Monitoring has become the battleground for control between labor and management. A model is proposed which examines the dynamics of monitoring on labor through three functions. The first is the use of computer monitoring to reduce the worker to simply another part of the whole machine. The second function is to reduce workers to numbers arranged by their ability to meet mechanistic goals and objectives. The third looks at the ability of monitoring to reduce costs beyond automation through its elimination of supervision and middle-management. Implications are discussed.


Agnihotra is the basic home technique used since the ancient times in India as a religious ritual. It is said that theAgnihotra has medicinal implications and also known to control environmental pollution. Inspired of the above fact we conducted some experiments to check the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Agnihotra and we got an outstanding result. The Agnihotra was performed at times of sunrise and sunset exactly in a pyramid shaped copper vessel or Dharaka. Cow dung cake was used for firing. Unpolished and intact rice and pure ghee of native cow was added to the fire as Havissu. The experiment antimicrobial activity was done by Petri plate exposure method. The sterile nutrient agar(NA) and SabouraudÂÂ's Dextrose agar(SDA) was exposed in a selected roomin tenminutes before performingAgnihotra. Another set of plates were exposed 10 min and 20 min after performingAgnihotra. The plateswere incubated at ambient temperature regimes and colony count was taken after incubation. According to the results obtained, it was concluded that Agnihotra was found to be very effective against Airspora. A 63% reduction in bacterial colony and 91% reduction in fungal colony count was obtained after performing Agnihotra.


This paper examines bidding strategies in a bilateral market in which generating companies submit bids to loads. A load accepts electricity delivery from the generator with the lowest bid at its bid price as long as this price is not higher than the load's willingness to pay. Necessary and sufficient conditions of Nash equilibrium (NE) bidding strategy are derived based on a generic generating cost matrix and the loads' willingness to pay vector. The study shows that in any NE, efficient allocation is achieved. Furthermore, all Nash equilibria are revenue equivalent for the generators. Based on the necessary and sufficient conditions, this problem is formulated as an optimal assignment problem. Network optimization techniques are applied to calculate NE bid prices for the generators.


In this paper, both nonlinear saturable absorption and two-photon absorption (TPA) of few-layer molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) were observed at 1.56 μm wavelength and further applied to mode-locked ultrafast fiber laser for the first time to our knowledge. Few-layer MoSe2 nanosheets were prepared by liquid-phase exfoliation method and characterized by x ray diffractometer, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The obtained few-layer MoSe2 dispersion is further composited with a polymer material for convenient fabrication of MoSe2 thin films. Then, we investigated the nonlinear optical (NLO) absorption property of the few-layer MoSe2 film using a balanced twin-detector measurement technique. Both the saturable absorption and TPA effects of the few-layer MoSe2 film were found by increasing the input optical intensity. The saturable absorption shows a modulation depth of 0.63% and a low nonsaturable loss of ∼3.5%, corresponding to the relative modulation depth of 18%. The TPA effect occurred when the input optical intensity exceeds ∼260  MW/cm2. Furthermore, we experimentally exploit the saturable absorption of few-layer MoSe2 film to mode lock an all-fiber erbium-doped fiber laser. Stable soliton mode locking at 1558 nm center wavelength is achieved with pulse duration of 1.45 ps. It was also observed that the TPA process suppresses the mode-locking operation in the case of higher optical intensity. Our results indicate that layered MoSe2, as another two-dimensional nanomaterial, can provide excellent NLO properties (e.g., saturable absorption and TPA) for potential applications in ultrashort pulse generation and optical limiting.


Introduction TOPIC (NCT00622700) was designed to evaluate teriflunomide in patients with a first clinical episode suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). Teriflunomide 14 mg reduced risk of relapse determining conversion to clinically definite MS by 42.6%, and of new relapse or magnetic resonance imaging lesion by 34.9% vs placebo. After study initiation, the 2005 McDonald criteria were revised, potentially allowing earlier MS diagnosis. Methods The 2010 McDonald criteria were applied retrospectively. Patients who received teriflunomide 14 mg or placebo for ≤108 weeks were grouped according to fulfilment of 2010 criteria at baseline. Time to MS was analysed for those not fulfilling the 2010 criteria at baseline. Additional post hoc analyses will evaluate differences in outcomes based on baseline radiological characteristics of reclassified patients. Results Patients receiving teriflunomide 14mg (n=214) or placebo (n=197) were analysed. For those not meeting the 2010 criteria (n=163), probability of conversion to MS was 54.1% (14 mg) and 74.4% (placebo). Teriflunomide 14mg reduced the probability of conversion to MS by 39.1% vs placebo. Data regarding time to MS based upon baseline radiological characteristics will be presented. Conclusions Teriflunomide demonstrates a consistent treatment effect in patients with MS diagnosed according to differing diagnostic criteria. (Study supported by Genzyme, a Sanofi company).


Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an endothelial damage syndrome that is increasingly identified as a complication of both autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in children and adults. The pathophysiology of TA-TMA is complex, resulting from a cycle of activation of endothelial cells to produce a procoagulant state, along with activation of antigen-presenting cells and lymphocytes, as well as activation of the complement cascade and microthrombi formation. If not promptly diagnosed and treated, TA-TMA can lead to significant morbidity (eg, permanent renal injury) or mortality. However, as the recognition of the early stages of TA-TMA may be difficult, we propose a TA-TMA " triad " of hypertension, thrombocytopenia (or platelet transfusion refractoriness), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. While not diagnostic on its own, this triad should prompt further evaluation for TA-TMA. Risk factors for the development of TA-TMA are increasingly understood, including those that are inherent (eg, race or genetics), transplant-approach related (eg, second HCT or use of HLA-mismatched donors), and related to post-transplant events (eg, receipt of calcineurin inhibitors, development of graft-versus-host disease, or certain infections). These are summarized in the " 3-hit hypothesis, " in which patients with either an underlying predisposition to complement activation or preexisting endothelial injury (hit 1) undergo a toxic conditioning regimen causing endothelial injury (hit 2), and then additional insults are triggered by medications, alloreactivity, infections, and/or antibodies (hit 3). Understanding this cycle of injury permits the development of a specific TA-TMA treatment algorithm designed to treat both the triggers and the


This study focused on investigation of role of wild collected underutilised crops (UC) in rural food and income security with special concern to the availability of those crops at respective village markets. It analysed the availability of wild collected products in the selling stocks of traditional sellers in respective village markets. Wellawaya Divisional Secretariat Division in Moneragala district in Uva Province of Sri Lanka was seleted for the study. Rapid market chain analysis was the principal tool equipped for this investigation. Data collection was conducted by using primary data collection methods mostly under uncontrolled environments. Number of key informant interviews with upstream agents, focus group discussions with collectors and informal discussions with few sellers were done. In addition, a few telephone interviews were conducted with key agricultural actors in the area. Galsiyabala, Palu, Weera, Polpala, Binkohoba, Kithual products and curry leaves (Karapincha) were the key wild collections available in the markets. However, the contribution from the forest varied from around (40% to 100%). In general, males engage in wild collection by making significant damages to those trees due to falling of trees and cutting main branches. Reasonable proactive strategies are not yet adapted to ensure sustainable utilisation of wild resources rather than penalties by courts when collectors are captured by Forest Department officers. People practice this as a souces of part-time seasonal income. Though income is seasonal, they receive higher values by selling some traditional medicinal products under informal fixed prices. The price of all other products is determined by traders where collectors have minimum bargaining power in this context. Keywords: Underutilised crops, Wild collections, Rural households, Food security, Income security


This incisive inter-disciplinary text provides a major contribution to the study of finance capital and the metropolis. It is the first authoritative account of the momentous changes in the organisation of finance capital that occurred in the 1980s. But it never contents itself with a mere record of events. Changes in finance are scrupulously and consistently related to changes in urban forms, notably metropolitan lifestyles and aesthetics.


Temporal Action Localization (TAL) has experienced remarkable success under the supervised learning paradigm. However, existing TAL methods are rooted in the closed set assumption, which cannot handle the inevitable unknown actions in open-world scenarios. In this paper, we, for the first time, step toward the Open Set TAL (OSTAL) problem and propose a general framework Open TAL based on Evidential Deep Learning (EDL). Specifically, the OpenTAL consists of uncertainty-aware action classification, actionness prediction, and temporal location regression. With the proposed importance-balanced EDL method, classification uncertainty is learned by collecting categorical evidence majorly from important samples. To distinguish the unknown actions from background video frames, the actionness is learned by the positive-unlabeled learning. The classification uncertainty is further calibrated by leveraging the guidance from the temporal localization quality. The OpenTAL is general to enable existing TAL models for open set scenarios, and experimental results on THUMOS14 and ActivityNet1.3 benchmarks show the effectiveness of our method. The code and pre-trained models are released at https://www.rit.edu/actionlab/opental.


Tentative conclusions concerning the role of recognition and ingestion of microorganisms by phagocytes in host defense and the consequences of disorders of phagocytosis can be derived by correlating a) knowledge about recognition and ingestion derived from studies in vitro, b) investigations of the clearance of particulate matter from the circulation of animals and man, and c) analyses of the behavior of phagocytes in patients susceptible to recurrent pyogenic infections. Deficiency of the major serum recognition-conferring (immunoglobulins and complement proteins that deposit a fragment of C3 on microbes) prevents the optimal clearance of virulent encapsulated pathogens by fixed mononuclear phagocytes. Confrontation of phagocytes with particulate matter appearing in pathologic states (viruses, immune complexes, damaged erythrocytes in sickle cell anemia and other hemoglobinopathies) diverts them from their normal task of clearing opsonized encapsulated microorganisms. Corticosteroids impair the phagocytic capacity by an unknown mechanism. Major impediments to progress in this field are inadequate assays for phagocytosis and the difficulty in measuring phagocytosis in the intact organism.


