To assess the contribution of the recently identified hepatitis C virus to chronic liver diseases of unknown cause and chronic hepatitis attributed by exclusion to non-A, non-B hepatitis, we tested for antibody to hepatitis C in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative patients with a spectrum of chronic liver diseases. Antibody to hepatitis C virus, a marker of hepatitis C infection, was detected with a first-generation radioimmunoassay at the following frequencies in the following patient groups: 69% of transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis; 53% of non-transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis; 26% of hepatitis B surface antigen-negative hepatocellular carcinoma; 8% of cryptogenic cirrhosis; 5% to 7% of autoimmune chronic liver diseases; 19% of patients with miscellaneous types of chronic liver disease; and 0.67% of healthy controls. Among non-transfusion-associated cases, 81% with a history of intravenous drug use but only 18% with occupational exposure as health workers had antibody to hepatitis C virus. Among cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 63% of Japanese patients but only 11% of American patients had evidence of hepatitis C infection. Comparison in a subgroup of 79 serum samples of a second-generation radioimmunoassay with the first-generation assay demonstrated a 12% increase in antibody frequency from 30% to 42%. We conclude that hepatitis C plays a substantial role in transfusion-associated and non-transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis as well as in hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in Japan, a limited role in cryptogenic cirrhosis, and essentially no role in autoimmune chronic liver diseases. Application of more sensitive immunoassays will increase the frequency of antibody seropositivity in all subgroups, but relative distinctions among risk groups are likely to remain.


With the emergence of energy communities, where a number of prosumers invest in shared renewable generation capacity and battery storage, the issue of fair allocation of benefits and costs has become increasingly important. The Shapley value has attracted increasing interest for redistribution in energy settings - however, computing it exactly is intractable beyond a few dozen prosumers. In this paper, we examine a number of methods for approximating the Shapley value in realistic community energy settings, and propose a new one. To compare the performances of these methods, we also design a novel method to compute the Shapley value exactly, for communities of up to several hundred agents by clustering consumers into a smaller number of demand profiles. We compare the methods in a large-scale case study of a community of up to 200 household consumers in the UK, and show that our method can achieve very close redistribution to the exact Shapley values but at a much lower (and practically feasible) computation cost.


Sand and fines production is one of the oldest problems in the petroleum industry and one of the toughest to solve. Today, many technologies and methods exist; in some cases some sand and fines production is manageable, while for others it cannot be tolerated at all. Also, many wells do not produce sand or fines from the onset and may not require an active sand control solution until later in their lives. Sand influx into the wellbore may lead to various down-hole and surface problems. Chemical sand control solutions have been around for many years and have always been attractive due to their ability to be installed without any restrictions to the well bore geometry. However due to the difficulties with placement, and in many cases their association with formation damage, there have been reservations regarding the use of chemical methods as a standard sand control method. This paper presents a unique and novel chemistry that increases the maximum sand/fines free rate without a significant reduction in permeability and discusses the placement techniques essential for a successful application. It includes a review of laboratory tests, treatment design considerations and study of some wells that have been treated with zeta potential altering chemistry.


The dynamic and ever-increasing complex nature of a port system involves a variety of stakeholders with a broad spectrum of involvement and objectives. In the port master planning, to fulfill the objectives of the various stakeholders and manage conflicts and controversies, a stakeholder analysis is carried out. However, effective and timely engagement of the key stakeholders in the planning process is not an easy task. This paper presents a framework of stakeholder analysis for the case study of the Multi-Purpose Port of Isafjordur in Iceland to underpin the master planning process. The framework deals with a systematic procedure of identification, grouping and then static mapping of stakeholders by means of the power-interest matrix. Further, the fuzzy logic 3-dimensional decision surface was adopted for dynamic salience mapping of the


We give a functorial construction of equivariant spectra from a generalized version of Mackey functors in categories. This construction relies on the recent description of the category of equivariant spectra due to Guillou and May. The key element of our con- struction is a spectrally-enriched functor from a spectrally-enriched version of permutative categories to the category of spectra that is built using an appropriate version of K-theory. As applications of our general construction, we produce a new functorial construction of equivariant Eilenberg-MacLane spectra for Mackey functors and for suspension spectra for finite G-sets.


ABSTRACT In competitive environments, food and beverage brands frequently launch limited-edition products to increase market share. Within this context, this study aims to investigate the antecedents of purchasing limited-edition food and beverage products in general. Data were collected via copies of questionnaires from 399 Turkish customers. The population of the study is actual and/or potential buyers of limited-edition food and beverage products. Convenience sampling method was used for data collection and the data were analyzed with structural equation modeling method. The study found positive relationships between perceived scarcity, anticipated regret, attitude, and purchase intention of limited-edition food and beverage products (FABP). Results show that attitude is a partial mediator in the relationship between perceived scarcity-purchase intention as well as anticipated regret-purchase intention. The study also presented the moderating role of desire for unique consumer products in the relationship between attitude and purchase intention for limited-edition FABP. Food and beverage brands should consider perceived scarcity, anticipated regret, attitude, and desire for unique consumer product variables while implementing limited-edition strategies.


Operation of industrial steam turbines under partial admission is usually implemented in order to cope with fluctuations in demand while maintaining a high efficiency. Subject of the article presented is the experimental investigation of the performance and efficiency of a control stage operated with air, under partial admission. Furthermore, the steady state blade loading distribution on the stator in a free passage and at the entry into a not admitted passage is observed. For the experiment, the single-staged axial-flow turbine is operated with varying shaft speed, pressure ratio and admission rate, realized by flow blockaging. Two rotationally symmetric stator endwall designs are tested: a plane and a contoured endwall. Reducing the admission rate at part load decreases the efficiency, especially at high circumferential velocities as precedent investigations showed. Pumping and mixing loss behaviour shows a different scale across the performance map. To prove CFD Simulations, results of the blade loading distribution on the stator are acquired.


Aims Sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCTs) are one of the commonest neonatal tumours but occur infrequently with an incidence of 1:40 000. We reviewed the perinatal outcomes of all antenatally detected cases of SCT at a single tertiary centre. Methods Cases were identified from the fetal medicine database (between 2003 and 2010) and outcome data was obtained from the maternal, neonatal and surgical notes. Results Eight SCTs were diagnosed. The median gestation at initial presentation was 23 (range 15–35 weeks). Two cases resulted in termination of pregnancy <16 weeks gestation (parental choice). Of the remaining cases, 2/6 required fetal intervention due to fetal hydrops, one requiring radiofrequency ablation and the other interstitial laser therapy of the vessels of the SCT. In addition, one of these cases required serial amniodrainage. The median gestation at delivery was 35 weeks (range 29–38 weeks) with 5/6 being delivered by caesarean section. All fetuses had excisional surgery at median of 4 days gestation (range 1–14 days). The neonate that had required radiofrequency ablation in utero, died aged at 11 days having being delivered at 29 weeks due to antepartum haemorrhage. 5/6 cases survived the neonatal period. Conclusions: The overall neonatal survival of antenatally diagnosed SCT in this series is over 80%. The presence of associated fetal hydrops and need for fetal intervention was associated with a poorer prognosis.


Background: There are differences in the distribution of ABO, subgroup ABO and Rh(D) blood groups in different populations of the world. Relatively little information is available about blood group distributions in Sudanese population. Objectives: To see the frequency of ABO, subgroup ABO and Rh(D) blood groups in major Sudanese ethnic groups(Danagla, Shaygia and Gaaleen). Subjects and Methods: Blood testing for ABO, subgroup ABO and Rh (D) typing was done over six months, in 300 unrelated individuals, from both genders. Blood samples were collected from students of the college of medical laboratory science – Sudan University of Science and Technology using finger prick method and following routine slide method. Results: Blood group "O" was the most predominant (52.7%) in both Rh positive and negative subjects, followed by blood group A, B and AB. Majority (98.0%) of the subjects were Rh (D) positive and only 2% were Rh negative. The predominant subgroup of ABO was A2 (14.1%). Conclusions: The frequency of ABO blood groups in both Rh positive and negative subjects among the major Sudanese ethnic group was similar to that reported from neighbouring regions.


Due to constrained resources, DDoS attack is one of the
biggest threats to MANET. IP traceback technique is useful to defend against
such type of attacks, since it can identify the attack sources. Several types
of traceback schemes have been proposed for wired networks. Among all the
existing schemes, probabilistic packet marking (PPM)
scheme might be the most promising scheme for MANET. However its performance in
MANET is not as good as that in Internet. In this paper, a new scheme based on the
codingtechnique (CT) is proposed for traceback in MANET. Furthermore, a
new idea of Incremental traceback is raised to cope with the situation of incremental
attack (ICT). We present the protocol design and conduct theoretical analysis
of this scheme. Additionally, we conduct experiments to compare it with the
traditional PPM scheme. The experimental results show that the new coding-based
traceback scheme outperforms the PPM scheme in MANET.


This paper presents a new approach for energy reduction and speed improvement of multiport SRAMs. The key idea is to use current-mode for both read and write operations. To toggle a memory cell, a very small voltage swing is first created on the high-capacitive bit lines. This voltage is then translated into a differential current being injected into the cell, which in turn allows complementary potential to be developed on the cell nodes. As compared to the conventional write approach, SPICE simulations using a 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS process have shown 2.8 to 9.9/spl times/ in energy savings and 1.02 to 6.36/spl times/ reduction in delay, for memory sizes of 32 to 1 K words. We also present a current-mode sense-amplifier that operates in a similar fashion as the write circuit. The design and implementation of a pipelined 32/spl times/64 three-port register file utilizing the proposed technique is described. Measurements of the register file chip have confirmed the feasibility of the approach.


