Through a primary source historical analysis, this article discusses the emergence of a cultural discourse in the early cold war (1946-1963) social work literature. It traces the evolution of social work's cultural narrative in relation to social scientific perspectives, changing race relations, and increasing welfare caseloads. Social work scholars originally employed their cultural discourse to account for racial and ethnic difference and eventually came to examine class and poverty from this viewpoint as well. This cultural framework wrestled with internal contradictions. It simultaneously celebrated and problematized cultural difference and foreshadowed both latter twentieth century multiculturalism as well as neo-conservative thought. ********** In the introduction to their 1958 edited volume, Social Perspectives on Behavior, Herman Stein and Richard Cloward suggested, "If we are to develop, now and in the future, our characteristic method in psychosocial study, diagnosis, and treatment, knowledge of group and cultural patterns must match our not inconsiderable knowledge of personality organization" (Stein & Cloward, 1958, p. xiiii). The writers, two faculty members at the New York School of Social Work, largely echoed the sentiment of their peers. Increasingly, early cold war (1946-1963) social work scholars argued that an understanding of culture was integral to the study of psycho-social phenomena and the amelioration of social problems. Although elements of a cultural perspective were present in earlier social work thought, cultural narratives gained new ground in the early cold war years or the period spanning from the close of World War II in 1946 until the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. This development mimicked larger trends in the social sciences. In response to Nazi racism and a mounting civil rights movement, mainstream social scientists rejected biologically-based explanations of racial and ethnic difference and instead turned to the prospect of an environmentally produced "culture" to account for racial, ethnic, and--eventually--class characteristics. Postwar social workers largely followed suit. Like social scientists, social workers initially applied this cultural lens to questions of race and ethnicity, but soon came to examine class, poverty, and welfare use from this vantage point as well. Historians generally maintain that psychological perspectives dominated early cold war social work thought (Curran, 2002; Herman, 1995; Leiby, 1978; Patterson, 1986; Trattner, 1994). These authors are correct in their claims, yet their psychiatric focus obscures postwar social work's simultaneous concern with cultural issues. Existing scholarship examines the origins of cultural narratives in the social science literature and its impact on policy making (Bell, 1982; Katz, 1986, 1989; O'Connor, 2001; Rainwater, 1970; Rainwater & Yancey, 1967), while a fewer number of authors investigate postwar social work's adoption of a cultural discourse in its discussion of the African-American family (Solinger, 1992; Kunzel, 1993). Nevertheless, historians have generally not explored the rise of a cultural discourse in the early cold war professional social work literature. To address this research gap, this paper asks: How did the postwar professional social work community respond to the growth of a social scientific cultural framework and how did it integrate this intellectual stance into its professional vocabulary? Through a primary source analysis of social work texts, journal articles, and technical reports, this article traces the origin and emergence of a cultural discourse--meaning scholarly, expert narratives on culture--in the social work literature. It situates and tracks the evolution of social work's cultural discourse in relation to developments in the social sciences, changing race relations, an increase in the welfare caseload, and the political milieu of early cold war America. …


We describe further results of a program aimed at yielding ∼104 fully characterized optical identifications of ROSAT X-ray sources. Our program employs X-ray data from the ROSAT All Sky Survey (RASS) and both optical imaging and spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). RASS/SDSS data from 5740 deg2 of sky spectroscopically covered in SDSS Data Release 5 provide an expanded catalog of 7000 confirmed quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that are probable RASS identifications. Again, in our expanded catalog the identifications as X-ray sources are statistically secure, with only a few percent of the SDSS AGNs likely to be randomly superposed on unrelated RASS X-ray sources. Most identifications continue to be quasars and Seyfert 1 galaxies with 15 < m < 21 and 0.01 < z < 4, but the total sample size has grown to include very substantial numbers of even quite rare AGNs, e.g., it now includes several hundreds of candidate X-ray-emitting BL Lac objects and narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. In addition to exploring rare subpopulations, such a large total sample may be useful when considering correlations between the X-ray and the optical and may also serve as a resource list from which to select the "best" object (e.g., X-ray-brightest AGN of a certain subclass at a preferred redshift or luminosity) for follow-up X-ray spectral or alternate detailed studies.


The marketing criteria of consumers in air transport have increased significantly in recent years – consumers have become more informed and harder to please. In order to properly respond to this challenge, air companies have focused their efforts on developing direct sales, created programs for encouraging frequently travelling passengers, formed alliances and used a multitude of other measures towards expanding market shares, reducing expenses, etc. At the same time, the dynamic and competition on the global air market have necessitated the development and implementation of new approaches in solving the goals that air companies face in terms of marketing. The topicality of the problem is the basis for the motivation behind the choice of topic for this paper, whose purpose is to analyze marketing approaches for increasing the competitiveness of air companies according to the example of the UAE's national carrier – Etihad Airways. On the basis of an analysis of scientific literature in the field of marketing, as well as statistic and accounting documents related to the air company's activity, it has been concluded that Internet relations, globalization, the dynamic of the transport market and the unprecedented changes in economy have forced air companies to reconsider their market strategies and marketing approaches in order to improve their competitiveness.


Interference is an important component of food competition but is often difficult to detect and measure in natural animal populations. Although interference has been shown to occur between oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus L. feeding on mussels Mytilus edulis L., four previous studies have not detected interference between oystercatchers feeding on cockles Cerastoderma edule L. In contrast, this study detected interference between cockle-feeding oystercatchers in the Baie de Somme, France. Prey stealing (kleptoparasitism), one of the main causes of interference between mussel-feeders, also occurred between oystercatchers in the Baie de Somme. The kleptoparasitism rate was related to the natural variation in the food supply, tending to be higher when cockles were rare. Feeding rate was negatively related to competitor density, so providing evidence for interference, but, as in mussel-feeders, only above a threshold density of about 50–100 birds ha−1. The strength of interference at a fixed competitor density was related to the cockle food supply, usually being greater when cockles were rare. Previous studies probably failed to detect interference between cockle-feeders because competitor densities were too low, or cockles were too abundant, or because they were not conducted during late winter when interference is most intense. The study shows that natural variation in the food supply can influence the strength of interference within an animal population and provides support for those behaviour-based interference models which predict that the strength of interference will be greatest when competitor densities are high and prey scarce.


The potentiality of 25 fungal species, belonging to fourteen genera isolated from Egyptian soils, to produce mevinolin, a hypocholesterolaemic agent, when grown on selected substrates was tested. Samples of culture filtrates were tested by thin layer chromatography and the positive results were further assessed by high pressure liquid chromatography analysis. It was found that nearly one-third of the fungi showed positive results for production of mevinolin. Aspergillus terreus was distinguished by its capacity to produce mevinolin when cultivated on selected media. Some factors influencing mevinolin production and the growth of A. terreus were also studied. The maximal mevinolin yields were achieved after 8 days incubation at 30 degrees C. An initial pH value of 5-6 was the optimum for growth of A. terreus and mevinolin production.


The OECD, the EU, and a growing number of national governments have enthusiastically agreed with ideas about innovation systems. At the center of this set of ideas is the notion that learning is the most important process in the economy of the information age. This paper is an epistemological and methodological inquiry into the concept of learning within what economists call 'the systems of innovation approaches'. Two conclusions are drawn: (1) notions concerning the concept of learning within this new framework of economic thinking are, in general, ambiguous; (2) furthermore, and in particular, ideas of expansive and collective learning in complex systems, ideas that more or less define the concept of innovation, are virtually non-existent within the framework.


Visual scanpath is the sequence of fixation points that the human gaze travels while observing an image, and its prediction helps in modeling the visual attention of an image. To this end several models were proposed in the literature using complex deep learning architectures and frameworks. Here, we explore the efficiency of using common deep learning architectures, in a simple fully convolutional regressive manner. We experiment how well these models can predict the scanpaths on 2 datasets. We compare with other models using different metrics and show competitive results that sometimes surpass previous complex architectures. We also compare the different leveraged backbone architectures based on their performances on the experiment to deduce which ones are the most suitable for the task.


This study arose out of experiences within the Parramatta Diocese, a large diocese located on the western edge of Sydney, associated with spiritual formation programs and initiatives within the diocese between 4 990 and 2004. These experiences reinforced the pivotal role of principals in encouraging and facilitating teacher spiritual formation and also identified a lack of role definition for principals in this area. The importance of the spiritual formation of teachers to the authenticity and vitality of Catholic schools signalled a need to clarify the principal's leadership role in the spiritual formation of teachers in Catholic schools in the Parramatta Diocese. The case study methodology utilised different data collecting methods including individual and group interviews, survey, document analysis and observation to draw different perspectives from teachers, principals, and personnel from the Catholic Education Office, Parramatta. The research explored the range of spiritual formation experiences valued by teachers, both within structured programs and in the day-to-day experiences within schools. It identified responses of teachers to spiritual formation, the challenges in this area, and the role of principals. The research findings suggest that the principal's leadership roles in the spiritual formation of teachers apply at the every-day cultural level of school experiences for teachers, where the principal shapes and strengthens experiences of Catholic culture for teachers, and the school community; at the whole school level, where the principal has a key role in strategic planning in relation to spiritual formation, in extending individual consideration to teachers, and in nurturing teacher leadership and co-leadership; and finally, at the diocesan level, where the principal has a stewardship role with other principals in relation to the long term spiritual formation of teachers.;At the diocesan level the principal also participates in collaborative alliances with diocesan personnel which increase opportunities for teacher spiritual formation A fundamental leadership responsibility for principals is to nurture a spiritual base to their own leadership. Support for the spiritual formation of newly appointed principals and those aspiring to the role should be a system priority and would augment initiatives currently in place for experienced principals in the diocese. The research findings point to multiple leadership roles for principals in the spiritual formation of teachers. These findings expand and elaborate the existing role description for principals in Catholic schools in the Parramatta Diocese.