The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sources of stress in the workplace – the specific irrational beliefs and levels of psychological distress among teachers.The theory underlying the Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy was used as a conceptual framework for explaining teachers' stress. The theory has already been successfully applied in the educational setting. For example, it influenced development of intervention strategies for decreasing teachers' stress (Bora, Bernard, Trip, Decsei-Radu, & Chereji, 2009). A convenience sample of 186 teachers of both sexes, with an average age of 40 years from the cities of Zrenjanin and Sombor participated in the study. They completed the Teacher Irrational Belief Scale (TIBS), the Sources of Work Stress Scale (IRS) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Structural equation modelling was used for data analysis. A second-order general stress latent factor was significantly predicted by the sources of stress. Irrational beliefs partially mediated this relationship. The results were discussed in the context of REBT theory and the organisational stress research paradigm.


BACKGROUND Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a rare developmental defect characterized by impaired cognitive functions, retarded neurodevelopment and reduced brain size. It is genetically heterogeneous and more than 17 genes so far have been identified that are associated with this disease. OBJECTIVE To study the genetic defect in a consanguineous Saudi family with primary microcephaly. DESIGN Cross-sectional clinical genetics study of a Saudi family. SETTING Medical genomics research center. PATIENTS AND METHODS Blood samples collected from six members of a family of healthy consanguineous parents were analyzed by whole exome sequencing to identify the underlying pathogenic mutations in two members of the family (23-year-old female and 7-year-old male) who presented with primary microcephaly, intellectual disability, delayed psychomotor development and walking difficulty, speech impediments and seizures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Detection of mutation in the WD repeat domain 62 (WDR62) gene in a family segregating autosomal recessive primary microcephaly. RESULTS The exome variant analysis identified a novel missense mutation (c.3878C>A) in WDR62 gene in exon 30 resulting in amino acid change from alanine to aspartate (p.Ala1293Asp). Further validation in the affected patients and healthy members of family and 100 unrelated healthy persons as controls confirmed it to be pathogenic. CONCLUSIONS Functional impairment of the WDR62 gene can lead to severe neurodevelopmental defects, brain malformations and reduced head size. A missense mutation of exon 30 changed alanine to aspartate in the WDR62 protein leading to the typical MCPH phenotype. LIMITATIONS Mutation was identified in a single family.


Valve train is one of important mechanisms in internal combustion engine. The experiment is an important method to study the valve train. In the design of valve train experiment, the Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) is used as the driving force to drive the camshaft. PID controller based on compensation with repetitive control is designed to control the PMSM. It can eliminate all periodic errors in closed-loop control. And it has a virtue of nonparametric dependence on its control performance by combining with two control methods. An example has been given and simulation has been made. The simulation result shows that the controller apparently improves the position tracking precision and reduces the tracking error of servo system. So the PID control system based on compensation with repetitive control has a much higher accuracy than the PID control system has. It is fit for high-accuracy control of valve train.


The researchers have developed a methodological framework that aims to provide a predictive approach to water quality criteria selection. The basic constituents of the proposed methodology are expert elicitation and structural equation modeling. Expert elicitation was used to quantify the narrative designated use, identify the conditions for use attainment, and was further invigorated by engaging multiple experts and formalizing the elicitation protocol.

Structural equation modeling provided a complementary tool that enabled the linkage of realistic ecological structures -founded on routinely monitored environmental variables- with the elicited probabilities of designated-use attainment. These efforts confirmed that the prediction-based procedure for nutrient criteria selection can be proposed as a robust methodological tool for addressing eutrophication management issues.

This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series

ISBN: 9781843397472 (Print)

ISBN: 9781780403885 (eBook)


This paper features an application of Regular Vine copulas which are a novel and recently developed statistical and mathematical tool which can be applied in the assessment of composite financial risk. Copula-based dependence modelling is a popular tool in financial applications, but is usually applied to pairs of securities. By contrast, Vine copulas provide greater flexibility and permit the modelling of complex dependency patterns using the rich variety of bivariate copulas which may be arranged and analysed in a tree structure to explore multiple dependencies. The paper features the use of Regular Vine copulas in an analysis of the co-dependencies of 10 major European Stock Markets, as represented by individual market indices and the composite STOXX 50 index. The sample runs from 2005 to the end of 2011 to permit an exploration of how correlations change in different economic circumstances using three different sample periods: pre-GFC suggest that the dependencies change in a complex manner, and are subject to change in different economic circumstances. One of the attractions of this approach to risk modelling is the flexibility in the choice of distributions used to model co-dependencies. The practical application of Regular Vine metrics is demonstrated via an example of the calculation of the VaR of a portfolio made up of the indices.


The paper first considers why central European countries wish to join EMU soon. The main reasons are the risk of macroeconomic instability they face outside the euro zone if they wish to grow quickly. At the same time, Central Europe is highly integrated as regards trade with EMU, so it is little exposed to asymmetric shocks that would require a realignment of exchange rates. Finally, it is argued that there is no cost in terms of slower growth from EMU accession, so that there is no trade-off, as has been claimed, between nominal convergence to EMU and real convergence to EU average GDP levels. Second, the paper assesses whether Central European accession to EMU would be disadvantageous to current members. It concludes that accession cannot increase inflationary pressure on existing EMU members, as has been claimed, but that slow growing members of EMU might suffer increased unemployment, unless they increase the flexibility of their labour markets. Incumbent members may also be unwilling to share power with Central Europeans in EMU institutions.


This hands-on workshop involves making ordinary untwisted band stencils and Mobius band stencils. Then it explores printing patterns with them by rolling them out. The two types of pattern are compared for symmetry and isometric transformation properties of translation and glide reflection. The materials and activities have been selected for low cost and ease of use to enable the activity's transfer to a range of classroom settings in art and or mathematics. Interlocking tiles extend these frieze patterns to ones with rotations and to rosette patterns.


1. Annual variation in the timing of avian reproduction is associated with predictive cues related to ambient temperature. Understanding how these cues affect timing, and estimating the genetic variation in sensitivity to these cues, is essential to predict the micro-evolutionary changes in timing which are needed to adapt to climate change. 2. We carried out a 2-year experiment with great tits Parus major of known genetic background, which were kept in pairs in climate-controlled aviaries with simulated natural photoperiod and exposed to a seasonal change in temperature, where the two treatments differed by 4 °C. We recorded the dates of laying the first and last eggs and timing of moult, as well as physiological proxies associated with reproduction: plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, and gonadal size at four-weekly intervals. 3. The temperature treatments did not affect first-egg dates, nor gonadal growth or plasma LH and prolactin concentrations. However, birds terminated egg laying, regressed their testes and started their moult earlier at higher temperatures. 4. There were marked family differences in both the start of egg laying, with sisters from early laying maternal families laying early, and in the termination of laying, indicating that there is heritable variation in sensitivity to cues involved in timing. 5. Our experiment, the first to use genetically related individuals in an experimental design with a natural change in photoperiod and biologically realistic temperature differences, thus shows that genetic adaptation in cue sensitivity is possible, essential for species to be able to adapt to a warming world.


The platelike Co3O4/carbon nanofiber (CNF) composite materials were synthesized by the calcination of β-Co(OH)2/CNF precursor prepared by a surfactant-free hydrothermal method. As negative electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the platelike Co3O4/CNF composites can deliver a high reversible capacity of 900 mAh g-1 for a life extending over hundreds of cycles at a current density of 100 mA g-1. The high Li-storage capacity and excellent cycling performance for Co3O4/CNF composite materials may mainly attribute to the beneficial effect of the CNFs addition on enhancing structural stability and electrical conductivity of Co3O4 platelets.


Understanding residential mobility, housing affordability, and the geography of neighborhood advantage and disadvantage relies on robust information about housing search processes and housing markets. Existing data about housing markets, especially rental markets, suffer from accuracy issues and a lack of temporal and geographic flexibility. Data collected from online rental platforms that are commonly used can help address these issues and hold considerable promise for better understanding the full distribution of available rental homes. However, realizing this promise requires a careful assessment of potential sources of bias as online rental listing platforms may perpetuate inequalities similar to those found in physical spaces. This paper approaches the production of rental advertisements as a social process driven by both contextual and property level factors. We compare data from two online platforms for the 100 most populated metropolitan areas in the United States to explore inequality in digital rental listing spaces and understand what characteristics are associated with over and underrepresentation of advertisements in certain areas. We find similar associations for socioeconomic measures between platforms and across urban and suburban parts of these metropolitan areas. In contrast, the importance of racial and ethnic composition, as well as broader patterns of segregation, for online representation differs substantially across space and platform. This analysis informs our understanding of how online platforms affect housing search dynamics through their biases and segmentation, and highlights the potential and limits in using the data available on these platforms to produce small area rental estimates.