The development of newspapers in Japan and Sweden follow radically different paths. The newspapers fulfilled quite different roles in the two countries and were to an extensive degree reflecting the societies in which they were produced. This paper will start by giving a short overview of the development of the newspaper industry in Japan and in Sweden. A comparison will be made between the types of newspapers that were produced as well as to their content. We will then continue with a comparison of the popular press, the koshimbun in the Japanese case, a small format paper produced for a larger audience largely containing news of a sensational type as well as entertainment, with similar publication in Sweden. Special attention will also be given to the type of series novel that was published by the papers of both countries at the time.


Computerized cognitive tests often entail tasks related to visual stimuli. Most tests are performed by elderly, computer naïve, and sometimes cognitively impaired subjects. Cognitive ergonomics in designing these tests can alleviate the subject's anxiety, and enhance their cognitive evaluation accuracy. One method to achieve this goal is to implement a complexity measure for the cognitive tasks and adjust the complexity level to each subject's capabilities, thus creating an adaptive psychological test. This paper details the design, implementation, and testing of a visual pattern complexity determination algorithm. The patterns used for the study were taken from computerized cognitive assessments. The algorithm was tested using three hundred binary images and compared to the complexity perceived via pair-comparison by human judges. Correlations of 72%, 74%, and 61% between human perception and the algorithm's predictions were obtained for easy, medium, and hard complexity levels, respectively. The algorithm has the potential to become an accurate measure of visual pattern complexity in computerized assessment, and could improve the usability of these tests for psychometric and cognitive evaluations.


Objective: Evidence supports high rates of co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain disorders involving central sensitization (CS). The nature of this relationship, however, remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we aimed to (1) assess how both trauma exposure and current PTSD symptoms are related to clinical manifestations of CS, and (2) test whether PTSD symptoms explain the relationship between trauma exposure and CS. Because experiential avoidance has been shown to impact the relationship between trauma and health outcomes, we (3) explored experiential avoidance as a possible mediator or moderator of the trauma-CS relationship. Methods: A sample of 202 adult patients (79% female) with chronic pain completed validated self-report measures of trauma exposure, current PTSD symptoms, experiential avoidance, and 3 manifestations of CS: widespread pain, greater pain severity, and polysomatic symptom reporting. We used path analysis and multivariate regression to assess our study aims. Results: Both trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with all 3 clinical indicators of CS. PTSD symptoms partially explained the relationship between trauma exposure and widespread pain, pain intensity, and polysomatic symptoms. Experiential avoidance did not mediate or moderate the trauma-CS relationship. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that trauma exposure is linked to elevated clinical markers of CS but a critical factor in this relationship is the mediating effect of current PTSD symptoms.


This paper examines the current landscape of Hadhrami Arab Community in Indonesia. It aims to understand the internal fissures that affect the cohesion within the community. Some scholars contended that the conflicts taking place within the Hadhrami community are due to the Yemeni traditional stratification and nationalist orientation during colonial era. However, they do not include in their analysis the contemporary state of Hadhramis in Indonesia. This paper focuses on the contemporary era and argues that doctrinal contest and competition for religious authority have dominated the dynamics of conflict within Indonesian Hadhrami community. The paper will touch on the debates on the notion of Shi'ism among the so-called sayyids and Salafism among the followers of Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyyah. It suggests that it is through these two currents of thought that the Hadhrami community in Indonesia not only exercise their power and authority, but also shape and transform their


Ceramics are characterized by their special wear and temperature resistance. Thus, they are especially suited for the cutting of high-temperature alloys and difficult-to-cut materials. Due to their low ductility, they show brittle-hard properties during the process, which lead to a sudden failure of the tool. But it is possible to create composite materials that counteract the brittle-hard behavior of the substrate material by PVD-coating. The objective of the investigations is to increase the process stability of coated ceramic indexable inserts made of aluminum oxide and silicon nitride through the optimisation of the mechanical pre-treatment of the substrate materials. To this end, the ceramic substrates are pre-treated by different abrasive machining processes. Comprehensive measurement evaluations show the influence of the machining process and strategy on the formation of surface and subsurface. The workpieces ground and lapped in different ways are subsequently coated by an especially developed PVD process. Measurements show the influence of the pre-treatment on the surface structure and on the mechanical properties of the composite material. The application of the developed and manufactured tools in cutting tests verifies the results of the measurements.


: In chromosomes of peripheral lymphocytes of 35 patients with multiple sclerosis treated with azathioprine, antilymphocytic globulin or thoracic-duct drainage structural aberrations (breaks and gaps) were found at a significantly high rate. The aberration rates were increased in another ten untreated patients as well, but less so. Patients previously treated had a high aberration rate, too. The B- and C-chromosomes of patients treated with azathioprine were more frequently involved than those of control subjects. The terminal segment of the long arm of chromosome 1 was mostly affected in these patients, while in all groups there was an increase of aberrations in the centre of the long arm of the C-chromosome. The clinical significance of these chromosomal aberrations is not yet clear.


BACKGROUND
Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy is an emerging new treatment option in ovarian cancer, an important cause of cancer-related mortality.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
One patient with ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) and one with serous ovarian cancer (SOC) received four weekly vaccinations of autologous DCs electroporated with mRNA coding for the Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1). Safety, feasibility and immunogenicity were assessed.

RESULTS
Vaccination was feasible without toxicity. In an ex vivo antigen re-stimulation assay of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, both patients showed increasing cluster of differentiation 137 (CD137+) antigen-specific T-cells and interleukin 10 (IL-10) production post-vaccination. Moreover, interleukin-2 (IL-2) production increased (OCS) as well as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (SOC). Disease in patients progressed after four vaccines and patients continued with conventional therapies. After cessation of immunotherapy, they had an extended survival of 19 (OCS) and 12 (SOC) months.

CONCLUSION
To our knowledge, we report for the first time the feasibility and T-cell immunogenicity of WT1 mRNA-loaded DC immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.


Minibrain-related kinase (Mirk) is a serine/threonine kinase which is also known as the dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1B (Dyrk1B). It is known that Dyrk1A, the closest family member to Mirk/Dyrk1B can mediate cellular localization of mammalian forkhead subclass O (FoxO1), a transcription factor, although the effect of Mirk/Dyrk1B on FoxO factors remains to be defined. In this study, we showed that Mirk/Dyrk1B protein was overexpressed in 5 of 8 ovarian cancer cell lines and negatively correlated with the protein level of FoxO factors (FoxO1+FoxO3A). Knockdown of Mirk by small interfering RNA (siRNA) resulted in cell apoptosis and sensitized cells to cisplatin accompanied by nuclear translocation of FoxO1 and/or FoxO3A as well as increased Bim, TRADD, cleaved caspase-3 and PARP. Furthermore, combined siRNAs of Mirk with FoxO1 and/or FoxO3A led to fewer apoptotic cells and cisplatin sensitivity compared to Mirk siRNA alone, suggesting that FoxO is involved in Mirk-mediated cell survival and chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer. Taken together, Mirk/Dyrk1B plays an important role in ovarian cancer cell survival through modulating FoxO translocation and may be a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.


A critical analysis is made of literature reports on the dielectric properties of pure water from liquid water supercooled at −20 °C, to +100 °C, in principle in the frequency range 0 to 3 GHz. Measurements using complete multi-step numerical modelling of a dual resonant cavity at about 920 MHz and 2230 MHz are presented. The measured data at about +20 °C are used as reference for the calculation of data at other temperatures. Due to the high resolution and considerations of various error sources, the resulting accuracy becomes high and allows the construction of improved empirical formulae for the Debye relaxation behaviour.


Objectives The aims of this study were to report the outcome of patients with advanced-stage serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOT) after a first noninvasive recurrence and the impact of conservative treatment in that context and to define the best management for those patients. Study Design From 1973 to 2006, 168 patients were treated at or referred to our institution for an SBOT with peritoneal implants. Their slides were reviewed by the same expert pathologist. Selection criteria were as follows: advanced stage (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics ≥II), with at least 1 recurrence (only noninvasive ones) and more than 5 years of follow-up. Results Twenty patients met the inclusion criteria. The median duration of follow-up was 12 years (range, 6–23 years). Median age was 26 years (14–61 years). Initial surgical management was conservative for 14 patients and radical for 6. In the study population, 4 patients recurred, all with invasive disease. Time to invasive recurrence was at least 3 years for 3 of 4 patients. None of those 4 patients had a second-look surgery initially or after the first recurrence. Two patients had small-sized residual disease after initial management; only 1 of these 4 patients is currently alive and disease-free. There was no significant difference between conservative and radical treatment of the risk of second recurrence. Conclusions This study emphasizes the need for a long follow-up after recurrence of advanced-stage SBOT and the risk of a new invasive recurrence after a first noninvasive peritoneal recurrence. Conservative treatment does not seem as a risk factor and is still justified after a first noninvasive recurrence for young patients who desire to preserve fertility.


