Background and Purpose: To describe the neurological and cerebrovascular findings in patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and underwent head imaging in ambulatory and inpatient settings. Methods: Consecutive patients aged ≥18 years with SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed or treated at Mayo Clinic sites from 3/11/2020 to 7/23/2020 with head CT or brain MRI within 30 days of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis were included. Demographics, medical history, indication for SARS-CoV-2 testing, neurologic symptoms, indication for brain imaging, neuroimaging findings, etiology of cerebrovascular events, and hospital course were abstracted from medical records. Results: Of 8,675 patients with SARS-CoV-2, 180 (2.07%) had head imaging. Mean age of the entire cohort was 42 ± 18 years, whereas mean age of those with head imaging was 62 ± 19 years. Common indications for imaging were headache (34.4%), encephalopathy (33.4%), focal neurologic symptom (16.7%), and trauma (13.9%). While 86.1% of patients who underwent head imaging had normal exams, cerebrovascular events occurred in 18 patients (0.21% of the total cohort). Of patients with cerebrovascular events, 8 (44.5%) had acute infarct; 6 (33.3%), acute intracranial hemorrhage; 5 (2.8%), subacute infarct; and 1 (0.6%) posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. In the thirteen patients with ischemic stroke, 6 (46.2%) had cryptogenic stroke; 3 (23.1%), other defined causes; 2 (15.4%), small vessel stroke; 1 (7.7%), large vessel stroke; and 1 (7.7%) cardioembolic stroke. Conclusion: In ambulatory and hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the rate of head imaging is low, with common indications of encephalopathy and headache. Cerebrovascular events occurred rarely, and cryptogenic stroke was the most common stroke mechanism.


The present study was undertaken to understand the mineral contents of seven bean varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for the selection of lines adapted in semiarid conditions. The treated samples were analysed by Plasma Emission in order to determine the contents of Mg, Na, K, Ca, Mn, Cu and Zn, The results showed variability in mineral contents among varieties. The variety Bayo presents a very high value of Mg, Na, K, Ca, Mn and Cu, This permits to consider that the variety has greater possibilities of adaptation to adverse condition in the semiarid regions.


This article previews the issues and arguments in Keene Corp. v. United States, on the Supreme Court's appellate docket for the 1992-93 Term. Keene Corporation presents the Supreme Court with a highly technical jurisdiction question relating to a litigant's ability to sue the federal government simultaneously in both the Court of Federal Claims and the United States district courts. Keene Corporation's appeal to the Supreme Court presents three issues. First, Keene asks whether the jurisdictional statute for the Federal Claims Court requires dismissal of its lawsuit in the Claims Court, when Keene has sued in both district court and the Claims Court because federal law precludes Keene from bringing all of its claims in the same federal court. Second, Keene asks whether the Claims Court jurisdictional statute bars adjudication of its case there even when the non-Claims Court action is no longer pending. Third, Keene asks whether, assuming that the Supreme Court upholds the dismissal, the Federal Circuit's new interpretation of the jurisdictional statute should apply retroactively to its own case, should be saved under doctrines of non-retroactivity or equitable tolling, or should apply prospectively only to future litigants.In essence, this case presents the Court with competing frustrations: the frustration of the Keene Corporation in seeking redress against the government when federal law requires that different claims be adjudicated in different courts, and the frustration of the federal government in having to defend itself against seemingly duplicative litigation in multiple courts around the country. Although a sleeper of a jurisdictional case, the Court's determination of the jurisdictional issues in Keene is highly important because it will have widespread impact in lawsuits involving multiple claims against the United States as a defendant. In particular, the Court's resolution of the jurisdictional issues in Keene will affect litigants involved in mass-tort litigation where the United States is also a party to the lawsuit. Finally, this case is significant because the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in deciding that Keene could not pursue its claims against the government in multiple forums, overturned a number of prior precedents that were intended to ameliorate the harshness of the existing jurisdictional rules that create a jurisdictional bar to such lawsuits against the government in multiple forums. If the Supreme Court upholds the Federal Circuit's decision in overruling the holdings of these cases, this reversal will represent a significant, stricter attitude concerning the ability of litigants to pursue multiple claims against the government.


This work compares different thicknesses of vitreous enamel coating applied to welded joints. Low-carbon steel Kosmalt E300T was used as a base material. The MAG welding method was used for all samples. Metallography was performed to compare the thickness of the coating formed on the machined and unmachined surfaces of the weld. SEM analysis focused on the substrate/vitreous enamel coating interface. The results show that the high thickness of the vitreous enamel coating that occurs in unmachined weld joints significantly decreases the properties of the enamel coating. In comparison, the machining of the weld surface contributes to the quality improvement of the vitreous enamel coating.


Fragments of Jurassic oceanic basins are preserved along two main alignments in the Dinaric-Hellenic belt. The western alignment, extending from western Greece to Croatia, is relatively well known, whereas the eastern, represented by the ophiolites of the Vardar zone, running from eastern Greece to Serbia, has been poorly investigated. In this paper, we provide new evidences for the occurrence of boninitic lavas in the Kopaonik area belonging to the Vardar zone. These rocks have been found in a sheeted dyke complex closely associated to harzburgitic mantle tectonites. This finding implies that, in contrast with previous interpretations, the Vardar zone is characterized by ophiolites originating in a suprasubduction zone setting. The occurrence of boninitic rocks gives important constraints for the geodynamic recostruction of the Dinaric-Hellenic belt.


Policy‐makers in the UK and Europe have become concerned with the successful management of transitions in learning as a means of increasing the competitiveness of their economies. Transitions relating to informal as well as formal learning have also been an important focus for the sociology of education. In this paper, I review alternative ways in which transitions are conceptualised as a process of change over time; but argue that the dimension of change has been overemphasised, while the dimension of time has been neglected. Much of the literature on transitions takes for granted a 'common sense' view of time as a 'natural flow' and assumes that learning can enable us to forge our own futures agentically from lessons of the past and goals in the present. Feminist research, however, challenges such a theory as androcentric, and reveals the many ways in which women's time is used and experienced differently. Drawing on critical sociological thinking about time, these ideas are illustrated through a re‐interpretation of data from Mojab's (2006) study of Kurdish women refugees in Sweden. This explores the ways in which time is engendered and enacted in social practices marked by gender, race and class, and the impact of these times upon the women's learning. The potential of such an analysis points to the need for further study of these themes.


This paper presents an innovative prototype of a new conceptual electromagnetic induction eddy-current based fluid heating appliance using voltage-fed quasi resonant zero voltage soft switching PWM high-frequency inverter using IGBTs, which can operate at a constant frequency variable power regulation scheme. The promising simple high-efficient low noise inverter type electromagnetic induction eddy-current based pipeline fluid heating appliance is proposed for a saturated steam generator, superheated steam generator, hot water and hot air producer and metal catalyst heating for exhaust gas cleaning in engines. Under this technological background, a novel electromagnetic induction eddy-current dual packs heater (DPH) based pipeline fluid heating incorporates thin metal layer type package for continuous fluid heating appliances applying two types of voltage-fed quasi-load resonant ZVS-PWM high frequency inverter. The unique features of a novel electromagnetic induction eddy-current DPH based continuous pipeline fluid heating appliance is illustrated on the basis of simulation and discussed for the steady-state operating characteristics and experimental results.


An inductively coupled power-transfer method is proposed using a new, brushless motor excitation method called contactless excitation system (CES). Uses a loosely coupled rotating excitation transformer (LCRET) and realize the transmission of excitation power, thereby proving to be safer and simpler than traditional excitation systems. The principles and two topologies are introduced. LCRET can achieve excitation-energy transmission when the primary and secondary sides rotate at a relatively high speed. The transient characteristics of the proposed topologies are compared using a finite element analysis to establish an optimal topology and verify the safety and high-efficiency energy transmission of LCRET by conducting tests.


There is increasing and spread of antibacterial resistance to antibiotics worldwide. The level of knowledge and attitudes of the community regarding the use of antibiotics in Tanzania is unknown. The present study identified determinants of knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotics use in Moshi Urban district, Northern Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2016 among community members whereby information was collected by using questionnaires on a sample of 292 randomly selected respondents. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used in data analysis to assess factors associated with knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic use. Out of 292 respondents, 183 (62.7%) had good knowledge regarding antibiotics use while those with adequate attitude were 255 (87.3%). Respondents with no formal education, primary and secondary education had lower odds of having good knowledge regarding antibiotics use as compared to those with higher education degree (OR=0.04, 95%CI: 0.002-0.79), (OR=0.38, 95% CI: 0.14-0.97), and (OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.16-1.06), respectively. Respondents with good knowledge regarding antibiotics use had higher odds of having adequate attitude towards antibiotic use (OR=3.16, 95% CI: 1.49-6.70). It was concluded that knowledge and attitude regarding antibiotic use is fair. Therefore, these findings are important in strategizing targeted antibiotic awareness campaigns among population.