We present the results of two independent analyses of trends in the vertical distribution of ozone. For most of the ozonesonde stations we use data that were recently reevaluated and reprocessed to improve their quality and internal consistency. The two analyses give similar results for trends in ozone. We attribute differences in results primarily to differences in data selection criteria, rather than in statistical trend models. We find significant decreases in stratospheric ozone at all stations in middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere from 1970 to 1996, with the largest decreases located between 12 and 21 km, and trends of -3 to -10 %/decade near 17 km. The decreases are largest at the Canadian and the most northerly Japanese station and are smallest at the European stations and at Wallops Island. The mean midlatitude trend is largest, -7 %/decade, from 12 to 18 km for 1970-1996, and the decrease in ozone is significant from 10.5 to 25 km. For 1980-1996, the decrease is more negative by 1-2 %/decade, with a maximum trend of -9%/decade in the lowermost stratosphere. The trends vary seasonally from about 10 to 17 km, with largest ozone decreases in winter and spring. Trends in tropospheric ozone are highly variable and depend on the region. There are decreases or zero trends at the Canadian stations for 1970-1996, and decreases of -2 to -8 %/decade for the mid-troposphere for 1980-1996; the three European stations show increases for 1970-1996, but trends are close to zero for two stations for 1980-1996 and positive for one; there are increases in ozone for the three Japanese stations for 1970-1996, but trends are either positive or zero for 1980-1996. The United States stations show zero or slightly negative trends in tropospheric ozone after 1980. It is not possible to define reliably a mean tropospheric ozone trend for northern midlatitudes, given the small number of stations and the large variability in trends. The integrated column trends derived from the sonde data are consistent with trends derived from both surface-based and satellite measurements of the ozone column.


Motivation is a process that results from the dynamic interactions between individuals, their work environment and society. Low motivation leads to the insufficient translation of knowledge, the under utilization of available resources and weak health system performance. Health care has sector-wide norms and goals, and worker's motivation is of critical importance. The objective of this study was to assess the status of motivation, its determinants with their impact on health care professionals in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Oromia Regional state, south west Ethiopia. Institution based cross sectional study design with quantitative data collection method was conducted among 248 health care professionals from February to May 2014. A pre-tested self administered structured questionnaire was employed to obtain the necessary information. Data were entered by Epi Data 3.1, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS 16.0 statistical packages. Factor scores were computed for the items' scale by using principal component and varimax rotation, and were used in the subsequent analysis. Multiple Linear Regressions were done to evaluate association of different variables of motivation and commitment. The P-value < 0.05, at 95% CI was taken as cut off point for statistical significance. Approval was obtained from Ethical Committee of Jimma University, College of Business and Economics College. A total of two hundred forty eight health professionals filled the self administered questionnaire with response rate of 1OO%. The result showed that motivational status and commitment level of health care professionals were low (45.74% and 47.48% respectively). The major factors significantly associated with their motivation and commitment was salary and benefits, expectation and perception, infrastructure and facility. In conclusion, the study indicated that motivation status and commitment of health care professionals in the hospital were low. Among factors affecting their motivation status were salary and benefit, expectations and perception, shortages of facilities, infrastructures, sanitation, absence of recognition and appreciation, and as a result, their commitment level was affected. It was recommended that specific human resource motivation policy and practices, creating self motivating environment in the hospital, good management system, improving facility resources, supplies and infrastructures must be in place so as to improve the health professionals' motivation in the hospital.


ABSTRACT The paper analyses how educators employed on non-permanent contracts in the non-compulsory education sector in Ireland have fared during the Covid 19 pandemic. These employees were starting from a low base in relation to the terms and conditions of their employment when their places of work dramatically pivoted online in March 2020. We argue the impacts of the pandemic were disproportionate, with people reporting such things as increased workloads, exclusion from HR update communications and little supports in creating workspaces in their homes. In this sense, we foreground how participants' places of work often assumed that all employees, precarious and permanent, had the same level of access to resources.Furthermore, given the gendered nature of caring responsibilities and the high proportion of women respondents in the research, we highlight the extent to which the pandemic increased caring responsibilities and impacted on female participants' capacity to work. Overall, we demonstrate how the Covid 19 pandemic hasn't, in itself, created unsatisfactory working conditions, rather, it has both exposed and accentuated existing shortfalls and further proved, if such proof was needed, that short-term actions compound the many problems with precarity in post-compulsory education work.


This paper describes the study designed to examine how new media impacts on advertising media planning and buying, particularly from the perspectives of media buyers in Lagos-based advertising agencies. The study, qualitative in design, utilized an interview guide to obtain data from ten (10) purposively selected respondents among registered members of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) and registered members of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), all based in Lagos. Findings show that, despite awareness of the existence of new media technologies relevant to media planning, majority of respondents' exposure to such media platforms is still nascent. Findings also indicate that while majority of the respondents use new media as an effective way of reaching target audience, virtually all respondents consider new media as the future of the media planning and buying industry, despite some of the criticisms targeted at such media. Consequently, the study recommends more focus on new media research and the available opportunities offered by such media to complement, rather than the sole deployment of the traditional media planning methods by advertising practitioners during advertising campaigns.


Peptide identification by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is one of the most important problems in proteomics. Recent advances in high throughput MS/MS experiments result in huge amount of spectra, and the peptide identification process should keep pace. In this paper, we strive to achieve high accuracy and efficiency for peptide identification with the presence of noise by a two-phase filtering strategy. Our algorithm transforms spectra to high dimensional vectors, and then uses self-organizing map (SOM) and multi-point range query (MPRQ) as very efficient coarse filters to select a number of candidate peptides from database. These candidate peptides are subsequently scored and ranked by an accurate tag-based scoring function S(λ). Experiments showed that our approach is both fast and accurate for peptide identification.


In current telecommunication networks, the value-added services available to subscribers are almost exclusively offered by the carrier providing local telephony service. This results from two factors: the processing for services is either based in or triggered from software executing on the access telecommunication switches, and signaling links over which subscribers request services are terminated on these access switches. In a direct signaling system, the signaling link from a subscriber does not necessarily terminate on an access switch, but rather on an intelligent server we call a call server. The call server invokes service functions and coordinates their interactions. This direct signaling system may be overlaid on various types of access networks, including circuit-switched telephony, packet telephony, wireless local loop, cable, etc. We discuss the design, implementation, and performance of a direct signaling system, including procedures that provide varying amounts of integration with current telecommunication systems. Our results show that a direct signaling system using a low-delay direct signaling link and in which no changes are made to existing telecommunicatione switches incurs approximately 100 ms higher postdial delay than a standard ISDN system. A direct signaling system in which telecommunication switches provide open interfaces and coordinate processing with direct signaling servers incurs approximately 100 ms lower postdial delay than a standard ISDN system.


1 This paper characterizes empirically achievable limits for time series econometric mod-eling and forecasting. The approach involves the concept of minimal information loss in time series regression and the paper shows how to derive bounds that delimit the proximity of empirical measures to the true probability measure (the DGP) in models that are of econometric interest. The approach utilizes joint probability measures over the combined space of parameters and observables and the results apply for models with stationary , integrated, and cointegrated data. A theorem due to Rissanen is extended so that it applies directly to probabilities about the relative likelihood (rather than averages), a new way of proving results of the Rissanen type is demonstrated, and the Rissanen theory is extended to nonstationary time series with unit roots, near unit roots, and cointegration of unknown order. The corresponding bound for the minimal information loss in empirical work is shown not to be a constant, in general, but to be proportional to the logarithm of the determinant of the (possibility stochastic) Fisher-information matrix. In fact, the bound that determines proximity to the DGP is generally path dependent, and it depends specifically on the type as well as the number of regressors. For practical purposes, the proximity bound has the asymptotic form K/2 log n, where K is a new dimensionality factor that depends on the nature of the data as well as the number of parameters in the model. When 'good' model selection principles are employed in modeling time series data, we are able to show that our proximity bound quantifies empirical limits even in situations where the models may be incorrectly specified. One of the main implications of the new result is that time trends are more costly than stochastic trends, which are more costly in turn than stationary regressors in achieving proximity to the true density. Thus, in a very real sense and quantifiable manner, the DGP is more elusive when there is nonstationarity in the data. The implications for prediction are explored and a second proximity theorem is given, which provides a bound that measures how close feasible predictors can come to the optimal predictor. Again, the bound has the asymptotic form K/2 log n, showing that forecasting trends is fundamentally more difficult than forecasting stationary time series, even when the correct form of the model for the trends is known.


The primary cause of mechanical-related fish injury and mortality in turbomachinery is blade strike. Fish contained in the flow may strike with the rotor blades and the fixed diffuser vanes, the latter being a non-negligible factor causing fish damage in pump system. In this study, an experiment-based correlation of fish mutilation ratio acts as critical strike velocity. The relation between strike damage in a vaned diffuser and the theoretical pump head is presented as a function of specific speed. As an example, a vaned diffuser is designed for a single-bladed, mixed-flow impeller with the purpose of improving fish friendliness. This pump can be scaled to operate with a head up to 14 m at peak efficiency, without fish damage in the diffuser. Subsequently, experiments are conducted to show the retained pump performance as well as the great improvement of fish friendliness.


To solve the problem of echo signal which is very weak, the Duffing equation and the method of detecting weak signal with chaos theory were studied. The signal would be annihilated by strong electromagnetic noises when detecting defects in high voltage transmission lines using electro-magnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT). A chaotic detecting system of weak signal was designed which combining with the technology of filter and the technology of autocorrelation. Simulink was used to simulate the new detecting system. The experimental result showed that the system could detect the useful ultrasound signal under the background of strong electromagnetic noises more effectively. It would improve the detecting signal-noise ratio (SNR) of system further.