Skin graft is one of the techniques used to reconstruct surgical wounds. The graft is composed of epidermal and dermal segments that are completely removed from the donor region and transferred to the recipient bed. After its implantation it's recommended to make compressive dressing in the receiver bed. Since the grafts do not have a vascular pedicle, it's important to make the compressive dressing to improve graft contact with the wound and allow adequate angiogenesis. The compressive dressing is made with a sponge or foam, which offers adequate protection and reduces the discomfort of the patient in the postoperative period. The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is the objective of several studies associated with the reduction of postoperative surgical complications, especially necrosis. This product is a result of the centrifugation of the patient's blood that promotes the separation of its constituents and allows the extraction of plasma with higher concentration of platelets. PRP improves the tissue healing process by releasing biological mediators and growth factors at the site of application. Researches on platelet-rich plasma used in reconstructive surgery are important because this product has therapeutic characteristics to promote healing. When it's used in skin grafts, platelet-rich plasma is able to improve graft integration in the recipient bed, and reduce necrosis after the surgical procedure. The use of postoperative surgical sponges associated with platelet-rich plasma is indicated to improve the healing of the graft and to avoid its displacement of the recipient bed.


In view of the complexity of the conductivity and the geometry of the human head, a numerical method would appear to be necessary for the adequate calculation of the electric potential and the magnetic induction generated by electric sources within the brain. Four numerical methods that could be used for solving this problem are the finite-difference method, the finite-element method, the boundary-element method, and the finite-volume method. These methods could be used to calculate the electric potential and the magnetic induction directly. Alternatively, they could be applied to compute the electric potential or the electric field and the magnetic induction could then be determined by numerical integration of the Biot-Savart law. The four numerical methods are briefly reviewed. Thereafter the relative merits of the methods and the various options for using them to solve the EEG and MEG problem are evaluated.


This paper explores whether frictions in the credit market are constraining the efficient allocation of capital in South Africa. The analysis focuses on firm level data for manufacturers. The results indicate that access to finance in South Africa is, for most manufacturing firms, not a major constraint on their business. In fact, South Africa has a lower proportion of firms reporting access to finance constraints than most of its emerging market peers. However, small firms and those receiving payments largely in cash are more likely to report a financing constraint. The extent to which a firm faces financing obstacles does not correlate with variations in the firm level marginal product of capital (MPK), which suggests that credit access is not an important limitation on allocative efficiency in the manufacturing sector. Indeed, smaller firms are found to have a lower MPK, which would explain their relatively higher probability of facing a financing constraint. Furthermore, this paper provides tentative evidence that structural obstacles such as crime and regulatory challenges are constraining the productive allocation of firm capital. The use of a unique firm level dataset was important for understanding the dynamics described above. However, this data was collected in 2007, so the results should be considered tentative as some variables may have changed in the interim.


We introduce two algorithms for accurately evaluating powers to a positive integer in floating-point arithmetic, assuming a fused multiply-add (fma) instruction is available. We show that our log-time algorithm always produce faithfully-rounded results, discuss the possibility of getting correctly rounded results, and show that results correctly rounded in double precision can be obtained if extended precision is available with the possibility to round into double precision (with a single rounding).


Product systems are quickly and frequently changed because Product Life Cycle is continuously reduced and adopting new product is steadily fast. Thus, various studies are progressed using simulation which is one of digital manufacturing. The research that is concerning simulation of control verification for shorten the commissioning which has a lot of trial and error is in progress. Also, simulation of control verification has strength that it can catch the errors in advance. However, a control program in simulation needs virtual factory for representation of control information. For this reason, excessive time and energy is put into controlling the virtual factory. So, in this paper, we construct library which is using exist data, in order to overcome limitation of these problems. Furthermore, we suggest methodology which can model and verify the process more speedy using library. Especially, we give body to the BB/BR Line process which has many altering equipment and need high technology effectively using physical and logical modeling. We can set up a control simulation environment very rapidly, as well as cut process time down using our suggestion.


The idea introduced in this paper is culled from a wide spectrum of issues the authors have explored in design studio teaching over a period of two decades. One of the affirmations that it is possible to do with regard to the education in the Architecture studio, is the consensus of high expectations in this process. Nevertheless, this aspiration shared by tutors and tutees can end up by being a mirage. In the definition of the mirage the perception of what is seen, is determined by the ambience. This process is inserted in a place and specific time, the environmental conditions of this process of education and learning are, as in reality, determinant for a more real and useful perception.
 One of the pitfalls that hide a more collective reflection concerning the topic of learning in studio is the permanent urgency of the theoretical and/or professional agendas in architecture. This environmental condition determines the vision, reflection and the practice of the architecture. Nevertheless, this energy and attention tends to alienate the most permanent need of a reflection with regard to the daily action of learning in studio.
 The studio Culture is an extraordinary way of learning that has survived 275 years, and has been in discourse since then. This culture is created in a field of tension between reason, emotion and intuition, on both sides 'Tutor/Student and Student/Tutor'. Schon (1981,83) has long identified three reasons why studio teaching could go wrong as the Stance adopted towards communication, the qualities of the `behavioural world they created for each other, and thirdly the theory in use.
 The importance of this statement, shift the attention from declared intentions (Learning outcomes) written in programmes and the expected standard, to the student's and tutor own experiences. Concomitantly, studio teaching/learning process can go wrong today for a number of reasons and expectations, the syndrome of viewing architecture as art and only art, the syndrome of embedding an envisioned ambiguous sustainable agenda, and the syndrome of emphasizing the development of skills at the expense of knowledge.
 Clear guideline in objectives and standards are developed in the form of learning contract (Learning outcome, teaching methodology, assessment criteria, etc.). Special consideration has been given to the semantic of it. However, design process is a not a solving - programme mental method that operates as a recipe, neither a completely random exercise for the sake of the imaginary. Individuals make a difference with theirs own contributions. Tutors in the way they created the safe environment for risk taking and students which committed themselves for their own agendas. But it is by no doubt the tutor's responsibility to stick to the learning outcomes, and develop it based on his/her own experience. Developing the outcome is therefore, a complete different story then operating his/her own hidden agenda that does not fulfil the requirements of the contract the tutor is eligible to fulfil for the student.
 However, a text and discourse analysis studied revealed that an objective defined as outcome in a particular learning contract, vary in its meaning and interpretation and within the relationship; Students-Students. / Students –Tutor / Tutor-Tutor / Tutor- External. Hidden values, circumstantial agendas are sometimes legitimised by the power the tutor have on his/her own studio.. The outcome of this procedure could have a negative effect on tutors and tutees. This in turn has a mal effect on motivation and self confidence, which are both crucial components of an optimal experience in learning. "It is about learning! and, it is about time". A needed switch: it is not about performance, but Learning process, it is about accomplishing and improvement, but mainly about a deep review of our studio practice. In essence, this paper identifies illusions present in architecture studio teaching. It sheds the lights on hidden agendas within the studio and the effect these agendas have on the long term architects (architectural students) that such environments develop. The results of investigating this multilayered studio teaching approach offers important lessons to be learnt in our design studio teaching for both Tutors and Tutees.


Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignancy in Caucasians, and its incidence is increasing. Most BCCs are treated surgically, nevertheless surgery is not an effective treatment for locally advanced or metastatic BCC. Alterations in hedgehog signaling pathway, a key regulator of cell growth and differentiation during development, are implicated in the pathogenesis of basal‐cell carcinoma. Vismodegib is a small‐molecule inhibitor of smoothened (SMO), a key component of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, administered in BCC patients, especially when surgery and radiotherapy treatments have failed. We report a series of eight elderly patients treated with vismodegib for advanced BCC and affected by concomitant multiple comorbidities. The efficacy and tolerability of vismodegib in patients with single and/or multiple comorbidities has been poorly studied. In our observation an overall high safety and tolerability has been observed over the course of treatment, with side effects of grade I and II and no changes in vital parameters, electrocardiography and echocardiogram. Vismodegib has been shown to be a safe and well tolerated treatment option for elderly patients affected by multiple comorbidities and advanced BCC.


We present a compact, all diode-pumped supercontinuum source based on a SESAM mode-locked Yb:glass oscillator at 1040 nm and a tapered fiber. The oscillator has a repetition rate of 20 MHz, a pulse duration of 200 fs, and a maximum pulse energy of about 15 nJ. This system delivers an 1100 nm broad spectrum with an output power of more than 100 mW. Decreasing the repetition rate to 500 kHz by cavity-dumping results in a supercontinuum with a high pulse energy of about 50 nJ. Furthermore, using the frequency-doubled output of this laser at 520 nm with 300 fs pulse duration resulted in supercontinua in the near-UV and visible spectral region. We compare the experimental spectra with theoretical simulations.


Detecting anatomical landmarks on various human models with dynamic poses remains an important and challenging problem in computer graphics research. We present a novel framework that consists of two‐level regressors for finding correlations between human shapes and landmark positions in both body part and holistic scales. To this end, we first develop pose invariant coordinates of landmarks that represent both local and global shape features by using the pose invariant local shape descriptors and their spatial relationships. Our body part‐level regression deals with the shape features from only those body parts that correspond to a certain landmark. In order to do this, we develop a method that identifies such body parts per landmark, by using geometric shape dictionary obtained through the bag of features method. Our method is nearly automatic, as it requires human assistance only once to differentiate the left and right sides. The method also shows the prediction accuracy comparable to or better than those of existing methods, with a test data set containing a large variation of human shapes and poses.


ABSTRACT Knowledge of the mechanical behaviour, especially at the microscale level, is of great importance for a better understanding of the failure mechanisms of injection-moulded glass fibre reinforced polymers. Furthermore, knowledge about deformation and damage processes helps to improve the quality of structural simulations. Interrupted in situ tensile testing by X-ray computed tomography allows a stepwise, time-dependent investigation of the local strain and defect formation. The objective of this work is the determination of strains by Digital Volume Correlation and the segmentation and characterisation of defects. The correlation between different defect types (matrix fracture, fibre-matrix debonding, fibre fracture and fibre pull-out) and fibre orientation is shown. Defect localisation and volume and their relation to local strain are illustrated. The investigation of strain hot spots at low load levels allow for the prediction of the position of fracture onset. Moreover, the strain distribution at higher load levels can be used to comprehend the fracture surface. Various evaluation and visualisation approaches that enable simultaneous analysis of defects and strains are demonstrated.