Weeds infest economically important crops causing marked losses in agrarian production, forests, and ornamental heritages. Weed pests, including parasitic plants, have always being recognised as one of the most serious agricultural and environmental problems due to competition with the growth of agrarian crops and forest plants by subtraction of water, nutrients, light and by the serious obstacles they represent for agronomic activities.
A number of weed management strategies have been followed in agriculture production, including mechanical, cultural, chemical, and biological strategies. The use of soil physical mechanical and cultural methods do not provide a satisfactory solution to weed problems. On the other hand, the use of chemical pesticides differing widely in respect to spectrum, unit activity, crop safety, toxicology, and environmental effects has increased herbicidal resistance and environmental and toxicological concerns raise a question mark over their large scale use. Consequently, many efforts were focused on the development of alternative strategies based on the use of natural products and in particular on the use of fungal phytotoxins alone as natural herbicides and/or in combination with fungal producers in a more efficient and integrated management.
Fungal phytotoxins are secondary metabolites that belong to different classes of naturally occurring compounds. They play an important role in the induction of disease symptoms in agrarian and forest plants and weeds.
This thesis reports on the isolation, purification and chemical and biological characterization of phytotoxins produced by four fungi proposed as potential mycoherbicides for the biological control of some noxious weeds: a) Diaporte gulyae and D. kongii, fungi proposed as potential mycoherbicides of Carthamus lanatus L. ssp. lanatus, a widespread winter-growing annual weed of both pastures and crop throughout Australia introduced from the Mediterranean region. b) Alternaria sonchi, fungus evaluated as a possible biocontrol agent of Sonchus arvensis L., commonly called perennial sowthistle, a plant species considered to be an important weed in Europe and North America as it infests many habitats such as cultivated fields, roadsides, pastures and rangelands, railway embankments, and lawns. c) Phoma chenopodiicola, fungus proposed as potential mycoherbicide for the control of Chenopodium album (common lambsquarters or fat-hen), one of the most successful colonizing species, which has been reported to infest plantations of sugar beets, potatoes, maize, cereals, and vegetables all over the world.


Industry experts estimate that 10%-15% of the $2.8 trillion in home mortgage loans generated in 2005 contain some form of fraud or misrepresentation. That means that several hundred billion dollars in mortgage debt incurred last year involved some element of dishonesty. Increasing mortgage loan fraud imposes significant costs on lenders. One cost is readily identifiable--fraudulent loans that must be bought back out of mortgage packages, because investors typically require this when loans reveal indications of fraud. Consequently, a mortgage lender is either forced to service the loan itself (which may be under-collateralized) or sell it at a significant loss. Even more significant are the elevated risks of reputation damage, litigation, and enforcement. Despite an increased focus on fraud by enforcement agencies, new and more sophisticated schemes evolve constantly. At best, law enforcement is mostly reacting, and just barely keeping up. Consequently, as a practical matter, lenders must look to their own efforts by implementing an aggressive fraud prevention and detection program. More than lenders are harmed. Mortgage fraud imposes costs on a broader scale: on homeowners, who must indirectly pay for the increased costs that fraud imposes; on neighborhoods, afflicted by fraud; and on taxpayers, who must shoulder the cost of combating it. Mortgage fraud has been defined as "material misrepresentation"--the giving of false information that deceives or misleads a lender into extending credit beyond the limits of what would normally be extended if the facts were known. The first part of this article identifies the most common mortgage frauds and provides statistics. The second part cites recent examples of government investigations; settlements and agreements; and enforcement actions. It also summarizes recently issued government guidance. The third part offers options for lenders in fraud prevention and detection. Three Faces Of Fraud Mortgage fraud takes many forms, but three are commonly recognized: Fraud for profit is a form of industry insider fraud. It involves such schemes as falsely inflating the value of properties and repeatedly "flipping" them. This entails issuing loans based on fictitious properties, misrepresenting investment property as owner-occupied property, misrepresenting personal identity, or using false or forged documents (often through "straw buyers") to obtain a loan, and creating fictitious or nonexistent payees of monetary instruments. Such mortgage fraud is the most costly to lenders because the schemes often involve multiple transactions. In fact, the FBI says that 80% of all reported losses from fraud involve collaboration or collusion by industry insiders. Fraud for housing involves an individual borrower defrauding a lender to purchase a house for the borrower's own use. Examples include the misstating of income or expenses; disguising the source of the down payment; and providing false or forged documentation. In many instances, a fraudulent borrower receives assistance from a complicit third party, such as a broker, appraiser, developer, builder, or financial adviser. Consequently, fraud for housing also may constitute fraud for profit--albeit on a smaller scale--because complicit third parties receive compensation for their role in the fraud. Fraud for other criminal purposes involves the perpetrator's use of illegally obtained funds in real estate transactions. For example, a drug trafficker may purchase real estate at an inflated price for the purpose of money laundering; a terrorist may purchase a safe house; or another criminal may purchase real estate to facilitate such crimes as drug manufacturing, smuggling, prostitution, counterfeiting, or running a "chop shop." How much is out there? The true level of mortgage fraud is largely unknown. …


Many techniques for detecting duplicated source code (software clones) have been proposed in the past. However, it is not yet clear how these techniques compare in terms of recall and precision as well as space and time requirements. This paper presents an experiment that evaluates six clone detectors based on eight large C and Java programs (altogether almost 850 KLOC). Their clone candidates were evaluated by one of the authors as an independent third party. The selected techniques cover the whole spectrum of the state-of-the-art in clone detection. The techniques work on text, lexical and syntactic information, software metrics, and program dependency graphs.


Purpose

This paper first aims to examine how business process change decisions (BPCDs) were implemented in a government organisation bound by tightly coupled temporal constraints (TTCs). Second, it focuses on how to achieve optimal and efficient BPCDs that require tight compliance with regulators' temporal constraints. Finally, it formulates a rigorous framework that can facilitate the execution of optimal BPCDs with maximum efficiency and minimal effort, time and cost.

Design/methodology/approach

Decision-making biases by individuals or groups in organisations can impede optimal BPC implementation; to demonstrate this, a case study is investigated and the formulated framework is applied to tackle these failings.

Findings

The case study analysis shows 76 per cent of the BPCDs implemented were inefficient, mostly because of poor decisions, and these resulted in negative ripple effects. In response, the newly developed hierarchical change management structure (HCMS) framework was used to empower organisations to execute high-velocity BPCDs, enabling them to handle any temporal constraints imposed by regulators or other exogenous factors. The HCMS framework was found to be highly effective, scoring an average improvement of more than 100 per cent when measured using decision quality dimensions. This paper would be of value for business executives and strategic decision makers engaging with BPC.

Research limitations/implications

The HCMS framework has been applied in a single case study as a proof of concept. Future research could extend its application to broader domains that have multi-attribute structures and environments. The evaluation processes of the proposed framework are based on subjective metrics. Causal links from the framework to business process metrics will provide a more complete performance picture.

Practical implications

The outcome of this research assists in formulating a systematic BPCD framework that is otherwise unavailable. The practical use of the proposed framework would potentially impact on quality outcomes for organisations. The model is derived from decision trees and analytical hierarchical processes and is tailored to address this problematic area. The proposed HCMS framework would help organisations to execute efficient BPCDs with minimal time, effort and cost. The HCMS framework contributes to the academic literature on BPCD that leverages diverse stakeholders to engage in BPC initiatives.

Originality/value

The research presents a novel framework –HCMS – that provides a platform for organisations to easily determine and solve hierarchical decision structure problems, thereby allowing them to efficiently automate and institutionalise optimal BPCDs.


The RPW8s (Resistance to Powdery Mildew 8) are atypical broad-spectrum resistance genes that provide resistance to the powdery mildew fungi. Powdery mildew of rubber tree is one of the serious fungal diseases that affect tree growth and latex production. However, the RPW8 homologs in rubber tree and their role of resistance to powdery mildew remain unclear. In this study, four RPW8 genes, HbRPW8-a, b, c, d, were identified in rubber tree, and phylogenetic analysis showed that HbRPW8-a was clustered with AtRPW8.1 and AtRPW8.2 of Arabidopsis. The HbRPW8-a protein was localized on the plasma membrane and its expression in rubber tree was significantly induced upon powdery mildew infection. Transient expression of HbRPW8-a in tobacco leaves induced plant immune responses, including the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the deposition of callose in plant cells, which was similar to that induced by AtRPW8.2. Consistently, overexpression of HbRPW8-a in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced plant resistance to Erysiphe cichoracearum UCSC1 and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC30000 (PstDC3000). Moreover, such HbRPW8-a mediated resistance to powdery mildew was in a salicylic acid (SA) dependent manner. Taken together, we demonstrated a new RPW8 member in rubber tree, HbRPW8-a, which could potentially contribute the resistance to powdery mildew.


A 29-year-old Chinese woman presented with a liver mass 2 months after initiation of chemotherapy for disseminated tuberculosis. A percutaneous liver biopsy revealed tuberculous pseudotumour. Although acid-fast bacilli were seen in the biopsy specimen, no organism could be cultured. No changes were made in the antituberculous chemotherapy, and the mass subsequently resolved. The patient was still well 18 months after presentation. To the authors' knowledge, the features of tuberculous pseudotumour seen with ultrasonography and computerized tomography have not previously been described, nor has this condition previously been reported in patients already receiving antituberculous chemotherapy.