The value of the unbound drug fraction in plasma is a common characteristic required for drug discovery and development. The communication considers an important possibility that the unbound drug fraction at physiological temperature (37°C) could be substantially greater (more than 5 times) than the value measured by traditionally set ultrafiltration method with the incubation of drug plasma solution at 37°C followed by the centrifugation at room temperature. The consideration is based on the general thermodynamic theory of chemical equilibrium, which is applied to the particular problem of determination of protein binding by ultrafiltration method.


Fungal species collection was conducted at Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL) at Talisay area, Batangas, Southern Luzon, Philippines (13.662550N, 121.247970E) from the months of March to August 2012. TVPL has an elevation of 600 meters above sea level. This Protected Area is being considered as one of the most diverse forest ecosystems in CALABARZON region, thereby indicating the need for conservation and protection. This paper aims to document the fungal species in the area. Using transect line (TL) method, four transect lines were established from the baseline (200m asl) toward the peak (600masl) with 20m x 30m quadrat sampling. All in all, 12 quadrats were laid out. The fungal species within the quadrats along the TLs were identified and recorded. Simpson's Index was the Diversity indices used as parameters in assessing fungal species in TVPL Talisay. Opportunistic sampling method was also used during the survey. Field sampling of fungi has resulted to the collection and identification of 75 species belonging to 36 genera and 23 families. There is relatively high fungal species diversity in Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, Talisay as compared with those in other ecosystems in the region. This is the first report of fungi present in TVPL. Keywords - biodiversity, field survey, forest ecosystem, fungi, Taal Volcano Protected Landscape


OBJECTIVES
We presented and analyzed our results in order to determine the relationship between patient survival and tumor grade and/or stage. In addition, a retrospective tumor DNA ploidy study was done to evaluate its possible role in predicting future tumor recurrence in the bladder.

METHODS
A total of 112 patients with upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) were recorded at our hospital. Of these, 68 patients without concurrent bladder tumors (ages ranged from 36 to 80, mean 62.4 years; male:female = 1:1.2) were treated by nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff resection. They were followed up for 14-79 months (average 38.2 months). Eight (36.4%) of the 22 patients who had stage C or D tumors had received adjuvant systemic methotrexate, vinblastine, epirubicin, cisplatin chemotherapy after surgery. DNA flow cytometry using paraffin-blocked tumor specimens was performed on the tumors of 52 patients.

RESULTS
Their pathologic stages and grades were 11 at stage 0, 15 at stage A, 20 at stage B, 14 at stage C, 8 at stage D; 9 of grade I, 41 of grade II, and 18 of grade III. Postoperatively, 13 patients (19.1%) subsequently developed bladder tumors with a latent period ranging from 2 to 37 months (average 14.9 months). The difference of the tumor DNA ploidy distribution pattern among tumors of high versus low stages and/or grades is not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Overall, the 5-year survival rates for patients with low- and high-stage tumors were 100 and 66.7%, respectively; for patients with grade I-II and III tumors they were 93.6 and 28.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
Patient survival was mainly related to both tumor stages (p = 0.0037) and grades (p = 0.0001), rather than to tumor DNA ploidy. For patients with grade II upper urinary tract tumors, tumor DNA ploidy seems to provide no additional predictive value on subsequent tumor recurrence in the bladder.


Investments in human capital (employees) include investments in the direct assurance of working abilities, investments in health and well-being and investments in loyalty to the company. These investments are crucial for the long-term existence and development of a company, but their value is not disclosed on the assets side of the classical balance sheet. The most important argument given by the proponents of this approach is that the economic benefits stemming from such investments are uncertain. However, investments in human capital are those with the highest long-term benefits for the company. Therefore, human capital is the only element of the business process that can add value. Other elements (means of production, materials and services) just transfer their value to products and services. This paper discusses the elements of investments in human capital and the methods used to evaluate these investments. This is followed by the impact that treatment of investments in employees in classical accounting has on the true and fair view of financial statements. And finally, results of the research dealing with investments in employees in Slovene micro companies are presented.


As aero gas turbine designs strive for ever greater efficiencies the trend is for engine overall pressure ratios to rise. Although this provides greater thermal efficiency it means that cycle temperatures also increase. Traditionally turbines have been the focus of cooling schemes to enable them to survive high temperatures. However, it is envisaged that the compressor delivery air will soon reach temperatures which mean they may require similar cooling strategies to the turbine. One such concept is akin to that of a turbine 'rim purge flow which ensures that hot, mainstream flow does not get ingested into rotor cavities. However, the main gas path in compressors is generally more aerodynamically sensitive than in turbines and introduction of a purge flow may be more penalizing. It is important to understand the impact such a flow may have on the primary gas path flow of a compressor and the downstream combustion system aerodynamics. This paper presents a preliminary investigation into the effects of a purge flow which enters the main gas path immediately upstream of the high pressure compressor outlet guide vane (OGV) row. Initial, simplified, CFD predictions clearly demonstrated the potential of the purge flow to negatively affect the OGV/pre-diffuser and alter the inlet conditions to the combustion system. Consequently, an experimental assessment was carried out using an existing fully annular, isothermal test facility which incorporated a bespoke 1.5 stage axial compressor, engine relevant outlet guide vanes, pre-diffuser and downstream combustor geometry. Using CFD to guide the process the test rig was modified to allow a metered airflow to be introduced upstream of the outlet guide vanes. Importantly the flow was directed up the face of the rotor such that it picked up a representative swirl component prior to injection into the main gas path. The experimental data confirmed the CFD results and importantly demonstrated that the degradation in the combustor inlet flow resulted in an increased combustion system loss. At the proposed purge flow rate, equal to ∼1% of the mainstream flow, these effects were small with the system loss increasing by ∼4%. However, at higher purge flow rates (up to 3%) these effects became notable and the OGV/pre-diffuser flow degraded significantly with a resultant increase in the combustion system loss of ∼13%.


Abstract This article builds on previous studies concerning the question of street-level bureaucracy, an expression coined by Lipsky (1980) – Street-Level Bureaucracy. Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services (New York: Russel Sage Foundation) – to highlight the importance of the discretionary power that professionals in public agencies exercise during the implementation of laws, standards and guidelines. Discretion may depend on the need to compromise between the limited resources available and the claims of citizens, or between administrative policy directives and assessments, on the one hand, and their interpretation by "street-level" bureaucrats, on the other. This article focuses on the dilemmas that labour inspectors face when dealing with employment irregularities involving domestic workers. Based on nine months of observations in a local office of the Italian Labour Inspectorate, it aims to understand how labour inspectors make use of their discretionary power when the workplace is the home. This article connects studies of street-level bureaucracy with the new institutional organisational analysis, focusing on the isomorphic pressures from the institutional field in which the labour inspectors operate, together with the manner in which such pressures shape labour inspectors' discretion. Through this connection, the article aims to extend the scope of both theories.


The main objective of the research is to evaluate the significance of gmina local government in the field of agriculture and non-agricultural activity development in rural areas. To achieve this, questionnaires were designed and rural areas inhabitants were interviewed. The interviewees were farmers and entrepreneurs of non-agricultural business activity from rural areas of south-east Poland. The survey was carried out in 2007 and was directed to a randomly selected sample of 856 farmers — owners of individual farms — and among them there were 182 farmers - entrepreneurs. The analysis concentrated on activities of local government units realizedfor local development, in particular those supporting agriculture and non-agricultural entrepreneurship in rural areas. On the basis of the information gathered, we also attempted to determine those activities of local government that shall be intensified or taken in order to better use local resources for the development of rural areas and agriculture itself.


The paper proposes a reading of the possible urban development of the historic centre of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citerore starting from the analysis of its architectural heritage. The image of a fortified hamlet surrounded by walls, represented in a painting dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, appears in cartographic reliefs and representations accessible at the local and extra regional archives. The reading of the current architectural set of givens, which are characterized by the continuous use of building techniques related to the processing of local limestones, seeks through comparison with the historic iconography to identify persistences and alterations of the urban fabric, tracing a possible developmental line of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore from medieval castrum to Farnesiano fief up to the substantial interventions of modernization and revision of the historic center operated in the last century. The requests of functional and formal changes occurring at the turn of the nineteenth and twenteeth century implicates the dismantling of the walls, the typological change of the original building and of the urban layout and the loss of the urban imagine resulting consolidated in the collective memory. An awaking context of the main features of the historic and building development of this fortified reality in the Middle Adriatic area is today an indispensable step in this path of consciousness and awareness of the society regarding the urgent problem connected to the neglect and to the conservation of the


Various aspects of localised fracture events in glass-ceramic matrices (calcium alumino-silicate (CAS) and barium magnesium alumino-silicate (BMAS)) reinforced with continuous SiC fibres (Nicalon(TM) and Tyranno(TM)) have been examined. An analytical model has been developed which enables the residual thermo-elastic stresses that are present in the composites at room temperature (as a result of the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the fibres and the surrounding matrix) to be calculated. A simple consideration of the effect of introducing a free surface coupled with experimental results has shown that a portion of the fibre/matrix interface is likely to be debonded in the vicinity of the free surface. Quasi-static indentation loading of the composites has shown that lateral cracks are the predominant fracture event. The technique of confocal scanning laser microscopy has been used to provide quantitative data relating to the size of these lateral cracks as well as their sensitivity to the local fibre volume fraction. In a CAS/Nicalon composite, where the CTE of the matrix is greater than that of the fibres, lateral cracks have been found to form preferentially in regions of relatively high local fibre volume fraction. This behaviour is consistent with residual stress calculations, in that matrix in regions of high fibre volume are in a state of axial tension, which promotes lateral cracking. The converse has been found to be true in a BMAS/Tyranno system with a CTE mismatch in the opposite sense. Experiments where contact is by single particle impact have shown similar fracture patterns, suggesting that dynamic fracture follows mechanisms observed during quasi-static indentation. Utilisation of data acquired from quasi-static indentations has facilitated an upper bound prediction of the erosion wear rate. The mechanism of material removal and the estimate of wear rate have been shown to be consistent with results acquired from a limited study of erosive wear in one of the composite systems.