BACKGROUND
Many noninvasive tests exist to determine whether patients should undergo coronary angiography. The routine use of coronary angiography without previous noninvasive testing is typically not advocated.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic strategies for patients with chest pain.

DESIGN
Cost-effectiveness analysis.

DATA SOURCES
Published data.

TARGET POPULATION
Patients who present with chest pain, have no history of myocardial infarction, and are able to perform an exercise stress test.

TIME HORIZON
Lifetime.

PERSPECTIVE
Societal.

INTERVENTIONS
No testing, exercise electrocardiography, exercise echocardiography, exercise single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and coronary angiography alone.

OUTCOME MEASURES
Quality-adjusted life expectancy, lifetime cost, and incremental cost-effectiveness.

RESULTS OF BASE-CASE ANALYSIS
The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of routine coronary angiography compared with exercise echocardiography was $36,400 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved for 55-year-old men with typical angina. For 55-year-old men with atypical angina, exercise echocardiography compared with exercise electrocardiography cost $41,900 per QALY saved. If adequate exercise echocardiography was not available, exercise SPECT cost $54,800 per QALY saved compared with exercise electrocardiography for these patients. For 55-year-old men with nonspecific chest pain, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of exercise electrocardiography compared with no testing was $57,700 per QALY saved.

RESULTS OF SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
On the basis of a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, there is a 75% chance that exercise echocardiography costs less than $50,900 per QALY saved for 55-year-old men with atypical angina.

CONCLUSIONS
Exercise electrocardiography or exercise echocardiography resulted in reasonable cost-effectiveness ratios for patients at mild to moderate risk for coronary artery disease in terms of age, sex, and type of chest pain. Coronary angiography without previous noninvasive testing resulted in reasonable cost-effectiveness ratios for patients with a high pretest probability of coronary artery disease.


The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa controls virulence, production of secondary metabolites, motility, biofilm formation, growth in anaerobic conditions, intracellular and intercellular signalling and the switch from an acute to a chronic mode of infection at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels by modulation of the Gac/Rsm system. Cell density-dependent signal accumulation and environmental stimulators such as pH changes and ion limitation activate the GacS/GacA two-component system which in turn triggers transcription of the small regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ. These sRNAs sequester multiple copies of the RNA-binding protein RsmA, antagonising its function. The RsmA/CsrA proteins act as translational repressors by binding to the GGA-motifs in the untranslated region of target mRNAs and blocking ribosome binding. In this study, the biological function of RsmN, an RsmA homologue with a conserved RNA-binding pocket but a distinct protein folding, the predicted autoregulatory mechanism of RsmN, the nature of target transcripts of RsmN, and the cross-regulation between the two Rsm proteins were investigated.

The positive control of proteolytic and elastinolytic activities and swarming motility by RsmN has been demonstrated using single and inducible double deletion mutants of rsmN. Furthermore, rsmN deletion increased microcolony formation during biofilm formation. Regulation by RsmN was most apparent in the absence of RsmA, when rsmN expression was induced via a multicopy plasmid and at temperatures lower than 37°C. The double deletion of rsmA and rsmN affected growth, diminished proteolytic and elastinolytic activities, triggered autolysis and led to the increased secretion of the type VI secretion system protein Hcp1. Moreover, the double deletion of rsmA and rsmN altered the colony morphology of P. aeruginosa. Mutagenesis of the functionally critical, conserved RNA-binding residue which is identified as Arg44 in RsmA and Arg62 in RsmN resulted in the loss of RsmN function.

In a genome-wide analysis by RNASeq, target transcripts were co-purified with RsmN from 37°C and 34°C cultures of a wild-type strain expressing rsmN in multicopy numbers. RNASeq results indicated that small regulatory RNAs such as CrcZ, RsmY and RgsA are common targets of RsmN and RsmA, whereas PhrS is a target of RsmN only. Other common RsmA and RsmN targets included transcriptional regulators, heat shock proteins, proteases, starvation response proteins, components of the denitrification pathway, outer membrane proteins required for pore formation, type III and type VI secretion system proteins and RsmA. Transcripts of heat shock proteins, the tss operon genes and rsmA were enriched by RsmN at 37°C but not at 34°C whereas the lasB transcript was enriched by RsmN at 34°C but not at 37°C.

Based on the list of common targets of RsmA and RsmN and the results obtained from phenotypic assays, induction of the lytic Pf4 prophage, accumulation of alkyl quinolone or c-di-GMP signalling molecules, imbalanced redox state, carbon starvation, increased membrane permeability, and aggregation of misfolded proteins are suggested as possible mechanisms triggering the excessive autolysis of the rsmNind ΔrsmA mutant under uninducing conditions.

The data gathered so far suggests that rsmN is differentially expressed, with increased RsmN activity at temperatures below 37°C in comparison with RsmA, and, RsmA and RsmN collectively contribute to the regulation of secondary metabolite production, motility and microcolony formation in P. aeruginosa.


This article examines the impact of state-level school finance litigation conducted in the wake of San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez. State supreme courts have handed down decisions in 36 states since the Rodriguez decision in 1973. The article looks at how these decisions have affected the distribution of educational resources in eight states-five states in which school finance activists have won and three in which they lost. The author shows that state supreme courts can have a significant impact on both the equity of school finance systems and their adequacy. This finding rebuts scholars who have recently argued that courts, acting alone, cannot achieve significant social or political change in the face of public opposition. The article also explores why some state supreme courts are more successful than others, putting forward a policy-centered model of judicial efficacy that takes into account the peculiarities of school finance as a policy issue. Nineteen ninety-eight marks the 25th anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that helped spark a revolution of sorts. San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) declared that severe financing inequalities among school districts in Texas did not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. These inequalities stemmed primarily from large property value differences among school districts. The differences meant that property-rich districts could generate significant revenues for education (at relatively low tax rates), while property-poor districts could produce only very small amounts of revenue (while taxing themselves at comparatively high rates). Perhaps the key jurisprudential conclusions of the Rodriguez decision were that wealth was not a suspect classification for purposes of the equal protection jurisprudence and that education was not a fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution. Part of the Supreme Court's expressed rationale for the decision stemmed from its unwillingness to intrude massively on local educational policies-which would surely occur if it decided in favor of the plaintiffs.l Striving to maintain an "appropriate" balance to federalism, the Supreme Court self-consciously distanced itself in Rodriguez from property tax and educational funding issues-historically local concerns. The irony of this decision is that the U.S. Supreme Court's exercise in judicial restraint at the national level has translated into an expanded judicial agenda for supreme courts at the state level. After Rodriguez, school financing equity activists, realizing that federal courts held little promise for their claims, began to litigate the matter under provisions of state constitutions. Relying on arguments rooted in both state equal protection provisions and on language in state education clauses,2 litigators have pursued these claims to state supreme courts in 36 states.3 One dimension of a broader movement commonly dubbed the "new judicial federalism,"4 this constitutional litigation campaign over school financing has enjoyed mixed success in state supreme courts, winning in 20 of the 36 states where decisions have been handed down by state high courts. These legal victories often have particularly high profiles and sharply focus state legislators' attention on class disparities among school districts. In the wake of these decisions, state legislators have enacted reforms that promise greater educational resources and opportunities to poor school districts in their states.5 The question remains, however, whether these reforms have actually produced the changes sought by equity activists and demanded by state supreme courts.6 This article attempts to answer this question. Despite nearly 25 years of state supreme court rulings on school finance, neither scholars nor school finance activists have a fully developed understanding of the impact of these rulings. Not only is our picture of the relative changes in school finance after state supreme court rulings underdeveloped, but we also have no clear account of how state supreme courts differ in their capacity to restructure educational financing. …


The Social Accounting Matrix (SAM), is a matrix to represent the transaction in a socio-economic system. It provides a comprehensive description of an economy with emphasis on social and distributive aspects. It describes the economic flows: income generation by production activities, income distribution, and the redistribution between economic agents. The SAM framework provides a useful tool for various policy analysis such as income distribution analysis and incidence studies. BPS-Statistics Indonesia develops SAM as a complementary of Input-Output Table in every five year. However, the standard SAM only offers a limited set of fiscal instruments. Fiscal policy instruments are important tools in policy analysis for government institutions, namely Fiscal Policy Agency (Badan Kebijakan Fiskal/BKF). BKF is a unit within the Indonesian Ministry of Finance that has the responsibility in the fiscal policy formulation. The purpose of this study is to develop the Fiscal SAM (FiSAM) for the year of 2008. The FiSAM features a more detail fiscal instrument of SAM framework. It captures the government's indirect tax revenue and government's transfer. The government's indirect tax is disaggregated into more detail categories: value added taxes (VAT), sales taxes for luxury items, excises, import tax, property tax, stamp duty, and others (including local taxes). While the government's transfer is disaggregated into: subsidy for poor students, food subsidy for the poor, conditional cash transfer, and other government's transfer. With these extensions, the FiSAM has more capability to capture a wide range analysis of fiscal policies more precisely. The FiSAM may also serves as data for further development of Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models.