Bench-scale experiments using iron modified and unmodified photocatalysts (Fe/TiO2 and TiO2) were conducted to compare their decomposition efficiencies with formaldehyde. The effects of operating parameters on the decomposition efficiency were further investigated. The grain size of iron doped photocatalysts ranged from 25 to 60 nm. The iron doped content of 1, 3, and 5% Fe/TiO2 photocatalysts was measured as 1.2, 3.1, and 4.7%, respectively. The UV-visible analytical results showed that a significant red shift was observed while the iron doping content of Fe/TiO2 increased from 0 to 5%. Two continuous-flow reaction systems, the ozonolytic and the photocatalytic reactors, were combined in series to investigate their capability to decompose formaldehyde by Fe/TiO2 photocatalysts with six operating parameters, namely, the influent formaldehyde concentrations (0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 ppm), the relative humidity (5, 35, and 55%), irradiation by light (visible, near-UV, and UV), the reaction temperatures (25, 30, and 35°C), the iron doping content (1, 3, and 5% Fe/TiO2), and the injected-ozone concentrations (2,000 and 3,000 ppb). The optimal operating parameters obtained in this study were an influent formaldehyde concentration of 0.15 ppm, a relative humidity of 5%, irradiation by UV light, a reaction temperature of 35°C, an iron doping content of 5% Fe/TiO2, and an injected-ozone concentration of 3,000 ppb. Overall, the efficiencies of different decomposition techniques for formaldehyde followed the sequence: UV/TiO2 + O3 > O3 + UV/TiO2 > UV/O3 ≈ O3. A maximum formaldehyde decomposition efficiency of 92% was obtained by using the UV/TiO2 + O3 technology.


Introduction Endoscopic Resection (ER), a technique, first pioneered in Japan for treating early gastric cancers, has gained popularity globally. The delivery of an ER service requires specialist expertise and is therefore limited to a few centres in the UK. Here in Bradford, an ER service was established in 2007, and is delivered by a single operator. The aim of this study was to observe changes in our ER practice over time. Methods This was a prospective study of all patients who had undergone ER between August 2007 and December 2012 in Bradford Royal Infirmary. Patients were referred by experienced consultants, from the same trust or neighbouring hospitals, and were considered difficult cases, due to lesion size and/or access. Data from every ER case were recorded into a spreadsheet and divided into upper gastrointestinal (GI) ER or lower GI ER. We recorded patient demographics, lesion size and site, sedation, outcome, complications, and lesion removal (whole/piecemeal). Cases performed before 2010 (pre-2010) were separated from those performed in or after 2010 (post-2010). Data were analysed separately for the 2 time periods and then compared. Results There were a total of 245 ER cases over the study period (47 upper GI, and 198 lower GI). The number of upper GI ER cases increased from 15, pre-2010 to 32, post-2010. The success rate improved over time from 87 to 97% and the complication rate fell from 26 to 6%. Complications included 1 gastric perforation and 5 cases of minor bleeding treated endoscopically. The mean doses of Midazolam (2.5 mg) and Fentanyl (30 mcg) remained the same over time; however cases performed under general anaesthesia (GA) increased sharply from 7% to 37%. Mean polyp size also increased from 14 to 18 mm, although the distribution of polyps in the upper GI tract remained the same over time, with around 50% found in the stomach. Whole piece removal increased from 53% to 66%, despite increasing polyp size. The number of lower GI ER cases also increased substantially from 62, pre-2010, to 136, post-2010. Success rate improved from 92 to 95%, whilst the complication rate remained the same at 5%. Complications included 1 postpolypectomy syndrome and 6 cases of bleeding. Doses of Midazolam (1.5 mg) and Fentanyl (75 mcg) remained the same over time, and interestingly the use of GA in lower GI ER was considerably lower (<1%) compared to upper GI cases. There were no changes in polyp size (26 mm), polyp distribution or whole piece removal (40%) over time. Conclusion Our results demonstrate an increasing use of ER for upper and lower GI lesions. Over time, and thus, with more experience the success rate and complication rate have improved. These results are in line with other studies, emphasising ER as a safe technique, which should be considered before surgery for managing large and difficult GI lesions. Disclosure of Interest None Declared.


This report describes endovascular approaches for occlusion of vertebro-vertebral arteriovenous fistula (VV-AVF) in a series of three cases and a review of the literature. Complete neuroimaging assessment, including CT, MR and DSA was performed in three patients (two female, one male) with VV-AVF. Based on DSA findings, the VV-AVF were occluded by endovascular positioning of detachable balloons (case 1), coils (case 2), or a combination of both (case 3) with parent artery patency in two out of three cases. In this small series, endovascular techniques for occlusion of VV-AVF were safe and effective methods of treatment. To date, there are no guidelines on the best treatment for VV-AVF. Detachable balloons, endovascular coiling, combined embolization procedures could all be considered well-tolerated treatments.


We present novel methods that directly detect hydrocarbons based on conversions between electromagnetic and seismic energy. We first introduce the subject and then discuss the experimental methods in three field tests. Next, we present the results of the tests and then end with a few model results and thoughts about future applications.


Monodora myristica and Xylopia aethiopica are two spices that have been traditionally used as a vermifuge in Ayurveda. The main aim of the research work was to investigate the phytochemical constituents of the aqueous, ethanol and methanol extracts of the two spices and the anthelmintic activity of the extracts of their seeds against Eudrilus eugeniae. The four concentrations (10, 20, 50 and 100 mg/ml) of each of the extracts from the two spices were studied in the bioassay which involved the determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worm. Albendazole (15 mg/ml) was used as a standard reference drug in the assay. At the concentration of 100 mg/ml, the aqueous, ethanol and methanol extracts of the two spices showed very significant activities as compared to the standard drug Albendazole (15 mg/ml). The seed extracts of M. myristica and X. aethiopica produced a significant anthelmintic activity.


In this paper, we propose an algorithm to realize a power-aware network topology in wireless sensor networks. The algorithm creates a multicast tree connecting all sensor nodes. In the multicast tree, a sink node should be a root node, and all the data sensed in the sensor nodes are transferred to the sink node using the tree connection. The relay nodes aggregate the received data, and transfer the aggregated data to the sink at an appropriate timing so as to avoid packet collisions. To do this, all the sensor nodes are grouped in clusters. Here, each cluster has a head node, which is automatically selected from among the nodes in the cluster. In addition, our algorithm has an autonomous mechanism that can change the cluster head dynamically based on the remaining energy of each sensor node and the communication quality among the sensor nodes, which are obtained by periodical information exchange between the sensor nodes. This mechanism contributes to extending the lifetime of the sensor network. After describing the algorithm, some experimental results are shown to prove its effectiveness and robustness.


Can breast care be dramatically improved and positively received? St. John's Hospital made the decision to try to develop a comprehensive Breast Cancer Center with improved patient care and flow. The goals included more efficiency in timeliness, services provided, follow-up, cost, and quality. Additional targets were to have happy patients, physicians, and administrators. St. John's Breast Center has accomplished all of the goals and more. This article describes how this project was accomplished.


Influenza A is a common respiratory infection of horses, and rapid diagnosis is important for its detection and control. Sensitive detection of influenza currently requires viral culture and is not always feasible. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect DNA produced by reverse transcription of equine influenza in stored nasal secretions, vaccines, and allantoic fluids. Primers directed at a target of 212 bp on conserved segment 7 (matrix gene) of human influenza A/Bangkok/ 1/79 (H3N2) produced amplification products of appropriate size with influenza A/Equine/Prague/ 1/56 (H7N7), A/Equine/Miami/63 (H3N8), A/Equine/ Kentucky/79 (H3N8), and A/Equine/Kentucky/2/91 (H3N8) in infected frozen allantoic fluids and in frozen extracts of nasal swabs of 2 horses with naturally acquired influenza. The products bound a 32P-labeled hybridization probe to an inner region of the target. Control samples, including nasal secretions from a horse infected with herpesvirus, were negative. In a prospective study, 2 ponies inhaled aerosols of influenza A/Equine/ Kentucky/2/91 (H3N8), and thereafter supernatants of nasal swabs in transport medium were obtained daily for 10 days for culture and PCR. Amplification products were evaluated by size and binding of a 32P-labeled probe and also by dotblotting and binding of a biotin-labeled probe. Culture detected influenza more consistently than did PCR in the first 2 days of infection, but PCR detected virus more often later in infection. Gels were the most sensitive, but radiometric and biotin-labeled probes gave specific results and were consistently positive from days 3–6. PCR is suitable for detection of equine influenza in clinical samples.