"Do not resuscitate" (DNR) decisions were examined in a medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a 1,000-bed hospital. Seventy-one (14%) of 506 study patients were designated DNR; nine survived hospitalization. Severity of illness, age, and prior health were predictive of DNR orders; race and socioeconomic factors were not. The DNR patients consumed more resources, both before and after DNR orders. Interventions started before DNR designation were continued in at least 76% of patients. Documented justifications of DNR decisions included poor prognosis (59%), poor quality of life (24%), and patients' wishes (15%). There were no written justifications for the DNR decisions in 30 cases (42%). Although willingness to write DNR orders in an MICU and continued active treatment of DNR patients are both reassuring in a general sense, they raise questions about the consistency of treatment plans and goals for individual patients.


ABSTRACT The incidence and transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) producing plasmids have been well documented. However, the evolutionary dynamics of KPC plasmids and their fitness costs are not well characterized. Here, two carbapenemase-producing plasmids from Proteus mirabilis, pT18 and pT211 (both carrying bla KPC-2), were characterized through whole genome sequencing. pT211 is a 24.2 kbp N-type plasmid that contains bla KPC-2 and a single copy of the IS6-family insertion sequence IS26. pT18 is a 59 kbp cointegrate plasmid comprised of sequences derived from three different plasmids: a close relative of pT211 (containing bla KPC-2), an FII-33 plasmid (bla TEM-1B, bla CTX-M-65, rmtB and fosA3) and a rolling-circle plasmid. The segments of pT18 derived from each of the different plasmids are separated by copies of IS26, and sequence analysis indicated that pT18 was likely generated by both conservative and replicative IS26-mediated cointegrate formation. pT18 and pT211 were transferred into Escherichia coli DH5α separately to assess the impact of plasmids on host fitness. Only DH5α harbouring pT18 grew slower than the wild type in antibiotic-free media. However, in sub-inhibitory concentrations of fosfomycin and amikacin, cells containing pT18 grew faster than the wild type, and the minimum concentrations of fosfomycin and amikacin required to observe an advantage for plasmid-carrying cells were 1/3 and 1/20 the DH5α MIC, respectively. This study highlights the importance of the role of cointegrate plasmids in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes between pathogenic bacterial species, and highlights the importance of sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics to the persistence of such plasmids.


In this paper, we look at the effect of the financial crisis from an angle overlooked to date in the finance literature by investigating composition effects arising from the financial crisis. A composition effect is a change in the market risk of a sector that is caused not by a direct change in that sector but by a change in another sector that affects the composition of the stock market. In the paper we investigate the pre and during crisis market risk of the industrial, banking and utilities sectors. Amongst other results, we find a positive relationship across the G12 countries between the increase in the market risk of industrials during the crisis and both the pre-crisis market risk of the banking sector and the scale of the systemic crisis in a country. The six G12 countries that experienced a major systematic banking crisis are amongst the seven countries with the largest increases in the market risk for industrials. Results drawn from our detailed analysis using US data are consistent with these findings. Finally, we show how the results add to our understanding of the linkages between the financial and real sector and conclude that composition effects of the financial crisis could have a significant chilling effect on investment in industrials, which is in addition to the effect of other linkages already documented.


Food safety is growing in importance as a public health concern for health practitioners and the general public. The Canadian public is exposed more extensively than ever before to exotic foods and pathogens via international travel, changing lifestyles and domestic contact with fresh foodstuff that is imported from faraway lands. Global warming, changing microbial ecology and resistance, and reduced host immunity are also having their effect in increasing the risk. To manage the risk adequately, interventions must be implemented at every point of the food supply chain, from production and processing to distribution, preparation and consumption, at home and in retail food service establishments. The role of government is explained, and the roles of other stakeholders, including physicians, are reviewed briefly.


Abstract BACKGROUND. Polymorphisms for genes encoding chemosensitive signalling proteins like NOS2 might contribute to the variability in individual susceptibility to nasal polyposis. NO produced by the inducible NO synthase enzyme NOS2A is generated at high levels in certain types of inflammation, so that the role of NOS2 might also be important in nasal polyposis etiopathogeny. MATERIAL AND METHODS. This is a cross-sectional, randomized, case-control study for the evaluation of the frequency of -954G/C NOS2A2 alleles among patients with nasal polyposis. The study included 91 cases of nasal polyposis diagnosed patients (nasal endoscopy and CT scan examination), and 117 healthy unrelated controls. NOS2 genotyping was carried out using PCR amplification of relevant gene fragment and it was followed by restriction enzyme digestion. Detection of the variant alleles was determined through analysis of resulting restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) followed by gel electrophoresis. RESULTS. Molecular analysis revealed an increased frequency of NOS2 variant allele in the study group compared to the control group (p=0.019, OR=1.991, CI=1.08-3.67). A statistically significant finding was highlighted among allergic and nonallergic patients with nasal polyposis (p=0.046, OR=0.449. CI=0.208-0.969) and a relationship between nasal polyposis patients with asthma and non-asthmatic patients (p=0.119, OR=1.825, CI=0.875-3.80). CONCLUSION. The main finding of our study is that -954G/C polymorphism of NOS gene seems to be associated with an increased risk for nasal polyposis.


We have measured the total energy of the alpha particles following the beta decay of 8 B by implanting 8 B into a planar silicon surface barrier detector. Calibration was performed using alpha particles following the betadecay of 2 0 Na, similarly implanted. The alpha spectrum is used to infer the 8 B neutrino spectrum which is an important input in the interpretation of experiments that detect energetic neutrinos from the Sun. The alpha spectrum reported here is in disagreement with the previous best measurement which used two detectors in coincidence.


Advertising expenditures in congressional campaigns are made not directly by campaigns themselves but indirectly though intermediary firms. Using a new dataset of revenues and costs of these firms, we study the markups that these firms charge candidates. We find that markups are higher for inexperienced candidates relative to experienced candidates, and PACs relative to candidates. We also find significant differences across the major parties: firms working for Republicans charge higher prices, exert less effort, and induce less responsiveness in their clients' advertising expenditures to electoral circumstances than do their Democratic counterparts. We connect this observation to the distribution of ideology among individual consulting firm employees, arguing that these higher rents incentivize consultants to work against their intrinsic ideological motivations. The internal organization of firms reflects an attempt to mitigate this conflict of interest; firms are composed of ideologically homogeneous employees, and are more likely to work for ideologically proximate clients.


Abstract The purpose of this paper is to determine how changes in the export competitiveness of the EU economy (measured by exports and net exports) depend on changes in the competitiveness of processing industries, on the basis of manufacturing data from 19 EU countries over years 1995-2009 and using a spatial panel data model. The determinants of export competitiveness are selected in the light of predictions from international trade theory, growth theory and the theory of innovation. In particular, the paper explores how the size of foreign demand, the value of domestic demand, the level of ULC in the sector, the degree of openness of the sector to foreign markets, labour productivity and intermediate consumption in a sector affect the export competitiveness of the European economies selected. The results from spatial data models lead to a conclusion about the statistical significance of spatial dependencies in export competitiveness modelling. The analysis indicates the different determinants of export competitiveness, both if it is measured by export value and if it measured by net exports. The authors hope that the results will be a voice in the discussion on enhancing the competitiveness of European industrial sectors


In this study, a fuzzy tuned SMC based architecture is designed for the control of PLL based frequency synthesizers. The proposed approach, offering a continuous tuning of chattering property, is demonstrated to be more effective over classical, intelligent and traditional sliding mode control methods for the fast locking and low phase noise requirements of PLL based frequency synthesizers in frequency hopping spread spectrum communication and radar applications. The obtained simulation results are compared with those of a PID, a Fuzzy Gain Scheduled Control, a SMC, and traditional FS controller design and it has been concluded that the settling time and the phase noise of the frequency synthesizer can be optimized using the developed fuzzy tuned SMC based PLL.


When reconstructing combined defects of the cervical spine and the posterior pharyngeal wall the goals are bone stability along with continuity of the aerodigestive tract. We present a case of a patient with a cervical spine defect, including C1 to C3, associated with a posterior pharyngeal wall defect after excision of a chordoma and postoperative radiotherapy. The situation was successfully solved with a free fibula osteo‐adipofascial flap. The reconstruction with a fibula osteo‐adipofascial flap provided several benefits in comparison with a fibula osteo‐cutaneous flap in our case, including an easier insetting of the soft tissue component at the pharyngeal level and less bulkiness of the flap allowing our patient to resume normal deglutition. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 34:314–318, 2014.