Acetabular dysplasia is a common, multi‐etiological, pre‐osteoarthritic (OA) feature that can lead to pain and instability of the young adult hip. Despite the clinical significance of acetabular dysplasia, there is a paucity of small animal models to investigate structural and functional changes that mediate morphology of the dysplastic hip and drive the subsequent OA cascade. Utilizing a novel murine model developed in our laboratory, this study investigated the role of surgically induced unilateral instability of the postnatal hip on the initiation and progression of acetabular dysplasia and impingement up to 8‐weeks post‐injury. C57BL6 mice were used to develop titrated levels of hip instability (i.e., mild, moderate, and severe instabillity or femoral head resection) at weaning. Joint shape, acetabular coverage, histomorphology, and statistical shape modeling were used to assess quality of the hip following 8 weeks of destabilization. Acetabular coverage was reduced following severe, but not moderate, instability. Moderate instability induced lateralization of the femur without dislocation, whereas severe instability led to complete dislocation and pseudoacetabulae formation. Mild instability did not result in morphological changes to the hip. Removal of the femoral head led to reduced hip joint space volume. These data support the notion that hip instability, driven by mechanical loss‐of‐function of soft connective tissue, can induce morphometric changes in the growing mouse hip. This work developed a new mouse model to study hip health in the murine adolescent hip and is a useful tool for investigating the mechanical and structural adaptations to hip instability during growth. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res


The effects of wood ash fertilisation on tree nutrition and growth on forested peatlands has been studied using loose ash, but in practice, ash fertilisation is done almost exclusively with granulated ash. In this study, the effects of granulated ash and loose ash (both 5 Mg ha–1) on the growth and nutrition of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands were compared between a nitrogen-poor and a nitrogen-rich site over 15 years. On the nitrogen-rich site, wood ash application was also compared with commercial PK fertilisation. On the nitrogen-rich site, mean stand volume growth increase over unfertilised control treatment during the 15 year study period using granulated ash and commercial PK fertiliser was of the same magnitude (on average, 2.2–2.3 m3 ha–1 a–1). However, when loose ash was used growth increase over control was higher (3.7 m3 ha–1 a–1). On the nitrogenpoor site, the mean growth increase gained by loose or granulated ash (1.4–1.5 m3 ha–1 a–1) over the unfertilised control treatment was not significant. Fertilisation with loose ash or PK increased foliar P, K and B concentrations already in the first or second growing season, following fertilisation on both sites. Granulated ash increased foliar P concentrations on the nitrogen-rich site less than loose ash. After an initial increase, foliar P, K and B concentrations decreased at the end of study period. On the nitrogen-poor site, foliar P concentrations were below the deficiency limit by the end of the study period.


The speed of computer processors is growing rapidly in comparison to the speed of DRAM chips. The cost of a cache miss, measured in processor clock cycles, is increasing exponentially, and this is quickly becoming a bottleneck for indexing in main memory. We study several indexing data structures on a simulated architecture and show that the relative performance of cache-conscious indexing structures is increasing with memory latency. In addition, we show that top-down algorithms for maintaining these structures reduce the total instruction count, leading to a modest improvement in execution time over the corresponding bottom-up algorithms.


Heterogeneity exists on a data set when samples from different classes are merged into the data set. Finite mixture models can be used to represent a survival time distribution on heterogeneous patient group by the proportions of each class and by the survival time distribution within each class as well. The heterogeneous data set cannot be explicitly decomposed to homogeneous subgroups unless all the samples are precisely labeled by their origin classes; such impossibility of decomposition is a barrier to overcome for estimating finite mixture models. The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm has been used to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of finite mixture models by soft-decomposition of heterogeneous samples without labels for a subset or the entire set of data. In medical surveillance databases we can find partially labeled data, that is, while not completely unlabeled there is only imprecise information about class values. In this study we propose new EM algorithms that take advantages of using such partial labels, and thus incorporate more information than traditional EM algorithms. We particularly propose four variants of the EM algorithm named EM-OCML, EM-PCML, EM-HCML and EM-CPCML, each of which assumes a specific mechanism of missing class values. We conducted a simulation study on exponential survival trees with five classes and showed that the advantages of incorporating substantial amount of partially labeled data can be highly significant. We also showed model selection based on AIC values fairly works to select the best proposed algorithm on each specific data set. A case study on a real-world data set of gastric cancer provided by Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program showed a superiority of EM-CPCML to not only the other proposed EM algorithms but also conventional supervised, unsupervised and semi-supervised learning algorithms.


Constructing comprehensive operational models of intended system behaviour is a complex and costly task. Consequently, practitioners have adopted techniques that support incremental elaboration of partial behaviour descriptions. A noteworthy example is the wide adoption of scenario-based notations such as message sequence charts. Scenario-based specifications are partial descriptions that can be incrementally elaborated to cover the system behaviour that is of interest. However, how should partial behavioural models described by different stakeholders with different viewpoints covering different aspects of behaviour be composed? How should partial models of component instances of the same type be put together.
 In this paper, we propose model merging as a general solution to these questions. We formally define model merging based on observational refinement and show that merging consistent models is a process that should result in a minimal common refinement. Because minimal common refinements are not guaranteed to be unique, we argue that the modeller should participate in the process of elaborating such a model. We also discuss the role of the least common refinement and the greatest lower bound of all minimal common refinements in this elaboration process. In addition, we provide algorithms for i) checking consistency between two models; ii) constructing their least common refinement if one exists; iii) supporting the construction of a minimal common refinement if there is no least common refinement.


Background Individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR) present with subtle alterations in cerebral white matter (WM), which appear to be associated with clinical and functional outcome. The effect of cognitive remediation on WM organization in UHR individuals has not been investigated previously. Methods In a randomized, clinical trial, UHR individuals aged 18 to 40 years were assigned to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU plus cognitive remediation for 20 weeks. Cognitive remediation comprised 20 x 2-h sessions of neurocognitive and social-cognitive training. Primary outcome was whole brain fractional anisotropy derived from diffusion weighted imaging, statistically tested as an interaction between timepoint and treatment group. Secondary outcomes were restricted to five predefined region of interest (ROI) analyses on fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity and mean diffusivity. For significant timepoint and treatment group interactions within these five ROIs, we explored associations between longitudinal changes in WM and cognitive functions/clinical symptoms. Finally, we explored dose-response effects of cognitive remediation on WM. Results A total of 111 UHR individuals were included. Attrition-rate was 26%. The cognitive remediation group completed on average 12 h of neurocognitive training, which was considerably lower than per protocol. We found no effect of cognitive remediation on whole-brain FA when compared to treatment as usual. Secondary ROI analyses revealed a nominal significant interaction between timepoint*treatment of AD in left medial lemniscus (P=0.016) which did not survive control for multiple comparisons. The exploratory test showed that this change in AD correlated to improvements of mental flexibility in the cognitive remediation group (p=0.001). We found no dose-response effect of neurocognitive training on WM. Conclusions Cognitive remediation comprising 12 h of neurocognitive training on average did not improve global or regional WM organization in UHR individuals. Further investigations of duration and intensity of cognitive training as necessary prerequisites of neuroplasticity-based changes are warranted. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02098408.


This study assessed the water use vulnerability to include the uncertainty of the weighting values of evaluation criteria and the annual variations of performance values using fuzzy TOPSIS coupled with the Shannon entropy method. This procedure was applied to 12 major basins covering about 88% territory of South Korea. Hydrological components were simulated using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) of which parameters were optimally calibrated using SWAT-CUP model. The 15 indicators including hydrological and anthropogenic factors were selected, based on three aspects of climate exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Their weighting values were objectively quantified using the Entropy method. All performance values of 12 basins obtained from statistic Korea and SWAT simulation were normalized with the consideration of the annual variations from 1991 to 2014 using triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs). Then, Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique was used to quantify the water use vulnerability and rank 12 basins as follows: A12 (Hyeongsan River) > A6 (Seomjin River) > A5 (Youngsan River) > A8 (Mangyung River) > A2 (Ansung River) > A9 (Dongjin River) > A10 (Nakdong River) > A3 (Geum River) > A4 (Sapgyo River) > A11 (Taehwa River) > A7 (Tamjin River) > A1 (Han River). This framework can be used to determine the spatial priority for sustainable water resources plan and applied to derive the climate change vulnerability on sustainable water resources.


Background: The incidence of Gestational Diabetes and Mellitus (GDM) is increasing at recent. It was hypothesized that offspring of mothers with GDM may have a relatively high risk for metabolic diseases, but there is still a controversy. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the long-term risk of glucose and lipid metabolic disorders in offspring of GDM mothers.
Methods: GDM mothers (n=467) who gave birth in our department from February 1998 to July 2005 were enrolled and 123 patients were followed up (GDM group). Non-GDM mothers (n=80) admitted were also followed up (non-GDM group). Related clinical parameters of the offspring in both two groups were collected and analysed.
Results: Compared with non-GDM mothers, GDM mothers had significantly higher serum fasting glucose (5.71 ± 0.95 vs. 5.3 ± 0.96 mmol/L) and triglyceride level (1.89 ± 0.68 vs. 1.68 ± 0.56 mmol/L), and there were more patients with overweight or obesity (33.33% vs. 20.0%), waist circumference ≥ 85 cm (39.02% vs. 23.75%), fasting glucose ≥ 6.1 mmol/L (28.46% vs. 13.75%), diastolic blood pressure ≥ 85 mmHg (18.70% vs. 6.25%) and metabolic syndrome (14.63% vs. 0.05%) (all Ps<0.05), respectively. The offspring in GDM group had higher serum fasting glucose and triglyceride and the percentage of the offspring with overweight or obesity (26.02% vs. 7.50%), fasting glucose ≥ 6.1 mmol/L (9.80% vs. 2.50%) and high triglyceride (12.19% vs. 3.75%) in GDM group was higher than that in non-GDM group (all Ps<0.05).
Conclusions: The offspring of GDM mothers were prone to develop metabolic disorders including impaired glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia, thus increasing the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.


After independence on March 6, 1957, Ghana, under the late President Kwame Nkrumah, turned to diverse developmental activities. Economically, Ghana was on sound footing; the balance of payments was favorable and cocoa was yielding a good harvest. In 1967, Nkrumah was ousted due to his dictatorial rule. In this study the available primary and secondary sources were utilized. Primary sources were made available by the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D. C. and by friends and relatives in institutions of higher learning in Ghana. The study is divided into five chapters. Chapter I concerns itself with a geographical survey of the country, including land, climate, people, and natural resources. Chapter II explores political developments, and Chapter III examines some of the crucial economic problems. Chapter IV explores some economic progress and Chapter V makes suggestions, some of which may seem sordid and grim, but at least they offer a "stepping stone."