The eastern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus australis) is an endemic Australian marine teleost that is angled in large numbers throughout its distribution. Most fish are retained, although some are released, mainly because of size-grading in response to bag limits. Owing to their fragility, there are concerns that few released fish survive. To investigate this assumption, 185 angled and 90 control eastern sea garfish were released in groups of five into holding cages, then monitored for up to 24 h. One control and 93 angled fish died, providing an adjusted angled mortality rate of 49.2%. All fish that ingested their hooks (n=7) subsequently died. Generalized linear mixed models for the remaining mouth-hooked garfish revealed that mortalities were mainly caused by scale loss (p<0.01) and air exposure (p<0.05). Further analyses revealed that scale loss most likely occurred when fish were held with dry bare hands (p<0.05), dropped (p<0.05) and exposed to air (p<0.01), or confined in 20-l buckets (p<0.05) for long periods. Air exposure was not significantly affected by any of the variables. Magnetic resonance imaging of 10 live and 5 dead angled-and-released fish revealed no significant differences in dermal damage, although the fatalities typically had greater abrasions than the survivors. The results demonstrate that the fate of eastern sea garfish can be improved significantly if they are released quickly, without physical contact. This protocol could have similar utility among other released species with deciduous scales.


The idea of sustainability permeates global society and is a dynamic process enabling people to realize their potential, meet their needs, and improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance earth's systems. But, to promote society-wide sense of sustainability, we must be in touch with the basic truths forming the foundation for a sustainable future. Scholars and practitioners articulate and promote their own defi nitions; yet a clear, fi xed, and immutable meaning remains elusive. Critics believe that present perspectives offer no substance for those wanting to operationalize or implement actions. What is lacking is a way to re-integrate traditional reductionist and linearized approach to problem-solving which worked when the system was not constrained against resource and population limits. In contrast, sustainability planning and action represents a multi dimensional way to achieve recovery and improve quality of life. Besides the expression of community or corporate intent to become more sustainable, development of a systemic approach is required. A diagrammatic model illustrating the concept of sustainability can offer an improved understanding of the process of sustainable development. The acceptance and continual use of a visual tool as a conceptual framework, helps apply systemic thinking and action throughout the analysis of problems and solutions toward sustainable design processes. A holistic approach, informed by sustainability symbolism, is crucial to developing new methods of analysis and decision-making.


In 1990, New York State instituted Comprehensive Medicaid Case Management, also known as Target Case Management (TCM), for people dealing with multiple comorbid conditions, including HIV. The goal of TCM is to assist clients in navigating the health care system to increase care engagement and treatment adherence for individuals with complex needs. HIV-positive individuals engaged in care are more likely to be virally suppressed, improving clinical outcomes and decreasing chances of HIV transmission. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of TCM management on outcomes for people with HIV. Data were obtained from Amida Care, which operates not-for-profit managed care Medicaid and Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs) for HIV clients. Changes in clinical, cost, as well as medical and pharmacy utilization data among TCM clients were examined between January 2011 through September 2012 from the start of case management enrollment through the end of the study period (i.e., up to 6 months after disenrollment). Additionally, CD4 counts were compared between Amida Care TCM clients and non-TCM clients. Notable findings include increased CD4 counts for TCM clients over the one-year study period, achieving parity with non-TCM clients (i.e., Mean CD4 count > 500). When looking exclusively at TCM clients, there were increases in medication costs over time, which were concomitant with increased care engagement. Current findings demonstrate that TCM is able to achieve its goals of improving care engagement and treatment adherence. Subsequent policy changes resulting from the Affordable Care Act and the New York State Medicaid Redesign have made the Health Home the administrator of TCM services. Government entities charged with securing and managing TCM and care coordination for people with HIV should provide thoughtful and reasonable guidance and oversight in order to maintain optimal clinical outcomes for TCM clients and reduce the transmission of HIV.


Abstract Though forged in the fires of the early nineteenth-century evangelical revivals, Primitive Baptists became the most significant opponents of the burgeoning antebellum evangelical movement. The Primitives were Calvinists who despised missionaries, Sunday schools, Bible tract societies, and the other accoutrements of evangelical Protestantism. This article contends that a feeling of uncertainty dominated Primitive Baptists' lives, catalyzed their movement's rise, and fueled their strident opposition to the theological and organizational changes shaping churches across the country. For Primitive Baptists, it was their questioning–especially their experience of persistent doubt–that set them apart from evangelicals. The uncertainty that colored Primitive Baptist selfhood motivated believers rather than paralyzed them. It propelled them toward a community of like-minded souls, and it stirred those souls to action as a more ardent brand of evangelical Protestantism crowded church pews. It is in the Primitives' uncertain selves–not in their theology or their socio-economic condition–that we find the most compelling explanation of their movement's unlikely rise.


Using electrospun nanofiber scaffolds have emerged as a technique for tissue engineering (TE) applications. In 2011, Sullivan et al. reported on the process to effectively electrospin and crosslink nanofibers from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and [beta]-lactoglobulin (BLG) aqueous solutions. PEO and BLG are both biodegradable and biocompatible materials. Crosslinking PEO/BLG nanofibers is necessary to improve their aqueous stability for TE applications. However, the heat treatment process suggested by Sullivan et al. is time intensive. The purpose of this study was to a) investigate an alternative crosslinking method for electrospun nanofibers made from an aqueous protein solution b) assess the resulting nanofibers for their potential use as scaffolds for TE applications, and c) evaluate the effect of biologically treated nanofiber scaffolds on stem cell proliferation. Chemical crosslinking techniques using Sodium Trimetaphosphate (STMP) combined with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were evaluated. STMP has been shown to effectively crosslink polysaccharide nanofibers in situ during electrospinning. Methods: STMP, at various concentrations, was added to PEO/BLG electrospinning solutions. The effects of STMP were characterized by measuring the solution's viscosity, pH and conductivity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images were acquired to qualitatively assess electrospun nanofiber morphology and scaffold topography. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) were grown on PEO/BLG scaffolds under control conditions and when treated with the protein Thymosin-[beta]4 (T[beta]4). HMSC proliferation was assessed to evaluate the effects of PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds and different T[beta]4 treatments at day 2, 4 and 8. Results: Using STMP to chemically crosslink PEO/BLG electrospun scaffolds affected solution properties, nanofiber morphology and scaffold topography. PEO/BLG/STMP nanofibers were highly beaded and wavy with little structure relative to PEO/BLG nanofibers. Fibers were not stable in an aqueous solution.Using T[beta]4 to treat the PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds and/or cell culture media improved hMSC proliferation with increased time in culture. HMSCs remained viable throughout the growth period for all treatments. However, hMSCs did not integrate into PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds, but attached to the scaffold surface. Conclusion: Using STMP, at the tested concentrations, as an alternative crosslinker for PEO/BLG nanofibers was ineffective and did not result in usable electrospun scaffolds. Chemically crosslinking PEO/BLG nanofibers requires further research in polymer chemistry to identify an alternative in situ crosslinking mechanism. Treating the scaffolds and/or media with T[beta]4 did result in improved hMSC proliferation. However, while hMSC cultures remained viable and proliferation increased with T[beta]4 treatments, further research is necessary to develop protocols that will enable hMSC integration with PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds.


Human apolipoprotein (a) (LPA) gene is highly polymorphic, and the polymorphic loci on this gene include the Kringle 4 subtype 2(KIV-2) repeat polymorphism, the pentanucleotide repeat (TTTTA)n polymorphism, and a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms. KIV-2 repeat polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with coronary heart disease(CHD), and the reducing number of KIV-2 repeats is a risk factor for CHD. Both the increase and decrease of the pentanucleotide repeat(TTTTA)n polymorphism repeats are possibly associated with CHD risk. In single nucleotide polymorphisms loci, the rs10455872 and rs3798220 loci were widely reported to be associated with CHD, while other loci were less reported. The association between LPA polymorphisms and CHD may be mediated by either the elevation of plasma LPA level or the change of LPA subtypes. This article reviews the association between the LPA polymorphisms and CHD and the underlying mechanisms.


Background: Pathologic anatomic practice is an essential part of medical practice even in low-income countries. It is an extraordinarily helpful tool in finding therapeutic decisions, monitoring therapeutic processes and in academic teaching students and residents in understanding aetiology and morphology of infectious and neoplastic diseases. However, all countries worldwide are suffering from a shortage of experienced surgical pathologists providing an adequate service to the clinics. Training pathologists is a time-consuming procedure and it takes more than one decade. Therefore new techniques have to be utilized to overcome the gap of human resources in medical fields in these countries. Telepathology and telecytology may be effective tools to transfer both knowledge and experience to any place in the world with simple technical equipment using the Internet. We evaluate the benefit of TP and TC on three projects, with different educational levels of the local pathologists. Material and approach: In 2002 Cambodian pathologists started off with telepathology using iPath Network as an open-source system. Up to now more than 5600 cases have been submitted to experts. In 2007 a Tanzanian hospital started telepathology and solved more than 3600 cases. In 2010 an Afghan group of medical experts started using TP and submitted more than 1600 cases. The latest 100 cases of each group were analysed with respect to (1) the organs concerned; (2) the diagnostic techniques used such as histology vs cytology; (3) complexity of the diagnostic question; (4) information quality and quantity; (5) diagnostic concordance between primary diagnosis and the experts opinion; and (6) diagnostic accuracy of the experts diagnoses in order to evaluate the benefit of the projects. Results and conclusion: Telepathology services are ranging from a triage of diagnostic assessment of benign vs malignant to academic-scientific services including teaching and research facilities. Breast pathology is predominant in Afghanistan, whereas cervix pathology is the leading issue in Tanzania, and in Cambodia soft tissue/bone pathology plays the major role. In more than 50% cytology was applied in Afghanistan and only 10% and 5% in Cambodia and Tanzania respectively. The complexity of diagnostic questions differs from Cambodia using TP for confirmation in most cases, to Tanzania and Afghanistan using TP mostly for primary diagnosis. Diagnostic concordance depending on both the experience of local pathologists and the technical facilities of the laboratory was high in Cambodia, followed by Tanzania and Afghanistan. Diagnostic accuracy corresponding with the quantity and quality of information followed the same pattern. The success of TP projects can be measured by the number of TP sessions and by the sustainability of projects. Our TP/TC projects in those countries with limited resources are effective tools in improving medical health care.