Usual periodic scheduling problems deal with precedence constraints having non-negative latencies. This seems a natural way for modelling scheduling problems, since task delays are generally non-negative quantities. However, in some cases, we need to consider edges latencies that do not only model task latencies, but model other precedence constraints. For instance in register optimisation problems devoted to optimising compilation, a generic machine or processor model can allow considering access delays into/from registers. Edge latencies may be then non-positive leading to a difficult scheduling problem in presence of resources constraints. This research result is related to the problem of periodic scheduling with storage requirement optimisation; its aims is to solve the practical problem of register optimisation in optimising compilation. We show that pre-conditioning a data dependence graph (DDG) to satisfy register constraints before periodic scheduling under resources constraints may create circuits with non-positive distances, resulted from the acceptance of non-positive edge latencies. As a compiler construction strategy, it is forbidden to allow the creation of circuits with non-positive distances during the compilation flow, because such DDG circuits do not guarantee the existence of a valid instruction schedule under resource constraints. We study two solutions to avoid the creation of these problematic circuits. A first solution is reactive, it tolerates the creation of non-positive circuit in a first step, and if detected in a further check step, makes a backtrack to eliminate them. A second solution is proactive, it prevents the creation of non-positive circuits in the DDG during the register optimisation process. It is based on shortest path equations which define a necessary and sufficient condition to free any DDG from these problematic circuits. Then we deduce a linear program accordingly. We have implemented our solutions and we present successful experimental results.


Electrospinning of polymers has gained surging interest in the last decades due to its wide range of applications in different fields, such as sensors, electronic devices, separation systems, biomedical materials. Still there are only few reports on the use of these nanofibers as reinforcement in polymer composites. In this paper, solution electrospinning was employed to produce nanofibrous mats impregnating two epoxy resins to form "monolayer" systems, with the aim to study the influence of the nanofibers on both the curing behaviour and the morphology of the resin systems. Three polymers were chosen for producing electrospun mats, a polysulfone (PSF), a polyamide Nylon 6,6 (Ny66) and a polyacrilonitrile (PAN). The nanofibrous mats were employed to produce mat/epoxy monolayers by soaking the mat in two different epoxy resin systems, one in lab-synthesized-high performance, and the other commercial-low performance. The results show a different extent of swelling of the electronspun mats, as derived by morphological analysis. The observation of the fractured surfaces also indicates the formation of several fracture planes or phase separation phenomena, suggesting the possibility of dissipation of fracture energy by the epoxy/mat nanocomposites. Additionally, for all resin/mat arrangements, thermal analysis indicates no significant interference of the mat with the cure reactions of the resins and only slight changes of the glass transition temperatures.


In the present study, antioxidant potential of the methanol and the ethyl acetate extracts of the seeds and pods of Calycotome villosa subsp. intermedia were evaluated by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay, reducing power and total antioxidant capacity. In DPPH scavenging assay, the IC50 value of the methanolic extract of seeds was found to be 0.20 mg/mL, the standard reference value for butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT) is 0.19 mg/mL. Total antioxidant activity was also found to increase in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, Calycotome villosa extract showed strong reducing power. The total phenolic content in the extracts was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and their amounts ranged between 173.37 ± 0.02 to 332.23 ± 0.01 mg GA (Gallic Acid)/g of dry extract. The concentrations of flavonoids in the extracts varied from 5.02 ± 0.03 to 66.45 ± 0.01 Qu (Quercetin)/g of dry extract. Ethyl acetate extract of seeds of Calycotome villosa showed the highest phenolic, flavonoids concentration and the strongest antioxidant activity. The high contents of phenolic compounds indicated that these compounds contribute to the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, all extracts showed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Calycotome villosa subsp. intermedia can be regarded as promising candidate for natural plant sources of antioxidants with high value.


Aims: Self-medication has been observed in all kinds of societies regardless of region, religion, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. It is practiced by individuals as part of self-care for preventing or curing diseases. The main objective of this study is to assess the number of individuals involved in usage of over the counter drugs in Malaysia; as well as to assess if certain races in Malaysian population are more inclined towards the use of medication without prescription. Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Methodology: A number of patients selected randomly from the outpatient department of SEGi University hospital, Malaysia participated in the study. Data was collected using a simple questionnaire. A total of 315 patients (166 male and 159 female) participated in the research and completed the designed questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed statistically using SPSS 20.0; appropriate statistical tests (Chi-Square and Fisher exact test) were applied. The P value (<0.01) was considered significant. Original Research Article Muzaffar et al.; BJPR, 9(2): 1-7, 2016; Article no.BJPR.21826 2 Results: In total, self-medication was practiced by 16.2% of participants. The trend was slightly higher in males (9.2%) than female participants (6.99%). Regarding ethnicity, the highest tendency was reported by patients of Indian origin. In Malaysian population, herbal medications were the most popular (66.66%), for the purpose of self-medication followed by allopathic drugs (22.22%). Considering the types of allopathic medications, oral analgesics remain the most popular drugs (60.56%) for self-medication among patient of all ethnicities. Conclusion: The trend of selfmedication is relatively less popular among Malaysians. However, a few individuals reported of practicing self-medication occasionally.


This letter proposes a multithreaded pattern matching algorithm which can efficiently distribute the patterns to be searched on multiple threads to achieve rapid pattern matching operation. The proposed idea is designed to fully exploit thread-level parallelism to enhance searching speed. By distributing a large number of patterns over multiple threads, pattern matching procedure experiences less cache misses and shows better performance. In addition, we propose to sort the target patterns according to the alphabetic order to achieve efficient data decomposition. From detailed experiments and performance analysis, our algorithm shows remarkable performance gain compared to the original Wu-Manber algorithm.


Essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from flower and fruit of Arbutus unedo growing in Turkey were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Forty-nine compounds, representing around 95 % of the total oils were identified. Non-terpenoids hydrocarbons were shown to be the main group of constituents of the flower and fruit part of the plant in the ratio of 62.2 and 92.8 %, respectively. The major component in the essential oil of the flower was α-terpineol (16.3 %) and the main compound in the essential oil of the fruit was hexadecanoic acid (21.7 %). The antimicrobial activity of the isolated essential oils of the flower and fruit were also investigated and it showed moderate antibacterial activity against Listeria monocitogenes and Enterococcus faecalis.


Granulysin, a cationic protein expressed by human natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, is a mediator for drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and graft-versus-host disease. Some 15 kDa granulysin are processed into 9 kDa forms and sequestered in cytolytic granules, while others are constitutively secreted into body fluids. Both 9 and 15 kDa granulysin have been shown to be a serum marker for cell-mediated immunity. Furthermore, 15 kDa is able to activate monocyte differentiation. However, its antimicrobial properties have not been clearly addressed. Here, we report a novel method to prepare both the soluble 9 and 15 kDa granulysin and show that the 15 kDa form is more effective than the 9 kDa form in exerting specific antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa within a range of few micromolars. We also show that the 15 kDa granulysin is able to hyperpolarize the membrane potential and increase membrane permeability of treated bacteria. Interestingly, the bactericidal activity and membrane permeability of the granulysins were markedly reduced at lower pH (pH 5.4) as a result of probable increase in hydrophobicity of the granulysins. Additionally, we've also shown the granulysin to inhibit biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that the 15 kDa granulysin exhibits a novel mechanism in bacteria killing in a way that's different from most antimicrobial peptides. Our novel granulysin preparation methodology will be useful for further study of action mechanisms of other antimicrobial, cytotoxic and immunomodulating properties in granulysin-mediated diseases.


ABSTRACT The diversity of the floral characters in 25 species of Brassicaceae representing seven tribes was studied through tracing their floral organs vascularization. The aim of the present study is to explore the contribution of the micro-floral characters in understanding the relationships among the studied species of Brassicaceae as well as the evolutionary trends in calyx, corolla, androecium and gynoecium. It was concluded that the vascularization of sepals, petals, stamens, nectaries and carpels was considered diagnostic and reliable characters at the specific level. The reduction and presence of vascular complexes was found to be at the top of the floral evolutionary trends. The micro-floral data were discussed in the view of dicta of evolution which facilitate the construction of proposed schematic presentation showing the line of advancement within each tribe. The line of advancement in tribe Brassiceae (representing 14 studied species) is from the primitive Raphanus sativus L. to the advanced Eruca sativa Mill. To rule the line of evolution within other tribes, the number of studied taxa should be increased.


This paper reports on the design, fabrication and optical characterization of a self-aligned microlaser scanning system consisting of a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) source and a MEMS-actuated microlens scanner. The alignment and the spacing between the VCSEL and the MEMS scanner are achieved through lithographically patterned alignment grooves and precision micro-beads. Horizontal displacements of ±70 μm, corresponding to scanning angles of ±7°, have been demonstrated.


Action of Diazoxide SIR,-I was interested to read the observations of Dr. D. E. Hutcheon and Dr. Katherine Barthalmus (July 21, p. 159) on the anti-hypertensive but non-diuretic thiazide, diazoxide. They used the drug for only a few days, but noted some toxic effects among which was an increase in the fasting blood-sugar in a diabetic patient. I have used diazoxide 400 mg. daily combined with hydrochlorothiazide to treat two hypertensive patients and both developed diabetes acutely with gross thirst, polyuria, and weight loss after four weeks of treatment. One had a fasting blood-sugar of 380 mg./100 ml. and the other 585 mg. /100 ml. Neither had a family or personal hi.story of diabetes, and one had a normal glucose-tolerance test before he was given diazoxide. Fortunately both patients appear to have recovered completely after the withdrawal of the drugs. I hope to publish a more complete account of these patients at a later date. It is known that chlorothiazide may rarely worsen or even precipitate diabetes, and it would not be surprising if the same were true of diazoxide, which has a closely similar structure. Indeed, confidential information from the manufacturers indicated that some diabetics had deteriorated on the drug. However, I think it is important that anyone who may contemplate trials with diazoxide should be aware that it may cause the developnment of diabetes in previously well hypertensive patients. My series of two out of two does not allow me to predict the incidence in a larger series, but it suggests that trials should proceed with the utmost caution. Should my limited experience apply to a larger series withdrawal of the drug may be obligatory. I understand that trials in this country have ceased for the time being.-I am, etc., Postgraduate Medical School, C. T. DOLLERY. London W.6.


