicochemical properties of the starches of seven sweet potato varieties at two harvesting times were studied. The yield of starch, pH, moisture, Water Binding Capacity (WBC), solubility, swelling volume, swelling power, ash and viscosity were monitored. Starch from the 4 month varieties had higher yields (12.78-18.72%), moisture contents (7.82-15.04%) and pH levels (3.59-5.22) relative to that from the 5-month varieties. The starch from the 5-month varieties, however, had higher WBC (66.30-76.90%) and viscosity at 73EC (18.80-35.60 cps) and 35EC (27.20-53.40 cps). With respect to swelling behaviour, the 4-month samples were of good quality having low solubility and high swelling volume. The findings thus show that cultivation time and variety impact on the physicochemical properties of starch from sweet potato roots.
(Journal of the Ghana Science Association: 2001 3(3): 41-44)


Pancreatic beta cell transplantation is the ideal method for treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and the generation of beta cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients is a promising strategy. In this study, we improved a previous strategy to produce beta cells using extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mature beta cells and differentiated beta cells from iPSCs (i-Beta cells), which secreted insulin under glucose stimulation in vitro and ameliorated hyperglycemia in vivo. Mechanistic analyses revealed that EV-carried microRNA (miR)-212/132 (EV-miR-212/132) directly bound to the 3′ UTR of FBW7 to prevent its translation and FBW7 combined with NGN3 to accelerate its proteasomal degradation. EV-miR-212/132 stabilized NGN3 expression to promote differentiation of endocrine cells from induced iPSCs. Moreover, NGN3 bound to PDX1 to enhance transcription of endogenous miR-212/132 and formed a positive regulatory circuit that maintained the functions of mature pancreatic beta cells. Conclusion This study describes a novel approach for beta cell production and supports the use of iPSCs for cell replacement therapy of T1DM.


This paper attempts to investigate English teachers' perceptions about the importance of writing for publication in English, and the challenges that they encounter. The subjects were 30 teachers from 3 departments in a public college in Oman. The instrument was a 3-question survey on difficulties and challenges in writing for publication in English faced by the tutors. The respondents' answers were analysed and classified. The results revealed two types of challenges identified initially: discursive (language-related) and non-discursive (non-language-related) challenges. A third challenge which has been termed others was discovered. The findings also highlighted the importance of the growing popularity of research activity by non-native English speakers in the non-English speaking countries. The study also suggested the key role higher education institutes should play in boosting research contributions by academic staff and curbing the problems of publishing in the English Language from a new standpoint.


New growths of any kind are evidently rare in rabbits. Although the rabbit is very extensively used for laboratory purposes, we have found reports of only thirty-five tumors. Twenty-four of the recorded tumors were uterine. Of these Stilling and Beitzke (1) have reported thirteen cases, noting a distinctly hereditary tendency to tumor formation. The youngest animal in their series was four years old. Boycott (2) has recorded four cases, and Wagner (3), Selinow (4), Katase (5), Marie and Aubertin (6), Leitch (7), and Shattock (8) have found one each. Shattock and Leitch both agreed that the case described by Lack (9) was really a primary uterine tumor with metastases. Schmorl (10) reported one case of carcinoma of the lung and a second case with carcinoma of the stomach. Von Dungern (11) and Baumgarten (12) each described a case of sarcoma, while Schultz (13) has done some very interesting work with a transplantable round cell sarcoma. Petit (14) has recorded a primary carcinoma of the lung and a carcinoma of an accessory pancreas in the omentum, and Bashford (15) has found a carcinoma of the mamma and a sarcoma of the subcutaneous tissue. Of the thirty-five tumors recorded, only two were tumors of the kidney. The first, described by Lubarsch (16) in 1905, was similar to the two that we are reporting. In Lubarsch9s case the growth occupied the upper half of the left kidney, and was sharply marked off from the renal tissue. Upon microscopic examination it was found to be composed mainly of gland-like structures of varying form and width, embedded in a very cellular stroma. Lubarsch noted that the histological structure bore a close resemblance to the human renal tumor commonly described as an adenosarcoma; no cartilage, squamous epithelium, or striated muscle were found, and no Malpighian corpuscles were mentioned. Pieces of the tumor were inserted into the kidneys of four rabbits, with negative results. The kidney had been previously inoculated with embryonic salivary gland tissue but the author did not believe that the tumor grew from this implant; he thought, however, that the injection might have stimulated tissue rests to growth. The second renal tumor was reported by Nurnberger (17) in 1912. The growth was situated in the upper half of the right kidney and produced a spherical smooth elevation of the surface about the size of a cherry; a sagittal section through the organ showed a tumor measuring 1.5 cm. by 1.3 cm., and displacing about one-third of the renal tissue. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of numerous cysts of varying size lined with cubical or flattened epithelium, and of large numbers of gland-like tubules lined by high columnar epithelium taking a basic stain and showing many mitotic figures. In some of the tubules the epithelium formed more than one layer; in others there was no lumen, the structure appearing as a solid cord. Between the tubules and cysts there was a cellular connective tissue. Smooth muscle fibers were noted under the capsule of the tumor; no striated muscle, cartilage, bone, or elastic tissue was present. Nurnberger recorded his case as a mixed tumor, and compared it to the embryonal glandular tumors found in man. Our two neoplasms occurred in adult male rabbits, both having been found on the same afternoon; and although we have autopsied over four hundred rabbits during the last three years, no other tumors have been seen. We were not able to ascertain the ages of the rabbits, neither could we determine whether they were both from the same litter, since animals obtained from different persons had been put into a cage together.