Adult male mice were treated with the reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine bromide and its effect on the expression of beta-endorphin and alpha-melanotropin immunoreactivity in motoneurones was examined in the cervical and lumbar spinal cord. Administration of a single dose of either 0.4 micromoles/kg or 2.0 micromoles/kg body weight caused a significant increase in the incidence of beta-endorphin and alpha-melanotropin-immunoreactive motoneurones at 3h after the injection, in both the cervical and lumbar regions of the spinal cord. The immunoreactivity remained elevated for at least 5 days. There was a significantly higher increase in both beta-endorphin and alpha-melanotropin immunoreactive neurones at 3h after the higher dose compared to the lower dose, in both regions of the spinal cord. Repeated administration of a dose of 0.4 micromoles/kg once a day for three weeks caused increases in immunoreactive motoneurones in both regions. In the cervical region the increases were maintained for at least two weeks after the treatment was discontinued but in the lumbar region the levels had returned to normal by one week. A further dose of the drug administered at two weeks after the treatment period caused a significantly greater increase in the lumbar spinal cord than the same dose in untreated mice, indicating that a sensitization of the motoneurones had occurred. The effect of this drug on peptide expression in motoneurones may be secondary to its action to inhibit acetylcholinesterase at the neuromuscular junction.


A case study illustrates both the process undertaken by a small produce-processing facility to become certified as having food safety good agricultural practices (GAP) and associated assistance provided by Extension. Information was collected from four U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service audits conducted over 2 years. The audits resulted in certification of the facility for processing southern peas and leafy greens at the Harmonized GAP with Global Markets Program Intermediate Level. The case study details the changes the facility implemented to become compliant with the requirements identified during the audits. It was concluded that broad and extensive Extension training and technical assistance could be needed to help small-scale processors become food safety GAP certified.


Detailed maps help governments and NGOs plan infrastructure development and mobilize relief around the world. Mapping is an open-ended task with a seemingly endless number of potentially useful features to be mapped. In this work, we focus on mapping buildings and roads. We do so with techniques that could easily extend to other features such as land use and land classification. We discuss real-world use cases of our maps by NGOs and humanitarian organizations around the world—from sustainable infrastructure planning to disaster relief. We investigate the pitfalls of existing datasets for building detection and road segmentation and highlight the way that models trained on these datasets—which tend to be highly specific to particular regions—produce worse results in regions of the world not adequately represented in the training set. We explain how we used data from OpenStreetMap (OSM) to train more generalizable models. These models outperform those trained on existing datasets, even in regions in which those models are overfit, and produce these same high-quality results for a diverse range of geographic areas. We utilize a combination of weakly-supervised and semi-supervised learning techniques that allow us to train on the noisy, crowdsourced data in OSM for building detection, which we formulate as a binary classification problem. We then show how weakly supervised learning techniques in conjunction with simple heuristics allowed us to train a semantic segmentation model for road extraction on noisy and never pixel-perfect training data from OSM.


E-commerce has become a major trend of the contemporary economy where businesses have significantly shifted their transactions to online platforms in order to take advantage of the global market. Today, companies executing their business activities through the internet are among the largest and most profitable ventures. However, the growth of e-commerce is accompanied by an increase in risk exposure, meaning that risk management in online transactions is the most important factor in promoting the survival of business organizations in the long-term. Fundamentally, these risks relate to information security, fraud, e-commerce legislation, or payment methods, and they are generally referred to as cyber-security risks. To manage risk effectively, e-commerce companies have continued to invest in security-related technologies that also promote successful operations.


Abstract Using the first wave of the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH-I), we analyze the joint distribution of wives' and husbands' answers regarding whether the division of household chores is "fair." Responses comprise a 5-point scale, from "very unfair to me" to "very unfair to her/him" with "fair to both" as a middle category. It is well known that wives are more likely than husbands to report that the division of household labor is "unfair to me," but this does not begin to exploit the information contained in these paired (wife/husband) data. Correlational measures suggest that agreement between wives and husbands is low, but the absolute levels of agreement are high, since, in the majority of couples, both spouses say the situation is "fair to both." The association is well captured by a restricted version of the log-linear model for quasi-symmetry. This model suggests a two-dimensional latent trait model for the pattern of couple-specific responses. Additional analyses indicate that the NSFH-I "fairness" item is a convolution of responses along two dimensions—one reflecting "relative fairness" (e.g., fair to one spouse compared to the other's contribution), the other a tendency on the part of many couples to report "fair to both" regardless of the "true" level of fairness between the wife and husband. This multidimensionality shows that there are difficulties in analyzing this item that have been hitherto unremarked upon in the literature. We argue that the latent trait perspective suggests that evaluations of equity need to be interpreted in terms of characteristics of couples, or marriages, not just in terms of the characteristics of wives and/or husbands.


: On the cross histotopographic sections of 76 cords individual differences in the location of two arteries and veins of cord have been studied. The data are obtained on the changes of morphometric parameters of cord in normal and complicated pregnancy (obesity, neurocirculatory dystonia in hypertension type and miscarriages).


Graph clustering methods such as spectral clustering are defined for general weighted graphs. In machine learning, however, data often is not given in form of a graph, but in terms of similarity (or distance) values between points. In this case, first a neighborhood graph is constructed using the similarities between the points and then a graph clustering algorithm is applied to this graph. In this paper we investigate the influence of the construction of the similarity graph on the clustering results. We first study the convergence of graph clustering criteria such as the normalized cut (Ncut) as the sample size tends to infinity. We find that the limit expressions are different for different types of graph, for example the r-neighborhood graph or the k-nearest neighbor graph. In plain words: Ncut on a kNN graph does something systematically different than Ncut on an r-neighborhood graph! This finding shows that graph clustering criteria cannot be studied independently of the kind of graph they are applied to. We also provide examples which show that these differences can be observed for toy and real data already for rather small sample sizes.


Cardiac creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity in international units (IU) was normalized to homogenate soluble protein (IU/mg), to tissue wet weight (IU/100 mg) or to tissue dry weight (IU/mg). Samples of cardiac tissue were excised from sham-operated cats and dogs or from cats after 4 h of severe pericardial tamponade and dogs after 4 h of circumflex artery ligation. In sham-operated cats and dogs, cardiac CPK activity was about 30 IU/mg homogenate soluble protein, 200 IU/100 mg wet tissue, and 9.5 IU/mg dry tissue. In cats, after tamponade, the CPK activity of subepicardial and subendocardial tissue of the left ventricle was decreased 24–35% if the enzyme activity was referenced to wet weight or dry weight. Similarly, in dogs, after circumflex artery ligation, the CPK activity of posterior papillary muscles was reduced 24–30% if the enzyme activity was referenced to tissue wet or dry weight. In both cats subjected to 4 h of tamponade and dogs after 4 h of circumflex artery ligation, significant loss of CPK activity could not be demonstrated if the cardiac enzyme activity was normalized only to the soluble protein content of homogenates. We conclude that normalizing cardiac CPK activity to tissue wet and dry weight may permit early assessment of myocardial injury in experimental models of myocardial ischemia.


In this paper, we address spatially multiplexed (SM) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems that are expected to be used in next-generation mobile communication systems that require high-speed data transmission. The data-transmission rate of an SM MIMO system increases in proportion to the number of spatial streams it transmits. However, it is hard to implement large numbers of spatial streams due to the spatial limits of mobile units and the high cost of installing many antennas. In this paper, we focus on the case of two spatial streams and propose a novel signal-detection technique. We first define the bidirectional detectability of a 2-D complex vector, and using the fact that only a small number of vectors, including the maximum-likelihood (ML) solution vector, satisfy the bidirectional detectability, we reduce the search space, thereby enabling efficient ML signal detection at the receiver.


The data presented in this report demonstrate significant improvements in the ability to constrain trace element and Sr isotopic concentrations in sediments overlying ridge-flank hydrothermal systems. Improved sampling methods orchestrated by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (i.e., advanced piston coring and anoxic sample processing) enabled the collection of reactive pore water species with minimal alteration and sampling artifacts. Improved methods of high-resolution inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry trace element analysis, including the use of the 8-hydroxyquinoline functional group to extract and preconcentrate rare earth elements and other trace metals, were used to compile a data set of 28 trace element concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. From this extensive data set, we were able to increase the current understanding of how redox-reactive species respond to diagenic processes. Near-basement trends were used in combination with the known composition of hydrothermal fluids that exit Baby Bare Springs to asses our ability to predict basement fluid compositions using sediment pore water profiles collected by deep-sea drilling. The results show that prediction of basement fluid composition is possible for many trace elements, provided the near-basement concentration gradients are minimal. In order to place the Ge/Si systematics in a broader context, pore water and borehole fluid Ge and Si data are presented from additional sites across the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank and from two additional ridge-flank settings. These data show that Ge concentrations and Ge/Si ratios are much higher in the basement fluids than in the basal sediments because of increased mobilization of Ge relative to Si within the basement hydrothermal reservoir. Solid-phase sediment data are presented, highlighted by the occurrence of Mn- and carbonate-rich layers.


Many students with learning difficulties (LDs) receive their education in regular (inclusive) classrooms. Although some studies suggest that general teachers have varying degrees of skills, knowledge and willingness to provide academic, interpersonal and environmental support to these students, little is known about how these students experience various aspects of teacher support in inclusive classrooms. This study investigates these students' perceptions of teacher support by applying Q methodology. Twenty-six primary and lower secondary school students with LDs who were receiving education in regular classes participated in the study. The findings show that students with learning difficulties perceive teacher support in three main ways: those who perceive many areas of such support to be adequate and satisfactory, those who are upset with teachers' lack of emotional sensitivity and relational bonding and those who are ambivalent about teachers instructional, curricular and emotional support.