Using ten waves (1998-2007) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), this paper investigates the ceteris paribus association between the intensity of incentive pay, the dynamic change in bonus status and the utility derived from work. After controlling for individual heterogeneity biases, it is shown that job utility rises only in response to 'generous' bonus payments, primarily in skilled, non-unionized, private sector jobs. Revoking a bonus from one year to the next is found to have a detrimental impact on employee utility, while job satisfaction tends to diminish over time as employees potentially adapt to bonuses. The findings are therefore consistent with previous experimental evidence, suggesting that employers wishing to motivate their staff should indeed "pay enough or don't pay at all".


The quench behavior of conduction-cooled Y Ba2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) coated conductor pancake coils is reported. Two coils, one stabilized with copper and one with brass, are wound with 25 m of conductor and instrumented with a heater and a large number of voltage taps and thermocouples. The critical current, minimum quench energy (MQE) and two-dimensional normal zone propagation velocity (NZPV) are measured as a function of I/Ic, where I is the transport current and Ic is the critical current. Although the non-uniform temperature and self-field distributions within the coils result in a non-uniform Ic, the heater is able to induce quenches with energies above the MQE and both longitudinal and transverse propagation velocities are measured. In both coils, the longitudinal NZPV (10–40 mm s − 1) is about one order of magnitude larger than the transverse NZPV (1–2 mm s − 1). Moreover, a comparison between the Cu-stabilized coil and a short, straight Cu-stabilized sample shows that the one-dimensional longitudinal propagation in the short sample is significantly faster than the longitudinal propagation in the coil. This is due to transverse heat conduction (transverse propagation) which reduces the temperature gradients in the coil but also slows down the longitudinal propagation. Thus, designing a quench detection system based upon data from one-dimensional experiments may result in an unintended level of risk.


For accurate evaluation of air-kerma strength, Sk, of 169Yb and 60Co brachytherapy sources, the present study reports Monte Carlo (MC) based corrections for (1) room scatter, and (2) departure from constant room scatter for rooms of various sizes. Correction for exponential attenuation of effective primary in air is also reported for the above sources. Values of Sk per contained mCi, Sk/Ac, predicted by MC calculations for 169Yb source (model X1267) with and without Ti K x-rays are 1.302 ± 0.03% (this value is in excellent agreement with the published value reported by Piermattei et al) and 1.260 ± 0.03% cGy cm2 h−1 mCi−1 respectively, and in the case of Cathetron 60Co source the value of Sk/Ac is 11.015 ± 0.01% cGy cm2 h−1 mCi−1. It is observed that depending upon the position of the source with respect to the surrounding concrete scattering surfaces and set of d values, the assumption of constant room scatter has resulted in overestimation of Sk that varied between 0.30% and 1.5% for the 169Yb source and only between 0.10% and 0.20% for the 60Co source.


Acidification of forest soils in Sweden has negatively affected nutrient status and caused toxic effects on biota. The aim of this thesis was to investigate potential impacts of two drivers of acidification of forest soils in Sweden: (1) tree growth with subsequent harvest and (2) deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds.

The magnitude of acidification by tree growth was calculated using estimates of stem wood, logging residue and stump harvesting from a national forestry impact assessment and data of cations and anions in different tree parts. Acidification by tree growth was defined as the net cation uptake.

The magnitude of acidification by deposition was estimated based on deposition data from four catchments throughout Sweden. Acidification by deposition was defined as the negative value of the acid neutralizing capacity in deposition.

The acidifying effect of tree harvesting decreases in the order Norway spruce>birch>Scots pine. Harvesting of logging residues causes more soil acidification than harvesting of stumps, despite the fact that the biomass of stumps is larger, due to the higher contents of base cations in needles and branches than in stem wood. Harvesting of Scots pine and birch causes soil acidification at a magnitude equal to recent deposition levels while harvesting of Norway spruce causes more acidification than what is caused by deposition.

To study the acidifying effects on the soil of tree growth during a forest generation and deposition, data from the Swedish Forest Soil Inventory – a large-scale inventory throughout Sweden – from the O (n=1990), B (n=1902) and C (n=1477) horizons were used. Four variables were chosen as indicators of soil acidity: pH-H₂O (pH), base saturation (BS), exchangeable calcium (Ca) and exchangeable aluminium (Al) from each horizon. The variables were analysed with respect to tree age and data of sulphur deposition, using linear and multiple regression. For tree age, a relative age concept was used to account for different tree growth rates in different parts of Sweden.

Tree growth during a forest generation and deposition of acidifying substances both affect acidity related variables in Swedish forest soils. Tree growth causes decreased pH, BS and Ca and increased Al in the O and to some extent the B horizon in the beginning of the trees' life cycle. Deposition causes decreased pH, BS and Ca and increased Al in the O, B and C horizons throughout the deposition gradient in Sweden. The effect of deposition is most evidently expressed in deep soil layers where biological acidification have less influence.


The effect of 1s core correlation on properties and energy separations has been analyzed using full configuration-interaction (FCI) calculations. The Be 'S - 'P, the C 3 P - 5S and CH+ 'E+ - I l l separations, and CH+ spectroscopic constants, dipole moment and 'E+ - 'I7 transition dipole moment have been studied. The results of the FCI calculations are compared to those obtained using approximate methods. In addition, the generation of atomic natural orbital (ANO) basis sets, as a method for contracting a primitive basis set for both valence and core correlation, is discussed. When both core-core and core-valence correlation are included in the calculation, no suitable truncated CI approach consistently reproduces the FCI, and contraction of the basis set is very difficult. If the (nearly constant) core-core correlation is eliminated, and only the core-valence correlation is included, CASSCF/MRCI approaches reproduce the FCI results and basis set contraction is significantly easier.


Primary care physicians provide longitudinal care for chronically ill individuals in concert with many other community-based disciplines. The care management of these individuals requires data not traditionally collected during the care of well, or acutely ill individuals. These data not only concern the patient, in the form of patient functional status, mental status and affect, but also pertain to the caregiver, home environment, and the formal community health and social service system. The goal of the Community Care Coordination Network is to build a primary care-based information system to share patient data and communicate patient related information among the community-based multi-disciplinary teams. One objective of the Community Care Coordination Network is to create a Community Care Database for chronically ill individuals by identifying those data elements necessary for efficient multi-disciplinary care.


At a time in which countries are endorsing a vision of a national community in which people of many faiths (and no professed faith) are invited to participate in all spheres of society, only a leadership practicing inclusive communication can contribute to a harmonious and peaceful world. The history of ancient, medieval, and modern India provides many inspirational political leaders who demonstrated inclusive communication. This paper attempts to showcase such leaders through their own words and actions to guide leaders in all areas who are interested in developing inclusive leadership which does not discriminate people on the basis of race, religion, color, caste, gender, or culture. Even though a lot of works are available on these leaders, not much is researched on their inclusive leadership styles, especially their communications and actions. Hence, this paper proposes to fill this gap by researching their own communications and actions which demonstrate their inclusive leadership styles. Inclusive leaders cited in this paper who established peace and harmony invariably practiced a galaxy of virtues such as equality, respect, reverence, sympathy, tolerance, gratitude, compassion, charity, humility, forgiveness, and sincerity. Self-control, patience, sacrifice, unselfishness, self-negation, discipline, and courtesy are also found in these leaders. It may also be noted that in some political leaders studied in this paper, the sentiment of compassion has found a great place and is the basis of all feelings such as ahimsa (non-violence), akrodha (freedom from anger), asteya (absence of theft), dana (charity), daya (mercy), kshanti (endurance), amatsara (absence of jealousy), and anirshya (absence of envy) which are insisted in leaders as worth possessing virtues. Aus. & NewZe J. Soci Busi. Env. Sus. Vol  4(2),  October 2018, P 73-81


Malassezia species are commensal organisms of human and animal skin that occasionally act as opportunistic pathogens. The lipid-dependent species are associated with human skin disorders, whereas the non–lipid-dependent species (Malassezia pachydermatis) is considered as an opportunistic secondary pathogen affecting the canine skin surface and ear canal. This study evaluated the relationship between Malassezia yeasts, their population size, and the occurrence of skin lesions from healthy and skin-diseased dogs. The efficiency of cytological examination and fungal culture for Malassezia detection was also evaluated. From March 2002 to July 2003, 33 healthy dogs and 54 dogs with pruritic localized skin diseases were examined; skin swabs (1218) were collected from 7 anatomical sites for culture and cytological examination. Malassezia prevalence according to anatomical site and the agreement between cytological results and fungal cultures were statistically analyzed. Differences in mean colony forming unit counts between positive healthy and diseased dogs were evaluated using the Bonferroni test for post hoc pair-wise comparisons. In healthy dogs, Malassezia yeasts were most frequently isolated in the perianal and perioral areas. The frequency of isolation and population size of Malassezia species were higher in dogs with localized dermatitis, especially in affected areas, indicating a role for Malassezia in the occurrence of skin lesions. Malassezia pachydermatis was the species most commonly cultured from the skin and external ear canal of healthy and diseased dogs; isolation of lipid-dependent yeasts from healthy dogs was less frequent. Using fungal culture as the gold standard, cytological examination showed good relative specificity (95%) but very low relative sensitivity (30%).