This paper presents a preliminary economic study on the feasibility of using electric vehicles (EVs) to provide demand response, carried out as part of the GREEN Grid project. A mathematical model is developed to track the charge cycle of an EV battery, and this in turn provides estimates of the cost associated with battery life degradation under different scenarios. Three case studies are presented in this paper: the first investigates the potential cost saving for the EV owner by confining the charging of an EV battery to the night tariff period; the second investigates the financial gain associated with regulating the charging of an EV battery based on spot prices; and the third investigates the possible economic benefit for the EV owner of participating in the electricity market by buying energy at low prices and selling at high prices. The first case also includes the situation of just a battery being used to store energy during the night to run a household during the day. Results show that it is most economical to charge an EV during the night (Case 1), but that it varies considerably depending on the region in New Zealand. Regulating the charging rate depending on the spot price (Case 2) provides a small benefit. Using the EV to trade energy (Case 3) is, in most cases, uneconomic given the degradation of battery life. The variation of Case 1 also shows that at current battery costs, it is not economic to store energy during the night for use during the day. Given that there will be other costs associated with these activities, such as the charger equipment capable of both importing and exporting energy from the grid, the economics do not appear to favour use of EVs for demand response provision, except for the case of simply adjusting the time of charging to suit the tariff.


Health indeed is Wealth The Corona Virus Pandemic has impacted the best health-care systems world-wide;even as the world grapples with the massive loss of human life causing pain to millions The Pandemic is no more just a medical health challenge;it has thrown up spiritual and emotional challenges as it is affecting our belief system "Prevention is Better than Cure is the mantra" Since there is no allopathic medicine solution available;people are adopting various measures like social distancing and personal sanitization There is an urgent need to assist the individuals to take all the preventive measures possible to boost their immunity, improve the respiratory system, and lessen the anxiety, stress, and depression It can be difficult to not feel anxiety and sometimes panic over the coronavirus outbreak, with the onslaught of updates on news and social media Yoga has emerged as the perfect tool that an individual can follow to establish physical, mental, and spiritual balance to develop robust health and combat physical and emotional challenges Yoga offers another path, a fresh perspective with which to deal with events that are beyond our control The different asanas of yoga can help us to prevent COVID-19 by boosting our immune system and managing the stress that one is going through in this time of uncertainty This study tries to specifically evaluate the impact of the preventive measures undertaken through Yoga practice 126 respondents from different states of India were requested to perform yoga daily for 30 days Significant changes were observed and are mentioned in detail © 2020 Australasian College of Health Service Management All rights reserved