Whisper island detection is a challenging research problem which has received little attention in the research community. Effective whisper-island detection is the first step necessary to ensure engagement of effective subsequent speech processing steps to address mismatch between whisper and neutral speech production. In this paper, we propose an effective approach for detecting whisper-islands embedded within normally phonated speech via BIC/T2-BIC using a proposed 4-D feature set. Performance is assessed using our proposed multi-error score (MES), which shows that the new proposed algorithm achieves the lowest MES (11.51) to date and along with a perfect 100% correct whisper/neutral vocal effort labeling. The results show that we can correctly and precisely detect vocal effort change points (VECP) between whisper-islands and neutral speech as well as label the vocal effort of the whisper-island. The proposed feature is sensitive to the vocal effort change between whisper and neutral speech and is gender independent. The result suggests that the proposed algorithm is effective and precise for the whisper-island detection.


Background:  Complexity ideas originating in mathematics and the natural sciences have begun to inform evaluation practice. A new wave in evaluation history is about to break. A new mindset, new methods, and new evaluation processes are being summoned to explore and address the challenges of global pandemics, growing inequities, and existential environmental risks. This is part of a broader paradigm shift underway in science where interdisciplinarity has become the norm rather than the exception.
Purpose: This article explores the utility of a complexity framework for a more effective evaluation function. It unearths the antecedents of complexity thinking; explores its relevance to evolving knowledge paradigms; provides a bird's eye view of complexity concepts; uses the logic of complex adaptive systems to unpack the role of evaluation in society; and draws the implications of contemporary social challenges for evaluation policy directions.
Setting: Not applicable.
Intervention: Not applicable.
Research design: Not applicable.
Findings: The evaluation complexity challenge coincides with an urgent imperative: social transformation. The on-going pandemic has brought to light the disproportionate effects of health emergencies on disadvantaged groups and emphasized the urgency of improving the interface between humans and nature. It has also demonstrated the importance of modelling for policy making – as well as its limitations. Evaluation, a complex adaptive system, should be transformed to serve society.
Keywords: complexity; computers; disciplines; emergence; modelling; paradigm, systems


Background and Objectives: The increase in antibiotic resistance among Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae especially through the production of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) puts the use of the carbapenems for therapeutic purposes at risk. The study aimed for preliminary screening and phenotypic confirmatory tests for the production of MBLs. Further, to investigate the role of blaVIM, blaNDM, and blaIMP in addition to blaOXA-48 and blaKPC, respectively, in the resistance to carbapenems. Furthermore, to detect gene expression represented coproduction of the assigned enzymes encoding genes using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Patients and Methods: A total of 100 specimens had been taken from 92 patients. All of these specimens were examined by microbiological culture technique. Both double disk synergy (DDS) and combined disk (CD) techniques were used as a confirmatory test for MBL production. Gene expression for Class A, B, and D MBLs was detected by RT-PCR. Results: Out of 34 potential MBLs producer clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia, 21 (62.0%) and 6 (18.0%) were positive for DDS test, respectively. All isolates (100%) of the potential MBLs producer isolates of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia were positive for the presence of meropenem alone plus meropenem-EDTA. Molecular assay revealed that a total of 26 (96.0%) of P. aeruginosa were confirmed as blaOXA-48 producer isolates. Further, out of27 MBL positive P. aeruginosa, 25 (93.0%) were confirmed as blaVIM producer isolates. Further, all isolates of K. pneumonia (100%) were confirmed as blaVIM but no gene expression observed for blaIMP P and blaKPC C against P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia. Further, our study result yielded that out of 27 P. aeruginosa positive isolates for MBL, 21 (78.0%) were confirmed as blaNDM producer isolates. Furthermore, our study result revealed that out of 7 pneumonia positive isolates for MBL, 6 (86.0%) were confirmed as blaVIM producer isolates. Coproduction of blaVIM and blaOXA-48 encoding genes was produced by all study isolates of K. pneumoniae. Conclusion: CD test is more preferred than double-disk synergy test for phenotypic confirmatory test for checking carbapenemases production. Further, blaVIM, blaNDM, and blaOXA-48 carbapenemases play an important role in resistant to carbapenems represented by imipenem and meropenem among study isolates of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia using RT-PCR. Coproduction of blaVIM and blaOXA-48 encoding genes was detected in all study isolates of K. pneumonia. The expression of blaVIM, blaOXA-48, and blaNDM genes in the study isolates at high proportion by K. pneumonia. blaOXA-48 could be the reason why these isolates were endemic in Iraqi patients.


Vibro-impact drilling has been proven to be a viable technique for enhancing the rate of penetration (ROP) in deep and ultra-deep well drilling. It is essential to study the effects of impact parameters on impact energy and rock-drilling efficiency for impact tool design and operating parameter optimization. In this paper, the influences of impact parameters including impact frequency, dynamic loading amplitude, and loading on impact energy were analyzed by a theoretical method. Then, a full-scale drilling experiment was conducted to study the rock-drilling efficiency. The results are as follows: the optimal frequency is higher than the resonance frequency of the rock. The impact energy increases with the dynamic loading amplitude. The penetration rate at dynamic loading amplitude of 4 kN (0.13137 mm/s) is 38.7% higher than that of 2 kN (0.09473 mm/s). When the impact frequency is lower than 150 Hz, the rock-drilling efficiency increases with the impact frequency and dynamic loading amplitude. The penetration rate is 0.1051 mm/s at impact frequency of 150 Hz, which is 29.8% higher than that of 10 Hz. The impact energy and penetration rate at square loading waveform are the largest. The impact energy per second at loading waveform of square, sine, and triangle is 19.6 J, 12 J, and 7.91 J, respectively, when the impact frequency is set to optimal frequency of impact energy. This study provides a theoretical guidance for the optimization design of vibro-impact drilling technology.


The genome sequencing project on alkaliphilic Bacillus halodurans C-125 revealed a putative endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (Endo-BH), which consists of a signal peptide of 24 amino acids, a catalytic region of 634 amino acids exhibiting 50.1% identity with the endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Arthrobacter protophormiae (Endo-A), and a C-terminal tail of 220 amino acids. Transformed Escherichia coli cells carrying the Endo-BH gene exhibited endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. Recombinant Endo-BH hydrolyzed high-mannose type oligosaccharides and hybrid type oligosaccharides, and showed transglycosylation activity. On deletion of 219 C-terminal amino acid residues of Endo-BH, the wild type level of activity was retained, whereas with deletions of the Endo-A homolog domain, the proteins were expressed as inclusion bodies and these activities were reduced. These results suggest that the enzymatic properties of Endo-BH are similar to those of Endo-A, and that the C-terminal tail does not affect the enzyme activity. Although the C-terminal tail region is not essential for enzyme activity, the sequence is also conserved among endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidases of various origins.


The growth of maize (Zea mays L.) kernels depends on the availability of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) assimilates supplied by the mother plant and the capacity of the kernel to use them. Our objectives were to study the eects of N and sucrose supply levels on growth and metabolism of maize kernels. Kernel explants of Pioneer 34RO6 were cultured in aitro with varying combinations of N (5 to 30 mm) and sucrose (117 to 467 mm). Maximum kernel growth was obtained with 10 mm N and 292 mm sucrose in the medium, and a deficiency of one assimilate could not be overcome by a suciency of the other. Increasing the N supply led to increases in the kernel sink capacity (number of cells and starch granules in the endosperm), activity of certain enzymes (soluble and bound invertases, sucrose synthase, and aspartate aminotransaminase), starch, and the levels of N compounds (total-N, soluble protein, and free amino acids), and decreased the levels of C metabolites (sucrose and reducing sugars). Conversely, increasing the sucrose supply increased the level of endosperm C metabolites, free amino acids, and ADPG-PPase and alanine transaminase activities, but decreased the activity of soluble invertase and concentrations of soluble protein and totalN. Thus, while C and N are interdependent and essential for accumulation of maximum kernel weight, they appear to regulate growth by dierent means. Nitrogen supply aids the establishment of kernel sink capacity, and promotes activity of enzymes relating to sucrose and nitrogen uptake, while sucrose regulates the activities of invertase and ADPG-PPase. # 1999 Annals of Botany Company


We present an overview of some representative Agent-Based Models in Economics. We discuss why and how agent-based models represent an important step in order to explain the dynamics and the statistical properties of financial markets beyond the Classical Theory of Economics. We perform a schematic analysis of several models with respect to some specific key categories such as agents' strategies, price evolution, number of agents, etc. In the conclusive part of this review we address some open questions and future perspectives and highlight the conceptual importance of some usually neglected topics, such as non-stationarity and the self-organization of financial markets.


Perovskite oxides have been at the forefront among catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media offering a higher degree of freedom in cation arrangement. Several highly OER active Co-based perovskites have been known to show extraordinary activities and stabilities when the B-site is partially occupied by Fe. At the current stage, the role of Fe in enhancing the OER activity and stability is still unclear. In order to elucidate the roles of Co and Fe in the OER mechanism of cubic perovskites, two prospective perovskite oxides, La0.2Sr0.8Co1- xFe xO3-δ and Ba0.5Sr0.5Co1- xFe xO3-δ with x = 0 and 0.2, were prepared by flame spray synthesis as nanoparticles. This study highlights the importance of Fe in order to achieve high OER activity and stability by drawing relations between their physicochemical and electrochemical properties. Ex situ and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was used to study the local electronic and geometric structure under oxygen evolving conditions. In parallel, density function theory computational studies were conducted to provide theoretical insights into our findings. Our findings show that the incorporation of Fe into Co-based perovskite oxides alters intrinsic properties rendering efficient OER activity and prolonged stability.