In the rating scales of major international language tests, as well as in automated evaluation systems (e.g. e-rater), a positive relationship is often claimed between lexical diversity, holistic quality of written or spoken discourses, and language proficiency of candidates. This article reports a posteriori validation study that analysed a sample of the archived data of an international language test to examine empirically to what extent such relationships exist. It is also noted that previous studies on lexical diversity in the field of applied linguistics have focused exclusively on either written or spoken discourses, no study to date has compared lexical diversity of spoken and written discourses produced by the same participants. Therefore, the second aim of this article is to understand the differences in lexical diversity between writing and speaking task performances, and to what extent the topics of the writing prompts may affect lexical diversity of written discourses. Using D as a measure of lexical diversity (Malvern and Richards 1997, 2002; Malvern et al.2004), it was found that D had a statistically significant and positive correlation with the overall quality ratings of both writing and speaking performances as well as the candidates' general language proficiency. Nevertheless, the significant relationships were not borne out across the subgroups of the sample in terms of gender, first language background, purpose of taking the test and topics of the writing prompts. The different writing topics also had significant effects on lexical diversity—especially the topics that candidates were highly familiar with—even after controlling for writing ability and overall language proficiency. The lexical diversity of candidates' writing and speaking performances were approximately at the same level; further, D was found to be a better predictor of speaking than writing performance. The implications of these findings are discussed with specific reference to the use of lexical diversity measures to inform language test validation and the development of lexical diversity parameters in automated evaluation systems.


The aim of the present study was to estimate the associations between optimism/ pessimism and the Big-Five (BF) personality factors. A convenience sample (N = 220) of Egyptian university students took part in this study (114 men; 111 women). Their ages ranged from 20 to 27. They responded to the Arabic Scale of Optimism and Pessimism (ASOP) and the Arabic Big Five Personality Inventory (ABFPI). Women obtained a higher mean score than men on neuroticism. Optimism correlated negatively with neuroticism and positively with all other Big Five factors. Pessimism correlated positively with neuroticism and negatively with extraversion in men and women, as well as negatively with conscientiousness and openness in men only. Principal components analysis disclosed two components: positive versus negative affectivity, and "normal" traits. Predictors of male optimism were: pessimism (negative), conscientiousness and agreeableness (both positive); and female optimism was predicted by pessimism (negative), openness and agreeableness (both positive). The inter-correlations between the Big Five factors deserve further study.


Inner nuclear membrane (INM) proteins play a role in spatial organization of chromosomes within the nucleus. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Sad1, an INM protein of the conserved SUN‐domain family, plays an active role in moving chromosomes along the nuclear membranes during meiotic prophase. Ima1 is another conserved INM protein recently identified. A previous study claimed that Ima1 is essential for mitotic cell growth, linking centromeric heterochromatin to the spindle‐pole body. However, we obtained results contradictory to the previously proposed role for Ima1: Ima1 was dispensable for mitotic cell growth or centromere positioning. This discrepancy was attributed to incorrect ima1 deletion mutants used in the previous study. Our results show that Ima1 collaborates with two other conserved INM proteins of the LEM‐domain family that are homologous to human Man1 and Lem2. Loss of any one of three INM proteins has no effect on mitotic cell growth; however, loss of all these proteins causes severe defects in mitotic cell growth and nuclear membrane morphology. Considering that all three INM proteins interact with Sad1, these results suggest that Ima1, Lem2 and Man1 play at least partially redundant roles for nuclear membrane organization.


In this case study, three patients are presented who had incomplete cauda equina syndrome following elective lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease. In all patients, the neurological symptoms developed due to post-operative arachnoiditis. Its aetiology, pathogenesis and diagnostics are discussed, as well as the methods of prevention and therapy which are still limited and often not beyond experimentation.


BACKGROUND
Many palliative care patients have reduced oral intake during their illness. The management of this can include the provision of medically assisted hydration with the aim of prolonging the length of life of a patient, improving their quality of life, or both.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effect of medically assisted hydration in palliative care patients on their quality and length of life.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Studies were identified from searching CENTRAL, MEDLINE (1966 to 2008), EMBASE (1980 to 2008), CINAHL, CANCERLIT, Caresearch, Dissertation abstracts, SCIENCE CITATION INDEX and the reference lists of all eligible studies, key textbooks, and previous systematic reviews. The date of the latest search was February 2008.

SELECTION CRITERIA
All relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or prospective controlled studies of medically assisted hydration in palliative care patients.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Five relevant studies were identified. These included two RCTs (93 participants), and three prospective controlled trials (360 participants). These were assessed independently by two review authors for quality and validity. The small number of studies and the heterogeneity of the data meant that a quantitative analysis was not possible, so a description of the main findings was included only.

MAIN RESULTS
One study found that sedation and myoclonus (involuntary contractions of muscles) were improved more in the intervention group (28 - hydration, 23 - placebo). Another study found that dehydration was significantly higher in the non-hydration group, but that some fluid retention symptoms (pleural effusion, peripheral oedema and ascites) were significantly higher in the hydration group (59 - hydration group, 167 - non -hydration group). The other three studies did not show significant differences in outcomes between the two groups.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There are insufficient good quality studies to make any recommendations for practice with regard to the use of medically assisted hydration in palliative care patients.


Tele-immersive 3D multi-camera room environments are starting to emerge and with them new challenging research questions. One important question is how to organize the large amount of visual data, being captured, processed, transmitted and displayed, and their corresponding resources, over current COTS computing and networking infrastructures so that "everybody" would be able to install and use tele-immersive environments for conferencing and other activities. In this paper, we propose a novel cross-layer control and streaming framework over general purpose delivery infrastructure, called TEEVE (tele-immersive environments for everybody). TEEVE aims for effective and adaptive coordination, synchronization, and soft QoS-enabled delivery of tele-immersive visual streams to remote room(s). The TEEVE experiments between two tele-immersive rooms residing in different institutions more than 2000 miles apart show that we can sustain communication of up to 12 3D video streams with 4/spl sim/5 3D frames per second for each stream, yielding 4/spl sim/5 tele-immersive video rate.


Cells are able to develop various types of membrane protrusions that modulate their adhesive, migratory, or functional properties. However, their ability to form basal protrusions, particularly in the context of epithelial sheets, is not widely characterized. The authors built hexagonal lattices to probe systematically the microtopography-induced formation of epithelial cell protrusions. Lattices of hexagons of various sizes (from 1.5 to 19 μm) and 5-10 μm height were generated by two-photon photopolymerization in NOA61 or poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate derivatives. The authors found that cells generated numerous, extensive, and deep basal protrusions for hexagons inferior to cell size (3-10 μm) while maintaining a continuous epithelial layer above structures. They characterized the kinetics of protrusion formation depending on scaffold geometry and size. The reported formation of extensive protrusions in 3D microtopography could be beneficial to develop new biomaterials with increased adhesive properties or to improve tissue engineering.


In a proposed satellite experiment, a spherical superconducting gyroscope is to be levitated by servo-controlled voltages applied to superconducting electrodes. Gyroscope readout will utilize the magnetic field that is generated by a rotating superconductor. However exclusion of this field from the electrodes via the Meissner effect will produce a torque on the gyroscope. That torque is calculated in this paper.


Mastitis is generally recognized as an important factor that influences the quality of milk and dairy products. Milk from infected cows is characterized by increased Somatic Cell Counts (SCC) associated with changes in the components and properties of raw milk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SCC in raw milk on the casein fractions of semi-skimmed pasteurized milk during storage. Raw milk were categorized in SCC groups of low ( 75×104 cells∙mL-1). Four replicates of semiskimmed (1.3-1.4%) pasteurized milk within each SCC category were analyzed for composition, pH, titratable acidity and casein fractions by high performance liquid chromatography after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage. No effect of SCC was observed on the physical-chemical parameters and concentrations of αs-casein, β-casein and κ-casein in pasteurized milk during storage at 5oC. However, chromatograms of milk samples containing high SCC (>75×104 cells∙mL-1) showed increased breakdown products of αs1-casein starting on the seventh day of storage. Results of this trial indicate that SCC in raw milk should not exceed 4x105 cells∙mL-1, to prevent the degradation of casein fractions in pasteurized semi-skimmed milk and the occurrence of quality defects during storage.


This paper investigates the association between market power and bank liquidity across 113 developed and developing countries. Using bank-level measures of market power (both a conventional and a funding-adjusted Lerner index) and Generalised Methods of Moments estimators, we find an inverse U-shaped relation between bank market power and liquidity. It shows that with initial increases in market power, banks hold more liquid assets, attract more non-transaction deposits and are net lenders in the interbank market. When market power exceeds a certain threshold, however, banks invest less in liquid assets, attract more transaction deposits and become net borrowers in the interbank market. We also find that for a given level of market power, ceteris paribus, banks in developed nations have lower investment in asset liquidity, attract more transaction deposits and obtain more funding through the interbank market than their developing country counterparts. These results are consistent across all models.