Benefits of early enteral nutrition in neonates are well established, but the effects of enteral nutrition in neonates with inotropic support for hemodynamic instability are not well studied. A study was planned to compare the clinical outcome in terms of morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay in the neonates with enteral feed versus intravenous (IV) fluid group with inotropes and to evaluate the safety of enteral nutrition in neonates with inotropic support as well as to determine the cutoff levels of the inotropes at which enteral feed is well tolerated. Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted in a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit, Kanpur, and included 200 neonates on inotropes who were allotted randomly 100 each in enteral feed and IV fluid group. Results: Demographic characteristics were comparable in both the groups, mean gestational age being 36.09 ± 0.4 weeks and 35.96 ± 0.3 weeks, and mean weight on admission being 2321.60 ± 73.9 g and 2214.30 ± 53.1 g for the enteral feed group and IV fluid group, respectively. In enterally fed neonates, 88.3% were discharged and 11.7% were expired, while in the IV fluid group, 69.6% were discharged and 30.4% were expired. There was a significant difference in the mean duration of hospital stay (13.4 ± 5.0 days and 15.5 ± 5.1 days in enteral feed and IV fluid group, respectively). No complications were observed in 88.2% of enterally fed neonates versus 93.5% of neonates in the IV fluid group. There was no significant difference between complications in two groups (P = 0.245). When receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis was done to find out the cutoff level of inotropes to predict feed tolerance, at cutoff level of dopamine 10 μ/kg/min + dobutamine 7.5 μ/kg/min, the sensitivity and specificity to predict feed tolerance were found to be 61.5% and 77%, respectively.Conclusions: Enteral nutrition in neonates with inotropic support is associated with shorter duration of hospital stay and better survival rate. Neonates can tolerate enteral feed up to dopamine 10 μ/kg/min and dobutamine 7.5 μ/kg/min.


Our work discusses development of multimodal music recommendation system. Users of the system are walking on the bridge while using mobile application and the system recommends music according to the walking style, adjusts tempo of the playing song, illuminates the bridge and projects user's positions on the floor. For this particular project we developed electronic boards and used them for all user tracking devices. All electronic boards are merged into common hardware which communicates with Rasberry Pi computer. Walking tempo is detected by mobile application which sends all acquired data to multimedia server together with the hardware data. Multimedia server receives data from local network and projects user's positions and generates music. Music and bridge illumination is generated automatically and is recommended to users according to Moodo dataset. Additional system function is playing piano tones which plays regarding users presence on the bridge and their position. The system evalvation was done using short survey after every use. The results showed that the system presents diversification in users daily routine.


Abstract Modern high-speed rotating machinery requires a well-designed support system for the spindle. Circular profiled bearings can offer only a little improvement on the performance. Attention was therefore directed to non-circular forms like lemon bore, offset half, pressure dam and multi-lobe bearings. A notable feature of all these types is their contributions towards the improvement of performance. All such improved bearings, however, retain the essential characteristic of being reactive to the operating loads and conditions. Another limitation is that the bearing surface cannot be altered while the bearing is in operation. Hence, an adjustable bearing is one option. This paper deals with the steady state performance evaluation of a single-pad, externally-adjustable fluid film bearing. The bearing has an aspect ratio of 1.0, and operates over a wide range of eccentricity ratios and adjustments. Three load-offset positions (β/χ) of 0.45, 0.50 and 0.55 are considered in the present analysis. Steady state performance characteristics of the bearing are in terms of attitude angle, load carrying capacity, oil flow, friction variable and Sommerfeld Number. Steady state form of Reynolds equation in two dimensions is solved numerically using the finite difference method. The effect of tilt and radial adjustment on the steady state performance characteristics are studied and presented in the form of charts and tables.


The experimental research on six steel plates strengthened with CFRP plates, loaded in tension, shows that their fatigue lives can be greatly increased compared with un-strengthened specimens. Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is adopted to explain the mechanism of CFRP plates strengthening. The stress intensity factors of the steel plates are calculated with finite element method (FEM), and Paris law on crack propagation is used to predict the fatigue life of strengthened specimens. The comparison between experimental results and numerical predictions shows good agreements on the fatigue crack propagation.