Changing Practice: Changing Lives. An action research project to
implement skin-to-skin contact at birth and improve breastfeeding
practice in a North West United Kingdom hospital maternity unit
Breastfeeding has health benefits for mothers and babies. An action research
project was undertaken to improve knowledge of breastfeeding and
implement evidence based practice, that of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact
between mother and baby at birth. The beliefs underpinning the project were
informed by critical inquiry, dialectics and feminist theory. Data was collected
by means of field notes, participant observation, focus groups and semi-
structured interviews. Analysis during the project using critical reflection was
ongoing and collaborative, feeding back into the action research cycles, so
guiding the changes.
Before successful change in practice can occur, practitioners need to be
convinced of its value, involved in the change process and facilitated to
incorporate it into practice. Hospitals tend to reinforce the power of
professionals by their adherence to historical routines and institutionalised
practices which lead to compliance thus hindering change. The strategic use
of power by midwives was apparent, constructing people's world view, thus
reinforcing the power structure.
Empowerment of women and midwives was necessary to the success of the
project by education, support, role modelling, strategies for remembering and
the active participation of midwives. Theories of change were used to
illuminate challenging issues from the project.
Early contact between mother and baby at birth is an area generating a large
volume of literature. Skin-to-skin contact was disrupted by technology, time
limits and the social norm of separation. Interviews with women and midwives
allowed a deeper insight into the experience of skin-to-skin contact, giving
more value to the change. Further issues to emerge were the implications of
separation, the social construction of time, embodied praxis and love.
Recommendations are made for the more effective action research approach
to implementing change, and personal empowerment as the basis for
improving the experience of birth.


Synthetic soils are gradually replacing natural soils, e.g., sandy loams, in various types of sport and recreational surfaces, including horseracing tracks. Synthetic soils are made of a mixture of sand, binder (e.g., wax and polymer), fibers and rubber chips, which optimize the mechanical and hydraulic properties of natural soils so that they drain faster after rains, decrease risks of sport injuries, and improve sport performances. Synthetic surfaces are in early stages of development and often do not behave as intended mainly due to uncontrollable variation in composition. Until now, there was no laboratory procedure to determine the composition of these mixtures. Hereafter a laboratory method is proposed to determine the composition of synthetic soils, including (1) water content; (2) polymeric binder content; and (3) fiber and filler content. The main laboratory procedure uses Soxhlet extraction to determine binder content, and a solvent, e.g., Toluene, to dissolve the binder and separate it from other constituents. The Soxhlet extraction procedure was successfully applied to all tested types of synthetic soils in horseracing tracks.


Soft robots have significant advantages over traditional robots made of rigid materials. However, controlling this type of robot by conventional approaches is difficult. Reservoir computing has been demonstrated to be an effective approach for achieving rapid learning in benchmark tasks and conventional robots. In this study, we investigated the feasibility and capacity of the reservoir computing approach to embedding and switching between multiple behaviors in a on-line manner in a soft robotic arm. The result shows that this approach can successfully achieve this task.


The Nambucca River catchment is on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Australia, and drains 1,407 km2 of land east of the Great Dividing Range. This study examines the preand post-settlement record of channel change in the seven tributaries of the Nambucca catchment and suggests a scheme for rehabilitation based on current geomorphic information and the identified record of channel changes. The Late Pleistocene history, obtained from 19 river terrace thermoluminescence dates, identifies a remnant terrace of 78 ka from the Colleambally Phase during Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 5. Younger terraces correspond to the Kerarbury Phase (55-35 ka) and the Gum Creek Phase (31-25 ka), both in OIS 3. However, the majority of terraces date during the Yanco Phase (20-13 ka) in OIS 2. This record of late Quaternary activity correlates with periods of fluvial activity identified on the much larger Nepean and Murrumbidgee Rivers in southeastern Australia. No sediment dates have been obtained in the Nambucca catchment for the period 12 ka to 3 ka, probably because extensive flushing removed most of that alluvium in what has recently been termed the Nambucca Phase. Radiocarbon dating of the Nambucca floodplains has provided 15 dates, all but one younger than 3000 yrBP. Between 3000 and 2500 yrBP, the streams changed from gravel, braided and somewhat laterally active, to stable systems forming floodplains by vertical accretion and with channels that underwent occasional avulsion. This laterally stable period continued through to European settlement in the middle 1800's. Since settlement there have been four periods of change in the catchment that have shaped the formation of the streams in the catchment: Phase 1 (1830-1870): Settlers selectively logged the forested catchments for red cedar (Toona australis) but during this phase much of the forest on stream banks and floodplains remained intact. Phase 2 (1870-1896): Extensive land clearance for agriculture occurred during this phase. A cluster of large floods in the 1890's triggered a series of nickpoints. The initial channel instability problems probably date to this period. Fluvial Geomorphology of the Nambucca River Catchment Phase 3 (1897-1947): The period from the late 1890's to the late 1940's was relatively dry with very few recorded flood events. However, the earliest available aerial photographs from 1942 indicate channels straightened with meanders having cut-offs in the lower part of the catchment. The catchment appears to have been primed for major change during the flood dominated phase after 1947. Phase 4 (1948-Present): The change to this phase was associated with a series of large floods in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Streams experienced substantial bed lowering, continual overwidening and the exposure of abundant floodplain sediment, releasing massive amounts of gravel that had been stored for 3,000 years. The exposed gravel bars soon became colonised by Casuarina cunninghamiana, which many landholders believed worsened the problems of channel instability in the catchment. In an effort to restore the streams, government authorities from the 1960's to 1980's encouraged the extraction of gravel and the removal of woody debris from the streams. This investigation of the modern Nambucca catchment identifies tributaries floored with fine quartz gravel, migrating nickpoints, large colonies of Casuarina cunninghamiana and, bankfull channel capacities that can now convey 1-in-10-year floods and greater. An assessment of catchment geomorphology, and review of the many river rehabilitation schemes that have been attempted, recommends that controlling bed levels is a high priority. In this catchment substantial government funding is unlikely and the use of 'soft' engineering methods are required to provide longer term benefits for river rehabilitation. The construction of rock ramps appears to be the most suitable method for setting bed levels and arresting nickpoint retreat. Other methods such as pin groynes, brush groynes and jacks have all proven successful in straight reaches experiencing overwidening and bank retreat. Importantly, effective management of the riparian zone is required to encourage growth of native vegetation species in the absence of livestock. This study provides a comprehensive review of changes in catchment behaviour from the late Quaternary to the modern day; it provides detailed information about the geomorphology and sedimentology of the channels, and it completes a detailed assessment of rehabilitation schemes. As such it presents stream managers with a methodology for making scientifically based decisions on river rehabilitation. Fluvial Geomorphology of the Nambucca River Catchment


ABSTRACT Background: Sepsis is a significant cause of mechanical ventilation in hospitalized patients. Objective: The aim of our study was to recognize the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with an increased need for invasive mechanical ventilation in hospitalized sepsis patients. Methods: We used National Inpatient Sample database from the years 2009–2011 to identify sepsis patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. We compared demographic and clinical characteristics of sepsis patients requiring and not requiring ventilator support and conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to determine odds ratio (OR) of association. Results: A total of 4,827,769 sepsis patients were identified among which 21.38% required invasive ventilation. Multivariate logistic regression [OR (95% CI), p<0.001] determined the following to be associated with increased odds of ventilator use: morbid obesity [1.37 (1.31–1.42)] and age group 35-64 years [1.18 (1.14–1.22)] compared to 18–34 years, whereas females [0.90 (0.88–0.91)] and age >85 years [0.49 (0.47–0.52)] had reduced odds of invasive ventilation. Hyperkalemia [1.12 (1.09–1.16)] and hypernatremia [2.26 (2.16–2.36)] were associated with increased odds while hypokalemia [0.94 (0.91–0.97)] had reduced odds of invasive ventilation. Septic patients requiring IMV had higher length of stay by 9.72 ± 0.17 days, hospitalization cost by US $ 43010.31 ± 988.24 and in-hospital mortality (41.33% vs 8.91%). Conclusion: Sepsis is a major cause of intensive care unit admission and initiation of invasive ventilation. Baseline demographic and clinical features affect the need for invasive ventilation. A clear understanding of these risk factors is integral for an appropriate and timely management.


Objective: The event-related potential (ERP) evoked by the auditory oddball paradigm has been investigated mainly in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in patients with different causes of subcortical dementia. Subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) seems to be an important cause of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) frequently not fulfilling the criteria for dementia. Recognition of VCI is needed in order to provide adequate care and therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the different elements of this response (N1, N2 complex and P3 latencies) in a group of elderly patients with VCI caused by SIVD. Methods: The study population consisted of patients with a clinical and neuropsychological diagnosis of VCI caused by SIVD (n = 38) and healthy control subjects (n = 53) aged 60 years or older. The mean Mini Mental State Examination score of both groups was 27.6, and the mean HIV Dementia Scale score was 6.1 in the patient group and 12.3 in the control group. In all subjects, the ERP was recorded under standardized conditions, and the latencies and amplitudes of N1, N2 and P3 were analyzed by two clinical neurophysiologists in consensus. Both were blinded to the diagnosis. Results: The N2 latency was significantly longer in patients with VCI than in age-matched controls, whereas the latencies of the P3 and N1 were not significantly different. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the N2 complex to the P3 wave was significantly lower in the patient group. White matter abnormalities on MRI were not significantly correlated with the N2 latency. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the latency of the N2 complex is prolonged and the peak-to-peak amplitude of the N2 complex to the P3 wave is lowered in patients with VCI caused by SIVD.