Here we report on the effect of DNA modification on individual collisions between Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) and ultramicroelectrode (UME) surfaces. These results extend recent reports of electrocatalytic amplification (ECA) arising from collisions between naked surfaces, and they are motivated by our interest in using ECA for low-level biosensing applications. In the present case, we studied collisions between naked PtNPs and DNA-modified Au and Hg UMEs and also collisions between DNA-modified PtNPs and naked Au and Hg UMEs. In all cases, the sensing reaction is the catalytic oxidation of N2H4. The presence of ssDNA (5mer or 25-mer) immobilized on the UME surface has little effect on the magnitude or frequency of ECA signals, regardless of whether the electrode is Au or Hg. In contrast, when DNA is immobilized on the PtNPs and the electrodes are naked, clear trends emerge. Specifically, as the surface concentration of ssDNA on the PtNP surface increases, the magnitude and frequency of the current transients decrease. This trend is most apparent for the longer 25-mer. We interpret these results as follows. When ssDNA is immobilized at high concentration on the PtNPs, the surface sites on the NP required for electrocatalytic N2H4 oxidation are blocked. This leads to lower and fewer ECA signals. In contrast, naked PtNPs are able to transfer electrons to UMEs having sparse coatings of ssDNA.


Abstract Tada, H., Ogushi, F., Tani, K., Nishioka, Y., Miyata, J., Sato, K., Asano, T. and Sone, S. Increased Binding and Chemotactic Capacities of PDGF-BB on Fibroblasts in Radiation Pneumonitis. Radiat. Res. 159, 805–811 (2003). Although pulmonary fibrosis is a frequent and serious consequence of radiotherapy for thoracic malignant diseases such as lung cancer, the pathogenesis of this radiation-induced lung disorder remains unclear. To clarify the mechanisms underlying radiation pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis, we investigated the expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) on fibroblasts obtained from irradiated rat lungs and on control fibroblasts. Whole lungs of male Wistar rats were irradiated with a single dose of 15 Gy, and lung fibroblasts were isolated at 4 weeks after the irradiation. The chemotactic response of irradiated lung fibroblasts to PDGF-BB was significantly higher than that of control lung fibroblasts, whereas there was no significant difference between irradiated lung fibroblasts and control lung fibroblasts in the response to PDGF-AA. Receptor binding assay showed more specific binding sites for PDGF-BB on irradiated lung fibroblasts than on control lung fibroblasts, and the displacement of 125I-labeled PDGF binding to fibroblasts by unlabeled PDGF showed that 125I-labeled PDGF-BB was displaced by PDGF-BB but not by PDGF-AA. These results suggest that the increased binding sites for PDGF-BB on irradiated lung fibroblasts correspond mainly to PDGFRB. Scatchard analysis of the saturation data demonstrated an approximately twofold increase both in the number of PDGF-BB binding sites and in the binding affinity in irradiated lung fibroblasts compared to that in control lung fibroblasts. Those results suggest that the increased chemotactic response of irradiated lung fibroblasts to PDGF-BB is related to the overexpression of PDGFRB, which may have an important role in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis.


This paper introduces the structural design and operation principle of rotary hydraulic cylinder. Seven spiral flows with different clearance were designed. The models were built by Pro/E. Structure meshes were generated by using Gambit. Based on laminar model and SIMPLE algorithm, the interior flow field in different clearance and the same clearance at different rotation rate were numerically simulated and analyzed with Fluent. The relationship of clearance, rotation rate and viscous force, maximum temperature, stiffness, flow rate were obtained. Simulation results show that clearance's influence on internal leakage is greater than rotation rate, at the clearance of 0.05mm~0.10mm is relatively suitable.


Korea has a long history of historiography.* There are many references to historical records kept during the Three Kingdoms period, but none of these records have survived, making it difficult for us to know the nature of historiography in ancient Korea. The oldest histories still extant are the Samguk sagi and the Samguk yusa, compiled during the Koryŏ dynasty. Although these two works are indispensable in understanding the history of the three ancient kingdoms, the former has been severely criticized by modern nationalist-minded historians for its alleged China-centered world view. During the Yi dynasty, officials and scholars were strongly conscious of their past and produced a number of official and private histories. Their historical sensibility, however, went beyond the realm of historiography—the fear that one's moral conduct might be found wanting by future generations often affected the behavior of kings and officials alike. This traditional Confucian historiography gave way to a modern form around the turn of the twentieth century. Japanese scholars were the first to use modern methods in studying Korean history. Although their studies provided many new insights, many of them were marred by the prejudice and bias often shown by the Japanese toward the Koreans. A group of Korean scholars of the "Nationalist School" gallantly attempted to challenge what they saw as distortions of Korean history by both Japanese and traditional Korean historians, but with little success. With the publication of Chindan hakpo in the 1930s, historiography in Korea entered a new era as there emerged a new breed of Korean scholars who were trained in modern historical craft. Although there are some significantly different trends in interpretation, historical studies in South and North Korea have evolved from the interpretations of these scholars.


: A model of the components of autonomic control of heart rate was developed and used for the evaluation of quantitative contribution of sympathetic and vagal tone to cardiac function. In conscious rabbits, sequential inhibition of muscarinic and beta receptors was produced and the relative contributions of vagal and sympathetic tone were characterized. Based on the model, the magnitude of presynaptic interaction between the vagal and sympathetic nerve endings was evaluated. From data in the literature, similar analysis of the control of heart rate was performed for the rat, dog, and human subject and compared with that of the rabbit. The results show that the resting rabbit heart is under less vagal tone than sympathetic tone as compared with other species. The effects of acute administration of amiodarone on the sympathetic and parasympathetic control of heart rate as well as intrinsic heart rate were investigated. Amiodarone decreased the heart rate, which resulted from a direct effect on the sinoatrial (SA) node. In addition, it attenuated the vagal as well as the sympathetic effects on the SA node. The effect on vagal component was greater. Further, the effects of other antiarrhythmic drugs on the electrocardiographic PP and PR intervals were studied. The usefulness of this model for the analysis of the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs is presented.


Porosity in spray-formed materials is an important issue, but the formation of porosity is not completely understood. Many experimental results and some theoretical models have been presented in the past. Nevertheless, the prediction of porosity in a deposit is still not possible today. The paper will give some examples picked from literature, which show some general correlations between process parameters and porosity. These correlations can be helpful to form a basic understanding of the process. Finally it is necessary to know more about the conditions of the droplets and the deposit at the point of impingement. These impacting conditions have to be correlated to the porosity to improve the understanding of the process and to make a prediction possible. Determining the impact conditions is a challenge because usually they are not constant with time and some values are difficult to measure. Our experiments show a strong correlation between the surface temperature of the deposit and the porosity. For IN718 and U720 as-sprayed porosities below 1 vol.% were achieved if the deposit surface temperature is app. 1250 °C. The average impact angle weighted by the local particle mass flux is also an important parameter. The probability of low as-sprayed porosity is high if the average weighted impact angle is below 25° but decreases dramatically for higher impact angles.


We consider the problem of updating a multi-agent system with a set of conditional norms. A norm comes into effect when its condition becomes true, and imposes either an obligation or a prohibition on an agent which remains in force until a state satisfying a deadline condition is reached. If the norm is violated, a sanction is imposed on the agent. We define a notion of a normative update of a multi-agent system by a set of conditional norms, and study the problem of checking whether the agent(s) can bring about a state satisfying a property without incurring a specified number of sanctions.


The use of guided wave-based approaches presents some advantages in the structural inspection and damage identification processes. It is driven by the fact that these waves can propagate over relatively long distances and are able to interact sensitively with and uniquely with different types of defects, however, its use in Structural Health Monitoring requires the development of efficient SHM methodologies to analyse and provide confident results. To do that, signal processing techniques for the correct interpretation of the complex ultrasonic waves are a need. In this sense, it is necessary to still work on the continuous search of methodologies for performing each one of the steps in the damage identification. As contribution, this paper presents a damage classification methodology which includes the use of data collected from a structure under different structural states by means of a piezoelectric sensor network. The document presents the description of the methodology including a description of the data reduction and the use of non-linear analysis of the information with hierarchical non-linear principal component analysis and some non-linear damage indices. The methodology is preliminary evaluated with a CFRP sandwich structure with some damages on the multi-layered composite sandwich structure which were intentionally produced to simulate different damage mechanisms, i.e. delamination and cracking of the skin. Finally, results are presented and discussed to remark the advantages and disadvantages of this methodology.


AIM
To investigate the predictive value of several factors, including concurrent chemotherapy, for overall survival of patients irradiated for locally recurrent bladder cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Thirty patients irradiated for local recurrence of bladder cancer were included; 14 received concurrent chemotherapy. Ten factors were analyzed for overall survival: gender, age, period from bladder cancer diagnosis to irradiation of local recurrence, Karnofsky performance scale, tumour grading, pack-years smoked, smoking during radiotherapy, radiation dose, interruption of radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy.

RESULTS
On univariate analyses, significantly longer overall survival was found for those with age ≤76 years (p=0.024), better performance status (p<0.001) and those treated with concurrent chemotherapy (p<0.001). On Cox regression analysis, concurrent chemotherapy remained significantly associated with survival (risk ratio 3.82, p=0.013); a trend for association was found for performance status (risk ratio 2.50, p=0.076).

CONCLUSION
Addition of concurrent chemotherapy to radiotherapy for locally recurrent bladder cancer resulted in improved overall survival. Concurrent radiochemotherapy should be considered when this is clinically reasonable for such patients.