Introduction Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a common cause of young onset dementia frequently presenting with progressive decline in behaviour and social cognitive skills. The neurobiological basis of FTD is complex with a spectrum of clinical, neuroanatomical and neuropathological associations. The concept of targeted destruction of a 'salience network' mediating social cognition has focused interest on connectivity-based approaches to understanding FTD. Here we describe white matter tractographic profiles in a cohort of patients with FTD. Methods 15 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of FTD and 20 age-matched healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor MRI. Patients were divided based on leading symptoms into 'behavioural variant' (bvFTD) and 'semantic-mnestic variant' (svFTD) clinical subgroups. Tractographic changes were compared with healthy controls and between FTD subgroups using tract-based spatial statistics. Results Both FTD syndromic groups showed well-defined fractional anisotropy (FA), axial (DA) and radial (DR) diffusivity changes affecting white matter tracts previously implicated in aspects of social cognition. Compared to healthy controls both groups showed reduced FA and increased DR and DA in uncinate fasciculus, anterior thalamic radiation and corpus callosum; additional tractographic alterations were identified in association with svFTD (inferior longitudinal fasciculus) and bvFTD (cingulum). Discussion Tractography can differentiate network signatures of clinical syndromes in the FTD spectrum, and warrants further evaluation as a candidate disease biomarker.


PURPOSE
To measure the radiation dose profile, multiple-scan average dose (MSAD), and computed tomography dose index (CTDI) for electron beam CT and to determine the accuracy of ionization-chamber and manufacturer estimates of patient dose.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
High-resolution dose profiles along the longitudinal axis were acquired at several positions within the scan plane with use of radiographic film. The full-width-at-half-maximum values, peak radiation dose, CTDI, and MSAD were calculated from the digitized film profiles. CTDI was also measured with an ionization chamber.

RESULTS
The full-width-half-maximum value of the radiation profiles were significantly wider than the nominal scan width for the 6-mm single-section and 8-mm multisection modes. In the single-section mode, the CTDI underestimated the MSAD by 15%-30%. The multisection radiation profile was nonuniform and asymmetric.

CONCLUSION
Patient doses in electron beam CT are approximately 125% of the ionization-chamber CTDI measurements in the single-section mode. For the multisection mode, the average patient dose over the scan volume is approximately 70%-85% of the ionization-chamber CTDI measurements.


The promise of personalized genomic medicine is that knowledge of a person's gene sequences and activity will facilitate more appropriate medical interventions, particularly drug prescriptions, to reduce the burden of disease. Early successes in oncology and pediatrics have affirmed the power of positive diagnosis and are mostly based on detection of one or a few mutations that drive the specific pathology. However, genetically more complex diseases require the development of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) that have variable accuracy. The rarity of events often means that they have necessarily low precision: many called positives are actually not at risk, and only a fraction of cases are prevented by targeted therapy. In some situations, negative prediction may better define the population at low risk. Here, I review five conditions across a broad spectrum of chronic disease (opioid pain medication, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, major depression, and osteoporotic bone fracture), considering in each case how genetic prediction might be used to target drug prescription. This leads to a call for more research designed to evaluate genetic likelihood of response to therapy and a call for evaluation of PRS, not just in terms of sensitivity and specificity but also with respect to potential clinical efficacy.


Many industries release polluted waste water in the surrounding environment which is most toxic to the aquatic life and human health. Cavitation is one of the phenomena which is applied for treatment of waste water for reduction of different hazardous parameters that are released in environment. The aspects of medicinal consumption and release of waste water from textile and dairy industry are increasing day by day which leads to release of different chemicals, by-products and waste into water. This contaminates the natural water, so its effect should be mitigated, for this there are several processes utilize viz. Sonoelectrochemical catalytic oxidation, Acoustic cavitation, Advanced Oxidation processes. Conspicuously, variety of dyes, chemical dye stuff, pharmaceutical compounds, textile raw materials, etc increases the water polluting parameter. By usage of techniques namely Sonofenton, ultrasound cavitation, Sonolysis, AOP, Ozonation and Ultrasonic dying the toxicity of chemicals is reduced. To meet the need of better and safer environment cavitation is the good process to degrade the several pollutants that causes pollution. All analysis gives the result that fulfils the required outcome with an effective result.


Histological study of biopsy specimens taken from the liver of 96 patients during operation for formation of a "small stomach" revealed fatty dystrophy of the liver in 93 patients (96.9%) which was attended by marked inflammatory and fibrous changes in 68 (70.8%) of them and by disturbed lobar structure of the liver (cirrhosis) in 2 patients (2.1%). Biochemical blood tests failed to show the pattern of the pathological changes before the operation. Study of the hepatobiliary system with methionine-75Se was the only method by which protein and pigment metabolism in the liver could be appraised. Examination of patients during 3 postoperative years showed a positive dynamics of changes in biochemical blood tests and improved protein metabolism in the hepatocytes according to the results of scanning of the liver with methionine-75Se. Thirteen repeated studies of the hepatic tissue collected from patients in different periods after operation for the formation of a "small stomach" showed a significant diminution of fatty dystrophy and inflammation of the parenchyma. The level of portal tract inflammation and portal fibrosis did not change. The findings suggest that there is an improved functional and morphological condition of the liver in weight loss caused by operation for the formation of a "small stomach", which allows this type of surgical intervention to be recommended for the treatment of patients with alimentary-constitutional obesity and initially diminished compensatory capacities of the liver.


One of the trends for development of internal combustion engine is downsizing, which in its final form leads to reduction of fuel consumption and limitation of carbon dioxide concentration in the exhaust gases. The obvious effect of reducing the volume of a cylinder is to reduce the dimensions of the various components, e.g. piston with rings and pin, connecting rod, crankshaft, engine block etc. Changes of geometric dimensions also affect the change in mass of each element and consequently − the whole engine. Expected weight reduction will be a benefit in considering downsizing techniques as another significant development trend in automotive applications associated with a reduction in the weight of the complete vehicle – called "light weight vehicle". The paper discusses the various forms of downsizing (by stroke, by diameter and mix) and their impacts on the changes in engine mass. The engine Subaru Flat 4, constructed with standard components in terms of design and materials was tested by virtual recognition in mass changes. Original drawings of components and sets have been simplified by for example does not account for chamfers and chops. When calculating also omitted the weight of typical accessories (e.g. fuel lines or electronic components), assuming that each considered option has the same equipment. The highest change in the weight of minus 7.27 % relative to the standard engine was done with downsizing by diameter and smallest one (-6.09 %) by downsizing mix.


This paper discusses the relationship between authority-production and experience through a consideration of the emergence of certain figures as authorities on particular matters as a result of extraordinary experiences that they have undergone. It argues that analysis of such figures of experiential authority can help us to identify 'objectivities': foundational tenets upon which their authority is based and to which it ultimately refers. With reference to Harry Patch, a veteran of the First World War and Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racially motivated attack at a bus stop, I contend that the authority carried by these figures testifies to certain socially produced objectivities which elicit an affective response, an embodied demand that they are listened to.


INTRODUCTION
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used for the examination of the macula and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), the result of which may be affected by the quality of the scanned image. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of uncomplicated cataract extraction on the measurement of macular and RNFL thickness with OCT and to determine the reproducibility of this method before and after cataract surgery in a group of healthy people. We also evaluated the effect of different intraocular lenses (IOL) (with/without yellow filter) on the reproducibility of the OCT examination.

METHODS
The study group included 51 eyes of 51 patients who underwent cataract surgery with posterior chamber IOL implantation. Macular and RNFL thickness were measured with spectral domain OCT (Optovue, Model RT 100) one week before surgery, and postoperatively after one and six months. Three OCT scans were performed at each visit to assess the reproducibility of the measurement. Data were statistically processed.

RESULTS
Analysis of the changes in macular and RNFL thickness showed a significant increase in retinal thickness, with the maximum increase one month after surgery, and regression of this thickening six months after surgery. Reproducibility of OCT examination improved significantly after cataract surgery, even though the preoperative values were of low coefficient of variance and therefore of high accuracy. No difference was found in the use of different intraocular lenses on the reproducibility of the OCT examination.

CONCLUSION
The presence of cataract affects the OCT measurement of macular and RNFL thickness. The reproducibility of the method significantly improves after cataract surgery. It is likely that the increase in macular and RNFL thickness after cataract removal is partly due to improvement in the quality of the scanned image and thus to the greater accuracy of the OCT examination.

KEY WORDS
optical coherence tomography, glaucoma, cataract, macular thickness, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness.


Research during the latter half of 2011 has indicated that in addition to the hazard arising from the radium content of radium-dial watches, significant radon concentrations that exceed the UK Domestic and Workplace Action Levels of 200 Bq/m3 and 400 Bq/m3, respectively, can arise from watches stored in the built environment (1). In an extension to that earlier research, the radon emanations from the watches are being investigated in order to evaluate the radon hazard and the effective radium content of the watches. These radon measurements are made by placing the watches in a sealed chamber in a closed loop with a Durridge RAD7. We report here preliminary results from this ongoing investigation which suggest that radon emanation is not necessarily a straightforward function of radium content, as anticipated, but also depends on chamber temperature and humidity impacting upon watch-dependent factors such as design, construction, materials and wear-and-tear.
Reference.
1. Gillmore G K, Crockett R G M, Denman A R, Flowers A, Harris R; Radium dial watches, a potentially hazardous legacy? Environment International. 45, 91–98. 2012. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2012.03.013.


Abstract Background In 2009, China began to implement new health system reform aimed at reducing the financial burden of patients. This study aimed to compare changes in the utilization of medical services and expenditures in different groups from 2004 to 2015. Methods Pooled cross-sectional data from 2004 to 2015 from the China Health and Nutrition Survey Database were used to conduct a segmental linear regression to estimate changes in the medical expenditures of different groups before and after implementation of the reform. Results During the reform process, the utilization rate of outpatient healthcare, primary health services and hospital health services showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing slightly. The frequency of residents using inpatient services increased after the reform. The average medical expenditures increased significantly, especially for uninsured and primary health services users. Conclusions China's new round of health reform increased the coverage rate of basic medical insurance. Medical insurance has controlled the growth of the average medical expenditures; nevertheless, the average medical expenditures per patient has shown a continuous upward trend. Consequently, both basic medical insurance funds and residents face greater economic burdens and financial risks. Effective methods of controlling the growth of medical expenditures are therefore required.