Recently, the Albanian government has compiled national energy strategy with a special focus on promoting the use of renewable energy sources (RES) which identifies a target of 42% of the final energy consumption from RES by 2030. In this paper, analyses are conducted in order to investigate to which extent and way the absorption capacity of the power system from RES electricity can be improved. As an effective approach of implementing wind power, fostering the accommodation of renewable energy sources, especially on large-scale, a detailed techno-economic analysis of the 164 MW installed grid-connected wind farm, considered as a potential source, Korça district is analyzed. Conjoining two different types energy tools, RETScreen, a tool used on plant scale level and EnergyPLAN model applied for large energy system on national level including all energy sectors an optimization process is notably focused to attain 42% of the final energy consumption from RES by 2030, which was highly preformed in EnergyPLAN model. The results execute in EnergyPLAN identifies that the wind power capacity should be at least1850 MW and an installation cost not more than 1.1m€/ MW considering a bench mark price of electricity €76/MWh. The results of the study highlight the importance of high levels of RES integration which not only reduces greenhouse gases but will technically favor the creation of a flexible and sustainable energy system over time. Finally, the need for a sustainable and clear national energy model is inevitable, reshaping key points factors that hamper the integration on large-scale of wind power in Albania.


This paper explores children's relationship with TV and influence of parental mediation on that relationship by examining factors such as parents' income, marital status, age, education, religion and the effects of the child's time spent with nannies.  We employed the Parents Topline study by Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research and Hart Research (2007) to investigate children's relationship with parents/guardians and television consumption in Kuwait.  After pre-testing the survey was modified and several questions were omitted and altered to align it with the cultural factors and variables and was then translated into Arabic.  In total, 827, surveys were deemed valid of which, 56.3% were females, and 43.7 % were males.  Statistical significant variables were found in parental age, marital status, and domestic help and socioeconomic status and nationality in our results.  Additionally what was found was that the socioeconomic status of the parents had no significance in parental mediation of their children's TV consumption habits as much as age and education of the parent and age of the child.


ABSTRACT:This article examines the ways of knowing that govern public constructions of knowledge in the manufacture of the mobile phone—its cultural meaning, sociality of labor, and environmental consequences. It does so to consider the "material epistemology" of the mobile phone, the way in which one comes to know these devices, especially through the devices themselves. In modern manufacture, the incorporation of corporate supplier audits and investigative reporting into public discourse reveals an epistemology of production that is primarily imagined, rather than historically and ethnographically realized. Although the public epistemology of the mobile supply chain is built from the model of the telephone and telegraph, these networks were themselves mystified, displaced, and obscured. This is illustrated by examining material and conceptual differences between the historic supply chain of the telephone manufacturer Western Electric, and those imagined for contemporary companies like Apple.


Metal transfer mode of the low hydrogen type structural steel covered electrode is the one that coexists as the globular short-circuiting transfer and the fine droplet transfer in the flux-bridge. Component of the metal transfer modes has a direct effect on usability of the covered electrode. The oscillograms of the arc voltage and the welding current gained using the traditional photoelectric oscillograph can only qualitatively describe the general characteristics of metal transfer, but can't make a quantitative analysis. Using the ANALYSATOR HANNOVER, the welding electrical parameters are measured and analyzed. Four characteristic information values correlated with usability of the covered electrode, such as the frequency of the globular short-circuiting transfer, the globular short-circuiting time, the mean value of the globular short-circuiting time and the mean value of the weighted arcing time, are extracted. The method of principal component analysis is applied to determining the evaluation index for usability of the covered electrode. Thereby quantitative evaluation for usability of the covered electrode is realized. A new method is offered for scientifically evaluating usability of the low hydrogen type structural steel covered electrode.


Metagenomics constitutes the sequence based analysis of the collective microbial genomes (microbiome) in a particular environment. It provides culture independent access to the gene pool of whole microbial community. The variety of laboratory culturing methods when fail to culture the unculturable bacteria, tools of metagenomics are applied to reveal their existence in a given environment. Metagenomics tools deal mainly with the direct isolation of genetic material from a defined ecological habitat (soil or marine) and cloning of the complete genome of the entire microbial population. The present review discuss the culture independent approach to access the diversity of unculturable bacteria using metagenomics tools.


Although most reports on photodetectors focus on improving the responsivity in one region of the electromagnetic spectrum by fabricating hybrid 2D materials, the main issue still remains unaddressed, which is the inability to absorb the wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Most photodetectors comprise p–n heterojunctions, where one of the materials is responsible for absorbance, and having metal contacts of p and n type allows for the effective separation of photogenerated carriers. But for a broadband photodetector, both the materials of the heterojunction should participate in the absorbance. In such a case, metal contacts of p and n type will trap either the photogenerated electrons or holes, which leads to the failure of the device. In this work, discrete distribution of 1D V2O5 nanowires over 2D MoS2 and metal contacts on MoS2 combinedly enables the device to absorb from the ultraviolet to near infrared region (365 nm to 780 nm), wherein V2O5 is responsible for UV-visible absorption and MoS2 absorbs in the visible–NIR region. Furthermore, taking advantage of local heterojunctions of MoS2–V2O5 for the effective separation of photogenerated carriers enables efficient charge transfer, faster electron transfer rate and highly responsive photodetection. The responsivity of the fabricated device was calculated to be 41.5 mA W−1, 65.1 mA W−1 and 29.4 mA W−1 for UV, visible and NIR illumination, suggesting the device to be more responsive in the visible region and the device was found to be comparable with photodetectors fabricated using sophisticated cleanroom techniques. This method provides a new strategy for improving the absorbance range of photodetectors by the discrete distribution of 1D materials over 2D materials, which will find tremendous potential applications in the fields of optoelectronics, sensors and photodetectors.


We present here the first Jicamarca observations of incoherent scatter radar (ISR) spectra detected from E- and D-region altitudes. In the past such observations have not been possible at Jicamarca due a combined effect of strong equatorial electrojet (EEJ) clutter and hardware limitations in the receiving system. The observations presented here were made during weak EEJ conditions (i.e., almost zero zonal electric field) using an improved digital receiving sys- tem with a wide dynamic range and a high data throughput. The observed ISR spectra from E- and D-region altitudes are, as expected, narrow and get even narrower with decreas- ing altitude due to increasing ion-neutral collision frequen- cies. Therefore, it was possible to obtain accurate spectral measurements using a pulse-to-pulse data analysis. At lower altitudes in the D-region where signal correlation times are relatively long we used coherent integration to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the collected data samples. The spec- tral estimates were fitted using a standard incoherent scatter (IS) spectral model between 87 and 120 km, and a Lorentzian function below 110 km. Our preliminary estimates of tem- perature and ion-neutral collisions frequencies above 87 km are in good agreement with the MSISE-90 model. Below 87 km, the measured spectral widths are larger than expected, causing an overestimation of the temperatures, most likely due to spectral distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence.


Let (Y, T) be a minimal suspension flow built over a dynamical system (X, S) and with (strictly positive, continuous) ceiling function f : X → R. We show that the eigenvalues of (Y, T) are contained in the range of a trace on the K0-group of (X, S). Moreover, a trace gives an order isomorphism of a subgroup of K0 (C(X) ⋊S Z) with the group of eigenvalues of (Y, S). Using this result, we relate the values of t for which the time-t map on minimal suspension flow is minimal, with the K-theory of the base of this suspension.


There is no disclosure requirement that reveals the courage and integrity required for effective oversight by directors. That can come only from a review of the decisions they make. The Corporate Library has developed a system for rating boards, with grades from A to F, based on dynamic indicators and assessments of the board' effectiveness in areas where the CEO's interests may conflict with the interests of the shareholders. Factors considered in the rating analysis include CEO pay, the company's financial reporting (for the purpose of evaluating the audit committee), the company's overall strategy, CEO succession planning, director stock ownership, what the board says it is doing in its governance policies, how the board responds to a crisis, and other indicators of the board's leadership and ability to add value.


This research investigates two competing hypotheses from the literature: 1) the Social Enhancement ("Rich Get Richer") hypothesis that those more popular offline augment their popularity by increasing it on Facebook™, and 2) the "Social Compensation" ("Poor Get Richer") hypothesis that users attempt to increase their Facebook™ popularity to compensate for inadequate offline popularity. Participants (n= 614) at a large, urban university in the Midwestern United States completed an online survey. Results are that a subset of users, those more extroverted and with higher self-esteem, support the Social Enhancement hypothesis, being more popular both offline and on Facebook™. Another subset of users, those less popular offline, support the Social Compensation hypotheses because they are more introverted, have lower self-esteem and strive more to look popular on Facebook™. Semantic network analysis of open-ended responses reveals that these two user subsets also have different meanings for offline and online popularity. Furthermore, regression explains nearly twice the variance in offline popularity as in Facebook™ popularity, indicating the latter is not as socially grounded or defined as offline popularity.


The intensification of world processes has acutely raised the problem of transitional or modernizing societies and cultures. In this regard, the question of the culture of a modernizing society is actualized. In the article, the concept of "culture of a modernizing society" through the prism of modernization of a traditional society and ethnical aspect is analyzed. The explanatory cultural concept of the present day is developed. In this context, the main characteristic of a modernizing society is culture. It is revealed that culture of a modernizing society is quite plastic, multicomponent, and includes both traditional and innovative (modern) components. The Yakut culture at the modern stage is observed and it is cleared that the Yakut people are going through the final process of acculturation of the Yakut ethnos and the cultural assimilation of its large part.