This study aimed to determine the effects of floral fragrances on human brain waves and moods. A total of 44 subjects participated in this experiment. Group 1 consisted of 11 male and 14 female college students with a mean age of 24.5 years (± 2.23) and Group 2 consisted of 10 males and 9 females with a mean age of 54.3 years (± 2.98). Subjects were exposed to floral fragrances of Rosa hybrida , 'Hera' (hereafter referred to as "rose"), Cymbidium faberi (hereafter referred to as "orchid"), or odorless control flowers (hereafter referred to as "control"). Experiments took place in three rooms (rose, orchid, and control). Electroencephalographs (EEGs) were recorded during exposure to the odors and the data were processed using quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) techniques. The changing EEG patterns were analyzed by brain mapping and compressed spectral arrays, and the subjects' preferences (hedonic evaluations) were quantified with an A1 index. Increased activation of absolute alpha waves was verified on six of the eight EEG channels, with the right frontal and left occipital lobes exhibiting no changes and the left parietal region showing the greatest activation. According to the QEEG measurements in the electrode sites over the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, the strongest absolute alpha waves were induced in the parietal lobes, followed by the temporal lobes, with the other lobes showing no significant changes. On brain maps, the orchid fragrance induced greater absolute alpha and absolute mid-beta activities compared with the rose and control fragrances, and the rose fragrance induced high absolute mid-beta activation. To identify emotional responses to floral fragrances, the subjects were requested to fill in a questionnaire and the resulting odor-related emotional descriptors were analyzed using semantic differential and factor analysis. Principal component analysis identified "elegant" as the first principal component describing the floral fragrance, followed by "refreshing" and "aromatic." The subjects gave orchid higher scores for "elegant" and "refreshing," while finding rose more "aromatic." Differences in hedonic evaluation revealed by the A1 index appeared in the 65-115 sec range of scent exposure time. The subjects with ages of around 50 years showed olfactory preferences throughout the entire experimental time of 160 sec, most markedly in the later time segment (115-165 sec), showing an increasing preference with increasing exposure time. We conclude that rose fragrance can improve concentration by creating an aromatic environment conducive to a concentrated and calm state of mind, and orchid fragrance can make people feel pampered and relaxed by creating an elegant and refreshing environment.


Monodontids, narwhal ( Monodon monoceros ) and beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas ), are harvested in the Arctic as part of a subsistence fishery. Maintaining sustainable harvest requires monitoring hunter statistics such as the sex ratio of the harvest. Hunter selection is important harvest information allowing managers to optimize hunter effort (pressure) away from vulnerable groups (i.e., mature females). The sex ratio of harvested animals was determined in the field by inspection of carcasses by hunters and by researchers in the laboratory using genetic techniques. We calculated the technical error rate for narwhal (1.5%) and beluga (7.0%) by comparing reproductive organs to molecular sex determination results. We then determined the field error rate, as the proportional difference between the reported sex and the molecular sex for narwhal (6.3%) and beluga (17.2%). The higher field error rate for beluga is likely due to the lack of distinguishing secondary sexual characteristics. The occurrence of tusked female narwhal in the harvest was also estimated at 6%. To use the precautionary approach of managing stocks or populations increased effort is required to obtain reliable sex ratio determinations for the natural and harvested population. Molecular sex determination can reliably fill this role using available and future hunter collections.


Characteristics of in flight particle and splat fabricated by arc spraying of three different types of cored-wire including WC-Cr-Ni, WC-Cr-Fe and W-Cr-Fe nano-composite were revealed. In-flight particles and splats were deeply characterized in order to correlate their characteristics that forming coating and affecting coating structure and properties. Starting cored-wires were also characterized prior to being sprayed. Particle size, morphology microstructure, chemical composition and phase identification were investigated through various techniques. The results showed that the size of the in-flight particle did not depend mainly on the size of filler particles as expected, but was instead strongly related to the whole content of metallic phase composed the cored-wire, as the more metal composition the larger size of the in-flight obtained. Splat shapes and characteristics were also found to depend on the metal content; a flower shape splat with a high degree of splashing was predominant for cored-wire having more metal composition. The W-Cr-Fe nano-composite cored wire had the highest content of metallic binder phase, which resulted in the largest in-flight particles produced, and well melted of the metallic phase led to the highest degree of splashing observed.


This article examines the connections between the economic, social and cultural aspects of a rather peculiar practice – events of domestic hospitality which involve a meal. In formats ranging from the formal dinner party to impromptu potluck events, an economic good is transferred from one household to another, ostensibly as a unilateral gift although often prompting reciprocity. Illustrated with results from a mixed methods re-study of the practice of eating out in England, we explore how, and under which circumstances, reciprocity is, or is not, observed. We discuss how to conceptualise this activity in terms of production and consumption, modes of provision, gifts and reciprocity, practice and culture. Interpreting the meaning and function of domestic entertaining, and explaining why it is so highly regarded, is shown to depend on how repetition is aligned with other specific characteristics of the practice. We draw out some implications for the relationship between production and consumption, for social relations under different modes of provision, and for alternative ways of delivering services.