This study examined manual dexterity and skilled limb movements in two species of tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi and D. matschiei) in order to evaluate the claim that claws are detrimental to object handling and the view that all marsupials conform to a 'typical' set of movements. The tree kangaroos demonstrated two main differences from previously studied species: (1) a high degree of freedom of movement of the upper forelimb; and (2) in one species (D. matschiei), some independent digital movement. The two species differed from one another in the mode of picking up food items and the type of grasp used. These differences appear to be linked to differences in feeding and foraging strategy between the two species, as well as to anatomical differences. This study indicates that marsupials do not have a common set of skilled forelimb movements and that claws do not impede prehension.


PURPOSE
The rationale for developing this software was to address shortcomings found while using OmniPro-I' mRT software to evaluated patient specific IMRT QA measurements taken with MatriXXEvolution 2D ion chamber array. Our software addresses three major issues. It calculates average doses within each ion chamber of the array using 3D TPS DICOM field-by-field doses exported as input, corrects the resulting doses to account for gantry angle dependence of Matrixx, and automates the analysis of the measured data resulting in a concise report document ideal for patient electronic medical records (EMR).

MATERIALS/METHODS
The software was developed in MATLAB to improve and streamline analysis of patient-specific IMRT QA. It compares measured Matrixx doses to average doses within each ion chamber of the array, which are computed from 3D DICOM doses exported from TPS for each field. A correction factor is applied to the TPS doses to account for angular dependence. The Data is automatically evaluated using the 2D gamma analysis, evaluating a range of passing criteria (3%,4%,5%). This software allows for user-defined passing criteria and automated reporting of quantitative results, eliminating potential user errors. A single-sheet report is generated displaying patient information, planar dose distributions, x-y-profiles, and gamma plot noting the pixel based passing criteria. The effect of misalignment in direction perpendicular to detector plane is simulated by allowing a non-zero shift along that direction.

RESULTS
This home-built IMRT QA analysis tool gives a clear quantitative answer based on the user defined criteria. The implementation of an angular dependence correction and the averaging over the volume of the ion chambers improves the accuracy of the analysis accounting for ion chamber size (∼5mm x 5mm x5mm) and spacing (∼7mm × 7mm) Conclusion: Though this tool does not replace the commercial software completely, it improves the accuracy of the analysis and streamlines the process.


PURPOSE
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been found in elevated concentrations in the aqueous humor of glaucoma patients. Indirect evidence from animal studies suggests that ET-1 might directly influence intraocular pressure (IOP). The aim of this study was to determine whether ET-1 concentrations in aqueous humor of cataract and glaucoma patients correlate with IOP.

METHODS
Aqueous humor and blood samples from patients with either cataract (control, n = 38), primary open angle glaucoma (POAG, n = 35), or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG, n = 21), without other ocular or systemic disease, were collected during routine cataract surgery or trabeculectomy. ET-1 concentration was determined by an ET-1 ELISA kit. IOP was measured preoperatively by standard Goldmann applanation tonometry. All statistical analysis was performed using commercial predictive analytics software.

RESULTS
Both IOP and ET-1 concentration in aqueous humor were significantly increased in POAG (23.4 ± 6.8 mm Hg, 5.9 ± 2.9 pg/mL) and PEXG (24.3 ± 8.8 mm Hg, 7.7 ± 2.1 pg/mL) compared with control (15.0 ± 2.9 mm Hg, 4.3 ± 2.4 pg/mL). No difference was detected for plasma ET-1 concentrations. IOP and ET-1 in the aqueous humor were significantly correlated (R = 0.394, R² = 0.155, P < 0.001), although no correlation was found between IOP and ET-1 in blood plasma or between ET-1 in aqueous humor and ET-1 in plasma.

CONCLUSIONS
In this study, a small but highly significant correlation between IOP and the ET-1 concentration in the aqueous humor was found. Although no causative relationship can be deduced from this, ocular ET-1 effects on IOP control may merit further investigation.


The growth of a pseudomonad on 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2,4-DCP (2,4-dichlorophenol) was studied in batch and continuous culture. The optimum growth rate using 2,4-D was 0.14/h at 25 C in a pH range from 6.2 to 6.9. Highest specific growth rate using 2,4-DCP was 0.12/h at 25 C in a pH range from 7.1 to 7.8. Growth was strongly inhibited by 2,4-DCP above a concentration of 25 mg/liter whereas no appreciable inhibition was observed with 2,4-D at concentrations up to 2,000 mg per liter. Growth on 2,4-DCP was described by Monod kinetics at subinhibitory concentrations but the inhibition by 2,4-DCP exhibited an unusual linear response to substrate concentration, and did not fit a model based on noncompetitive inhibition. The lag phase of batch cultures was found to depend on both 2,4-DCP concentration and prior adaptation of the inoculum. A study such as this on the kinetics of growth on related substrates may be useful as a method of finding the rate-limiting step in a metabolic sequence.


Comparisons of eddy covariance (EC) tower measurements of CO2 concentration with mid-tropospheric observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) allow for evaluation of the rising global signal of this greenhouse gas in relation to surface carbon dynamics. Using an information theory approach combining relative entropy and wavelet multi-resolution analysis, this study has explored correlations and divergences between mid-tropospheric and surface CO2 concentrations in grasslands of northeastern Kansas. Results show that surface CO2 measurements at the Kansas Field Station (KFS) and the Konza Prairie Biological Stations 1B (KZU) and 4B (K4B) with different land-cover types correlate well with mid-tropospheric CO2 in this region at the 512-day timescale between 2007 and 2010. Relative entropy further reveals that AIRS observations are indicative of surface CO2 concentrations for all land-cover types on monthly (32-day) and longer timescales. AIRS observations are also similar to CO2 concentrations at shorter timescales at sites KFS and K4B experiencing woody encroachment, though these results require further investigation. Differences in species composition and microclimate add to the variability of surface concentrations compared with mid-tropospheric observations.


The visual storytelling (VST) task aims at generating a reasonable and coherent paragraph-level story with the image stream as input. Different from caption that is a direct and literal description of image content, the story in the VST task tends to contain plenty of imaginary concepts that do not appear in the image. This requires the AI agent to reason and associate with the imaginary concepts based on implicit commonsense knowledge to generate a reasonable story describing the image stream. Therefore, in this work, we present a commonsense-driven generative model, which aims to introduce crucial commonsense from the external knowledge base for visual storytelling. Our approach first extracts a set of candidate knowledge graphs from the knowledge base. Then, an elaborately designed vision-aware directional encoding schema is adopted to effectively integrate the most informative commonsense. Besides, we strive to maximize the semantic similarity within the output during decoding to enhance the coherence of the generated text. Results show that our approach can outperform the state-of-the-art systems by a large margin, which achieves a 29\% relative improvement of CIDEr score. With additional commonsense and semantic-relevance based objective, the generated stories are more diverse and coherent.


Wines were prepared from triplicate lots of crushed Chardonnay grapes, which were held under nitrogen for 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours of pomace contact prior to being pressed. For the musts at press and the finished wines, significant increases in pH, total nitrogen, and potassium and decreases in titratable acidity and tartaric acid were observed as pomace contact time was increased. Additionally, a significant increase in ammonia was found in the musts. In the wines, significant increases in total, flavonoid, and nonflavonoid phenols, and in malic acid were measured. The changes in concentration of these components as a function of the extent of pomace contact is illustrated by principal component analyses of the must and wine compositional data. By duo-trio tests, significant differences in wine flavor were found only between the following pairs of wines: 0 vs. 12 hours, 0 vs. 24 hours, and 12 vs. 24 hours of pomace contact. These differences, however, were too small to be characterized. No significant differences were found between pairs of these wines when compared for intensity of fruity aroma, bitterness, or acidity.


Citrus essential oils (CEOs) and their constituent compounds are being reported to have multifarious activities. In this chapter an attempt is made to discuss the insecticidal activities, as well as CEO profile of different vegetative part of Citrus species and biocidal potentiality of their constituent compounds against diverse insect pests. It is observed that in most of the CEO constituent profile, limonene is the major constituent compound. Other important constituents present in different percentages in different CEOs are β-citronellal, linalool, pinene, β- caryophyllene, β-myrcene, terpinene, citral etc. These plant EO constituents are reported to have insecticidal effects against diverse insect species. Taking the four peel EOs of Citrus limon, Citrus paradisi, Citrus medica, Citrus maxima commonly grown in North Eastern part of India, study on their insecticidal effects against Dolichoderus affinis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was made and result is presented showing higher fumigant toxicity of C. medica and C. limon oil against the ant sp. With the increasing awareness for using safe insecticidal products among consumers, the citrus EOs with their attracting terpene compounds having good insecticidal potency bear all attributes to be used as commercial green pesticides in coming days both in indoor and outdoor management of insect pests.