ABSTRACT Over the last 20 years, the UK Higher Education sector has experienced a significant change to its funding base with a shift away from government funding, to operating within a highly competitive marketised environment. This shift has impacted the governance and management structures within the sector, with universities encouraged to adopt a more corporate and managerial style. Moreover, over this period, universities have evolved and adapted to social, economic, environmental and technological changes, necessitating a change in dialogue with the large number of internal and external stakeholders who influence Higher Education policy as well as university practices and operations. Adopting a Stakeholder and Resource Dependency Theory perspective, this paper seeks to calibrate the changing influence and importance of these stakeholders. The paper analyses a survey of 22 university secretaries (In the UK Higher Education setting, the university secretary is responsible for the effective governance of the university and for its professional services. In recent years, several UK universities have changed the title of this role from university secretary to Chief Operating Officer (COO), or to University Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, which is more common internationally.) conducted in mid-2020, and the results show that academic staff and students are seen as the most influential internal stakeholders as the quality of teaching and research is vital to the reputation and attractiveness of the university in a global market. Undergraduate home students are seen as the most influential student group due largely to the numbers enrolled, followed by international postgraduate taught students, an outcome consistent with resource dependency theory. UK and devolved governments (Devolution occurs when a central government delegates power to a region, providing it with autonomy to make legislation relevant to the area, whilst keeping it under national control. In the UK, devolved powers were granted to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the UK Westminster Government following referenda in each region in the late 1990s. The devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have control over a wide range of policy areas and have the authority to pass their own legislation in relation to them. One such devolved policy area is education. Other devolved policy areas include health services, law, and the environment.) are seen as the most influential external stakeholder reflecting their role in university funding and in setting Higher Education policy and regulation, an influence that has increased over the past two decades. The influence of financial stakeholders has also grown over the past two decades.


Pedigree records of 1 682 animals of the White Shorthaired goat in Slovakia were investigated. The reference population was defined as the animals born from 2008 to 2011 with at least one ancestor known in the second ancestral generation (670 animals kept in eight flocks). The numbers of founders (286), ancestors (256), effective founders (73), effective ancestors (45) and founder genome equivalents (32) were assessed. Fifteen ancestors were needed to explain 50 % of genetic variability. Marginal contributions of the ten most influential ancestors varied between 5.45 % and 2.47 % and accounted for 39.8 % of genetic variability. The mean values of inbreeding and co-ancestry were 0.69 % and 1.55 %, respectively. The effective population size was assessed to consist of 182 and 142 individuals, depending whether it was calculated from the individual increase in inbreeding or the individual increase in co-ancestry. The number of maximum generations traced, fully traced generations and equivalent complete generations traced were 5.62, 1.97 and 3.04, respectively. The first, second and third ancestral generation were 100 %, 83 % and 71 % complete, respectively. The completeness decreased to as low as 35 % and 11 % in the fourth and fifth generation. To be able to keep genetic links across generations in touch, the amount of pedigree information needs to be increased. This is a serious requirement for appropriate monitoring and management of genetic relations within the population.


Training deep neural networks that are robust to norm-bounded adversarial attacks remains an elusive problem. While exact and inexact verification-based methods are generally too expensive to train large networks, it was demonstrated that bounded input intervals can be inexpensively propagated from a layer to another through deep networks. This interval bound propagation approach (IBP) not only has improved both robustness and certified accuracy but was the first to be employed on large/deep networks. However, due to the very loose nature of the IBP bounds, the required training procedure is complex and involved. In this paper, we closely examine the bounds of a block of layers composed in the form of Affine-ReLU-Affine. To this end, we propose expected tight bounds (true bounds in expectation), referred to as ETB, which are provably tighter than IBP bounds in expectation. We then extend this result to deeper networks through blockwise propagation and show that we can achieve orders of magnitudes tighter bounds compared to IBP. Furthermore, using a simple standard training procedure, we can achieve impressive robustness-accuracy trade-off on both MNIST and CIFAR10.


Absolute total cross sections for electron-impact single ionization of Alq + (q = 3-7) ions are investigated experimentally as well as theoretically. Employing the crossed-beams technique, the cross sections have been measured from below the respective ground state threshold up to 1 keV and partly up to 5.5 keV. The theoretical calculations were performed using the configuration-averaged {distorted-wave} method, including both direct ionization and excitation-autoionization contributions from the 2p-shell. The measurements are in good agreement with the calculations considering a small content of metastable ions in the incident ion beam. Because of the strong dominance by direct ionization processes the semiempirical Lotz formula can describe the measured data as well.


This paper presents a study on the seismic response trends evaluation and finite element model updating of a reinforced concrete building monitored for a period of more than two years. The three storey reinforced concrete building is instrumented with five tri-axial accelerometers and a free-field tri-axial accelerometer. The time domain N4SID system identification technique was used to obtain the frequencies and damping ratios considering flexible base models taking into account the soil-structure-interaction (SSI) using 50 earthquakes. Trends of variation of seismic response were developed by correlating the peak response acceleration at the roof level with identified frequencies and damping ratios. A general trend of decreasing frequencies was observed with increased level of shaking. To simulate the behavior of the building, a three dimensional finite element model (FEM) was developed. To incorporate real in-situ conditions, soil underneath the foundation and around the building was modeled using spring elements and non-structural components (claddings and partitions) were also included. The developed FEM was then calibrated using a sensitivity based model updating technique taking into account soil flexibility and non-structural components as updating parameters. It was concluded from the investigation that knowledge of the variation of seismic response of buildings is necessary to better understand their behavior during earthquakes, and also that the participation of soil and non-structural components is significant towards the seismic response of the building and these should be considered in models to simulate the real behavior.


This paper discusses the history and importance of 'the weekend' for both work and leisure from the perspective of a weekend librarian. By examining the rise and (possible) fall of the British 'industrial weekend' of recreation it is possible to reflect on the implications for future working hours in the academic library sector.


The care of the patient after endoscopic thoracotomy is discussed. A definition of endoscopic thoracotomy, its advantages and disadvantages, and a brief description of the surgical procedure are presented. PACU care of the patient is reviewed and potential complications are identified.


This article discusses the implications of the precautionary principle for the EU biotech food regulatory regime. It first briefly reviews the precautionary principle under European law and the related issues of scientific proof and the burden and standard of proof. In the next section, the precautionary principle is examined in the context of the new EU food safety policy. The fourth part reviews Commission proposals for a precautionary product liability regime. The fifth part discusses the Commission's interpretation of the principle and the proposed criteria for precautionary regulation. The sixth part addresses the implications thereof for biotech food regulation, focussing on prior authorization and testing, traceability, labeling, and "substantial equivalence" requirements, and cost and benefits of biotech food. In the next section, possible challenges to biotech food regulations under WTO law are discussed. The author concludes that certain rules of current and proposed EU biotech regulation are in conflict with the EU's own criteria for precautionary regulation. Accordingly, the precautionary principle would be a potential weapon to fight some current regulatory requirements and additional future regulation. Those requirements may also be inconsistent with WTO law's criteria for trade-restrictive precautionary regulation. But even where WTO law allows members to implement their own policies, the EU should not apply the precautionary principle in a self-serving, selective and one-sided way. A sound and even-handed application of the precautionary principle should focus not only on the risks of biotech food, but also on its benefits. In addition, it should compare the benefits and disadvantages of precautionary regulation to the benefits and costs of no regulation and of alternative, less intrusive measures. Indeed, precautionary regulation itself should be used with precaution.


There is growing evidence that insects in high-density populations invest relatively more in pathogen resistance than those in low-density populations (i.e. density-dependent prophylaxis). Such increases in resistance are often accompanied by cuticular melanism, which is characteristic of the high-density form of many phase polyphenic insects. Both melanism and pathogen resistance involve the prophenoloxidase enzyme system. In this paper the link between resistance, melanism and phenoloxidase activity is examined in Spodoptera larvae. In S. exempta, cuticular melanism was positively correlated with phenoloxidase activity in the cuticle, haemolymph and midgut. Melanic S. exempta larvae were found to melanize a greater proportion of eggs of the ectoparasitoid Euplectrus laphygmae than non-melanic larvae, and melanic S. littoralis were more resistant to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (in S. exempta the association between melanism and fungal resistance was non-signficant). These results strengthen the link between melanism and disease resistance and implicate the involvement of phenoloxidase.


Granulite-facies gneisses within the Ox Mountains inlier, NW Ireland, are interpreted as an exhumed segment of sub-Dalradian lower crust, formed at 605 ± 37 Ma and later wedged upwards by crustal imbrication along the N-dipping Highland Boundary Fault-Clew Bay terrane boundary. A lower crustal provenance for the gneisses is suggested by evidence for eclogite decompression and for the later replacement of sillimanite by kyanite in response to slow cooling at depth. Granulite-facies rocks are believed to be present throughout much of the lower continental crust. Granulites are electrically resistant in contrast to the lower crust, which is usually electrically conducting. This paradox may be resolved by inferring that the granulite-facies rocks form dry, kilometre-scale lenses (mega-augen) wrapped around by anastomosing, retrograded, brine-soaked, electrically-conducting shear zones. Retrogressive hydration is believed (a) to seal the margins of the dry mega-augen with expanded reaction products, and (b) to concentrate the residual brine. Amphibolite-facies rocks associated with the lower crustal shear zones (above about 350°C) would equilibrate with strong, unsaturated brine and become electrically conducting. In the upper crust, similar rocks would concentrate the brine to the point of saturation, whereupon halite would precipitate, all water be consumed, and the rock would become an insulator.