Teaching morals and religion.-Some advocates of moral training in the schools believe that morality can best be taught through the development of religious faith and by direct appeal to self-respect, reason, sympathy, and common-sense. A book advocating this idea has just appeared.2 It deals with such general topics as self-liberation and self-realization, the moral ideal, the religious ideal, and the reasoned presentment of religious truth. A chapter is devoted to each of these topics. Generally speaking, the discussion is theoretical and abstract. In but a few cases does it touch problems of everyday life. The chapter on the education of the future citizen is an exception to this general statement. In all probability teachers of England, for whom the book was chiefly written, will receive some help by reading it. For the American teacher, it seems to have little of value.


Mining is one of the prolific activities geared towards poverty eradication, but an elusive goal for most government leaders in developing countries. Oftentimes, the economic aspect of mining overshadows ecological and social needs in context of host communities. For that reason, Karamoja region has experienced violent ethnic conflicts, which has made it difficult to trust mining activities to transform the area and contribute to healing of the deep-seated animosity within ethnic groups. This study used interviews and focus group discussions among artisanal miners and the data obtained was content analysed. The outcomes indicated that mineral resource mining activities are still in their infancy, yet environmental degradation is visible and human rights violations and escalating disagreements between communities are also evident. Therefore, peaceful co-existence is a prerequisite between mining companies and the Karamajong to achieve sustainable eco-socio development in Karamoja region. Moreover, the local people's participation in mining activities is instrumental in achieving sustainable development. Key words · Eco-socio · Mineral resource · Mining · Karamajong


A Phenomenological Analysis of Emergent Design is performed based on the foundations of General Schemas Theory. The concept of Sign Engineering is explored in terms of Hermeneutics, Dialectics, and Ontology in order to define Emergent Systems and Metasystems Engineering based on the concept of Meta-dialectics.
Phenomenology, Ontology, Hermeneutics, and Dialectics will dominate our inquiry into the nature of the Emergent Design of the System and its inverse dual, the Meta-system. This is an speculative dissertation that attempts to produce a philosophical, mathematical, and theoretical view of the nature of Systems Engineering Design. Emergent System Design, i.e., the design of yet unheard of and/or hitherto non-existent Systems and Metasystems is the focus. This study is a frontal assault on the hard problem of explaining how Engineering produces new things, rather than a repetition or reordering of concepts that already exist. In this work the philosophies of E. Husserl, A. Gurwitsch, M. Heidegger, J. Derrida, G. Deleuze, A. Badiou, G. Hegel, I. Kant and other Continental Philosophers are brought to bear on different aspects of how new technological systems come into existence through the midwifery of Systems Engineering. Sign Engineering is singled out as the most important aspect of Systems Engineering. We will build on the work of Pieter Wisse and extend his theory of Sign Engineering to define Meta-dialectics in the form of Quadralectics1 and then Pentalectics2. Along the way the various ontological levels of Being are explored in conjunction with the discovery that the Quadralectic is related to the possibility of design primarily at the Third Meta-level of Being, called Hyper Being. Design Process is dependent upon the emergent possibilities that appear in Hyper Being. Hyper Being, termed by Heidegger as Being (Being crossed-out) and termed by Derrida as Differance, also appears as the widest space within the Design Field at the third meta-level of Being and therefore provides the most leverage that is needed to produce emergent effects. Hyper Being is where possibilities appear within our worldview. Possibility is necessary for emergent events to occur. Hyper Being possibilities are extended by Wild Being propensities to allow the embodiment of new things. We discuss how this philosophical background relates to meta-methods such as the Gurevich Abstract State Machine and the Wisse Metapattern methods, as well as real-time architectural design methods as described in the Integral Software Engineering Methodology3. One aim of this research is to find the foundation for extending the ISEM methodology to become a general purpose Systems Design Methodology. Our purpose is also to bring these philosophical considerations into the practical realm by examining P. Bourdieu's ideas on the relationship between theoretical and practical reason and M. de Certeau's ideas on practice. The relationship between design and implementation is seen in terms of the Set/Mass conceptual opposition. General Schemas Theory is used as a way of critiquing the dependence of Set based mathematics as a basis for Design. The dissertation delineates a new foundation for Systems Engineering as Emergent Engineering based on General Schemas Theory, and provides an advanced theory of Design based on the understanding of the meta-levels of Being, particularly focusing upon the relationship between Hyper Being and Wild Being in the context of Pure and Process Being.


Mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (MSCs) are easily isolated from bone marrow or fat tissue and their potential for multilineage differentiation initially led to the development of strategies for tissue engineering applications. More recently, they have gained much interest based on their trophic and immunomodulatory properties, which have stimulated their evaluation in various clinical trials aiming at modulating the host immune response in graft versus host or autoimmune diseases. The clinical applications of MSCs for rheumatic diseases are limited and address primarily their potential to help tissue repair/regeneration. The aim of the present review is to focus on the mechanisms by which MSCs might exhibit a therapeutic potential in rheumatology and present the current data from the undergoing clinical trials. Special attention is given to miRNA expression in rheumatic pathologies and their possible modulation for future innovative strategies as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.


This paper reviews recent developments in manipulator and end-effector technologies for the robotic harvesting of specialty crops that include fruits, vegetables, nursery crops, and nuts among others. Quantitative performance measures and general review criteria, including methods of crop detachment and end-effector sensing, are used to evaluate technologies and determine state-of-the-art in the field. Challenges affecting commercial implementation, limitations of current mechanical designs, and best practices are then presented. Results of the review show that, in general, robotic manipulation during harvesting has been limited by lack of system optimization and insufficient robustness to position error accumulated during visual localization. Inconsistent reporting practices have also hampered research and development across the field. At the conclusion of the review, some avenues of future research that could potentially lead to improvements in system performance are proposed. Some of the proposed recommendations include specific horticultural practices, the development of modular, multi-functional designs, and the incorporation of robust grasping techniques used in many of today's robotic hands.


SINCE the first report by Debre in 1950 of a syndrome of regional lymphadenopathy after a cat scratch, a number of publications reporting several hundred cases have firmly established cat scratch disease as a clinical entity. The role of the cat in the natural history of the disease is not clearly understood, but the available evidence suggests the cat acts as a vehicle of transmission of an infectious agent although its role as a reservoir of infection has not been completely ruled out. The usual method of transmission appears to be inoculation of the agent at the site of a cat scratch, but other possible methods of transmission such as inhalation of the agent are substantiated by the several reported cases with a history of contact with cats but with no definite history of a scratch. Daniels and MacMurray in 1954 reported an analysis of 160 cases, and in 1955 Kalter and associates summarized 250 cases which had come under their observation. Both of these reports gave excellent descriptions of the clinical features of the illness and this paper has drawn heavily upon their observations. The primary feature of the clinical syndrome of cat scratch disease is lymphadenopathy which is usually regional and restricted to the drainage area of the site of the inoculation. Involvement of the lymph nodes of the upper extremity after inoculation on the hand or arm is most frequently observed. Cervical or inguinal involvement is not uncommon and occasionally generalized lymphadenopathy has been reported. The nodes are usually quite large, ranging up to several centimeters in diameter.


The replacement of platinum (Pt) by nonprecious catalysts with superior activity and stability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains challenging for fuel cell devices. Herein, we describe a controllable strategy to prepare hollow graphitic carbon spheres with Fe–N-doped mesoporous shells via in situ polymerization and functionalization. The optimized catalyst exhibits very superior ORR activity with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.886 V in 0.1 M KOH, 15 mV more positive than that of commercial Pt/C catalysts. Even in acidic solution, it also shows a competitive 4e− ORR activity compared to Pt/C. Most importantly, it demonstrates much better long-term stability and resistance to methanol crossover than Pt/C in both alkaline and acidic media. The outstanding activity is contributed by the synergy of chemical functions (Fe–Nx-coordinated moieties) and excellent structural properties (hollow large cores (∼91 nm), open mesopores (∼2.1 nm) throughout the shells, and highly graphitic microstructures), ensuring rapid mass-diffusion and electron-transfer kinetics and full accessibility of catalytic sites.


Background: Fungal infections especially Candida species are frequent cause of mortality and morbidity in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants receiving intensive care; Candida infections are tissue invasive. This infection increases the risks of adverse neurodevelopmental sequelae. Prevention and treatment of fungal infection is so important in very VLBW infants. The aim of this study was to determine the prophylactic effect of fluconazole in decreasing the mortality and morbidity in VLBW infants (less than 1500gr) admitted in NICU. Methods: This prospective case control study were conducted among 102 Infants (weighing less than 1500gr at birth at born) admitted in NICU department of Ali Asghar University Hospital from 2012 to 2013, Tehran, Iran. Weigh of birth in cases and groups were less than 1500 gr and both were culture negative. Cases received oral fluconazole 3 mg/kg in 3 days in 1st and 2nd weeks, alternate day in 3rd and 4th weeks, daily in 5th and 6th weeks. Control groups had not received fluconazole. Mortality and morbidity and hospital stay were compared between cases and controls groups. Results: We studied 49 very low-birth-weight infants with negative culture as cases (received fluconazole prophylaxis), 46 VLBW infants without fluconazole profilaxy (controls). No significant difference in gestational age (P=0.2), and mean weights (P=0.4) were observed between cases and controls. The mortality rate 8.7 (n=4) in controls (without prophylactic fluconazole) observed vs 2 (n=1) mortality rate in VLBW cases (with prophylactic fluconazole). Although the mortality rate in controls was 4 times higher than cases, but without significant differences (P=0.1). Indeed, mean duration of hospital stay in controls was longer than cases (28.41±9.93 vs 19.85±6.19 days, P=0.00001). Conclusion: Although prophylactic fluconazole in VLBW could decrease the mortality of cases (control the fungal infection) 4 fold in compare with controls (no treatment), it was not significant. The prophylactic effect of fluconazole might decrease the length of hospital stay of VLBW neonates in NICU. Due to limited number of cases and control. For further decision about prophylactic use of fluconazole, prospective RCT studies with larger cases and control would be helpful in future. © 2016, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.