Hepatocyte growth is regulated by various growth factors, including epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin. Recently, several additional peptide hormones have been shown to stimulate growth of hepatocyte only in the presence of EGF or insulin and are thus termed secondary mitogens. Gastrin regulates growth of normal and neoplastic gastrointestinal tissues, but the effect on growth of hepatocyte is unknown. We examined the effect of gastrin on growth of a normal mouse hepatocyte (NMH) line established in our laboratory. Effect of gastrin‐17 (G‐17) (10−8 to 10−6 M) on growth of NMH cells was examined in either the presence or absence of EGF in the culture medium. Growth of NMH cells was evaluated by incorporation of either bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) or 3H‐thymidine and by counting cells. Presence of a cell‐surface receptor for G‐17 was determined by Scatchard analysis using 125I‐G‐17. In the presence of EGF, gastrin stimulated growth of NMH cells; in the absence of EGF, gastrin did not affect growth. The stimulatory effect of gastrin on NMH cells was blocked by JMV 320, a CCK‐B type receptor antagonist. NMH cells possess a single, high affinity binding site for gastrin (Kd = 1.2 nM); EGF increased the gastrin binding capacity compared to non‐treated cells (3.5 ± 0.4 vs. 2.2 ± 0.6 fmol/106 cells). G‐17 stimulated growth of NMH cells through a single high affinity receptor for G‐17 which pharmcologically appears to be the CCK‐B type only in the presence of EGF and thus can be considered a secondary mitogen. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Astrometry24.NET (A24N) is the first openly available online tool for precise astrometry of astronomical objects able to provide an astrometric solution for both point sources as well as streaks left by non-sidereal moving objects (satellites and space debris or NearEarth Objects - NEOs).

A24N is accessible by the end user through three interfaces a) a web browser with modern, responsive UI, b) a cross-platform Command Line Interface (CLI) and c) programmatically through a RESTful API. It makes
use of state-of-the-art IT technologies and specifically developed detection and analysis algorithms, utilizing cloud premises, which allow for inexpensive Service Level Agreement (SLA) up to 99.9%. Processing is available on-demand, with optimized load balancing, depending on the actual usage. The architecture of the system, catalogue support, and the astrometric engine behind A24N are first described, followed by the description of the dedicated web portal, built on top of Sybilla Technologies AstroDrive engine, which enables the user to easily upload, store, search, view and manipulate their data.

We show the results obtained by the service from synthetic and real data sets. NEO data from ESA Optical Ground Station (OGS) were used, reduced with A24N, Astrometrica and compared (as ground truth) with ephemerides provided from JPL Horizons. For the simulated data tests, a dedicated synthetic frames generator has been developed, which allows one to reproduce all major error sources and isolate their effect.

A24N has been tried and tested on a number of data sets from various observatories, including the ESA OGS and the Test Bed Telescope (TBT) in Spain, as well as observatories belonging to the Open University (UK),
Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland), Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Germany, COG), Mt. Suhora Observatory of the Pedagogical University in Cracow (Poland), and Comenius University (Slovakia).

Long-term monitoring of the COG sensor accuracy, precision and offset has been conducted, as well as observations of Geostationary Orbit (GEO) drifters to test the algorithms and architecture in the production environment. The results of the campaign are presented.


In this paper we compare the computational efficiency of four methods for solving the practical inverse kinematics problem of redundant manipulators. Two methods use recursive approaches for sequential determination of feasible joint rates while the other two methods derive complete joint rate solutions at first and then check the joint kinematical constraints. The methods were implemented on a 386 microcomputer. Issues of improving efficiency by changing velocity reference frames and workspace decomposition were examined.


The substitution of troponin in bullfrog skeletal myofibrils by rabbit skeletal troponin, troponin T and troponin T1 was examined by the densitometry of the SDS gel-electrophoretic patterns. The troponin in the myofibrils was replaced by the added rabbit skeletal troponin and troponin T (tropomyosin binding component of troponin) to almost the same extent. On the other hand, troponin T1, the N-terminal side fragment of two chymotryptic fragments of troponin T replaced troponin in the myofibrils less effectively than either troponin or troponin T. Troponin T, also replaced troponin in the myofibrils from rabbit and chicken striated muscles, less effectively than troponin T. This suggested that, in addition to the N-terminal side troponin T1 region, the C-terminal side region (troponin T2) of rabbit skeletal troponin T was also involved in the exchange reaction of troponin in the bullfrog skeletal myofibrils.


As part of the larger project of trying to revitalize social theory by drawing attention to theorizing, I analyze the views of philosopher Charles S. Peirce on this topic. I take my departure in his 1903 lecture called "How to Theorize" and note that for Peirce theorizing was closely linked to his concept of abduction. In analyzing this central concept in Peirce's work, I suggest that we may want to look at it especially from a practical point of view. More precisely, what can we learn from Peirce in terms of concrete tips and suggestions for how we ourselves should go about theorizing? I also supplement the material from the 1903 lecture with what can be found in Peirce's later writings.


Transformation of traditional manufacturing into intelligent manufacturing has intrigued the manufacturing firms at a global level. The focal objective of the concept of Industry 4.0 is to distinguish highly digitized manufacturing processes where flow of information amid different devices is controlled in an environment with very limited human intervention. Different and complex physical and cyber technologies make Industry 4.0 a way to improve performance, quality, controllability, management and transparency of information of manufacturing processes. Although Industry 4.0 provides numerous potential opportunities to manufacturers, most firms still lack insight into the variety of technologies available in Industry 4.0 as well as the challenges and risks it poses to the society with its implementation. This paper summarizes the available technologies by reviewing existing studies on it, identifies challenges linked to Industry 4.0 and provides guidance to implementing smart factory in the context of Industry 4.0.


The most common cause of splenic rupture is trauma. Less frequently the spleen ruptures due to an ongoing hematologic, infectious or tumoral disease (pathologic rupture). We present a series of 10 patients with atraumatic splenic rupture: in seven patients there was a pathologic rupture. Two of the remaining three patients with spontaneous rupture were morbidly obese; this association has not previously been reported. The present review discusses the etiology, pathogenesis and optimal treatment of this entity.


The need of effective and efficient method to retrieving non-Web-enabled and Web-enabled information entities is essential, due to the fact of inaccuracy of the existing search engines that still use traditional term-based indexing for text documents and annotation text for images, audio and video files. Previous works showed that incorporating the knowledge in the form of concepts into an information retrieval system may increase the effectiveness of the retrieving method. Unfortunately, most of the works that implemented the concept-based information retrieval system still focused on one information format. This paper proposes a multi-format (text, image, video and, audio) concept-based information retrieval method for Cloud environment. The proposed method is implemented in a laboratory-scale heterogeneous cloud environment using Eucalyptus middleware.  755 multi-format information is experimented and the performance of the proposed method is measured.


digital photography, consumer, organising Digital techniques are rapidly becoming popular for the recording of images, but current applications for handling image collections still lag behind the varied and fluent ways of interacting that traditional informal collections offer. Here we report a field study of how home users use traditional ways of storing and organising their private photo collections. We compare this to the possibilities and limitations of current tools for digital image collections. Findings indicate that the interfaces of current digital tools provide excellent support for solution oriented indexing, but limited support for browsing and storytelling. Finally, we present an interface which combines the best of both worlds for interacting with digital images.


: Recently observed that the conventional method used for protection for three phase induction motor is taking time to Operate and the cost of the system is high. So to overcome this, there is need of a protection system which can operate in less time and has low cost. The mission is to create a system which has slow cost and fast operation. This condition gave the basic idea about what was required in current Scenario. The idea was to create a system which is cheap and will reduce the operation time. The system has the ability and the economic value to for fulfilling the protection of three phase induction motor. This system is cost effective and easy to maintain. This paper addresses to make a cheap and reliable protection system for three phase induction motor. The protection system should protect the motor from voltage unbalancing, single phasing, under voltage, over voltage and thermal protection. To improve the technique to run the motor below single phasing. Taking the cost factor into consideration the design has been proposed using Arduino, relays, small CTs and PTs. However the sensitivity of the protection scheme has been not compromised.


The assumption underlying current diabetes treatment is that lowering the level of time-averaged glucose concentrations, measured as HbA1c, prevents microvascular complications. However, 89% of variation in risk of retinopathy, microalbuminuria, or albuminuria is due to elements of glycemia not captured by mean HbA1c values. We show that transient exposure to high glucose activates a multicomponent feedback loop that causes a stable left shift of the glucose concentration-reactive oxygen species (ROS) dose-response curve. Feedback loop disruption by the GLP-1 cleavage product GLP-1(9–36)amide reverses the persistent left shift, thereby normalizing persistent overproduction of ROS and its pathophysiologic consequences. These data suggest that hyperglycemic spikes high enough to activate persistent ROS production during subsequent periods of normal glycemia but too brief to affect the HbA1c value are a major determinant of the 89% of diabetes complications risk not captured by HbA1c. The phenomenon and mechanism described in this study provide a basis for the development of both new biomarkers to complement HbA1c and novel therapeutic agents, including GLP-1(9–36)amide, for the prevention and treatment of diabetes complications.


Abstract Alcohol hangover syndrome (AHS) is a highly heterogenous state encompassing a range of physiological and psychological symptoms. The syndrome is experienced regularly among alcohol consumers and remains poorly understood. The present study sought to gain insight into whether certain emotions were tied to AHS and how these emotions were experienced. Twenty participants took part, 14 female and 6 male, aged 21 to 39 years. Inductive thematic analysis of semi structured interview data produced four themes; 'The Tyranny of the Shoulds', 'Bias and the Persistence of Memory', 'Staring into the Void', and 'Emotive behavioral response'. The four themes demonstrate the complexity of emotional experiences associated with AHS and account for concurrent constructs including cognition, mood, and behavior. Guilt, shame, dread, anger, and regret were all commonly experienced, with rumination, negative interpretation bias, nostalgia, self-flagellation, isolation and camaraderie being essential in how these emotions were described by participants. The study adds greater understanding of the diversity of emotions that can be experienced during AHS, with important implications for the wellbeing of those who suffer most from the state. It is suggested that self-help techniques targeting cognitions could be explored to help alleviate aspects of the negative emotions experienced.