The approximate model of the muzzle brake performance was set up and evaluated to simplify the analysis process. LHS(Latin Hypercube Sampling) and numerical simulation of inviscid muzzle flow field were applied to obtain some samples of the muzzle brake performance. The performance was weighted with the impact force on the muzzle brake. Then RSM(Response Surface Method) was adopted to get the approximate model of the muzzle brake performance to establish a mapping of muzzle brake shape parameters and the impact force. In the end GA(Genetic Algorithm) was applied to perform the optimization of the muzzle brake shape parameters with the approximate model.


In this paper, we extend the literature on modelling exchange rate v olatility in South Africa by estimating a range of models, including some that attempt to account for structural breaks and long memory. We examine the key nominal exchange rates of the South African rand and replicate common findings in the literature; particularly that volatility is 'persistent'. We investigate whether this 'persistence' is due to structural breaks or long memory, and the extent of asymmetric responses of the rand to 'good news' and 'bad news'. Our results show that while long memory is evident in the actual processes, a structural break analysis reveals that this feature is partially explained by unaccounted shifts in volatility regime; the most striking finding is the remarkable fall in the estimates of volatility persistence when considerably more structural breaks than those identified in recent studies are detected and integrated into the generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) framework. Furthermore, the asymmetric GARCH model results provide evidence of leverage effects, indicating that negative shocks imply a higher next period volatility than positive shocks. The empirical results also shed light on the timing and likely triggers of volatility regime switching.


Abstract Ticagrelor is a reversible P2Y12 receptor antagonist that is more potent than clopidogrel. When used in combination with aspirin, it reduces cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome. However, unbiased review of 5 randomised controlled trials indicates that although statistically significant, the clinical superiority of ticagrelor over clopidogrel is modest. Thus, identification of patients who benefit the most from ticagrelor is a priority. Besides bleeding issues, ticagrelor can frequently cause bouts of dyspnoea, which requires ticagrelor replacement by another P2Y12 receptor antagonist, with a loading dose.


The people who receive the information and buy products/services migrate, nowadays, from traditional to on-line media, a greater number of them is accessing the desired news from specialized sites and from mobile devices, anywhere and anytime. The fast adopting of new technologies affects – and transform – manufacturing, distribution and consume, but to optimize on-line channels is necessary to act objectively, and to found the decisions on performance key indicators. In the process of adapting to these market changes, the marketers have the opportunity to reach a different audience through on-line and mobile instruments. This approach based on real data, facilitated by web analysis, helps companies to focus the efforts and to have success with the new offer versions.


The ophthalmologic outcomes of diabetes were important. This research is conducted to assess the relation between diabetes and intraocular pressure changes in the patients of Avicenna Hospital, compared with healthy persons referring to the facility. With cross-sectional research, 400 persons including 200 diabetics and non-diabetics were selected on a random basis over one year in 2012. Research data were collected by examination and checklists, and then analyzed by SPSS 16 statistical software. Descriptive results were extracted, and the relation between the variables were analyzed by Chi2 test, t-test, Fisher's exact test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, with P. value less than 0.05 (P < 0.05).In the group of diabetics, 37% and 63%were male and female respectively, while in non-diabetics group 47% and 53% were male and female. The mean age of diabetics patients were 54.17 ± 8.25 and non-diabetics 49.06 ± 7.26 years. Mean vision acuity of the right eye was 9.035 in the diabetics and 9.56 in the witness group. Mean intraocular pressure was 16.71 ± 1.96 mm/Hg in diabetics, and 12.86 ± 1.45 mm/Hg in non-diabetics, which showed a significant difference (t = 22.337, P = 0.001). It is advisable that the intraocular pressure of diabetics be measured and recorded on a regular basis.


Thermolysis of 4-alkoxy-l,3-oxazol-5(2H)-ones (2) (X = O) leads to reactive nitrile ylides (1) bearing an alkoxy substituent at the nitrile C-atom. These intermediates can be trapped by C,C-, C,O-, C,N-, and C,S-dipolarophiles, yielding 5-membered heterocycles via 1,3- dipolar cycloaddition. In the case of 1,3-thiazole-5(4H)-thiones (11) as dipolarophiles, two regioisomeric cycloadducts were obtained. The results of the cycloadditions are discussed with respect to the influence of the alkoxy substituent on the structure of the nitrile ylide.


This study evaluated the contribution of avoidable causes of death to gains in life expectancy between 1998 and 2017 in Korea. This is a multi-year, cross-sectional study using national data. Death certificate data from 1998 to 2017 were obtained from Statistics Korea. The difference in life expectancy between 1998 and 2017 by age and cause of death were decomposed using Arriaga's method. Life expectancy rose 7.73 years over 20 years in Korea, which was largely (more than 50%) due to changes in avoidable causes of death. As age increased, the contribution to changes in life expectancy increased, and the gain in life expectancy due to avoidable causes also tended to increase. The major factors that drove that gain in life expectancy were avoidable causes such as cerebrovascular diseases and traffic accidents. The gain in life expectancy from preventable diseases was greater in men than in women. The results of this study indicate that active public health programs have been effective in improving life expectancy in Korea. Moreover, avoidable mortality could be further improved with good public health policy. Health policy aimed at reducing amenable and preventable deaths should be further implemented to promote population health.


Surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based acoustofluidics shows broad applications in biomedicine and chemistry. Conventional manufacturing process for SAW devices uses photolithography and metal deposition, thus requires accessing cleanroom facilities. This study presents an efficient and versatile technique based on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) for developing SAW acoustofluidic devices. By mechanically clamping interdigital electrodes (IDEs) made on the FPCB onto a piezoelectric substrate, SAWs can be effectively generated with an additional matching network. The SAW amplitudes were measured by a laser vibrometer, which increases with the applied input voltage. The FPCB-SAW device has been applied to actuate 10- $\mu \text{m}$ microspheres to form strong streaming vortices inside a droplet, and to drive a sessile droplet for transportation on the substrate surface. The use of the FPCB rather than a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) can help cut down on the overall footprint of the device and save space. The low requirement in assembling the FPCB-SAW device can facilitate versatile acoustofluidic applications by providing fast prototyping devices.


Background Acute heart failure (AHF) symptoms are similar to some respiratory conditions making it challenging for paramedics to diagnose AHF accurately, especially as they infrequently encounter it. Little is known about the clinical reasoning strategies (CRS) used by student or qualified paramedics to diagnose and manage patients with AHF, inaccurate diagnosis associated with inappropriate diuretic management can cause patient complications. Research aim To explore CRS student paramedics use during their diagnosis and management of AHF, examining differentiation processes between AHF and a respiratory condition presenting with similar signs and symptoms. Methodology A convenience sample of ten senior student paramedics from a BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science programme participated in a two phase exploratory study. Phase A involved assessment of three high-fidelity simulations of: (a) AHF; (b) pneumonia; (c) infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease each patient complaining of breathlessness. Phase B incorporated semi-structured interviews to explore participants' CRS during these simulations. Data analysis used thematic analysis. Findings and discussion Four key themes emerged: (i) Identification of Heart Failure; (ii) Process of Differentiation; (iii) Sources of Influence; (iv) Management Decisions. Participants demonstrated two forms of CRS; initially backward reasoning, using illness-scripts, rapidly determined need for immediate resuscitation and evaluated the opportunity available to conduct assessment and examination. This involved searching for cues used in forward hypothetical-deductive clinical reasoning; the strategy participants used during diagnosis. Two participants inappropriately activated illness-scripts through cue misinterpretation, resulting in incorrect diagnosis and pharmacological therapy. Participants had a low-threshold of pharmacological treatment instigation, even when the diagnosis was uncertain. Conclusion Although a small study, consideration should be given to participants immature CRS; they may require post-registration support to develop consistently accurate and appropriate clinical decisions which avoid patient exposure to risk. Further research should identify whether other paramedic students, from the various registration routes, reflect these results.


The introduced brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a major environmental and agricultural pest in New Zealand but little information is available on the ecology of possums in drylands, which cover c. 19% of the country. Here, we describe a temporal snapshot of the diet and feeding preferences of possums in a dryland habitat in New Zealand's South Island, as well as movement patterns and survival rates. We also briefly explore spatial patterns in capture rates. We trapped 279 possums at an average capture rate of 9 possums per 100 trap nights. Capture rates on individual trap lines varied from 0 to 38%, decreased with altitude, and were highest in the eastern (drier) parts of the study area. Stomach contents were dominated by forbs and sweet briar (Rosa rubiginosa); both items were consumed preferentially relative to availability. Possums also strongly preferred crack willow (Salix fragilis), which was uncommon in the study area and consumed only occasionally, but in large amounts. Estimated activity areas of 29 possums radio-tracked for up to 12 months varied from 0.2 to 19.5 ha (mean 5.1 ha). Nine possums (4 male, 5 female) undertook dispersal movements (≥1000 m), the longest of which was 4940 m. The most common dens of radio-collared possums were sweet briar shrubs, followed by rock outcrops. Estimated annual survival was 85% for adults and 54% for subadults. Differences between the diets, activity areas and den use of possums in this study and those in forest or farmland most likely reflect differences in availability and distribution of resources. Our results suggest that invasive willow and sweet briar may facilitate the existence of possums by providing abundant food and shelter. In turn, possums may facilitate the spread of weeds by acting as a seed vector. This basic ecological information will be useful in modelling and managing the impacts of possum populations in drylands.