In this study, the authors show that open split ring resonators (OSRRs) and open complementary split ring resonators (OCSRRs) can be loaded with varactor diodes in order to implement tunable filters in coplanar waveguide (CPW) technology. By loading a CPW with shunt-connected varactor-loaded OSRRs, a band-stop filter with tunable central frequency results. The electronically tunable band stop can be switched to a pass band by replacing the shunt resonators with varactor-loaded OCSRRs. To illustrate the possibilities of the approach, a tunable band-stop filter and a tunable band-pass filter have been designed and fabricated. The measured characteristics are in good agreement with the co-simulations (electric and electromagnetic) and with the circuit simulations of the electric model. The measured tuning range is roughly 120% for the stop-band structure (for varying voltages between 0 and 28 V) and over 30% for the band-pass filter (for varying voltages between 5 and 25 V).


ABSTRACT Because emotion regulation (ER) processes operate over time, they potentially change the context in which subsequent ER processes occur. To test this proposal, fifty-two healthy participants completed the ER choice task. Thirty standardized low- and high-intensity negative images were used to generate different emotional contexts in which participants selected between distraction or reappraisal strategies to decrease the intensity of their negative emotion. Participants then implemented their selected strategy and rated their negative emotion. Using a dynamic perspective, we examined as predictors of ER strategy choice, in addition to current stimulus intensity, several contextual factors from the immediately preceding trial: preceding stimulus intensity and strategy choice, and the intensity of negative affect following the previous strategy implementation and thus preceding the current trial. Results replicated earlier findings that participants are more likely to choose distraction for high-intensity images. Extending earlier findings, selecting reappraisal in the preceding trial and greater negative affect preceding the current trial were associated with lower odds of choosing distraction. The lack of significant interactions among the current and preceding trial factors suggests that these effects on ER choice were direct and not through moderating the effect of current stimulus intensity. These findings support dynamic theories of ER.


High-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) reveals organization within genomes. Topologically associating domains (TADs) make up one level of organization and are identified by applying algorithms to Hi-C data. TADs have boundaries disrupted by structural variants (SVs), hypothesized to form due to recombination that occurs between segmental duplications (SDs). Little research is available about the effects of SDs at TAD boundaries. This project aimed to understand the distribution of SDs near TADs and determine any overlap between the two features. We analyzed public data and found SDs to have low breakpoint frequency and coverage at TAD boundaries. We then processed a new set of Hi-C data and found most SDs had a minimal distance of 200 kb or closer to TADs with a modest bimodal distribution. Of the total SDs analyzed, fewer than half had at least one overlap within a TAD. Further statistical analysis must be done as we only conducted a preliminary investigation.


Background: Considering the importance of the prevalence of diabetes which involves approximately 6% of the world's adult population, the need for low-calorie natural sweetener is felt more than ever. Recent studies have shown that hormones such as vaspin and Angiopoietin-like Protein3 (ANGPTL3) are associated with diabetes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana ) plant (as a low calorie sugar) on serum concentration of vaspin and ANGPTL3 in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, forty male wistar rats weighing 180-250 g were divided into 5 equal groups: control, diabetic control and doses of 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg/BW/day of Stevia extract treatment. Diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of Streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). After 5 days, the rats with glucose above 300 mg/dl were considered as diabetic. The Stevia treatment groups received 250, 500 and 750 mg of Stevia extract for thirty days. At the end of experiment, blood samples were obtained measurement of vaspin, ANGPTL3, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, glucose, insulin and ALP. Histological study of the pancreas and liver biopsy were also performed. The results of the treatment and control groups were analyzed by SPSS software and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The level of alkaline phosphatase, insulin resistance index, glucose and triglyceride were decreased significantly in the groups 250 and 500 compared with the diabetic control group(p≤0.05). However, insulin levels, HOMA.B, vaspin, ANGPTL3 and weight of the rats in all treatment groups were not significantly different from the control diabetic group. There were no histological changes in pancreatic and liver tissue following Stevia treatment. Conclusion: Administration of Stevia extract via reduction in serum glucose, triglyceride and insulin resistance can be effective in lowering the blood sugar and lipid, also lowering concentrations of serum alkaline phosphatase may have a protective effect on the liver. Howeve it should be considered the appropriate dosage of Stevia etract treatment is very important.


Storytelling, a form of narrative legal scholarship describing events of legal significance from the perspective of "outsider" writers, is fast becoming a fixture in the pages of law reviews and on the shelves of law libraries. The rapid rise in the popularity of narrative scholarship has led some critics to question its value, while prompting others, most notably Professors Daniel Farber and Suzanna Sherry in last April's Stanford Law Review, to call for objective standards to evaluate the merit of narrative works. Intended in part as a response to Professors Farber and Sherry, this essay asserts that storytelling's value is in expanding legal debate and driving social transformation by illuminating legal issues from the perspectives of nomic groups frequently excluded from political and academic debate, particularly gays and lesbians. To illustrate his thesis, Professor Eskridge draws heavily on stories culled from the controversy surrounding the armed forces' policy of excluding gays and lesbians from their ranks, arguing that stories recounting travails encountered by lesbians, gays, and women service members can advance political debate and ameliorate unfounded prejudice and discrimination. The tenets of social constructionism would accord storytelling even greater value, Professor Eskridge contends: By recounting episodes of social transformation produced by the defiant resistance of oppressed individuals or groups to continued subordination or exclusion, storytelling can provide a catalyst for the destruction of repressive policies such as the military's gaylesbian exclusion.


Energy issues and climate change have loomed up from horizontal issues to confront humanity directly and vitally. They are now pressing public-policy challenges of monumental scale and import. James Martin-Schramm draws on decades of involvement with ethics, public policy, and environmental ethics to provide this lucid and astute analysis of the problems and options for addressing energy and climate change.


This article reports critical overview of views on existence of God and naturalism. Theists argue the existence of God, atheists insist nonexistence of God, while agnostics claim the existence of God is unknowable, and even if exists, it is neither possible to demonstrate His existence nor likely to refute this spiritual theology. The argument that the existence of God can be known to all, even before exposure to any divine revelation, predates before Islam, Christianity and even Judaism. Pharos deity claim shows that the concept of deity existed long before major religions. History shows the Greek philosophers also tried to explore God before, during and after the prophet's revolution in Mesopotamia. Today presupposition apologetical doctrine (Abram Kuyper) ponders and defends the existence of God. They conclude the necessary condition of belief to be exposed to revelation that atheists deny calling transcendental necessity. Human experience and action is proof of God's existence as His existence is the necessary condition of human being's intelligibility. The spirituality exists in all human sub-consciousness and sometimes, reveals to consciousness of some individuals. Human being's inability to conceive the cosmos shows that there exist more types of creatures in different parts of universe. Enlightened men's capability to resurrect corpse proves soul's immortality. Questions like poor or the intelligent design and external or internal search for exposure of revelation have been discussed in context of theism and atheism doctrines. Based on philosophical views it will be endeavored to imagine beyond time-space barriers.


In this section, the IEEE Control Systems Society publishes reviews of books in the control field and related areas. Readers are invited to send comments on these reviews for possible publication in the Technical Notes and Correspondence section of this T RANSACTIONS. The CSS does not necessarily endorse the opinions of the reviewers. If you have used an interesting book for a course or as a personal reference, we encourage you to share your insights with our readers by writing a review for possible publication in the T RANSACTIONS. All material published in the T RANSACTIONS is reviewed prior to publication. Submit a completed review or a proposal for a review to: D. S. Naidu Associate Editor—Book Reviews College of Engineering Idaho State University 833 South Eighth Street Pocatello, ID 83209 USA


T his is the first of two articles describing a number of time domain solver 3D EM field simulations of an antenna feed consisting of a circular waveg-uide with a septum polar-izer and two external coaxial connector ports. Measurements of the actual S-parameters of a constructed feed were then compared to the simulations, to determine which mesh and solver settings afforded good accuracy without excessive computation time. This first article concentrates on the feed alone without a reflector. Significant energy is reflected back into a feed when it is placed at the prime focus of a parabolic reflector. To exmine these effects, the second article will concentrate on modeling and measurement of the entire antenna.


In contrast to the predecessors, the fifth generation of mobile networks (5G) will particularly address communication in production systems by providing machine-type communication and matching requirements regarding reliability and latency. However, 3GPP 5G will not be the one and only network technology that can be used to fulfill all the requirements raising from industrial applications at reasonable costs. It is more likely, that it complements other wired and wireless technologies, rather than replacing them. This paper presents different scenarios to combine 5G and Industrial Ethernet to a hybrid topology, it explains the characteristics and possible use cases for these scenarios and it sketches approaches to engineer and configure the hybrid network.