There has been a burgeoning of research on education over the last four decades. This development has been accompanied by a profusion of publications in the form of academic books, chapters, and papers in refereed journals. In their reporting of theoretical and empirical research, there is much that is informative for both generalists and specialists working in the field of education regarding the status quo. Much less prevalent, however, are works that open up broad new areas for deliberation and for research. Those scholars who are exceptions in this regard have provided two types of work. The first of these are works that attempt to open up new research directions within education studies in relation to such matters as education access, participation, pedagogical practices, and outcomes at different education levels (as in primary, secondary and university levels), along with providing expositions on new research approaches.
Much less prominent are works that address a broad range of topics across a broad range of foci. This is understandable since most education research is undertaken from a traditional social science perspective that requires one to engage in empirical inquiry after clearly narrowing down one's topic and one's research questions. Yet, works that address a broad range of topics across a broad range of foci are equally valuable for generating streams of consciousness amongst readers, stimulating thought about topical and divergent areas of research, and promoting creative ideas about how to address them.
This book was conceptualised from the latter point of view. It addresses a variety of new directions in research related to education reconstruction in challenging circumstances. While the argument for adopting such an approach is as outlined above, we are also mindful that the exercise should not become one of presenting a set of totally disconnected chapters. Thus, what is offered needs to be seen as being bounded within a broad framework on what constitutes the nature of education studies. Accordingly, the next section of this opening chapter outlines such a framework. Attention then turns to why research conceptualised in relation to it needs to be viewed in terms of the particular context within which it was undertaken. It is important that this point be emphasised at the outset since it is crucial to keep it in mind when considering the chapters offered in the rest of this book.


Smart antenna technology can increase channel capacity, improve spectrum efficiency and enlarge cover area by using its spatial diversity ability , which greatly improve system performance . A least mean squares (LMS) is posed for the smart antenna adaptive interference suppression system based on the training sequence. Also , the least mean square (LMS) and least squares (RLS) algorithm are proposed for the design and simulation about interference suppression and compare and analyze the result which can prove the effectiveness about algorithm in TD-SCDMA system .According to the results, the new method with a faster convergence speed, which doesn`t matter with interference environments, is better than LMS.


Introduction: Reducing hospital stays lengths and adoptions of outpatient surgery are the results of a policy of controlled hospital costs, improving quality of care and greater patient comfort.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the files of the patients operated at surgery department of Hassan II university hospital of Fes. This study concerned patients having hernial, gallbladder stone and proctologic pathologies (Hemorroids, Anal Fistula, Anal Fissure and Pilonidal Sinus) over 6 years from June 2009 to June 2015.

Discussion: Over 6 years, 4342 patients were operated at the central operating unit, 1073 among them were ambulatory cases. The hospital stay of the gallbladder stone, hernia and proctological surgery is respectively 7.3, 5.1 and 1 day, wish remains far from figures marked in Western countries where these pathologies were practiced in ambulatory in more than 60% of the cases. This difference is explained by the lack of real health economics policy, but also of this type of surgery which requires very good organization and a lot of motivation. The contribution of the various stakeholders (government, health professionals and patients) with the establishment of a circuit ambulatory surgery (pre-anesthetic assessments, admissions office and billing consultation, hospital and operating room) in our context is synonymous with a new management culture in health spending.

Conclusion: This work allowed revealing the feasibility of the ambulatory surgery in our practice while concealing the incessant need and the perfect admissibility of our infrastructure to such a process.


1. Dose-dependent effects of adrenaline on PDHa activity were investigated with both incubated rat epidiymal fat-pads and isolated adipocytes. 2. Adrenaline (10nM- 5 micrometer) decreased PDHa activity in fat-pads incubated with 5 mM-[U-14C]glucose + insulin (20 munits/ml). Changes in [U-14C]glucose incorporation into fatty acids in these tissues correlated only loosely with changes in PDHa activity. There was a good inverse relationship between adrenaline-induced changes in PDHa activity and increases in lipolysis (glycerol release). 3. Adrenaline (10nM - 0.5 micrometer) decreased PDHa activity in fat-pads incubated with 5 mM-[U-14C]pyruvate + insulin (20 munits/ml), whereas 1 micrometer- and 5 micrometer-adrenaline slightly increased PDHa activity. All concentrations of adrenaline tested decreased [U-14C]pyruvate incorporation into fatty acids. Between 10nM- and 0.5 micrometer-adrenaline percentage decreases in PDHa activity paralleled decreases in faty acid synthesis. 4. Effects of adrenaline on PDHa activity and fatty acid synthesis in fat-pads incubated with 5mM-[U-14C]pyruvate + insulin (20 munits/ml) could not be mimicked by addition of albumin-bound palmitate. 5. The response of PDHa activity to adrenaline (0.1 nM - 1 micrometer) in isolated adipocytes differed with the carbohydrate substrate used in the incubations. With 5 mM-glucose + insulin (20 munits/ml), PDHa activity was significantly increased by 10 nM-adrenaline, but not by 1 micrometer-adrenaline, the response to adrenaline being biphasic. There was some correlation between PDHa activity and accumulation of non-esterified fatty acids. With 5 mM-glucose alone adrenaline (0.1 nM - 1 micrometer) had no effect on PDHa activity even though lipolysis was increased by adrenaline (0.1 micrometer - 1 micrometer). With 5mM-fructose in the presence and absence of insulin, lipolytic doses of adrenaline decreased PDHa activity. No tested concentrations of adrenaline increased PDHa with this substrate. 6. In the presence of 5 mM-fructose, palmitate was significantly more effective than adrenaline with respect to the maximum decrease in PDHa activity that could be elicited. 4. The relationship of changes in PDHa activity to changes in lipogenesis and the likelihood of adrenaline-induced changes in PDHa activity being secondary to changes in non-esterified fatty acid metabolism are discussed.


The purpose of this study is to add knowledge of the composition and exercise of management control systems. The study focused on a Thai-owned chicken processing company in Thailand. Thailand was chosen for this study both because the researcher (the first-named author) is Thai and because few previous management control studies have been about Thailand even though Thailand has a high level of foreign investment. Although Thailand has been influenced significantly by Western ideas, it differs from many of its South and Southeast Asian neighbours in having maintained a much greater degree of formal political autonomy than its neighbours. This ethnographic research shows that only some factors from previous studies, namely national culture and demographic characteristics, are relevant to the Thai-owned chicken company's MCSs. Other factors not identified in previous studies were found to be important; for example, being a family business, competition in the markets for labour and custom, and labour laws have influenced and shaped the Company's MCSs.


This paper explores the importance and necessity of information technology (IT) and telecommunications security (combined, these activities are referred to as INFOSEC) in an ever more interconnected world. A review of the current state of affairs, some important organizations, privacy, regulatory issues, threats, protections, and tools is undertaken, and a plan for proceeding in this complex arena is presented. A detailed Security Hierarchy Chart is presented at the end of the paper that compiles in a single, easy to use repository threats, attacks, tools and products by segment and layer.


Purpose and Objectives The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), the educational branch of SNAP, can play an important role in improving dietary outcomes, eliminating food insecurity, and preventing chronic disease among low-income populations. This study examined the effects of local SNAP-Ed efforts on self-reported health behaviors and body mass index (BMI) over a 1-year period, using data collected from intercept surveys of program-eligible adults. Intervention Approach From 2016 to 2020, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health partnered with 24 community-based organizations to provide nutrition education and to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes in the community. Evaluation Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018 and repeated in 2019 to measure 6 outcomes describing population-level changes in health behaviors and BMI. The study recruited 4 samples: 2 samples from outside selected supermarkets (2018, n = 2,098; 2019, n = 2,323) and 2 samples from participants at SNAP-Ed class sites (2018, n = 651; 2019, n = 569). Results While study results showed an increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables and in vigorous physical activity, they also showed an increase in BMI and high consumption of unhealthy foods. Participating in SNAP-Ed classes was positively associated with several health behaviors but no change in BMI. Participants who experienced food insecurity had worse health behavior outcomes than those who did not experience this condition. Implications for Public Health SNAP-Ed interventions appear to have a favorable effect on fruit and vegetable consumption, but increases in BMI suggest that unhealthy food consumption is abundant and may be counteracting the benefits gained from eating more fruits and vegetables. Future efforts should take these results into consideration and optimize enrollment in nutrition assistance programs. These efforts should include coordinating with local programs to increase healthy food access for at-risk low-income populations in Los Angeles County.


Objective: Iris recognition is one of the emerging areas as the demand for security in social and personal areas is increasing day by day. The most challenging step in the process of iris recognition is accurate iris localization. Methods/Statistical Analysis: In this paper, we propose an iris recognition method in light of Teaching Learning Based Optimisation (ITLBO) to choose the ideal components subset. The iris information, for the most part, contains a tremendous number of textural elements and a similarly modest number of tests per subject, which make the accurate iris pattern classification challenging. Findings: Feature selection scheme is used to identify the most important and irrelevant features from extracted features set of a relatively high dimension based on some selection criterions. It is not generally handy to gather an extensive number of tests because of some security issues. In this paper, we propose ITLBO to enhance the feature subset determination by consolidating important results from different component choice strategies. Application/Improvements: The principle target of ITLBO is to accomplish an adjust the Recognition Rate (RR), the False Acceptance Rate (FAR), the False Reject Rate (FRR) and they chose feature subset measure. The proposed method is computationally successful with the RR of 97.97 % on the CASIA iris datasets.