In the Fourth National Spatial Policy Plan Extra (1990) the development areas were pointed out (the so-called "Vinex-areas"). This encouraged project developers to buy large and strategic situated properties. The key question is how to assure that also next generations of inhabitants, politicians and developers will still be prepared to invest in quality improvement. The concept of Sustainable Spatial Quality has been examined from the perspective chosen by the Brundtland Commission in its famous report 'Our Common Future' (1987). Quality Assurance is a concept made operational in Quality Management practices based on the ISO 9000 standards. The essential mechanism of Quality Assurance is the Deming-cycle In Vinex-area development in The Netherlands three types of PPP are fairly common: the so-called 'Development-Claim', the Joint Venture and the Concession. A basic assumption behind the effectiveness of Quality Assurance is the ability of controlling human behaviour and, in our case, spatial planning and development processes by means of institutional systems. Institutional governance is based on the idea that in a consistent institutional context different people will act more or less similar in a predictable way. Scott (2001) provides us with a theoretical framework based on an extensive and broad research of (neo)institutional literature. By combining the scientific work of economists, social and political scientists he creates a concept for the analysis of institutions. This concept consists of three types of institutional systems: Regulative, Normative and Cultural-cognitive. The Regulative system is typical for the Development-Claim model. The Joint Venture however is based on dialogue and negotiation on an equal level between public and private parties. The effectiveness of the Concession model for the public interest is determined by the way the government uses the willingness of private parties to go into competition. The empirical research was conducted in three different Vinex-areas: Leidsche Rijn near Utrecht, Vathorst near Amersfoort and Ypenburg near The HagueThe research included analysis of plans, contracts and documents followed by a series of interviews with stakeholders. Quality Assurance is failing on several critical points. Indifferent of the PPP-type the weakest elements in the process are the poorly developed interactive involvement of (potential) user groups in the planning process, the inability of both public and private parties to react adequately on changing circumstances and preferences of user groups and the lack of competition for area development. There is no 'best' PPP for assuring Sustainable Spatial Quality. Our recommendations to optimise the quality assurance function are partly generally applicable and partly specified for each type of PPP separately. Generally applicable is the recommendation for improving the interactivity of the planning process as well as enhancing a more proactive strategy of anticipation on changing user preferences. We need empowerment of the civil society, led by an independent process-manager and using a suitable framework for the debate. Anticipation on changing user-preferences can be improved by introducing periodic evaluations. The quality assurance function can also profit from introducing more competition, for example by awarding efforts of private parties to make their plans more sustainable.


This essay examines Sierra Leone's security sector reform (SSR) programme in the context of a post-war recovery agenda with strong international involvement. It discusses the background and priorities as well as the successes and failures of the programme in the areas of armed forces restructuring; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; police reform; parliamentary oversight; justice sector reform and intelligence and national security policy coordination. It concludes that an ongoing SSR programme in the country should be owned and driven by Sierra Leoneans with support from the international community, and that SSR should go beyond the restructuring of formal security institutions and retraining their personnel, and also work to strengthen the oversight capacities of parliament, the judiciary and civil society groups.


The pinocytosis-inducing effect of a number of molecular species was studied in cultures of mouse macrophages. Agents were added to a basal medium containing 1% NBCS-No. 199 and allowed to interact with cells for 150 min. Vesicle counts were then performed and compared to control cells in the basal medium. Certain proteins, i.e. albumin and fetuin, with isoelectric points of five and below were found to be potent stimulators of vesicle formation. Basic proteins including lysozyme, histone, and protamine had little influence at sublethal concentrations. The pinocytosis-stimulating activity of bovine plasma albumin could be markedly depressed by removal of bound fatty acids. The addition of either oleic or linoleic acid to de-fatted albumin restored its inducing properties to initial levels. The activity of fetuin could be abolished by either mild acid hydrolysis or neuraminidase digestion. Both procedures removed the majority of the sialic acid content of fetuin. The D and L isomers of polyglutamic acid were found to produce a marked increase in pinosome production. In contrast, poly-DL-lysine was not effective. Neutral and basic amino acids were without significant effect on pinocytosis, whereas aspartic and glutamic acids were stimulatory. The amides of glutamic and aspartic acid did not induce pinocytosis. The unnatural D isomers of glutamic, aspartic, leucine, and phenylalanine inhibited pinocytosis. The inhibition by D-glutamic acid could be reversed with the L isomer. A number of acid mucopolysaccharides, including heparin, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin sulfate, were excellent inducers. High molecular weight dextran was without significant stimulatory effect whereas dextran sulfate was very active. Both desoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid enhanced pinosome formation. A number of low molecular weight anions including N-acetylneuraminic acid were found to enhance vesicle formation. In general, anionic molecules were better inducers than either neutral or cationic species. The minimum effective dose of macroanions was a function of molecular weight and their activity appeared unrelated to specific chemical groupings.


Alterations of Hsp70 level were studied in the cells of freshwater ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis after medium salinity changes. It is shown that ciliates, acclimated to fresh water (0 per thousand) and to salt water of 2 and 10 per thousand have similar constitutive levels of Hsp70 in their cells. Neither pronounced induction of Hsp70, was not decrease of its level, revealed in ciliates after salinity stresses. These data differ from the results obtained while studying euryhaline ciliate Paramecium nephridiatum and strongly freshwater one Paramecium jenningsi. We presume that the differences in the mode of chaperone system reaction of these ciliates species might be connected with different extents of salinity persistence - the least in P. jenningsi, intermediate in T. pyriformis and the most pronounced in P. nephridiatum.


Abstract The Elan Bank microcontinent was separated from East India during the Early Cretaceous break-up. The crustal architecture and rifting geometry of East India and the Elan Bank margins document that the early break-up between India and Antarctica was initiated in the eastern portions of the Cauvery and Krishna–Godavari rift zones, and in the southern portion of Elan Bank. However, the westwards break-up propagation along the Krishna–Godavari Rift Zone continued even after the break-up in the overstepping portion of the Cauvery Rift Zone. Eventually, the western propagating end of the Krishna–Godavari Rift Zone became hard-linked with the failed western portion of the Cauvery Rift Zone by the dextral Coromandel transfer fault zone. Consequently, the break-up location between India and Antarctica shifted from its initial to its final location along the northern portion of the Elan Bank formed by the western Krishna–Godavari Rift Zone. The competition between the two rift zones to capture continental break-up and asymmetric ridge propagation resulted in a ridge jump and the Elan Bank microcontinent release. Supplementary material: Supplementary figures are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18864


In this thesis I describe Dalits as 'subalterns' from Gramscian perspective and explain how Dalit politics fits into the idea of subaltern politics. I discuss the concept of 'subaltern social groups' and show it as a relevant lens to understand Dalit subjectivity. In the thesis, by discussing Dalits' awareness of their own subordination at multiple levels, struggles to end their position as subalterns and constant challenges from the dominant caste in systematically breaking their political collectivization, I argue that Dalits are the "prototype" of Gramsci's concept of a 'subaltern social groups'.
Through ethnographic methodology I show how Mahar's- ex-untouchable caste -who are considered to be most political aware and organised in India- continuous everyday 'tactics' are performed to improve their social status. Through the examples of changing agrarian practices and competitive electoral politics at the village level I show that Mahars contribute and strengthen the informal labour unions and local level democracy.
I then argue that these "developments" are insufficient to cease Mahar's historic caste subalternity. Events that carry the image of change and empowerment for Mahars are neither stable nor sustainable. I argue that Mahars along with their political organisation and awareness remain fragmented and their resistance episodic. They although organise themselves politically that might lead to some sudden transformation in their marginalised position. They, however, are continuously broken up and divided through the initiatives of the dominant caste. As a result rendering them to the socio-economic margins of the society.


We used three-component surface velocities in southwest Japan to estimate plate coupling on the subducting plate interface at the Nankai trough. We analyzed continuous GPS data from the Japanese GEONET network from 1996 to 2006 using a consistent analysis strategy that generates bias-fixed solutions for the entire network. We applied systematic time-series analysis methods to estimate common mode error, which improved position solutions for the entire network. To allow for differences in regional deformation sources, we modelled the plate coupling on the plate interface beneath Shikoku island to Kii Peninsula and the Tokai-Suruga trough separately. The results show strong coupling at a depth of ~10–30 km off Shikoku and Kii Peninsula. The spatial variation in plate coupling coincides well with the coseismic rupture zones of the past large earthquakes. Maximum slip deficit rates of ~2–3 cm yr^(−1) at the depth of ~5–25 km are found beneath the Tokai area, consistent with results from other studies. The downdip limits of the highly coupled areas and transition zones beneath Shikoku and the Kii Peninsula correspond approximately to estimates of the 450 °C isotherms. Good correlation is observed between the lateral variations of the slip deficit distribution, low frequency earthquakes, and coseismic slip. This correlation suggests that temperature, and possibly fluid variations, contribute to such correlation in space. The interplate slip deficit derived from the GPS velocities over the 10 yr of observations is generally compatible with the results over shorter time spans, suggesting that plate coupling in SW Japan does not change significantly over the period of these GPS measurements.